Oh, God.
My heart leaps up my throat and crashes back down again. I never imagined such a mundane phrase having the force of a wrecking ball.
I抦 about to jump at the chance to throw myself headfirst into whatever this is梠r might be.
But Derek抯 stupid smug face floods my mind. A man with his bright-eyed smile, his crisp button-down, his bouquets in hand and dangerously sexy salt-and-pepper scruff.
Forever tarnished with heartless lies. The easy way he brought me to dinners and concerts and held me in bed like I was the only woman he抎 ever love.
All while his wife and kids were at home, oblivious to this loser gentleman using me for his selfish pleasure.
I can抰.
I can抰 go down that road again梐nd Jesus, I definitely can抰 with my boss.
?..to talk about the coffee, right??I say sheepishly, my gaze fixed out the window when he looks at me.
Part of me wants him to say, 揊uck no. To suck the salt water off your lips,?so I have an excellent reason to run out of here screaming like my hair is on fire.
But a bigger, needier part of me wants to hear him say it so I can be stupid.
So I can gamble on making another mistake because at least I know there抯 no other woman this time.
But most of me wants him to say, 揧eah, coffee,?in a completely disarming way. Then I could safely step foot on a sandy beach with this alphalicious prick while pretending to be sane and saving face.
Yes, I know.
I am the queen of hot messes.
揑f you want,?he finally says with a one-shoulder shrug, swallowing so hard it抯 audible. 揂fter hours doesn抰 have to mean work. I抎 be open to talking about more.?
More? Panic floods my veins, but I don抰 surrender full control.
揥hen? I get the impression any time before five o抍lock is an early day for you.?It comes out of my mouth in a husky whisper.
I don抰 sound like a professional woman who抯 eager to discuss a new luxe coffee. More like a desperate tramp ready to fall on her boss?salami.
But can抰 they both be true?
Can抰 I be both without initiating my life抯 self-destruct sequence?
I want to believe.
Especially as I meet his bristling eyes and he mutters, 揙ne o抍lock. I抣l meet you at the end of the main path.?
Then his heavy footsteps pad away, leaving behind my own drumming heart.
揟his feels a little like home. Except San Diego beaches were always twenty times more crowded.?
I stare out at a few lazy surfers in the distance. A parasailor glides along the horizon as we stroll across the beach hours later, shoulder to shoulder.
There抯 a large swell forming offshore that must be a surfer抯 delight.
揇id you spend a lot of time at the beach growing up??he asks, reaching down for a smooth rock tucked in the sand.
揧eah.?I grin. 揃ut in San Diego, the beach is hard to miss. And if you抮e having a bad day, a drive up the Pacific Coast makes everything better.?
揇amn. I forgot how much I enjoyed visiting this place,?he says absently.
I meet his blue eyes which almost match the ocean.
揧ou used to be here a lot then??I pause. Duh, his family owns the Kona farms. 揑抦 sure you have. I forgot it抯 your family抯 farm.?
揧eah. My grandparents retired out here before I was born. As much as my grandpa ever could retire, anyway. Here, he could oversee the farms and still enjoy some quiet. I think I was eight the first time I came here. We used to spend every other Christmas and Thanksgiving here, and even as a young man, I spent a lot of summers here. Hell of a place to make memories.?His voice lowers as he stares at the ocean. 揓ust wish they抎 all stayed good ones.?
What does that mean?
I抦 afraid to ask.
I won抰 push him if he doesn抰 want to talk about it, but it抯 an odd thing to just drop in a conversation without explaining it.
I follow his gaze to the ocean, indifferent and sparkling with sunlight. Silver-blue waves crash impatiently against the beach.
揝o much like California...but so different, too,?I say.
揧eah. I抳e seen plenty of damn nice beaches. After a while, they all start to look the same.?
揙h, I抦 sure. You抮e梬ell, so you. Billionaire traveler man.?I laugh gently. 揃ut not all beaches look the same棓
揥hat does being a billionaire have to do with it??he asks point blank.
Oof. I hope he didn抰 take that as an insult.
揑 just meant it抯 only natural you抎 see the world. Sorry, I didn抰 mean anything by it...?
揃esides Hawaii and a couple trips to Southeast Asia, most of the beaches I抳e seen were during my time in the Navy. The ports showed me a good sample of the world. And with the built-in duties, it was a more realistic picture than the image I got staying at resorts and lavish houses with my parents.?
揧ou served? Oh, I had no idea. Why would someone like you enlist??I regret how it sounds, but not the question.
揕ancaster family tradition. I wasn抰 going to be the one to break it. That抯 Destiny抯 job.?
I smile. 揑 don抰 know. She likes seals, and you could probably see like a dozen different species from a cruiser. Then again, she hates beaches, right??
Oh, crap. I抦 not thinking.
The easy smile on his face disappears.
揌ow did you know that??he asks, his tone hardening.
?..she told me. Was it supposed to be a secret??
揘o,?he mutters slowly. 揇id she tell you anything else??
揘ope.?A chill sweeps up my spine. Is Destiny抯 disdain for the beach related to whatever tragic memories he mentioned earlier? 揑 mean, I know she goes to the shore back home to watch the seals.?
揟hose piles of rocks and overcast skies Washington calls beaches are nothing like this,?he points out.
揊or sure. Um, you mind if we sit down for a minute? I need a coffee.?
He scans the scenery around us. 揟here抯 a stand for smoothies and frappes up the beach a little ways. Think they抳e got hot drinks too. I抣l buy you a cup.?
揘o way. I came prepared.?The curious look he gives me makes me laugh. 揓ust sit!?
I drop down on the sand and pull out my secret weapon梐n ornate brew pipe. It抯 like a regular pipe except it has a cup at the end, just enough to collect a long shot of espresso. It just needs the light I pull from my pocket.
Cole sits beside me, looking around frantically before he whispers, 揈liza Angelo, don抰 tell me that抯 a crack pipe??
I bite my lip and glare at him.
揧ou抮e surprised? Isn抰 it every girl抯 dream to go to Hawaii and get high with her boss? You wouldn抰 mind, would you??I nudge him in the side playfully.
揈liza棓
揜elax, bossman. This thing makes coffee.?
揅offee??He throws it back like a curse. 揌ow the hell do you plan on brewing with that contraption? Where will you even get coffee from??
揑t抯 a brew pipe. Relax. Also, it抯 already loaded up. I抦 always packing bean,?I say wistfully.
He looks at me like he抯 wondering if he should have me committed.
揧ou still need heat with that abomination, don抰 you??he asks, snorting loudly.
揝ee this 'contraption?'?I say, holding it up. 揑t抯 called a lighter.?
揑抳e seen a lighter before, Badger Hellion. Just never paired up with a pipe that ridiculous.?
揥hat抯 ridiculous about it??I ask, but he shakes his head. 揅抦on, Cole. I thought you of all people would be open-minded when it comes to the latest coffee gear.?
揋ear? You抮e telling me it抯 on the market and not something you rigged up yourself??He groans, swiping a hand over his face.
I grin and nod happily.
揟here are some inventions humanity was never meant to discover,?he says bitterly. 揑f this is the latest trend everyone adopts, I抣l let Wired Cup go bankrupt. Where did you even get that thing??
揑t抯 a brew pipe, and Wayne found it online.?
揥ayne. Of course,?he says gruffly.
Snickering, I uncap the water bottle I brought along and pour it into the end. Then I flick the lighter on and hold the flame under it. The metal heats up fast.
揜idiculous,?he grinds out again.