Page 9 of Intrigued By Love

I’d noticed the desire in her beautiful eyes over the last few days. She’d never been able to hide her attraction to me or how her body reacted to my presence. What pissed me off was her refusal to acknowledge there was still something between us.

I had to get the stubborn woman to speak to me, so we could get to the bottom of our issues and fix them.

I had a little over three weeks left, and I couldn’t afford to lose another day.

“Any suggestions on getting her to want to be alone with me for even a second?”

“Honestly, no. I’ve never seen her avoid anyone. She’s usually so in your face and straightforward that this is freaking my parents out too. Maybe it’s time to ambush her.”

“With your dad around? I don’t think so. The man may be in his sixties but he isn’t someone to mess with, especially when it comes to his oldest daughter.”

I wasn’t a weak man by any account, years of mixed martial arts training and working on boats had kept me in shape. But I stood no chance against an angry father wanting to protect his baby.

“Then I suggest you sneak over to her bungalow and make her listen there. It’s far enough away from the family that it will give you the privacy to get it out on the table.”

“If this goes wrong, I’m totally going to blame you for suggesting it.”

“Are you saying you’re scared of a five-foot-two sea sprite with a temper?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” I stood, handing Kevin my bottle.

“Where are you going?”

“To wait out Kai at her bungalow. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

* * *

Kailani

“Is everything set for the trip to the motu?” I asked Raquel as I skimmed the last of the transportation schedule for the family arriving tomorrow.

It was near midnight and I was exhausted. Trying to balance time with my family and my duties as general manager were harder than I’d expected. No matter how efficient my staff was, the responsibility for the LB was on me. It was my job to check and double-check everything so the resort’s five-star rating remained a permanent part of its future.

“Yes. One of Mr. Burton’s vessels will arrive a little before seven in the morning and the staff will stock the ship and be ready for everyone for a prompt ten o’clock departure.”

“Do you want me to stay behind to handle my crazy aunts when they arrive?”

Raquel folded her arms across her body and frowned. “I’ve got it, boss. Go play guide for your sisters and try to have some fun. Besides, according to your horoscope for the day, the next twenty-four hours will be one of your only chances to relax until mercury moves out of your sign.”

“As if I needed an astrology prediction to give me that piece of news.”

“Well then, what are you arguing with me about?” She lifted a brow with a smirk.

Raquel was right. The spa day had been four days ago and I knew this would be one of my few chances to relax under the Polynesian sun until high season ended in September, which was over four months from now. This trip would also give me a chance to check out one of Jax’s new sailing yachts. I’d seen the renderings years ago, but it always was a thrill to see the actual product once it came out of production.

It had fascinated me how he’d run a ship-building company from landlocked Vegas, but then again, a private jet had allowed him to visit production sites whenever it was required.

We were lucky Jax had a client who lived in the Cook Islands and had agreed to let us use her new ship for a few days.

“Before I leave, just another warning: my aunts and cousins are a bit over the top, but they’re harmless. Don’t let them steamroll you.”

“Stop worrying. My family is no less crazy. I can handle whatever they throw my way.”

I took a deep breath. “I trust you.”

“Good, now go get some rest.” She yawned. “I’m going to hit the sheets too.”

After shutting down my laptop, I rose. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

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