More Than Pleasure You: A More Than Words Novella Read online

  I agree. “Yeah. Barclay was your father, too. How are you holding up? And the rest of your siblings?”

  Maxon scoffs. “My dad burned bridges with me long ago, so as far as I was concerned he was already dead. I’m mostly going to the son of a bitch’s funeral to support Bethany.” He grimaces. “You’ve known her a lot longer than I have, but she’s still our sister. She’s worshipped Dad for a long time, so she’s still hurting.”

  “Yeah.” Barclay and all his fucked-up affairs have created a really complicated family tree. And I hate to even bring this up… “I don’t know if you know, but my sister, Amanda, has a son, Oliver.”

  “I’m glad you brought it up. He’s our brother, too. As far as we’re concerned, he’ll always be welcome with the Reed clan. If your sister is amenable, we’d like to meet Oliver and be a part of his life.”

  “I think Amanda would like that. She’s lost and afraid right now. She doesn’t love Barclay anymore.” That misplaced case of hero worship had damn near ruined her life. “But I think it hit her hard when she realized her child will never really know his father.”

  “Then we’re happy to represent the Reeds.”

  “I appreciate that, especially since you all are the best parts of that bastard.”

  “Thanks.” Maxon looks over his shoulder toward his wife and daughter, but I see him taking Skye in as she laughs and chats like she belongs. “So…what’s the deal with you two?”

  It’s so complicated, I don’t even know where to start. I give him the minimum. “We met on Tuesday. She needed a date to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding yesterday, so I took her.”

  He gives me a sly smile. “Not merely out of the goodness of your heart. You’re into her. It’s all over your face.”

  I watch Skye sip some cocktail the ladies have tossed together and begged her to try for them because she’s the only woman not pregnant. Her eyes widen in delight, and I smile. My feelings probably are obvious. I’m usually good at keeping them in. I’m great at poker and even better at business. But Skye turns me inside out.

  When I turn back to answer Maxon, I see all the men waiting on my every word. “Do you blame me?”

  Every man there shakes his head.

  “She seems really sweet,” Griff remarks as Keeley hands Skye a sleeping Kailani.

  My girl’s face lights up.

  What would it be like to see her holding our baby?

  I’ll probably never know. One of the things Skye picked up while she was out this morning was condoms, and being safe would be smarter for us both…but I’ll miss taking her bare. And even though it makes no sense, I regret not having the opportunity to tie myself to her in a lasting way.

  You could just propose.

  After four days? When I have no idea where my life is going?

  “Harlow already likes her,” Noah puts in. “I can tell. And she’s an excellent judge of character.”

  Griff scoffed. “No, she’s not. She married you.”

  “Fuck off.” Noah tosses him a mock punch.

  “You first.” Griff blocks with his elbow, then runs after his drenched son, still playing in the wet grass, even though the sprinklers have cut off.

  Noah follows, and they both chase a happily screaming Jamie.

  “If Skye makes you happy, that would make Nia happy,” Evan puts in.

  I already know that for straightforward Evan, little else matters to him. It’s one reason my half-sister loves him so much.

  “So far, she does. Thanks.”

  “Evan!” Nia calls from the bar. “Can you go get a couple more bags of ice out of the freezer? We’re empty out here.”

  “On it.” He turns to Maxon and me. “Excuse me.”

  The second he’s gone, the eldest of the Reed siblings turns to me. “So…a birdie tells me you’re scouting a property on the island for potential hotel development.”

  That sends my gaze whizzing back around. “How did you hear?”

  “You’re kidding, right? Griff and I basically own real estate transactions on this island.”

  “Residential.”

  “We’re starting to dabble in commercial. That land? It isn’t for sale.”

  I raise a brow. “When has that ever stopped anyone?”

  Maxon gives me a tight smile. “Let me put it this way: I have a client in Honolulu who tried to buy it about two years ago for roughly the same purposes. The Abelsons refused to even entertain an offer.”

  That isn’t good news. David Chang won’t be happy. “Why?”

