Hula Girl

by Ward Cosio, Lara

  “Yeah?”

  “Can you get that hair tie for me?”

  He looks at the counter and locates what I’ve requested, handing it to me.

  “Thank you.” I quickly secure my hair on top of my head without having to get up from my position of leaning against the end of the tub.

  “Sure. I’ll—”

  “No, stay. Talk to me. Keep me company,” I tell him.

  His gaze slowly travels over me, moving from my eyes downward to my bubbles-covered chest and to where my knees are just above the waterline before he nods. Grabbing a towel, he places it on the edge of the tub and sits.

  “So—”

  “Should we—”

  We both start speaking at the same time and stop short, watching each other with a smile.

  “I thought maybe we could plan what’s going to happen in the next few days,” I say, ever practical. I am not usually a “wing it” kind of girl. I like to prepare, to study, to have the best sense of what’s to come.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I realize with his distracted response that having a planning session with me naked in the tub may not be the most efficient way of doing things. But here we are.

  “I think it’s a good idea for us to get to know each other a bit more before I bring you home to my mom,” I say. “She’ll trust you more if we can show we have some kind of relationship beyond—”

  “Beyond hot sex in Maui?”

  Smiling, I can’t resist the tease of what I say next. “It was hot, wasn’t it? Remember out on the balcony of my hotel room?”

  He looks pained in the way only a man who has to restrain himself can. “Inside my truck was pretty damn hot, too,” he says.

  “Or when you licked the tequila off my thigh? That was really hot.”

  To my surprise, he reaches into the water and his hand glides along my inner thigh. “This thigh?” he murmurs.

  All I can do is nod, my eyes locked onto his as he keeps his hand where it is but moves to his knees by the side of the tub. He squeezes my leg but doesn’t move his hand any farther up, building the anticipation. To spur him along, I sit up just enough for the bubbles to slide down my chest. His eyes leave mine and linger on my breasts, following the trail of suds as they trickle over my nipples.

  “Jesus, Ava,” he breathes and slides his hand upward. At the same time, he leans in and takes my mouth in his, kissing me with unrestrained passion. His tongue searches mine as our lips crash together over and over.

  Whether it’s a good idea or not, we both clearly want this.

  “Get me a towel?” I ask.

  He’s thrown by the sudden interruption, but only for a moment. When he stands, I can see that he’s just as turned on as I am. His suit pants are straining at the crotch, giving me ideas for how to help him alleviate the situation.

  I stand when he holds out a towel for me with one hand and offers his other hand to help me out. The fact that he’s both a gentleman and the one who is about to ravage me sends a rush of heat to my core.

  Once my feet are on the plush bath rug, he wraps the towel around my body, taking care to smooth it down my arms, back, and butt. There, actually, he takes extra care, squeezing my ass with his strong hands. He sucks in a breath when I, in turn, rub the hard length of him.

  “I have missed you,” he says softly, lust thick in his voice.

  Raising myself onto my tiptoes, I kiss the side of his neck. “How bad?” I whisper.

  He pulls my towel open so that it’s only covering my shoulders. I watch as his eyes survey my naked body, trailing over every inch of me in the same slow, deliberate way he did when we first met. This time, though, he does nothing to hide the hunger in his eyes.

  “I’ll show you.”

  I bite my lip at that and he makes a noise that’s part moan and part growl before reaching out and picking me up with his hands around my butt. I take in a sharp breath.

  “I got you,” he says and I believe him. His strength and confidence are on display as he easily takes me to the vanity countertop where he places me.

  When he kisses me, he makes me feel like he can’t get enough of me. His tongue is firm and insistent in my mouth, and I wrap my arms around him to pull him closer, feeling the same sense of insatiable need that he does.

  Dropping his hands to my breasts, he squeezes me gently before playing his thumbs over my hardened nipples. It’s a tease at first but quickly turns more desperate as he pinches and rolls my nipples between his fingers, making me moan into his mouth.

