Chapter 7

chapter seven

J ensen looked out the expansive windows of the Mauka Resort. It was a little drab outside, with light rain falling, but it didn’t matter. It was still beautiful.

The massive pool was empty, but you could still see a few people out on the beach. He didn’t blame them for braving the crappy weather. It would clear up soon, he was sure, and besides, it was Hawaii and no matter what, it was always beautiful.

This view, along with the massive acreage, were the top two reasons they wanted to invest in the resort. And he should be happy. Negotiations were going better than he thought they would. With half the family wanting the investment, he knew that he only had a slight edge. The other half knew they needed an infusion of capital to keep the place running. They weren't happy about it; but, in the words of Nicola, life didn't always make you happy.

Damn, he was missing her. She hadn't even come to the plane to see him off. He knew he wasn't being logical, but damn, he wanted her there. She was right. He didn't need her. But he wanted her there with a ferocity that truly irritated him. He could and had functioned without her before.

He watched Alfie’s reflection as he made his way through the board room. He stopped beside Jensen.

“It's hard to tell what they're thinking.”

He nodded. “Very stoic. I think we have a good chance though.”

Alfie sighed. “I agree. They need the help, and I don't think they have another company offering our type of package. I thought Nicola was going to come.”

“She's in Hawaii.”

“No. I mean here.”

“Oh, I thought she told you. She stayed on Oahu. She had some work that she could do from there.”

“Oh.”

His disappointed tone had Jensen turning to look at him. Nicola had been right, they had been best friends at Eaton. They came from different worlds. The Wulfs had a long history of being a silent but powerful family in England. Alfie Thompson was new money. It was odd, because if someone heard their last names, most people would think Alfie was twenty-fifth in line for the throne. Wulf sounded like some weird family name made up by an actor. Instead, Jensen could trace his family history all the way back to before the Norman invasion. Wulf had been Wulfgang, so after World War I, they had changed their name. Well, shortened it.

“How long are you going to be here?”

He had arrived the night before and now he was ready to head back. It was as if he couldn’t go twenty-four hours without seeing Nicola. Pathetic.

“What did you say?” he asked Alfie.

“Sorry. Lost in my thoughts.”

Alfie smiled. “Hawaii does have that effect on me. Hard to hold onto thoughts.”

“Excuse me,” Robert Johnson said.

He turned with a smile. “Yes?”

“We are going to need a few days to consider this option.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“We might have a counter offer.”

Alfie opened his mouth to respond, and Jensen knew it would be negative. “Any response other than no makes me happy.”

Robert’s rigidity seemed to melt a bit.

“I understand you’re staying on Oahu?”

“Yes. We have a house over there, or I would stay here for the negotiations.”

“Why don’t I fly over there next Monday? That way you don’t have to make the trip over here again.”

“Of course. Give Nicola a call with your details and we will be happy to get together.”

He nodded and walked back to the rest of his family.

“Well, that’s brilliant. Now I can head back early.”

“Of course.”

There was a thread of irritation in Alfie’s voice that caught his attention.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I just don’t know why I’m here.”

He waited until the rest of the Johnson family had left them alone.

“Mainly because you are my VP in charge of acquisitions and you wanted to come, remember? Or have you forgotten your push to have some time in Hawaii? Take the rest of the week to enjoy the island. Fly to one of the other islands.”

“Sorry,” he said rubbing his temples. “I can’t seem to get used to island time.”

“Sure. Well, I’m off to the airport. Do you need a ride over?”

“No. I think I’ll take your advice and spend some time enjoying this island first.”

“Good. Let me know if any of the Johnson family contacts you early.”

“Of course.”

With that, he pulled out his phone and started getting everything ready to head back to Oahu.

* * *

Nicola took a sip of her yummy lava flow and looked out over the rooms in Rough ‘n Ready. One of the things she loved about the club was the ability to see some of the play rooms. The private rooms were even better, although she hadn’t been able to use them. At least tonight she knew she was free. Jensen wasn’t coming back until tomorrow and she had wanted to see her friend’s club.

“I see that my wife made your favorite drink of the islands,” Micah said, having to lean down closer for her to hear.

She smiled at him and motioned with her finger so that he would bend down a little.

“Your wife makes the best damn lava flow.”

“I thought you would play tonight, given the outfit.”

She shook her head. “Not really in the mood.” The outfit was another matter. It wasn’t even that, but she wore a mask. There was no need for her to be accidentally recognized there. Granted, she normally wouldn’t excite most people, but if it were to get back to Jensen, she would never hear the end of it.

