Island Conquest

by Brooke Hastings

  Daniel invited Michi and Rob back to the house for a nightcap, and now Lani found herself seated next to her date on the couch, trying to respond naturally to his loverlike manner. Michi and Daniel were standing next to the piano, apparently lost in a world of their own.

  After several minutes Rob took Lani's hand and said in a conversational tone of voice, "When am I going to see you again?"

  "You'll see her tomorrow, at the wedding." The curt statement sliced across the room.

  "With three hundred other people? I had something more intimate in mind, Daniel," Robert drawled.

  "Forget it, Rob. You're old enough to be her father." Daniel took Michi's arm and walked toward the couch. "I'm going to throw you two out; I have an early golf game tomorrow."

  Lani maintained a circumspect silence. Robert Bradley was more than capable of holding his own against Daniel; in fact, she suspected that he could be every bit as arrogant as her stepbrother.

  He simply ignored Daniel's injunction. "I have to go to the mainland on business for a week, so how about two weeks from tomorrow? Dinner again?"

  Lani glanced at Daniel, noticed the look of extreme disapproval on his face, and favored Rob with a glowing smile. "Thank you, Rob. I'd love to," she said. She allowed herself to be helped from the couch and stood submissively while Rob, his back to Daniel, planted a lingering kiss on her mouth. In reality, the embrace was no more than brotherly, but it must have appeared quite passionate from Daniel's vantage point. Lani enjoyed Rob's company, but had no physical reaction when he touched her. Only Daniel was capable of arousing her to the point where pride alone stopped her from giving him whatever he chose to ask of her.

  "Whenever you're finished, Rob…" Rob lifted his head in response to the impatient words, winking at Lani. "I want a few words with you," Daniel snapped out, taking Rob's arm and leading him into the kitchen.

  Lani caught Michi Hansen schooling her features to suppress a smile, and murmured with embarrassment, "He takes the big brother role pretty seriously, he always has."

  "But he's not your brother," Michi said, an enchantingly teasing smile on her mouth.

  "Try telling him that!"

  "I don't have to. He's well aware of it," Michi laughed. Lani wondered in confusion just why the other woman was so amused by Daniel's over-protectiveness.

  The men returned several minutes later, Daniel looking annoyed, Robert smiling smugly. As soon as polite good-nights had been exchanged and the door shut behind their guests, Daniel looked at Lani with the same steely glare she had last seen on Thursday. "He's not interested in you, you know."

  She did know, and was not about to claim otherwise. If she challenged Daniel he might retaliate in the same manner as two days ago, and Lani doubted she would stop him, not when she was so in love with him that she spent her nights imagining herself in his arms. She said nothing.

  "He knows I don't like it… he's doing it to annoy me," Daniel muttered under his breath. Then he added in a louder tone, "Since Rob's wife died three years ago, he's never taken out anyone younger than thirty. As a matter of fact, I thought he was attracted to Michi."

  "Would you mind if he asked her out?" Lani could have kicked herself for asking the question. She had sounded far too interested in his answer.

  He shrugged. "Why should I mind?"

  His reply could only reflect total confidence in the closeness of his relationship with Michi, Lani thought miserably. Given the futility of loving Daniel, it would do her good to go out with Rob, who was entertaining and kind, and who would make no demands on her beyond those of a friend.

  "So what did you and Rob decide?" she asked nervously. "Are we going out in two weeks?"

  Daniel nodded. "Sure. As long as he understands the situation. But don't expect any hot love scenes, princess. With Rob, business comes before pleasure."

  Lani stared up at him in bewilderment. "What are you talking about?"

  "Ask Rob. You'll see him tomorrow." With a final, chilly look, Daniel turned around and walked toward the stairs.

  On Sunday morning, Linda invited Lani and Brian to attend church with her and her family, and afterward, her tiny, soft-spoken mother asked them back to the house for lunch. Since Daniel would be playing golf until the early afternoon, Lani accepted.

