with Jason, and handed him a fifty.
Cole motioned Penn ahead of him, but he stayed back and whispered to Jason, “Remember, no interruptions until tomorrow morning.”
Jason handed him the key. “Of course, sir.”
“Cole, this is so beautiful.” Penn had stopped to admire the foliage that lined the boardwalk. “Look at these flowers.” Her hands brushed across the lush pink blooms. Off to the right was a rock garden. Between two of the biggest rocks sprang a slow trickle of water that fed into a pond below where several koi swam around, their mouths opening and closing as if they were trying to have a conversation.
The thatched hut was sitting on a deck that had been built into a rock cliff a good twenty feet above the water. Waves crashed directly below them. Pretty damn romantic, especially for his first time trying to pull off something like this.
They walked up the small set of carved stairs that led to the hut’s door, a set of California shutters which he unlocked and pulled wide, opening up the space to the warm Hawaiian breeze.
It was a lovers’ paradise.
“Oh, my,” Penn whispered as she went inside.
At the back was an oversized pillow that acted as a mattress, surrounded by several other small pillows and blankets. The shades of yellow, pink, and blue brightened up dark walls that were made up of what looked like bamboo.
In the middle of the room, a table had been set up for two. A silver bucket sat on a rolling cart beside the table, chilling a bottle of champagne, along with a bottle of Jack Daniels.
On the other side of the table was a makeshift kitchen. Jason had set up a small grill, and a second rolling cart was laden with all his ingredients and cooking utensils.
She whirled around. “Are you going to cook for me?” Her jaw was practically on the floor in delighted surprise. And he was ecstatic that he’d been able to put it there.
He’d never seen her like this, with an edge of vulnerability to her excitement. She was always firm and set in her opinions and statements. But not tonight.
Something was different tonight.
“Cole… I don’t know what to say.”
He stood by the door, admiring the way she reacted to every inch of the hut. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
She let out a gasp of awe. “Beautiful isn’t the word.” She traced the edge of the champagne bucket with her finger as she slowly spun in a circle. “And you did this for me?”
When she looked up at him, he nodded. Her eyes were filled with emotion. And tears. Penn, who didn’t cry over anything.
She joined him at the door, and he tugged her into an embrace, her back to his front. He wrapped his arms around her waist and breathed deeply. It wasn’t the fresh scent of the outdoors that infused him; it was Penn. Her lightness. Her unwavering support and belief in him.
He didn’t want to move. Ever. Even if a typhoon blew across the island, he wasn’t moving. Because here he was comfortable. And dare he say…happy. Once they stepped off that plane, there was no way of knowing if this feeling would last.
It was time he told his friend the truth. But first, he had dinner to make.
He headed to the table, grabbed the bottle of champagne, and opened it with a pop. Bubbles spilled out with a splat onto the floor as he filled two crystal glasses.
He held out a glass to her, then lifted his. “To good friends.”
Their glasses clinked.
“Hungry?”
She nodded and licked her lips. “Starving.”
The first thing he did was fire up the grill to get it nice and hot. Next, he made citrus marinade for the mahi-mahi. He squeezed the juice of an orange and lime, then combined it with oil, salt, cilantro, and some honey.
While she was delighted with the champagne, she must have noticed he hadn’t taken more than a few sips of his. “Ready for something stronger?” she asked.
“That’d be great.”
She mixed him a Jack and Coke and placed it near the grill for him. It was amazing that she always knew exactly what he liked, what he needed.
She shifted in her seat, searching for something on the ingredients cart.
“What, no dessert?” She batted her eyelashes at him.
She was smart to notice there was nothing on the tray to whip up for dessert. Little did she know, he’d arranged for a chocolate fondue to show up a bit later.
“I’m not sweet enough for you?” He