Impossible Love: An Unforeseen Destiny Novel Book One (8 page)

I remain quiet‌—‌mainly because I don’t know how to respond.
Why am I being territorial?

“But what are you thinking? She’s a tourist. She’ll be gone in a week.”

“Three, actually,” I say. Not at all pleased with those facts.

“Three? How the hell do you know that?” Kamp asks perplexed.

“She was on my tour the other day.” I haven’t taken my eyes off her this entire time. Part of me wishes Kayla would glance this way, but she hasn’t turned around yet. In fact, she hasn’t moved. Kayla’s posture is stiff, and the corners of her lips are turned downward. I’m right; she isn’t the bar-scene type girl. Certainly not a one-night-stand type girl.
Then why the hell is she here?

“Whatever, hoapili. This deal will only end badly.” Kamp shakes his head and takes a slow drink of
Corona
. His stare weighs heavy on me, but I don’t look at him or add anything else to the conversation. I know how this will end. Kayla will leave. It’s not like I want anything long-term for chrissakes, I just want to get to know her better.

My expression darkens as some tool in a slick polo shirt and crisp pants approaches her. I don’t want to make it obvious I’m staking a claim by going up there right now. Besides, he’s hardly a threat. The tool looks to be about twenty years Kayla’s senior. I hiss underneath my breath.
What is up with all these old bastards preying on her
? I continue to watch, waiting for her to shoot him down.

Except he doesn’t leave.

What the hell?

I can’t see Kayla’s face when she talks to him, but the way her hands are fidgeting, I don’t think she’s pleased. I can see his face, though. And the tool’s leering at her like she’s the appetizer he can’t wait to devour. I work my jaw back and forth, hands clenched.

The bartender returns with Kayla’s drink, and the old bastard reaches for his wallet.

Oh, hell no.

Not going to happen tonight, pal.

I stand abruptly, ignore the shooting pain from banging my knee on the table, and step toward the bar, brushing off Kamp’s amused chuckles in the background.

**~~**~~**

Kayla~

The friendly bartender who’s all smiles saves me from passing out. Okay, not in a literal sense, but close enough. The walls, even though the bar is open to the outside, are closing in on me. I don’t think coming alone was a good idea.

“What can I get you,” Mr. Smiley asks.

“I’ll take a Mai Tai, please.”

“Ah, the signature drink,” he says with a slight tease to his tone. “Good choice.”

“I have explicit orders to drink one.” I smile at his relaxed grin.

He nods and saunters to the end of the bar and grabs a glass and some liquor. As soon as I’m alone, a middle-aged guy in a navy polo shirt and starched khakis approaches on my right. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rise as my bullshit detector goes to DEFCON One. I sit a little straighter, hoping he’ll pass.

No such luck.

Flashy Pants smiles at me while leaning against the stool next to me. I return the politest smile manageable but stare blankly at him. He takes this as an invitation to sit.
So much for nonverbal communication
.

“My name is Mark,” he introduces himself. Raking his gaze over my body, Mark speaks again, “And you are—”

“Kayla,” I interrupt before he uses a crappy pick-up line. I look away and bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. No use fueling the fire for Mark’s hopes, but I’ve met my pick-up-line quota for the day. However, I kind of liked Muscle Guy’s line. It was rather cute than annoying.

“Well, Kayla, what brings you to the island? Business or pleasure?”

Really?

I shift my gaze back to Mark. The gray-streaked sideburns and slight creases around his eyes place him about forty. And he reeks of money. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the whole confident, arrogant demeanor he has about himself is overbearing.

“Pleasure,” I say unwillingly.

“So you’re the type of girl who likes to have fun?” Marks leering stare wanders over my body again, and I cringe at the clichéd thoughts floating in my head. But I actually feel like a lollipop he wants to lick. And as if to showcase my point, his tongue sweeps across his lips.

Gross.

I don’t respond and swallow the insult on the tip of my tongue as a pang of uneasiness washes through me. My hands squeeze the handles of my purse, but I refuse to be the one to break eye-contact. One corner of his mouth raises, and I want to punch the smug look on his face.

Fancy Pants opens his mouth to speak, but I’m saved by the bartender, yet again.

“Here you go, ma’am.” He slides the drink across the hard maple top, and I smile at him in relief. “That’d be five-fifty.”

“Here, let me get that,” Mark says, reaching for his wallet.

