Chapter 1

chapter one

Hawaii, Present Day

N icola stepped off the last stair from the private jet and cursed her life. Okay, she sounded like a bitch, even to herself…in her own head. She had flown from LA to Honolulu on a private jet, and she was cursing her life. Rich people problems, indeed.

She slipped on her sunglasses and ignored the bead of sweat that had already formed on her back and was now slowly rolling down her spine. She was not a woman made for tropical beaches or humidity. Before she was eighteen, she had spent most of her life in an ice rink. She longed for a day in the snow, drinking hot chocolate, and riding a sled.

“Move it along, Nic,” Jensen said from behind her, irritation easy to hear in his voice.

He didn’t like being here anymore than she did. Hawaii was gorgeous, but she had a feeling Jensen’s irritation arose from the laidback style of Hawaii. He had a lot of time on his hands when he was here, and he knew that’s when he made mistakes. Mistakes , that’s what they called it since the one time he had gone on a bender three years ago. Idle hands and all of that.

She stepped aside and waited for him to take the lead. She followed behind him, not out of duty, but it was the easiest way to get things done. Nicola gave up duty a long time ago.

“Did you contact Micah Ross?” he asked.

“Yes. He knows you are on the island today.”

One way to make sure he kept himself occupied was through the BDSM club, Rough ‘n Ready. If he could find a sub or two to play with while on his business trip, Jensen would keep his nose and arm clean. She wasn’t sure if that made her a pimp, but she was fairly certain it didn’t. Jensen didn’t have to pay for subs. They clamored for him. And lately, for some unknown reason, she’d started to get pissed about it.

“Good. I guess you can drop me off there on the way to the house.”

She blinked. “What?”

He glanced back at her. “I want you to drop me off.”

They’d just arrived on the island and it was the middle of the day. “Jensen, they’re not open this early.”

He blinked as if just realizing it was sunny out. “Oh.”

“Let’s go to the house, check in, you can clean up, change and then head out.”

He didn’t look happy about the situation, but he nodded and slid into the sedan.

She shook her head and walked around to the other side of the car. This was probably not going to be a good trip. Lately, a lot of their trips had been uncomfortable. There was something off about Jensen, and she didn’t know what it was.

Her old sober companion instincts had reared their ugly head, but Jensen was going to meetings. A lot of meetings, but he was going. In fact, he had insisted that he make sure the listed times they had from their last visit to the islands was correct.

She slipped into the backseat of the limo, and looked over her schedule.

“Remember, day after tomorrow, you are going to Maui for a meeting with the Johnson family.”

He grunted, which meant he was at least listening to her. “Johnson? Doesn’t sound very Hawaiian.”

He’d already remarked on that—several times.

“No Hawaiian family can claim one hundred percent Hawaiian blood. At least not many.”

“I thought these wankers were fighting us because we aren’t Hawaiian?”

“They are, in a way. They are trying to preserve the beauty of Hawaii.”

He shot her a dirty look. “You’ve been against this development from the beginning.”

She nodded. “I think there is no reason for it and I agree with the locals.”

He snorted and looked out the window.

“And what was that for?”

“It seems to me to be hypocritical.”

“Why?”

“You make a living being my assistant. Therefore, you would stand to gain from the deal.”

“First, I only get paid my salary.”

“Which is insanely high.”

She was getting sick of this argument. “And, if you sign a deal with the Johnson family, that doesn’t make me any richer. Also, I can disagree with what you do and still work for you.”

“Is that a fact?”’

She didn’t like his tone. She called it his royal we voice. He always used it when he thought he was above everyone else. Dismissing him, she tried her best to concentrate on the work at hand. She had a billion emails to answer, but Nicola ignored them. Instead, she texted her best friend Serenity to tell her she had arrived.

On island .

About damned time. When will I see you?

As soon as his lord Wulf leaves for the club tonight.

Good. Mick said he will make your favorite shrimp .

One of these days, I will steal that big hunk of man from you.

Good luck, loser. You have to fight Adam and me for him.

Nicola smiled. Her friend had found her soulmates just a year earlier and Nicola was so happy for her. Still, she was a little envious. Both of them had forever wondered if they would find even one man to trust. Serenity found two.

