Mele Kalikimaka, Baby: Hawaiian Holidays Book One

by Schroeder, Melissa

  Shit. This was one woman he could not mess with. Not as if she would be interested in him. He saw the way she looked at him, queen to peasant. These types slept with people only to get ahead.

  “What do you mean you won’t get to enjoy it?”

  Her wary glance made him feel like an ogre. “I have work to do. This was a last-minute thing, so I still have work from the office to do.”

  “So, let me get this straight. You gave up your holidays with your family, and you are being forced to work on things from the office. Nouveau sounds like a really great company there, darling.”

  Her spine straightened. “I have responsibilities.”

  “Yeah, like trying to steal our grandmother’s land.”

  * * *

  Jack controlled his temper as he carried in Ms. Cantwell’s luggage to one of their vacation condos. It was actually the one that he and Maleko used when they were back from the mainland, but for the weekend, it was Ms. Cantwell’s.

  She stepped around him and studied the room. It was one of their best—a small but convenient kitchen, and a fully furnished living room complete with a flat-screen TV.

  “This is very nice, Mr. Akaka.”

  “Jack, please. If you say Mr. Akaka, I look around for my father.”

  She smiled, just as she had earlier, and he couldn’t help but respond in kind. Figuring that every time she offered one of those cautious smiles, he could feel it all the way to his cock, he assumed he should do something.

  “Then, please, call me Sophia. What I do not understand is why I am here. I have a room at the hotel.”

  This was slippery ground and damn Mal for sitting out in the Jeep like a sulky boy. “First, you don’t have a room at the hotel. Mal canceled it.”

  She sighed and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Flesh rose above the neckline of the sheer purple blouse. God, she had the most beautiful skin. It was as pure as ivory, and he would bet just as smooth. She wasn’t big breasted, but just the right size. Sophia had a nice rounded bottom though, just the way he liked his women.

  “I can just get another room.”

  No, she couldn’t. But he wasn’t going to handle that because that was another one of Mal’s schemes.

  “Listen, why don’t you take a shower, relax, and then I can show you around.”

  She worried her bottom lip, then her tongue darted out over it. Jesus, the woman, had a mouth most women would pay to get—and some did. It was fuller on the bottom, and now, wet from her lick.

  “Around as in…”

  “Honolulu. It will only take us a few minutes to get to downtown from here. And besides, if you need to talk to someone about these condos, it is going to be Mal or me.”

  She sighed. “I guess it couldn’t hurt and I am really punchy from the trip.”

  “Does an hour give you enough time?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  As he walked to the Jeep, he could not help but smile. Mal may not like the woman because of her occupation, but Jack didn’t care. He was going to try hard to get her into his bed…or hers, he wasn’t really particular. If Mal were smart, he would come along for the ride.

  “Took you long enough,” he growled as Jack climbed into the Jeep.

  “I invited her out tonight. We should take her down into Waikiki.”

  Mal hit the brakes and turned his head. The glare was hardly unexpected.

  “No.”

  “What?” Jack asked in mock innocence.

  “Keep your fucking dick in your pants, Jack. This woman is not to be fooled around with.”

  “You think that at first, but there is something there, something soft underneath.”

  Mal shook his head and gunned the Jeep through the mostly empty parking lot. Not a good sign. They had both rushed here when they heard from their grandmother about the letter she had received. Their grandmother was a smart woman, but neither of them respected corporations. Mal’s experience was enough for both of them. They both had shied away after he’d quit and worked for small organizations. Mal worked construction, and Jack was a guide in Colorado. Both of them had figured on coming back to Hawaii soon, but not this soon.

  “I do not want to tangle this up. We have to be on our toes around this woman.”

  “I plan on being a lot of things around this woman.”

  “Damnit, Jack, I don’t need you giving me any ideas.”

  Jack smiled as he looked in the opposite direction. “Oh? So you find her attractive.”

  “You know damn well I do. She’s just our type.”

  Jack nodded. “With that fair skin, can you imagine how pink her ass will get when spanked?” He closed his eyes and hummed. Damn, he was making himself hot just thinking about it.

  “Yeah.”

  “What was that?”

  “Yeah, okay, I want her, but I am not going to go after her, and neither are you.”

  Jack smiled and sunk down in his chair. He knew, without a doubt, none of them would be sleeping alone tonight.

  Chapter Three

  “What do you mean there aren’t any rooms left?”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Cantwell. We have nothing left. It’s a hectic time of year.”

  Sophia sighed. She wanted to scream, wanted to do some kind of bodily damage to Maleko Akaka. It spoke of how many connections he had on the island. She had a feeling that Rick had underestimated what they were really up against.

  After thanking the desk clerk, she clicked off her phone only to have it ring with Eddie’s ringtone next.

  “What the bloody hell are you doing in Hawaii?”

  “Hey, Eddie. Yeah, my flight was wonderful. You should have seen the ocean. It’s gorgeous.”

  “Kiss ass. Tell me what’s going on.”

