Page 5 of Your Body On My Mind

"What the hell do you want there?" she asked skeptically, although I could already hear her tapping away at the keyboard in the background, trying to make my wish come true.

Everyone had advised me against hiring my sister as an assistant, but it was the best decision I could have made.The Haoa siblings are set to rise. Or so the local newspaper had put it in their crappy article about us.

"Kaden? My question?"

I shook my head, looked over my shoulder and realized Nancy had already left. And without making a fuss. I was impressed.

"I need to visit someone there."

"And does this woman have a name?"

A sigh escaped me. Kaia was so damn curious. "Nik. It's Nik."

My sister was silent for a second. Then she really got going. "Why didn't you say so before? How long since you've seen each other? Does she have any idea you're on your way? I thought you said you hadn't spoken since she left Hawaii?"

"She doesn't have a clue," I muttered. Besides, it was an idea I had on a whim. Her birthday was in a few hours, Nancy was annoying me, and I had found the stupid reminder in my calendar.One year from tomorrow– marry Nika.

That in itself had been a rash idea then, a stupid idea in youthful fervor. But at that very moment, it seemed so much more tempting to make Nikau my wife than to waste one more day trying to find another woman who would make me feel something.

"Then she's probably going to rip your head off tomorrow."

"I want the first available flight, Kaia," I continued, not responding to her comment.

Wherever this sudden restlessness was coming from, I couldn't wait to get on that plane to Iowa and remind her of the deal we made.

Sometimes I would lie awake at night, tasting her blood on my tongue, feeling the warmth of the red liquid on my lips. I wondered how I had let nine fucking years go by before trying my luck with her.

It was probably because I had known full well that my former self would not have been the right one for her. Or maybe it had been the result of countless disappointments before the realization that Nikau had been right that night.

Or maybe it was just that I was an idiot occasionally, who didn't seem to be able to have a grip at the right moment.

What I should have done that night was to kiss her. To find out what she tasted like. How she'd react. And if I was able to enchant her. Because just as I had not forgotten the blood, I had not forgotten how her pulse had first quickened under the pressure of my fingers and then calmed down, as if her body was naturally capable of withstanding me and accepting what I had to give. Even if somewhat awkwardly at the time…

"Do you have a present? Please tell me you won't show up at her door without a gift."

Without further ado, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm the gift, okay?"

"Wow. When did your ego get so obnoxiously big, huh?"

I decided I owed her no answer. She would not get it. In fact, it wasn't my intention for her to understand.

"So what about the flight?"

"Booked. And it leaves in less than an hour. So you better hurry."

"Thanks."

"When are you coming back?"

A question I had no answer to. "The best thing you can do is cancel all appointments for tomorrow. I'll be back the day after."

I heard her tapping away at her keyboard again. "You know what? I'll book the flight back when you tell me. And Kaden? Behave yourself. I don't want to read any headlines in some village paper in Iowa."

"Why not? 'Owner of Hawaiian luxury resort embarrassed in redneck state' reads pretty interesting, don't you think?"

"I'd much rather read about a million-dollar deal."

I mimicked her words with a low growl before shaking my head and hanging up. Kaia was a kind soul, but sometimes she felt the need to be both my boss and a mother. I didn't hold it against her, but I wasn't going to let it get to me, either.

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