  He breaks from our kiss so he can trail his lips and tongue down my neck and to my breasts, taking one nipple into his mouth. I wrap my legs around him as he swirls his tongue over the sensitive bud. When he uses his teeth to nibble, I feel an electric shock run straight down to my core. I’m on fire, so needy for him.

  “Ford,” I whisper, my voice hitching.

  Looking up with his mouth still doing wicked things to me, I start to speak. To beg him to take me to the next level. But I can’t get a word out. I’m caught in this state of ecstasy, on the verge of orgasm but wanting this to go on and on.

  I don’t have to say anything, it turns out, because, though he keeps toying with my breast, he also unbuttons his shirt and dress pants. It’s only then that he pulls away so that he can toss his shirt aside and pull his undershirt over his head while stepping out of his trousers.

  His chest is tan and so defined by muscles that he should be a sculptor’s model. I run my hand over each definition as he fists his cock.

  “Do you—I don’t have anything,” he says.

  It takes me a split second to understand what he means. “Oh. Yes, in the bottom drawer, right here.” I kick my heel against the vanity.

  In record time, he locates the box of condoms stashed at the back of the drawer and rolls one on.

  Leaning back slightly on my hands, I open my legs wider for him. His eyes go hooded with escalated desire.

  “I don’t know whether I want to eat you or fuck you,” he says.

  “I want both. But if I have to choose,” I say coyly, “I need you to fuck me right now like your life depends on it.”

  And that’s exactly what he does. He slides his hand into the hair at the nape of my neck, just as he’s done before. But this time, he grabs a handful and pulls my head back so he can suck on the tender skin at the hollow my neck. At the same time, he plunges deep inside me. The vanity is the perfect height for him and I wrap my legs tightly around his hips as he fucks with the kind of intensity that has been built up by our separation. It’s the kind of animalistic sex that will leave me sore. And god, is it good.

  It doesn’t take me long to break, coming with waves that I ride over and over. He slows his thrusts and caresses my cheek. There’s sweetness in his face now, the sex god in him having taken a step back as he examines me.

  “Just getting started, honey,” he says. “Hang on.”

  I laugh when I realize he meant that literally because he picks me up from the countertop and walks us to my bed while I cover his face in kisses. I want so much of him. I want him to take me with the same kind of passion we just shared all night long. I want more orgasms and to give him as many as he can handle. I want him.

  Before I can show him that kind of desire, he lays me down and then quickly flips me over, taking me from behind while I’m pressed face-down against my bed. He gets close to his own breaking point before pulling back and flipping me over again so he can tease his tongue over my clit until I’m coming so hard that I’m pulling his hair. With incredible stamina, he then pulls my legs over his shoulders as he pushes so deep inside me that we’re both moaning from the exquisite pleasure of it. Finally, he pulls me into his arms and holding me close against his spent body while kissing my temple over and over.

  I’m drifting in this lovely aftermath when he speaks and pulls me from sleep.

  “Do you have to go to work tomorrow?”

  “What? Uh, yeah,” I reply. I slip my ar
m around his naked hip so I can snuggle closer to him.

  “Maybe you can take a half day? It’d be good for us to, you know, work on getting to know each other.”

  I look up at him but he’s got a far-off expression on his face, even as he’s repetitively stroking my hair.

  I mentally check my calendar. I know my day is full of meetings, some more flexible than others. “I can try. Off by two o’clock at the latest.”

  “That’d be perfect.”

  23

  Ava

  I sleep so hard that when my alarm goes off at the usual time of five-fifteen in the morning, I have no idea what is making such a horrible racket. Once I come to my senses, I turn it off and lie on my back. After a moment I turn toward Ford but he’s not there.

  I hear noises in the kitchen and sit up. Ford is there, with just the stove range light on as he makes a cup of coffee. He’s shirtless, wearing only his boxer briefs, making me want to pull him back into bed with me. But I have other obligations to attend to, especially if I’m to cut my work day short.

