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Although at times Patricia made a caustic comment and Sonia felt as though Patricia was jealous of her success, she’d immediately feel awful for thinking that way. The woman had always been her biggest champion, and had it not been for the older woman, she wouldn’t have gotten her early break into the business.
“So, that’s it for the day. Why don’t you pack up and get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be an early one, and with the holiday coming up, let’s get as much work in as we can. No telling how crazy it’s going to be in a few weeks!”
“Oh, no...don’t remind me!” Patricia piped up. With the Fourth of July around the corner, coupled with an expected increase in holiday tourism, the Kealoha Ranch, as well as the crew, were gearing up for an avalanche of spectators.
“Which reminds me, I need to go to the trailer and download the production schedule from corporate.” Sonia barely refrained from groaning. It had been a long day and she was beyond tired.
She reached a hand up and again began to massage her tired neck muscles. Not to mention the fact that Key was eyeing her down. The longer she’d stood speaking with the crew and Patricia, the more heated his stare had become. She hadn’t even had to turn his way to know that.
She felt that familiar fissure of sharp awareness curl through her stomach, winding its way throughout her body, and the resulting spike of goose bumps to sprinkle over her skin.
“I’ll take care of that, boss, it’s been quite a day. Me and the guys are headed that way on the way back to the hotel.” A big, beefy hand touched Sonia’s back and she barely refrained from wincing. “In fact, before heading to the hotel, we’re going to hit the Wave for a few drinks,” he began, mentioning one of the nightclubs not far from the hotel where they were staying. He stopped and smiled down at her, the dimple in one of his chubby cheeks flashing as he extended the invitation. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“Thanks, Walt,” she replied, smiling up at the large man. “Maybe some other time. I’ve got some work to do in my room before I hit the bed.”
“Well, anytime you change your mind, let me—us—know.”
She saw the disappointed look enter his dark eyes before he nodded his head and turned with the others to leave.
She nodded and smiled before she dismissed her crew, after giving final instructions for the next day’s filming.
“It will be a light day tomorrow, everyone. I don’t expect us to go past noon, and after that, the next few days are yours!” Her response elicited the expected pleased reaction from her staff, bringing a genuine grin to lift the corners of her lips.
She watched the group leave and drew in a deep breath. She knew who she now had to face.
“Looks like it’s time to saddle up,” Tricia murmured, and Sonia bit back a groan in reply.
She didn’t have to turn around to know whom Patricia was talking about. And her assistant’s reference to saddling up didn’t help at all....
Sonia sighed and closed her eyes briefly. She remembered the way Keanu had spoken the heartfelt words to her over the phone after he’d finally agreed to do the show and allow her and her crew on his land.
“The new generation, our generation...we all need to come together and work on the environment to survive. Not just in Hawaii but all over the world. If the Kealoha Ranch can help in any way...we’re ready to saddle up, ma’am.” His deep baritone had washed over her like a hot shower.
As the producer of several hit shows, when she’d been approached about filming a reality show, her first response had been a hearty “hell no!” Not a fan of reality TV in general, she’d always found herself cringing whenever she’d watched it. Even though she had secretly watched a couple, she would never consider producing one.
After viewing the footage the network had provided, her thoughts had changed. They had sent a small film crew over to the island to secretly take film footage of the Kealoha Ranch, located on the beautiful Hana, Big Island, Hawaii, and after viewing, despite herself, Sonia had been intrigued with the idea of a Hawaiian ranch, something she hadn’t ever associated with Hawaii.
Within days she’d booked a flight.
The footage hadn’t done the island justice. After her first night staying at one of the luxury resorts, she’d risen early, unable to stay in bed. Coffee in hand, she’d walked over to the large window and stood staring out in awe, taking in the breathtaking view.
The scene could have been plucked from a blockbuster movie, it was so surreally beautiful.
The beautiful eucalyptus and ohia trees, lolling hills in the distance and the vividly blue wide-open Pacific all made for a magnificent backdrop to the incredible scene.
Sonia had then taken a ride out to the Kealoha Ranch and her fate had been sealed. The unique blend of emerald-blue water, tranquil skies and ranching assured her the project would be a winner.
The ranch and island had captured her imagination and Sonia had eagerly accepted the gig.
But it had taken a lot more than a simple phone call to convince the reclusive rancher to agree. Originally A’Kela Kealoha had agreed to do the show; however, there were production challenges and the show went on hold.
The producers had decided to try again and had contacted Alekanekelo Kealoha, only to learn of the elder Kealoha’s illness and the family’s need for privacy after the death of his wife. Disappointed, Sonia and the others had begun to believe the show wouldn’t be able to be produced.
When they learned there were two other men, the twin sons of Alek Kealoha, Keanu and Nick Kealoha, who were equal partners, they’d approached them in a final effort. With Nick they’d been elated when he’d agreed...only to laughingly tell them it was his “big” brother they now had to convince. His identical twin, who was older than Nick by a full five minutes.
And that had been the beginning of a six-month courtship between Sonia and Keanu, via email, Messenger and iChat.