Truth was, it had been a long time since she’d been in the mood. Probably when they went to Tokyo last year.

“Is there something wrong?”

One of the great things about having Micah as her first Dom was that he was so intuitive. He knew just how far to push her. It was also one of the most irritating things now that they were just friends.

She shrugged. “Nothing wrong. I’ve just been out of sorts lately.”

None of her friends in the life intrigued her anymore. Worse, she was comparing them to Jensen, or at least what she imagined Jensen’s behavior as a Dom would be. After her talk with Serenity the other night, her worries had increased. If this wasn’t just some kind of funk, what would she do?

“Can I give you some friendly advice?”

“Can I stop you?”

His lips twitched. “Stop ignoring your instincts.”

“What the bloody hell do you mean by that?”

He shook his head. “I taught you well. Figure it out yourself, Nic.”

Without another word, he turned and sauntered off. She cherished her friendship with Micah, but sometimes he was a real pain in the ass.

* * *

Jensen had planned on going home, but when he found out that Nicola wasn’t there, he decided to head over to Rough ‘n Ready. He stepped into the club, which was packed. It was spring break, or so more than one person had told him, and it meant a crowded gathering. The fact that there was going to be a demonstration tonight by well-known Domme Heather D made the crush even worse. He had gotten to the main platform when he noticed Micah making a beeline his way.

“How’s tricks?” Micah asked.

He shrugged. “Got back from Maui early, so I thought I would come in.”

But now that he was there, he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t even feel like looking for a sub. What he wanted to know was where the hell was Nicola? All he was told was that she was out. Probably with Serenity. Still, when he called her phone, she hadn’t answered and that worried him.

“Earth to Jensen,” Micah said.

He blinked. “Sorry. Obsessing over something at the moment.”

Micah smiled. “Why not come up to the office?”

Without the burning need to find a sub, Jensen went along with him. He had never been invited into the inner sanctum, but he had heard about it. It wasn’t that it was overly special, but he knew that Micah rarely invited patrons up to the room.

He followed the club owner up the stairs, then into the office. One wall was a floor-to-ceiling window, allowing a full view of the club. The wall next to that held a bank of screens showing all the public areas of the club.

“You know, I had the same issue you have right now.”

He turned. “What the bloody hell does that mean?”

“You seem to be hung up on a woman.”

He made a face and turned back to the bank of screens. The fact that he thought Micah might be right worried Jensen. It didn’t mean he had to admit it. “Not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Hmm, preoccupied, can’t find a sub to satisfy your needs.”

At that moment, he caught sight of a woman dressed in black. There was something about the way she made her way through the crowd that caught his interest. Her sassy ponytail swayed with each step, and there was something so graceful and familiar.

“Who is that?”

Micah walked up behind him.

“Ah, that’s Kitty.”

He glanced at Micah. “Kitty?”

“That’s what she goes by when she’s here. Kitty Cat.”

He turned back and found her easily again. When she turned to face the camera, he noticed she was wearing a mask. Not that odd; although, it was more like something Cat Woman would wear and not the usual thing someone would wear to a BDSM club. The black latex pants and vest definitely fit the persona.

Beyond that, it had been months since a woman had captured his attention. The familiar heat sped through his blood.

“Is something wrong?” Micah asked.

“I feel like I know her.”

“Hmm, not sure if you’ve ever been here together.”

There was something in Micah’s voice that caught his attention.

“You know who she is.”

“Of course. She’s a member of the club.”

“Who is she?”

“I cannot reveal that.”

Frustrated and irritated, he turned on the club owner. “What the bloody hell does that mean?”

“It means that I agreed to keep her identity a secret.”

His gaze moved to the screen and Jensen followed his line of vision. She was making her way to the door, and he was going to lose her. Without saying a word, he rushed out the door and down the stairs. He had to catch her before she left.

He’d gotten close enough to see her again. Jensen continued to push his way through the crowd to get closer. Then he got a bit of a break. She stopped and set her glass on the bar and said something that made Dee, Micah’s wife, laugh. The woman turned her head just enough that he could see her eyes—and he stopped in his tracks.

Ice-blue and cold as ice.

He had only seen that particular shade on one other person in his life. His world turned topsy-turvy. Pursuing her wasn’t important now because he knew exactly where she was going to be spending her night.

Instead, he stood in the middle of Rough ‘n Ready as his world fractured into a million pieces.

“I take it from the look on your face you know who she is,” Micah said.

He kept his gaze glued to her until she walked out of the club. Then he turned to Micah. “Yes. And I want to know how long you’ve known her.”

He sighed. “Let’s go back to the office and I’ll tell you what I can.”