Someone clearing his throat interrupts us. I look up to find Maxon standing nearby, an officer beside him.

  Goddamn it.

  “Sorry. He has some questions,” my brother says. “For you both.”

  “Did you press charges?” I ask Maxon.

  “For trespassing?” He shrugs. “Do you want me to?”

  My knee-jerk reaction is to nail that motherfucking son of a bitch for any infraction that will stick. But Corinne looks up at me with that crushed expression. Going after Parker might make me feel better, but it also puts her squarely between us. Well, between her ambition and her family. It serves no purpose except to make her life more difficult.

  Fuck.

  I swallow my pride. “No. A warning for him to stay off your property is enough.”

  Maxon nods, but I sense his approval. Then he turns to the officers. “Anything else?”

  After a few identifying questions, the policeman asks for a recap. It must jibe with the others’ accounts, because he nods and leaves in search of his partner, who’s detaining Parker on the lawn.

  Hayes eases up beside me, Echo’s hand in his. “God, Parker is still a raving dick.” He grimaces Corinne’s way. “No offense.”

  “None taken. He’s always been hardheaded and unable to admit when he’s wrong. But Hollywood and fame have made all that worse.”

  “I’m sorry,” Echo murmurs, caressing Corinne’s arm.

  “No, I’m sorry. You came all this way to celebrate and it turned into a disaster.”

  “I came here to support friends, and that’s what I’m doing.” Echo smiles.

  Her kindness has Corinne tearing up again. “Thank you.”

  Harlow sidles up to my “fiancée” next. “Oh, honey. I know he’s your brother, but if you need someone to knee his balls into his nasal cavities, I’m your girl.”

  Corinne laughs, despite her tears. “I appreciate that, but I think it would be wise to defuse the situation and simply walk away.”

  “Less satisfying, but you’re probably right. Listen, I don’t know how much X has told you about our illustrious father, but I promise he makes Parker look like an amateur. So if you need a shoulder or another woman who understands—because from what I hear, my younger brother’s sensitivity is all between his legs—call me. Anytime. I’m here for you.”

  I ignore Harlow’s swipe at me. It’s her way of lightening the mood. And it made Corinne smile. “Thank you.”

  “We’re both here.” Bethany glides up beside me and takes Corinne’s hand. “We understand.”

  “That means a lot to me.” Corinne wraps her arms around herself like she’s cold.

  She can’t possibly be—it’s August in Hawaii—but I wrap my arms around her in case it’s reassurance she’s lacking. “What else do you need, princess?”

  “Quiet time?” she asks uncertainly—not surprising since everyone here has gathered to celebrate us.

  I don’t give a fuck about that. “If you need to be alone, I’ll make that happen. I’ll take you home and let you have some peace.”

  I’ll have to make up some reason for Echo and Hayes to explain why, instead of pleasuring her worries away all night long, I’m sleeping in another bedroom.

  “I can’t do the crowd right now.” Corinne’s expression tells me she’s hanging by a thread when she reaches for my hands and grips them tight. “But…don’t leave me.”

  Normally, a clingy woman would send me running away, but Corinne isn’t clinging as much as sharing her pain—an agony I understand—with me, her brother’s enemy. Someone she barely knew a few days ago. But here she is, asking me to comfort her.

  “Whatever you need, princess.”

  She presses herself against me and whispers up into my ear. “Is there someplace else we can go?”

  Before she falls apart.

  “Give me a minute. I’ll make it happen.”

  I don’t even stop myself to ask why I’m so willing to give her whatever she needs, I just do it. Besides, it’s possible Parker knows where I live. Corinne doesn’t need a repeat of this evening.

  Leaving her in Echo’s and my sisters’ capable company, I tug Maxon into a quiet corner. “You got a vacancy tonight?”

  His green eyes glow in the shadows. He’s feeling protective, too, and I love my family all the more for their support. “The ohana is free. The honeymooners who booked it for tonight ended up calling off the wedding, so…”

  “We’ll take it.” I doubt Echo and Hayes will mind staying alone at my place, and Hayes will happily deal with Parker if he dares to show his face. “Just let me know how much—”

  “If you’re trying to pay me, I will punch you. Stop that shit. We’re family.”

