“Gerri Wilder.” Kingston sipped the scotch. Jace knew him well. It was his favorite brand.
“Gerri … as in Gerri the matchmaker?” Jace smirked.
“The one and only,” Kingston downed his scotch and set the glass on the bar, wanting to wipe that smirk off his brother’s face. Well, half-brother, but whatever. They had the same dad.
“And?” Jace looked at him expectantly.
Kingston still couldn’t believe the call. Still didn’t know what to think of it. He should have been over the moon with the news that she had found his mate, but for some reason, he wasn’t. He had contacted her on a dare from Jace. That was eight months ago. He’d honestly thought Gerri had forgotten about him until he picked up the call from her a few hours ago. He still wasn’t certain this wasn’t some elaborate hoax.
“She said that my mate landed on the island this afternoon and checked into this hotel.”
“No shit! Who is she?” His brother looked genuinely happy and just as surprised as he had been to hear the news.
“I’m debating on whether or not I want to hold onto that information until I meet her myself. I still don’t believe this Gerri woman found my mate without ever meeting me.” The whole situation was weird. It wasn’t that Kingston didn’t believe in magic or special powers or anything like that. He knew for a fact that all those things existed. He had been born into that very world.
“Dude, you’ve gotta start thinking optimistically. I’ve met Gerri on multiple occasions. Besides, who do you think found my mate?”
“I think you meeting Malia was pure chance. You both grew up on this island. You were bound to meet at some point in time.”
“Maybe … maybe not. But Gerri sure as hell sped up the whole process,” Jace said.
“True. I just don’t know if this is real or not or if I should even get my hopes up.” Kingston wasn’t sure how he felt about the call he had gotten. Mildly curious, yes. Desperately hopeful, no. “I guess I’ll see if Gerri is right when I find this mystery woman.”
It was one thing for Gerri to have found his brother’s mate. It was something entirely different for her to find not only his mate but the future Queen of the Pacific Dragos. Leadership was a role he had avoided for years after his father’s death by not finding the one the Fates had created for him. His life would change forever the moment his mating was complete. He would no longer be able to avoid the duty of the eldest son.
“By all means, take a walk around the pool. We had several new arrivals today. She could be one of them. Just a warning, though … Mitch is gonna be mad as hell if he thinks you’re here poaching his customers.”
“Fuck Mitch. He’s a little bitch, and everyone here knows it.”
Mitch Randall was the in-house club manager. Mitch had gone rounds with Kingston and lost every damn time when it came down to whatever they were at odds about. Kingston owned one of the most popular, hottest nightclubs in town. Mitch only wished he could attract the crowd that Kingston did on a nightly basis.
“That may be, but he’s still my boss,” Jace said.
“Only because you’re too damn stubborn to come work for me.” He had tried to lure Jace to his club more times than he cared to count. He’d offered to double his pay and load him up with benefits, but Jace refused, saying he wouldn’t mix family and work.
“Yeah, well … what can I say? I like having you as a brother. If you were my boss, I doubt I’d like you as much,” Jace explained.
“Good point. I’m going to go for a stroll and see what I can find.” Kingston stood and looked toward the outdoor pool. There had to have been at least fifty women in tiny bikinis sunning themselves. Waiters scurried back and forth, bringing them drinks and keeping them content.
“Like that? In a suit and tie? Man, you are going to stick out like a sore thumb. You want my board shorts or something so you don’t look like a pretentious ass?”
“Nope. I don’t know where those things have been. I’ll be fine. Besides … what’s the old saying? Every girl loves a sharp-dressed man?” Kingston adjusted his tie and smiled at his brother.
“You wish. I think you just quoted an old song.”
“Either way, I’m good. See ya, bro. Stop by the club tonight when you’re done. Bring Malia with you.”
“We’ll see. Good luck, man. I hope you find her.”
Kingston nodded at his brother before turning toward the exit and heading out to the deck. He pulled his shades from his pocket and slid them on as he stepped into the blinding sun.
The view was just as he had expected, a beautiful patio deck dotted with soaring palms and lounge chairs. A pristine pool with one of the most gorgeous backdrops on the planet, as far as he was concerned. There was no doubt the developer had leveraged the natural beauty of the land when it came to the design of the building.
Kingston glanced around the pool deck, not knowing what to expect. Would he know instantly when he saw his mate? Would sparks fly? Would the world tilt on its axis? He felt like an idiot and a perv for checking out every single woman he passed as he walked from one side to the other, acting as if he had some real purpose other than scoping out the scene.
He didn’t know what the hell it was, but someone’s drink smelled amazing. It was his favorite scent, strawberries and cream. His feet moved, one after another, considering he had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for. Following the succulent aroma, he found himself standing in front of a … he turned his head sideways, trying to figure out how the woman managed to pass out as she had.
One hand had been carelessly flung over her stomach. The other was twisted around her head, which was hanging half off the lounge chair. Her face was completely covered by a large cowboy hat, so he had no idea what the hell she looked like. For all he knew, Medusa could have been hiding under that damn hat of hers, waiting to turn him into a statue … or gargoyle, depending on which form he was in.