Striding toward the door, I plastered a grin to my lips and swung it open. “Hey, guys. Glad you could make it.”
Kole smiled and Elyse gave me a little wave, standing about a foot behind him. “Hey, bro. I was thinking we have a quick coffee. Then we can head out.”
He strode past me into the house and headed straight to the kitchen. Kole, Elyse, and I all needed at least two cups of coffee before we got going in the mornings, when we could manage to fit them in, and Kole was so at home here that he didn’t need to wait for me to offer. He simply went ahead and started boiling the kettle.
Meanwhile, my gaze caught on Elyse’s for a moment and I couldn’t look away. I had an almost irresistible urge to take her into my arms and kiss her, but I knew Kole would come looking for us if we didn’t join him soon.
“Hi,” she said, a slightly breathy quality to her voice telling me she wanted the same thing I did. She cleared her throat and took a breath, a smile curling on her lips. “Thanks for agreeing to hang out with us again today.”
“Yeah.” I cleared my own throat and ran a hand through my hair to stop myself from reaching for her when she walked past me. “Anytime.”
Our arms brushed before I stepped back to let her in and shut the door behind her. Fuck, it was going to be so much more difficult to keep my hands to myself today.
“How are you?” she asked conversationally as she let me lead her to the kitchen, like she didn’t already know where it was.
“Good. You?” I walked to the counter where Kole was readying the mugs and leaned with one hip against it. “The island’s still treating you well, I hope.”
Her blue eyes lit up as she nodded. “It really is. I love it here.”
“Tell us about work,” Kole said after measuring out a teaspoon of instant coffee in each mug. “Do you think you’re going to be happy at the daycare center?”
A dreamy smile lifted her lips. “Absolutely. The kids are the best. They’re just too damn cute for words and I’ve made a friend there, too.”
“Really?” Kole tipped his head to the side, arching a brow. “A female friend?”
She rolled her eyes and chuckled, swatting him on the arm before hopping up on the counter. “Yes, Dad. A female friend. A girl called Alice. She was assigned to show me around and we clicked. She’s been there for years, so she’s been a real help in getting me settled.”
A soft smile touched Kole’s lips, his tightened jaw relaxing once more. “That’s great news. I’m glad you’re meeting people. Maybe I can stop owing Jordan favors for having to keep you company soon.”
“I don’t mind,” I said, maybe just a little too fast. Kole didn’t pick up on it, though. Forcing myself to shrug like it didn’t mean a thing, I did my best not to look at Elyse. “I love the island. Showing people around doesn’t bother me.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure you’d rather be showing it off to people you can get something from.” He winked at me before going back to making coffee. “You know, women who might return the favor.”
Elyse made a quiet, strangled sound in the back of her throat, causing Kole’s eyes to dart to hers. “What?”
“I just don’t need to know those kinds of details about him,” she answered flippantly, giving her shoulders an exaggerated shake. “It’s gross. You guys are so old.”
Kole laughed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her. “We’re not that old, but I see your point. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Good, so now that that’s settled,” I said, trying to change the topic as fast as I fucking could. “What did you have in mind for us to do today?”
His eyes took on a contemplative expression as he lifted the boiling kettle and filled the mugs. “I thought we could go to that open-air market over near the pier for starters and take it from there. What do you think?”
“I love markets,” Elyse said, her sparkling eyes meeting mine while Kole’s attention was on stirring the coffee. “I didn’t take you two for market shoppers, though. What will happen to your reputations if two big tough guys are seen flitting from store to store, trying on floppy hats and eating ice cream?”
“We won’t be trying on any floppy hats,” Kole said firmly, then grinned at her. “If we try on any hats, it will be those cool Panama types that will make us look sophisticated.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with ice cream,” I added. “We’ll just eat it in a manly way.”
Her head fell back as she laughed. “Pray tell, Jordan, what is the manly way of eating ice cream?”
