“DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE CALL being traced,” Warren told her. “We’ve installed special equipment on your sister’s line. We’ll know if anyone is monitoring her telephone.”
Devon nodded and dialed her sister’s number for the first time in months. They were sitting in Warren’s office and using a special cell phone Warren had flown to Honolulu for Devon to use once. The next time she called, it would be on a different telephone.
Tina answered with an excited “Hello” on the second ring. Devon wasn’t surprised. The Federal Marshals would have told Tina to expect the call.
“It’s me,” Devon said, tears welling up in her eyes unexpectedly.
“How are you?”
One hot tear rolled down her cheek. Just the sound of her sister’s voice after not hearing it all these months cracked the emotional armor she’d built around herself after Santa Fe. “I’m fine,” she managed to say after an edgy silence. “Just fine.”
“We had your favorite—German chocolate cake—on your birthday,” Tina told her, the threat of tears now in her voice. “Ariel blew out the candles for you.”
“I’ll bet she was cute,” Devon responded, being as upbeat as she could. She’d spent her birthday in the WITSEC safe house. If anyone there knew about her birthday, they hadn’t mentioned it.
“You should see Ariel. She’s growing up so fast. She’ll be eight next month.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
Devon wished she could ask her sister to send Ariel’s picture to WITSEC, but she knew it would be useless. No pictures. No personal items. Ever. She was lucky to have Zach with her. Only Masterson’s clout had made it possible.
“Steve received a big promotion,” her sister said. “There’s a chance we’ll be moving.”
“Moving? Where?”
This tenuous telephone link was all she had of her sister. She’d been to her sister’s home many times. She could picture Tina there. In an odd way it was comforting to be able to visualize her sister in familiar surroundings. If they moved, Devon wouldn’t be able to “see” Tina in the same way.
“Well, you know Steve. He wants a bigger house with a media room. We’ve been looking in Boca Raton.”
“Nice area.” Devon could just picture her brother-in-law in a palatial home. A successful member of a venture capital team, Steve Layton was easily impressed by the trappings of wealth. No doubt he gave Tina a hard time over Devon’s situation.
“There are better schools in Boca for Ariel. She’s taken up horseback riding, you know.”
“Really?” Devon didn’t know, but then they hadn’t been in touch in months.
“Yes. Hunter-jumpers. There’s an excellent instructor at the Flintridge Equestrian Academy. Ariel could work with her every day, if we lived nearby.”
Devon listened as Tina chattered on about Ariel and Steve and life in suburbia. She was happy for her sister. This was the way the world was meant to be—a normal existence.
“You’re doing okay?” Apparently her sister had finally run out of family news.
“I’m much better than I was.”
They both knew the rules. Devon couldn’t discuss her job or the weather or anything about her present situation. Even if the phone wasn’t tapped, there was always the possibility someone might try to force information out of Tina.
She wanted to tell Tina all about Hawaii. Like many people who lived in the East, Tina went to the Bahamas or the Caribbean to vacation, not Hawaii. But saying anything about where she was could get her thrown out of WITSEC. No matter how desperately she wanted to share this magnificent island with her sister, Devon couldn’t.
In truth, there wasn’t anything of any relevance Devon could tell her sister about herself. Her comments had to be limited to boring comments like: I’m feeling fine. The weather was off-limits. So was her job. Even if she made friends, they couldn’t be mentioned by name.
Her life was a big nothing. All she was supposed to do was listen to her sister talk about her own life. Once this would have depressed Devon, but not now. Just hearing her sister’s voice was enough.
KEKE STOOD AT THE BAR set up near the infinity pool. The cocktail party following Phaedra Nitsui’s wedding had lasted nearly an hour and a half. There were three other bars set up on the grounds, but Keke had done the work of two bartenders at this station. She’d had Rory at her side, pouring wine and champagne. He was learning to bartend so he could get a job at one of the trendy Waikiki clubs.
