Free Paradise Wild (Wild At Heart Book 2) by Christine Hartmann

eating. I probably want to avoid both unless I’m looking to get kicked out for spilling something on a fancy painting.
    “Ellie.”
    She turned to see Baby Hater with a buff, beautiful blonde on his arm, his female twin in all things perfectly surfer.
    “Epic. Here’s the person next to me on the plane. Brigie, meet Ellie. I’m getting you two drinks.”
    Ellie waved to deter him but his back was turned. She faced the stunning Brigie.
    Oh, great. What’s Baby Hater’s real name again?
    Ellie fumbled. “It was awesome of…your husband to invite me here. I don’t know anybody on Maui yet except…your husband.”
    “He’s always stoked to make people feel at home.”
    “He’s a great introduction to Maui. Perfect for the plane. Gave me a really awesome picture.”
    Brigie smiled as though she understood exactly what Ellie was talking about.
    Which is good, because I have no idea what I’m talking about.
    Baby Hater appeared fortuitously with champagne. Ellie buried her face in the glass. She grinned at his explanation of the octopus in the window and then dove, drink in hand, into the heart of the gallery.
    A marine theme dominated the displayed art. Ellie marveled at the mediums used to depict creatures of the deep and at the imagination that morphed a turtle into a coat rack and a humpback whale into a miniature piano.
    “Do you like cephalopods?” An eerily tan man of about fifty materialized at her elbow.
    “Cephalopods?” Ellie blinked and tried not to scratch her head. “Sure.”
    “Which do you prefer?” The man leaned toward her.
    Her eyes flicked from his to the glass in her hand. “Uh, they’re all kind of nice?”
    “I agree. Everyone likes Nautilus. But I prefer octopuses.” He took a step forward, nearly rubbing arms with her.
    “Oh.”
    He inclined his head conspiratorially and whispered in her ear. “Did you know they’re a kind of mollusk?”
    “Gosh, no.” Ellie looked around for Brigie.
    “Most people don’t know they’re related to clams and oysters. But if you visualize their construction…”
    Ellie suddenly jumped. Champagne splashed on her dress.
    Did he just pinch my butt?
    Mr. Octopus stared blankly. He solicitously proffered his napkin and reached forward as though to help wipe the front of her dress. Ellie pulled back. As she did, her bottom collided with a zebra-painted sculpture of two dolphins cavorting with a ukulele.
    “Whoops-a-daisy. Don’t want to break this one.” A smiling woman in flower-print leggings and a cropped dark top steadied the black and white creation. “It’s worth more than you think.”
    Ellie shot her a grateful glance. When she pivoted to glare at Mr. Octopus, he had disappeared into the crowd. She swiveled back to the woman.
    “Thanks for the save. I have a history of being clumsy.”
    The woman took a sip from a Perrier bottle. “You should try yoga.”
    Ellie searched for a tray on which to deposit her glass. “For my history?”
    “For moving effortlessly through space.”
    “That’s a nice way of putting it.”
    The lithe woman stretched out her hand. “I’m Jacqui Novotny. I teach yoga here at the hotel.”
    “I’m Ellie Atherton.” Ellie shook the proffered hand and bent to examine the price tag of the piece she almost knocked to the floor. She stood quickly, her face drained of color. “I’ve got to go. I have no business being in a room where I could break things worth that kind of money.”
    Jacqui grinned. “I’ll walk you out. I’ve done about all the schmoozing I can stand for one evening.”
    Near the exit, Jacqui grabbed two fresh Perrier bottles from the buffet and handed one to Ellie.
    Ellie unscrewed the top and took a long gulp. “You don’t drink?”
    Jacqui raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I drink. But not on the job.”
    Ellie stood at the wide stone railing opposite the gallery and looked out over the manicured garden with palm trees surrounding a Maui-shaped swimming pool. “You work at the