The Wrong Fiancée: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Marriage by Contract Book 3)
The Wrong Fiancée: Chapter 5

The Thatchers spent two months every summer in Kauai, working from their bungalows. Meanwhile, I’d be shuttling back and forth to Hong Kong. I’d already warned Felicity, who wasn’t thrilled about my upcoming trip—a week, maybe longer—starting in just a few days. Once I got back, Felicity and I would head to Bordeaux, where Mom had insisted we all gather for the family’s summer holiday.

‘I have some auctions that I can’t manage from here,’ I told her when she pouted.

‘Why don’t you go with him?’ her friend, Cristin, who had joined us for drinks at the Lava Lua Tiki Lounge, suggested.

I hoped Felicity would reject Cristin’s suggestion because I needed some space. Since we got engaged a month ago, we’d spent a lot of time together, either in New York or Hong Kong and now in Kauai. Previously, Felicity had her own life and kept busy with her career as an art consultant, but in Hawaii, she had been extra needy, which was suffocating me.

Had I rushed into our engagement?

Felicity and I had been dating for eight months before I proposed to her. I’d known her for much longer; I had known Sam for most of my life as my parents had worked with him. But the Felicity in New York and Hong Kong felt different from the one here. Here, I was seeing her more in social settings with friends and her family rather than at work and with colleagues. Work Felicity was smart, savvy, and didn’t mind using her sharp elbows. She was independent and knew how to get her way. All of that was attractive in a work setting, but in a social one, the sharp elbows seemed vulgar.

I especially didn’t like how she talked about Elika last night. I had looked for Elika during the day and found out from one of the housekeeping staff that she had Wednesdays off. I wanted to talk to her and understand better what was going on with her life, her sister, and how she was doing. I felt this odd sense of responsibility for her, even though I had no reason to.

We’d fucked, but that was four years ago. Was it the best sex of my life? Yes. But I’d known even then that Elika was the wrong woman for me. There was no way we would be compatible. She was a college dropout, cleaning hotel rooms for a living, with no career prospects—a fact reinforced by the reality that, four years later, she was still cleaning hotel rooms.

Now, I had no problem with honest work and didn’t look down on Elika for that. I just didn’t think we could have more than we’d had, even if I had flirted with the idea. We’d had fun together—had a connection that was all-consuming. Leaving her hadn’t been easy, but there was only so long I could juggle my responsibilities before my brother, Damian—who also happened to be my boss—came down on me. I had thought of coming back to Honolulu and seeing her…maybe spending another week with her, but it hadn’t worked out.

Now, I was engaged, and Elika was completely off-limits.

‘What is she doing here?’ Cristin muttered caustically.

I followed her line of sight and felt the breath leave my body.

Elika wore a tight white T-shirt and a pair of jeans molded to her body. She looked like a fucking model as she expertly made cocktails. My dick went into alert mode as if sniffing her. Even now, after all these years, it was like my body recognized hers.

Stop it, Dean; you’re engaged to Elika’s cousin. ENGAGED to be married. So, get your head out from between Elika’s legs and focus on Felicity.

‘She works here, obviously,’ I remarked.

I thought it was her day off, and here she was working again. One thing about Elika I’d known even all those years ago, she was hardworking. She didn’t shirk her duties and even when I’d charmingly tried to get her to call in sick and spend the day in bed with me, she’d refused.

‘What can I get, y’all?’ our server, a young man with an Australian accent, asked us. He was wearing a white shirt and denim shorts, which seemed to be the tiki lounge’s uniform.

The Lava Lua Tiki Lounge was nothing like the pristine bungalows or the high-end restaurants we’d been having dinner at in the resort. It was a different kind of atmosphere altogether—unpolished and vibrant, with the sound of laughter mingling with the beat of Hawaiian music and the clinking of glasses. The place was tucked into a hidden part of the coastline, far from the polished world of opulent bungalows and private beaches. It was alive, and I couldn’t help but notice how the energy pulsed through the place like a heartbeat.

Cristin’s boyfriend Theo had recommended the tiki lounge. Apparently, he came to Kauai regularly, just like the Thatchers. His family also had a bungalow in the same resort.

The tiki lounge was my kind of place. Lit by the flicker of torches and colorful string lights, casting a warm glow over the wooden tables and bamboo bar, it was charming in its simplicity—no pretenses, no expectations—just a good time, good drinks, and a sense of community I had expected.

Felicity and Cristin looked slightly out of place in their designer resort wear.

I watched as Elika moved through the crowd, carrying trays of drinks with the same grace I’d seen at the resort.

‘I was hoping she wouldn’t be here tonight,’ Felicity said and then glared at Theo. ‘This is why I didn’t want to come here.’