  Brian soon disappeared along with Linda's two youngest siblings, and the three children were having such a good time together that Lani stayed far longer than she intended to. It was difficult for her to keep her mind on the conversation with Linda and her parents, because as the minutes dragged by, she became increasingly apprehensive about the wedding she was to attend. Her beloved stepfather had suffered rough treatment at the hands of certain kamaainas, and although that was long ago Lani could easily picture herself as the target of their snubs today. Unlike Jonathan, she doubted her ability to smile and turn the other cheek.

  She returned home to find that Daniel had scrawled a message on the bottom of her own note to him: he was sailing with his cousin and would be back in time for the wedding.

  About an hour later, Lani stood in front of her full-length mirror, her only garment a short terry robe, and inspected her appearance. Her hair fell in graceful waves down her back; her make-up, although subtle, was heavier than usual, adding several years to her appearance. The even tan she had acquired during her first weeks in Hawaii gave her a healthy, attractive glow, and as she studied her face it seemed impossible that only a month before those same features had been pale and haggard with bereavement. Although she had stubbornly resisted each of Daniel's decisions about the future, she was forced to admit that he had been right every time.

  Brian was thriving in Hawaii, with Daniel acting as a much-needed father figure. As for herself, had she remained in San Diego and attempted to care for Brian on her own, daily life would have become an exhausting struggle. Instead, she had an almost sinful amount of freedom and a job she adored. She truly loved her native state, and even the ravages of the developers couldn't change her feelings.

  But then, she had come to realize that Prescott & Thomas did not represent the ultimate evil in island society. Tourism was now Hawaii's number one industry, providing close to one hundred thousand jobs, nearly a third of all tax revenues, and billions of dollars for the state's economy. How well she remembered the night Daniel had thrown those figures at her head! She had tossed her hair in annoyed acceptance of his expertise and challenged him to join a local environmental group boasting many kamaainas as members. To her astonishment, he had quickly agreed to do so.

  Two sharp raps on the door interrupted her musings. "Time to go, princess. Are you ready?"

  "Give me five minutes," she called out, suddenly aware that she must have been standing in front of the mirror, lost in thought, for a good fifteen minutes. As she stepped into her mint-green gown and silver sandals, she told herself firmly that she would never look any better than she did at this moment. Daniel's subsequent nod of approval, warm and appreciative, helped to boost her confidence.

  Her apprehension soon melted away in the face of the charming reception she received. A lavish cocktail buffet and formal dinner followed the religious ceremony; Daniel stood close by her side throughout the cocktail hour, introducing her to an endless stream of smiling relatives, friends, and business associates. Among the first people she met were Tommy Prescott's sister, Hope, his father, Richard, the Chairman of Prescott & Thomas, and his mother, Marilyn Thomas Prescott, who was also the aunt of the groom. Tommy had once promised Lani that she would love his mother, and indeed, Marilyn was one of those warm, vivacious women whom everyone adores on sight.

  Robert Bradley and Michi Hansen were also among the guests, these two familiar faces helping Lani to relax and enjoy herself. But then, with Daniel so attentive and protective, how could she fail to have a wonderful time?

  Soon after the bride and groom stepped onto the floor to dance to the first waltz, Lani was claimed as a partner by Robert Bradley. The French champagne had flowed like th
e waters of Waimea Falls, and Lani had drunk several glasses more than her usual quota. The room had a lovely haziness. Her usual inhibitions fled in the face of her curiosity about Rob's conversation with Daniel the previous night, and she asked with a giggle, "What did Daniel mean last night when he told me that you put business before pleasure?"

  "He informed me that if I made a pass at you, I could forget the business deal we've been discussing." He pulled her a little closer, then bent his head to whisper in her ear, "Daniel's very possessive, even for an over-protective big brother. I'd say he's in love with you, princess." The last word was lightly accented, a mocking reference to Daniel's pet name for her.

  "I wish it were…" Lani stopped, but not quickly enough. Why had she accepted that last glass of champagne from her stepbrother?

  "When you blush like that you're irresistible. I can't blame him for being captivated," Rob teased.

  Lani hastened to correct his mistaken assessment. "You're wrong. We've done nothing but fight for years and years. He just thinks… that is, he's afraid that I'm going to get myself into trouble, so he watches out for me."