  She rubbed her temple. “I got stuck coming over here to settle a situation for Nouveau. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to get a damned room at my own chain’s hotel.”

  “What? Where are you staying?”

  “At the condos we’re trying to buy out.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  There was a loud knock at the door.

  “I have the time.”

  “It’s the middle of the night in Maryland. What are you doing up?”

  “Can’t sleep.”

  The knock got louder. She sighed and walked to the door.

  “I am on my way out the door for dinner tonight.”

  She opened it, expecting Jack but finding his cousin on the threshold. If she had thought the man was dangerous before, she definitely did not know what she was thinking. He now wore a pair of black casual pants and a bright red shirt. The frown he offered had not changed.

  “Where’s Jack?”

  His frown grew darker. “He’s in the Jeep.”

  “Who’s Jack? And who is that with the sexy voice?” Eddie asked over the phone.

  “I gotta go, Eddie.”

  “Wait—”

  “I love you.”

  She clicked it off and went to get her purse.

  “I didn’t know you were married.”

  When she turned around, she realized he’d stepped into the room and was closer than she expected.

  “I’m not. And just how would you know if I was married anyway?”

  He shrugged. “You’re not wearing a ring.”

  “First, not all women wear rings. And I can love someone without being married.”

  “Not the way you were talking. Sounded like long term.”

  She frowned now. What the hell difference did it make to him anyway? But from his intense blue gaze, she could tell he wanted to know.

  “It is one of my best friends.” She stepped past him. “Not that it is any of your business.”

  “Is he gay?”

  She glanced over her shoulder, amazed that he was once again inches from her. “Uh, no. Eddie is a girl. Short for Edwina. She was one of my college roommates.”

 
He grunted as a response, and she rolled her eyes. She would never get guys. She hadn’t dated much, and most of them had been horrible disasters. Really, all of them had been failures. The last one had been her sleazy boss, Rick, right before she found out he was married.

  She pushed those unpleasant memories aside and stepped outside into the fragrant Hawaiian night. She took a deep breath in appreciation as she waited for Maleko to close the door. After locking it, she slipped the key into her purse. She turned and ran into a solid wall of muscle. His hands came up as she lost her balance, his fingers wrapping around her bare arms. For a moment, they stood, inches apart, her breasts touching his chest every time she drew in a breath. She looked up, which was odd for her because she was so tall. She usually stood eye to eye with a guy. The second she met his gaze, the breath clogged her lungs. Desire darkened the blue of his eyes, bringing out the ridiculously long eyelashes. Her whole body heated, and liquid coated her slit.

  “Uh.” It was all she could come up with. Her brain had shut down the moment she felt his fingers on her flesh. He drew in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. She wondered if he could smell the lilac soap she always used. She knew she could catch whiffs of his own unique scent, along with a touch of sandalwood.

  It was Maleko who took the step back, moving away from her. He still had his hands on her arms, and for a second, she wasn’t sure he knew he still held onto her.

  “Yeah, well.” He said nothing else, and that didn’t even make sense.

  “Could you let go of me?”

  His eyes widened as he looked down at her arms. He let go of her as if he had been burned, then frowned at the marks on her arm.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  She shook her head. She hated the fact that she bruised so easily. Even rug burn could leave the nastiest of bruises on her skin.

  “Don’t worry about that. Would have been worse if I had fallen against the door.”

  He glanced at her face again, and a look of genuine remorse flitted over his expression. It was odd to see such a big bruiser of a man, especially one as abrupt as Maleko, get upset with a little unintentional bruising.

  Without another word, he stepped aside and allowed her to walk to the Jeep. Jack sat in the backseat as before.

  “Wow!” he said, his tone showing his appreciation. “Yellow is definitely your color.”

  She smiled, not realizing until that moment how much she wanted to impress him. She glanced at Maleko as he opened the car door for her. And for some reason, she wanted to impress this idiot too. Why was she even worried about it? Sure, she liked to look beautiful, loved to dress up. After so many years of wearing hand-me-downs and secondhand clothes, she was finally happy to be able to afford things that looked nice on her.

  But the idea that she wanted both of these men to want her desire her…it was odd.

  “Thank you.”

  “And look at your hair. I would have never known it was so curly.”

  It took every bit of her control not to run her hand through the curls. “I usually straighten it.”

  “I have no idea why. It looks amazing.”

  She slid into her seat as Jack moved over to sit closer, bringing his head up between the two seats.

  Maleko shut her door and stood there for a minute, then shook his head. He walked around the hood of the car and then slid into the front seat.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “I thought we would have a little something to eat, then do some Honolulu nightlife.”

  “I’m not sure if I will be able to keep up.”

  Jack smiled at her, his dimples winking. “Don’t worry, darling. We’ll keep you safe.”

  Chapter Four

  Jack watched the interaction between his cousin and Sophia. It was fun to watch Mal try to ignore her, his need for her, but he was failing miserably. And Jack knew why.