  “I’m putting two and two together now… Does your Skye work for them? Has she for a while?”

  “Yeah.” I frown. “How did you know that?”

  Maxon grimaces like he hates to be the bearer of bad news. “The Abelsons said they’d never sell because they’re leaving the land and the house to their caretaker, the girl who’s been like a daughter to them. If memory serves, they said her name was Skye.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Saturday, February 3

  Nearly three weeks slide by, and now I’m beginning to sweat. Being with Skye is so, so easy. In fact, it’s the best part of being on Maui, which is absolutely perfect…except the part where I feel like I’m lying to her. But what can I do? David Chang hasn’t said he either wants to move forward or halt the hotel project. And I don’t have any idea whether Maxon’s bombshell is accurate or just an excuse the Abelsons gave to the last unwanted buyer. I can’t ask them; they flew to San Francisco to be with Erma’s older brother—almost ninety—who’s having surgery. They won’t be back for weeks. And I don’t know whether Skye has any idea if the elderly couple intends to leave their property to her. Asking her opens a can of worms I should keep closed. And admitting this pending development both betrays Chang’s confidence and potentially blows up our relationship for a deal that may fall apart tomorrow.

  It’s a tangle.

  “What are you going to do?” Maxon asks on the other end of the phone.

  “Fuck if I know.”

  I’ve been trying like hell to find other suitable commercially zoned properties on the island for sale. I’ve sent David all kinds of listings, everything from budget-busting eye-catching ocean vistas to smaller acreage with mountain views and really motivated sellers. He’s turned down each one. He wants this land. And I know why. It will literally be the most amazing—and lucrative—slice of paradise.

  I’m getting desperate.

  “I can keep looking,” Maxon offers.

  “No. It’s okay, man,” I tell him. “You’re short-handed with Britta still out on maternity leave and Griff only working half days. Besides, the client isn’t going to budge. If he proceeds, he won’t settle for any property but this one.”

  “Then you’ve got some decisions to make.”

  No shit. I’m only here another week and I still haven’t decided if I want to resume my old life in New York or start over on my own somewhere else, like Maui. If I leave Colossus to stay here, I’ll need this deal to become a major player.

  “Yeah.”

  “You want to talk about it?” Maxon lets loose an annoyed huff. “Jesus, I sound like my wife. What the fuck is happening? I’m volunteering to talk about emotions…”

  I laugh. “You don’t have to. I’d hate to be the reason you break out in hives.”

  “These days, it’s just a mild itch. I couldn’t be married to Keeley if I was unable to handle the touchy-feely shit. Here’s the thing… I think you love this girl.”

  “It’s that obvious?”

  I’m in love. And I keep falling. Every day, every night. I’m happier with Skye than I’ve ever been. We’ve developed our own routine, which I adore. We sleep in—something I haven’t done since college. After breakfast, we walk along the beach. I spend mid-morning working, tidying the loose ends I didn’t mop up before leaving New York and cultivating potential new deals while Skye takes care of the property, including the Abelsons’ place, then runs errands. I fix myself lunch. She appears a
gain about three. Sometimes we have a snack. Sometimes I just have her. Wine, dinner, talk, followed by another mind-blowing night in bed that I swear just keeps getting hotter and better.

  By unspoken agreement, neither of us brings up the future. We don’t know what it will bring. But I do know that after I mailed the faux engagement ring back to my friend’s friend, I missed seeing it on Skye’s finger. That’s probably my first clue… Second, I keep looking at my plane ticket back to New York and dreading next Saturday.

  On the other hand, I’ve spoken to my father a couple of times. He says he wants to discuss business, that it’s important. I tell him I want to talk about Nia first. He insists that subject isn’t up for discussion. We end our calls at a chilly impasse. It’s unfinished shit, and I can’t leave it dangling like a turd from the butt crack of our relationship. This has to get wiped and flushed before I can truly decide where my future lies.

  I hear a knock at the front door and glance at my phone. It’s just after two in the afternoon, early for Skye, but maybe she’s got groceries and needs a hand.

