“Did I hear you telling Dad that you were taking Harlow to Hawaii this weekend?” His silence after my question has me rushing ahead. “Because I need to inspect the new resort, and I thought I would grab a ride on the jet with the two of you.”
He blows out a breath which echoes through the phone. “Look, man, I don’t think that’s a great idea. You haven't exactly been welcoming to her, and I really wanted to make the trip fun and relaxing. She deserves it after that shit with the billboard, not to mention the riding accident and being pushed.”
“I know, I fucked up. I let Jacinta get into my head, but she swears she didn't do those other two things. She said she hadn't had a chance to do anything else, and I think losing the business was enough to give her a kick in the ass. Especially since Nana invited Harlow to have input into the new designers. Every time I've seen her over the last day or two, apart from at meals, her head is over her drafting board and her pencil is flying furiously across the paper. She’s a woman with a mission, and Harlow has become an afterthought for the moment.”
“So why do you want to come? Because, man, I got to tell you... I really like this girl.”
“Shit, Kai. I just want to make up for my behavior,” I admit, and since I’m being honest right now, I may as well lay it all out to him. “Harlow and I had a connection that night, and I want to see if there’s anything remotely salvageable. I just want a chance to actually get to know her as much as she’ll let me.” I run my other hand through my hair, the urge to get up and pace riding me hard, but I stay still.
“Fine, but I’m not backing away. You blew your chance, and now it’s mine. If you even look at her funny, I swear my fist will be in your face.” It looks like it’s going to be may the best man win, but he does deserve the opportunity to see what might happen with her. Part of me can’t deny it as much as another part hates to admit it, but he’s earned this chance. Kai’s really one of the best of us, if notthebest, and even though it might be to my own loss, I can’t take the chance of something good away from my brother.
“Yeah, okay. How about we stay at the new hotel? I’m afraid I really put my foot in it… again. Yeah, I know, hold the groan until I hang up, please. Hope brought Harlow to the office, and we told her about the new property and a little bit of Aunt Merideth’s involvement, but when she asked about samples of the products that we’re going to offer at the hotel, I was a dick. My mind immediately went to another person trying to get something out of me, but of course that wasn't the case. She was trying to be friendly.” I huff in disgust at myself.So many damn issues… maybe Jacinta isn't the only one who needs to go back to therapy.
Taking advantage of Kai’s silence, the guy probably stunned by my capacity to be a dick without even trying, I keep rambling, trying to sell him on the idea. “A few of the suites are functional, and I have a skeleton crew there to tidy up after the builders and designers. We can stay in one of the little bungalows with the pools. I can check it out, you can do your scouting thing, and we can take her out for dinner and dancing or even out on the water. We should let the captain of the boat know we’re coming, just in case. I’ll be nice Jaxon the entire time, I swear. If I’m any sort of dick at all, I’ll willingly walk into her demon mini’s stall and let it add bite marks to my ass too.”
Kai ignores my last comment, probably because he won’t believe it until he sees it. But he does consider the rest of what I said at least. “Already ahead of you with the boat, bro, but the hotel sounds like a good idea. I was just going to stay at my house, but I’m dying to see what you’ve done with the new one. I’ll let my housekeeper know not to bother dusting.”
His chuckles have a smile crossing my face, and a sense of relief flows through me. I have someseriousgroveling to do. I’m just not sure how but I’m going to make up for my atrocious behavior toward her, but it’s going to have to be good if I want to even get close to where we had started.
Kai hangs up after hashing out a few more details, and I dial another number. Turning back toward the billboard, my eyes roam her body and the way the two men are holding her. The possibilities are endless if I can convince her to give me another chance. Maybe Kai and I can persuade her to roll around on the bed with both of us. I don’t like the thought of stealing the girl my brother likes; I’d much rather share her so we can both be happy.
I don't see why either of us needs to be selfish with a woman like Harlow. Both of us are busy men, and knowing someone can look after her when I’m at work and vice versa is a comfort rather than a disappointment. Nana always made sure that we could feel comfortable talking about sex and other topics as we grew up, and she’s never shied away from talking about our main airline hostess Jilly and her polyamorous relationship.
Wishing that she too had been strong enough to make that choice when she was younger.
Most people might find it awkward to talk about that kind of shit with their grandmother, but there’s just something so straightforward about Nana that takes the drama out of it. Like her bluntness takes away your ability to be embarrassed before you can even think twice about talking about threesomes and sex toys with her. Now, Poppy’s another story, but the man has definitely learned not to get in the path of Hurricane Nana. If she wants to talk about threesomes and the best positions for sharing a partner, then that’s what’s being discussed. In any case, before I get myself into more issues of the romantic kind, I’m afraid I have to man up and take care of my friendship first.
The cell stops ringing, and it goes to voicemail.
“Holden, can you get your PA to send Hope a bunch of flowers from me, with just the words ‘Sorry, I’m an asshole’ on the card? She saved my ass today, and I’m afraid I wasn't properly appreciative. Maybe have her book her a table at a nice restaurant on me too.”