“Thanks, but no. I’m waiting for someone.” I whip out a ten-dollar bill and hand the money to the bartender. “Keep the change.”

The bartender nods and murmurs a thank you before leaving me alone with Mark.

Crap.
How the heck am I going to get out of this? He’ll get suspicious when no one shows up.
Thanks a lot, Staci.
I’m so yelling at her the next opportunity I have.

“I hope it’s a girlfriend you’re waiting on, sweetheart.”

“No, I’m waiting for my boyfriend.” The lie slides off my tongue almost too easily. God, I hope Fancy Pants doesn’t call me on my lie because it’s obvious I’m not local. I haven’t even been here long enough to develop the slightest trace of a tan. Although, I suppose he doesn’t know I’m visiting the island with my mom. I glance at my untouched drink and suppress a sigh. I’ll have to chug the liquor and leave.
This
is why I don’t go out.

“Well, that’s too bad. I’m sure I could—”

“Kayla,” a deep voice says behind me.

My body instantly stiffens and then relaxes. I know that voice. The deep sexy baritone has been keeping me up at night. I whip around to face Kai. Relief floods my insides before my pulse beats faster. Which I find strange. His perpetual glare shouldn’t be welcoming. Except, he’s not glaring now. Or at least, not at me.

“Sweetie.” A smile engulfs my face, and I stand to give him a hug. Overplaying it? Yeah, pretty much. But I want Fancy-pants Mark to go away. I lean in close to Kai’s ear and whisper, “
Please
, go along with this.”

Not missing a beat, Kai whispers a soft, “Of course.” Kai runs his hands along the exposed part of my back as he returns the hug. Tingles trace everywhere his fingertips glide against my bare skin, and I shudder at his touch.

My fingers graze the back of his head, and I breathe in, immediately wishing I hadn’t. Kai smells incredible‌—‌a mixture of spice and musk‌—‌and my body erupts into flames. A small gasp escapes as my expression slackens. I withdraw somewhat. Our gaze connects, lips mere inches away. Kai’s brown eyes darken with lust as his fingers press into my skin. I can barely breathe; my nerves heighten at the anticipation of kissing him.

Wait‌…‌what? Kissing him? Kai doesn’t want to kiss me. He doesn’t even like me. Does he? I force myself to break eye-contact, blinking several times. Kai lowers his hands as I step back to collect my thoughts.

“Uh‌…‌let me grab my drink,” I say, my voice throaty.

Mark shifts in his seat and eyes Kai as if he’s a parasite, and then draws his gaze back to me. “Kayla, it was my pleasure to meet you. Perhaps later when you’re”‌—‌he flicks his gaze back to Kai and then me‌—‌“ready for a real challenge, we can hook up.”

Red. All I see is red. I glance at Kai. His body stiffens and his jaw ticks, but he doesn’t look angry. He looks perplexed. Still, Mark insulted him, and I don’t know if Kai would start a fight. I don’t know him that well, but I’m not willing to find out.

“I have no idea what you’re implying, but let me assure you‌…‌I’m way more than satisfied.” I swing my purse on my shoulder and then grab my drink. I turn toward Kai and hook my arm through his. His body relaxes somewhat from my touch. In a lowered voice, I say, “Please get me out of here.”

Chapter
Fourteen

Kai~

I should be mad. Angry. Furious. Anything other than happy. But walking away from that arrogant prick with Kayla attached to my arm negates his insults. I feel like I won the top prize in a pissing contest. Though, I hate to think of Kayla as a trophy. She’s better than that, even if my thoughts aren’t exactly pure. With Kayla wrapped in my arms a few moments ago, all I wanted to do was back her against the wall and fuck the hell out of her. Her body felt incredible tucked against mine. I’m still sporting a semi. Jesus, this girl is turning me into a horny teenager.

“I’m so sorry,” Kayla says as we walk to the table.

“What for?” I ask, snapping out of my sex-deluded daydream. I tilt my head to her in confusion.

Kayla removes her arm from mine, and without hesitation, I place my hand on her lower back, directing her toward the table. I’m being territorial again, but I need to keep touching her. And besides, I want to send a message to every guy staring at her that she’s mine.

At least for tonight.

“For getting you involved and then insulted. That guy’s a dick.”

Laughing at that word coming from her sweet mouth, I reply, “Forget about it. There’s nothing to be sorry for. He
is
a dick.”

