“My roommate has given me the boot for the evening,” Zoe began.

  If possible, the young man’s smile grew wider. “Sorry to hear that, ma’am.”

  “Yeah, well, it was expected, but anyway, I thought you might know of a cool place to hang out for the evening.”

  The young man, whose name Zoe realized was Joaquin, nodded and looked around, checking to see if anyone was watching. He knew there was indeed a pretty big party going down this evening because he was heading over there after his shift ended in thirty minutes. DJ Nester was supposed to be there, which meant it would be jumping with ladies. More ladies than men, which was the way he liked it. He watched the woman before him and wondered. She was really hot and seemed kind of cool.

  “Alright, you have the look of someone who knows something. Spill it!” Zoe said with a laugh, interrupting his train of thought.

  “There is a thing going down tonight at The Pit, but,” he looked around again, hesitating.

  “But what?” Zoe asked, looking around as well, unsure exactly what she was looking for.

  “You can’t say how you found out, okay?”

  Zoe grinned and tapped his hand that was on the counter. “Your secret’s safe with me, Joaquin.”

  He expelled a breath and led her out to a taxi that was waiting in queue. Joaquin gave the driver the address and waved at Zoe as they pulled out. She smiled at him and then looked out the window as the driver started taking her to some mysterious place called The Pit. She hoped it would at least buy her some time for Summer to do whatever she thought she needed to do to land Mr. Webster, otherwise she was in for a very long evening.

  “Have you been on the island long?” the cabbie asked.

  “A couple of days,” Zoe replied casually, watching the sun setting over the horizon.

  “You like it so far?” he asked, continuing with the small talk.

  Zoe nodded. “So far it’s really nice.”

  The cab driver rattled on about places she must visit. Zoe was from New York and she knew that the cabbies’ bread and butter fare was getting people excited about something, something that they could arrange to take them too. She gave him the cursory yes responses and wow, that sounds interesting statements, but, in reality, she was content reading at the beach or sitting on the porch at the hotel, writing. As they approached a large building with several cars outside, Zoe smiled.

  “Let’s hope The Pit isn’t the pits,” she said to herself.

  4 The Pit

  M asen strolled into The Pit like a man who owned the place. He had a cocky assurance about him that was just shy of arrogance. People were drawn to him and he knew it. His skill at working a room was almost legendary, at least in his own mind. It was something he considered a welcome side effect of being raised as the only son of a very powerful man. He rolled his shoulders as he walked up to the bar.

  “What can I get you?”

  “I’ll take a Stella,” Masen replied and nodded as the bartender set it in front of him.

  Masen leaned against the bar, sipping his beer, mentally kicking himself for earlier today. He had spent too much time showing off for the woman at the beach only to find that she had left sometime in between. That was an unusual situation for him, as he always had an audience. Mostly females, but there were men on occasion who appreciated his skill on the waves or who were simply trying to steal his moves. Either way, he had just finished shredding a particularly difficult wave when he realized the woman he was trying to impress was no longer there. Disheartened, he had approached the shore thinking that he might catch her, but he was bombarded by people once his feet hit the dry sand.

  “So, where you going to after this?” Cory asked, bring him out of his thoughts.

  Masen downed the rest of his beer and set it on the bar. “Two weeks in Oahu then back home for a bit.”

  “That’s cool, man.”

  Masen nodded, distracted as he scanned the growing crowd, hoping that maybe his mystery woman would stroll in. He was dressed casually in a pair of low-slung jeans that fell precariously on his hips and a simple white tank top, his bare feet covered only in a pair of Nike beach sandals. There were girls looking his way and some weren’t half bad, but he had his mind set on the dark-haired beauty from the beach. There was just something about her that kept his attention. He decided in that moment that he would hit the water tomorrow and see if she showed up and, if so, he would make his move.

  “Can I have a seven and seven?”