Hanging up, I place the phone back down, more gently this time, and walk over to the model that Harlow had been so fascinated by. At the moment, I’m ignoring my sister's voice whispering on my shoulder like the devil itself. Asking me what the fuck am I doing and why I’m betraying her. Nope, I’m just going to worry about it when it actually happens.
Wiping at a smudge in the glass, I admire the model. I’m really proud of my collaboration with my aunt, creating something that people can use without being afraid of being shamed. Hope’s PR team has got a great campaign ready to go once we make this project public. It’s one we’ve kept very quiet about due to America’s broad-ranging views on exploring your sexuality. We’re not going to market it to the general public, but we have got a lot of interest from the wider BDSM and sex club community. Eventually, I’d like to open it up to anybody and make it a membership thing, but for now we’ll stick to marketing within Aunt Merideth’s gentlemen’s clubs as a trial run. Unlike her clubs, we won’t be providing “entertainment” due to Hawaii’s laws. People will have to bring their own partners, but I think it will be a great way for them to vacation and indulge in their kinks at the same time.
According to my psychologist, my own kinks come from being unable to control what happened to me and my sister when I was younger. The over the top attention our mother lavished on me was a stark contrast to how she treated Jacinta. But I shake away those triggering thoughts and imagine what Harlow would look like wrapped up in silk ropes suspended from the ceiling, bound for my enjoyment. Maybe this Hawaii trip really will be perfect. Kai has some of the same interests as I do.
Groaning as my cock pushes against my tailored pants, I quickly adjust when there’s a knock on my door. Quickly sliding behind my desk, I hide the evidence of my arousal and try not to look like a complete mess. “Come in,” I call out, cursing Raquel in my head again. I’ll need them to send me up a temp until they can find me a permanent solution.
Declan enters, a frown on his face as he looks between me and the empty front desk. “Where’s Raquel?” I groan at my older brother’s question, knowing he’s going to pull the wholeI told you soshit. Even though he’s been involved with clients too, so there isn’t much room to hold this particular mistake over my head.
“Raquel was propositioning me and not taking no for an answer when Hope and Harlow paid a visit to the floor. Harlow apparently didn't like hearing her try to take advantage of me, so she stormed in here… There was a scene. Long story short, she slapped Harlow, and Hope fired her ass before I could even get a chance to. When the girls left, there was another scene because they caught Raquel sending out confidential company files.” I rub a hand across my face as my brother’s eyes get wider and wider as the story goes on. “There was a brawl, and we just had Raquel escorted out by security. They’re waiting for the police to arrive and arrest her for company sabotage and assault. So, today has been a shit show.”
Declan drops down into the seat across from me, mouth gaping like a goldfish. I can see everything running through his mind before his mouth twitches slightly. Sure enough, he bursts into laughter, and I have to wait for him to get his chuckles under control. He’s practically wiping tears from his eyes by the time he’s finally able to form a sentence. “You really know how to pick them.”
“Fuck you! You’re not much better. In fact, none of us are. Look at Thomas and the she bitch.”
He settles, and a curious look crosses his face. “I wonder why Harlow came to your defense. You’ve been a complete asshole to her.”
A growl escapes my mouth before I can stop it. “It’s not like you haven’t been too.”
He sighs deeply, an uncomfortable look crossing his face. “No, you’re not wrong, but I’m struggling. There’s something about her that draws you in, and I’m getting sick of keeping this cold and aloof thing down. I like the woman. I like that she’s not cowering in the corner crying, that she’s ignoring all our shit and trying for Dad. That says a lot to me. Plus, I know you assholes will laugh about this, but my cat loves her. As much as I want her to love me more, it says a lot that Princess is so fond of her. The more I get to know her, the more I feel like she’s above board and that we need to stop with the aggression. Dad will never forgive us if we don’t, so that means reining Jacinta in. Maybe if my PI confirms there’s no skeletons in the closet, we can get her to calm down.”
Well, well, Mr. Cool and his icy shell are starting to thaw. This is a surprise. Declan doesn't let anyone in. Ever. He always has this perfect media persona where he’s friendly and approachable and dates the gorgeous stars his company represents, but in reality, that’s not the case. He may date them, but that’s just about public image. He never brings them home, and he never introduces them to the family as anyone other than his client. Unfortunately, some of them don't realize and think the date might lead to more, so that’s led to a few awkward moments in the past. Sure, he’s no angel. He sleeps with quite a few of them, but never does he imply that it means more than a quick fuck for him. The fact that he’s even saying something nice about Harlow is a huge step for him, and it makes me think that Mr. Cool is also falling for our new sister.Okay, no, fuck you, brain. Let’s not call her sister ever again.
Realizing I’ve been sitting there in silence, just looking at him, for far too long, I blurt out, “Yeah, I was just having the same kind of thoughts. She’s sexy, smart and interesting, and I was already attracted to her from before. Seeing what her personality is like just makes things that much harder.”
“So we’re in agreement then? We’ll let her be for now? How about Jacinta?”
