by Haymore, J.
Kanoe
I lay in bed watching Celeste as she spoke on the phone—yet again—to her boss. It had to be after midnight in California. What kind of crazy-ass hours did these people keep?
Eventually, their conversation wound down. “Okay, Caleb. Yes, I will. You’re welcome—it was really no problem at all.” She stood leaning against the doorframe staring at me, a glint I recognized in her eyes. Immediately, I went hard.
“Absolutely. I’ll talk to Miranda about it tomorrow. Bye.” Celeste set her phone on the nightstand and smiled at me. “You know”—she sat on the edge of the bed—“it’s very awkward talking to my boss’s boss naked.”
“You’re not naked, you’re in a robe,” I pointed out.
She shuddered. “But it feels like I’m naked. I mean, I know he can’t see us…but some part of me—I don’t know. It’s like my nudity might be transmitting itself over the phone somehow.”
“I bet he wouldn’t mind.”
She gasped. “Caleb? Yes, he would. He’d be completely scandalized.”
“Well, you’re not a man,” I said smugly.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You have no appreciation for a perfect female form.”
She rolled her eyes. “Me? Please.”
I held out one arm. “Come here.”
She crawled like a cat across the big king-sized bed until she sat on her ankles beside me, as if waiting for the next command.
No woman I’d ever been with had ever been as eagerly compliant as Celeste. Another thing that made her so appealing, so perfect for me.
“Take the robe off.”
My eyes were riveted to her as the robe slipped off her shoulders. She was fucking beautiful. It was all I could do to stop myself from touching her.
I nodded matter-of-factly. “See? I was right. Perfect.”
She looked past me at the wall as if she couldn’t stand to see me studying her.
“You don’t think so?” I asked.
“Nope.”
“Here, let me show you.” I rose to my knees and pushed her down onto the bed. Gazing at me trustingly, she lay on her back with her legs straight and her arms down at her sides.
“Hmm…where should I begin?” I perused her body, trailing my gaze over everything from her toenails to the deep, rich auburn of her hair. I cupped her breast. “Should it be here? Perfect. Just the right size to cup in my hand.” I skimmed a finger across the top of the triangle of hair between her legs. “Or should I start here? No? Hmm…” A fingertip slid up her belly, between her breasts and up her jaw. “Your lips?” I brushed my thumb over her lower lip. “They were made for me, I think.” Watching the flush rise over her cheekbones, I moved my palm back down her body, nudging her legs apart, stroking the skin high on her thighs until she squirmed.
“Okay,” she whispered. “You should stop.”
“Why? Am I embarrassing you?”
“No…yes.” She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Or maybe I should talk about your skin. It’s so smooth and soft, so pale it doesn’t even seem real. Sometimes I imagine you’re not real. That you’re a siren or something, sent to seduce me, to cast some kind of sex spell on me. I can’t get enough of you.”
She scoffed grumpily, but I wasn’t buying it. I could see the smile quirking the corners of her lips.
I trailed my fingertips over her nipple and down the bottom curve of her breast. Then I skimmed her stomach, letting my fingers rest on her side. “How your waist curves in here, and then flares out at your hips. And I can’t see it now, but have I mentioned that you have the most perfect ass I have ever seen? It’s so sexy and round.”
“Okay. You can really, really stop now.”
I made fluttering, soft touches along the outsides of her legs. “What about your legs? Has anyone told you how goddamn beautiful your legs are? Perfect for wrapping around my waist when I’m fucking you.”
She released a tiny groan.
I moved lower, tickling her kneecaps. “You have scars here. What happened? Wait—don’t tell me. Do you want to know why they’re perfect?”
She pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.
“They’re perfect because they tell me that—even if you think you’re not—you’re adventurous. They tell me that you’re not afraid of getting a little scratch once in a while.”
“Humph.”
“How did you get them?”
“Costa Rica. We went hiking and I—well, I kind of fell off a cliff.”
“A cliff?”
“Yes. A very small one.”
I chuckled. “See what I mean?” My fingers trailed lower, over the tops of her feet.
“You’ve got perfect feet.” My voice was a gruff whisper now. It was true—I’d never seen anyone with such clean, uncalloused feet. “They’re so smooth and small.”
She snorted. “Small?”
“Okay, let’s test my theory.” Snagging a condom from the drawer in the bedside table, I adjusted my body so I could press the sole of my foot against hers. “Look. My feet are at least three inches longer than yours.”
She rose up on her elbows to compare. “Hardly,” she muttered.
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you saying I don’t have big feet?”
“Not at all. I’m saying…I’m saying—” She gasped as my body moved over her, my rough skin sliding against her silky flesh from top to bottom. Supporting myself on one elbow, I rolled the condom on. She blinked in surprise when she saw the look on my face.
I was ready. I wanted her. I needed to be inside her, to feel her stroking over my shaft, squeezing it in that tight grip.
“You have very…very big feet.”
“I do?”
“Mmm-hmm. Humongous.”
“You know what they say about local boys with big feet, ipo?” My cock nuzzled her entrance.
