Page 4
CHAPTER THREE
“NOTHING?” STUNNED, Kannon stared at his lap.
He woke expecting to find a mess. Years had passed since he’d had a wet dream, but he remembered the unpleasantness of damp sheets. Instead there was nothing. Zip. Nada. He’d have bet money he came last night, but instead he was as dry as the desert.
“Seriously?”
The vividness of the dream left him shaken, but thrilled him too. He didn’t remember much about it except for a name—but it lurked at the foggy edges of his mind, refusing to come to him no matter how hard he tried to recall it.
Also the color blue figured prominently, but he was unsure why. The one thing he did clearly remember was the other man owned his body and made it sing in ways Kannon had never experienced. Pushing his thoughts aside, he hurriedly dressed.
He fixed a cup of coffee and walked outside. A warm breeze curled around him. He flopped down in a lounge chair and stared at the ocean while the sun climbed higher in the sky. The jungle around him was alive with the sounds of birds singing.
He sipped his morning coffee, enjoying the various sounds. When his stomach growled, he went inside. Putting his cup down on the counter, he looked around to see what there was for breakfast.
Not satisfied with anything he saw, he glanced back out the window, an evil thought crossing his mind. I bet Brett isn’t up yet. Maybe I should wander over there and see what he’s doing. He rinsed out his coffee cup and put it in the sink.
After a quick check by the pantry, he found the key to the golf cart then grabbed his wallet and slipped on his sandals. Moments later, he was heading down one of the flower-strewn sidewalks that led to the resort.
Once there, an employee flagged him down and gave him directions as to where to park the golf cart. He parked it, pocketed the key, and walked into the open lounge area of the resort. It was busy, so he went out to one of the pools instead, found a lounge chair, and sat.
It wasn’t like when they were in college and he could scare the crap out of Brett by banging on his door. But hey, a cell phone was the next best thing. He crossed his ankles, dialed up his best friend, and waited.
After about the fifth try an agitated voice answered the phone. “You better be dead, or dying, because if you’re not? I’m going to kill you.”
“Good morning to you too, sunshine.” Kannon snickered when he heard a groan come from the other end of the phone. “I take it you partied a little bit too hard last night?”
“Oh my God, I’m getting too old for this.”
“Funny, you used to say the same thing in college.”
“Did you call just to harass me?” Brett demanded.
“Yep.”
“What the hell was I thinking dragging your ass all the way here to my resort? I hate you.”
Kannon burst out laughing. “Hate you too, buddy.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. By the way, where are you?”
“I’m at one of the many pools you have around here.” Kannon looked around, but he had no idea which pool. “Why don’t you get up, get dressed, and come down to the lounge? I’m starving, and I thought we could have breakfast together. Is Brooke up yet?”
“She’s… I think I remember her saying she was going for a run this morning. I’ll give her a call, and we’ll meet you at the resort’s main restaurant. It’s called Sandals.”
“Cool name.”
“Thanks. Brooke came up with it. Grab one of the employees and ask for directions. Tell him your name and that you’re my best man. He’ll take care of you.”
“How long are you going to be?”
“Give me thirty minutes to shit, shower, and shave, and I’ll meet you there.”
“Sounds like a plan. See you shortly.” Kannon hung up.
Standing, he looked around for an employee. He barely walked thirty feet when a small, trim, attractive woman dressed in shorts, running shoes, and a tank top changed direction and headed his way. Heads turned as she walked by. While she was indeed very pretty, what drew several pairs of eyes was her short sky blue hair and cerulean eyes.
“Hey, Brooke.”
“Kannon!” Brooke threw herself at Kannon for a quick hug. “I’m surprised to see you up and about this bright and early. Sorry we missed you last night. Did you get settled? Did you find everything okay? Have you eaten? I was just on my way to get Brett up and go get breakfast. Would you like to join us?”
Kannon laughed. “Well, let’s see. I’m an early riser. I wasn’t in the mood to party last night. Yes, I got settled okay. Brett stopped by and showed me where everything was when I got here. Nope, haven’t eaten yet, but I just talked to Brett. He’s going to meet us at Sandals in about thirty minutes. And how are you?”
