Beach Happens (Hawaii Heat, #2)

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “I think we can discuss business after you greeted your fiancée properly.” Tetsuo rose and with a snap of his fingers, the wait staff followed.

  “It’s beautiful,” Gerald said after they left. “I can see why you stayed.”

  “Cut the shit, Gerald. You have a conflict of interest representing both the Kincaides and Hojo.”

  He shrugged. “Officially, I’m not really Mr. Hojo’s attorney.”

  “You’re looking to get disbarred,” she said.

  “Grow up,” he told her. “And should you really be eating another piece of bacon?”

  She ate it defiantly and then took his.

  “It’s your ass.” He leaned back in his chair.

  “Were you always this much of a prick?” Michaela asked with her mouth full. “Or have I lost my immunity to it.”

  “I didn’t come here to fight. I want to know if you thought about my offer.”

  She shook her head. “I already gave you my answer. It’s ridiculous to force us to get married just so my father can keep it all in the family.”

  “I tried to talk some sense into him.” Gerald waved his hand in the air in frustration. “You’re welcome to try.”

  “Yeah, like that has ever worked. So what does Brittany think of you coming down here?”

  He shrugged. “I told her it was work.”

  “What would you have told her if I was stupid enough to go through with this insane plan of my father’s?”

  “I would have told her the truth. In exchange for marrying his daughter, I get 20% of his shares in his company. You also get 20% by the way. And as far as I’m concerned, the marriage is in name only.”

  “She’d go for that?” Michaela frowned.

  “I’d tell her we would get a divorce in five years. She’d wait for me.”

  “She’s twenty-two. She won’t wait for you.”

  “You have no idea about our relationship,” Gerald said.

  “I know she’s still in love with the bass player,” Michaela countered.

  “How on earth would you know that?”

  “We’re friends on Facebook.”

  “That’s really weird in a creepy stalker way,” he said.

  “Why aren’t you friends with her on Facebook?” she asked.

  “I don’t have time for that shit.”

  “You should make time.” Michaela pulled up Brittany’s profile and handed him the phone. “I’m sure you don’t care if she’s still sleeping with him. After all, you have an open relationship, right?”

  Marcus frowned at the phone, swiping through all of the pictures.

  Leaning over, she pointed. “The one where she’s doing body shots off him was my favorite.”

  He tossed the phone on the table. “This is stupid. It doesn’t change our situation. Are you going to marry me or what?”

  “No.”

  “Then we lose out on a lucrative stock portfolio. Your father’s business is going to tank in the next five years, and my father’s business won’t be as successful. Everyone fails because you want to make me suffer for a moment’s weakness.”

  Michaela’s shoulders slumped. “Gerald, it’s not my fault my father’s being a hard ass. I might remind you that if you hadn’t been bouncing Brittany on your dick and we got married as we had planned, none of this would have happened.” She leaned forward again and kissed him on the cheek.

  He flinched back in surprise.

  “Thank you. I had been willing to settle for you. Now, I don’t want to.”

  “Your vacation fling? Some surfer dude, I bet.”

  Michaela wondered why Tetsuo didn’t tell Gerald she was involved with Marcus. Probably because he planned on blackmailing her with it at some point if she did agree to marry Gerald.

  “Something like that.” She pushed back from the table. “I’m going to get changed and pack my clothes. Then I’m out of here.”

  “Are you going back home?” he asked.

  “Something like that,” she said again. It was none of his damn business.

  “Try to talk some sense into your father, please?”

  “No way.”

  “Then think about getting married. The only thing that would change is everybody would get rich.”

  Michaela closed the door to the balcony, shutting him out of her life once and for all.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The inspection was bullshit and they found nothing out of the ordinary. Marcus expected nothing less, but he still high-fived his brother after they left.

  “I’m going to be out on the boat for a while. Maybe a couple of days. Can I borrow Gregson?” Marcus said, hoping Samuel wasn’t going to bust his balls.

  “You and the teeny bikini going to go to Molokini?”

