Page 55 of Blue Hawaiian
“Hang on, you two. We need to split you up.” He raised his eyebrows. “Unless your dirty little secret is out in the open.”
Connor turned to Jess, making no attempt to hide his irritation. “You told him about us?”
“She didn’t have to,” Brody said. “I guessed it earlier. Even now, it’s painfully obvious.” He took Jess’s arm. “You—come with me. And you—Connor—go be your flirtatious self.”
“But not too much flirting,” Jess called out.
Frustration gnawed at Connor as he watched them leave. He had no desire to flirt withanyone, even in the guise of fooling their families. All he wanted was Jess. But keeping things quiet was for the best, especially after Darren had accused him of blowing off the family to spend time with her.
He went to order a beer and ran into Marc and his father, Rob Blackwood, in line at the bar. Marc insisted Connor try one of the luau’s signature drinks, which came in a giant coconut, then they found a place to watch the show. The master of ceremonies held the crowd spellbound as his assistants unearthed a huge roast pig from under a pile of coals and leaves. Connor, however, could barely focus. Across the terrace, Jess stood beside Brody, her head tilted back in laughter. Was Brody hitting on her? His cousin better not be putting any moves on his woman.
His woman?Where did that come from? And how could he be jealous of Brody? Jess and Brody had been friends since they were kids, and there had never been any sparks between them. Besides, his cousin was in deep with Taylor.
Connor forced himself to breathe. Even if he couldn’t spend the entire evening with Jess, he could still enjoy himself. He hung out with Marc and Uncle Rob, watched the breathtaking performances, and let himself get pulled onstage during the “audience participation” part of the show. But something was missing. When he caught a glimpse of Lance, talking with Jess, his hackles rose. If that overgrown frat boy thought he had any claim over her, he was sadly mistaken. And if he tried anything, Connor would be all over him like—
Stop. Enough with this caveman shit.
He drained the last of his tropical drink and shuddered. Fruity drinks served in a coconut were not his style. He set the empty coconut shell on the bar and wandered away from the crowd, past the hedge separating the grassy terrace from the beach. Under the moonlight, the waves gave off an ethereal glow. He wanted to find Jess and steal her away so they could enjoy the rest of the evening together.
“Connor?” Gabi stood beside the hedge, holding an enormous coconut with a straw sticking out of it.
“Hey, Gabi.”
“I’m surprised to see you here alone. I assumed by now you’d be off with one of the dancers. Or a waitress. Or pretty much any willing female.”
From the slur in Gabi’s voice, she’d clearly enjoyed too many loaded coconuts. He’d never seen her get drunk before—not even tipsy. The wedding stress must have pushed her over the edge.
He kept his voice even. “You don’t have a very high opinion of me, do you?”
“For good reason.” She advanced closer and jabbed his chest with her finger. “I know what you’re up to. You played nice with Jess so she’d forgive you. Then you spent the day with her ‘as friends.’ What a load of crap.”
He gave her a disarming smile. “We’re good, now that we’ve put the past behind us.” Despite the cool breeze, heat prickled the back of his neck.
Gabi’s dark eyes were laser-focused on him. “And you’ve been behaving like a gentleman? Bullshit.”
He shook his head. “Gabi, listen—”
“No, you listen. How dare you use my wedding to prey on my little sister? She’s still recovering from her breakup with Simon, and you’re taking advantage of her vulnerability. You act like all you want is friendship, but I know what you’re up to. You’re setting her up so you can fuck her again. Not on my watch, asshole.”
He hadn’t faced the brunt of Gabi’s anger since they were kids. He’d forgotten how terrifying she could be. “You have me all wrong. I told Jess I was sorry, and we agreed to move on.”
“So you could use her. Enjoy her for a couple of nights, then throw her away like garbage.” Gabi’s hands shook as she brandished the coconut. “If you break her heart again, I’ll twist your testicles into a knot. Tied with a fucking bow.”
He held his hands up. “No one’s heart is getting broken. We’re just friends.” Good thing they were keeping their fling quiet. Otherwise, he might not escape the luau with his balls intact.
“You have no idea what you put her through. She blamed herself for being too pushy. But you’re the one who led her on.”
Gabi’s words hit him with the force of a physical blow. “I’m sorry.”
“Call me a bitch if you want, but I care about her. And I don’t want you hurting her.”
“Everything all right?” Marc approached them, sounding winded. He put his hand on Gabi’s arm. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine now.” She glared at Connor. “I’m warning you. Stay away from my sister or you’ll answer to me.”
Marc gave him an apologetic smile as he led Gabi away. “Come on. The party’s breaking up. Let’s go say good night to our guests.”
Connor took a moment to catch his breath.
