A Little Harmless Addiction

by Melissa Schroeder

  She laughed. “The weather is always nice. It’s Hawaii.”

  “Right. But the wind will be light which will make for an easier sightseeing tour.”

  “So, Jocelyn, what are you planning on doing?”

  The abrupt question came from May, and she thought she heard Micah laugh. Subtly apparently wasn’t something May was good at. She took her time to look away from Kai and face the long table of couples.

  “Cynthia’s taking pity on me and hiring me.”

  “Oh, please. Girl is considered one of the top pastry chefs in the country and she’s going to be at Cynthia’s.” The bright light of success lit Cynthia’s blue eyes. “I am going to make some big money.”

  Jocelyn felt her cheeks burn. It used to be a source of a pride to be considered a top pastry chef. Heck, if she could have, she would have announced it everywhere. But now, it was a sort of embarrassment. Not for her accomplishments, those she was proud of. Now though, she had fallen so far and had barely made it through the last few months.

  “I’m just taking it day by day.”

  “And she’s not starting work until next week,” her brother announced.

  She smiled down the table at Chris as irritation inched down her spine. Good Lord, he was doing it again. She knew he had to be protective, but dammit, she was sick of being treated as if she couldn’t handle herself. “Of course, there is always a chance Cynthia might have her hands full because of a mitigating circumstances.”

  With one look, she let her brother know she would let everyone know about his little morning sickness. She knew for a fact that Micah and Evan would never let him hear the end of it. Before he could say anything else, the waiter came with their drinks. With the reprieve, she turned her attention back to Kai. When she turned to him, he was studying her.

  “I think tomorrow would be great for the tour.”

  He glanced at her brother then back to her. “Are you sure Chris doesn’t mind?”

  She shook her head. “I’m almost thirty. I can take care of myself. Besides, I didn’t take you for such a wuss that a few dirty looks from my brother would bother you.”

  He took a sip of his soda as he continued to study her. “So what about ten in the morning?”

  She smiled. “You got it.”

  Kai was walking to his car when he heard the sound of feet behind him. He tensed, but he calmed down when he saw Chris’s reflection in the store window to his right. He stopped and faced him. Kai had known this was coming.

  “What do you think you’re doing with my sister?” Chris asked. One thing about his sister’s boss, he never beat around the bush. It was one of the things Kai had liked about Chris until recently. And it shouldn’t have hurt, but it did, more than it did the other day. Chris must have sensed it.

  Chris made a disgusted sound. “I told you it isn’t that.”

  Kai waved it away and tried to push the feelings down. He should be used to it. There were still people who saw him as less. One because of his Hawaiian blood and two because he never made it to college. Hell, he didn’t make it out of high school.

  “I offered to take her around the island when she went on the tour. She said you haven’t showed her around, and I thought she was kind of lonely.”

  Chris crossed his arms over his massive chest. He was taller than Kai and probably outweighed him. Still, both men knew that in a fair fight, Kai would probably kick his ass. Even knowing that, Chris looked ready to take him on. As an older brother, Kai had to give him some respect for that.

  “And you were there ready to step in to help her with the loneliness.”

  Shit. He shouldn’t be so pissed, because the truth was he had a lot of relationships like that. He was known for it. He kept everything light, dated tourists or women looking for no more than a little fun. If he did more than that it caused problems.

  “It isn’t like that. Listen, she feels left out. And a little lost. I thought if I helped her get to know the island, she might venture out on her own.”

  Chris sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I have been so busy with Cynthia. Dammit, I should have thought of it.”

  “Listen, don’t beat yourself up about it. Sisters aren’t always forthcoming with their feelings.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I convinced her to move here then dumped her on the other side of the island.”

  “Believe me, if your sister was pissed I have a feeling you’d know. She just wanted to get to know the island, and since I know it like the back of my hand, I figured it wouldn’t hurt for her to see some of those places that aren’t on the touristy maps.”