  Mal hated anyone in corporate, but dressed like this, Sophia was far from looking the part now. The yellow sundress was completely unexpected. It molded over her soft curves, brought out the sunrise in her hair. It was one of those halter-type tops that tied behind her neck. From what he could tell, she had gone braless. God almighty, he wanted to slip his hand beneath the gauzy material and rub his thumb over her nipples. That thought made him wonder what color they were. He assumed they would be pink, the color of raspberries.

  His cock hardened and he shifted in his seat trying to ease the restriction of his chinos, but all it did was aggravate his already rampant arousal.

  Jack knew it was probably stupid, but he wanted her, needed her on some level he didn’t understand. Because they had been working on separate continents, he and Mal had not shared a woman in over a year. Jack seriously missed it. He knew both of them wanted to find one woman to share, but with their lives at the moment, it wasn’t feasible. Still…a little fun would not hurt, especially at Christmas.

  Mal opened the door for Sophia. It amused Jack to see the way his cousin was acting. Before, he treated her like an evil witch. Now, he was treating her as if she were the goddess of sex. But then, as he said, that dress had done it.

  They stepped into the diner, and she paused. It was a favorite with locals, and he was interested in her take on it. They were shown to their seats. It was funny when she slid into the booth, stopping in the middle, thinking she would sit by herself. Mal sat opposite of her, while Jack slipped in beside her. Her eyes widened, but she scooted over.

  They ordered their drinks, and the waitress left them alone.

  “So, Sophia, I take it you live in the DC area,” he said.

  She eyed him warily. “Yes. Been doing some checking up?”

  “We protect what is ours,” Mal said.

  “Mal, give it a rest,” Jack said.

  His cousin’s eyes narrowed, then he looked out the window at the traffic on Kukuio Street.

  “Now, why don’t you tell us about home?”

  “I live in Baltimore. Nouveau is headquartered in the area. I take it you don’t want to talk over the situation.”

  “There is no situation,” Mal said.

  She glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I—”

  Jack interrupted her. “What Mal means is that we aren’t going to sell. This business has been in our family for a while, and now that we decided to move back, we are going to take over it.”

  She studied him for a second, then shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Just like that?” Mal asked suspiciously.

  “Yes. Listen, it would have been a feather in my cap, but the only reason I came here is because your grandmother seemed open to the idea.”

  Which had made no sense to either Mal or Jack. But then, it might have just been her way to get the two of them back to Hawaii. If anything, that one thing in the plan worked.

  “We aren’t going to sell.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  “What did Nouveau want the condos for anyway? I mean, the property was separate from theirs. If anything, people would have to drive over there.”

  “I guess I can tell you now that you aren’t going to sell. Their idea was to turn them into luxury VIP suites. They were ready to do a total renovation. More secluded and with the walking paths you have there, it probably would have been a good idea. But they do need a lot of work.”

  Jack nodded. “Well, since that is out of the way, why not tell us how you got into the business?”

  * * *

  Mal ground his teeth together. He wanted nothing more than to beat the living hell out of his cousin. It was bad enough he had made him come out with the two of them tonight, but watching Jack charm Sophia was a little too much to take. The electronic pulse of the music pounded through his blood, revving him up even more. She laughed at something Jack said. He couldn’t actually hear the laugh, just saw it. Even so, it affected him. It shot through his blood straight to his dick. He shifted in his seat, and Jack tossed him a knowing smile. He did his best to keep his coo
l, but it was hard. He wrapped his hand around the glass of water and took a long drink, almost draining the large glass in one gulp.

  God, he could have kept his distance if she had shown up as the buttoned-down executive she had been when she stepped off that escalator. But, now…damn, it was going to be hard. Her hair now fell about her shoulders in soft waves that he could imagine slipping over his flesh. The dress she wore was a far cry from what she had worn when she arrived. Yellow gauze draped her curves, and he could just imagine pulling it off her, watching it slide from her body and pool on the floor at her feet.

  Damnit. He had to keep his mind on the subject at hand, but he had no idea what it was. He was trying to concentrate on her words, but her unpainted pink full lips drew his attention. As before, he imagined them wrapped around his cock, taking him in as he fucked her face.

  He wished he could drink. Blind stinking drunk that is what he needed to be. But he had been stupid enough. It would be smarter to not drink, be the DD and keep his wits about him. But, damn, it was hard to watch her as he was sober.

  “Hey, Mal.”

  He turned and saw Trudy Wittacker. They had dated a few times, slept together a lot more times. Last time he was back from the mainland, they’d had a bout of hard, sweaty sex with no strings attached.

  “Hey, Trudy.”

  She was a woman who he usually liked. Full on top, breasts that would spill over his hands. And she liked it rough. For some reason, when she batted her eyes at him and smiled, he felt nothing inside.

  When he said nothing else, she shrugged. “See you around.”

  He nodded and turned his attention back to his cousin and their enemy. Jack wasn’t even looking at him, he was so caught up in gazing at Sophia. The woman in question was eyeing him with something that mirrored irritation. What the hell did she have to be irritated about? She wasn’t the one stuck drinking water, with the sweating palms of a thirteen-year-old and an erection so hard it could lift the table.