Going Hard: Divemasters, Book 3 (2 page)

T
osin and Miguel
continued to tease Archer about his unusual desire to shop as they skipped across some pretty gnarly waves. The island grew as they approached. The peak at its center loomed overhead. Blanketed with thick foliage, the craggy core of Rarotonga was obviously uninhabitable, which pushed its relatively small population of thirteen thousand people out into a ring around its edges.

Everything seemed supersaturated in the tropical sunlight. The bright sapphire of the water and the emerald of the trees were soon outdone by the scarlet birds fluttering around neon pink and yellow flowers they spotted as they tied up to the town dock. Used to the astounding hues of the underwater world, Tosin thought this might be one of the few places on Earth that could come close to mimicking its splendor. It was almost like when his sunglasses got smudgy and he cleaned them. Suddenly everything around him was crisp and clear and hyper-detailed.

“The market isn’t far.” Archer ignored their snickers and took off, marching down the street in the direction he’d pointed.

Miguel and Tosin exchanged a quizzical glance then followed at a stroll, taking more time to appreciate the landscape than their friend had. They traveled the length of the small town in only a few minutes before a cluster of tents, carts, and tables came into view.

Tosin sniffed the air as the scent of something sweet and coconut-y reached his nose. Miguel hummed and checked out a street vendor, buying a crispy stick of fried dough covered in what looked like cinnamon sugar. That would do for starters.

Tosin reached over and snagged the end of it, breaking it in half. “Thanks.”

“Asshole,” Miguel grumbled, though he laughed. “It’s not like I wouldn’t have shared it with you anyway.”

“I know. But that was more fun.” Tosin grinned as he chomped down on the treat. Flavor exploded in his mouth, making him eye Miguel’s half enviously.

“Oh no. Go get your own if you want more.” Miguel snarfed his portion in a couple of large bites, probably to make sure Tosin didn’t steal any more of it. Wise move.

Up ahead, Archer turned back, glowering when he realized they’d been distracted by junk food. Not that that should come as a surprise to him. He waved them closer then ducked under a pretty purple and gold awning that held a very tidy array of jewelry.

Tosin peeled his gaze from ornate gardenia head wreaths, endless souvenirs, and the wooden Tangaroa carvings with giant dicks as he stepped inside just ahead of Miguel. He glanced up. When he saw the woman managing the stall, he nearly crashed into a display of long necklaces made of zillions of tiny pupu shells.

Only Miguel’s fist at the back of his shirt helped steer him clear of disaster. His friend whispered, “Settle down, buddy, or you’ll never have a shot. Better wipe those crumbs off your face, too.”

Not the first impression Tosin would have liked to make.

He stepped fully into her booth, swiped his hand over his mouth to rid it of any stray sugar crystals or drool, then nudged his sunglasses lower on the bridge of his nose so that he could study the woman without heavy tint obscuring any of her beauty.

A white frangipani flower adorned her chestnut hair, which brushed the top of her perfect ass. A modified sarong—signs in other stalls they’d passed had called them pareu—wrapped her slender frame in a vibrant scarlet fabric with bold lime green leaf patterns.

Her rich skin tone reminded him of the oiled teak that dominated the interior of the
Divemaster
. It made his fingers itch to touch her. The exotic features of her striking face held an Asian flair made even more beautiful by her Māori ancestry. Lush lips and a bold nose kept her from appearing too delicate. He’d give her a solid seventeen on a scale from one to ten.

Despite her striking appearance, it was her smile that nearly burned out his retinas. Warm and welcoming, as pristine as the environment surrounding them, she could easily have been some Oceania goddess.

Immediately, he knew what he wanted to take home. Her.

Damn
.

“Good afternoon. Can I help you?” She hadn’t even noticed Tosin, her greeting aimed at Archer instead. That bastard.

Tosin attempted to focus by peering into the jewelry boxes propped on the tables around him instead of at her gorgeous face. Wow. It really was awesome. Everything he looked at called to him. Reminded him of the ocean and the wondrous things he admired beneath the surface. Carved shells, pearls of all hues, coral—she’d used a variety of nature’s beauty to make her art.

