by Tara Lain
“Yep. All the accoutrements of civilization.”
The waiter finally made it back to their table, and they ordered more beer and some garlic fries, which Julie swore were to die for. The band tuned up, and after a couple of minutes of kibitzing, started to play an old Willie Nelson song. By now the place was jumping. People had been squeezing into the cracks ever since they arrived, and the music clearly signaled dancing time. Couples bopped out onto the floor and the Texas two-step, Hawaiian style, began.
Rand slugged back a mouthful of beer. “You wanna?”
“You can dance? Hell yes.”
She was out of the booth and onto the floor in record time. Apparently she didn’t get enough dancing. She’s come to the right place. Dancing R Us. He took her in the semiclose two-step hold and set off onto the floor.
After a couple of twirls and close-hold side-by-sides, she grinned up at him. “You really can dance.”
“As advertised.” That might be the only thing about him that was.
Chapter Three
A few people had come to the edge of the dance floor and were clapping Rand and Julie on. Rand released his inner exhibitionist and put on a little show. Julie had no problem keeping up. Suddenly a loud whistle cut through the music, and someone yelled, “Go Kai!”
Rand looked around and saw a guy dancing with a pretty redhead. Whoa. Maybe he should say a pretty guy dancing with a redhead—tallish, lean, with caramel skin that glowed in the soft light, and below-the-ear-length black hair that swayed under his cowboy hat as he danced. And shit, could that guy dance. Graceful, sure-footed, and sexy. Holy hell.
“Hey, can’t stand the competition?”
“What?” Julie grinned at him. Damn, he’d stopped dancing to watch. “Oh, hell no.”
The band segued into something far more up-tempo and fiddle-based. Most of the dancers gave up, but not the beautiful guy. He just stepped it up and out, twirling his partner across the floor. Rand took up the gauntlet, adding in some line-dance steps. Julie picked it up fast, and they held their own. Rand glanced at the other couple and got a stare from Mr. Gorgeous, who filled out his jeans like sin in blue denim, his ass rounding the back and worn fabric cupping his package in front. Stop looking, asshole, before you get a very embarrassing boner.
Focus on the dancing. He spun Julie like a top. The guy copied his move and started circling around Rand. Rand laughed and backed up to him, twirling Julie and doing a couple of spins himself. The other guy grabbed Julie’s hand. For a second, Rand pulled back. Oh wait. I get it. He took hold of the redhead’s hand and spun her as the guy spun Julie, then they started trading back and forth, two-stepping a few feet with one partner, then changing to the other. The crowd cheered and stomped.
They circled each other like tigers. Julie might as well have been a prop, since all Rand saw or sensed was the guy in the tight jeans. Their eyes met, held, then separated as they spun and twirled. It’s like I can feel him, what he’s thinking, what he’ll do next. They melted into a unit—one thing, moving across the dance floor.
Rand’s cock rose. No help for it. Would people notice? Nah. Moving too fast, and denim was thick. God, it felt like the guy burrowed inside him, became him. Twirl, spin, sashay, loop. He could almost touch that beautiful skin they were so close. His eyes—dark, dark. Could drown there.
Suddenly the band changed tunes, this time a bit slower, and more couples returned to the floor, some of them leaning over to slap the guy on his shoulder or butt. Rand got a couple of “attaboys” as well.
Julie smiled. “That was fun.”
“Yeah.” He looked over toward the dark-haired man, who was gazing at him. Rand nodded. The guy touched his fingers to his Stetson. His lips curved softly, and Rand swallowed hard.
“You’ve never met him, have you?”
“Uh, no. When would I?” He shook himself and glided into the slower dance. Don’t get too close, or she’ll notice just how much fun you had.
“He takes guests from the Hana Maui on trail rides, so I thought you might have seen him.”
“Oh yeah. I saw some horses going by yesterday, but I didn’t get a look at anyone.”
“Well you sure make a beautiful couple.” She laughed.
He froze. “What?”
