Page 1 of Infatuation

one

The sound of Hawaiian music drifted lightly through the air as Kade took a small sip of his beer. He stood on the side of the dance floor watching the wedding guests. It was one of those days Hawaiians took for granted he was sure, but Kade didn’t. The sweet scent of plumeria tickled his nose, and the sound of the ocean just a few hundred yards away combined with the music to ensure that the entire day seemed magical. The groom, Chris Dupree, smiled like a man who had just finished Hell Week with honors, while his new bride, Cynthia, glowed with more than that “happily just married” glow. Her gently rounded tummy was barely visible, but everyone knew she was pregnant.

“Never thought he would settle down,” Malachi, Chris’ brother, said from beside him. One of Kade’s best friends, Mal had dragged him across the Pacific Ocean to make the wedding.

“Really? He’s been with her for years. It only took him this long to convince her to marry, right?”

Mal laughed and took a long drink out of his bottle.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Mal said, New Orleans threading his voice. Their friendship was an odd one, that was for sure. Mal had grown up as part of a huge family in New Orleans, and was half creole. The name Dupree meant something in circles down there, especially in hospitality. Francis McKade grew up the child of Australian immigrants, both scientists recruited to work for the US Military.

“At least there are lots of lovely ladies here for the picking,” Mal said, his gaze roaming over the crowd. “There’s something about Hawaiian women, you know?”

Kade said nothing but nodded. He wasn’t particularly interested in most of the women today. Thewoman he wanted set off signs of being interested in him, but she had never acted on it.

“Are you two flipping a coin to see who gets what woman?”

The amused female voice slipped down his spine and into his blood. Before turning around, he knew who she was. Shannon Dupree, youngest sister of his best friend, and the woman who had starred in most of his most vivid sex dreams. He turned to face her, thinking he was ready for the impact, but of course he wasn’t. As usual, she stole his breath away.

She was dressed in red, the main color of the wedding. The soft material draped over her generous curves. Shannon was built like Kade loved his women. Full hips, abundant breasts, and so many curves his fingers itched to explore. Every time he was near her, he had to count backwards from ten and imagine that he was taking a shower in freezing water. Sometimes that worked.

“What makes you think we’re doing that?” Mal asked.

One eyebrow rose as she studied her brother. "I’ve known you for twenty-eight years, that’s how I know.”

Shannon turned to Kade expectantly, and he couldn’t think. Every damned thought vaporized. It was those eyes. Green with a hint of brown, they were so unusual, and they stood out against her light brown skin. He could just imagine how they would look filled with heat and lust.

He finally cleared his throat and mentally gave himself a shake. Staring at her like a fifteen-year-old with a crush wasn’t really cool. "Don’t lump me in with your brother, here. He doesn’t have any standards.”

“Except for that stripper last time you visited?”

There was a beat of silence. “Stripper?”

“Mal ratted you out.”

He gave his friend a nasty look. His last visit to New Orleans hadn’t gone that well. Shannon had gotten very serious about her current boyfriend, and there had been talk of them moving in together. Kade had done the one thing he could to ignore the pain. He got drunk and went out to strip clubs. And Mal had been the one with the stripper, not him.

“I think your brother had that wrong.”

She glanced back and forth between them. “Whatever. Just make sure you stick around for some of the reception before you go sniffing any women.”

“Don’t worry about me. Your brother has the impulse control problem.”

Shannon laughed.

Mal grunted. “Both of you suck.”

“They’re going to be cutting the cake soon, so at least hold off until then, could you?”

With that she brushed past them, and he could smell her. God, she was exotic. Even with all the scents of Hawaii surrounding him, hers stood out. Spicy, sweet...

He took another pull from his longneck bottle, trying to cool his libido.

“So, who do you have in mind?” Mal asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“What?”

“Man, it’s a wedding. Women are always ripe for seduction at these things. You have to have someone in mind.”

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