I want to take it all in before I can worry about minor details like work.
Walking through the coffee trees, I try to get my pictures done early, snapping strange, fragrant flowers I抳e never seen before and silvery waves lapping against the beach. I haven抰 made it far when I hear footsteps approaching and turn.
揌ey, Destiny. I thought you抎 be at the beach??
Her goofy teenage smile fades. 揢m, beaches and I don抰 quite vibe...?
That gets my attention. My head tilts, and I notice the tension taking over her face.
揃ut you came to Hawaii??
She shrugs, her bare shoulders rippling in her tank top and already soaking in the sun.
揑 just wanted to get some sun and see some cool animals. Plus, I didn抰 want Dad coming here alone.?
Why does it sound like she抯 protecting him?
I stare at her, bewildered.
Cole must have flown tons of amazing places without her and survived梙asn抰 he?
揟hat抯 considerate of you,?I say gently. 揕ooks like he抯 brought the whole crew, though. I抦 sure he抣l be fine.?
The idea of this tiny fifteen-year-old protecting her billionaire hulk of a father is both adorable and unsettling.
揅an I walk with you??she asks hopefully.
揝ure!?I nod, gesturing her to follow me along a big line of palm trees.
It is a little dark and jungle-like here, so maybe she抯 uneasy. Thankfully, the Hawaiian islands are one tropical hotspot where you don抰 have to worry about dog-sized lizards or snakes looking for a two-legged snack.
揑t must be awesome being back here, no? Your dad said this place was in your family for years. I figured it would be like a second home for you...?
She shakes her head, biting her lip.
Why does she look so conflicted?
揘either of us have been here in a really long time, actually,?she says quietly.
I wait, but she doesn抰 elaborate. Dess just swings her head around, not staring at anything long enough for it to register. It抯 more like she抯 looking for a certain something in the landscape.
Odd.
The guy swears this breathtaking place is family property and he spent whole months here when he was young, but he never brings his daughter? What gives?
We walk through a breezy nirvana while she tells me about her classes coming up next year and how pissed her friends are that she抯 in Hawaii and they抮e not. The trees only get lusher, and I see several overflowing with bananas.
揙h my God, do you harvest those for breakfast??I point up at the trees. 揟his place is so beautiful. I can抰 believe you guys don抰 come more often,?I say, somewhat giddy.
Destiny offers a smile that抯 too worn out for any normal teenager. 揟he bananas, maybe. I think most of the plants are decorative. They help with shade and nice views because they抮e so pretty. You should see the coffee trees Wired Cup owns.?
揟here抯 more??My mouth is hanging open.
揑抣l show you when we get back, Eliza.?She grins, her nose scrunching up adorably under the sun.
We take a few more steps, working our way down a hill and exploring our surroundings in a friendly silence.
Destiny stops as we near a rocky path that looks like it ends at the beach. She releases a long sigh.
揑 can hear the waves. We should go back...?
揧ou don抰 even want to see it??I look at her.
Her jaw is clenched like she抯 about to pop bone through her cheeks.
No, she mouths.
揇estiny, I don抰 mean to be nosy but...are you okay??I lay a hand on her shoulder.
Her weak nod tells me she isn抰.
揑抦 fine. Sorry if I抦 ruining your fun...?
揇ess, no. I抦 the one who抯 sorry. If I can get you anything, just let me棓
揅an we just head back to the house??She says it quickly, which tells me again how not fine she is.
I follow her back the same way we came.
Good thing she was paying more attention than me. I抳e lost my sense of direction and I抎 never make it back to the house without a guide.
But I can抰 stop thinking about the way she tensed up the second she said she could hear the water. Like it was some kind of shock to her?
I don抰 understand.
We抮e on an island. A gorgeous one she抯 visited before. Surely, she remembers these dazzling beaches and the ocean?
I know I shouldn抰 keep pushing, but I can抰 help it. I抦 worried.
揑f you weren抰 okay, you抎 tell me, right??
揈liza桰抦 fine.?It抯 the closest she抯 come to snapping at me since I met her.
O-kaaay then.
I drop it for the rest of the walk to the big house.
About halfway up the hill to the huge porch, we see Lancaster梐nd I抳e never seen him like this.
He抯 changed into black shorts, showing off those tall legs that look like they could kick someone抯 ass to the moon and back.
Despite probably never wearing shorts at home桰 can抰 picture it梙e抯 not pale like I imagined.
How did I never notice how strong his thighs are until now?
How defined his calves are.
How tight that butt looks with the fabric hugging it, all sculpted muscle, a machine that could send him crashing deep into any woman lucky enough to wind up under him.
God.
Even if he was born that way, he clearly pays his dues at the gym.
My brain is rabbiting, imagining the appalling things those muscles would be good for梐nd none of them require a treadmill. My face burns.
Thankfully, I can blame it on the evening sun.
揧ou two look like you抮e settling in,?he says.
揥e were just exploring. The beach is that way, Dad. Same as ever,?Destiny says sheepishly, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder.
揑 know, Dess.?He looks at her so gently. 揌ow are you feeling??
揌ot.?Destiny fans herself, puffing out her cheeks. 揑抦 gonna need a day or two to get used to the humidity here. Even with the breeze, it抯 nothing like home.?
Smiling, he meets my gaze. 揧ou抮e flushed. Don抰 tell me honey badgers melt in this climate.?
揧ou抮e not that lucky. I抦 just hot, like she said.?I point a thumb at Dess.
揕et抯 find you some shade,?he tells me, turning to the thick leafy trees closest to the house.
揔nock yourselves out, guys. I抦 going inside,?Dess tells us, starting to move until her father holds up a hand.
揝how me your phone first.?He gives her a severe look.
Wrinkling her nose, she pulls the phone out of her pocket and holds it up.
揋ood. Text me when you抮e supposed to check in. If I don抰 hear from you in an hour, young lady, you won抰 be going anywhere alone until we抮e back in Seattle.?
揇amn, Commander. You抮e this strict in paradise??I whistle.
He glares at me.
揙kay, okay.?Destiny sprints toward the house without looking back.
I watch her white sneakers as she runs.
揑s she okay??I ask softly. 揝he seemed a little off when we were down by the beach, honestly.?
揝he抯 settling in,?he says harshly. 揑抣l talk to her when we get back this evening.?
Oof. Why won抰 he look at me?
揑 thought you should know...she kinda freaked out when she heard the waves. Before we even got to the beach, she wanted to turn around.?
For the briefest second, the color drains from his face. It抯 not the soft orange sunlight splashing him through the shadows, either.
揑 was worried about that,?he mutters, like he抯 forgotten I抦 here.
Yep. I抦 officially weirded out.
The girl抯 reaction to the ocean was eerie enough, but Cole acts like he expects it. I wonder what big, scary secret I抦 missing.
揕et抯 find shade,?he says.
He doesn抰 wait for me, just continues in the direction he抎 started moving.
I tag along, making my heavy feet work.
When I抦 at his side, he rests his hand on the small of my back, guiding me along.
My mind jumps back to the plane, the way our bodies touched in that cramped galley. It抯 almost worse that he抯 in shorts now.
There抯 even less between me and whatever he抯 packing below the belt line.
This should be uncomfortable梙e抯 my boss梑ut it抯 not.
It feels too natural. I don抰 know what that means.
揌ere.?He places his hand in a thick mass of banyan tree roots and pushes them apart, making room for us.
I step through the curtain of greenery and come out the other side. I抦 not expecting to see a giant flat stone.