Order vs. Chaos

by Mary E Thompson

  “I pay attention, even when you guys don’t think I am.”

  “How did you figure all that out?”

  She waved a hand. “Oh, please. None of you can keep a secret for anything. Kiki mentioned the pictures on your computer a long time ago. Jack overheard you guys arguing about not doing this wedding, after you stormed out. And our bride and groom weren’t very quiet when they were walking up from the beach and talking about how good it was to see Sawyer again.”

  “She could have been a spy,” Carrington said to me.

  I nodded.

  “Do you know the best part of this whole deal though?” he asked Ada.

  She cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out the answer. “You two are friends again?”

  We laughed. “Yeah,” he said. “There’s that. But I think you are all going to be even happier to hear that Anthony is out. None of his pictures are going to be published.”

  “What?” Kiana gasped as the others cheered. “Why not?”

  “When we went to Not A Dream, we told them exactly what kind of person they were dealing with,” Rachel said, a kind look in her eyes.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Sawyer told us what he did to you and the caterer. If that wasn’t bad enough, the way he talked wasn’t okay. We didn’t want our memories captured by someone who was that callous when it came to people’s hearts.”

  “What about all the other events you guys participated in? They seemed to want a lot of extra pictures.”

  Rachel grinned at me. “Sawyer was there for most of that, too.”

  “What?” she gasped, looking at me.

  I nodded. “Anything for you, babe.”

  “Thank you,” she said with tears in her eyes.

  “Any time.”

  When the wedding was over and all the guests were packed up and gone, Kiana and I took a bottle of left over wine and headed to the beach. She called Kapena, and he joined us, along with Ada and Jack.

  “This was a stressful one,” Ada said, passing the wine to Kiana.

  We all nodded.

  “It’s the first time we’ve been out here in a while,” Jack said.

  “Do you guys do this a lot?” I asked.

  Kiana shook her head. “We used to. The first year, we’d always end the night with a shared bottle of wine and a recap of how the night went.”

  “Why did you stop?”

  She shrugged. “We got too busy, I think.”

  “This woman kicked some serious ass and started booking more weddings than we could handle if we stayed up late drinking on the beach.”

  “Remember the first night?” Ada said. “We all piled into Jack’s car and went for tacos then decided to go swimming at Kapena’s?”

  Kapena grunted, and the others laughed. I looked at my friend, trying to decipher what was going through his head. He took a long drink of the wine and handed it to Ada.

  “Thanks,” she said with a smile that lit up the night.

  There was definitely something going on between the two of them. It bugged me that I couldn’t figure it out, but I’d get there.

  “We should do that again,” Jack suggested excitedly. “I haven’t had much to drink. A couple sips. I’m good to drive. Let’s pack up the last of the food and finish this party at Kapena’s so we can all pass out when we’re too drunk to drive home.”

  “I don’t think I want all of you in my house.”

  “Why not?” everyone whined.

  “Come on,” Ada said. “It’ll be fun.”

  Kapena grumbled but finally agreed. Everyone got up and headed toward the kitchen where leftovers were stashed in the fridge.

  I captured Kiana’s arm as everyone headed up and hauled her against me. “Hey,” I whispered against her ear.

  “Hey,” she said, shivering.

  “Are you cold?”

  She shook her head. “Just excited to be in your arms again.”

  “All night, sweetheart.”

  “Yeah, except my brother and two best friends will be there with us.”

  “Maybe you can be really quiet,” I suggested, cupping her breasts and teasing her nipples.

  She moaned softly. “I don’t want to be quiet.”

  “Then we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

  “I don’t want that either,” she pouted.

  “Well, what do you want to do?”

  She sighed. “We’ll go. I’ll deal with it. But I don’t like it.”

  I laughed and followed her to the parking lot. I didn’t like it either, but as long as I had her in my arms, it would all work out. She made me crazy, and I loved her for it.

  I drove Kiana’s car to Kapena’s since I hadn’t been drinking. Kapena took his Jeep, but Jack drove Ada. We were all on the beach within seconds of arriving, and it was clear to me that Ada had the most to drink.

  “Is she going to be okay?” I asked Kiana.

  She nodded, smiling at her friend. “She lets loose sometimes. It isn’t often, but she’s smart. She probably hasn’t had as much to drink as it seems. She’s just relaxed for once.”

  Ada stood up, brushing the sand off her dress, and declared, “I need to go for a swim.”

  “It’s dark.”

  “It’s too late.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  She shook her head and began unbuttoning her knee length dress. After three buttons, Kapena told her to stop.

  “Why? It’s not like anyone here cares. Jack would rather see Sawyer strip. Sawyer’s so in love with Kiana he can’t see other women. And to you, I’m just a little sister. None of you are going to think twice about me being in my underwear.”

  Kapena grumbled but didn’t argue any further. “She doesn’t need to go in there alone,” he told everyone.

  “Then go with her,” Jack suggested.

  “Why don’t you?”

  He gestured to his clothes. “I’m not ruining this outfit. And I don’t have other clothes here like you do.”