“Are you Kahori Akama?” Archer asked.

Kahori
. Tosin practiced saying her name a few times in his mind and decided he liked the way it sounded. Having an unusual name himself, he always appreciated someone else’s.

How did Archer know of her? And why the fuck had he been holding out?

“I am.” She held out a skilled hand—since it had presumably created the assortment of remarkable adornments surrounding them—to Archer.

Tosin didn’t bother tamping down his jealousy when his supposed friend made contact with her.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Archer. I read the feature article about you in Australia’s
Style Magazine
. It said you have a shop here on the island that showcases your more upscale creations,” he explained to the pretty jeweler. “Is it open right now? I’m hoping I can take a look at some of your higher end pieces. I—uh—have my eye out for something special to give my girlfriend.”

Tosin’s head snapped to the side then as he finally pried his stare from Kahori. He met Miguel’s knowing gaze. Things were starting to make sense.

Could Archer be looking for a
ring
for Waverly?

Miguel was grinning back at him. He must be thinking the same thing.

Kahori ignored their antics and dealt directly with Archer. “No, sorry. We’re a small family-run business. My main operation is located on a smaller island north of here, Aituataki. It’s where I grew up. I do have a gallery here, since Rarotonga draws the most tourists. But on market days we close up since my cousin and I are the only two clerks and we’re both needed out here.”

She gestured to the guy beside her that Tosin hadn’t even noticed while his vision tunneled on her. The man was glaring at him. Probably because Tosin was scoping out the guy’s family member as if she were the juicy cheeseburger he’d been hoping to devour earlier.

“I understand.” Archer smiled.

Tosin could tell he was disappointed despite his graciousness. Sure, he could come back some other day, but he spent nearly all his time with Waverly and had taken a hard line approach against lying, even innocently, ever since a few misunderstandings and omissions had nearly wrecked the most important relationships in his life. Including his friendship with Tosin and Miguel. It wouldn’t be easy for him to break away unnoticed in order to surprise her with his purchase.

“We’ll keep Waverly busy if you want to sneak out and buy her a present another time.” Tosin knocked his fist into Archer’s shoulder. “What are friends for? I can’t be responsible for how I distract her, though.”

Archer practically snarled at that.

Kahori laughed then shook her head, setting the petals in her hair fluttering. “No need for violence, boys. The shop is just a block away. I’d be happy to take you over there for a quick look. You don’t mind, do you, Hemi?”

She glanced over at her cousin, who did indeed seem put out. Or maybe he was just protective. Tosin could respect that. One gorgeous woman, three foreign men who looked like…well, them. Lots of expensive merchandise that they probably didn’t seem able to afford. Yeah, he’d be bristling, too.

“I’ll walk her home safe and sound when we’re finished,” Tosin promised.

“The islands aren’t like that.” Kahori rolled her eyes as if overwhelmed by too much testosterone. She patted her cousin on the shoulder. “This isn’t some big city. It’s fine. I’ll be right back. I’ll even bring you a beer.”

The man nodded grudgingly at that. As they left the stall, he drew out his cell phone and spoke quietly to someone on the other end. Tosin figured they’d be supervised by Rarotongan natives the entire way.

He didn’t mind.

But he did settle his sunglasses back into place so that it was less obvious that he was admiring the view from a few steps behind Kahori. She led Archer, Miguel, and Tosin as they proceeded down the street to her boutique.

Double damn
.

K
ahori acted
as if she couldn’t feel the tall blond foreigner watching her. The weight of his stare held a lot of impact, though. It bummed her out that she couldn’t study him as intently as he seemed to be doing to her while she led him and his friends to her store.

It had been a long time since she’d been singed by the spark of attraction like the one he’d ignited when he’d stepped into her stall at the market. And it had been effortless on his part. The man hadn’t spoken a single word to her. His impressively cut body and that self-depreciating smirk he’d flashed when he’d nearly trampled her display had been enough to do the trick. Her carefully practiced cool reserve had gone up in flames like deadwood smothered in lava.