I’ve calmed down by the time we reach the table. The asshat may think he’d be better at pleasing Kayla than me, but he’s wrong. Dead wrong. Cocky bastards like him think having money places them above everyone else. He may have the funds to buy her things, but I’ve seen his type before. They’re way too selfish to please anyone but themselves. I
know
how to please Kayla. And money has nothing to do with it.

Kamp breaks into a smile at the sight of Kayla. “Ah, fall-girl. I’ve ruined you for all other guys, huh?”

Kayla laughs and shakes her head as I stand back to let her slide into the booth. I chuckle unwillingly. At least, she has a sense of humor. It’s a must with Kamp around.

“Kamp, her name is Kayla.” I move next to her and wave my hand toward Kamp, introducing him.

“Well it’s nice to meet my hero,” Kayla says smugly.

“I like this girl,” Kamp says. “She’s witty.”

A soft blush forms on Kayla’s cheeks as she shakes her head. There’s that shy girl from the tour, but Kamp’s right. Kayla has sass. I like that.

“So where are you from?” Kamp asks.

“Monticello, Illinois. The good ole Midwest.” The condescending tone is hard to miss, but the way her eyes dance, she must like living there.

“Illinois, that’s like what? Two or three thousand miles away?” Kamp asks.

“Four, actually.” Kayla shifts in her seat, squeezing the purse handles.

“Four thousand miles. Wow. That’s far,” Kamp says, looking directly at me. I know what he’s doing. His subtle reminder about the distance is unwarranted. It’s not like I’m going to fall deeply in love and pine for her the rest of my life.

“Okay, enough geography. My guy here has a thing for our waitress.” Kayla’s eyebrows rise as I continue, “I think he’s in love.”

“Shut it, man. I don’t do love, but she
is
mighty fine.” Kamp strains his neck trying to find her. “And I do need a refill.”

A tiny laugh escapes as Kayla’s shoulders relax. One hand lets go of the handle and reaches for the Mai Tai. She takes a sip and makes a face before swallowing.

“Not good?” I ask.

“Not quite what I expected. I thought it’d be sweeter, like a strawberry daiquiri. Plus, it has coconut in it.”

“You don’t like coconut?” I place my palm on my heart, acting as if I’m hurt. “That’s a cardinal sin around here.”

“It’s not my favorite. I’ll put it that way.”

Kayla grins and the purse handles fall forward. I’m not sure why, but knowing she’s more relaxed around me than that dickweed makes me feel good.

“You’ll have to try the drink somewhere else. Not everyone uses Coconut Rum to make them.” I give her a wink. The mood stays light after that, and Kayla’s uptight posture unwinds the deeper the conversation grows. I try to steer topics away that involve her personal life since she seems to be uncomfortable talking about herself. Which is a switch. Most girls I pick-up talk nonstop about themselves. That gets old, especially when I’m only interested in one thing. But Kayla intrigues me. I want to know more about her. Just not at the expense of making her distressed.

“What are you studying?” Kamp leans forward and grins. “Whatcha want to be when you grow up?”

Kamp finally asks a legit question. One of which I’m interested in finding the answer. I turn my head toward Kayla and wait. Instead of her shifting uncomfortably in her seat as I expected, she breaks into a huge smile.

“This May I’ll be graduating from Purdue with my Bachelor of Science degree. Then I’ll take my boards to become a Registered Nurse.”

“Ooh, a nurse. I think I have pain in my lower—”

“Okay, that’s enough.” I shoot Kamp a frown and shake my head. He’s such a pervert.

“I’m sure that cute waitress could help you with that,” Kayla blurts out. She rises in the seat, acting like she’s summoning her over. “I’ll get her attention.”

I chuckle as Kamp’s face turns red. Damn, I’m impressed. I don’t think anyone has ever accomplished that feat. I glance at Kayla, and the impish gleam in her eyes stirs my insides. My gaze drops to her lips. The memory of her wrapped in my arms comes racing back, and I want to close the gap between us and devour that mouth. Before the night ends, those lips will be mine.

**~~**~~**

Kayla~

The couples’ laughter fades around the corner as I exit the bar. The shopping complex is otherwise deserted and with the storefronts closed for the evening, minimal lighting cast shadows, giving the place an entirely different feel.

“Where did you park?” Kai asks.

“Over there.” I point in the general vicinity of the parking lot. It isn’t visible from here, and I have a distance to walk. Kai looks at the dark shadowed areas and frowns.