When she’d learned of his involvement with a local volunteer group that sought to bring awareness about preserving Hawaii’s natural habitat, as well as the foundation his mother had started to help those in need, she’d quickly devised a new angle and brought the proposal to his attention.
When the new angle seemed to appeal to him, she’d barely held her excitement in check when Pat had come into her office, nearly bursting with the news that the fuddy-duddy, as she’d dubbed him, was on line one, waiting for her.
Sonia had taken a deep breath, closed her eyes and prayed to the Almighty for patience before putting a smile on her face and answering the phone. She found that when she smiled while dealing with irritating, overbearing men who thought they knew it all, it helped center her, even if they couldn’t see her fake smile.
“This is Sonia Brandon, may I help you?” she’d asked, infusing more than a little bit of confidence into her voice. Another thing she did while dealing with the aforementioned group.
“The new generation, our generation...we all need to come together and work on the environment to survive. Not just in Hawaii but all over the world. If the Kealoha Ranch can help in any way...we’re ready to saddle up, ma’am.”
With those words, he’d gotten under her skin. Those words issued in that deep, sexy-as-sin velvet voice...
She’d blown out a long breath as soon as she’d severed the connection, with a deal tentatively reached.
God...she hadn’t even had to meet the man for him to get her hot and bothered.
Or maybe it had been too dang long since she’d had a man.
Whatever it was, he’d caught her attention from that moment on...and it had only gotten worse.
After a round-table discussion with key players from the network, the executive producer and Sonia, they’d decided to try once more and had been surprised when he’d agreed. And as soon as they’d all met the reclusive rancher, Patricia had soon stopped calling the handsome rancher “fuddy-duddy.”
“Ms. Brandon...a word.” The sinfully deep voice sent her heart skipping, brought her back to the present with a rush.
“Patricia, why don’t you—” Sonia stopped and cleared her throat from the frog lodged firmly in the back. She kept her cool, her smile firmly in place. “Why don’t you take the rest of the evening off. We’re done here.” She ignored the spark in her assistant’s eyes as she ran them back and forth between Sonia and the man behind her.
Although Patricia never said anything, Sonia knew the woman suspected Sonia was attracted to the rancher. However, she’d prudently refrained from asking, instinctively knowing that although they were close it would be crossing the line.
“Are you sure? I could—”
“Patricia...yes. Please,” she interrupted, still trying to hold it together. Before Patricia could leave, Sonia remembered that she’d forgotten to advise the crew about the change in meeting time. “Patricia, could you let the staff know that I’d like to meet with them tomorrow, at lunchtime?” Sonia hoped that giving Patricia the right to relay information to the staff would mollify her and remove the suddenly wooden expression from her assistant’s face. Normally, she wasn’t so abrupt with Patricia, but lately...well, chalk it up to overactive hormones and Keanu Kealoha, she thought, mentally drawing in a deep breath.
“Right away, boss,” Patricia replied, her voice slightly cooled.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend,” she began, placing a hand on her assistant’s arm.
Although she was sincerely sorry if she had offended Patricia, at the moment, her assistant’s feelings were not primary in her thoughts.
“Don’t worry about it, Sonia. I understand,” Patricia replied, her expression lightening.
“Ms. Brandon.” The deep baritone had a distinctly irked quality, reminding her that Keanu Kealoha wasn’t a man accustomed to having to wait on anyone.
She suppressed a ridiculous shiver. His voice warned Sonia that she and the irritating man attached to the sexy, drop-your-panties voice were going to have yet another...uncomfortable encounter. The thought brought a shiver, again, to run down her spine.
She straightened her back, mentally reminding herself that, no, she was most definitely not looking forward to any type of encounter with him. Unless it was business. Strictly business.
She ignored the self-mocking inner laugh.
She drew in a breath, subtly tugging down the hem of her casual tank top back inside the waistband of her jeans, realizing that it had ridden up, exposing her stomach. She had no intention of him even thinking she was doing anything to get his...attention.
It was strictly business with Keanu Kealoha, she reminded herself, again.
Sonia drew in a breath. Despite her every intention of not letting him know just how much he affected her she knew he’d guess in a heartbeat if she didn’t get it together. Placing a faux look of confidence and casual smile on her face, she turned to face him.
But damn...really? Did he have to be so ridiculously fine?
Sonia mentally groaned, her helpless gaze raking over his tall, muscular body.
“I think it’s long overdue that you and I got to know each other, Ms. Brandon.”
It wasn’t just what he said that made her legs threaten to buckle, although that alone caused her heart to hiccup with the implication of his words. More than that, it was the way he said it that caused the queasiness to settle in her gut, the kind of queasy feeling a woman got when a man turned her on so bad she didn’t know the last time she’d felt so hot and bothered. It was the way he said it, and the way his bright eyes raked her over, head to toe, that made her feel naked, exposed.
And wanted.
Dear God...
Suddenly all kinds of forbidden, delicious images came to mind.
Images of how...what, she could do to convince him to allow the series to continue. A slow, warm heat flushed her entire body at the thought, an unknown grin creasing the edges of her full lips upward.
She turned to face him.
Chapter 3
Was he the cause for the sexy little grin on her face? Key wondered, feeling a jolt in the region of his heart at the glint in Sonia’s dark brown eyes, and the mischievous-looking smile on her full lips. Everything about her appealed to him on levels he never knew existed.