  Ada squealed from the darkness, invisible to us on the lanai. I leaned down to kiss Kiana’s neck as Kapena stomped off toward the water.

  “The three of you are dangerous,” I whispered when I was pretty sure Kapena was out of earshot.

  “Why?” Kiana asked.

  Jack snickered.

  “You know he likes her, and she’s drunk. He’s going to protect her. I think you’re playing with fire.”

  “Weren’t you saying we should try to get them together?” Kiana asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, when she’s sober. He’s not going to take advantage of her when she’s drunk. She’d resent him for it anyway.”

  “I think you’re paranoid,” Jack admonished me. “Let them have some fun in the dark where we can’t see them.”

  I sighed, hoping he was right.

  We drank and ate, and when Ada walked out of the water followed a few feet behind by Kapena, I wondered what actually happened out there. She went straight inside, but he sank into a chair.

  “Everything okay?” Kiana asked.

  “Fabulous,” he told her, grabbing another bottle of beer and downing the whole thing.

  “Um, I’m going to go see if Ada’s okay.”

  I kissed her before she left, hoping nothing was really wrong. I wanted her in my arms.

  Yeah, I knew that made me a selfish asshole. I didn’t care.

  “What happened?” Jack asked, his eyes bright with excitement.

  “Nothing,” Kapena grumped at him.

  “Then why are you both annoyed.”

  Kapena shook his head and went back onto the beach, out of our sight.

  A few minutes later, Kiana came back out. “Ready for bed?”

  I jumped up and followed her to bed. “Is Ada okay?”

  She nodded. “She will be. But I think you made me a promise earlier.”

  I grinned like the lucky son of a bitch I was, then set to stripping my woman and kissing every inch of her precious skin.

&n
bsp; When I finally slid into her, she was so ready for me I nearly came right then.

  “Oh, Sawyer,” she whispered.

  “Don’t hold back, sweetheart. Let me feel you come.”

  She chewed her lip. “I don’t know if I can without screaming.”

  “It’s okay. The door’s locked.”

  She laughed, then I stroked again and she moaned.

  Her hips rose to meet mine and we built closer and closer to orgasm together. She gasped and panted and whimpered, and when she moaned, I captured the sound and covered it with my own moan.

  “You’re mine forever, Kiana,” I promised her.

  “As long as you’re mine,” she said with a laugh.

  “Absolutely.”

  “What do you think about moving in with me?”

  “Really?” I asked, leaning back to look at her face. “Are you serious?”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “If you want. You don’t have to, though.”

  I shook my head. “I want to. Definitely.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Abso-fucking-lutely. I’m never letting you go again.”

  “Good. I’m gonna hold you to that.”

  I smiled and slid into her again, ready to have her once more.

  “Again?”

  I nodded. “I think I promised you all night long.”

  She giggled, and damn if I wasn’t the happiest, luckiest guy on the planet.

  Epilogue

  Kapena

  What the hell was I thinking? I never should have gone into the water with her. I was gonna have a hard-on for the rest of my life.

  Ada in that pink bra, translucent from the water, moonlight highlighting her beautiful breasts.

  No straight man was strong enough to resist her like that.

  But she’d been drinking. A lot from what I could tell. I wasn’t such an asshole that I’d fuck her in the water, or even touch her, when she was drunk.

  No matter how many times she threw herself at me.

  I stayed on the beach until my house was quiet. Scared out of my own fucking house by the woman I wanted more than my next breath.

  And her friends. I couldn’t forget all of them. Rooting for us to be together. I couldn’t do it though. She was Kiana’s best friend. I’d watched her grow up. It wasn’t right that I claim her as mine.

  Especially since her brother would fucking kill me.

  I finished my beer and trudged into the house. I was not going to think about what was going on behind the closed door of Sawyer’s room, or why my sister was giggling. I went into the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. It was wrong. So fucking wrong. But I couldn’t stop myself from wrapping a hand around my dick and whispering Ada’s name as I jerked off until I came hard, nearly yelling her name.

  It should have made me feel better to get it the fuck out of my system, but it only made me want her more. None of my dates lately had helped me forget about her. I hadn’t slept with anyone in months, since I heard about her dating that guy from Kona. It fucking killed me that she wanted guys like him.

  Except when she was drunk and horny.

  Did she really think that would work for me? That I could handle being her fucking fling? Something to fuck when she barely knew her own name?

  Hell, if I had her, she’d never leave my damn bed. I wouldn’t be able to settle for only drunk and horny Ada.

  I washed my face and cleaned up, then went to my room. I needed to crash and try to forget about Ada Stone.

  For good.

  The soft snores in my room didn’t compute until I reached my bed. I was halfway in when I realized Ada was sleeping in my bed. Sprawled out across the middle so I couldn’t join her even if I wanted to.

  “Ah, fuck,” I whispered.

  She startled and looked up, seeing me above her.

  “Hey,” she said, sounding shy. She looked around. “Shit. I’m in your room, aren’t I?”

  I nodded. “It’s fine. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  “Jack’s on the couch. I’ll go sleep on the hammock.”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t let her do that. Hell, I might be an asshole when it came to her, but I wasn’t that big of an asshole.