Brooke’s laugh was light and airy. “Come on, I’ll walk with you to Sandals. I’m starving.”
They chatted on the way to the restaurant, the tropical sun blazing down on them. Kannon held the door open, and Brooke preceded him into the restaurant. The cool, sweet air immediately washed over him.
“Oh! Oh good, he’s here. There’s somebody I want you to meet.” Brooke grabbed Kannon by the hand and dragged him along behind her.
Oh God, please tell me she’s not fixing to set me up on a blind date. Anything but that. It’s too early in the morning to deal with that kind of horror. Kannon gritted his teeth, but followed along.
He pushed a few of the potted fronds out of the way as they ducked and weaved around tables. Brooke finally stopped, and he almost stumbled into her. It wasn’t that she suddenly stopped. Oh no, it was more to do with who sat at the table. It was all Kannon could do not to stare.
Déjà vu swept over him. He shivered, but it wasn’t due to the restaurant’s cool air. The stranger’s azure blue hair tied at the nape of his neck drew his attention. The color was fascinating, as were the cobalt blue eyes staring back at him.
He’d seen that hair color before, and recently too, but not on the cute woman standing next to him. He just couldn’t remember where. The color was definitely striking, but it fit the man. There was this fey, otherworldliness look about him. Ethereal.
Unlike most people he’d seen on the island, the man sitting at the table didn’t sport a dark tan. The stranger was, in a word, simply gorgeous. He wore a white, thin shirt that was open at the neck. Kannon noticed the natural braided hemp cord that held several shark teeth.
He frowned at the necklace. Hadn’t he seen something like that recently too? But where? The other man cleared his throat, and Kannon felt heat creeping up his face. Another curse of redheads: blushes. Now if he could get the floor to open up and swallow him, his day would be complete.
“Kannon? I’d like to introduce you to my brother, Nisha. He’s here for the wedding.” Brooke pulled Kannon closer to the table. “Nisha? This is Kannon. He’s going to be Brett’s best man.”
Nisha stood and held out his hand, a slight smile gracing his face. “It’s nice to meet you.”
The hair stood up on the back of his neck. That name… he knew that name from somewhere. Adrenaline flooded his body. He couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to climb the guy and hump him, or run screaming from the place. His body trembled, and his hands were clammy.
“Um, Kannon?” Brooke asked.
Horrified, he saw Nisha still had his hand out the entire time he’d been standing there ogling him. He grasped Nisha’s hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you too. Did Brooke say your name was Nisha?”
Nisha’s smile grew. “Why yes, she did.”
Why can’t I place that name? A tingle raced up his arm. Kannon looked down and gulped. Nisha’s hands were long and lean, and his grip was firm without being painful. Everything about him is long and lean… and holy crap, that smile! It kind of looks like he has fangs too. Okay, not really fangs, but his canines are a bit longer than usual.
“Come on, Kannon, let’s sit down.” Kannon held Brooke’s chair for her then sat. After she was seated, she waved her hand at a passing waiter who immediately came over. “We need a couple more menus here please. We’re expecting Brett too.”
“Yes ma’am.” The waiter hurried off.
“Okay, why don’t we… Oh, hold on for a moment.” Brooke fished her cell phone out of her pocket. “That’s Brett’s ring tone. Give me just a second.”
Angling slightly in her chair, Brooke answered her cell.
“So Kannon, is this your first time to the island?” Nisha asked.
The waiter put down a glass of water in front of Kannon. He picked it up and took a quick sip, his mouth suddenly dry. “I vacationed here a long time ago. I haven’t been back until now, and the only reason I’m here now is Brett’s wedding.”
“Oh? Are you one of those who prefer cold weather vacation destinations? Or do you have something against sun, sand, and sea?”
Kannon took another sip of his water and put the glass down the table. “Actually, neither. This is the first vacation I’ve taken in years. In fact I’m not really sure you could call this a vacation.”
“Everybody deserves a little time off, don’t you think?”