‘I like Elika,’ Theo informed us even while his girlfriend shot daggers at him. ‘I don’t know what y’all’s problem with her is. She isn’t her father, alright? Sure, Grant could be an asshole, and Noe was…well, even she didn’t deserve what happened to her, but Elika, she’s always been cool.’

‘He thinks she’s hot,’ Cristin accused.

I agreed wholeheartedly with Theo.

Felicity groaned. ‘You know she sleeps around with guests, don’t you? That’s why she got fired from her previous job. Dante did her a favor, a big one because Daddy asked him to.’

Knowing Dante, I knew he’d do favors for his friends. I had connected with Dante, and he’d promised to have a drink with me when he was back in Hawaii in a few days. He was in Rome, dealing with some family crisis—and since he had a very large family, there was always something that needed his attention.

‘She doesn’t sleep with guests,’ Theo scoffed. ‘Stop spreading vicious rumors, Felicity.’

I liked Theo. Apparently, he’d known the Thatchers for years, as did Cristin. They all grew up in Hawaii, and their parents were friends as well. Maybe it was because he’d known Felicity all his life that he was comfortable being so direct with her.

However, Felicity didn’t appreciate it. ‘That is not a rumor but fact. You can ask Dante when you see him. He’s the one who told me in the first place.’

I eyed Felicity with a sense of foreboding. She was lying. I knew Dante too well—there was no way he’d speak about an employee with such disrespect. It wasn’t who he was.

I didn’t respond to her mendacity because I didn’t want to embarrass her or create a scene. While she and Theo got into it, with Cristin fanning the flames, I watched Elika. She both made cocktails and served them as the tiki lounge, like so many other restaurants and bars, appeared to be short-staffed.

She knew people here, and every so often, someone would stop her for a chat. She’d smile and talk to them while working.

A large Hawaiian man, broad and towering, came to our table. ‘Eh Theo, howzit! How you been?’

Theo embraced the man and introduced him to all of us. Keoni owned the tiki lounge and knew Theo as they surfed together.

‘Come join us,’ Theo insisted, and Keoni did.

He was a charming and handsome man who flirted relentlessly with Felicity and Cristin, who flushed at his attention.

As our drinks emptied, Keoni waved at Elika. ‘Got another round for table four when you’re ready, Doll!’

She flashed him a smile—small but genuine. ‘On it, Keoni.’

‘She’s one real angel,’ Keoni said to all of us, and I saw Felicity’s face tighten at the comment. ‘Eh, Fee, you still mad at her ’cause Grant was one jerk?’

Obviously, Kauai was a small island because everyone seemed to know everyone’s business.

Felicity waved a hand. ‘Of course not. How are things with you? How’s the wife?’

Keoni launched into talking about his wife, who was pregnant.

Elika brought our drinks then, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes pasted on her face.

‘Doll, you take such good care of me,’ Keoni’s voice boomed over the music.

‘You say that to all the servers,’ she teased as she placed refills of our drinks in front of each one of us.

‘Elika, it’s real nice to see you.’ Theo toasted her with his drink. ‘How’re you doing? How’s Noe?’

‘All good, Theo. Noe is getting better. Ka Pono has been great for her.’

What the fuck was Ka Pono? I filed that away to look up later.

Keoni told us our drinks were on the house and walked back to the bar with Elika.

‘Ugh, look at her,’ Cristin’s voice was sharp. She took a sip of her Mai Tai, her lips curling in disdain. ‘It’s always been the same with Elika. She makes people feel sorry for her, and then they act like she’s some kind of saint.’

‘You’re just jealous that Ryan Dillon was her boyfriend in high school and not yours,’ Theo mocked.

His girlfriend stared at him in disbelief. ‘How can you say that? Ryan took me to prom, not her.’

‘Only because you spread a rumor about Elika being pregnant.’ Theo obviously did not like his girlfriend.

Cristin and Felicity both gasped.

‘We all grew up together,’ Theo told me because I obviously looked confused. ‘We went to Iolani School together; it’s a college prep school close to Waikiki.’

‘And we all left the island for university,’ Cristin added, ‘Except her.’

Theo rolled his eyes. ‘Hawaii is in her blood; she likes it here.’

‘Her SAT scores sucked, so she went to the University of Hawaii,’ Cristin quipped, and I was taken aback by the venom in her voice.

‘U of H is a great school,’ Theo commented.

‘Didn’t Elika drop out after the first year?’ Cristin wondered.

‘Can we not talk about her anymore?’ Felicity glared at her friend. ‘You know what, let’s finish this drink and get out of here. Next time, let’s check and make sure Elika isn’t there before we choose a place. It’s like she’s the topic of conversation all the time.’

‘Get over yourself, Fee. You were the one who trashed her first.’

