He just nods. “I’m not joking, I swear.” Turning his phone around, he shows me his GPS app with the directions to Maunawili Falls already entered. “Want to carpool?”
All I can do is laugh, which makes his smile widen. “You and your friendfate,” I tease as we walk out into the heat of the Oahu sun. We come to a stop at the waiting valet and he looks at me, not saying anything, even though I know exactly what he’s waiting for.
“Okay, you win this round. Let’s go.” Moments later, we’re in his car, a sexy-as-fuck convertible, speeding down the highway.
“I didn’t picture you as a convertible kind of guy,” I yell across at him, the wind stealing my words. He’s holding the steering wheel with one hand, his elbow resting on the edge. It’s effortlessly casual but so goddamn sexy. He’s hard to resist. But resist I will.Resist I must.
I won’t fall for a pretty face. Not even a charming one like Ronan Sinclair.
“Yeah, back home I drive an SUV. With the snow and everything, it’s necessary. But here? I figured why the fuck not. Always wanted one.”
The subtle reminder that he’s from the East Coast settles my conscience a little bit. That, and reminding myself I’m just going for a hike. Nothing more, no matter how easy it is to flirt with him.
On the drive, Ronan tells me all about his daughter Peyton. His love for her is evident in the bright smile that’s on his face and the adoration in his voice as he describes their tradition of talking every night, the stuffed bear she insists he travels with, and her obsession with the movieMoana. It’s bittersweet to witness, seeing as it’s been almost eleven years since my adoptive father passed away. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him. Hearing Ronan gush about his little girl both warms my heart and breaks it.
My dad was the best father I could have ever dreamed of. I never once felt like I was anything other than everything he ever wanted. The fact that my biological parents couldn’t be bothered to raise a kid never bugged me because Dad and Uncle Mike made me feel more loved than I thought possible.
Losing him was like losing an invisible limb.
“Does Peyton get to see her mom when you’re away?” I ask, completely unprepared for the glower that comes over his face.
“No,” he says in a clipped voice. His hands tighten on the steering wheel. He doesn’t say anything else for a second, and the tension grows thick until he exhales. “She signed over full custody and disappeared the day after Peyton was born. It’s been just the two of us ever since.”
And just like that, my heart melts for his little girl.
“She’s lucky to have you,” I say quietly, partly hoping the wind will just carry the words away. But he glances over, and I know he heard me.
“Thanks.”
Turning off the highway and onto a road that winds through a residential neighbourhood and ends at the start of the trail to the falls, the wind noise dies down considerably now that we’re traveling at a slower speed.
We reach the parking lot for the hike, and there’s only one other car. “Looks like we’ll have the trail to ourselves.” I hope I don’t sound nervous. I’m not, at least not for any reason that makes sense to me. But being in close proximity to Ronan without the buffer of other airplane passengers or hotel guests has me feelingsomething.
After maneuvering into a parking spot, Ronan hops out while I’m stowing my phone in my backpack. My door opens, and I look up at him in surprise.
“Thank you,” I say awkwardly as I climb out. I don’t know why the chivalrous act comes as a surprise, but it does.
“No problem.”
I stretch my arms overhead, taking in the absolutely luscious view around us. We’re in a tropical jungle — well, okay, a forest reserve according to the research I did on the trail last night. Whatever you call it, it’s stunning. Green, vibrant, and peaceful.
“Wow,” I whisper as we set off on the trail. Ronan lets me lead, and I take my time, just breathing in the spectacular nature. Birds chirp and swoop overhead, and even though the air is humid and fragrant, there’s a light breeze that keeps us comfortable.
Unlike the drive, where we fought the wind noise to talk to each other, we’re both silent now, just enjoying the experience. Until we hit a break in the trees, and then my gaze locks on the peaks of faraway mountains.
“That’s beautiful,” I murmur as Ronan comes to stand beside me.
“Yeah.” I glance over to see his gaze trained not on the view, but on me. “Beautiful.”
There’s no fighting back my blush, as his meaning is clear. He breaks eye contact first, turning to face the ridgeline and lifting the edge of his sleeveless shirt up to wipe his brow.
Okay, fine, I drool at the sculpted abs he reveals, covered in just a dusting of light hair. I’m pretty sure I’d be crazy not to appreciate that sight.
“So, what do you do when you’re not hiking through tropical jungles with strangers you met on an airplane?”
I have to laugh at Ronan’s question, because it just underlines how insane these few days have been. He might be onto something with the whole fate idea, because why else would I be voluntarily spending time with a man who is temptation personified, but also so totally off-limits.
But his question sobers me. Do I want him knowing I work for a baseball team? Making a snap decision, I answer as truthfully as I can. “I work in media relations.”