  “Coming!” I leap from the lounger on the lanai and set my laptop aside, lumbering through the house in a tank top, shorts, and bare feet before I open the door.

  The last person I expect to see standing there is my dad.

  “Hi, Stephen.”

  “Hi. What are you doing here? I didn’t expect you.”

  He nods. “I wanted to surprise you. Can I come in?”

  “Yeah.” I step back, still in shock. I haven’t seen him for nearly a month. As much as I don’t respect his attitude toward Nia, I love my dad and I’ve missed him like hell. “Of course. I was just out on the lanai.”

  I turn and lead the way. He follows me through the house, then outside, his stare glued to the gentle roll of the blue, blue ocean. “This is beautiful. No wonder you’re liking it here. And you’ve got a tan in February.” He gives me a wry little laugh. “It looks good on you.”

  Dad looks New-York-winter white. And so damn tired.

  “Thanks. Did you fly all night to get here?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Then whatever he has to say is serious. “Can I get you something to drink? Eat?”

  Vaguely, I realize I’m stalling. Dad never does anything without careful planning and forethought. There’s always a reason for everything, and I’m almost afraid to hear his. He can be a ruthless SOB when it comes to business. Has he come here to issue me some ultimatum, like come home now or walk away with nothing?

  “No, thank you.” He sits in the chair across from my lounger.

  I close the lid to my laptop, filled with notes about the very property we’re on, sit down, and give him my full attention. “Actually, I’m glad you came.”

  He sighs tiredly. “You want to talk about Nia.”

  I nod. “And I presume you want to talk about business.”

  “Yes.” He steeples his fingers like he’s getting ready to launch into some argument he means to persuade me to his way of thinking.

  I cut him off. “Here’s the thing, Dad: I can only think of one reason why you won’t talk to Nia, and I hate to think your soul is that ugly.”

  He frowns, then understanding dawns. “You think I’m a racist. Jesus… I really have fucked this up.”

  “Give me one good reason to think something else.” I’m basically pleading. “Anything else.”

  “This is the way Jina wanted things.”

  Of all the things my dad could have said, I didn’t expect that. “Come again?”

  He blows out a harsh breath. “Nothing more awkward than vomiting up your personal life to your son… Look, it’s no secret your mom and I had been miserable for a long time, but she wasn’t about to give up the money, the country club, and all her pretentious friends.”

  “No surprise.” My mom loved me…in her way. But she seemed equally passionate about her fancy friends and fancy life. “But what does that have to do with Nia’s mother?”

  “Jina worked for us, lived in our house. You were young; maybe you don’t remember.”

  “I do.” Vaguely.

  Dad hesitates. “We became…friends.”

  “Obviously more than friends since you two conceived Nia.”

  “But we were friends first. For years. She knew I didn’t love your mother. She also knew your mother would string me up by the balls financially if I divorced her.” He hesitates again, the pause almost uncomfortably long. “I knew she was in love with me. Eventually, I fell for her, too. I would have given anything to marry her. But after your mother got pregnant with Amanda—”

  “It takes two to tango,” I point out.

  “It does. And I take responsibility. In retrospect, I think your mother knew I was falling for Jina and tried to convince me that what we needed to really be a happy family was another baby. It was stupid, and I felt so guilty for wanting Jina. At that point, I’d never touched her…but I wanted to and she knew it. So did your mother.”

  “So you capitulated and tried to be the good husband?”

  He nods. “I tried so hard. But after her first trimester, she told me this baby was her insurance policy to remaining my wife. If the divorce settlement didn’t kill me financially, the child support would. Then she kicked me out of bed.” He grimaces. “I was furious that she manipulated my guilt and I let her play me…but in a way I was relieved, too. I knew where my heart was.”

  “Jina.”

  “Yes. We had a great couple of months. I was up front and told her I couldn’t divorce your mother. At first she accepted that, but as time went on it became a strain between us. When she realized she was pregnant, we both knew things couldn’t continue as they had been. Your mother found out about the baby and made our lives hell. We both agreed it would be best for the child if she left and raised our daughter elsewhere.” He closes his eyes and presses a hand to his forehead. “Letting them go broke my fucking heart.”