Hopefully he couldn’t tell how attracted she was to him on sight.

The easy friendship he shared with his almost-as-sexy companions, along with his unusual accent, had sealed the deal. She may not even have officially met the guy yet, but she already wished she could have bumped into him under different circumstances. In a different time. Before she’d vowed not to entangle herself in affairs that could only scar her further.

Which was precisely why she should continue pretending to ignore him. He could be dangerous to her and the walls she’d built to keep herself safe within them.

By the time she’d finished her self-lecture, she’d crossed the narrow road and drew her key from her clutch. Key. Singular. She didn’t own a car and there was no need for locks on her home. If Rarotonga was tiny and remote, Aitutaki was ten times so. Everyone knew everyone. No one would dare steal from another resident. Heck, they were almost certainly related.

She opened the door and ushered the three men inside, shivering slightly when the blond man brushed up against her on his way inside. The doorway was no match for his broad shoulders. If she paused to savor the smell of him, sandalwood and spice, no one could blame her, right?

Shaking her head to clear the visions of what he might look like beneath that thin shirt from her mind, she focused on business. She couldn’t let the opportunity for a sale slip through her fingers. It had been more than nine months since her last disastrous trip overseas and her savings were taking a hit. If she could put off leaving the security of her islands a while longer, she’d be grateful.

Kahori took a mental inventory, then asked, “So, what exactly is it you had in mind?”

“I’m looking for an engagement ring.” Archer confirmed her suspicions.

The article he’d mentioned had highlighted her previous wedding sets. Unfortunately for him, that also meant she’d sold out of most of what she’d made. Though she’d recently completed a few new pieces, she hadn’t brought them over to the store from her workshop yet. Mostly because they were more extravagant than what she typically sold here and had been hoping for an online buyer. Figured.

“I knew it!” The man with the South American accent whooped then high-fived Archer. The blond added a congratulatory slap on his back that would have rattled a normal person. Archer only beamed.

Kahori couldn’t help herself. She grinned at his obvious devotion to his partner and the support his buddies gave him over his decision to commit himself to her. A wide network of friends her own age was something she missed out on growing up in the sparsely populated region. There had only been a couple dozen children around her age. Most of those had moved away in search of work on one of the surrounding islands or a higher standard of living and the modern amenities their homeland couldn’t provide.

For a while, she’d thought that would be her fate, too.

Until she realized she couldn’t cut it in the big, bad world.

Living in paradise had tons of benefits, and a few drawbacks she had learned to deal with. So she settled for vicariously enjoying her visitors’ bond instead. When the guys had settled down, she opened the case that held her handmade rings. Most featured the very best pearls harvested from black-lipped oysters that she could source. The luster, orient, shape, color, size, and surface were each of the highest caliber. Thick layers of nacre provided plenty of aragonite crystals to reflect the light.

Considering the Cook Islands were the second largest source of black pearls, some of which she’d been lucky enough to collect herself, she had a decent selection even after she’d burned through a bunch.

Archer and his friends—she’d heard him call the dark-haired guy Miguel and the blond Tosin—leaned in, their heads nearly cracking together as they tried to fit their well-muscled bodies in the compact space. They complimented her designs. Their praise seemed genuine as they pointed out features they liked.

Warmth flooded her when Tosin peeked up at her and said, “I don’t know shit about this, but everything I see is amazing. We’re divemasters. This one here reminds me of a wave.”

Which was exactly what she’d intended with the shell swirled in gold. Bonus, now she could imagine him in a skin-tight wetsuit, gliding beneath the surface of the ocean, one of her favorite pastimes.

Archer hummed. “They’re all fantastic. Seriously. But…”

“It has to fit your girlfriend’s personality.” Kahori wasn’t placating him. Especially for something as important as an engagement ring, it had to be just right. “Tell me about her.”

