place went silent as
they walked in, staring at Leilani in speculation.
He put a proprietary hand on her
back, eyeing the other blokes deliberately. Then he guided her to the end of
the bar, where MacLeod stood at the bar, forelegs propped on the counter as he
waited eagerly for his pint.
"My dog is a lush."
Colin looked apologetically at Leilani.
"A determined lush."
She took the stool next to MacLeod. She set her bag on the counter and
scratched behind his ears.
Jealous, Colin gave the beast a
warning look and moved his stool closer to her. Then he gestured to Jimmy, the
bartender.
Jimmy came over right away.
"And who is this lovely creature you have with you tonight, Colin?"
He shook his head at the
exaggerated brogue the bartender laid on. Normally, the man sounded more
English than his native Irish. "James, my friend Leilani."
"Leilani." Jimmy took
her hand and kissed it, flashing her a devilish wink. "You are a thorn
among roses."
MacLeod barked once, his tail
wagging.
Jimmy nodded in approval. "Except
for his nonsensical name, that dog is a credit to his country."
"MacLeod has a taste for
Guinness," Colin explained to her.
"That's original." She
tipped her head. "I've never had Guinness."
"Well, we'll fix that
immediately, won't we?" Jimmy hurried to take his time building a proper
pint.
Colin took her hand and shifted
so his legs bracketed hers. "Since we're here, I feel like we should take
the opportunity to get to know each other better."
"What do you want to
know?"
"Your middle name?"
"I don't have one.
Yours?"
"Reginald." He pointed
at her. "Do not laugh."
"I wouldn't dream of
it." She pressed her lips together, but her eyes gave her away. "Tell
me about your family."
"Typical British upper
class. We can trace our line back to the Norman invasion. My grandfather and
father were both in finance, and I followed in their footsteps."
"But now you've started
making your own tracks."
"Yes." He smiled.
"I like that."
"My dad was like that. He
and his brother inherited their dad's coffee plantation, but it wasn't him, so
he and my mom moved to Maui and started over."
"It worked out for
him?"
"Yes. He found his calling.
Dad's an artist, and plants are his medium. He tends one of the most beautiful
gardens on the islands. It's been featured in magazines everywhere. He's the
reason I followed my passion into art."
"You love your father."
"Very." She smiled
softly. "My mother too. I miss them a lot."
"They must miss you
too." He would, and he hadn't known her nearly as long.
Jimmy pushed three beers across
the counter, one in a large bowl. Colin set the bowl on the floor for MacLeod.
As he handed one pint to Leilani, he asked, "Favorite color?"
"Red."
"Favorite painting?"
"Chagall's Lovers and
Flowers."
"Favorite food?"
"Sushi."
"Favorite book?"
"The Book of the Dead."
He arched his brow.
She shrugged. "I'm an art
geek at heart. I can't help it."
"I'm not sure it counts if
you can't read the book."
"Who says I can't?"
"Touché."
They shared a smile.
"Your turn," she said.
"Alright."
"Favorite color?"
"Red." He'd fantasized
about her in red lace and nothing else.
"Favorite food?"
"Cake." In a perfect
world, served on her belly.
"Really?"
"I believe I mentioned my
sweet tooth."
"What kind of cake?"
"Chocolate. And lemon. And coconut.
And—"
She laughed, holding up a hand.
"I get the picture."
"Next question."
"Favorite drink?"
"Whiskey."
She looked pointedly at his
Guinness.
He lifted his pint and saluted MacLeod.
"Solidarity."
The dog barked once and went back
to lapping his drink.
Leilani also took a sip. Then she
asked, "Favorite position?"
He spewed beer all over the
counter. Coughing, he wiped at the mess, ignoring the cross look Jimmy gave
him. "Pardon me?"
"You heard me. I wondered what
we'd try first."
"Perhaps I'll save the best
for later."
"You don't like to eat your
dessert first?"
"When you put it that
way." He brushed her hair aside, rubbing his nose
they walked in, staring at Leilani in speculation.