  Chris nodded. “I appreciate it. But like I said, she can’t handle a relationship right now, and I will be damned if anyone will push her.”

  “Take it easy. Seriously, I do not have to coerce wounded women.”

  “Did May tell you what happened?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want to know unless Jocelyn wants to tell me. I’m just trying to be friendly.”

  Chris didn’t look like he believed him, and of course, he shouldn’t. When she had been on his boat, knowing his reaction to her, he’d decided there was no use fighting it. He had wanted her from the moment she’d opened the door that first night. She might say no, and seriously, that was fine by him. He would never try and push her. But since she had been the first woman who had intrigued him like this in a few months, he knew better than to ignore it.

  “I better get back to Cynthia before she gets even more pissed about me interfering.”

  “No problem.”

  He watched his sister’s boss jog over to his car and Cynthia. The last few months had been hard since Keisha left, and every time he had been in the company of the group, he had felt left out. He never brought dates, not since Keisha had ripped his heart out and gone back to the abusive asshole. He rarely had before Keisha, truth be told. May had never been one for inviting him until he had started living like a monk. It was as if she pitied him, which he hated. He hated it even more that he didn’t seem to be able to say no. Even surrounded by all the happy couples hadn’t been as bad as being by himself.

  He sighed and continued to walk to his car. A year ago, it wouldn’t have bothered him, but now it did. It didn’t mean he wanted a serious relationship. He had proven he wasn’t made for them. But the feeling that he was being left out, somehow pitied by people had gnawed at him. But with Jocelyn there tonight it had been pretty bearable.

  He unlocked his car and slid into the seat. She was even more gorgeous now. She had adjusted to the time difference. Only a dead man could ignore that infectious laugh. He could tell she did it a lot. The sound of joy that filled the diner when she laughed had left him mesmerized. Even sitting here over an hour later, he could remember the men who had turned in her direction when she laughed. And just how much he had wanted to kick their asses.

  Damn, he needed to remember his role here. He was to be a friend with possible benefits. It was something he’d had no trouble with before Keisha, and he was happy to fill that role again. But as he drove off, he wondered what Jocelyn would be wearing tomorrow and just how many times he could get her to laugh.

  Kai turned into Jocelyn’s driveway and frowned. He knew the car parked there and knew he wasn’t in the mood to go another round with Chris. Being the oldest and a brother, he understood wanting to protect your younger sister. It was hard to let her lead her own life. He knew that whatever had left the shadows in Jocelyn’s beautiful eyes was pretty bad. But there was a point when a brother had to step back.

  He drew in a deep breath as he got out of the car and headed to the porch. He knew this wasn’t going to be fun. Chris knew Kai’s reputation with women. It was all he could do not to kiss her. So, being the masochist that he was, he decided to take her out on a date. As he stepped on the lowest stair to the porch, he heard Jocelyn’s sweet, sexy, New Orleans’ voice drift out the open window.

  “I didn’t exactly ask your opinion.”

  “Jocelyn, yo
u seem to be doing much better, but I don’t understand this compulsion to go out with Kai.”

  For a few moments she said nothing. From his own experience, he knew that wasn’t a good sign for Chris. “You don’t think I would be attracted to him?”

  “I didn’t say that. But I thought you’d sworn off men.”

  “Obviously not all men because here you are,” she said. He could hear the irritation rising in her voice and part of him wanted to leave. He didn’t need any kind of big family drama. He’d had enough of that with Keisha a few months ago.

  “I don’t understand why I can’t show you around.”

  “First, I don’t want you to go all pukey on me while we are out.”

  “I am not pukey.”

  She ignored his comment and rolled right on. “And I want to go out with someone who isn’t always watching me waiting for me to fall apart.”

  She had lowered her voice, and he could hear the deep pain beneath the surface of the words. But there was something else there. Determination. It was quietly infused in her voice, telling Kai that no matter how put together she seemed now, she was fighting her demons every day. That kind of inner strength was just too much to resist.

  It had him walking up on the porch with as much noise as his slippers would provide, and knocking on the door.

  Jocelyn opened the door with a smile. “Hey, Kai. Come on in. I’m almost ready. In fact, I would have been if Chris hadn’t bothered me this morning.”

  The smile she shot him was overly bright, but he didn’t let it bother him. He had to contend with the brother who was right now giving him the stink eye.

  “You said we are just going to drive around the island?”

  He nodded. “You might want to make sure you wear slippers so that walking on the beach is easy.”

  She frowned and he heard Chris chuckle.

  “Flip-flops, Jocelyn.”

  She glanced back over her shoulder at her brother, then turned, her smile now genuine. It reached her eyes and he felt the slow thrum of lust beat through his blood.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  She turned and walked to the back of the small house. It took every bit of his power not to watch that full, round ass sway, but he did it. He turned his attention to her brother.

  “Morning, Chris.”

  Chris stood there, his frown dark, his arms crossed over his massive chest. Kai wasn’t afraid of him. He might be a bit bigger, but as May liked to point out, Kai spent a lot of his time on the docks. “Morning. You want to tell me what this is about?”

  “I thought we went over that last night.”

  Chris shifted his feet. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m still not sure this is a good idea.”

  Kai held up his hands. “Give it a rest, bra. Your sister mentioned that she thought Oahu was crowded, I said I would show her some of the other spots that weren’t.”

  “You aren’t making any moves on her.”

  Not a question, a statement with a threat attached by way of his tone. Kai knew his life would be easier to deny it completely, but Chris was too smart. It wasn’t in Kai’s ability to lie, not when he was this attracted to a woman.

  “Your sister is an attractive woman who is discovering Hawaii. What goes on between us is just that. Between us.”

  Chris said nothing.

  “Look at it this way, man. You want me to take her around, or some other man? Your sister is gorgeous and bright. Men are attracted to her because of her looks, but I am sure they stick around because of the personality. You know you can trust me.”

  For a second, he was sure that Chris was going to argue with him, but then his shoulders relaxed.

  “Sorry. I really am. All of us have been a bit overprotective since her hospital stay. I know I can trust you, it’s just…”

  Kai smiled. “She’s your sister. I understand. Listen, I’ve been in your shoes. May always attracted a lot of men.”

  He nodded and opened his mouth, but Jocelyn breezed back in, a silk scarf wrapped around her head and sunglasses on. She looked like a fifties movie star. Glamorous, sexy and downright tempting.

  “Ready?” she asked with a smile.

  He nodded.

  “You can lock up, right, Chris?”

  Her brother looked from one to the other, then said, “Yeah, I can lock up.”

  Kai took her by the elbow and led her out of the house and down the steps. A few minutes later, they were speeding down the road.

  “Sorry about that.”

  He shrugged, trying to ignore the way it had made him feel. He never saw color, just the person beneath.

  “All of my brothers have been insane since I was in the hospital.”

  He nodded. “I said I understood. You know, when you were in the hospital, so was May. I know what it was like.”

  “Yeah, but I hate that they question my ability to be able to make my own decisions.”

  He shot her a smile. “We always secretly think that. We just keep it to ourselves.”

  She laughed as he’d hoped. “I always thought that. I figured they were always thinking it when I was at culinary school.”

  He turned onto Kam Highway and headed to Kaneohe. “I thought I would show you some pretty scenery, including where they filmed part of the first Jurassic Park.”

  She smiled. “That sounds fabulous.”

  “And then maybe we can hit some of the lesser known beaches, just so you can get a feel.”

  She was quiet for a few moments, then asked, “Is there a reason you’re doing this?”

  He didn’t answer as he passed a slow compact. “What reason would I have?”

  Again, she paused. “Not sure.”

  He looked at her then and noticed that the smile she’d had before had dimmed.

  “Listen.” He waited until he felt the weight of her gaze on him. “I am doing this for a few reasons. One, you don’t know anyone. Since I grew up here and know just about everyone on the island, I can’t even imagine what you are feeling. Two, I know what it feels like to be the third wheel.”

  “Kai Aiona doesn’t have a problem getting dates.”

  He shot her a quick look. “What do you mean by that? I don’t even know you.”

  She laughed. “Honey, I grew up with three brothers and I work in an industry dominated by men. I know your species. I can tell you don’t have too many problems getting dates. You’re hot, you’re nice and I saw the way women reacted to you the other day on the boat. You have your pick of women.”

  He could feel heat in his cheeks, but he tried to ignore it. “Oh, I thought maybe you had heard rumors.”

  She laughed. “Cynthia said you do have a steady stream of women.”

  Anger surged, but he tamped down on it. The truth was, he had been that way for a long time. But something had changed in the last six months. Part of it was May’s marriage, he knew that. But the other part of it had been Keisha.

  “Truth is, I haven’t had a date in over a month.”

  Silence greeted that comment.

  “I’m telling the truth.”

  “Why?” she asked quietly.

  He shook his head. Today wasn’t supposed to be a day they told their sad pasts. It was supposed to be fun and relaxing. “It’s a long, sad story.”

  “And you’re not going to tell me.”

  “Why don’t we save both our long, sad stories for later and just enjoy the scenery.”

  She chuckled and he could feel her relax. “That sounds like a plan I can get behind.”

  By the time Kai pulled into a shopping center for lunch, Jocelyn was in love with Hawaii. Many people said they loved it, she knew that. More than one of her family had been here to visit Chris, but this was something different. It wasn’t the kind of admiration she’d had the first few days after she arrived. It was like she had seen a different island. Gone were the posh hotels and all the touristy stores. It was different being with a local who knew how to show you everything.

>   “I have to say, I don’t know if I am ever going to be able to leave.”

  Kai put the car in park then looked at her. “Why would you?”

  She laughed. “That’s true. I didn’t know if I would stay here that long. Chris offered, and while he is a little overbearing, it is better than having the whole family breathing down your neck.”

  “I can understand that in a way. Hard though, since I still live with my family.” He glanced at the shopping center. “Ready for some Hawaiian barbeque?”

  She nodded. He slipped out of the car and walked around the hood before she had her scarf off her head. He opened the door for her. She stepped out and away from the vehicle and she felt her arm brush against his. She shivered and tried to ignore the heat that flared deep in her tummy. He shut the door and it took him a second before he motioned for her to walk in front of him.

  As she walked the through the door, the first thing that hit her was the scent of smoke. The next was the exotic Polynesian flavors that she was growing to love.

  “What do you recommend?”

  He guided her through the crowd by placing his hand on the small of her back. It was a simple gesture, but still her hormones started to do the hula.

  “Well, the pork is good, very good. You can get it with or without cabbage and some rice. And there’s always musubi.”

  She looked at the pictures above the counter. “What’s in that?”

  “Your choice of meat with rice, wrapped in dry seaweed.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “No, thanks. I am not a seaweed girl.”

  “Ah, but they have it in spam.”

  She made a disgusted sound. “I don’t understand the Hawaiian fascination with spam.”

  He laughed. “You might also like the chicken tatsu.”

  Jocelyn nodded and stepped up to the counter, but Kai stopped her by placing his hand on hers. “No, I got this.”

  She opened her mouth to argue but saw his frown. “Okay. But next time, I buy.”

  He smiled. “Why don’t you find us a seat?”

  She glanced around and realized that it was getting more and more crowded. She found a booth in the back and headed over. She was just slipping into her seat when she saw Kai coming toward her. Again, female heads turned and admired. He was gorgeous, that was for sure. But he had something else that her brothers all possessed. A presence. Looking at him you knew he could take care of himself in a bar fight, but also take care not to hurt you. He was definitely the type of guy who used to make her go gooey.