“Waverly is unique. Strong. A helicopter pilot who served in the US Navy for almost a decade. She doesn’t take shit from anyone and she’s survived a lot of things that would have crushed other people.” Archer’s eyes went kind of glassy as he sang the praises of the woman he wanted to spend forever with. “She’s brave, feminine, and…”

“Sexy as hell,” Miguel added with a wink.

Kahori giggled, wishing she were half as awesome as Waverly. Especially the brave part. “She sounds fiery and bold. Special.”

Archer nodded. “She is.”

Kahori had the perfect thing. Except… “I’d like to show you something. Unfortunately, it’s not here in the shop today. It’s back in my workshop on Aitutaki. I only fly out here once a week for the market and I’ve never had someone come in looking for anything quite like this, so I’ve never brought it here. It’s on my website, though. I can show you pictures.”

“Sure, let me take a look.” Archer smiled. “We’re actually heading up that way in a few days, after we restock and refuel. Miguel and his girlfriend Sabine have a proposition for the island council regarding a business they’d like to establish in the area.”

Kahori didn’t burst their bubble by letting them know how reluctant some of the natives could be when it came to working with outsiders. They’d see themselves when they visited. Aitutaki made Rarotonga look like a bustling metropolis. What could they possible want with an area so secluded?

Not her problem at the moment.

“I should probably warn you.” Kahori hesitated, scared of offending him but also afraid of springing the bad news on him too late, which could lead to an awkward conversation. “It’s my most expensive piece.”

“That’s okay. I’d like to see it.” Archer didn’t hold her cautioning him against her.

“Great, let me bring it up on my laptop.” She scooted around the counter and browsed to the ring’s listing while the guys roamed the shop.

Miguel tapped the glass over a set of chandelier earrings dotted with baroque black pearls she favored for their unusual shapes and oil slick colors. “When you’re done with Archer, I’ll take these. They’ll go great with Sabine’s necklace.”

Archer hummed. “Good eye.”

“Just saying, I’m hoping to reserve the clubroom later. So time your gift wisely if you’re hoping for a special thank you from her,” Tosin mumbled to his friend.

Kahori had no idea what that meant. From his smoky tone and the flare of his friend’s eyes, she could guess it was something scandalous, though. What would it be like to have a man like that worship her?

She shivered.

Meanwhile, Tosin paused and inspected the matching set of bracelets she’d tucked into the far corner of her display. Though they were for sale, she’d semi-consciously sabotaged them by hiding them behind other items. Kahori had been tempted to keep them for herself. But after her last trip abroad, she’d given up on the dream of finding someone to wear them with her and put them for sale. They were her favorite things she’d made, though by far not the most elegant or the priciest.

No, for that, she had to come back to Archer.

“Here it is.” She spun the laptop around so he could see the screen. “It’s a size five as is. I can adjust it as needed.”

The man stood there, his mouth slightly open, and stared.

He blinked.

Didn’t say a word.

Archer must hate it. She’d been so sure, though. Based on his description, it fit.

“What do you think, Tosin?” Archer asked, his voice kind of wispy and odd.

Except Tosin couldn’t have an opinion. He hadn’t so much as glanced at the computer or her crowning achievement. When Kahori flicked her gaze in his direction to assess his reaction, she realized he had removed his sunglasses and was staring at her again with the palest steel blue eyes she’d ever seen. “Stunning.”

She blushed when Miguel snorted softly behind his hand. Then he peered over Archer’s shoulder and whistled. “Wow. Now
that’s
a ring.”

Tosin did look then. He whipped his gaze to the picture then back at her in a dramatic double-take. His eyes grew wide as he scanned the purple-hued black pearl surrounded by a circle of alternating pear-shaped diamonds and fire opals, set in a lotus pattern around it. The fine band split into a Y on either side of the center. Perched on top, the embellishments appeared to hover over the finger of the wearer.

“You seriously made that?” he asked Kahori.

