The Trouble with Hawaii Duet

By Kristi Ahlers

This duet contains the stories --

From THE TROUBLE WITH SURFERS

Sophia Drake is a prosecutor who works way too hard and has lost the ability to have fun. When she has finally decided she needs a break and needs to live a little she doesn’t think twice, flies to Hawai’i. When she meets surf instructor Brandon Joffery and he talks her into lessons, she knows there is going to be no way she can focus on keeping upright on a board when the surfer is too amazing and yummy for words. This trip is going to go on the record books. And paradise might just offer more than relaxation. She might just learn to love and live.

Brandon Joffery has left the hustle and bustle of NYC behind and is living the dream in Hawai’i teaching the tourist to surf and enjoy life. When he spots pretty Sophia bobbing on the water looking totally lost and then learning she has no idea how to surf he offers her free lessons. She’s clearly scared to death of not only learning how to surf but also afraid of life and for the first time in his life he wants to protect a woman and get to know her. She’s quirky and funny and perfect. Maybe he will be able to talk her into surfing more than just waves, maybe he’ll be able to talk her into taking a chance on him.

From THE TROUBLE WITH SAILORS

Aspyn Cartwright and her fiancé, Martin, just broke up after being together for a long time. Just, as in twelve hours ago . . . that morning. Seeing her devastation, her BFFs take her on a girl's night out, to help her forget her troubles for a few hours. But when Aspyn sees Martin, her heart is torn out all over again. Not only does he not seem phased by their break-up, he's got another woman on his arm--and he's kissing her in a way that tells Aspyn he knows this woman intimately. Very intimately.

Reluctantly, Aspyn lets her friends talk her into a much needed vacation to Hawaii. She has every intention of soaking up the sun, and forgetting Martin. She’s going to rest, relax, and have fun. What she isn’t counting on is being chaperoned, nor the instant attraction she feels for him. This sailor is trouble with a capital T.

Jesse Spencer is ready for some down time after many long days on-board his naval ship, which is based out of Pearl Harbor. He's not going far though--no better place for R&R than the exotic Hawaiian Islands--surf, sand, sea, and sexy Polynesian girls. When friends ask him to look out for Aspyn, he thinks it’s going to be an easy thing to do. After all he’s not looking for romance, and there are few women who understand the life of a sailor in the Navy. She’s everything he's not expecting, and everything he finds he wants. Trouble is, he has his work cut out for him--she lives on the mainland, and he won’t always have shore duty. Good thing, Jesse loves a challenge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
• Release date: Dec 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310434617

Kristi Ahlers

Kristi Ahlers is a California girl! She grew up in Northern California in a small city called Yuba City. Since then she’s lived in Brussels, Belgium, and England along with a myriad of other locations. A former flight attendant, she was able to continue to feed her love of travel. This has greatly influenced her writing, allowing her to pen stories about places she’s managed to visit and things she’s experienced. Kristi loves to hear from her readers and can be reached at [e-mail] or visit her at her virtual home at www.kristiahlers.com

Book preview

THE TROUBLE WITH HAWAII

The Trouble Series

{includes The Trouble with Surfers and The Trouble with Sailors}

Kristi Ahlers

Published by Tirgearr Publishing

Author Copyright 2014 Kristi Ahlers

Cover Art: Cora Graphics (http://www.coragraphics.it)

Editor: Kemberlee Shortland

Proofreader: R. L. McCoy

A Smashwords Edition

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Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

CONTENTS

The Trouble with Surfers

The Trouble with Sailors

About Kristi Ahlers

The Trouble Series

The Trouble with Surfers

Sophia Drake is a prosecutor who works way too hard and has lost the ability to have fun. When she has finally decided she needs a break and needs to live a little she doesn’t think twice, flies to Hawai’i. When she meets surf instructor Brandon Joffery and he talks her into lessons, she knows there is going to be no way she can focus on keeping upright on a board when the surfer is too amazing and yummy for words. This trip is going to go on the record books. And paradise might just offer more than relaxation. She might just learn to love and live.

Brandon Joffery has left the hustle and bustle of NYC behind and is living the dream in Hawai’i teaching the tourist to surf and enjoy life. When he spots pretty Sophia bobbing on the water looking totally lost and then learning she has no idea how to surf he offers her free lessons. She’s clearly scared to death of not only learning how to surf but also afraid of life and for the first time in his life he wants to protect a woman and get to know her. She’s quirky and funny and perfect. Maybe he will be able to talk her into surfing more than just waves, maybe he’ll be able to talk her into taking a chance on him.