Guests were now midway through dinner so business was light. She and Rory were stacking glasses in the trays to be picked up by Royal Palms Rentals. Shelby bounced up, smiling, and chattering.
“Know why the wedding party, like, always dresses in the same awesome outfits?” Shelby asked both of them, but her eyes were on Rory.
Keke resisted the urge to tell Shelby this was no way to flirt. Guys were not obsessed with wedding trivia the way Shelby was.
Shelby looked at her, and Keke shrugged.
“It goes back to Roman times. They, like, thought evil spirits attended weddings, soooo looking for trouble. People dressed alike confused them, and they flew off.”
“I get it,” Rory said unenthusiastically.
Shelby leaned against the bar, gazing at Rory. “That’s why brides wear veils. Then the evil spirits can’t see them.”
“As if,” Rory sneered.
“It’s sooo totally awesome that superstitions from waaay back are still, like, with us today.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be doing something for Devon?” Keke asked. Devon had been everywhere, calm, but handling a million details.
“She’s helping put the fresh flowers on the wedding cake. I’m supposed to get the bride’s bouquet from the woman who catches it. I have to rush it down to Hazuriku’s and have it freeze-dried.”
“Freeze-dried?” Rory asked. “What for?”
“It’s, like, the latest. You can save them forever. They don’t look all dried out or soooo phony like the silk flower duplicates some brides have made. The bouquet stays, like, exactly the way it is today.”
Rory grunted and shook his head. “Let’s see how Rudy’s doing.”
Shelby trotted off with Rory to see how Chad’s black swan was faring in the pond filled with red canna leaves. Another waste of money, Keke thought. The whole wedding had been over the top.
The exotic scent of Hawaii’s native plumeria had been overwhelmed by a special machine that wafted the smell of roses into the yard. A suggestion of a breeze had rustled the palms all evening. When it blew in her direction, the air became heavy and cloying.
Nothing could detract from the astonishing beauty of the site, she decided, her eyes drifting to the ocean. A lover’s moon hung low in the star-filled sky and gave the sea a magical luster. Ribbons of sea foam glistened on the sand. Like a handful of diamonds thrown on to the water, the waves sparkled.
Keke could almost hear her mother saying, “It’s the menehunes dancing.” She couldn’t help wonder what her mother would think if she could see Chad’s home. They’d grown up as a typical middle class family. They’d never lacked for anything, but they hadn’t been indulged, either.
Chad had always been a little different. He’d excelled at school without even trying. Most of his friends thought of him as a surfer, but Keke had always known her brother harbored secret ambitions. In his sophomore year in high school, Chad had sent away for several college catalogs—not just any catalogs—ones from top schools like Yale and Stanford. He’d been the only student from the North Shore to win a scholarship to Stanford.
Her brother becoming successful wasn’t a shock to Keke. What did surprise her was his return to Hawaii. When he’d joined Special Forces after college, she believed he would never come home again, but she’d been wrong.
Keke saw Chad sitting at a table across the lawn. Naturally he’d been invited to the wedding, and not just because it was his house. He was one of the more successful businessmen in the islands. He didn’t know the bride personally, but he was acquainted with Senator Inoye, her uncle.
The woman next to Chad appeared to be flirting with him. Keke couldn’t help being proud of her brother. Chad was handsome, but in a tuxedo, he was devastating. Even so, Keke thought tuxedos were too warm, too formal for Hawaii.
The pretty brunette seated beside Chad would have trouble interesting him. Since early this morning, when they’d begun setting up, Chad had covertly watched Devon. Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but Keke knew her brother well. Devon had his number, all right.
Keke admired the woman’s take-charge efficiency, but she did not want to see her brother hurt. Until this morning, the thought had never occurred to Keke. Chad always seemed so invincible. But Keke’s sixth sense had kicked in, telling her Chad was in trouble this time. She had no idea how to help him except to hang around and watch. If Chad needed her, she’d be there.
Her mother had always said everyone had an Achilles’ heel. She couldn’t help wondering if Devon would be his. Just then, Chad looked up and caught her staring at him. She waved, thankful he didn’t know what she was thinking.
