Chapter Two

Kylie

 

Kylie Martin gripped the cushion of her recliner to keep herself upright. If her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, the last man she ever imagined—or desired—running into on the Big Island was walking toward her right now.

She let out a soft gasp, her heart pounding with each one of his steps. Time had been good, oh-so good to Devon Brooks. He’d been cute in high school, but he was now the very definition of smoking hot. His unbuttoned white linen shirt revealed a well-defined chest and taut abs that seemed to glisten in the sunlight.

He seemed like a photoshopped image walking off the pages of GQ, but Devon was very much a real man. The tenderness and hope on his face made her stomach drop—and not in a good way. Kylie wished she could hide or become invisible. She’d be so ashamed if he knew the type of person she’d become.

“Who is that hunk of a man?” Kylie’s friend, Tabitha, drawled in a southern accent as she peered over the rim of her sunglasses. Her curly blonde hair swung around her shoulders as she leaned forward in her seat. She twisted her petite body to face Kylie, her jaw dropped. “Is he looking at you, Ky? I think he is! And he’s walking this way! Whatever could he want with us?”

Kylie bit her bottom lip as she flipped her long straight hair over her shoulder. She pulled her sheer cover-up over her body, trying in vain to conceal herself. So much for wanting to show off the bikini she’d splurged on for this trip. She also kissed goodbye to enjoying her one day off from work. There was no relaxing now, especially with the barrage of questions Tabitha was shooting her way. “We were classmates once upon a time.”

“Are you sure you weren’t more? Because the way he’s looking at you sure says otherwise.”

“We did date, but we were just kids. I haven’t seen him since high school.” Kylie shot Tabitha a pleading look. “He doesn’t know about my family, and I’d like to keep it that way. Please.”

Tabitha’s blue eyes widened. “Of course. Mum’s the word. I won’t say a thing about why we’re here. We’re just two girlfriends on vacation together.”

“Thanks,” Kylie managed to reply as a rich baritone voice greeted them with a smooth hello. She glanced up, and up some more, until her gaze locked with a pair of familiar hazel eyes. “Devon? Fancy meeting you here.”

“Laurene mentioned she ran into you the other day. I was hoping our paths would cross as well. You can imagine my surprise when I saw you.” He handed her a glass of champagne then gave the other one to Tabitha. He flashed a friendly smile and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Devon Brooks, an old friend of Kylie’s. And you are?”

Tabitha offered her hand, which Devon promptly graced with a kiss. “I’m Tabitha, but you can call me Tabby. Aren’t you a gentleman, giving me your glass of champagne?”

“It wouldn’t be right to let a lovely woman go thirsty in this heat.”

“You sure are sweet. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Devon.” She turned to Kylie with a raised brow. “Aren’t you going to give your old friend a hug? That’s what we do in the south.”

Kylie tried to keep her cool, but her cheeks felt like they were on fire. “You know I’m a California girl through and through,” she replied with gritted teeth.

“Come on, Ky. We ought to keep to tradition.” Devon winked at her, causing the flurry of butterflies in her stomach to take wing.

“I suppose we should.” She set her glass on a side table and stood up. Even with her heels on, she only came up to Devon’s shoulders.

He stepped forward and wrapped his muscular arms around her, not bothering to wait for her to initiate. “It’s so good to see you. You look amazing.”

“Th-thanks.” Kylie could hardly think, much less speak. Devon’s embrace was so strong and warm, offering her a level of comfort she hadn’t felt in a very long time. How could he be so gentle and kind to her after she’d dumped him in high school? A lump formed in her throat as she reflected on her regrets.

He was too good for her then, and he was too good for her now. She took a deep breath to clear her thoughts but ended up getting a whiff of Devon’s spicy cologne. Oh, he smelled amazing. Her heart skipped a beat, confirming how easily she could fall for him again. If only the circumstances were different … but they weren’t. Loosening her hold, she replied, “You look great yourself. I can’t believe how tall you’ve gotten. Did you end up playing basketball in college?”

He held her for another second before letting go. When he pulled back, he stood close with barely a foot between them. “I did, but I messed up my knee sophomore year. It was the end of the road for me then.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I know how much you wanted to play professionally.”

He shrugged. “It’s all right. Life had other plans for me. I’m happy where I am. How about you? Let me guess, you’re a dancer now or maybe an artist? You were always so creative.”

Frowning, Kylie shook her head. She hated being reminded of how she’d had to give up on her dreams. “Things didn’t work out the way I’d hoped either.” She also hated the pity she saw on Devon’s face. She recognized that look all too well. “It’s fine; it just wasn’t in the cards for me. Anyhow, I don’t want to bore you with the details. I’m sure you came to this beautiful place to escape reality.” She pasted a smile on her face and injected some enthusiasm into her next words. “Thank you for the champagne and for stopping by to say hi. It was nice to see you again after all these years.”

Before Devon could reply, Tabitha jumped off her recliner, taking her beach towel with her. “You know what, I’m going to do some sunbathing over there—” she pointed to the other end of the pool “—you know, in the sun, since that’s what sunbathing entails,” she added with chagrin. “You go ahead and take my seat, Devon. Stay as long as you like.”

“Tabby!” Kylie softened her next words when she realized how loudly she was talking. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the shade? You burn so easily.” If Tabitha didn’t pick up on her insistent tone, she would surely notice her pleading eyes. Or not. Kylie watched her friend wave goodbye and saunter away with a mischievous grin. Oh, she was going to give her an earful later. But now, she had a more pressing problem to deal with.

Devon studied her with a curious yet amused expression. He glanced at the empty seat beside her and remarked, “If you’d prefer to be alone, I understand. But I was hoping for some company. My siblings abandoned me for their significant others, so I’ve been spending my time in paradise all alone. You know how much I hate being by myself,” he added with an exaggerated pout.

Kylie couldn’t help but smile. Devon had always been a social butterfly back in high school. His confidence and likability made him stand out in a crowd and captured her—as well as their female classmates’—attention. It seemed times hadn’t changed. She noticed several women around them glancing his way. But crazily enough, Devon only had eyes for her. She’d be a fool to tell him no. She also had to admit a part of her wanted to reconnect with him, to know how he was doing. As her first boyfriend, Devon had always held a special place in her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Sure, have a seat.”

His full lips curved into a wide grin, revealing a boyish side. He quickly plopped down on the recliner beside her, lacing his hands behind his head. “Great! So, tell me all about what you’ve been up to since graduation.”

Kylie cringed. This was what she’d been afraid of. What would Devon think of her now if he knew her family had lost all their money and she’d only been able to come on this trip because of her job?