I shrugged, but a grin tugged at my lips. “It involves chomping down on it with no dainty licks or sound effects.”
Elyse laughed again and Kole grinned as he turned to us, handing us each a mug of coffee. “Look at you two getting along. I like it. Now you have two friends on the island, Ellie.”
“Yeah,” she replied but didn’t look at me. “I guess so.”
Shit. Joking around with her came so naturally, I hadn’t even realized we were acting more friendly toward each other than Kole might have expected.
Lifting my mug, I blew on the surface of the dark brown liquid and looked at Kole. “If you’ve decided she’s my friend now, does that mean you’re going to stop owing me favors for hanging out with her?”
“Yep,” he said cheerfully. “Besides, most of the time when you two hang out, I’m there too. I shouldn’t have to owe you favors for hanging out with me. If I did, you’d owe me favors for the same thing. We’d get stuck in an infinite loop of favors.”
“True story,” I said, taking a sip of coffee and setting it down as I lowered myself onto a stool. “Anyway, is there anything in particular you want to look for at this market?”
Kole shook his head. “Nah, not really. I thought it would be nice for Elyse to see it, and they have those iced mochaccinos you love.”
“Iced mochaccinos? Really?” Elyse’s eyes went wide, shining with barely restrained laughter. “Next you’re going to tell me there’s a manly way of drinking those.”
“There is,” I said, keeping my tone as bored and measured as I could. “Manly men drink iced mochaccinos.”
“You know you don’t have to keep up the act, right, Jordan?” Kole said, chuckling as he sipped his scalding coffee. His mouth had to be on fire, but he didn’t give any sign of it.
My heart kicked into a higher gear in my chest and Elyse’s eyes widened. “What act?”
“The tough guy act,” he said, and relief thundered through me. “You guys are friends now. She’s going to learn soon enough that you have a soft spot for sweet stuff and that you’d sell your left nut for one of those mochaccinos.”
Laughter pealed out of Elyse as she set her mug down to hop off the counter. “Good to know. Now I’ll know how to bribe you when the time comes.”
“I don’t take bribes,” I retorted.
She batted her eyelashes innocently. “Really? Not even in mochaccinos?”
“He’ll take it,” Kole said, leading us out of the kitchen and into the living room. “No matter how much Jordan is a stickler for the rules, I think you’ll find you can always convince him with one of those.”
I carried my mug to the couch and had a seat, deciding against defending myself. Partially because it was true, but also because Kole was laughing with his sister, and even if it was at my expense, I knew how much he’d missed it.
After finishing our coffee, we headed out to the market. It was a clear, sunny day outside with only a light breeze to break the heat. Kole and Elyse chatted in the vehicle, the top of my Jeep down and their laughter happy in the wind.
Once we’d parked, Kole took the lead through the market. Elyse and I trailed behind, and it was harder than ever to keep my hands strictly to myself, but we were both still as good at hiding our feelings for each other as we had been in high school.
Even so, as we strolled down the packed narrow walkways between the stalls, our arms brushed from time to time and I looped my pinky finger around hers
for a fraction of a second. She squeezed it with her own before releasing it and bouncing to a jewelry stall just as Kole turned around.
“Look at that,” she said, her fingers reaching out to trail along the outline of a silver and gold pendant with diamonds around it. “It’s beautiful.”
An eager assistant came up behind the table. “It is beautiful, and very special. It’s Diamond Head, see?” She came around to our side and motioned off to her left. “Diamond Head is part of the Honolulu Volcanic Series. This pendant was created to capture its beauty, and the diamond ring around it signifies the stars shining down on it.”
“We know what Diamond Head is,” Kole said, picking up the price tag and whistling under his breath. “But that’s a little steep. Come on, sis. Let’s go find Jordan that mochaccino.”
Elyse took one last, longing look at the pendant, her eyes meeting mine for a moment before she nodded. “Yeah. We can go. I might come back for it, though.” She smiled at the assistant. “I’m new around here so I need to save up some for it, but I’ll be back.”