She bumped his shoulder. “Oh come on, don’t be such a damned cowboy. I just mean you guys could put together an act and take it on the road. You’re both great dancers, and you sense each other’s style.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.” He looked over Julie’s head at the dancers, but the beautiful guy wasn’t in sight. Probably a good thing. “So, where’s a decent place to eat around here that’s not the Hana Maui? I was telling my parents about you, and they’d love to meet you.”
“No kidding?” She looked surprised. “There are some fun local places, but they tend to be open at odd hours. I can check—”
As she talked, Rand took one last look around to find the dark-haired man. No luck. Or maybe his lucky night.
“Do you want to come to the beach with us, dear?”
He finished the last bite of egg on his plate and sipped coffee. “No, I think I’ll hang around here today.”
His mom smiled. “Stay by the pool for a better chance of seeing your new girlfriend?”
He raised a brow. Keep lying, liar. “She hardly qualifies as a girlfriend after one date, but she did say she’d like to meet you. She’s looking into some of the other local restaurants. We might have to eat early since they mostly serve lunches and early evening dinners, I guess.”
“That’s wonderful. Isn’t it wonderful, dear?” She put a hand on his dad’s arm, and he glanced up from the local paper he was reading—obviously having a tough time breaking away from his constant flow of news, which was tough to get since phone reception was sporadic.
“Yes, that’s great. Love to meet her.” He stared at the paper again.
Rand leaned over and kissed his mom’s cheek. “So I’ll see you guys later.”
“Think about coming to the beach for lunch. Nothing beats those sandwiches.”
“Maybe.” He walked off the terrace to the lawn and sauntered toward his cottage. Am I really going to do this? Hell, you only live once.
He sat on his porch a few minutes to give his folks plenty of time to leave for the beach; then he went inside and changed into his smallest bathing suit. No chance he’d do the nude thing, but no sense making an issue of how much clothing he had on. He slipped out his front door and stayed in the trees away from the lawn to be less conspicuous.
If you’re so anxious to be inconspicuous, why the hell are you going to a nude beach?
Good question. Answer? Curiosity, plain and simple. Plus something to take his mind off last night. Jesus, he hadn’t stopped buzzing just under his skin since he left that dance floor. He’d tried to be good company for Julie, but he’d pleaded jet lag pretty quickly and left her in the parking lot to hurry back to his private but breezy outdoor shower, some mild soap, and a bottle of lube. Hell, he’d jacked off three times before he finally got to sleep.
Why? He saw attractive men all the time and managed to resist them. True, not as gorgeous as the black-haired cowboy, but still. Maybe the contrast between the guy’s exotic looks and down-home cowboy style played with Rand’s mind. He blew his hair from his eyes with an upward puff of breath. Whatever the reason, his body refused to let go of that dance. He needed serious distraction. Maybe some naked bodies would do the job. Of course, if the bathers got distracting enough, Rand’s current choice of bathing suit might not do the job.
At the edge of the Hana Maui property, a narrow pathway dropped down the hillside. Clearly well-traveled. Apparently, lots of guests couldn’t resist the allure of the forbidden. Still, the steep slope looked plenty discouraging. He took a step. Pebbles slid off the edge and down the precipice. His big feet strained the width of the path, but he half walked, half slid on the loose dirt until he heard a voice or two not quite hidden in the soun
d of the surf. When he reached the flat sand, bushes obscured the path until he burst out on a small beach, curving around a pretty cove. He sucked back a laugh.
The voices he’d heard belonged to a guy and a woman playing Frisbee on the beach, both of them bareassed. The guy tossed the disc and the girl leaped for it, her melon-sized breasts flipping up and nearly hitting her chin before swooping down to her waist. She snatched the Frisbee in midflight and threw it back before her feet quite touched the sand. Her companion hurled himself toward it, leading with his considerable gut that pretty much obscured his penis. When he caught it, the girl applauded and ran over to give him a hug. “Good job.”
Rand smiled and edged his way toward the water. Several people played in the shallows, splashing and laughing. Unlike most of the Hawaiian beaches he’d seen in movies where huge waves rolled into the sand, the surf here just lapped, probably due to the shape of the cove or maybe a reef. Plus, the sand shone red as a tourist’s sunburn. Amazing. He heard there were even green sand beaches on the island.