  A whiff of lavender floated in the air as a wave of long dark hair drifted past him. He looked at the woman next to him at the bar. She was wearing a pair of tight fitting jeans and a chiffon purple blouse over what looked like a silk camisole top. Masen smiled, realizing without a doubt that this fine rear belonged to the woman from the beach. He couldn’t believe his luck. The Gods were definitely smiling down on him tonight.

  “Thanks,” he heard her say and looked up just as she glanced at him.

  “I saw you on the beach today,” Masen said casually.

  Zoe turned slightly so that she was facing him. She recognized him now. He was the surfer. He was sexier than she imagined. His golden hair was indeed long and came to his shoulders in waves while his eyes were a spectacular blue and sparkling with mischief. His broad shoulders and strong arms were magnificently accented by his choice of shirt and he had at least a couple of days’ worth of scruff on his face that she was dying to touch. She had never seen a man this handsome up close. He could be an actor or a model with his looks. She blew out a soft breath that she hoped he didn’t notice and steadied herself.

  “Ahh, yes, I think I remember you,” Zoe finally said with a smile before taking a sip of her drink.

  He leaned in slightly, bringing his bottom lip into his mouth. His eyes shifted down slightly, admiring her ample cleavage, before he made eye contact with her again. He could tell he had her right where he wanted her.

  “Well, I am glad that I made an…” he licked his lips in a motion that immediately brought Zoe’s body to attention. “Impression.”

  Swallowing thickly, Zoe responded. “I wasn’t quite sure if you were really good or simply showing off.”

  Masen laughed and covered his heart. “I’m wounded.” He turned to the bartender and raised his empty beer bottle indicating he wanted another. Once he got it, he took a sip and smiled before winking at Zoe. “I was showing off a bit.”

  “I knew it,” Zoe laughed.

  “I wanted to introduce myself, but, unfortunately, when I got to shore you had disappeared,” he said, raising a questioning brow at her.

  “Well, you had your fan club waiting for you, so I knew you were in good hands,” Zoe smiled and took another sip of her drink.

  He tilted his head and grinned crookedly before taking a long swallow of his beer. He was excited with the realization that she had not only been there but had been watching him. That boded well for making her his. He made eye contact with her again and noticed she had the same look on her face that most women did when they were around him. Want, unbridled and carnal want.

  “What’s your name?” he asked, tilting his beer in her direction.

  “Zoe, and yours?”

  “Masen.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Masen,” Zoe said as she outstretched her hand to him.

  Masen looked down at it and couldn’t contain the smile on his face. He knew with certainty that she was going to be a lot of fun this week. It was time to pull out the old Pelletier charm, so they could get things rolling. He had already lost the whole day and he wasn’t about to lose the evening as well. He held on to her hand and allowed his thumb to gently caress her palm before he leaned close to her ear.

  “Would you like to dance, Zoe?” he whispered, letting his mouth linger longer than necessary.

  Masen’s hot breath close to her skin sent a current flowing through her and straight to her core, igniting a part of her that had lain dormant for far too long. Zoe drew her bottom lip into her mouth and nodded. He smiled victoriously as he pushed off the bar. Still gripping her hand tightly, he led her to the dance floor. The upbeat rhythm of Pitbull was blasting from the DJ’s stand and Zoe immediately started dancing.

  Zoe was not much of a dancer, per se, but Summer drug her out ‘clubbing’ at least one Friday night a month and, truth be told, she enjoyed it greatly. Zoe wasn’t paying much attention to what Masen was doing as she worried that if she did she would probably be dry humping him on the dance floor. The man was lethal, and she knew it, but, more importantly, he knew it as well. She needed to keep some distance between them as she wasn’t certain she could resist his immense charisma. They danced to a couple of songs before it changed to something Zoe didn’t recognize, but the slow island beat begged for the gentle sway of one’s hips.

