Page 2 of An Heir Made In Hawaii (Hot Winter Escapes)

She’d said no again. The smile had disappeared, giving her a glimpse of what Nicholas Lassard concealed so well behind that pleasant face: a sharp, intelligent businessman who didn’t like being denied what he wanted.

No. She was not letting him ruin something else on this trip. She was here for the conference. Hopefully she would pick up some ideas and make some contacts that would bring more business. But she was also heeding the advice Marija had bestowed on her that final week before she’d passed when she’d given Anika an envelope containing a plane ticket and a reservation for the conference they’d always dreamed of one day attending together.

“Go and enjoy yourself.”She’d squeezed Anika’s hand when Anika opened her mouth to protest, to point out the money would have been better spent on the inn.“Do it for me, Anika. I’ll be happier knowing you have a chance to live a little.”

The concrete dock jutted out into the water and offered the most incredible views. The end was covered by a canopy and offered several picnic tables as well as ladders for those wanting to swim off the pier. But at eight o’clock in the morning, the pier was blissfully empty.

Sailboats and a couple smaller fishing boats gently bobbed on the water. Tourists in kayaks paddled across the bay and into the Hanalei River. Beyond the water and the beach, mountains swelled up toward the sky, the jagged ridges hinting at the wildness beyond.

She missed home, missed the crispness of fall sliding into winter as snow danced down from the Alps and dusted the town and the adjoining lake. Lake Bled was becoming better known as a travel destination, although it had held on to its small-town European charm.

But Hawaii had rekindled a wanderlust she hadn’t felt in years. She hadn’t even known she’d needed to get away from Slovenia until she had stepped out of Kauai’s airport into tropical heat that had slid across her skin like a lover’s caress. Palm trees had provided shade, mountains covered in velvety green instead of snow had stood proudly against a turquoise sky and, perhaps her favorite part of all, were the chickens that had run about with carefree glee.

Determined to relax before she walked back up for the conference’s opening session, she lay back on her towel. Slowly, she focused on relaxing her body, tension seeping out of her muscles as the sun gently wiped away her worries and lulled her into a dreamlike state. Schedules and overdue bills and marketing plans slipped away. For once her mind was completely, blissfully clear of everything except where she was.

The word drifted through her mind again—heaven—and she let out a sigh of contentment.

“Be a shame to burn that beautiful skin.”

She froze as the deep, gravelly voice rolled over her, each of the words pronounced with emphasis and tinted with his rasping accent. The rigidity returned, invading her body and tensing her limbs into tightly coiled springs as her pulse kicked up a notch.

Because he’s annoying as hell, she reassured herself.

A shadow fell over her, blocking the sun. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and blinked.

“I was wrong.”

Nicholas loomed over her, white smile flashing against tan skin that said he had recently been traveling, or more likely partying, abroad.

“About what?”

“I’m not in heaven. I’m in hell.”

He threw back his head and laughed. She propped herself up on her elbows and glared up at him, trying to contain the burst of fury that raced through her. Normally Nicholas only inspired minor irritation, occasionally a dash of righteous anger.

But right now, when she had just achieved the peak of relaxation, she wanted nothing more than to shove him off the pier.

“It’ll be hot enough this afternoon to count as hell.”

“What are you doing here?”

He arched a brow as he crouched down next to her.

“Same as you.”

“Trying to have some alone time?”

“Yes.”

Her hands curled into fists. “The definition of alone means no one else around.”

He glanced around the bay in a slow, considering manner that made her want to grind her teeth.

“Hmm. Must have missed the sign that said this was a private pier.”

He pulled his sunglasses off as he spoke. A different type of heat rolled over her, swift and so shocking it made her lips part in surprise. She’d never had a physical reaction to him before. Maybe it was his proximity. Perhaps it was the woodsy scent of his aftershave winding around her.

Or you just haven’t been on a date in forever.

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