Page 12 of The Wrong Fiancée

"Why don't you go with him?" her friend, Cristin, who had joined us for drinks at the Lava Lua Tiki Lounge, suggested.

I hoped Felicity would reject Cristin's suggestion because I needed some space. Since we got engaged a month ago, we'd spent a lot of time together, either in New York or Hong Kong and now in Kauai. Previously, Felicity had her own life and kept busy with her career as an art consultant, but in Hawaii, she had been extra needy, which was suffocating me.

Had I rushed into our engagement?

Felicity and I had been dating for eight months before I proposed to her. I'd known her for much longer; I had known Sam for most of my life as my parents had worked with him. But the Felicity in New York and Hong Kong felt different from theone here. Here, I was seeing her more in social settings with friends and her family rather than at work and with colleagues. Work Felicity was smart, savvy, and didn't mind using her sharp elbows. She was independent and knew how to get her way. All of that was attractive in a work setting, but in a social one, the sharp elbows seemed vulgar.

I especially didn't like how she talked about Elika last night. I had looked for Elika during the day and found out from one of the housekeeping staff that she had Wednesdays off. I wanted to talk to her and understand better what was going on with her life, her sister, and how she was doing. I felt this odd sense of responsibility for her, even though I had no reason to.

We'd fucked, but that was four years ago. Was it the best sex of my life? Yes. But I'd known even then that Elika was the wrong woman for me. There was no way we would be compatible. She was a college dropout, cleaning hotel rooms for a living, with no career prospects—a fact reinforced by the reality that, four years later, she wasstillcleaning hotel rooms.

Now, I had no problem with honest work and didn't look down on Elika for that. I just didn't think we could have more than we'd had, even if I had flirted with the idea. We’d had fun together—had a connection that was all-consuming. Leaving her hadn’t been easy, but there was only so long I could juggle my responsibilities before my brother, Damian—who also happened to be my boss—came down on me. I had thought of coming back to Honolulu and seeing her…maybe spending another week with her, but it hadn't worked out.

Now, I was engaged, and Elika was completely off-limits.

"What isshedoing here?" Cristin muttered caustically.

I followed her line of sight and felt the breath leave my body.

Elika wore a tight white T-shirt and a pair of jeans molded to her body. She looked like a fucking model as she expertly made cocktails. My dick went into alert mode as if sniffing her. Even now, after all these years, it was like my body recognized hers.

Stop it, Dean; you're engaged to Elika's cousin. ENGAGED tobe married. So, get your head out from between Elika's legs and focus on Felicity.

"She works here, obviously," I remarked.

I thought it was her day off, and here she was working again. One thing about Elika I'd known even all those years ago, she was hardworking. She didn't shirk her duties and even when I'd charmingly tried to get her to call in sick and spend the day in bed with me, she'd refused.

"What can I get, y'all?" our server, a young man with an Australian accent, asked us. He was wearing a white shirt and denim shorts, which seemed to be the tiki lounge's uniform.

The Lava Lua Tiki Lounge was nothing like the pristine bungalows or the high-end restaurants we'd been having dinner at in the resort. It was a different kind of atmosphere altogether—unpolished and vibrant, with the sound of laughter mingling with the beat of Hawaiian music and the clinking of glasses. The place was tucked into a hidden part of the coastline, far from the polished world of opulent bungalows and private beaches. It was alive, and I couldn't help but notice how the energy pulsed through the place like a heartbeat.

Cristin's boyfriend Theo had recommended the tiki lounge. Apparently, he came to Kauai regularly, just like the Thatchers. His family also had a bungalow in the same resort.

The tiki lounge was my kind of place. Lit by the flicker of torches and colorful string lights, casting a warm glow over the wooden tables and bamboo bar, it was charming in its simplicity—no pretenses, no expectations—just a good time, good drinks, and a sense of community I had expected.

Felicity and Cristin looked slightly out of place in their designer resort wear.

I watched as Elika moved through the crowd, carrying trays of drinks with the same grace I'd seen at the resort.

"I was hoping she wouldn't be here tonight," Felicity said and then glared at Theo. "This is why I didn't want to come here."

"I like Elika," Theo informed us even while his girlfriend shot daggers at him. "I don't know what y'all's problem with her is. Sheisn't her father, alright? Sure, Grant could be an asshole, and Noe was…well, even she didn't deserve what happened to her, but Elika, she's always been cool."

"He thinks she's hot," Cristin accused.

I agreed wholeheartedly with Theo.

Felicity groaned. "You know she sleeps around with guests, don't you? That's why she got fired from her previous job. Dante did her a favor, a big one because Daddy asked him to."

Knowing Dante, I knew he'd do favors for his friends. I had connected with Dante, and he'd promised to have a drink with me when he was back in Hawaii in a few days. He was in Rome, dealing with some family crisis—and since he had a very large family, there was always something that needed his attention.

"She doesn't sleep with guests," Theo scoffed. "Stop spreading vicious rumors, Felicity."

I liked Theo. Apparently, he'd known the Thatchers for years, as did Cristin. They all grew up in Hawaii, and their parents were friends as well. Maybe it was because he'd known Felicity all his life that he was comfortable being so direct with her.

However, Felicity didn't appreciate it. "That is not a rumor but fact. You can ask Dante when you see him. He's the one who told me in the first place."

I eyed Felicity with a sense of foreboding. She was lying. I knew Dante too well—there was no way he’d speak about an employee with such disrespect. It wasn’t who he was.

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