  If Masen hadn’t already been turned on watching Zoe dance before, he certainly was now. Her eyes were closed as her hips moved sensually from side to side while her hands were working through her hair. Her head tilted to the side and her mouth parted just slightly. He needed to feel her body close to his, so in one swift move, his arm wrapped around her lower back as he pulled her against him. Her eyes opened to meet his as his mouth lowered to her neck, nestling his nose into her hair as he rotated his hips languidly to the rhythmic music circulating around them. Their dancing was intimate and erotic, sensual in a way that made people around them uneasy, yet they were unable to look away. When the song ended, Masen loosened his hold on her and brought his mouth close to hers, hovering dangerously close, close enough that Zoe could literally breathe him in. His tongue darted over his lips as Zoe’s mouth parted in anticipation. Instead of kissing her though, his mouth tilted up as his lips touched her forehead in a gentle manner. Zoe could feel his smile against her skin and knew her resolve was slowly crumbling away.

  “Excuse me,” she said quickly and stepped back, scurrying toward what she hoped was the restroom.

  Once inside, she quickly went to the sink and took several deep breaths. One hand went over her stomach while the other was positioned above her rapidly beating heart as she tried desperately to control her bodily reactions to him. She had never experienced anything like this level of… lust before. She could feel the heat radiating off her body, needing him to douse her flames. Zoe found her eyes closing as her body swayed slightly, still feeling his body pressed against hers.

  “Get it together, Zoe!” Her eyes shot open and she looked around the small room. “I need some air!”

  She quickly exited the restroom and could see Masen leaning against the bar, talking to the bartender. He was smiling as his lips touched the bottle of beer. Zoe’s heart raced again, and she had to fight the urge to run over there and kiss him soundly on those perfect, succulent lips of his. Instead, she snuck behind the DJ stand and made her way to the front of the bar. Seeing a line of cabs not far from her, she waved her arm frantically, looking back to make sure Masen wasn’t following her.

  “Come on, come on,” she muttered just as a cab pulled up.

  “Where to, ma’am?” the cabbie asked with a genuine smile.

  “Surfer’s Ridge Hotel, quick please,” Zoe said urgently, looking back at the bar through the rear window.

  “Are you okay?”

  Zoe could hear his concern and nodded. “Yes, I’m just…” she stuttered slightly before blowing out a soft breath. “I’m fine,” she said stoically, allowing her memory of Darian to remind her why she couldn’t get attached to people.

  Meanwhile, Masen was back at the bar waiting for Zoe to come out. His body was still buzzing from their dance. Zoe was beautiful and the way she moved against him let him know that they would be good together. He sipped his beer and watched as a few other girls went back to the restroom, but he never saw Zoe return. After twenty minutes, he became concerned and headed back to check on her, having surmised that she must be sick if she was still in there. He maneuvered his way to the door and waited until he saw a woman exiting the restroom.

  “Hey, is there anyone else in there?” He asked, touching her arm. She shook her head and walked away, while he stood there dumbfounded. “Did she ditch me?” he wondered aloud.

  He was stunned, unable to fathom that idea. No woman ditched him, especially after the forehead kiss. That move pretty much guaranteed at least a blow job by the end of the night, usually before they even made it out of the club, restaurant, wherever, it didn’t matter where they were. He placed his hands on his hips, unsure what he was supposed to do. He was in unfamiliar territory and he didn’t like it one single bit.

  “I don’t freaking believe this!” Masen said, before turning abruptly.

  “Hey, Masen,” a tall blonde purred as he walked past the dance floor.

  He waved her off and approached the bar, setting both hands on the ledge. His brows furrowed as he looked down and closed his eyes. He breathed in deeply, the smell of lavender still circling the air around him. He shook his head slightly, confused by the situation. He had felt a spark between them and he sensed that she had felt it to, so why had she left? He was dismayed as he turned to face the dance floor. The blonde was looking his way and motioned for him. Normally, he would take her up on the offer of a good time, but tonight his body refused to move in her direction. Instead, it led him outside where he looked up and down the street on the off chance that she was still somewhere nearby.

  “Zoe, where the hell did you go?”

  “She left,” he heard from behind him.