  “So Jina moved to Georgia, then. Did you ever see her again?”

  “The day Nia was born. I flew out there and held Jina’s hand while she went through labor. I’d hoped the fact that she asked me to come meant… But it didn’t. I got to spend an hour holding Nia.” His eyes water as he grinds his jaw shut, trying to hold back the tears. “That’s it. Then Jina asked me to leave. A month later, she sent me legal paperwork, insisting I sign away my parental rights. The pregnancy was so unexpected, and I couldn’t walk away from my other responsibilities. I couldn’t give her anything but money and peace, so I gave her what she asked for. One of her terms was that I had to agree never to contact Nia in the future. And she was never to know my name.”

  “Why?”

  “Honestly, Jina was bitter. She was convinced I would have married her if she had been white or from the right family or something other than a maid. I laughed when she told me that. She didn’t think it was funny.” He rakes a hand through his hair. “I was fucking trapped. Your mother made sure that the only way I could divorce her was if I gave up everything, including the legacy I intended to leave you. I paid a steep price to keep everything together. But if I had to do it over again, knowing what I know now… I would have chosen Jina. I spent the rest of my fucking life miserable without her. It was even worse, knowing she learned to hate me. Just like I’m sure her daughter does.”

  Jesus, that’s sad. I swallow a lump in my throat. But my dad isn’t without fault. Yes, my mother and Nia’s made his life miserable, but he chose money and ambition over his heart. “Nia doesn’t hate you. She thinks you’re convinced she’s not good enough. She thinks you don’t want her because she’s biracial.”

  My dad closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Everyone assumes they know why I’ve kept my distance—and it’s the worst reason imaginable—but they’re so fucking far off the mark. I don’t actually know that woman as a person, but I know so much about my daughter on paper. I’m proud of what she’s accomplished. She’s smart. She’s beautiful. She’s funny, I hear. She’
s got gumption. In so many ways, she reminds me of Jina…”

  My dad looks so close to losing it that I can’t not approach him. We’ve never been an affectionate family, but I feel like he needs a hug. Or maybe I’ve just gotten used to how often Skye has her arms around me now and it feels natural to comfort someone so mired in anguish.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I should never have thought the worst.” It hurt him; I can tell.

  I’m shocked when he stands and hugs me back in a tight, back-slapping embrace, then eases away with a ragged sigh. “And I shouldn’t have been such a proud, stubborn ass. I should have reached out to Nia after Jina died. If she had rejected me…well, I would have known, right? Instead, the wondering has tormented me for three fucking years.”

  “Do you want to see her? Is that why you flew all the way to Maui?”

  “I came to talk to you…but I would like to see her. She and Cook are expecting a baby, I hear.”

  “At the end of July.” I try to lighten the mood. “Feel like being a grandpa again?”

  He nods, a laugh bubbling up. “God, I sound old. Then again, I feel old.”

  Dad is in his late fifties, but he’s in great shape and he’s got a lot of life left. But if what he’s said is true, he’s been playing a really shitty hand for a couple of decades. Maybe we can fix that. I think Nia would at least hear him out.

  “How are Amanda and Oliver?”

  “Good. She took the news of Barclay’s death better than I expected.” He eyes me. “If you decide to stay, she’ll probably come visit you.”

  I’d like that. I think she’d fit right in with the Reed clan and all their babies. If I decide to stay.

  “Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m doing next yet.” Now that I know my dad’s refusal to see Nia has nothing to do with the color of her skin, my decision should be easy, right? I should be jumping at the chance to return to New York and resume my high-powered career.

  I’m not.

  “I know why you’re here and what you’re contemplating. Let me make this easier for you, son.” He sighs. “Barclay’s death reminded me that life is short. Despite everything he stole from me, I still have a lot of money, and I’m tired of the game. What I’m not tired of? Family. I’ve spent so little with any of my kids, especially my daughters. I want to make things right with all of you.”