  Marcus rolled his eyes. “How long have you been waiting to say that?”

  “All week, brah. All week. Sure. Just have him stock the fridge on the Hedge Fun before he goes. Amelia loves his shrimp salad.”

  “Thanks.” Marcus called Gregson, but happened to look up to see Holt bearing down on them like a steam roller.

  “You deal with that,” Samuel said. “I’m going to do snorkel lessons or something.”

  Marcus hung up and slid his phone into his pocket.

  “I need to see you in private. Can you come to my office?”

  “Sure.” Marcus followed Holt, unease filling him. “Is everything all right?”

  “Nope. Not even one little bit.” Holt sat behind his desk and motioned Marcus to look over his shoulder.

  “Tetsuo sent us these pictures today.”

  “Why the fuck would I...” Marcus cut off mid-sentence when he recognized Michaela’s hair flying in the wind. She was seated on a balcony with his lawyer, Gerald Stone, and Tetsuo.

  Gerald Stone.

  Gerald.

  A week ago today Gerald left me at the altar.

  Had that been true? If so, what was she doing with him now?

  In the picture, she was leaning over him and smiling at something that was on his phone. In another she kissed his cheek. It certainly didn’t look like there were any hard feelings. Marcus tried to control his breathing and his temper.

  “Do you recognize where they are?” Holt asked.

  He shook his head.

  “It’s the Kaimana Beach Resort. The reason I couldn’t find a Michaela Harris was because the room is under Michaela and Gerald Stone.”

  Marcus leaned a hip against Holt’s desk, tearing his eyes from the photo of her kissing his attorney. “So she’s married?”

  The next picture Holt brought up was the couple with Tetsuo.

  “What’s my lawyer doing with meeting with Tetsuo? Staying in his hotel?” Laughing with my girl?

  “Tetsuo said that they are in the bridal suite and he was paying respects to the bride and groom. But I think that’s bullshit.”

  Marcus whipped his gaze to him. “Why?”

  “Because my uncle doesn’t do anything without a reason. He knows who Gerald Stone and Michaela Harris-Stone are to you. He’s playing mind games.”

  “It’s working,” Marcus said.

  “Then stop playing. I don’t know what’s going on with the Stones. You need to fire your lawyer and ditch the girl.”

  “They’re both lawyers,” Marcus said suddenly.

  “What?”

  “She told me last night. Do a google search for Michaela Harris, attorney in California. Let’s see if she lied about that.”

  Marcus knew he was grasping at straws, but he needed to know if at least one thing she said to him was the truth. Her name popped up along with her firm and a few cases that she worked on.

  “Well, at least she’s not a transient,” Holt said, laconically. “Or after your money.”

  “She’s working for Tetsuo, isn’t she?”

  When Holt didn’t say anything, Marcus turned and punched the wall. “That’s why we can’t get anywhere. He’s my lawyer and she’s his. Son of a bitch.”

 
Rage filled him, burning away the hurt and confusion. “I want all the department heads in the board room in a half hour. Include the bell staff too. We’re going to shut that bitch down now.” He slammed out of the room.

  

  Marcus was back to chewing Tylenol again, but this time the pain had nothing to do with his throbbing head. It was torture to listen to everyone defend Michaela to him. Even after they saw the pictures.

  “We tried to plant false information with her and as far as we could tell, she never gave it to Tetsuo,” Samuel said.

  “That’s because she knew it was bullshit.” Marcus was on his fifth cup of coffee and even though it was ripping his insides up, it was keeping his temper on a fine edge.

  “She went to the law library to find dirt on him.” Amelia turned her laptop towards him. “I’ve got all her notes.”

  “That was to throw us off the trail,” Marcus said. “She’s smart and vicious, like a shark.”

  “I called her office,” Holt said. “I talked to her paralegal. I pretended I was a new client and I said I wanted to know when she was back from her honeymoon.”

  Marcus grit his teeth.

  “The paralegal said, she’d be back next Monday.”