  He spun around to see Connie leaning against the wall. She was a voluptuous red head wearing a barely there mini skirt and a see through blouse. She was very beautiful to most men’s standards, Masen’s as well, but there was something about her that he didn’t like. She started walking stealthily toward him. She smiled as she stood before him, gently running her fingers up and down his chest. He frowned at her hand and she dropped it. Connie had made it clear from the beginning that she was interested in him, but she worked at one of the resorts, which made her a local in Masen’s mind, therefore off limits. Technically, he knew that he probably wouldn’t have the problems with her that he would if he were to get involved with one of the girls from the island, but he suspected that she would bring all sorts of ‘other’ problems with her.

  “Who left?” he finally responded.

  “The woman you were dancing with,” she said, stepping closer to him. “Why don’t we head out? Her loss is my gain,” she whispered seductively in his ear.

  She tilted her face to him before planting her lips on his. Her tongue slipped into his mouth as she pressed her body close. Masen would be lying if he said his body wasn’t responsive to her, but his mind was somewhere else. He blinked a couple of times and stepped back, rubbing his fingers over his eyes as he tried to think what to say to her, and, more importantly, why he was hesitant. Was it simply because Connie gave off that stalker vibe or was it something more?

  “Masen, I can take care of you,” she stated, as she moved her hand over his jeans.

  “Connie, I already told you. I don’t get involved with locals.”

  “Make an exception,” she stated simply before bringing her lips to his again. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

  Masen closed his eyes, weighing the decision heavily. He knew he could use some relief, but as she kissed him once more, his decision was made. He stepped away from her and ran his hands through his hair. He couldn’t believe he was turning down sex with someone who would obviously put out for him right then and there, against the wall of the club if he liked, but turning it down was exactly what he was about to do.

  “Go back inside, Connie. Enjoy your evening,” he said casually as he turned around and started walking toward his vehicle.

  His mind was all over the place as he drove to his cabin. Once inside, he quickly stripped of his clothes and jumped in the shower. He couldn’t believe he had come home alone. His mind played over the entire exchange with Zoe trying to figure out what went wrong but nothing came to him, which left him perplexed.

  5 Summer’s Move

  L ights flickered, illuminating the drive that led to the Cove Resort. The trees lightly swayed as they approached the posh establishment where Mr. Webster was staying. Summer had always dreamed that she would one day come to a place such as this, but to be doing it on the arm of Mr. Ethan Webster himself was more than even she could have imagined. She glanced at him and smiled. He had strong Anglo features. His chiseled jawline lead to a slightly pointed yet dimpled chin while his eyes were a spectacular hazel color that one could easily get lost in. He ran his hand carefully through his recently cut hair and Summer immediately wondered if it was as soft as it appeared. He wore a blue tailored suit that brought out the color of his eyes and made him handsomer than any other man she had seen.

  “Have you been here before?” Ethan asked, twisting the corner of his lip up.

  “No, first time,” Summer replied.

  “It’s very nice. You’ll like it,” he finished and turned back to the road.

  Ethan rolled his shoulders as he pulled under the archway of the resort. He stole a glance at his date and saw that her eyes were wide with wonderment. She looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite place where he might have seen her. He was sure he would have remembered meeting her before. She had a soothing presence that he liked. Usually the women he came in contact with were eager, eager to get their hands on his fortune. None of them ever looked at him as more than a meal ticket, so he stopped trying long ago. It was much safer to treat them all as gold digging whores then to venture into the uncharted territory of meeting and falling in love with someone.

  “Mr. Webster,” the valet stated simply as he opened Ethan’s door.

  Ethan gave him a cursory smile and came around the car to open the door for Summer. She smiled up at him and there was no denying the happiness that enveloped him. Much to his dismay, he liked her even though he really didn’t know much about her; something that he planned on rectifying tonight. She was different than the girls he was used to, but he definitely liked it. He stepped aside, allowed her to pass him through the doorway and smirked slightly.