One Kiss In... Hawaii. Jill Monroe

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

      “JEFF, PLEASE, LET ME GO. I don’t want to get wet.” Mia tried to keep her angry voice low and not cause a scene, though luckily, very few people were close to them. But when he tightened his arms around her, his boozy, fetid breath nearly making her gag, she was sorely tempted to kick him in the balls.

      “Come on, baby, for old times’ sake.” He drew her within an inch of the water’s edge. “We had us some crazy fun in the pool last time, remember?”

      “That wasn’t me, you idiot,” Mia growled. Thank God Lindsey and Rick had left and weren’t witness to this. Shelby was getting a drink. “Now let go, or I will hurt and humiliate you.”

      Jeff roared with laughter. “I didn’t know you were into that stuff. I like it.”

      Mia poked her elbow back until she made contact with his ribs, and he yelped, momentarily loosening his hold. Sure that had been enough to make her point, she stepped away. He quickly recovered, laughing, and banded his arms around her so tightly that she could barely breathe.

      Damn, she didn’t want to do the girlie thing and bite him, but if that’s what it took…

      “Oh, hell, you’re gonna make me waste a perfectly good drink, you ass.” Shelby stood with one hand on her hip, the other holding a pineapple-and-cherry-garnished drink that she had poised to throw in Jeff’s face.

      “That won’t be necessary.”

      At the sound of David’s deep, rumbling voice, Mia’s pulse leaped. Embarrassed more than relieved, she turned her head to look at him. His face was devoid of expression, not so much as a brow moved, but she saw the fury in his dark eyes.

      “Hey, David.” Jeff blinked blearily at him, oblivious to the unspoken threat. “How’s it going?”

      “Let go of her.” David’s chin went up slightly, his jaw tight. His hands stayed relaxed at his sides.

      “I was just leaving,” Mia said, not wanting to see the situation escalate.

      With Jeff distracted, she easily shook away from him and went to stand between David and Shelby.

      Jeff frowned, glanced from Mia to David. “Hey, are you two…?”

      “Yes.” David tersely cut him off, and slid a possessive arm around her.

      “Sorry, man.” Jeff shrugged, and then set his sights on Shelby, giving her a sloppy lopsided grin.

      “Yeah, that’ll happen.” She snorted out a laugh, and then popped the cherry from her drink into her mouth.

      Jeff just shrugged before he jumped into the pool, and the rest of them moved quickly toward the bar to avoid being splashed.

      “Just so you know,” Mia said to David, “I totally could have taken him.”

      He gave a grudging smile, telling her he hadn’t shaken all his anger. “I should’ve backed off. I would’ve liked to have seen that.”

      She bumped him with her shoulder. “How about I buy my big strong hero a drink?”

      He hesitated, glanced briefly at Shelby and moved his arm away from Mia. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I only came down for a swim.”

      “You’re not intruding. We were just spying on our friend Lindsey.” Shelby shrugged. “We got busted.”

      Mia pressed her lips together and gave her friend a withering look.

      David laughed. “Spying?”

      “No, not spying.” Mia sniffed. “We hadn’t seen her since yesterday and we wanted—”

      “To check out the guy she was with.” Shelby’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

      “That’s not quite accurate,” Mia said.

      “And?” David was clearly trying to control a smile. “Did you approve?”

      Shelby’s light brows knitted. “Surprised the hell out of me. Really cute, but not what I expected.” She looked to Mia for confirmation. “Not for Linds.”

      Mia stared back at her, dumbfounded that she’d speak so freely in front of David. “Okay.” She stepped back. “I am going to my room and take a nice long shower. You two—” She waved a hand. “Do whatever.”

      “Wait.” Chuckling, David caught her hand. “I’m going up with you.”

      Mia hesitated, momentarily meeting Shelby’s eyes. She didn’t want to ditch her friend.

      “Go. Good riddance.” Shelby made a shooing motion with her hand. “You guys are screwing me up. How am I supposed to get lucky with you hanging around?”

      Mia groaned, shook her head.

      “Bye-bye,” Shelby said, grinning, and then sauntered away, an exaggerated sway to her hips.

      One of David’s eyebrows went up as he stared after her. “She keeps that up and she’s going to have more luck than she can handle.”

      “She took a hula lesson this afternoon.”

      “Ah.”

      “You’re drooling.”

      He took his gaze away from Shelby’s retreating back, and smiled at Mia. “Jealous?”

      She coyly toyed with the top button of his tennis shirt. “Mmm, maybe a little.”

      “Just so you know, I wasn’t drooling. At least, not over Shelby.” Ignoring the few remaining guests at the bar, he slid an arm around her waist, brought her close, stared at her mouth with an intensity that sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. “I think it’s time we go to my suite.”

      “I still have to shower.”

      “Just so happens I have one, along with a sunken tub big enough for two.”

      “But—”

      He nudged her chin up and kissed her. A firm but leisurely kiss, nothing too risqué or demanding, but still his boldness surprised her. This spot wasn’t like the beach where trees or cliffs hid them. Here they had an audience. “Now,” he whispered.

      DAVID KISSED HER AGAIN as they waited for the elevator, then kept his distance until the couple who’d followed them into the car got off on the fourth floor. The doors had barely slid closed when he leaned against the back, taking her with him, spreading his legs and cradling her between his thighs.

      “You’re crazy,” she whispered breathlessly, her lips damp, her eyes glazed.

      He took her face between his hands, kissed her deeply and almost didn’t hear the elevator signal its approaching stop on the eighteenth floor.

      Mia quickly spun around to face the doors as they slid open. A stooped elderly couple, the man walking with the aid of a cane, slowly entered the car. David had immediately straightened, СКАЧАТЬ