“Never.” She giggled. “But if we must.”
I kissed her mouth then, a long and slow kiss that could have lasted even longer if it weren’t for the sudden flock of parakeets leaving the nearby trees. Parvati jumped in my arms, then she laughed. “Oh my gosh!”
“Not scared of a few birds, are you?”
She shoved my shoulder. “Oh stop!”
17
DAMIEN
I woke up feeling like a fool. How could I have pushed Parvati so far that she’d leave before dinner even arrived? And after, I searched for her, but she was gone, and she didn’t answer when I went to her room either.
I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to see me. I had a terrible headache as I sat up.
At least my room was quiet. After stretching and clearing my eyes, I realized Dax had already left. I got a shower, dressed, then headed downstairs to get something to eat. The brunch bar was almost emptied out. The pancakes were gone, so was the sausage. All I had to choose from was some burnt bacon and dry eggs.
“Can I make something fresh for you?” a woman with bright red lips asked. I shrugged and gave a smile.
“I’m fine.” I narrowed my sight over her nametag. “Thank you, Janine.”
She leaned over the counter and perked a brow. “You sure? I can order you anything.”
Why couldn’t Parvati be like this woman? Unafraid to go after what she wanted.
My fingers trailed along the counter for a pause. It would be easy to satisfy my desires with Janine. I’d turn up the charm and get her upstairs in no time. It was obvious she wanted me, but the more I thought about what we’d do, the more I wanted to do those things with Parvati. I had yet to be with a woman since that night at the jazz bar, and I honestly didn’t care.
“I appreciate it, really, but I’m not hungry.” A lie, but I had to be careful. Parvati could be anywhere in the hotel, and she could come around the corner and see me flirting.
Janine retreated from the counter, saying, “If you change your mind…” Then she grabbed an empty tray pan from the buffet and left toward the kitchen. I rubbed my chin as I watched her tight ass walk away. She would have been fun to play around with, but I wanted to see Parvati. I reached in the bacon bin and grabbed the best-looking piece, then I munched on it as I turned to leave. Just outside the entrance, to my surprise, was Parvati. I got a rush of excitement then, eager to apologize for my behavior the night before, when I realized she wasn’t alone.
He tossed back her head in a burst of laughter, shutting the door to my convertible. Well, it was a rental, but I had selected it myself long before we even arrived in Hawaii. Cherry red, eight-cylinder, low-riding with a hum that could make any woman scream. And my brother had introduced Parvati to it, not me.
At first, I had it in my mind to rush over and knock him flat on the pavement. But the longer I watched Dax and Parvati talk and joke on their way inside, the more I realized how happy she was with him. She looked beautiful with her wind-blown hair and no makeup. So candid and real, nothing at all like some of the women I would chase. I could imagine her smelling like the sun and feeling soft in my hands. She took Dax’s hand as he tossed the keys to the valet. Oh, I couldn’t just ruin what looked like a perfect morning for her.
“Damien?” Parvati stopped dead in her tracks just outside the food area. I went over to meet her in the doorway as Dax stepped to her side. Somewhere along the way in, he had let go of her hand. She fumbled her fingers together, frantically searching for a place to stick her hands. It was adorable to say the least, but that just made it all too clear what they’d been doing.
“Good morning,” I said with a wave of my brow. I sent a smile her way, then faced Dax and let the happiness turn to resentment. He stood unashamed, glaring back at me as he slid his hand over his slicked back hair. “I see you two went for a drive. Nice of my brother to show you the rental I picked out.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” she mumbled, hands in her hair and then to her pockets. I wanted to shush her and tell her not to worry, but Dax moved closer to her like he owned her.
“Well, Dad’s paid for everything, I believe,” Dax informed me with a wink. That sly son of a bitch.
I drew in a deep breath, keeping the smile for Parvati as her eyes lifted to mine. “Not the car, brother.”