Page 52 of One Night in Hawaii

“Tonight,” I said.

“Said you had a situation back home that required your attention.”

I was pretty sure Shiloh told him all about that situation, or at least what she knew of it. “I do.”

“I had to convince Shiloh to come over here last night,” he said. “She didn’t want to see you.”

“Thank you for convincing her to come over,” I said.

“She’s a good person,” he said. “She doesn’t trust easily. She has never had a real relationship. I encouraged her to take a chance on you. I hope you don’t make me regret convincing her to give you a chance.”

It was a warning. A very cool, casual warning but he was making it clear he would not be happy if I hurt her. “I have to go home to handle things, but that’s it. There’s nothing I want back there.”

“What is waiting for you in New York?” He was asking without asking.

“I’m sure Penelope has told you a little about who we are.”

“Nope. I don’t care who she was there. I know who she is here and that’s what counts.”

He also knew she was engaged. I didn’t know how I felt about that, but I knew he was better for my sister than the asshole Matthew, especially if he was fucking around with Ashley.

“Our family is wealthy. My great-grandfather was one of the original oil tycoons. My grandfather and my father grew the wealth. With that kind of money, the name comes with expectations. Penelope and I were both raised to remember we had to make sure the family name was never dishonored. We are supposed to continue to grow the wealth. That requires smart marriage decisions.”

I hoped he didn’t think I was insulting him. “I suppose if billionaires need more money, that’s a smart move.”

“Our parents were very particular about who we married. I was engaged to a woman named Ashley. Her parents and my parents are old friends. Ashley and I got together because it seemed right.”

“Like an arranged marriage?” he asked.

“It wasn’t necessarily arranged but it was coerced,” I answered. “Because there is so much money involved, there were contracts drawn up. Prenuptial agreements with some extra stuff.”

“Like?”

“Like if one of us broke the engagement,” I explained. “If she broke it off, she had to pay for half of the wedding cost and return my grandmother’s ring, which is worth a lot of money. If I broke it off, I agreed to pay her ten million dollars and give her a five percent share of my company.”

“She left you at the altar, right?”

“She did,” I said. “I wasn’t going to hold her to the contract. I really didn’t care. It wasn’t like I loved her. She was a means to an end. She fit in nicely with my family. She understands the world I come from and would know what to expect. I never really imagined I could find true happiness. I didn’t believe in it. I was resigned to accept a marriage with someone I could be compatible with. Someone that would give me a couple of kids and that would be that.”

“That sounds romantic.”

“Yeah, romance was not a factor,” I said, laughing.

“I guess I don’t understand what the problem is,” he said. “She’s gone. Congratulations.”

“It’s not so simple. She’s decided she wants to go through with the marriage. She had a change of heart. My parents are pushing for a quickie wedding. It will still be a grand event but it’s not going to be six months of planning. Everyone wants the signatures on the paper.”

“So, she does want to marry you?”

“No.”

He looked thoroughly confused. “I don’t get it.”

“She’s saying she wants to marry me because it puts it on me,” I explained.

“Ohhh, shit,” he said. “She’s making you break the deal and she gets your money.”

“Yes. It’s not just that. Having her on my board could cause some serious drama. I honestly didn’t pay a lot of attention to the contracts. My dad and our team of lawyers took care of all of it. I just signed my name. My dad is pushing hard to get me to go through with the wedding. My parents were left humiliated by her little stunt. They want to save face within their social circles. My parents and Ashley’s parents already have a plan in place. They’ve come up with some bullshit excuse about Ashley having a medical emergency. They want me home because it doesn’t look good for me to be on vacation while my bride is suffering from some mystery illness.”

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