CHAPTER 1

Please don’t let there be sharks in the water. Sophie Drake looked around as she bobbed in the Pacific while straddling a surf board and trying to spy the approach of a dorsal fin.

Something brushed up against the bottom of her foot and she squealed and tried to yank her foot out of the water, but instead started to wobble back and forth on the board.

Oh, please don’t be a shark.

So are you going to just sit here and bob for the rest of the afternoon or do you plan on riding some of these waves? You’re really missing out.

Sophie turned her head and placed a hand over her eyes to shade them so she could see the guy beside her. Her eyes settled on cut abs she only thought possible after some severe Photoshop touch ups and she swallowed, trying to wet her overly dry mouth. He was every hot Hollywood guy rolled into one smoking specimen of male perfection. She mentally gave her head a shake. Yeah, she really needed to give up reading the romance novel she’d picked up at the airport on a whim; she was now waxing poetic about strangers when she really needed to worry about getting back to dry land.

Preferably before she became lunch for a cranky and hungry shark.

Ah… Sophie jerked again as something else brushed her foot.

There have been some really great sets you’ve missed while you’ve been…doing whatever it is you’ve been doing.

Something else brushed against her leg, and she shuddered while trying to swallow the scream building in the back of her throat. At the same time she curved her mouth into what she hoped was an I’ve got this smile.

You sure are a twitchy little thing. Her companion smiled. So first time surfing Hawaiian waves?

Yeah, more like first time surfing period. Sophie waved her hand toward the beach. My surf instructor had to go do something…

And left you alone out here by yourself?

It would appear so. Sophie kept scanning the water for the apex predator she just knew was lurking in the depths ready to gobble her up whole.

What are you looking for?

Sophie sighed. Well, if you must know, sharks. I’m looking for sharks.

The guy beside her cocked a brow and rubbed his hand over his mouth. Ah, I see. As in you’re looking for them to…study for some scientific purpose maybe?

Sophie frowned. No, more like so I can avoid becoming their lunch. Duh.

The stranger tipped his head back and let loose a laugh that was both sexy as hell and insulting. No woman wanted a man who looked like he did laughing at them.

What’s so funny? Do you not watch Shark Week?

No, I can’t say that I’ve tuned into Shark Week. So the buggers get a whole week of television all to themselves huh?

Yes, it’s very informative and I would think someone like you would want to be aware of the dangers found in these waters.

Darlin’, there is danger just walking down the street.

Sophie narrowed her eyes and nibbled on the inside of her lip. Well, he did have a point. She was a States’ prosecutor and she, more than anyone knew, danger lurked everywhere. Being safely locked in your own house was sometimes not enough to avoid trouble or even death.

Well, the time had come to get her butt back on the beach. The paddling out had been a little more challenging than she thought it would be and she feared the return trip wouldn’t be any easier—especially since her surf instructor had left her by herself. Who did that?

Douches’ that’s who.

Disgruntlement and disgust churned inside her and she contemplated sliding off the board and swimming to shore.

So much for learning how to surf. And so much for random, at the last minute trips. This is what one got when they made the snap decision to take a much needed vacation with zero planning. In fact, her planning took place while in flight, consuming Mai Tai’s and jotting down typical Hawaiian entertainments on a cocktail napkin.

Yeah, no more drunk planning for her.

A wave rolled beneath them, rushing to shore and pushed abs boy towards her. The spicy, salty scent of his skin reached her and gooseflesh broke out on her arms. Okay, that was new and unusual.

She licked her lower lip, tasting the salt of the ocean and once again cursed the stupidity of signing up for surf lessons from a guy who looked as if he lived in the VW van he’d been standing beside.

I think I’ll just paddle in and leave the waves to y’all.

She leaned down and kicked her legs up and began to paddle in with the waves. It was much easier going in since she wasn’t going against the water.

Sophie reached the shore and picked up the board and walked onto the beach.

What on earth are you doing?

Huh? She looked at the surfer dude. It’s called walking. Look. You’re doing it too. Sophie shook her head and continued to where she’d left her belongings. She figured the handsome guy would be on