“A-lo-fucking-ha!” Cassie cries excitedly, peering out the window of our plane. Twelve hours traveling with Cassie is damn near torture, even if we are flying business class, and more than once, the flight attendants have shot her looks as she babbled her way across most of the United States. She didn’t even shut up when we had a layover in Los Angeles, but instead told me all about how her cousin went to UCLA and met this gorgeous Laotian girl whom he married and . . . “Check that out, Hannah. Have you ever seen anything better?”

I have to admit, it’s gorgeous. Peering out from my window, I see nothing but clear skies and sapphire blue waters. I’ve never really been much of a Pacific girl, preferring the warmer Atlantic and the crystal clear Caribbean, but damn if I might not want to change my opinion. Honolulu itself looks like any other urban city, but surrounding it . . . absolutely amazing. Lush green mountains, tropical forests, and on the horizon, I can even see the majestic brutality of Mauna Loa with its constant eruptions. It takes my breath away. Part of me regrets having to pack my camera in my luggage, but there just wasn’t enough space in my carry-on, and the view I have can’t be translated to a damn iPhone lens. It’s the kind of place where I’d want to live if I ever ‘make it’.

“It’s gorgeous,” I say dreamily. I can see the pale ribbon of beach, and I already want to pull on my bathing suit and try to soak up a few rays. Staying professional is going to be harder than I thought it’d be with that much natural beauty to take up my attention.

“Oh, yeah, can’t wait to get down there and show Hawaii what Cassie White is all about!” Cassie says excitedly.

I groan, rubbing at my temples. “You keep saying stupid shit like that, and they might be calling for an evacuation. First time they called one that didn’t involve a volcano.”

Cassie turns and wiggles her tongue. “Oh, come on! We’re gonna have so much fun!”

I scowl. “We’re here to make this deal. I’m not saying you can’t have some fun too. I might do a little sightseeing myself. But getting this job done is our priority.”

Cassie snorts, flipping her hand dismissively. “Come on, pull the barbed butt plug out of your ass. I’m just trying to be in a good mood. We’re not in the office anymore. This Wesley guy? He’s gonna be giving us the property for free when I’m done with him. Just watch. We’ll have the rest of the time to party and have fun. I’m going to find a man with a nice longboard for me to surf on!”

I stare at her, unmoved. “You go in like that, and we’re going to be flying home—and our first stop will be the unemployment office.”

Luckily, that quiets her. The plane shakes as some crosswinds shake us, and I swallow. I hate landings, but at least I get a blissful nine minutes of relative quiet as our plane makes one more turn and comes in for a landing. We get off the plane and grab our bags, catching a cab to take us to our hotel. I have to hand it to Myra. She booked us in a nice place, not one of the big touristy resorts but instead a beachside spot that’s normally used for family getaways, honeymoons, and stuff like that.

“We’ve arrived!” Cassie says cheerfully, throwing her arms out as if to hug the whole island as we step out of our cab.

I shake my head as I pay the cab and we make our way down the path to the hotel entrance.

Cassie’s wearing heels, which might have looked sexy as fuck on the tiles of the Honolulu airport, but they just look out of place and clumsy on the gravel paths of the hotel. I’m glad I decided to go with some platform sandals instead, still sexy but I’m not tripping over every crack in the damn walkway.

“Just a sec,” I say, taking out my phone. I just can’t help it. “Strike a pose for me!” Cassie does, and I roll my eyes. “One that you don’t mind being put on Facebook!”

“Spoilsport,” she says, but she still looks cute and fun as I snap a shot with my phone before letting her take one for me.

We enter the hotel lobby, where I see the restaurant off to the side. My stomach grumbles at the sight, but I take a moment to give the desk staff our bags, telling them we want to eat before we check in.

Cassie is grumbling slightly behind me about sand in her heels, but I ignore her as we approach the hostess, a pretty Hawaiian lady who smiles at us with dimples that rival Cassie’s. “Aloha, how many?”

“Just us two.”

The lady checks her seating chart, and while she does, Cassie nudges me. “Hey, check that dude out. He’s hot as fuck and he’s staring at you!”

“Uh-uh,” I comment, refusing to look. “I don’t need any distractions. Besides, they’re all the same from Honolulu to Hackensack.”

Cassie shakes me so violently I almost pop her. “Will you just look? The one on the left.”

Scowling, I turn my head. His back is to me now, so all I see is his frame. He’s standing with another guy who’s smaller, but still built well. He’s wearing a tropical shirt and cargo shorts and he’s covered in sweat. I can see his back muscles through his shirt, and I find myself lowering my shades to get a good look. The sweat clings to his shirt and seems to define every ridge and nook down his back. My eyes fix on his ass, and I can’t help it, I gulp.

Despite myself, I bite my lower lip. Damn, he has buns that are begging for a little love bite. “You’re right. He’s a studmuffin, at least from what I see.”

“What did I tell you?” Cassie whispers. “His friend’s pretty cute too.”

“I can’t see his face but his backside is a sight,” I agree. “But I’m on a mission, and he’s not it.”