“What?”

She glanced up at Jensen, who was watching her intently.

“What, what?”

“Why are you smiling?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just Serenity.”

“Ah. So, you’re going to go over there tonight.” He sounded like he was accusing her.

“And? You don’t need me. You’re going to the club.”

He mumbled something under his breath as he turned to look out the window.

“You’re mumbling again.”

“I said that you spend a lot of time with them.”

It was her turn to blink.

“What do you mean by that?”

He turned back to her. “You just seem to spend a lot of time with that threesome.”

“I get to see Serenity very seldom, so when we are here, I spend as much time as I can with her.”

“And them.”

“Excuse me?”

He rolled his eyes. “And them. Those men.”

“You liked them before.”

“That was different.”

“Jensen, are you sure you haven’t scored recently? Have you started using again?”

“That’s not funny.”

“What am I supposed to think? You’re saying insane things.”

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut.

“Exactly. Serenity is in a committed relationship with two men. They are not swingers. But, I have been promised my favorite dish when I come to the islands.”

“Shrimp truck shrimp.”

“Yes,” she said, a little surprised that he knew.

“What? I pay attention. Besides, you’re out at Giovanni’s constantly. And you got Freddy to learn the recipe just how you like it.”

She smiled and then started going through her emails. She didn’t want him to know exactly how stupid happy that made her.

“Dinner with the trio, then?”

“Yes. Serenity did ask if we were all going out while we were here.”

“Sure.”

But that meant nothing. Lately, Jensen had been acting oddly. More than odd. He had been avoiding her. And, since he had a past and was a recovering addict, she had worried. Still, it was the only sign, so she had reserved judgement.

She glanced at him once more. He was looking out the window again, ignoring her. It was hard to believe they were four years down the road. She had taken the job at the pleading of his mother. It was one she hadn’t wanted, since Jensen had a reputation of being a bad boy. Being a blood relative of the Windsors did not help. People loved to do things for and to him. She had avoided working with those kinds of addicts. Still, it was hard to ignore a plea from a mother who loved her son so much. Little did she know, it would be the last work she did in the field.

“I take it you don’t need me next week, do you?”

He shrugged. Good God, she was not in the mood for this. She could push him, but it would just make him react more like an ass. So, she followed his lead and looked out the window. The midday traffic wasn’t heavy. Late October wasn’t a big tourist time for Hawaii. The landscape flew past her as they drove down H-1. They’d bought a house on Portlock Rd. House? More like compound. She was just a girl who grew up in a small Colorado town in a two-bedroom home. The Wulf’s would have no idea what that was like. Ever .

“You like these men?”

She turned her head. He wasn’t looking at her, but had laid his head against the back of the seat and had his eyes closed. “What?”

“You like Adam and Mick?”

“I like that they make my friend happy. She’s had enough bad times to last a lifetime. That the two of them see it as their mission in life to keep her happy make them gods in my opinion.”

“Hmm.”

Then, silence again. She knew this was a tactic he used in business. Jensen lulled people into thinking he was a bad boy without any brains. The proverbial rich boy who cared more about his money than people. They would be wrong. As much as she hated to admit it, there was a world class brain in that beautiful head of his, and he did care about people. Like the rest of the family, his English upbringing sometimes got in the way of showing it, but it was there.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“Just that they are all members of Rough ‘n Ready.”

“And?”

“You seem to look down on me for being a member.”

“I do not.”

He opened an eye. “Really?”

His tone told her he didn’t believe her.

“No. If you remember, I suggested that you look into BDSM as an outlet.”

He sat up and opened both eyes. “So, why the judgement in your voice?”

“I’m not judging you. I worry about you. That’s all.”

The leather creaked as he moved closer. He was so close she could feel his body heat. The scent of his aftershave filled her senses and left her a little lightheaded. She had to fight off the shiver. “That’s it?”

She nodded. “I’ve heard that the club is one of the best in the world. I have never, and will never, judge you for your need for Domination. I promise.”

