Page 31 of One Night in Hawaii

Archer stood perfectly still as my breasts pushed against his bare chest. I could have sworn I heard a sizzling noise at the place of contact. He looked down at me and I just knew he was going to kiss me. I held my breath, waiting for the moment to happen. His blue eyes looked into mine. I could see him debating. I wasn’t going to push, but if he kissed me, I wasn’t going to push him away either.

Suddenly, the sound of a vibrating phone cut through the air. Neither of us moved at first. “Shit, that’s me,” he said and stepped away. His phone was on the small table. He picked it up and looked at the screen. “I have to take this.”

His voice was hard and the passion that was there evaporated. He looked pissed as he climbed the stairs and went on deck.

I stood there, feeling a little lost and disappointed. I couldn’t believe that something as insignificant as a phone call could ruin the moment we were having. I wondered what was so important that it had to be addressed right away.

I decided to give him some space and started making his sandwich. As I sliced the bread, I couldn’t help but replay the moment in my head. The way his chest felt against mine, the way his eyes looked at me, and the way his hand felt as it squeezed mine. I knew I wanted more.

That was a scary thought. I didn’t get to have more. He was not mine to have. He was fresh out of a shitty almost-marriage. His would-be wife was back home waiting for him. We would likely never see each other again. A torrid affair sounded appealing but an affair with Archer wouldn’t just be a one-nighter. I knew I would want more. The last thing I needed was a broken heart.

I finished making his sandwich. My intention was to stay on the boat a bit longer, but I changed my mind. If we stayed any longer, there was a good chance something would happen. I left his sandwich in the fridge and went on deck to pull up the anchor. Archer was standing with a hand on his hip and his other holding the phone to his ear. His broad back was already a shade darker than it had been when he first arrived. He looked even better than the first time I saw him shirtless.

I went through the process of getting ready to leave our secluded little area. Whoever he was talking to was not making him happy. I could see the tension was back. He glanced over at me with a scowl on his face.

And just like that, the fun Archer was gone.

13

ARCHER

My heart sank as I listened to my father’s words on the other end of the phone. His timing couldn’t have been worse. I had been seconds away from sharing a special moment with Shiloh—leaning in for a kiss that would have sealed our connection. But now, all I could think about was the bombshell my father had just dropped on me.

“Ashley changed her mind,” he said matter-of-factly, as if it was a simple matter.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

“She wants to get married. We’re already working on rescheduling the wedding. Your mother is talking about scaling back a bit, but they still want to make it a memorable event.”

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at the absurdity of it all. “No way, Dad. That ship sailed a long time ago. I’m not marrying her. We already had a memorable event. She left me standing at the altar and not only made a fool out of me, but all of us. Our whole family is a joke thanks to her.”

My father’s voice turned stern and serious. “You need to think this through, son. Breaking the marriage contract won’t be without consequences. Ashley will get five percent of your company and a ten-million-dollar settlement. You stand to lose a lot.”

I gritted my teeth, feeling anger and frustration bubbling within me. It wasn’t about the money or the business. It was about my life, my happiness, and my right to choose who I wanted to be with.

“I don’t care about the money, Dad,” I said firmly. “I care about my happiness, and I won’t sacrifice that for anything.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and I could almost imagine my father clenching his jaw in irritation.

“This isn’t just about you, son. It’s about the family reputation and our business ties.”

“I understand that but forcing me into a loveless marriage is not the answer,” I retorted, my resolve strengthening.

My father sighed heavily, and I knew he was trying to find a way to reason with me. But this time, I couldn’t be swayed. I had spent years trying to live up to his expectations and fulfill family obligations, but this was a line I couldn’t cross.

“You were more than willing to marry her a week ago,” he said. “She got a case of cold feet. She’s over it.”

“Do you actually expect me to put myself in that position again?” I scoffed. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I’m a fucking idiot.”

“We thought you might say that,” he said.

“Who? Who is we?”

“Your mother and I,” he said. “We’ve come up with a solution to that.”

“A ball and chain isn’t a real thing,” I muttered. “You can’t physically shackle her to me.”

“That’s not funny. We would have you guys get married in private, just the two of you and a judge. Then we would do the big wedding. She could run, but it wouldn’t matter. You would be legally married.”

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