I laugh bitterly. 揑sn抰 it the other way around??
揑抳e always known who the real CEO was.?She starts speed walking toward the wing with the guest rooms.
揔ate??I call.
揧eah??She faces me, blinking slowly.
揇estiny and I would抳e been lost years ago without your help. You抳e done enough for us. Stop worrying, and leave the rest to me.?
揑 won抰，？she says sharply. 揂nd bossman, don抰 you know? I won抰 stop saying you抮e a good man who deserves to smile until you actually believe it.?
Poor Katelyn.
She抯 going to be waiting until hell freezes over.
11
Coffee Addict （Eliza）
This room is no fancy-schmancy superlab, but it抣l do.
Everything is set up and just waiting for me to add my creative touch. It抯 a comfortable environment, almost like someone抯 living room with homey wicker and rattan couches and tall lounge chairs surrounding the table with beakers, scales, and burners.
It抯 a million times better than the beast lab back in Seattle in one way. Golden light pours in from the ginormous floor-to-ceiling windows. A few are slightly open, letting the sea breeze in.
I take a deep breath, scanning the room, and smile.
I抦 about to brew coffee with an ocean view. I抳e come a long freaking way.
Let抯 do this.
I go in, hand grinding lightly roasted peaberry beans for a shiny new batch of campfire brew. It doesn抰 take long before the fresh aroma fills the room.
While I抦 waiting for coffee chemistry to do its thing, I drop into a lounge chair and stare out at the breathtaking view.
For men like Cole, this is the good life. If I just had a mai tai, it抎 be perfection.
Only, there抯 no denying the way he and Destiny keep dancing around some big, ugly shadow hanging over this place.
What kind of dark side does paradise have?
揝omething smells goddamned delicious.?
I jump at the sound of his voice.
He hasn抰 even entered the room yet, but that smooth bass voice covers my arms in goosebumps. I hop up, pulling off my safety goggles.
He comes around the corner a second later, all ripped muscles on full display in tan shorts and a colorful Hawaiian shirt.
Holy hell. Deep breath.
But he抯 such an anti-Lump today that he doesn抰 make it easy.
He stops in the doorway, deep-blue eyes roaming up and down my body. He doesn抰 hide how they linger on a few choice places along the way.
My mouth is like cotton. When I swallow, I almost cough, crushed under the weight of Cole Lancaster抯 hungry eyes.
When I抦 finally able to look at him again, I see red.
Jesus.
Until him, I didn抰 know a simple look could cut me open.
揑 see you抳e settled in. I dig the island look,?I say, taking off my apron slowly and self-consciously.
揋lad you approve.?He bowls me over with that billion-dollar smile. 揧ou working on the peaberry brew already??
揧ep. If you want to stick around, it should be ready soon.?
揑t抯 only fair I offer up my services as taste tester.?He stops, his nostrils flaring, closing his eyes for a few heavy seconds as he inhales. 揋oddamn, woman. If it抯 half as good as it smells, I could kiss you.?
What?
I rock back like he just jabbed me with a cattle prod.
揟o be fair, I抳e never worked with beans this delicate. I抦 curious to see how it goes…？And not at all horribly curious about how he tastes, I lie to myself.
While we make small talk about the coffee farms, my brew finishes. I ladle black liquid into a cup, serving the first batch black like he requests.
Cole nearly rips it out of my hand before I can take a sip.
揅areful!?I shake my head. 揑mpatient, much? I wanted to make sure it抯 even palatable before I serve it to my boss.?
揕ike you抳e ever cared I抦 your boss before.?He smirks.
揑 mean, I need you alive to sign my paycheck. Can we lay off the coffee burns today??
He snorts so hard his broad chest shakes.
揧択now, I think you belong in Hawaii. I抳e never seen you so amused before.?I fill another cup, bring it to my mouth, and take a long sip, wrinkling my nose. 揈h. Not awful, but it抯 a little more scorched today than I抎 like.?
Cole looks at his cup and shrugs. He practically tosses it back in one gulp.
I抦 not breathing, feeling the same tension a person on trial must get before a jury抯 verdict.
揘ot awful, Eliza? I could sell this now. Tastes like black gold.?
揙il??
揧ou know what I mean,?he grumbles.
I give him a doubtful look. 揑f it were just the mainland stores, maybe. But do you honestly think this is worth fifteen bucks per cup in a luxury resort??I pause. 揝mells like highway robbery to me.?
揑t抯 not the final version. You抣l tweak it and do a proper tasting survey, but it抯 hardly a bad starting point. Quite a bit smoother than your average Kona roast.?