He stayed close a moment longer, then sighed. “Good. Because I would blame it all on you,” he said, but this time his voice was lighter, less sarcastic. He leaned back again and she breathed a sigh of relief.

If he ever figured out she was also a member, he would never let her hear the end of it.

* * *

Jensen was out of the car before it came to a complete stop. He needed space, away from Nic, away from it all. Mostly…her. God, he’d had to deal with the long flight over, and now this.

He made sure to keep all of his feelings buried beneath the surface. Nic would not be happy about them. Or how many times he’d awakened with a hard-on in the last two months after a hot dream of her. More than once he’d had to fight the urge to go to her. Now, they were in romantic Hawaii and she would insist on wearing those fucking little bikinis.

“Jensen?” He realized she’d walked past him to the front door. Marta, the housekeeper, had already opened it.

“Sorry. Jet lag.”

She gave him a look that told him she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t push it. One of the bad things about having his former sober companion as his personal assistant—she just didn’t put up with his shit.

At least there would be no thigh highs here. Granted, he had never gotten proof of what she was wearing, but he was a man who knew silk stockings when he saw them. He particularly liked the back seamed ones.

Jensen fought off a shudder. Even as he thanked the gods that he was avoiding short skirts and stockings, he knew she was going to be wearing short skirts to show off her tanned legs, and camisoles that bared even more of her skin.

“Come on. Get changed and go out to Rough ‘n Ready. I’m not in the mood to deal with you anymore. Aloha, Marta. Howzit?”

He loved the way that no matter where they were, she could slip into the local language and slang. It was her way of showing respect. He knew it came from all her travels in her skating competition days, but it had appealed to him. It made him look smarter. There was the added thrill he got when she spoke another language. Italian was a particular favorite of his.

“Everything is good, Nicola.”

“Great. We really don’t need you tonight. I ate on the plane and I’m heading over to my friend’s house later. Mr. Wulf is going out tonight.”

“Of course,” Marta said as she stepped back to let both of them come into the house.

They had never owned property on the islands before. It wasn’t a place they had any interest in until a year or two ago. Because of the frequent trips, though, the family had decided to buy another house. This one had become a particular favorite of his. It boasted an open floor plan with floor to ceiling windows that looked out on the Pacific. The light paint on the walls, along with amazing views, gave the house an airy feel.

“Everything looks wonderful,” Nic said. “But then, that’s what I’ve come to expect.”

Marta beamed as she followed them down the hall. Nic always knew what to say to people to let them know she appreciated their work. It was one of the things he liked about her and also one of the reasons he’d hired her as his PA.

Today, it just made him cranky. Cranky and horny.

Bloody hell .

“I stocked the fridge to your specifications; plus, I found some fruit at the farmer’s market I thought you would like.”

“You are a goddess, Marta. What would I do without you?” Nic asked.

Again, the right thing.

“Thank you, Marta,” he said. She smiled at him and hurried out to organize everything that had come in from the car.

“I would suggest an ice-cold shower.”

“What?” he asked turning on Nicola. How did she know?

“I said, that maybe you should take an ice-cold shower. You need to cool off and calm down.”

His phone rang before he could respond. His brother’s ring so he clicked it on.

“Bloody hell, I just got here.”

“I love you, too,” Jakob said.

“What do you want?”

“I just thought I would check and make sure everything worked out and you’re there alive.”

“You probably already talked to Frank, so why is that a problem?”

His brother was responding when Nicola took the phone from him.

“Hello, Jakob. Don’t try to irritate your brother. He’s already irritated and then I’ll have to deal with him.”

She was silent for a moment or two. Jensen fought the need to grab the phone out of her hand. Lately, he’d been getting irritated how much she and Jakob talked on the phone. And in person. Every now and then, they sat next to each other at meals. That was getting really annoying.

He rolled his eyes. Good lord. He was starting to sound like a teenager with a crush on his teacher. He was actually jealous of his brother for no other reason than he was talking to Nic. There was no good reason for the two of them to talk. Jakob had a very small role at the company since he spent most of his time acting.

“I see. Well, if the Johnsons don’t want to meet with us?—”

Silence again as his brother talked.