  Despite this shitty evening, I smile. “Thanks. After Corinne is settled, I’ll make sure the house gets cleaned up, as promised.”

  Maxon nods and scans the room. “Thanks. Since the party is breaking up and people are heading home, I’m going to capitalize on the fact my wife and I have a babysitter for another couple of hours and take advantage of Keeley.”

  “I didn’t need to know that.”

  He shrugs, then turns serious again. “What are you going to do with Corinne? All night? In the most romantic bedroom in Maui?”

  I know what I want to do—dry her tears, strip her down, caress her everywhere until she’s panting my name, then make her forget about every hurtful, horrible thing her brother said. I can’t. Yeah, I warned that the price of my help with this scheme was her body. But I refuse to be the kind of asshole who makes tonight about himself. Parker already did that.

  Turning to look out the window at the dark, tropical night, I sigh. “I don’t have a fucking clue.”

  “Come with me.” I hold out my hand to Corinne two minutes later and wait for her to take it.

  She looks into my eyes, biting that bee-stung lip, then places her fingers in my palm. “Where?”

  “Does it matter as long as you get some peace and quiet?”

  “You’ll come with me?”

  Her pleading eyes tell me I didn’t misread the situation. She really wants me near her. “Yeah.”

  “Then it doesn’t matter.”

  Because she’ll have me and I’m all she needs? Am I reading too much into her words? “Let’s go.”

  “Wait.” She digs in her heels as she scans the open kitchen and dining room that look like a hurricane hit. “I just remembered… We promised Maxon we’d clean up after the party.”

  When she detours toward the kitchen sink, I pull her back. “I’ll handle it.”

  “How?” She frowns.

  “You don’t worry. I’ll deal with that.”

  “No, I can’t leave this mess to you. You’ve already been too wonderful, and I—”

  “Shh. I’m still a selfish, raving son of a bitch.” Who let her throw herself into this ugly family feud so I could have revenge. “Don’t forget it.”

  Yeah, yeah. It’s not my place to save Corinne from herself. She’s an adult, and telling her what’s best for her would make me no better than Parker. But if I have to choose between protecting her from her asshole of a brother and getting my vengeance against him, tonight I’m choosing the former. Parker will only chew her up and spit her out, regardless of the fact she’s his sister. She’s not ready to fathom playing that dirty. I not only can, I’m fucking good at it.

  Am I really thinking of deferring my revenge to be her white knight and savior?

  I scoff. There’s no one less suited to that than me.

  “That’s not true,” she insists.

  “Don’t kid yourself. Come on.”

  As I pull her away from the kitchen and take the key to the ohana from the little office tucked to one side, we slip out the back of the main house. All the while, I’m texting Lisa with my free hand to find someone who can do the post-party cleanup. Right now, I don’t care what it costs.

  Lisa replies that she knows exactly who to contact and it will be done in the next two hours. This is why I pay her a shitload and treat her well.

  After a quick thanks, I send Maxon a message, letting him know a cleaning crew is on their way and I’m leaving a door open for them.

  His reply? Keeley and I are busy. Fuck off.

  Typical Maxon.

  “Everything okay?” Corinne asks, frowning at my furious tapping.

  I tuck my phone away and lead her up the stairs to the door. “It is now.”

  “What is this place?”

  If I tell her Keeley has made this into the ultimate honeymoon suite in the last couple of years, will it freak her out?

  “The only vacancy at the inn tonight.” I unlock the door and grope around to find the light switch, filling the airy space with golden light that bounces off the gleaming hardwood floors and soft white walls.

  Beside me, Corinne lets out a surprised gasp. I’ve only seen this place in pictures, but it’s romantic as hell. A big four-poster bed draped in pristine white and engulfed by plush tone-on-tone pillows dominates the room, surrounded by gauzy mosquito netting. Gentle trade winds blow in from the open doors leading to the generous lanai, complete with a cushy chaise for two and full-frontal views of the moonlit beach beyond.

