She grips the handle tighter. “It’s on wheels. I’ve got it. Thank you.”
Marcus raises a brow at me. “Good luck with that.”
Clearly, I need it. So far, Kate isn’t amenable to letting me take care of her in any way. But I’m not giving up.
When we reach the second floor, Kate steps off, luggage in hand.
“If you need anything, text me,” I call out. “Otherwise, we’ll see you in fifteen.”
She nods and the doors close. Marcus and I trudge to our ocean-view suite on the top floor. The decor is outdated, the kitchenette consists of a coffee maker, a stained sink, and a dumpy microwave. The two queen beds are lumpy…but the views on nearly all sides are both spectacular and virtually unspoiled by humanity. The property we’ll be developing is even more favorably situated. Maybe Kate isn’t wrong about it.
After I grab a two-minute shower and a quick change of clothes, Marcus follows suit. Then we head to the lone restaurant downstairs. The steakhouse, besides having a great view of Hilo Bay, is dark and unexpectedly sexy. The hostess seats us near the window, and the trade winds blow in through the open accordion doors.
Our waitress greets us. After a glance at the wine list, I order a bottle I hope Kate will like and settle back into my chair.
Marcus orders a beer, waits for our server to walk away, then turns to me. “Stop it. You’re playing a dangerous game with Kate.”
“How do you know we can’t win if we don’t play?”
He leans forward across the table aggressively. “You’re crazy if you think Kate will actually get involved with either of us, much less both. Unless I’m misreading the situation, she moved across the country and left her whole life behind because she got divorced. I’ll bet it’s fresh, and I doubt she’s eager to be tied down again.”
“But—”
“No. She’s young, midtwenties at most. We’re a dozen years older, maybe more. Could we heap orgasms on her? Absolutely. Be happy to. But what else could we possibly give her that she needs or wants?”
At face value, he’s right. On the other hand, she got divorced for a reason. We don’t know what that is. Once we do, maybe we can give her something the ex didn’t. Instinct keeps telling me to try. “We’ll see.”
The murmur of Kate’s voice from the front of the restaurant has me turning. She’s piled her hair on top of her head in a loose bun that showcases her dainty face and the firm line of her jaw. She’s changed into strappy white sandals, a ruffled skirt in a chic, beige-blush shade, and a white tank top that hugs her ribs and clings to her breasts.
Beside me, I hear Marcus suck in a breath. “Holy shit…”
Exactly. The sight of her has me hard all over.
As the hostess points Kate in our direction, I stand and hope it’s too dark for her to notice my reaction. “Kate.”
“Hi.” She glances out the window as the last of dusk settles over the bay. “Wow.”
I hold out her chair and settle her in, inadvertently copping a cheap peek down her tank. Marcus is right.Holy shit…
Sliding into my seat beside her, I smile as our server brings our wine and pours two glasses, then delivers my buddy’s beer. I hold up my glass. “Cheers to Hilo and the possibilities.”
“I shouldn’t drink wine, but…” Kate lifts her stem. “Cheers.”
Marcus joins us. “To Hilo.”
“And?” Is he in? Or is he walking away from Kate before we even try?
“I think it’s a mistake.” His sigh tells me he doesn’t mean the investment property. “But…to the possibilities.”
My smile becomes a huge grin. He wants her too much not to try. “Perfect.”
* * *
Marcus
Two beers, a juicy medium-rare steak, and a lot of conversation later, I stare across the table at Kate as she swallows back the last of her second glass of vino.
Her cheeks are pink, her lips upturned, her body relaxed. She’s ripe for a good fucking from us, and I’m an idiot because I let Josh plant that possibility in my head.