The woman returned her smile. “I look forward to seeing you again. Welcome to Hawaii.”
“Thank you.” After a last wistful look at the jewelry, Elyse sighed and linked her arm through Kole’s. “My birthday and Christmas are coming up eventually. Just saying.”
“Duly noted.” He smirked, ice-blue eyes glinting in the sun. “Maybe you’ll get it for Christmas next year.”
She nudged his hip with hers. “I’m going to remember that. Now, where are these famed mochaccinos?”
“Right this way,” he said and began leading us deeper into the market.
Elyse stopped occasionally to look at more things, but none held her interest the way the pendant had. I filed the information away for later, though I had no idea what I’d do with it.
After getting our coffee, we walked up and down between the stalls for the rest of the day. We ate lunch on the go, grabbing burritos from a brightly colored food truck.
Eventually, the sun started to set.
Kole patted his stomach and grimaced. “I’m starving. Let’s go grab something to eat.”
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked, already half turning in the direction I expected we’d be going soon.
Kole nodded, and Elyse looked between us with a slight frown between her brows, her sunglasses resting on top of her dark hair, pushing back those longer strands I still loved to tuck behind her ears.
“What are you two thinking?”
“Are you up for dinner at a little place Jordan and I fell in love with while we were both still in the service? The food tends to get a bit spicy, but it’s totally worth it.”
The corners of her mouth inched up. “Sounds like my kind of place. Let’s go.”
Falling into step behind them again, I tried—I really did—but my eyes drifted down to her ass nonetheless. So round and plump, so perfectly formed.
I blew out a frustrated breath and shoved my hand into my hair, tearing my eyes away to focus on the azure blue water of the Pacific instead. Why was it that the one woman I shouldn’t have wanted was also the only one who had this effect on me?
Chapter 22
Elyse
Dinner with Kole and Jordan was interesting, to say the least. It was almost like the two of them shared a mind at some point.
A part of me had hoped selfishly that perhaps they weren’t quite as close as they used to be. That way, what Jordan and I had wouldn’t have been such a big deal if Kole ever found out.
In a way, what I’d hoped was true. They weren’t as close as they used to be. Unfortunately, it was only because they seemed to be even closer.
Whatever they’d seen and done together over the past decade had obviously bonded them closer than brothers. Leaving me more certain than ever that Jordan would never tell Kole the truth and Kole would never be okay with it.
Both of them were relaxed, sitting in a booth covered in vinyl with their arms spread out on the backrests of their seats.
The place they’d brought me to looked like it hadn’t seen a feather duster or a new piece of furniture since the seventies, but the prices were good, and the food was even better. Spicy, as I’d been promised, but the dishes we ordered to share were well balanced, and I already knew I would be back.
The air was tinged with the aroma of spice and grilling meat. Upbeat instrumental music flowed through ancient speakers. There was a carpet beneath my feet, which didn’t seem too hygienic but gave the place a homely feel. Candles flickered on the tables, giving everyone a warm glow.
Happy hour had started about an hour ago, and to my surprise, Kole was making the best of it. He was on his third Caipirinha, and though I hadn’t seen it happen often, it seemed his tongue still got a whole lot looser when he was drinking.
He was in the middle of telling me stories about Jordan when he’d been in the service, laughter ringing out as he slapped the table. “Oh my God, do you remember that time when you got caught dancing with your broom?”
Jordan winced, taking a long sip of his first cocktail. He’d been nursing it, along with several glasses of water. His reaction told me this story was going to be a good one, so I leaned forward a little when he replied.
“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” He shook his head, but his lips twitched as he tried to hold back a grin. “It was a dare, and you know I don’t back down from those.”
“True, but what did you tell the commanding officer who caught you again?” Kole laughed again, swiping his fingers under his eyes. “Sailors can be dancers, too? Something like that.”