As she stood before him, doe-eyed and staring at him with a sexy glint, it was all he could do not to fulfill every one of the erotic dreams he’d had of her over the past few months. Hell, the dreams, although hot as any of the active volcanoes around the island, would look like a cartoon compared to what he wanted to do to her.
But he knew better than to make good on those dreams. She would be gone soon, leaving him, the ranch and the island, like all the rest. And that smile of hers was one he shouldn’t trust, he knew that, no matter how damn sexy it, or she, was.
“So glad you could make time to speak to me, Ms. Brandon,” he began, and immediately saw her reaction to his words. The smile dipped and waned before she forced it to remain. But it wasn’t the same. Although brighter, it was less authentic. She lifted her chin just a fraction higher, her back stiffening. For a moment, Key wished he could retract his words.
Although she was of average height, the top of her head reached him midchest and, in order for her to make eye contact with him, she had to take a step back as well as lift her chin. The fact that he was trying to convince himself that that was the reason for her stepping back from him, he ignored.
“Such a hard-ass,” she mumbled, but he caught the words.
“Excuse me?” Key asked, shock warring with genuine humor.
Her eyes flew to his and she covered her mouth, her eyes wide. “You, uh, heard that?” she asked.
“Yeah. But it’s okay. I’ve been called worse,” he replied, shrugging a shoulder.
“I’ll bet you have,” she returned, and he caught the red flush stain her creamy brown cheeks.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay. Like I said, I’ve been called much, much worse,” he replied, cutting into her apology.
When she grinned again, it threw him off guard and he felt himself responding to her gamine expression.
She had a smile on her face that reminded him of Nick. Although he and Nick were identical on the outside, when it came to women they were as different as night and day, with Nick playing the role of playboy rancher to the hilt. Her smile was about as sincere as his twin’s avowals of devotion to any one of his girlfriends.
In other words, bogus.
Even as her snappy answers and overall sassy attitude aggravated him, Key couldn’t deny the effect her curvy body and cute ass had on him. His eyes fell to her full lips. The bottom curve poked out just a hint, giving her a natural pouty expression, one that played hell on his libido, wondering what it would taste like.
He’d thought about it, tasting that full, luscious lip of hers, drawing it into his mouth to suckle and kiss.
Each time he did, he remembered that she was only in his life for a while. She, like all the rest, would be gone once her season was over.
He’d do well to remember that. It was only physical, his reaction to her. Once she and her crew had left the island, his life and his libido would return to normal.
He drew in a breath, remembering what he had recently discovered.
Did she have information about what he’d discovered somehow? Had she or someone in her camp found out that he and Nick were the sons of Jedediah Clint Wilde, whose adoptive sons were the legal owners of the Wilde Ranch, one of the most profitable family-owned-and-operated ranches in the United States? Was that the reason she’d approached his brother about extending the season?
The idea had plagued him since he and his brother had spoken days ago and Nick had casually informed him about the request to continue the show. Even before he could continue, Key had already begun shaking his head.
“Not only no, but hell no,” he’d said, his jaw tightening. “Look, you know the only reason we agreed to do this was to honor Mom’s last request. Well, we’ve done that. We’ve helped raise awareness and with that Mom’s foundation for the preservation of Hawaii has tripled in donations. As for the rest...the attention from the show, attention I sure as hell am damn sick of—”
“Well, I’m not,” his brother had cut in. His arms were crossed as he leaned against the kitchen table, one big booted foot crossed over the other, a half grin on his face as he observed his brother’s rising anger, no doubt enjoying the hell out it while calmly munching on an apple.
“It is done. Finished. With the foundation having a higher profile, donations will continue. I’ve been the good son,” he’d said, turning away from Nick.
He knew that his brother was in tune with him, more than anyone. And keeping his thoughts and emotions hidden from Nick for too long was damn hard to do.
But Key had to do exactly that, at least until he figured out how...when he’d share what he’d learned about who they were with his brother.
The role his father had had in the deception was not far from his mind, either. Hell, he didn’t have a clue how he’d approach Alek Kealoha, the only man he or his brother had ever called Father.
For now, regarding their parents’ dishonesty, he would hold his tongue, as well as his emotions, firmly in check.
He’d turned to face Nick.
“Look, Kaikaina,” he’d begun, not realizing that in his distress he’d called his brother by his Hawaiian nickname. “The only reason I agreed to this invasion of our home in the first place was because of Mom and the foundation. Now that we’ve accomplished that goal, there’s no way in hell I’m going to agree to a second season. One was pushing it. But it was for Mom, so...” He shrugged and paused, ran a hand through his hair and allowed the sentence to dangle.
Even through his anger, his feelings of betrayal, he loved his mother, as did his brother. And, even knowing what he now did, he would have still allowed the crews to film because the foundation had meant everything to her.
“This was for Mom, yeah, man, I get that. Dad and I agreed with you, remember? I’m not the bad guy here.”
“Hell, Nick, I never said or thought you were. You’re my brother. You’re family. And family comes first,” he’d said.