  Pulling on a white silk kimono patterned with colorful flowers, I join him in the kitchen. I inhale the scent of my shampoo as I wrap my arms around his waist from behind. He’s not only been up long enough to make coffee but has also taken a shower. It’s a reminder that he has his own work to get to today. His desire to avoid selling his shares to his father had struck me as a bit of silly revenge, especially given that he’s already moved on and found his happiness. But he seems determined.

  “Good morning,” he says. He squeezes my arm before turning to face me. “A little bit of milk, right?”

  The coffee cup he holds up has just the right tone. I gratefully take it from him.

  “How did you know? This is perfect.”

  He shrugs. “I saw the way you take it when we had breakfast at your hotel.”

  I arch an eyebrow. “You are a quick study.”

  “For things I’m into, absolutely. Especially you, Hula Girl.”

  I catch myself from falling for this flattery. After all, we may have had an amazing time together in bed last night, but this whole thing with us … it isn’t real. I have to remind myself—and him—of that.

  “Listen, you can’t do that,” I say.

  He squints at me. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, we can’t really do this. We can’t invest in each other. As much fun as last night was, this thing with us, it isn’t real.”

  “Uh oh! There they go!” He starts looking around like there’s a swarm of wild butterflies he’s trying to keep his eye on.

  I can’t help but laugh. “What are you talking about?”

  “There they go!” he repeats before leveling his gaze on me. “There go your walls. Right up to your normal don’t-fuck-with-me levels.”

  I drop my eyes from his, sensitive to this criticism. I’ve already told him once that this was the point Bryce tried to make with me and that it doesn’t sit well. Taking my coffee to the bar-height dining room table in front of the windows, I stand rather than sit.

  “Hey,” he says as he joins me. “I was just trying to make light of it.”

  I don’t look at him. Instead, I keep my eyes focused out the window, watching the sky lose pigment as the sun rises. “Yeah, sure. It’s fine. Um, but maybe we should just backup a little with the stuff that’s not part of our mission.”

  “Mission?”

  “The fake engagement. You know, pretending that we have a relationship so you can screw over your father?”

  “Oh shit,” he says softly before laughing. “You went there, didn’t you?”

  I regretted the words the moment they came out of my mouth. But I don’t know how to fix that. I glance at him and then away again. “I just—I told you I’d go along with this thing, and I will. But we shouldn’t pretend to be something we’re not with each other.”

  “Got it. Yeah, okay.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Well, I’m not pretending when I say I’m into you. But if you’d rather keep me at arm’s length, I’ll have to respect that.”

  Now I turn to him. “Ford, I don’t want to fall for you. I can’t.”

  “Because?”

  “My life is here. My world—my real world—is here. Yours is in Maui. We just aren’t … compatible.”

  “We were pretty fucking compatible last night. Pun fucking intended.”

  I shake my head. “That’s all it ever was with us. There’s no option for more.”

  He watches me for a long moment, studying me until I look away. “I understand, Ava. I do.” He takes a deep breath and slowly releases it. “I’ll pick you up at your office at two o’clock. Bring some casual clothes to change into, okay? We’ve got our mission to work on.”

  Before I can reply, he walks away. I watch as he dresses in his crumpled suit from last night. Once he’s done, he goes straight to the front door and slips out without so much as a wave goodbye.

  I’m left wondering whether I was premature in shutting down any possibility of us beyond this week. In the end, I just don’t see what opening my heart up to someone I can never really be with will get me. It can only lead to disappointment. Better to pull back now and get into protective mode before it’s too late.

  With a nod to myself, I start to get ready for work.

  24

  Ford

  Yes, my ego was a bit bruised when Ava said we should back off, but I’m good now. I’ve spent the morning at the firm, sourcing everything I can find to help me with my shares dilemma. In the back of my mind, I’ve also been thinking of how she shut me down this morning. She was right to remind us both that we don’t have a chance of lasting. Admittedly, I got carried away. There’s something about her that keeps drawing me further and further in. But, now that I’ve been reminded that there’s no point in pursuing anything meaningful with her, I’m good with this hands-off approach.