He found a semisheltered spot against some rocks and sat. One or two other people wore bathing suits, but most ran around naked. He didn’t recognize more than a couple of folks from the hotel, so maybe they were locals or people staying at the small B&Bs he’d seen driving in.
One girl danced on the sand with a crown of flowers on her hair, wearing nothing else. Maybe she’d be fun to look at if he was into girls, but no nude guys he found distracting. Rand closed his eyes and soaked the sun into his pores. Not that he didn’t get a lot of sun in California in the summer, but winters got cold and sometimes wet. Plus this sun, despite its intensity, felt gentler, kinder. You’re going soft, McIntyre.
A giggle sounded nearby. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw two girls, one brunette—maybe Hawaiian or Asian—and the other—hellfire, it was the redhead from the dance floor. Both these women would have stopped traffic had there been any, and a few of the men on the beach sneaked glances when their female companions weren’t watching.
The girls spread out towels and proceeded to rub suntan lotion on each other.
Don’t stare. Rand closed his eyes and pretended to be sunbathing.
“Kai. Hey, Kai, we’re here.” That voice belonged to the redhead.
Kai? He’d heard that name before.
“Here, baby!” Her voice again.
He sneaked open his eyes. The redhead stood and bounced as she waved. A shiny black head bobbed in the water, getting closer to the beach. Rand swallowed hard. Well, shit. Can’t be. I should leave. Chances of getting his limbs to move? None. Likelihood he’d manage to keep his eyes closed? Zero.
Gaze glued to the place where the black head rose up from the water, Rand stared at the shoreline. The one called Kai—the gorgeous man who’d inspired three burning jerk-off sessions—walked out of the water so gradually it could have been slow motion. Wide shoulders emerged, then a lean chest carved like bas-relief, a slim waist, narrow hips, and—sweet holy shit. Wasn’t cold water supposed to make you shrink? If Kai’s cock had shrunk, he should have loaned the original to King Kong. It hung low and relaxed, bouncing against his balls and upper thigh. No hair. None at all on his chest or groin.
The guy glanced up, and Rand snapped his eyes closed. Shit, Kai’s cock might be relaxed, but the same couldn’t be said for his own, and his trunks left little room for error. Just breathe slow and easy. This will all be over soon. He focused on the sound of the surf and the birds squawking.
“Hey!”
In through the nose. Out slowly.
“Hey, aren’t you the great dancer?”
What? He half opened one eye. Boobs! And large blue eyes somewhere above them. The redhead leaned over and peered at him. He opened the other eye, trying to stare at her face and not her breasts or the guy’s cock directly behind her. “Hi.”
She stood upright, which brought her breasts into a less dangly position. Beside her, the cute, dark-haired girl stood with her arms crossed and her legs crossed, which managed to pretty much obscure her girlie parts.
The redhead smiled. “Aren’t you the guy who was dancing at the bar last night?”
“I was dancing there, yes.” His eyes pulled toward the man, but he yanked them back.
“You’re really good. Where’d you learn such a mean two-step?”
“Uh, I, uh, I’m a rancher, sort of. I mean, I raise horses and—”
“You’re a cowboy!” She sort of jumped, which proved distracting despite his limited interest in her charms. She looked over her shoulder. “Kai, another cowboy.” She stuck out her fist. Rand hesitated, then bumped his fist against hers. “I’m Audrey, by the way. This is Moke.” She pointed to the girl, who nodded. Then she turned. “And this is Kai. He’s a paniolo.”
Kai also nodded but didn’t step forward or offer a hand. His expression? Wary, maybe. At best, neutral.
Audrey definitely claimed the spokesperson title. “So are you coming back to the club?”
“Uh, I’d like to. I haven’t made any plans or anything.”
“Why don’t you come with us tonight? Moke’s a real good dancer, and we can switch and stuff. I mean, if your girlfriend wouldn’t mind.” She fluttered her lashes just a tiny bit. Hmm. He’d been operating on the assumption she was Kai’s girlfriend. Maybe Moke was?
Moke looked pleasant, but Kai didn’t look especially welcoming. “She’s not my girlfriend. We just met yesterday at the hotel.” Audrey smiled bigger. He shrugged. “But I don’t want to barge in.”
