was deep, but calm. “You’re giving me more than I ever thought I could have.”
Gia smiled, turning her face to place a kiss against his chest. “You’re giving me more than I thought I’d ever want.”
Kai tightened his hold around her arms and didn’t speak. That crystallized instant solidified and expanded, and Gia thought if she didn’t move, didn’t breathe too hard, it would go on forever. But Kai was never one to be still and patient for long. Even post-coital. He always seemed to be ready for the next moment.
“I’m…going to ask for a trade.”
Gia sat up, leaning on her elbow, her eyes widening. “You absolutely will not.”
“I’m not sacrificing this,” he said, motioning between their two bodies, “and I can’t buy my way out of my contract.”
She settled back down against his chest, waving off his worry. “It’s handled.”
“How?” he asked, rolling to his side. Gia loved how he watched her. Sometimes if felt like Kai had never seen a woman up close, the way he watched her. “Seriously…”
“You’re to have a liaison during contract negotiations appointed by McAddams and agreed upon by your management.” Kai blinked, head moving to the side when Gia pretended to yawn.
“A what?”
“And,” she continued, ignoring his question, “there will be no penalties attributed to either one of us because of our…internal fraternization,” Gia spoke those last words using air quotes. “Furthermore, any team management issues that you encounter will have to go through your team liaison, once they are selected as I will be unable to act as the team administrator in any dealings with you or have professional communications that do not extend to your external representation of the Steamers’ organization. That is my only function in the matter of one Mr. Kai Pukui.”
He leaned up, resting against his palm as he stared down at her. “So, what you’re lolo ass is saying is that you are not, technically my general manager?”
“I am the general manager of the Steamers organization, Mr. Pukui and as such, definitely your general manager as it pertains to your external representation as a member of the Steamers’ organization.”
“But…”
“But,” Gia said, smiling when Kai curled his hand around her waist. She pretended to swat his kiss from her chest, but it was a half-hearted effort. “But…um…I can’t…um…manage you, technically. That’s…nice.”
“How the hell,” Kai said, kissing her neck, “did you pull that shit?”
“Threatened…oh…Topanga…threatened to take any CPU recruits from the Steam…Steamers…”
Kai sat up, eyes wide as he stared down at Gia. “What?”
She tried not to laugh at the expression on his face. “Just so happens that the defensive line coach considers me his sister.” She smiled when Kai rolled his eyes. “And I may have let it slip that said defensive line coach might have a problem with Ricks and McAddams interrupting this new chance his kaikuahine and cousin have found at finally getting a little happiness. And, you know, that might translate into CPU edging their outgoing players into other franchises when the time comes.”
“Did Kona say anything…” Kai’s shoulders shook with his small laughter.
“I don’t need Kona to negotiate for me, junior.” Gia poked Kai, who grabbed her finger. “I’m a professional.”
“That comes with age, does it?” he asked, pretending to bite her nail.
“You wanna see what comes with age?” Gia pushed him back, making Kai fall against the pillows.
“Gray hair?”
“Oh, no, baby,” she said, pulling a slow grin across her face that had Kai biting his bottom lip. She straddled him, lowering her mouth to his stomach. “Experience.”
EPILOGUE
KAI
FOUR YEARS Later
Ohana is a precious thing. It becomes something that can be taken for granted. It can be belittled. Perverted. It can be ignored. But never is it not wholly real. Never, is it not alive.
And it can never truly die.
Kai hadn’t understood this as a kid coming up in the system.
He had his sister in those sporadic moments she made her way to whatever home he lived in or the even rarer moments they were together before she aged out of the system. He and his sister were loyal to each other. Then, when he met Keeana, he was loyal to her. For the first time, Kai had found his ohana.
But even then, it didn’t seem real to him.
Not like it was the day Keola was born. Not like it became the day Gia gave him his boy.
“Makani, be careful!” Keola followed after her little brother faster than Kai could, but then, her legs were shorter. She was lower to the ground. “Seriously, makuakāne, was this