A few tears slip through, and I swipe at my cheeks. Kai pulls me close, an arm around my shoulders as he whispers, “Come here, babe.”
I lean into him, finding solace and comfort for the first time in as long as I can remember.
I breathe her in, holding her close as I try to digest her words. I can’t even begin to imagine losing my parents and what that would be like. Fuck, just losing Mitch was hard enough, and I know my dad still struggles with not having his best friend in his life. Miles and I try to be there for him, hopefully filling the gap a little, but I know it’s still hard.
Like it must be hard for Quinn too.
“You know, we have a word in Hawaiian, ohana,” I start, tightening my arm around her shoulders as I steer the boat with my other hand. “It means family.”
Quinn huffs out a little laugh, looking up at me as she says, “I’ve seen Lilo and Stitch, you know.”
I lower my hand and give her ass a gentle smack. “Okay, cheeky, everyone’s seen Lilo and Stitch, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Oh?” she asks, smiling.
I steer the boat into a bay that has good snorkeling, dropping anchor and angling us so we’re facing the shore. When I’m done, I pull her back to me again, my arms wrapped around her.
“Ohana means family, but it’s more than just blood family,” I say. “It’s family, it’s friends, it’s this island. And it’s also about belonging and mutual support, about being connected to each other.”
Quinn slips her arms around my waist, her hands sliding under my T-shirt to rest against the bare skin of my back. Her touch ignites a fire in my body that I try to rein in, even though that feels impossible. Her touch just makes me want her even more, and I already can’t get enough of it. Or her.
“Okay,” she replies, smiling up at me. “I kinda like that.”
I smile, dropping a quick kiss to her lips as I say, “You are our ohana now, Quinn. Mine, my family’s, all of our friends. We’ve got your back.”
She pushes up on her toes, her nose brushing against mine as her lips press a gentle kiss to mine. “Thank you,” she whispers.
I brush the hair back from her face, my hands holding her cheeks as we watch each other, something different and new passing between us now. I don’t know what it is, but whatever it is, it sends my heart into a free fall inside my chest, the blood coursing through my veins.
“You wanna go for a swim?” I ask, tipping my head toward the water, needing to cool down a little and not just because of her hands on my skin.
“Sure,” she says, stepping back from my embrace, almost like she too recognizes that something changed just then.
I watch as she pulls her dress off to reveal a very sexy pink bikini. “Wow,” I breathe out, pulling my T-shirt off and throwing it onto the deck. I hold my hand out, and Quinn takes it before I lead her to the edge of the boat. “Ready?” I ask, smiling when she nods, before we both jump overboard.
When we surface, Quinn is smiling, pushing her wet hair back from her face. I reach for her, pulling her into my arms, smiling as she wraps her legs around my waist. Without a word, I’m kissing her, one hand on her back, holding her to me, the other on her ass.
Also holding her to me.
Never wanting to let her go.
She loops her arms around my neck, her tongue instantly tracing my bottom lip in a way that makes me smile, knowing she wants this as much as I do.
Deepening the kiss, I pull her closer, our bodies entwined, our lips barely separating as we kiss and taste and tease and discover everything we can about each other. It feels so new, just making out like this, and I kind of like the fact I’m forcing us to take things slow.
I also don’t really care about breathing or staying above water right now. I only care about kissing this woman who is willing to give me a shot, to believe me when I say I want something more with her.
I want so much more.
Even if all of it terrifies me.
Never in my life have I felt this way about anyone.
“Kai,” she groans as she grinds her hips against mine.
Chuckling, I pull back a little, so my eyes meet hers. “Still not happening today, babe,” I whisper, before closing the distance between us.
She lets out a frustrated huff, which I immediately smother with kisses, before she mumbles, “What the hell? Are you trying to recapture your youth or something?”