  “I’ll go. You stay here.”

  “Kapena,” she started.

  “It’s fine, Ada.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not,” she said, her voice loaded with emotion. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  I shrugged. “I’m a big boy. I can take it.”

  “I didn’t mean it. I was drunk and mad and hurt.”

  “I get it. I’ll keep my distance. I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

  “Why don’t you want me?” she asked, gutting me.

  If she only knew how much I wanted her, she’d never question that. The truth was, I knew I wasn’t enough for her. I wasn’t right for her. She’d said over and over that she wanted a guy who’d be around. Someone she could count on. A guy with a steady job and a level head.

  I was none of those things.

  “Ada,” I groaned.

  “No,” she said, sitting up. Only then did I realize she was wearing one of my shirts. Her hair was tied back, leaving her long neck exposed and ready for my lips. My shirt hung off her shoulder, showing just how big it was on her. Her eyes flared with her anger, and I swore she’d never looked sexier.

  So much for getting her out of my damn system.

  “Don’t brush me off again. I want to know. What is it that you find so repulsive about me that you can’t even fathom dating me? Or kissing me? Or touching me?”

  “Is that what you think?” I demanded, stepping up to her. I got close, close enough that I could see her eyes flare and feel her breath on my lips. “Do you really think I don’t want you? Because if that’s the case, you haven’t been paying very close attention. I want you so badly I can’t breathe when I’m around you. I want you to be mine, but you don’t want me. Maybe once or twice, but you’ve been telling me for years that everything you want is the opposite of who I am. I’m not going to fuck you a few times so you can get me out of your system only to end up aching every time I see you. I already have that problem.”

  “Whatever,” she scoffed.

  I wrapped my arms around her, bringing her flush against my body, hard. She gasped, and her eyes widened when she felt my thick cock between us. A smile tilted her lips up.

  “You want me?”

  I released her and stepped away. “More than anything. But I’m not the right guy for you, Ada. You’ve said it yourself many times. I’m not going to keep you from what you really want. So I stay away. Tonight, in the ocean, I almost slipped. Fuck, I wanted to. But I won’t do that to you.I won’t take advantage of you. You’d never be a hook-up to me. Even if that’s all I’d ever be to you.”

  I turned to walk away and got to the door before I heard her whisper, “You wouldn’t be a fling to me.”

  I laughed mirthlessly. “You say that now, sweetheart, but you don’t want me. You never have. I’m not like the guys you date. And eventually, I wouldn’t be enough to keep you happy. And I couldn’t live knowing I wasn’t enough for you. It’s better to walk away now and never know what it’s like to have you.”

  I left my room, softly closing the door behind me. I went back outside, past a snoring Jack. I eased into the hammock on the lanai and found restless peace with dreams of Ada pressed to my side, riding me, and kissing me.

  I woke up early, needing to get out of the house before she woke up. I headed into town and stopped at Aloha Cafe. I drank my coffee slowly, bearing the glares from people waiting for a seat. I ordered a full breakfast and ate it as slowly as I drank my coffee, soaking up as much time as possible before I had to go home.

  When I finally admitted I was being ridiculous getting run out of my house by Ada, I headed home. Kiana’s car was still there, but Jack’s was gone. I was hoping he took Ada home so I didn’t have to face her.

  Everyone froze when I
walked in the door. Kiana, Sawyer, and Jack. What the hell?

  “What’s going on?”

  Kiana sighed. “Ada’s mad about something. She sent me a text this morning that said she needed some time off. And she took Jack’s car early. Sent him a text that said it’s at Opposites Attract. We think she just drank too much last night and needs to take a couple days to sleep it off, but something doesn’t feel right.”

  Dammit. Kiana was right. Something definitely didn’t feel right. And it was my fucking fault.

  You are cordially invited…

  To the love story of Ada and Kapena

  Coming March 20, 2018

  * * *

  Commitment is a four letter word…

  My little sister’s best friend has always been off-limits.

  It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve imagined what it would be like to be with her, she doesn’t want me. She wants a clean-cut guy with a boring job who’ll sit at home and answer her every beck and call.

  * * *

  I know who I am, and I’m not going to change.

  Sure, I’d do anything she asked, but I can’t change me. Not that she’s ever asked. She knows I’m a lost cause. Life as a surf instructor might not be stable, but it’s fun and I’m good at it.

  * * *

  These days I think it’s the only thing I’m good at. Because I sure as hell suck at saying no to her lately.

  * * *

  Preorder now!

  Acknowledgments

  This book, and this new series, are so very different for me. I love Hawaii, but I haven’t visited in over a decade, so traveling there in my mind was not only fun, but challenging. I absolutely loved exploring the islands again.

  I also had fun diving into the mind of a man. We are told over and over again that men only want one thing. SEX! Well, yeah. They’re pretty simple. We know they want more, but getting to dig in and see what was going on in the head of a guy was an interesting adventure!

  I have to thank my beta readers for making this book what it is. From their encouragement to their advice to their corrections, I appreciated all of it. Vicki, Krista, and Jeannie…you ladies kick ass.