Page 21 of One Night in Hawaii

“Doesn’t give him the right to go around touching your ass,” he growled.

“No, it doesn’t. Thank you for defending me.”

“I just happened to be the first one to get there,” he said. “Ryder would have handled it if I hadn’t.”

“How’s your hand?” I asked.

My heart was beating a little faster than usual and there was a warmth in my belly. I was trying to think of a reason why I couldn’t drag him back to my boat and have my way with him.

“It’s fine. Just sore,” he said softly.

He was withdrawing from me. I didn’t know how to bring him back. I had a feeling fighting was definitely not a part of his typical day. He was way too buttoned-up to brawl in a rundown bar. I had a feeling the progress we had made was gone. He was sinking back into his stuffy, grumpy self.

“I’m sorry I was an asshole,” he said.

I reached over and took his hand. “You weren’t. I hate to admit it, but I’m glad you were here.” He looked at our hands and then met my eyes. “Thank you for being my hero.”

“Okay.” He took a sip of his beer and pushed away his plate. “I should probably get back to the house.”

I nodded, bummed that our perfect day had come to such an abrupt end. We had been so close to actually kissing.

“Okay,” I said, smiling. “I understand. I’m sorry things went sideways. Usually, it’s just locals in here.”

“It’s cool. I was thinking maybe we could do something tomorrow. Are you free?”

“Yes!” I remembered to play it cool. “Sure.”

He pulled out his phone. “Can I get your number?”

“Sure,” I said. We exchanged numbers, but I noticed he was still tapping away on his phone. “Anything you want to do?”

He typed out a text to himself. “I’m up for just about anything.”

“Anything?” I teased.

“Within reason,” he said, smiling.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

I watched him walk away. He was really turning me on, and not just because of his smoking hot body. He was a hard nut to crack, but I liked the challenge. I liked that he didn’t just come right out and lay out everything he was thinking and feeling. It was a shame he had to go back to the house. It was a shame I wasn’t going with him.

I found Ryder surrounded by friends. “Hey, I’m heading back.”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine.”

“That was pretty cool what Archer did,” he said, grinning.

“Yes it was.”

I wasn’t about to tell him the whole thing had been a total turn-on. Ryder would give me shit and I didn’t want to deal with the teasing.

As I exited the bar to head back to my boat, I realized I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come. I was excited to see where the day would take us. Maybe we’d go hiking or visit a nearby town. Regardless of what we’d do, I knew I was ready to spend the day with him.

I walked down the stairs to my living area and tossed my keys on the table. I headed to my bedroom, peeled off my clothes, and hopped in the shower, letting the warm water cascade over me. My thoughts drifted back to him, imagining his strong hands on my body, exploring every inch of me.

I pushed aside the thoughts, reminding myself he was only going to be around for a couple of weeks. I did not need a fling with a man I would never see again.

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