"Come on, baby. Let me buy you a drink.”

This had been going on for almost an hour. Red Polo Guy had made his approach when I went to the bar and he was as sleazy as expected. Night had fallen over Waikiki Beach, and after Ebony and I had run upstairs to change, we came back to the bar for the night shenanigans. Warm sea breeze still lingered in the air, so all I’d done was throw a crocheted dress over my bikini, braided my chocolate brown hair, leaving it to hang over my shoulder, and reapplied my lip gloss. Typical beach dress code, and I freaking loved it.

Now, I was dealing with this.

“For the billionth time, I don’t want or need you to buy me a drink. I told you that hours ago, and I definitely haven’t changed my mind.”

I turned my back to him and started tapping my nails on the bar. Seriously, what the hell would it take for him to get the point? As I scanned the cocktail list, I froze when my braid was moved off my shoulder and fingertips swept over my neck.

Breath tainted with scotch and cigarettes curled around my ear and invaded my nostrils. “Come on, baby, just one drink.”

Rage boiled within me. How dare he touch me! Who the hell did he think he was? I spun around, ready to explode and direct every expletive I knew at him. But before I could rage havoc, someone stepped up and took that job away from me.

“How many fucking times does she have to say no to you?”

A voice as smooth as silk yet lethal as cyanide wrapped itself tightly around me. Stepping out of the shadows, the owner of the voice appeared, and my ability to breathe ceased to exist. His dark eyes roamed over my body, taking in every inch of me, before directing their venom at Red Polo Guy. All I could do was stare. Something told me this was the unicorn Ebony was willing to give up her ladies-only rule for. The scruff and tattoos told me this was the man I caught a glimpse of earlier. The only word to describe him was spectacular. Dark denim jeans caressing thick thighs led to a trim waist, and a white t-shirt stretched over a broad, sculptured chest. His arms, decorated with tattoos, looked like they were about to bust out of the sleeves. But that was nothing compared to his face. Lord have mercy! Rich chocolate brown eyes, thick lashes, perfect scruff on a sharp jaw, and hair with the just-fucked look had me completely in a trance.

"Who are you?" Red Polo Guy spat.

A smirk flitted across Mr. Spectacular’s lips. "Her knight in shining armor. Now, fuck off and leave her alone."

A testosterone fueled stand-off commenced until Red Polo Guy conceded defeat. “You can have her. She’s not worth the time. Frigid bitch.”

Mr. Spectacular took a menacing step forward and hissed, “What did you just say?”

“He isn’t worth it,” I cut in.

“Apologize to her and then leave.”

I didn’t know what deathly look crossed Mr. Spectacular’s face, but the color of Red Polo Guy’s face began to match his shirt, and he muttered a half-assed sorry before bolting away.

Concern flashed over Mr. Spectacular’s face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I blinked out of my daze. “Thank you for coming to the rescue. He just wouldn’t take a hint. He’s been trying all day,” I admitted with a shrug. “Maybe he’s into rejection or something.”

“Or maybe he’s just an asshole who spotted a gorgeous woman and thought he’d annoy the fuck out of her while pissing me off in the process.” He smirked, and boy, what a smirk it was. Devilishly. Boyish. Enticing. Dangerous. A lethal combination.

“Maybe,” I replied softly, suddenly overwhelmed by his presence, and the fact that he’d called me gorgeous to my face.

He slid in beside me at the bar, and as soon as his arm grazed mine, zaps of electricity shot through my body. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him. He towered over me. He’d be well over six foot and had an intimidating yet protective vibe about him. He was the type of stranger who made you feel safe instead of fearful.

“What’s your poison?” he asked after ordering himself a beer.

“So now you want to buy me a drink?” I teased, raising a questioning brow in the process.

“Babe, the fact you’re gorgeous hasn’t changed. So, yeah, I’m going to buy you and your girl a drink. I’m going to talk to you. But the difference between me and that dickwad is you will only have to say no to me once, and I’ll be gone. So what are you two drinking?”

With my heart thundering in my chest, I glanced over at the table Ebony and I had claimed and found her staring at us with wide eyes and a devious grin on her face. She rested her chin in her hand and looked like she was having the time of her life watching this play out. As soon as her gaze connected with mine, she pointed at Mr. Spectacular and gave me a double thumbs-up before gesturing for me to turn back around to him.

The devilish smirk he had waiting for me set my mind into overdrive. I had no clue who this man was, but something within me was telling me I should want to know. In the short amount of time I’d been in his path, I knew, without a doubt, he’d promise wild yet give you a hint of peace in the process. He’d be the much-needed solitude in an overcrowded room. He’d encompass the energy of a fierce thunderstorm at the end of a perfectly clear day. Most importantly, he’d protect a woman he didn’t know without question or consequence.