“I did.” Pride bubbled up in her at the appreciation and awe he projected with his slightly tipped head and squinted eyes, as if he couldn’t quite believe her capable of a feat that marvelous. To be frank, she’d blown herself away with this ring.

“What are you waiting for?” Miguel elbowed Archer.

The man raked his fingers through his short hair then scrubbed them over the stubble shadowing his cheeks and strong jaw. Then he asked his friends, “Am I doing the right thing?”

“By proposing? Hell yeah. Waverly is the woman for you,” Miguel reassured him.

“No, I’m certain about that. Never have been more positive about anything in my life. But…the ring…”

Kahori understood his concerns. It was an unconventional selection. Not in the least bit traditional. Though she guessed his soon-to-be fiancée would approve, she only had the few scraps he’d shared with her about the woman to go on.

“Would you maybe just block your ears for a second? I think what I’m about to say might sound rude.” Archer grimaced at her then turned to Miguel and Tosin. “Do you think Waverly will be into this instead of some honking rock? I could buy her a big ass diamond. I like this a million times better. It reminds me of something a mermaid queen would wear. But we’re all about the ocean. Maybe she’s not as into it…”

“Archie, quit worrying.” Tosin put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezed. “Waverly is into
you
. That’s the only thing she gives a fuck about. This ring is the bomb and she’s going to freak out when you give it to her because, for some reason, she really loves you. Dumbass.”

Kahori sighed behind the counter, her eyes going soft and melty at his passionate speech. If the men’s friendship made her jealous, the fantasy of a soulmate like that…

Whew
.

She fanned herself a few times while the guys talked amongst themselves.

“How are you going to pop the question by the way?” Miguel asked. “It’s got to be something elaborate. A huge gesture, right? Something she’ll never forget.”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead.” Archer groaned. “Can’t I just give it to her in bed after amazing sex and tell her how much I want to spend every night just like that?”

“No.” Miguel and Tosin both caught her by surprise when they objected in unison.

“That doesn’t sound half bad to me.” She clapped her fingers over her mouth when she realized she’d spoken her thought out loud.

Tosin met her gaze and they chuckled together. The heat in his stare rivaled the sun beating down on the shop in its intensity. She wondered what it would be like to look into his eyes as he made love to her.

Whoa. No point in torturing herself with visions of something that would never happen.

“I’ll worry about that later.” Archer looked again at the picture of the ring, running the cursor over it as if he could stroke it through the screen. “How much is it?”

“Uh…” Kahori winced. “Remember, I told you—”

“I’m not surprised.” Archer smiled. “Hit me.”

She wrung her fingers, recalculating the cost of her materials. It was clear this ring had been destined for these people. It would make her happy for them to leave the Cook Islands with it. But she also liked to eat and pay her bills. Finding a middle ground, she gave Archer a discount without him knowing. “Fifteen thousand.”

He didn’t so much as flinch.

“Is that a fair price?” Archer asked her point blank.

She nibbled her lip before nodding.

“You’re sure?” he asked again. “Look, I’m not even going to try to haggle with you. I don’t know what I’m doing except appreciating something this beautiful. So I’m trusting you here. It’s spectacular, and I think my girlfriend will love it. That’s my only concern. If you tell me it’s worth fifteen grand, I believe you.”

“You’re getting one hell of a deal,” Kahori promised. “It’s the best piece I’ve ever made. Easily worth what I’ve quoted you even if you smelted it and sold it for its components.”

She grimaced then, pained to consider such a fate.

“Then why’d you hesitate?” Tosin asked. Nothing in his tone was accusatory. He seemed genuinely curious.

“Everything is relative, I suppose.” She smiled softly then gave them a sliver of the truth. “You’re here, the ring is here—well, nearby—and you’re saving me a trip to Australia, New Zealand, China, or one of the bigger markets to find a buyer. I used to travel more often when I was establishing my brand. I just...prefer not to do that anymore if I don’t have to. Now that my work is out in the world, gaining recognition, high-end buyers have been coming to me. Searching me out in person like you have or working with me remotely through my website on custom designs.”