“Yeah.” Jordan chuckled. “Not my best idea, but it got him off my back.”
“After you took a fucking reaming for it,” Kole said. “Man, those were good times. I miss having you there with me.”
Jordan didn’t respond, shifting in his seat to face me. “I feel like I should add context to that story. We were sweeping off the deck and it had been a long week. We needed to blow off some steam.”
“So you danced with your broom?” I asked, my eyebrow arching. Although I knew there was a much lighter side to Jordan than the stoic, alpha type vibes he gave off to the rest of the world, I hadn’t expected him to be the guy who loosened people up and made them laugh after a rough week. “Care to demonstrate for me?”
He snorted, his head shaking. “Not a chance. It was a one-off and because I was dared to do it. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
Kole’s eyes rounded. “Not that big of a deal? Dude, it was a huge deal. After everything that happened that week, you managed to make people laugh.”
Jordan shrugged, but his eyes had darkened. “Someone had to do it. Everyone needed to unwind.”
Kole threw back the rest of his drink in one go and motioned to Jordan, his eyes on mine. “I wish you could have seen this guy, Ellie. He was a fucking rock star in our world. Everyone looked up to him.”
My eyes slid to the man in question, but he was staring into the depths of his tequila blend. Jordan and I hadn’t gotten into what had happened during their time in the service, but I had to admit that I was curious.
If he had been as good as Kole said, it didn’t make any sense that he’d have left while Kole was still there. “Really?”
“Really.” Kole’s head bounced up and down, but Jordan was still frowning into his glass. “He should have been in the position I’m in now. The boys idolized him. He was a fucking natural. Whenever anyone needed to know what could work, it was Jordan they went to. They looked at him as a leader, even when he wasn’t officially.”
I was itching to ask what had happened, why he’d left under those circumstances. But something about Jordan’s expression stopped me. If we were going to have this conversation, I’d rather it be because he wanted to tell me instead of me having to ask.
I’d also rather have it in private. Instead of prying, I offered them a smile. “I wish I could have seen you both in action. I bet it was somethi
ng to witness.”
“It was nothing,” Jordan muttered, but Kole’s head was shaking so hard, it looked like he might fall over.
“It was not nothing,” he argued. “You were magnificent, man. We should drink a toast to you. Where’s our waitress? We should get shots.”
His arm shot into the air, but Jordan grabbed it and brought it back to the table. “You’re not having shots. You’ve worked too hard to let a couple of drinks ruin it. That’s enough, bud. Let’s get you home.”
I was surprised by the no-bullshit tone of his voice. In all my life, I’d never heard anyone take that tone with Kole, least of all Jordan. What is that all about?
Kole’s eyes narrowed on Jordan’s, but then he huffed out a breath and muttered, “Fine.”
Jordan got up and disappeared into the crowd to pay our bill, coming back before I could wrap my head around the turn of events enough to ask Kole what was going on.
Jordan grabbed Kole’s arm and hoisted him up, making me realize for the first time that my brother really had had one too many.
For some reason, Kole didn’t argue. He let Jordan guide him, albeit discreetly like they were just two buddies leaving the restaurant together, out onto the street. Kole shrugged out of Jordan’s hold to get into the Jeep, then promptly fell asleep before we were even on the main road.
The wind was too loud for me to talk to Jordan, so I sat in the passenger seat and stared at the twinkling lights lighting up the night sky on the way to my house.
When we got there, Jordan parked right out front. He twisted in his seat to face me, his expression softer than it had been all day. “Would you go get the door, please? It’ll be easier if we could get him inside. Do you mind if he stays here tonight?”
“Not at all,” I said quietly, even though Kole was snoring and the chance of him waking up was slim to none. “I’d prefer it if I could keep an eye on him.”
“I thought you might.” He smiled in the moonlight, a beautiful, understanding smile that melted my insides. “In case you were wondering, he doesn’t get like this often.”
Have Your Way With Me Page 14