“Maybe. But the reason I took this time was because my father passed away not long ago, and I had a few things to finish up concerning his estate.” Kannon unwrapped his silverware and started playing with the napkin. “Then Brett called, and I headed down here.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your father.”
“Thank you.” Kannon caught himself slowly shredding the napkin so he threw it on top of the table. Stupid nerves.
He jumped when Nisha clasped his hand. That tingle ran up his arm again, and he gasped, his eyes widening. Subconsciously he licked his lips, and it thrilled him when Nisha’s eyes dropped down to his mouth.
Then Nisha’s gorgeous, oddly blue eyes meandered up his face until they were staring at each other. For a moment Kannon thought the other man was going to do something insane—like reach across the table and trail his thumb across his bottom lip. Or maybe pull him across the table and kiss him. What was even more insane was how much he wanted that.
His breathing increased, and arousal curled in his belly. Nisha’s eyes held him captive. They were such a gorgeous, deep dark blue that reminded him of… something. He just wasn’t sure what, but it sat on the tip of his tongue. Those eyes were so blue. They couldn’t be real. They had to be contacts because human eyes weren’t naturally that color.
Human eyes?
“Brett’s on his way. He should be here shortly.”
Kannon jerked, and pulled his hand away from Nisha’s now that Brooke had broken the spell. Why had he thought Nisha’s eyes weren’t human? Where had that come from?
“Good. That’s good.” Kannon grabbed his glass of water and took a big gulp.
“Yes, good,” Nisha said.
That was sarcasm if he’d ever heard it. The waiter picked that time to return and drop off their menus. Kannon grabbed the closest one and flipped it open, grateful to have something to do with his hands. What was it about this guy? He made him nervous and edgy. There was just something about him that wasn’t quite right.
“So,” Brooke said, breaking the silence. “The wedding is going to be held next Saturday evening, right before the sun sets. We’re going to have it on the beach. Some of the resort’s employees are helping set things up, but we aren’t doing much.”
“What about a tux?” Kannon asked. “Am I supposed to be wearing something like that? If so, we have a problem because I didn’t bring mine. Can I rent one on such short notice?”
“Oh no, we’re not doing tuxes,” said Brooke. “Much too hot for the beach. What Brett and I decided was to have you wear simple white pants with the cuffs rolled up above your ankle with a teal short-sleeved dress shirt. I’m thinking we’ll leave the shirt untucked too. We’re going for a casual look.”
Nisha rolled his eyes.
“Hush, you,” Brooke said.
Nisha tilted his head as he looked at Brooke. “Didn’t say a word.”
“Not with your mouth, no.” Brooke sniffed. “That eye roll of yours says volumes, though. Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted—”
Nisha turned to Kannon. “By an eye roll, mind you—”
“My maid of honor will be wearing a simple teal dress that comes down to the knee. We’re all going to be barefoot.”
If there was any doubt they were brother and sister, that little exchange just ended it. “I have the pants, but not a shirt that color. I guess I need to go shopping, huh?”
“No worries,” Brooke said. “The place I bought the other clothes and the dress has shirts that color and in all sizes. What do you wear? A large?”
“Yes,” Kannon said.
“I’ll just call them up and tell them to send it out to us. It should be here later today.”
“She’s really good at ‘calling’ them up, as my credit card bill can testify.” Brett squeezed Kannon’s shoulder as he moved around the table and sat down next to Brooke. “Hey, everyone.”
“Oh, hey!” Kannon glanced at Brooke’s smiling face. The woman was most definitely in love.
“Sorry it took so long for me to get here.” Brett ran his hand through his freshly washed hair. “I, ah, might’ve had a tad too much to drink last night and am moving a little slow. Have we ordered yet?”
“We were waiting on you,” Nisha said.
“Waiting on me?” Brett snorted. “Since when do you wait on anybody, Nisha?”
Brooke huffed. “Don’t you two start. Do you see our waiter, Brett? If you do, flag him down so we can order. Oh, and I’ve already introduced Kannon and Nisha.”
“I see,” Brett said. “Well then, let’s order. I’m hungry.”