Rules of Entanglement (Fighting for Love, #2)
by Gina L. Maxwell
For my readers, who waited so patiently—and sometimes not so patiently—for this book. I can’t begin to tell you how truly grateful I am for each and every one of you. By making a space for me on your shelves, you’ve made a space for yourself in my heart. Thank you.
Vanessa MacGregor’s “Lucky 7” Rules To Live By 7. Never take your responsibilities lightly.
6. Never indulge in the poison of lies.
5. Never let a fling last more than three days.
4. Never date a man who chooses fists over words.
3. Never date a man who lacks a stable future.
2. Never relinquish control.
1. Never fall in love.
Day 1: Sunday
“He’s now officially an hour late.”
And talking to yourself out loud makes you crazy as well as hungry and stranded.
Vanessa MacGregor sat on a bench next to her suitcase and carry-on outside the Honolulu airport, trying to ignore her grumbling stomach. She’d finished gaping in awe at the picturesque scenery about forty minutes ago when she realized her best friend Lucie’s brother, who lived on the island, was running more than just a tad past the arranged pickup time.
Drumming her manicured fingernails on the back of her cell, she debated whether or not to call Lucie, but she didn’t want to worry her friend the week of her wedding. She was already stressed out to the max. And that was before some bad sushi had her praying to the porcelain God from severe food poisoning.
Instead, Vanessa had kept trying Jackson’s phone several times, but her calls went directly to voice mail. She was starting to worry something might have happened to him. And if he didn’t show up soon, he might wish something had.
Vanessa pressed a button on her cell phone again to illuminate the screen and check the time. She couldn’t spend all day at the airport. She’d flown down to the über-posh Mau Loa resort four days early, an entire week before her friend’s wedding, to meet up with Jackson and stand in for Lucie and her fiancé with some crazed wedding planner who insisted on the happy couple being on site during the preparations.
If it weren’t for the potential clusterfuck of missing Jackson while she was en route to the Mau Loa, she’d have taken a cab by now. Staring at her cell and releasing a heavy exhale, she decided to try his phone one more time. Hitting redial, she checked her manicure and listened to the rings mocking her.
“You must be Vanessa.”
She looked up at the sound of a sexy baritone voice, but the sun instantly blinded her. Squinting from the sharp pain to her retinas, she shielded her eyes to try and make out the features of the man in front of her, wearing a pair of navy board shorts and a skin-tight wifebeater.
Dark and delicious. Those were the first words that popped into her head. His short, dark hair was damp, and his beard looked like it had at least a day of growth. Starting mid-bicep on his left arm, a Polynesian tattoo of ocean waves in black ink stretched up to the top of his shoulder. His skin was tan, but not the typical golden shade. It was just a tinge darker, almost like he’d lived here so long his body had adapted to the native heritage. The only part of him that didn’t fit the dark motif was his topaz eyes, reminding her of caramels rimmed with thin lines of dark chocolate… Shit, she needed to get something to eat before she tried licking his eyeballs.
She’d never met Jackson in person, but she’d seen plenty of pictures. Enough to recognize that the owner of the sexy voice was indeed Lucie’s brother and champion MMA fighter. Hearing his voice-mail message come through her phone snapped her out of her momentary stupor long enough to take the phone away from her ear and end the call. The airwaves didn’t do his vocal chords justice, she decided as she stood and held out her hand.
“Jackson, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”
He looked at her outstretched hand with what seemed to be an amused smile before finally grasping it in his own. His hand was rough with calluses and deliciously warm.
“Nice to finally meet the infamous best friend of my sister,” he said with a boyishly charming smile.
Oh, he was definitely doable. Did Hawaiians have the saying “Save a surfboard, ride a surfer”? If not, she was totally starting it. She wondered if he even surfed.
Getting her head back in the game, she asked, “Is everything okay?” At his questioning look she added, “You said you’d be here at eleven and it’s past noon. I tried calling but only got your voice mail.”