Chad rose and walked across the grass over to the bar. “Whew! That’s a load off my mind. The food was great—just great.”
“You were worried about the food?” Keke couldn’t imagine her brother caring one hoot about what he ate. Here was a man who’d lived behind enemy lines on MREs.
“Eddie had never used Trade Winds Catering. I didn’t want him to be embarrassed if the company didn’t meet expectations.”
She nodded dubiously. “You were worried about Devon pulling this off. Weren’t you?”
“Yeah. But Devon really did a great job.” There was more than just a hint of pride in his tone.
“The caterer was Lori’s legacy,” she pointed out.
“True, but getting this wedding together on such short notice is impressive.”
Keke nodded, not quite willing to give Devon any more accolades. Her brother was already too taken with the woman.
FROM THE POND where Rudy was gliding in endless circles through thousands of red canna leaves, Devon watched the bride and groom cut the cake. Thank God, the day was almost over. It had gone better than she could ever have imagined, considering the event had been done almost entirely at the last minute. Tomorrow was Monday and Aloha Weddings was closed. She planned to sleep in, then take Zach to a remote beach to let him run and swim.
“Everyone’s raving about the food, the decorations, the band.”
She nearly jumped at the sound of Chad’s voice. How had he come up behind her without her knowing? She must be so tired that she’d let her guard down.
She ventured a glance at him, looming beside her. He had a bod that looked good in anything, but did wonders for a tuxedo. He was smiling at her, and she couldn’t help smiling back. He had the most extraordinary eyes, she decided. The incandescent blue of the water off Waikiki.
She wondered what he thought of the backless lavender dress she’d impulsively bought for this wedding. When she’d discovered how many prominent people were going to attend, she’d wanted to make a good impression. Don’t kid yourself, she thought. Chad is the one you wanted to impress.
“I had a lot of assistance with this wedding,” Devon told him. “Your sisters, Rory, everyone was a tremendous help. Thanks for everything.”
Chad shrugged as if to say: No big deal. But his help had been very important. She didn’t want anyone to realize she had no experience planning weddings. After tonight, people would believe she was an expert.
“Let’s dance.”
She imagined herself in his arms and almost shivered. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to—”
He’d taken her hand and was leading her toward the dance floor that had been put down in the middle of the yard. Bite Me, the band well-known for its rock tunes, was beginning to play a slow song.
She wanted an excuse to get out of dancing—she honestly did—but nothing came to mind. He swept her into his arms. Chad pulled her close and deftly spun her into the center of the crowd. It was almost impossible to move much on the tightly packed dance floor.
Devon looked across his shoulder at the other dancers and told herself this would be over in a matter of minutes. She could make it through one waltz. She kept herself rigid in his arms, only moving slightly to the beat of the music.
His warm hand was on the small of her back. His thumb slowly rubbed her bare skin. The motion forced her to relax even while it sent prickles of awareness up her spine.
She could feel each separate beat of her heart against her breastbone. Every one was louder, stronger. Time for a joke, she thought. Defuse the sexual tension.
“Did you hear about the blonde who had two dogs?”
He angled his head down, his compelling eyes gazing into hers.
“They were named Rolex and Timex.”
“Why?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Hul-lo! They’re watchdogs.”
A charged silence arced between them, then Chad commented, “You tell jokes at odd times.”
“They just pop into my head.”
Chad decided Devon was nervous, and he wondered what had happened with the man she was hiding from. Had he physically abused her? It was possible, but given Devon’s assertive personality, he didn’t think that was the case. He intended to find out what had gone on, but first he had to get close to her.
He pressed the hard contours of his chest against the lush fullness of hers. The softness of her body against his sent a surge of desire mingled with tenderness through him. When he caught the bastard who’d turned Devon into such a wary woman, he would make the jerk sorry he’d ever been born.