  "If you say so, Lani." Robert Bradley had smoothly rejected her explanation, but he could have no knowledge of her previously frosty relationship with Daniel. And even if he did care for her a little, there was always Michi, whom he loved.

  After the dance she excused herself and went into the ladies' room. The conversation had upset her. Robert Bradley's misinterpretation of Daniel's feelings had served to remind her of dreams that would never be fulfilled, and she needed a few moments alone to regain her composure.

  She sat down at the dressing table and began to brush her hair, noticing in the mirror that the door had opened to admit a tall, slim blonde. She was dressed in a black, halter-topped gown slashed to the waist on each side and slit up to the thigh to reveal matching toreador pants underneath. Her long silvery hair hung straight down her back, the gold slave bracelet on her arm matching her dangling earrings.

  "I'm afraid Daniel was remiss in his introductions," she said in a purring, husky voice as she sat down next to Lani to repair her make-up. "I'm Elizabeth Thomas, the groom's sister."

  Lani managed a weak smile. Elizabeth Thomas had been one of the bridesmaids, but for the ceremony and pictures she had worn a demure pastel dress, her hair pinned into a French twist. She had obviously changed during the cocktail hour, and her present appearance invited graphic fantasies about what she and Daniel had been doing the night he had walked in at 3:30 a.m.

  Elizabeth reached into her purse for her cigarettes, lit one, and took a long drag of it. "It's quite a convenient arrangement Daniel has, with you tucked away in his house, awaiting his pleasure, running to his bed whenever he whistles. You do look amazingly innocent, considering, darling," she drawled.

  Lani was so appalled by the accusation that she almost dropped her brush. "That's—Daniel would never do that," she choked out.

  "Why not? He's human, isn't he? People do talk," Elizabeth said viciously, blowing smoke in Lani's face. "And everyone knows you're his latest mistress. But you won't last long. He'll get tired of playing with children." Before Lani could say another word in her own defense, Elizabeth had strolled languidly out of the lounge.

  For several seconds Lani was too stunned to move from her seat in front of the mirror, but simply stared at her own pale reflection, seeing nothing. Had Elizabeth spoken the truth, or merely a malicious fabrication designed to upset her? She could think of no reason why the woman would attack her so viciously; she must have been repeating a common item of gossip.

  Lani couldn't go back to the reception to face the knowing stares of hundreds of eyes. Neither could she stay in the lounge while women paraded in and out, silently pinning a scarlet A on her chest. Tears were threatening, and she fled in distress into a stall in the bathroom, where no one could see her.

  "Lani?"

  The voice was Michi Hansen's, and even though Lani had finally managed to control her emotions, she had no intention of answering the summons. She wanted to be left alone.

  "Lani, I know you're in there. I can see the bottom of your gown. Either you come out and tell me what's wrong, or I'm going to get Daniel to drag you out of there!"

  It was a horrifying prospect, and faced with such an unappetizing choice, Lani slowly emerged from the stall.

  "I want to go home," she told Michi in a hoarse voice. "Will you drive me home?" And then, to compound her misery, she burst into tears.

  Michi led her to the sofa and offered her a tissue. She murmured soothing phrases until Lani managed to contain her tears, then demanded to know what was wrong. Lani refused to say a single word. Michi immediately threatened to fetch Daniel again, and Lani knew anything would be less embarrassing than facing him.

  "It… it was Elizabeth Thomas," she said with a sniff. "She came in here… and she said… she said everyone thinks that Daniel and I… that we…"

  "That little cat!" Lani was so astonished by the vehemence in the usually unflappable Michi's voice that for a moment she forgot her own unhappiness and simply stared. Then the older woman sighed in exasperation.

  "Elizabeth and Daniel spent a rather… passionate summer together seven years ago. Everyone expected an engagement, perhaps as soon as Christmas time. Both he and Elizabeth went back to school in New England that fall, but apparently something had happened in the meantime to cool him off. Elizabeth's been chasing him ever since, and she can be downright vicious to anyone she thinks is a threat."

  "But that's… it's ridiculous," Lani said. "Daniel and I… we don't… but if everyone thinks we do… I can't keep living there."