“Oh, okay. I got it. They want to have a meeting next week on Maui. I’ll get everything set up. Just send me the particulars. Do you want to talk to Jensen again?”

His brother responded, which brought out a bubble of laughter from Nicola. “Okay.”

She clicked off his phone and handed it back to him. Then she started to walk away. He grabbed hold of her arm, which was a mistake. Touching her was always a mistake.

She glanced down at his hand, then back up to his face. “Yes?”

“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”

“Meeting next week on Maui. Seems the Johnsons are going to try and play hardball. You can let go of me now.”

He didn’t realize until that moment that his hands were still on her.

“Sorry.” He waited one more second than was necessary and then released her arm.

“No worries. They want us on Maui next week. A meeting of the minds.”

Dammit. He understood it wasn’t easy to give up family land, but Wulf Industries wasn’t going to do anything with it. Well, anything else than the family had been doing. The pristine land was prime vacation land, and they had a hotel on it. Wulf Industries wanted to redo the entire resort, update it, and bring in more jobs for the locals. Still, the Johnsons had been dragging their feet for months after they had already agreed to negotiate a price with them. They were the only bidder who had been willing to keep the resort island friendly.

“So, we’re going over there next week?”

She shrugged as she started to walk away. “It would only be for overnight, so I guess we both don’t need to go.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. While he had enjoyed having her as a traveling companion in the past, his new attraction to her was getting out of hand. Being at a resort overnight…well, he did not want to test himself. Not right now.

“What will you do?”

“I might just lay out by the pool with Serenity and be a lazy tourist for a few days.”

He blinked at the anticipation he heard in her voice. “That doesn’t sound like you at all.”

She stopped walking and turned around to face him. “What do you mean by that?”

Now what did he do? She was staring at him with those ice blue eyes of hers, and she expected an answer from him. And in that one instant, he couldn’t think. Every bloody thought in his brain dissolved into visions of leaning forward and brushing his mouth over hers. She would be sweet, so sweet, with just the right amount of spice.

“I’m waiting,” she said in the tone that told him she wasn’t happy with him.

“Just that you never seem to settle down. I always thought taking a break for you was when you made lists.”

She snorted. “Do you remember what I did for my last vacation?”

“I know you went to Arizona with Serenity.”

She rolled her eyes. “I gave you the itinerary. You should have known where we were every day.”

“Oh, yeah.” He had ignored it. Mainly because he spent the entire week in a panic without her. Well, mildly panicked. He wasn’t accustomed to spending so much of his time alone.

“We went to Mii Amo.”

“You went to another resort other than ours?” he asked, irritated.

“Yes. Everyone knows my name at the three resorts we have in the US. They don’t give me a moment’s rest or let me act like a tourist, so I went somewhere else. And, do you know what I did the entire time I was there?”

He could not speak, so he shook his head.

“I rested. I gorged myself on some amazing food, and I had so many body treatments I can’t even remember them all. Massages, body wraps, reiki…you name it and it was probably done to my body.”

She closed her eyes and hummed. Good lord, she was trying to kill him. Just thinking about her naked on a table, slathered with oils and lotions, had what little blood left in his brain traveling down to his cock. Fuck.

When she opened her eyes, she was smiling. “And I loved it. It was fantastic. In fact, we are planning another one later this year and I cannot wait. So, for your information, I do know how to relax.”

When he said nothing, she frowned.

“Are you okay, Jensen?”

He nodded, but he still didn’t talk.

“You should at least jump in the shower to wash the grime off you. You’re pretty, but I’m sure whatever sub you find tonight doesn’t want a stinky Dom.”

He nodded again.

“I’m going to take one myself before heading over to Serenity’s. If I don’t see you before you leave, have fun, but play safe.”

And with that, she trotted up the stairs as if she hadn’t just given him a vivid picture of herself as she lay naked.

“Sir?” Marta said when she walked back into the foyer.

He shook himself out of his stupor and gave their housekeeper a smile. “No worries. Just a little jetlag. A shower will fix all that.”

But even as he made his way to his second-floor bedroom, he knew he was lying. The only way the shower would work was if it were ice cold. He really hated when Nic was right.