“Why do you want to buy me a drink?” I asked, finding my voice.

“Why shouldn’t I want to buy you a drink?” He answered my question with a question. “Are you married?”

“No.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Girlfriend?”

“No.”

“Have you looked at yourself lately in the mirror?”

My lip twitched. “Yes.”

“Well then, you know why I want to buy you a drink, why I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you all night, and why I’m going to get our drinks and follow your cute ass through the bar, pull up a seat with you and your girl, and we are going to have drinks and enjoy being in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. You good with that?”

My next words came out sounding more like a pant than I wanted. “I don’t even know who you are.”

He held out his hand, leaned in close, and in the world’s sexiest voice, he introduced himself. “Carson Reeves. And you are?”

I looked at his hand briefly before curling mine around it and giving it a firm shake. “Gabrielle Mackenzie.”

“Pretty name,” he murmured, and I should have known then that I was in trouble. “Now, what’ll it be, Gabrielle Mackenzie?”

“I was ready to throw in my lesbian card for you.”

Three drinks later and it would seem Carson had replaced me as Ebony’s best friend. He came through and did everything he said he would. He’d ordered our drinks, followed me through the bar, and pulled up a seat next to me. I didn’t know if it was a conscious thing or not, but he’d rested his leg against mine most of the night, and every time I spoke, he gave me his complete attention. I couldn’t remember the last time a man had given me his full attention, and yes, I am well aware that I’d just come out of a long-term relationship. The sad part, I was coming to realize, was that you could be in a relationship and not even realize what you were missing out on. Completely blindsided. But never again.

“So, Carson Reeves, what brings you to Waikiki Beach?” Ebony asked, taking her role of wing woman very seriously and asking the tough questions. “Married? Single? Gay? Unsure?”

“I needed some downtime from work, and a friend from high school is getting married tomorrow, so it worked out.” He took a swig of his beer and then directed his attention to me. Again. “I’m very much single.”

Good god.

“You’re here for a wedding?” I asked, trying to keep it cool, while also attempting to ignore the pulse of desire that surged through me. “Don’t tell me it’s for Anna and Dale.”

His eyes flashed with amusement. “Been friends with Dale since we were fourteen. I’m standing beside him tomorrow when Anna makes an honest man of him.”

“This is brilliant! If this isn’t fate, I don’t know what is,” Ebony hooted from across the table.

The first thing that crossed my mind was that I would be seeing him dressed in a tux. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t squeeze my thighs together at the thought. He was enticing in jeans and a simple white tee, so god help the female population when he strolled out wearing a tux, more importantly, god help me.

“You better be careful tomorrow. Likelihood of you getting mobbed by every woman who sees you rocking a tux is extremely high. I’ll try my best, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to take care of that many women the way you took care of Red Polo Guy for me.”

His eyes turned liquid and dropped to take in my lips before staring back at me. “Only woman I’ll be focusing on tomorrow is going to be you. I noticed you as soon as I walked in tonight. Knew the moment I saw you throwing your head back and laughing that I needed to know who you were. Fucking glad I made that approach. Red Polo Guy, as you like to call him, provided me with an in. Shot himself in the foot by being a sleazy asshole, but his loss is my gain.”

“You’re very honest,” I murmured, before taking a sip of my cocktail and eyeing him.

“It’s the only way to be. I’m here to relax, have a good time, and de-stress. If spending time with a woman like you is in the cards, I’m all in. Just met you, but the field I’m in means I’ve got a pretty good grasp on reading people, so I can tell you’re the kind of woman I want to spend my time with. I have no reason to lie to you.”

“I’m beginning to question my sexuality again.” Ebony practically moaned from across the table. Her eyes locked on Carson, and her cheeks flushed. She turned to me, and in the most serious tone I’d ever heard her use, she said, “Marry this man, Gabs. I don’t care that you just met. Just marry the fuck out of him and then tell me every sordid detail about him.”

And her filter had taken a hike.

“How about we get through one wedding before we start planning the next?” Carson suggested before directing the next question to me. “You good with all this?”

“Yeah,” I answered, before throwing in, “as long as it’s a spring wedding.”

“You got it.” He winked and shot me a devilish smile.

Suddenly, I was rethinking my stance of holiday flings because this man had confidence and determination, and he wasn’t afraid to use either to get what he wanted.

I had no chance. And I hadn’t even seen him in a tux yet.