  "Now you're being ridiculous," Michi stated firmly. "There's not a person on this island who believes that Daniel Reid would be capable of something so sordid, and that includes Elizabeth Thomas." She smiled in that irresistible, teasing way of hers. "He's much too honorable to import an innocent little haole like you to warm his bed, and I hope you won't let Elizabeth's accusations upset you. If you do, you'll only be giving her what she wants."

  It was the one argument Michi could have made to persuade Lani to rejoin the celebration; she was far too stubborn to allow some aristocratic island feline to get the better of her. She lifted her chin a fraction higher and told Michi, "All right. Just give me a few minutes to fix my make-up and I'll be right out."

  Nonetheless, as Lani re-entered the room she felt as though every head had swung around to follow her progress. She wanted to turn on her heel and run right out again until she noticed Elizabeth Thomas's spiteful look, which angered her into shooting back an icy stare of her own and marching straight to her seat. She had just reached the table when Daniel stood up, took her by the arm, and led her to the dance floor.

  Lani attempted to ignore the speculative glances which greeted this maneuver. "Are you all right, princess?" he asked.

  "I just… I had a little too much champagne," she lied. "I went to the ladies' room to lie down." She didn't want to discuss Elizabeth's accusations at all, and certainly not with her stepbrother.

  She heard his low rumble of laughter, his body shaking against hers as they danced to the slow, throbbing music. "Really? Was it vintage 1952, with a silvery color and a frosty bouquet?"

  Lani was too embarrassed to manage an answer. Naturally Daniel would have insisted on a full report from Michi.

  "Forget it, honey," he continued. "Elizabeth's never been able to accept the fact that I…" He paused a moment, then went on, "… that I decided not to marry her. Her parents have spoiled her rotten. She needs some guy to take her in hand, but it isn't going to be me."

  His arms tightened, pulling her closer in a manner guaranteed to provoke comment. "Please, Daniel," Lani said, squirming uncomfortably. "You're only going to start more gossip."

  To her relief, he loosened his grip to look into her eyes, his expression becoming solemn when he read the distress in them. "I promised you that you'd be a virgin on your wedding night, didn't
I, princess?" he asked soothingly. "You're my stepsister and my responsibility, and there's absolutely nothing immoral about your living with me… not when Brian needs both of us to take care of him. But people will have something to talk about if you start acting defensive about it."

  He pulled her gently back into his arms, but not too close, and this time Lani did not withdraw. It was much too pleasant to stay in his embrace.

  Chapter Nine

  During the next few weeks, Daniel was the model of a thoughtful companion. He joined Lani and Brian for dinner most evenings and took them for weekend outings—sailing, to the beach, on picnics. There were no more arguments or harsh criticisms. After dinner he would often remain downstairs to talk to Lani while Brian watched television, and these hours together were the most precious and bittersweet of all.

  Daniel spoke of his ideas for possible projects and his personal vision of Hawaii's future, and even mentioned his desire to marry and raise a family. Lani knew that he was confiding his dreams, and she responded with eager interest and a few confessions of her own. She was careful not to reveal her feelings, but did let Daniel see that she was happy in Hawaii. Of course, he would never know what heaven it was for her to feel so close to the man she loved—and what hell to realize that the future he spoke of would be shared with another woman.

  Wade Thorpe, Daniel's "Australian with a wallet the size of the outback," flew into Honolulu on Monday afternoon, accompanied by his wife and two sons. Lani was detailed to pick them up at the airport, and during the rest of the week she was kept busy entertaining the strapping Thorpe clan. She continued to drop by Michi's office each morning and afternoon, and as much as she liked the other woman, it was difficult to hide her jealousy behind a pleasant facade each time Michi would mention that Daniel had lunched with her, or was taking her to dinner that night.

  Sometimes she permitted herself a dollop of hope, because although Daniel's feelings for Michi were apparent to everyone when he looked at her, Michi was still mourning the loss of her husband. Lani suspected that her feelings for Daniel were no more than gratitude and deep affection for a dear friend. But some day she would be ready for a new love, and perhaps Daniel was determined to wait for her.