opinion.”
“Jocelyn, you 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
“Jocelyn, you 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
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