  “Wow,” she breathes.

  “You like it?”

  Corinne takes in the rest of the room—the quaint reading nook, the slender secretary desk, the spa-like bathroom, and the hot tub for two—with gaping wonder. She runs her fingers over a little bistro table and chairs adjacent to the quaint kitchenette. “This is…beyond.

  “The view from here is the best on the property.” I point to the lanai.

  She drifts in that direction. The moon suffuses her with a glow that makes her look ethereal and untouchable.

  Despite that, I want to touch her so badly.

  She’s hurting, so I shove down my need and gesture her to a comfy chair under a reading lamp. She shakes her head and stares at the lazy moon, shining in the dark tapestry of the twinkling stars in the night sky.

  I follow her to the railing and stare her way. What is she thinking? “I’m sorry Parker showed up tonight and upset you.”

  She pulls her attention from the view and faces me with a frown that says she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Why are you apologizing? He’s my brother. I should be the one saying I’m sorry.”

  “I posted our ‘engagement’ photo online.”

  “We agreed to that. And to posting the fact we intended to have a celebration tonight with friends and family. None of this is your fault.”

  But it is. If I had stopped giving a shit about Parker’s fucking lies and stopped licking my wounds—and instead let karma do its job—Corinne wouldn’t be suffering.

  Then again, she wouldn’t be with me now.

  “It’s not too late to back out of this whole mess. You might hate your brother at the moment, but he’s your only family. The truth is, I don’t have a few million dollars on hand to lend you. It’s tied up in other ventures. So I wouldn’t blame you if you left, told him you’d made a mistake, and mended fences. And I’ll bet he’d give you your money.”

  She gapes at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “I won’t capitulate again. I’ve made excuses for Parker for years. The old me would have told myself that even though his methods suck, he only wants what’s best for me, so I should be the bigger person and apologize to keep the peace. But he ripped off my blinders. I can’t unsee who he really is, and I can’t give him an apology I don’t mean simply because I’m afraid of losing him. I won’t do it for money that belongs to me, either. That would be condoning all the awful things he’s said and done to you. They’re unforgivable.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m used to that shit.”

  “You shouldn’t be. You should never have to accept slurs and lies, especially from someone who was once a friend.”

  I laugh to lighten the mood. “A testament to my lousy choice in friends.”

  “I’m serious.”

  She is, and I’m thoroughly humbled.

  Swallowing is suddenly difficult as I take her hands. “Thank you. You didn’t have to defend me—”

  “You didn’t have to defend me, either.” Her eyes are soft and thankful. “But you did.”

  I shoot her a self-deprecating smile. “I couldn’t stop myself. He was being an asshole.”

  “Exactly. I know my brother has negatively impacted your professional and personal life. I wish I could wave a wand and change that.”

  “In a way, I’m glad you can’t. Having you in my life is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.” The words are out before I can reel them back. It’s an admission that I more than like her, that I more than desire her.

  Fuck, I might as well tell her I’m thisclose to falling in love with her.

  The soft surprise on her face strips me down, leaving me wondering if she sees everything I’m feeling.

  “Xavian,” she breathes my name, her heart in her eyes. “You don’t know how much it means to me that you stood up for me tonight. That you stood up with me. No one has ever done that.” She cups my stubbled cheek, her earnest face so full of trust and gratitude, but with something more than simple caring. I can’t put my finger on it. Is she falling for me, too? “I know what the public says about you, but they don’t know you like I’ve come to.”

  My throat closes up; I can’t fucking speak. She’s about to say something else to make me feel a hundred feet tall that I don’t deserve. “Corinne—”

  “I have no illusions that I’ll be anything but another girl you take to bed, but I don’t care. Just for tonight, can you pretend that I matter to you and make love to me?”

  Her soft entreaty fries my brain. My thoughts race. I can’t breathe.