He put a proprietary hand on her
back, eyeing the other blokes deliberately. Then he guided her to the end of
the bar, where MacLeod stood at the bar, forelegs propped on the counter as he
waited eagerly for his pint.
"My dog is a lush."
Colin looked apologetically at Leilani.
"A determined lush."
She took the stool next to MacLeod. She set her bag on the counter and
scratched behind his ears.
Jealous, Colin gave the beast a
warning look and moved his stool closer to her. Then he gestured to Jimmy, the
bartender.
Jimmy came over right away.
"And who is this lovely creature you have with you tonight, Colin?"
He shook his head at the
exaggerated brogue the bartender laid on. Normally, the man sounded more
English than his native Irish. "James, my friend Leilani."
"Leilani." Jimmy took
her hand and kissed it, flashing her a devilish wink. "You are a thorn
among roses."
MacLeod barked once, his tail
wagging.
Jimmy nodded in approval. "Except
for his nonsensical name, that dog is a credit to his country."
"MacLeod has a taste for
Guinness," Colin explained to her.
"That's original." She
tipped her head. "I've never had Guinness."
"Well, we'll fix that
immediately, won't we?" Jimmy hurried to take his time building a proper
pint.
Colin took her hand and shifted
so his legs bracketed hers. "Since we're here, I feel like we should take
the opportunity to get to know each other better."
"What do you want to
know?"
"Your middle name?"
"I don't have one.
Yours?"
"Reginald." He pointed
at her. "Do not laugh."
"I wouldn't dream of
it." She pressed her lips together, but her eyes gave her away. "Tell
me about your family."
"Typical British upper
class. We can trace our line back to the Norman invasion. My grandfather and
father were both in finance, and I followed in their footsteps."
"But now you've started
making your own tracks."
"Yes." He smiled.
"I like that."
"My dad was like that. He
and his brother inherited their dad's coffee plantation, but it wasn't him, so
he and my mom moved to Maui and started over."
"It worked out for
him?"
"Yes. He found his calling.
Dad's an artist, and plants are his medium. He tends one of the most beautiful
gardens on the islands. It's been featured in magazines everywhere. He's the
reason I followed my passion into art."
"You love your father."
"Very." She smiled
softly. "My mother too. I miss them a lot."
"They must miss you
too." He would, and he hadn't known her nearly as long.
Jimmy pushed three beers across
the counter, one in a large bowl. Colin set the bowl on the floor for MacLeod.
As he handed one pint to Leilani, he asked, "Favorite color?"
"Red."
"Favorite painting?"
"Chagall's Lovers and
Flowers."
"Favorite food?"
"Sushi."
"Favorite book?"
"The Book of the Dead."
He arched his brow.
She shrugged. "I'm an art
geek at heart. I can't help it."
"I'm not sure it counts if
you can't read the book."
"Who says I can't?"
"Touché."
They shared a smile.
"Your turn," she said.
"Alright."
"Favorite color?"
"Red." He'd fantasized
about her in red lace and nothing else.
"Favorite food?"
"Cake." In a perfect
world, served on her belly.
"Really?"
"I believe I mentioned my
sweet tooth."
"What kind of cake?"
"Chocolate. And lemon. And coconut.
And—"
She laughed, holding up a hand.
"I get the picture."
"Next question."
"Favorite drink?"
"Whiskey."
She looked pointedly at his
Guinness.
He lifted his pint and saluted MacLeod.
"Solidarity."
The dog barked once and went back
to lapping his drink.
Leilani also took a sip. Then she
asked, "Favorite position?"
He spewed beer all over the
counter. Coughing, he wiped at the mess, ignoring the cross look Jimmy gave
him. "Pardon me?"
"You heard me. I wondered what
we'd try first."
"Perhaps I'll save the best
for later."
"You don't like to eat your
dessert first?"
"When you put it that
way." He brushed her hair aside, rubbing his nose
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