The hostess leads us to our table on an outer patio overlooking the ocean. As we sit down, I catch another glance of Studmuffin as he walks with his friend toward their bungalow. But the angle is bad again, so I can only see his back.

We go about our light lunch, my eyes still amazed at the sight of the ocean pounding the beach in front of us.

After we’re done, we head back into the lobby to retrieve our luggage, check in, and then make our way up to our room.

“You know, Cassie, you might be right,” I say as we get off the elevator. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be such a downer. If I lighten up a little, this trip might end up being amazing after all.”

Cassie grins, slapping me on my ass. “That’s the spirit!”

I smile at her as we walk down the hall and make it to our room. But my smile quickly fades when I swing the door open and step inside. The room is nice enough, the flooring made of red Spanish tile with white walls and a vaulted ceiling covered in a woven bamboo, adding a touch of natural coolness.

I like everything about it except for one problem.

“There’s just one Queen bed. There must be some mistake . . .” I mutter, shaking my head.

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” Cassie says, walking around and exploring the room before doing a little twirl. “Haven’t you ever had a sleepover before?”

I roll my eyes, heading over to the room’s phone. “Quiet, Cassie,” I growl as I dial the operator.

“Yes?” answers a woman’s voice.

I quickly tell her our problem. “Is this some sort of a mix-up? Our room only has one Queen bed, and we don’t even have a sofa!”

“One moment,” the woman says softly after asking for our room number, and I hear typing in the background. “I’m very sorry, Miss Fowler, but it appears that’s correct. You were booked a standard room. But if you would like to upgrade . . .”

“Never mind,” I say. “Thank you for your help.”

I hang up, grab my cell, and dial Myra, who picks up on the second ring. “Hello?”

“There’s one bed!”

“Excuse me?” Myra asks. “Hannah?”

I tell her about our room and how I’d be uncomfortable sharing a bed with Cassie. Meanwhile, Cassie seems unbothered, peering out the window with a sunny smile on her face.

“Hmm” Myra says. “I’ll see what I can do.”

I sigh with relief. “Thank you, Myra—”

I hear someone enter her office. I can hear talking in the background. “But you might have to make do for tonight,” she says quickly. “Gotta go!”

Click. I stare at my phone, not sure if I want to scream or throw my phone into the Pacific. A whole night in a bed with Cass? I might end up killing her by morning. And there’s no way I’m sleeping on the floor.

“What did she say?” Cassie says, appearing cheerful despite my irritation, but she’s cut off as my phone rings.

“What?” I snap, but not meaning to. If it’s Myra, maybe I’ll just lose my job earlier than expected.

“You turn into a crab already? Geez!” Roxy complains, chuckling. “I’m just calling to check to see if you landed safely and this is the kind of reception I get?”

I take a deep breath, blowing out a lock of hair from my face. It’s hot, and I look around for the air conditioner. “Sorry. I’m just a little annoyed.”

I tell her about my room situation, and Roxy whistles at the end, laughing. “Well, didn’t you say you wanted to be a lesbian? Now’s your chance!”

“Do you want to die sooner than you expected?” I growl. She’s supposed to be supporting me, not making things worse. “Because you are totally not helping.”

Roxy laughs. “What? You said it!” She’s being ridiculous, but I can’t help but smile. “Are you still playing this nun shtick and pretending you're gonna be celibate for the rest of your life? I thought you would have found a man you’d like to bone already. I fully expected to not get answered because you’d be in full-on Fowler Power mode.”

I smile again at the old joke. She Rox’d them, and I’ve got Fowler Power. “You’re damn right. Just call me Mother Mary. I ain’t giving up nothing.”

Roxy laughs. “Remember what I told you before you left about being sexually repressed? You’re going to leave there itching for a cum shower!”

“You know what? I think we’ve about exhausted all the possibilities of this conversation.”

“Don’t go chasing waterfalls,” Roxy sings with faux emotion, “please stick to the balls and dicks that you’re used to . . .”

I can’t help it, I snicker. “Okay, I’m hanging up now.”

“Chill, babe, I was just playing.”

“I would say you’re going to hell, but that would be a cruel thing for your baby.”

“No way,” Roxy protests in my ear. “I’m an angel, remember? Just ask my husband.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I grumble, feeling a little better. I walk over to my bag, pick it up, and take it over to the bed. I pull out the outfit that I want to wear for the meeting with Mr. Mobber later. It’s more conservative than I’d like, but I want to look good for my meeting.

“So, how’s the island?” Roxy asks. “I mean, besides the room?”

I sigh dreamily, my irritation momentarily forgotten. “It’s beautiful. You would love it here. You and Jake should take a vacation here sometime.”

“We’ve talked about it before. For now, you just enjoy yourself.”

“I will, I promise,” I reply, but before Roxy can say anything, there’s a slam of a door in the background. “Sounds like you’ve gotta go.”

“Yeah, Sophie just came in. I’ll call you tomorrow or something. Love you.”

“Love you too, Rox,” I say, and we hang up.

“Okay,” I say to Cassie. “Let’s get ready and go get that contract. And pray Myra has a new room for us by the time we’re back.”