  I’ve been offered sex often. But for the first time, I can’t think of a seductive comeback.

  I’m speechless.

  Until now, I never thought I owed a woman in my bed anything but pleasure. If she got off a few times, I walked away without an ounce of guilt. I can’t do that to Corinne. On the other hand, if I turn her down, my gut tells me this chance will never come again and I’ll wish for the rest of my life that I’d fucking taken the opportunity to touch her.

  “Princess…”

  “Say yes. Just this once. All my life, everyone has left me, especially when I needed them. You didn’t and…” She bites her plump lip the way she always does that drives me crazy. “Please.”

  Her pleading dark eyes twist me up. Even as I lift my hands to cup her face, I’m making a conscious choice to fall for her, because there’s no way I spend tonight losing myself in her body and I don’t come out of this wrecked.

  At the moment, I don’t care. I’ve never agonized over the future. Anticipated, plotted, and put countermeasures in place, sure. But my philosophy has always been that if I spent my time stressing, then when the shit hit the fan, I’d only have forced myself to live through the misery twice. But worry eats at me now. What if I make love to Corinne tonight and she walks away come morning?

  I stare down into her eyes…and I see my fork in the road. I hesitate, and that’s not like me. When I see something, I go after it. When I decide something, I do it. When I want something, I take it.

  Still, she’s different.

  “I don’t have to pretend you matter. But I want you to be sure. If you give me your virginity, I can’t give it back.”

  She shakes her head, her dark curls brushing her delicate shoulders. “That’s the thing. I’ve never felt compelled to be with anyone. In high school, waiting felt right because my boyfriends were passing crushes. In college, not getting involved made sense because I didn’t want to regret throwing away my V-card on a random hot dude at a party.”

  “And Riley?” I choke out. Admittedly, I’ve fucked so many women that I’ve lost count, but I’ve never been in love. She gave her heart to that man. Despite the fact it shouldn’t, that goddamn eats at me.

  “We had opportunities. We made plans. We met for weekends.” Corinne shrugs. “I just…didn’t.”

  “But you want me?” More than the man she once hoped to marry?

  Slowly, Corinne nods, her solemn stare never wavering.

  My pulse surges. I tamp it down and try not to let excitement run away with my common sense. Tonight was heavy and emotional. She probably needs someone to hold her, and I shouldn’t delude myself into thinking I mean more to her.

  But what if she’s feeling what I’m feeling? What if she’s asking me to make love to her because it actually means something to her?

  I’ll spend all night inside her and do my best to make our pretend engagement into something real.

  “Then take off your shoes,” I demand as I slip off my suit coat and drape it over the nearby chaise.

  Slowly, she grips the railing and steps out of her wedges before kicking them aside.

  I loosen my tie. “Your earrings next.”

  With shaking hands, she withdraws the delicate silver chandeliers and places them in my upturned palm.

  I dump my tie onto my coat, then settle her jewelry on the desk. “Now lose your dress.”

  Yanking my shirt from my slacks and attacking the buttons, I watch her reach around to release the catch at her nape, then lower the zipper at the small of her back.

  Holy shit, she’s really doing this.

  My heart starts chugging. My skin starts tingling.

  Suddenly, her dress falls away. Automatically, she covers herself by pressing the garment to her chest.

  I shake my head. “Let it fall. Let me see you.”

  Corinne swallows, still staring into my eyes. Is she looking for my reaction? For reassurance? Whatever she wants, she apparently finds it, because she lowers her arms. The dress slides down her torso, baring her rosy-tipped breasts, before she pushes it down her hips and lets it sink to the floor in a soft green puddle.

  Fuck, she’s beautiful. If I was hard before, I’m pure steel now, engorged and aching.

  Corinne isn’t the kind of girl photographed for a fashion magazine. Her breasts are too generous. Her hips are too wide. But she’s exactly the sort of woman coveted in old-fashioned pinups. Tiny waist. Fleshy legs. Somehow sweet and wholesome—but with a mouth made for sin.