Page 77 of True Abandon

“Of course you think so. He was practically drooling all over you.”

With a wicked grin, he leans forward. “Are you telling me because I can keep you here against your will?”

“Pretty much. Shoot. I should have asked my other guest if he needed anything tonight.”

His brows rise. “Did your dinner invitation come with a plus one?”

I stammer slightly at his question. “You want to go to dinner at Lani’s grandma’s house?”

“I don’t have any other plans. And, yeah, I’d like to spend time with you.”

I place my hands in a praying position and point at him. “So this is like official personal concierge business?”

He laughs. “Do I need to say it out loud? Yes, Genie, I wish to visit a local’s house for dinner with you tonight.”

I cross my arms and bow my head like the girl form I Dream of Jeannie. “Your wish is granted.”

…

“Thank God, you’re here!” Lani opens the front door before we even knock. She grabs my shirt and pulls me over the threshold before she realizes Jax is behind me. “You’re here, too? This is great. She’ll be so flummoxed by your tattoos, you’ll make Jason look like a dream.”

“Hi to you too, Lani.” Jax slides off his shoes, and we leave them outside the front door.

She grabs our hands and tugs us into the living room where Jason waits. The men shake hands. Compared to Jason and his flawless, dark skin and perfectly combed hair that makes him look like a boy scout, Jax seems roguish. His piercing accentuates the mischievous quirk of his brow whenever he looks at something in question—like Jason wearing a tie on a ninety-degree day. In dark jeans and a t-shirt, Jax looks like the bad boy you don’t want to bring home to meet your grandma—thankfully, she’s not my grandma.

He looks around the room at the many photos of Auli’i dancing in shows or standing next to celebrities and Presidents.

“Is that Bob Hope?” he asks when his eye catches a black and white among the floor to ceiling gallery.

In the photo, a man stands with two dancers wearing strapless tops, full skirts, and bare feet. The large flowers in their long, dark hair match the leis around their necks.

“Nineteen-forty-two. He chose Pearl Harbor to perform the first USO.” Auli’i walks in from the kitchen, sliding on her reading glasses that hang from a small chain. She takes the space next to Jax and looks at the photograph with him. “He was a true gentleman. Performed for the troops for over sixty years.” She points to one of the women in the photo. “That’s my mother. She danced with him for twenty years, and then it was my turn.”

Auli’i walks a few spots down and finds another picture. In this one, Bob Hope is much older. His pants sit higher on his waist, but his smile is just as charismatic.

“That’s me,” she says with a smile.

I lean in behind Jax and take a look at the image. Auli’i was stunning in her youth. Even today, for a woman in her seventies, she has a timeless beauty. Her delicate features and perky little nose are the same as Lani’s.

“Auli’i, this is Jackson,” I introduce the two.

“Welcome to my home. Is this for me?” she motions toward the box of chocolates Jax is clutching in his hands.

He hands her the box. “Yes. It was that or a shot glass from the hotel gift shop.”

She looks up at him. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”

“I looked up Hawaiian customs, and it said never go to someone’s house empty handed.” He puts his hands in his pockets and leans down to be closer to her height. “That and never walk into a home with your shoes on. I didn’t know if I should bring slippers. It said that’s a thing here, too.”

Lani’s giggles echoes throughout the room.

Even Auli’i finds herself totally charmed by Jax’s awkwardness. “You did good. Come, we’ll eat outside.”

Jax takes her offered arm and escorts her outside. I’m about to follow when Jason steps beside me. “Genius idea. Now the pressure’s off me.”

I laugh and follow everyone out to the backyard.

Auli’i still has Jax’s ear. “Trish says you’re staying in the Pele Suite at the hotel. How are your accommodations?”