  “She said he jilted her at the altar,” Hani said. “She was in tears at the front desk. He canceled the reservations.”

  “Why wasn’t I aware my attorney had booked a room here?” Marcus asked with deadly sweetness.

  “I don’t know who your attorney is,” Hani said.

  “She’s a very good actress,” Marcus said, staring down the anger in Hani’s eyes. “I don’t blame you for being duped. But we found our spy. She’s not allowed on the premises. Call me when she shows up and I will escort her out of here personally.”

  “I can do that,” Amelia said.

  “No. You cannot.” Marcus told her.

  Samuel put his hand on his wife’s shoulder.

  “None of this makes sense.” Joely was in tears. “She was our friend.”

  “No, she wasn’t,” Marcus said.

  Joely looked miserable. She glanced over at Amelia, pleadingly.

  Amelia nodded. “I have a confession to make.”

  Marcus rolled his eyes. “I know this is Sunday, but we’re not in church. You want to tell me about a mistake you made?”

  Amelia’s eyes flashed fire, but he didn’t care. He was in the mood for a fight and if he riled her up enough, Samuel would have a go at him.

  “When Michaela arrived, I put her in room 305 until we had a room available. She was our squatter. No one else knew, but me. The fault is all mine. So if you want to fire me, go ahead.”

  Marcus’ jaw was starting to hurt from clenching his teeth so hard.

  “Oh babe,” Samuel said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Since when do you care about the guests?” She shook off his arm. “I believe her. That woman was devastated. Her asshole of a fiancé dumped her and then cancelled the reservation.”

  “That’s because he had rooms booked at the Kaimana Resort.”

  “Then why did she show up here?”

  “Tetsuo sent her to spy on us. Maybe even sabotage the renovations.”

  “He would have no idea that we could find her a room. Or that I would put her in an illegal room.”

  “Amelia, he knows you. Your previous situation would have colored your judgement. They played you. You were taken for a fool. Admit it and move on.”

  “Go to hell,” she snarled and grabbed her laptop as she sped out of the room.

  “Thanks a lot, dickhead.” Samuel followed her out.

  “If there isn’t any more questions, you all have your instructions.” He also stood up and moved to the door. “Let’s all do better next time.”

  Marcus refrained from slamming it on his way out.

  Chapter Twenty

  Michaela was getting a little bored with the scenery from Wailea to Kaanapali. Marcus wasn’t answering his phone. She hoped everything had gone all right with the inspection.

  When she got out of the cab and wheeled her bag into the lobby, she felt as if her vacation had finally started. Hani didn’t look up as she approached and after a moment she said, “Checking in.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said without meeting her eyes. “There isn’t a reservation in your name.”

  “Seriously? No one has checked out yet?” Michaela sighed. “Oh well, can you stow these in the back and I’ll go see if I can find Marcus.”

  “If you have a seat, I’ll call him for you.”

  “Thanks. He doesn’t seem to be answering his phone.”

  Hani must be really busy, she thought and sat down in one of the lobby chairs. It wasn’t as posh as the Kaimana, but it felt like home.

  “He’ll be right with you,” Hani said and went back to brooding at his screen.

  She didn’t have long to wait. Marcus strode into the lobby. The welcoming smile on her face died when she saw his expression.

  “Call Mrs. Stone a cab,” he said, hauling her up by her upper arm to her feet.

  “On its way,” Hani said sullenly.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as Marcus picked up her luggage and carried it to the taxi stand outside. “And why did you call me Stone? That’s Gerald’s last name.”

  “Oh, so you admit that Gerald Stone is your husband?”

  “No,” she said. “He’s the jack ass that left me at the altar last week.”

  “Then why were you having breakfast with him this morning in Tetsuo Hojo’s bridal suite. A suite that’s registered to Mr. and Mrs. Stone.”

  “Oh for fuck’s sake,” Michaela groaned. “That’s the son of a bitch’s angle.”