“No barging. We’d love to have you. I mean, this is a small town, brah. We don’t get a lot of mainland cowboys here.” She laughed. “Right, Kai?” She looked back at him.
Kai gazed unblinkingly at Rand with his dark eyes. “Sure. Come if you want.” With that, he turned and flexed one of God’s most perfect asses all the way back to the water.
Audrey sighed. “Don’t mind him. He saw High Plains Drifter one too many times.”
Rand snorted. “Man of few words. What’s his story?”
She flopped down on the sand, which took her well-trimmed pubic hair out of the line of sight. Patting the sand next to her, she pulled Moke down to sit as well. “Kai’s a genuine paniolo, descended from generations.” She looked at Moke.
Moke nodded, and for the first time, Rand heard her voice—soft and low. “His father descended from the first vaqueros.”
He cocked his head. “Vaqueros, like Spanish?”
“Mexican. King Kamehameha invited a few Mexican vaqueros to Hawaii to manage cattle here. That began the tradition. Of course, most paniolo are now Hawaiian.”
Audrey grinned. “Moke used to live in Makawao, so she knows all this historical shit.”
Rand shrugged. “Yeah, well, I didn’t know any of it. When I think Hawaii, I sure don’t think cowboy.”
That earned him a cool glance from Moke. “And yet we had cowboys before California.”
He grinned. “You guys need your own John Wayne. Get some PR going.”
Audrey laughed. “Or a Hawaiian Clint Eastwood.”
“I thought you said he was just here.”
That earned a bigger laugh. Even Moke turned up her lips.
He surveyed the condition of his nether regions and determined that standing was now an option—Kai being long gone. He shifted to a squat and brushed some sand from his butt. “I better get back to the hotel.”
“So you’re really staying there?”
“Uh, yeah. My folks love the place, and I’m doing a long-postponed family vacation.”
“But you’ll get away tonight and come to the bar?”
“I’ll see if I can.”
“I mean, bring your friend the girl if you want to.” She giggled. “But it’d be fun if you come by yourself and you can dance with both of us.” She wagged a finger between herself and Moke.
“At the same time?”
“If you want.”
Going within fifty miles of Kai Eastwood defined playing with
fire. “I’m kind of at my parent’s disposal, but I’ll try to get away.” He stood.
Audrey fluttered her hand. “You sure are tall.”
He pulled on the floppy hair that liked to fall over his forehead. “Yes, ma’am.”
She fell back on the sand laughing, which brought all the girlie bits back into play, a fact about which she seemed supremely unaware.
Moke looked up with her large, dark eyes. “How tall are you?”
“Six three.”
She nodded like she was filing that information for future reference. “I hope you can come and dance.”
“Me too.” Well, that was true, but not for the reasons he implied. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”
Chapter Four
His mom leaned over her not quite clean dinner plate. They’d been fed so well for two and a half days, they were all slowing down a little. “So we meet Julie tomorrow?”
“Yes. There’s a Thai place she says is good but it closes early, so if you can forgo your giant fish sandwich, we can combine lunch and dinner.”
“Hmm. Maybe I can get a fish sandwich for breakfast.” She laughed.
He glanced at his watch. Relax. He probably won’t even come.
“Going somewhere?”
“Yeah. I was invited to join some people back at that cowboy bar.”
“People?”
“Yeah. I ended up in kind of a dance duel last night with this couple. I saw them today—” Oh shit, think fast. “—when I was wandering the grounds. They asked me to come dance tonight.”
“Oh.” She cocked her head. “Are you taking Julie?”
“Uh, no. The girl has a friend who wants to dance with me, so I’m going solo.”
“What about Julie?”
“Mom, I barely know the woman. Come on. You know I love to dance.”
“Is Julie a bad dancer?”
He leaned back heavily in his chair. “No. She’s great, but I’m not married to her.”
A crease popped out between her eyebrows, and his dad’s eyes widened as if to say Oh no. You opened Pandora’s box now. “And that’s exactly the problem, isn’t it? Dear God, Rand, you’ve been out of college for five years, and you’ve worked hard to set up your business. Now you need to get serious about having a life.”