  Not that that stopped me from buying her a ten-thousand-dollar ring. We have appearances to keep up, and even though I’ve ditched all my high-priced lawyer trappings for the simple life in Maui, I still have a good deal of money in the bank. It wouldn’t do to grab some small, temporary ring. I selected a four carat, emerald cut solitaire surrounded by pavé diamonds on a platinum band with more diamonds lining the band three-quarters of the way around. It’s beautiful, elegant, and a little flashy all at the same time, and I think it perfectly suits Ava. I did my best with the guess on the size and hope it’s not too far off, and in any case, it only needs to last for a week.

  I’ve never proposed to a woman before. Never even got close. In both high school and college, I dated widely, had a few long-ish relationships, but nothing ever really stuck. I was always so ambitious, so eager to accomplish the next step that would get me closer to becoming a part of my father’s firm. And I got what I wanted, only to discover within a few short years that it had all been one bad decision after another. I’m just grateful that I didn’t let my whole life go by before rectifying the situation.

  And now I’ve got a beautiful fiancée; a fake one, but a beautiful one, nonetheless. I guess I won’t be formally proposing to her in any case. But now that I think of it, I like the idea of making some grand show of it just to bug her.

  Guess I’m not entirely over how quick she was to say that we are incompatible. I mean, I get what she’s saying. I get that this game we’re playing will only be trickier if we allow real emotion into it, but how about just going along for the ride to see where it takes us?

  Clearly, she’s not a roll-with-it kind of woman. Though, isn’t that what she told her mother she should do? Just roll with it. Seems like she might want to take her own advice.

  Especially this afternoon. I’ve just arrived at the offices of Miller, Newell & Kahn to pick her up.

  The receptionist, a bright young thing who probably took the job in the hope of gaining real world experience while studying for the bar exam, looks up as I approach. Her eyes widen as she takes in my less than prof
essional attire. I’m back to my beach standard: Well-worn T-shirt (this time a Billabong), hybrid shorts that can pass for regular wear and that can also work in the water, and flip-flops. My sunglasses are up on my head, helping keep back my hair.

  I give her my most charming smile. “I’m here for Ava Ruiz.”

  “Oh,” she says, her surprise escaping her before she can contain it.

  “Don’t worry. She’s expecting me.”

  “Uh huh. I mean, no problem. Have a seat, and I’ll call her office. “

  “Great. My name is Ford McAvoy. In case you needed it.”

  She blushes bright red. “Thank you, Mr. Ford. I mean, Mr. McAvoy.”

  When I give her a wink, her blush only deepens. I step away from the reception desk, not wanting to further fluster her. I’m much more interested in seeing Ava. In seeing her reaction when I slip the ring on her finger.

  I feel that familiar invisible pull when Ava pushes through the glass door toward the lobby. She’s wearing a white skirt that stops well short of her knees with a white and black patterned silk top. The black heels she wears accentuate those gorgeous legs of hers, and like Pavlov’s dog, I feel myself salivate at the sight of them.

  “Hi, babe,” she says with a big smile. She greets me with a hug and a quick kiss.

  It takes me a second to recover from her calling me babe. This is now the second time she’s used that term of endearment. The first was when we were playing off our engagement with my father and her boss.

  “Hi, honey,” I say, forcing the stiffness out of the greeting. “Ready to go?”

  She looks back at the glass door, and I see a man standing there. He’s towheaded with bright blue eyes that are wide as he watches us, mouth agape.

  “Yeah, but first, I want to introduce you to my good friend Tyler.” She waves the man over, and he joins us eagerly.

  Ava laces her fingers through mine, playing the part of happily engaged girlfriend beautifully as she makes the introductions.