  “Yeah, you know all about angles don’t you Attorney Stone.”

  “Attorney Harris. If you’re going to be a jerk, at least call me by my legal name.”

  “So you didn’t take his name when you got married?”

  “I’m not married. He got cold feet.” She peered up at him. “Did you hit your head again?”

  “I’m fine. I’m sick of you dodging my questions, though. Why were you eating breakfast with him?”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “I have pictures of it,” he seethed.

  “I’m sure you do. But what you saw was me collecting my luggage and coming back here to check in.”

  “To get closer to me?”

  “Shit yeah, I was looking to get a lot closer to you, but now I’m wondering if that was a mistake.”

  “It was,” he sneered. “The worst mistake of your life.”

  “No,” Michaela shook her head. “That’s still Gerald. Can we go somewhere private and have a cup of coffee?”

  Makoa, Hani and Kai ducked back into their hiding spots when Marcus started to pace. She managed not to roll her eyes at them.

  “Why so you can seduce me again?”

  “That’s the last thing on my mind.” She poked him in the chest. “And you did all the seducing, Buster. Every single time. You started it.” She paused. “Except for that time in Ho’okipa, but I owed you for that one.”

  Hani looked up and raised his eyebrow at her.

  Clenching his fists in frustration, Marcus turned away. “Where were you staying for the past week?”

  She caught Hani’s eye and he nodded. No. She wasn’t going to get them in trouble. Not when Marcus was being this irrational.

  “I was in Wailea.”

  “You’re a liar.” Marcus turned back and loomed over her. For a minute, she was frightened by the look in his eyes. “I can’t trust you. I don’t even know if I want to. You’re no longer welcome here. If you’re caught on the property again, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing. And tell your husband, he’s fired.”

  Michaela’s mouth dropped open in shock. He was walking away from her. He kicked her out of the resort. Makoa put her bags in the taxi cab and hugged her quickly.

  Amelia hurried out of the lobby, looking over her shoulder. She
pressed her ring box into her hand. “He’ll calm down once he starts thinking with his big head instead of his little one.”

  “I’m not a spy,” Michaela said.

  “I know. We all know. Except for him.”

  “Amelia!” Marcus thundered.

  Amelia rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Does he think I’m going to respond to that tone? Even if he could fire me, I’d tell him to go shit in his hat. You take care.” She hugged her.

  “I’m sorry, if I got you in trouble.” Michaela sniffed as tears threatened. “You were so kind to me. I’ll never forget that.”

  “I hate him. He’s a dick,” Amelia wailed.

  The taxi beeped his horn.

  “Bye. Tell everyone, thank you.”

  Kai and Hani had already scattered. She didn’t even get to say good-bye to them or to Joely.

  

  Gerald was still on the balcony when she got back. She sat down across from him. Michaela felt cold inside, even though the day was as sunny and perfect as she could imagine.

  “All right,” she said.

  “I knew you’d come to your senses. We make a great team. I was thinking, maybe this marriage could be real after all.” He reached out for her hand but she snatched it away.

  “No.” Anger burned away the last of the numbness. She cried her heart out in the taxi cab, there was no more of that emotion left. “Here’s how it’s going to be. We’ll take the 20% stock options. We both sign a pre-nup. In the case of a divorce, we split everything 50/50, keeping what we came into the marriage with. We’ll divorce once my father passes away or five years, whichever is sooner. Do we have a deal?”

  Gerald blinked. “Yes. Absolutely. I’ll have the papers drawn up.”

  “There will be no sex. No intimacy. No nothing. We’ll live in separate residences. You keep your condo and your girlfriend and I’ll keep my condo.” And my nothing else. Michaela furiously pushed that thought aside. She wouldn’t remember the mind shattering sex, the tender love making, or surfing on the blue Maui shore with Marcus.

  Gerald nodded. “Agreed. If that’s what you want.”

  “As far as I’m concerned this will be a purely business relationship. I will keep my own name. You can spend holidays with whomever you want. I don’t care.”