He moved his hand up her bare back, fluffed her hair aside and caressed her nape. Devon’s eyelashes fluttered, a golden fringe against her green eyes. He smiled down at her, and something approaching a genuine smile curved her lips.
A shaft of light from the DJ’s ongoing light show lit up Devon’s eyes. She blinked, and in that instant Chad saw a slice of blue iris. Then her contact settled into place again.
I’ll be damned, he thought. She’s wearing colored contact lenses. Why?
The last strains of the waltz ended, but Chad didn’t release Devon. He wanted to shake the truth out of her but knew that wouldn’t get him the answers he wanted. An old boyfriend could be after her, but why would colored contacts be necessary?
Maybe it was a fashion thing. Growing up with sisters had taught him how far women would go to be fashionable. But his gut instinct told him something more was wrong than Devon was admitting.
Devon groaned inwardly as the band began to play another slow tune. She tried to casually pull away from Chad, but he tightened his grip and moved to the music. She had no choice except to dance with him.
His hand slowly roved up and down her bare back, stroking her skin with his bare fingertips. The seemingly casual movement left her breathless.
The couple next to them bumped into Devon and stepped on her foot. “Ouch!”
“You okay?” Chad asked.
“Yes. It’s too crowded to dance.” Devon thought this was a great excuse to get away from Chad. “Remind me to order a bigger dance floor the next time we have a wedding this large.” She hobbled away, limping slightly even though her foot was fine.
Chad caught up with her in the side yard just off the kitchen. “Is your foot hurt?” he asked, although he was pretty sure she was using it as an excuse to get away from him.
“It’s a little sore. That’s all.”
He stepped in front of her, and she stopped. He took her arms and pulled her against him. Suddenly he was acutely aware of the enveloping darkness of the side yard, the chatter of guests in the distance, the diffused light filtering through the palms. But he had her alone.
“Please don’t do this,” she whispered.
“Shh! It’s nothing but a kiss.”
“Last night was a mistake.”
Chad shook his head. “It was a beginning. You know it. Admit it.”
She shook her head, sending her floss of golden hair fluttering across her bare shoulders.
“If Rory hadn’t come out with Zach—”
“I would have slapped you.”
Chad threw back his head and laughed. “Yeah, right.”
He lowered his mouth to hers. She went rigid in his arms for just a second, then with a sigh almost lost in the night air, she brushed her lips against his. Chad almost lost it.
He’d thought all day about that kiss last night. He’d been waiting to kiss her again, to see if he’d imagined the intense chemistry between them. He hadn’t. It was tangible, potent.
Devon meant to push him away, but before she realized what she was doing, she was kissing him. He returned the kiss as he tunneled his fingers through her hair. The feel of his tongue mating with hers, his strong fingers on the back of her head, distracted her.
All she could think about was this moment, this kiss.
She rose up on tiptoe, mesmerized by the slow, sure way his tongue filled her mouth, then retreated, only to return again. It was a languid, deliberate kiss meant to arouse, and her body responded. Her loins contracted in anticipation.
She slipped her hands under the panels of his jacket and caressed the ripped bod beneath. He was rock-hard—all leashed power. She’d wanted to touch his magnificent chest from the first moment she’d seen him.
Last night she’d had a taste of what making love to him would be like. She’d never been kissed with such focused intensity. Now, running her hands over his powerful back muscles, she knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
He moved his hips against hers, his erection pressing into her belly. Oh, my. How fantastic it would be to make love to him. Her insides seemed to melt, the heat centered between her thighs.
A warning bell rang somewhere in the back of her brain. How easy it would be to surrender to passion. If she didn’t stop right now, there would be no turning back. She would have another man involved in her life. She couldn’t do this to him.
Somehow she managed to break the kiss. “I have work to do before the bride and groom get in the limo.” She sounded as if she’d been running a marathon.
She brushed past him, her skirt slapping his knees. She sprinted through the darkness into the kitchen where a horde of caterers were cleaning up. She looked back, but Chad hadn’t followed her.
She didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed.