Free Hawaiian Masquerade (Destination Billionaire Romance) by Rachelle J. Christensen Page B

back as soon as she thought his name. “Well, there’s this guy.”
    “Okay, I’m packing my bag right now. If Lexi the workaholic has been on a date already, then Kauai must be pure magic.”
    “Two dates,” Lexi said softly.
    “What? Are you kidding? That’s great news!”
    “I think it is, but I have a little dilemma,” Lexi replied. “He doesn’t know about my money.”
    “Hmm, I don’t see the problem. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
    “Yes, but unfortunately his views of the wealthy are less than savory.”
    “Because he’s a hard worker who’s never caught a break, or because he’s a bum who thinks he deserves everything?” Gracie demanded.
    “He’s a hard worker. You should see him chopping coconuts, and he’s a photographer, too. I met him at the craft store and then at art night.”
    “Oh man, sounds like you’ve got it bad. So what’s the big deal? He doesn’t need to know the status of your bank account right now. For all you know, he could be a millionaire, too, right?”
    Lexi thought about that for a moment. “It could work, but he was pretty vocal about some rich snobs we ran into on the beach today.”
    “Well, there’s your answer. If you thought they were snobs, they probably were. Maybe he’s never met a nice rich person.”
    Lexi heard movement in the background, a zipper being pulled. “Wait, are you really packing right now? Isn’t it, like, almost midnight there?”
    “Like I said, if Lexi Burke has been on two dates in one week, then I’m coming to make sure she hasn’t been abducted by aliens.”
    “You didn’t say that.” Lexi scrolled through the screen of flights again. “Wait, there’s a flight that leaves tomorrow night. It has an extra layover, but you could be here by Wednesday. What do you think?”
    “Holy cow! Weren’t you just asking me why I was packing after midnight? I’ll never be able to sleep now.”
    “Good. Less adjustment from the jet lag. Get packin’, girl.”
    Gracie laughed, and Lexi smiled because she sounded happier. Lexi felt better, too. Maybe Kauai was magical, because she was already thinking of what she would text Derek and when she might see him next.

11
    D erek pawed through a pile of dirty clothes near his bed until he found his phone lying under a pair of socks that should have been washed last week. Usually he was tidier, but his mind had been completely occupied with the new photos he was prepping for the coming art night and particularly Lexi Burke. Of course the battery was dead, so Derek had no choice but to start cleaning his twelve-hundred-square-foot home while it charged.
    He’d just finished spraying down the bathroom when his phone pinged with an incoming text. The tiny sound made Derek’s heart pound like it was ready to race right out of his chest. Two more pings chimed by the time he got to his phone. The first two were from Pika with the schedule for chopping coconuts, and the third was from Lexi. Derek’s finger trembled as he swiped the screen to open her message.
    Hey, I can’t wait to see you at art night so you can congratulate me for winning the bet.
    Derek grinned and air-punched several times. It wasn’t much, but it was something. He’d hoped for a chance to see her before Friday, but by the time he finished working with Pika and started prepping his photos, there weren’t any daylight hours left. Kauai sort of shut down at night—at least, the activities he wanted to invite Lexi to closed with the sunset.
    He considered whether he should ask her out anyway. They could hang out and watch a movie, though not in his pigsty. What if she changed her mind by Friday and decided she didn’t want to waste any more time on him? Derek gripped his phone, struggling with the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Finally, he texted her and asked if she’d like to grab dinner on Wednesday. Five agonizing minutes later, his phone dinged with her reply.
    Would love to, but I