Page 37 of Riptide

“Hmm…I’m thirsty. Come to me. I want to bite your neck.” Garrett kissed her as she fell into his arms.

Kaimana looked to Seth, and while she couldn’t gauge his full reaction to their display of affection, laughter lit his eyes.

“Selby.” Garrett broke the embrace but still held her hand. He turned and gestured to Seth. “I’d like you to meet Stone. And Paris. I met Stone on a business trip to Fiji. They were good friends of Evan’s. They’ve also been in New York with him. That club I was telling you about. Xtra. They’re in town for a few days.”

“Welcome to Club Altura.” Selby wore a content expression as she leaned against Garrett. “The old clubhouse is being rebuilt after the fire. Garrett rented this one for our event. Wait until you see the gardens.”

“It’s lovely,” Kaimana offered.

“A fire. Yes, I heard,” Seth said.

“It will be rebuilt.” The lady in red piped in from behind Garrett.

“Sorry. Where are my manners? This is Raine. Raine Presley.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kaimana said. “This home is beautiful. I’m sorry. I hope no one was hurt in the fire.”

Garrett and Selby’s eyes met, a silent communication passing between them.

“We had some issues,” Selby whispered.

“We had a few deaths unfortunately,” Garrett offered.

“Oh I’m sorry to hear that.” Kaimana’s attention was drawn to the woman in red, who played with a few rogue temple hairs that randomly strayed out of her silver wig. Through her mask, a sadness shone in eyes.

“It started with Evan—” Raine began. “It was so hard losing him.”

“Yes, I’m so sorry. We heard about his death,” Kaimana said, confidence in her voice. “I was so sad to hear of his passing. He was an amazing person. Just one of my favorite people in the world.”

“I’m sorry. You knew Evan?” Raine asked.

Seth nodded but remained silent.

“Oh yes, we both knew him. I was quite close to Evan. I knew him from New York. We first met in Fiji,” Kaimana continued. “Evan was an intriguing soul. His job sounded very interesting. He used to tell me all kinds of wild stories. Anyway, I still find it hard to believe he’s actually gone.”

“Really? Well, yes, he loved New York.” Raine nodded and twisted the leash around one of her hands. “I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”

“Paris. Paris Cornell.” Kaimana turned to Seth, who remained silent. “This is Stone Maddox.”

“He, uh, he never mentioned you.”

“We recently attended a silent auction benefit in SoHo and met up with him after,” Kaimana effortlessly elaborated her lie. “He mentioned Altura. Told us to reach out to Garrett anytime we were in town. So here we are.”

“You met in Fiji?” Garrett asked.

“Yes,” Kaimana confirmed. “I’m often there to photograph wildlife. Hawaiʻi too. Though it appears our stop in LA will be a fruitful diversion from the ordinary.”

“Perhaps you can join us for a jump?” Garrett asked.

“It’s a no go for me.” Seth lowered his tone of voice and patted his left leg. “Hurt my knee a few months back in the X games. Snowboarding. Thankfully they tell me I can still hit the slopes sometime in the future but can’t risk hurting my leg again right now.”

“Raine?” Garrett turned to her. “Can you do me a favor and let everyone know we have a special guest tonight? I know this was supposed to be a celebration, but Paris and I have some business to discuss.”

“Yes, of course.” Relief washed over her face as she addressed Kaimana. “Nice meeting you. If you need anything, let me know. I’d best get back to the party.” She held up the leash and shrugged. “I’ve got a pet I’ve got to find. Bad doggy has slipped away from me.”

“Selby?” Garrett asked her. “Would you mind letting Aiden know we’ve got guests? And also Tom in security?”

“Already on it.” She wrapped her arms around Garrett and planted a kiss on his lips. “Make sure to find me later. You can bite my neck and a few other places I have in mind.”