When we got ready to leave, I dropped dollars on the table for a tip since our tab was paid for. ‘You don’t have to do that,’ Felicity said. ‘It’s going to go to her.’

‘And?’

She folded her arms. ‘Nothing. Let’s get out of here.’

I was getting tired of her bitchy behavior whenever Elika was around. It was like she triggered Felicity. When we went back to the hotel, I asked Felicity what the hell was going on with her.

‘I’m just sick and tired of having Elika around everywhere. It’s just…unpleasant. She’s an unpleasant reminder of….’

I turned to her, frowning. ‘Of what? She seems like a nice, hardworking person.’

She rolled her eyes, annoyed. ‘You don’t know her like I do. After her father sued the family, we were done with them. He tried to blame our side of the family for their financial problems and said he deserved a piece of the Thatcher estate. Can you imagine the nerve?’

I blinked, trying to make sense of her anger. ‘When was this?’

‘Years ago,’ she said, waving it off like it was common knowledge.

‘Did he win?’

‘Of course not. He just spent his money on a lawsuit he had no chance of winning ever.’

‘Then what the fuck is your problem with Elika?’ I demanded, exasperated.

‘Grant was a drunk, Dean. A bitter old man who tried to take what wasn’t his. And Elika is just like him. As is Noe. Always playing the victim.’

‘Noe, I believe, is a victim, since she’s getting treatment for being paralyzed.’

I stared at her, my stomach twisting. I’d heard Felicity be cold before, seen her wield her sharp tongue in the art world like a weapon, but this was different. This wasn’t about her academic expertise or her erudite opinions on a rare painting. This was personal. Bitter.

‘Whatever!’

‘And regardless, Fee, how is needing help Elika’s fault?’ I asked, my voice low, trying to keep my temper in check.

Felicity looked at me like I’d just slapped her. ‘Are you taking her side?’

‘I’m not taking anyone’s side,’ I said, feeling tired and not wanting to argue with my fiancée over someone who didn’t matter to us. That was the logical thing, but I couldn’t stop myself from adding, ‘I’m just saying it doesn’t seem fair to hold what her father did against her. She’s clearly just trying to get by.’

‘You don’t know her like I do, Dean,’ Felicity snapped, her voice sharpening. ‘She’s always played the martyr. Always tried to make people think she was above it all, but she’s not. She’s just…pathetic.‘

My chest tightened as I remembered Elika from the tiki lounge, moving between tables, laughing softly with some locals, working hard. She didn’t deserve Felicity’s harsh words.

‘She doesn’t seem pathetic to me,’ I said quietly.

Felicity shot me a look that could freeze an ocean, her eyes narrowing. ‘I can’t believe you’re defending her.’

‘What on earth are you talking about?’

‘You keep taking her side.’

‘Christ, Felicity, I barely know her.’

Except, I do know that she comes when I pinch her clit. I can make her come with ass play, and when I bite her nipple, she comes hard and milks my cock in the best way.

‘I know you’re all about family and…,’ Felicity sniffled, ‘I am too, and that’s why I thought we’d do well together. But I feel like you’re turning your back on my family right now.’

I stared at her, making sure to keep my mouth shut. Was she fucking kidding me? All this because I said I didn’t think a woman she was related to was pathetic? How insecure could Felicity possibly be?

I always saw her as a super confident woman. She was accomplished with a doctorate degree, several peer-reviewed publications, and a stellar reputation in the art world—but now she looked like a lost girl.

I wrapped my arms around her. She was going to be my wife—I didn’t need to get into unnecessary fights with her about someone who had nothing to do with our lives.

‘Hey, come on, babe—you know you’re my number one girl.’ I dropped my mouth to hers, felt her open, and took her taste in—a combination of Hermès 24 Faubourg, her favorite perfume, and the cocktail she’d had at the tiki bar.

An unwelcome memory flashed in my mind.

‘You taste floral,’ I told Elika as I kissed her pulsing pussy, ‘Do you know that?’

‘It’s my body wash,’ she said breathlessly, ‘Ylang-ylang.’

‘No, baby, it’s you.‘

Felicity leaned against me. ‘I’m sorry for being such a…it’s just that Daddy always took her side.’

‘Are there sides to take here? You’re his daughter, my future wife, and Elika cleans hotel rooms and serves drinks.’ As soon as the words were out, I felt ashamed. I was lowering Elika to elevate Felicity. What the fuck was I doing?

Felicity smiled and put her hand on my chest and then dragged it down my stomach to cup my cock, which was hard. Guilt swarmed through me. I was hard because I’d been thinking about fucking Elika. It felt like I was cheating on Felicity and being unfair to Elika.

I kissed Felicity again, desperately wanting passion to take over. Felicity was my future. Elika was a blip in my past. There was no comparison. I needed to get my head back into the game—and stop lusting after my fiancée’s cousin.