She arched into me, gasping. “I…I think I’m about to find out.”
“Yes. You are.”
And I pushed into her soft, welcoming heat. It was perfect, just as I knew it would be.
I took my time, watching expressions of pleasure cross over her face as I stroked into her slowly, over and over again. When we reached the pinnacle, I held her tightly, and we caught the wave together, in each other’s arms.
Day Eight
Celeste
“Kimo won’t be there, will he?” I twisted my hands together to keep from fidgeting. We were heading to Kanoe’s house, and I was filled with nervous anticipation. Kanoe had said Kimo took care of his house when he wasn’t around, and I had no desire to see that kid again before I left.
“Nah. He lives with my mom.” Kanoe turned his truck down a dirt road, and through the trees, I could see the green roof of his house. A big red-gold dog leapt out from behind a bush and ran toward the truck, its tail wagging eagerly.
“Your dog?”
“Yeah. That’s Lehua. Happy to see us.” He grinned, cut the engine, and stepped out of the truck, giving the dog a full-bodied hug. “Hey, girl. Did you miss me? Yeah? I missed you too.”
Lehua panted enthusiastically, thrusting her shiny black nose into his face. If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn the dog was smiling.
I hesitated getting out of the truck. I didn’t have much experience with animals, had never owned so much as a fish in my life.
Kanoe picked up a stick and flung it into the trees. Lehua bounded after it, disappearing into the foliage.
I stepped out of the truck. “She won’t attack me, will she?”
He laughed. “Lehua? Of course not. She’s very friendly.”
The dog came out of the trees, holding the stick between her jaws. She slowed down when she saw me, and walked up to us curiously.
“Lehua, this is Celeste.” Kanoe winked at the dog. “Be nice to her, now. I think she’s scared of big, hairy animals like you.”
Lehua sniffed my hand, then dropped the stick at my feet.
“She wants you to th
row it,” Kanoe said.
“Oh. Okay.” I picked up the slimy stick and tossed it into the bushes. I rubbed my hand on my shorts, watching the dog leap away. “What kind of a dog is she?”
“She’s a poi dog.”
“Poi? What kind of a breed is that?”
“Mixed breed. A mutt, I guess. I think she’s a golden retriever mix, though. Maybe something else.” He paused. “Her hair is the same color as yours.”
“It is not!”
He just smiled and grabbed my hand. “Come on. I want you to see the house.”
Linking my fingers in his, I let him lead me up the steps and around to the front of the house. Like so many other houses I’d seen here, the house stood on stilts and had a tin roof and a wraparound lanai. Like Aunty Nanette’s house, it faced the ocean on one side. Kanoe’s view wasn’t of a beach, though, it was of a rocky lagoon partly enclosed by a natural lava-rock breakwater.
“On calm days, I can go kayaking in the ocean,” he said, “but you see why it’s not a very good surfing spot.”
I nodded. Surfing would be impossible here—the waves crashed directly onto the rocks.
“It’s amazing.” The sea was a deep sapphire color and stretched long on either side, and the house was closer to the water than Aunty Nanette’s house.
I’d love to live in a place like this someday.
There were places like this in Los Angeles—there had to be. I wasn’t exactly sure. I’d not spent much time sightseeing since I moved there in June. A house on the water would cost a fortune, but I’d be able to afford a small one once I made partner.
My high-rise apartment in downtown L.A. was very convenient, but it was nothing…nothing like this. This was paradise, plain and simple.
Kanoe put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. “Remember our deal?”
“What deal?”
“You were going to tell me whether you preferred harsh, stark, and wet or hot, sunny, and touristy.”
I smiled. “Oh yeah.”
“So have you decided yet?”
For a long moment, I considered. “You know, I like the tourist thing. I love that part of Hawaii. It’s a great escape. Sun, sand, and surf, you know?”
“Makes sense.”
“But the odd thing about it is that I feel more at home on this side of the island. I’m comfortable here. I like the green and the rain. Something about the wildness of this place appeals to me on a very basic level.”
He pressed his lips to my hair and stood still for a long moment. Then he said quietly, “I’m glad you like it.”
I snuggled against him, sighing in contentment.
After another long moment, he drew away. “I have to work.”
“I’ll sit out here and read while you’re working, if that’s okay with you. And if your dog won’t attack me.”
As if she’d heard, Lehua bounded the length of the lanai, dropped the stick at my feet again, and looked up at me with big, begging brown eyes.
Kanoe grinned. “She likes you. She won’t attack you, but she might want to sit in your lap.”
“I think she’s a bit big for that.” I awkwardly patted the thick, soft fur on top of the dog’s head, murmuring, “Nice doggie.”
Kanoe lifted my chin up and kissed me on the lips. “Come on. I want to show you the inside.”
Leaving Lehua behind, we went inside the house. It still had that new-house smell, despite having been lived in for a few months. Sparse, functional furniture was scattered over the tiled floors.
He showed me the kitchen, where I washed my hands, and the living room, where he showed off his enormous flat-screen with such enthusiasm I had to laugh at him. Then down the hall to the bedrooms, three in all, one used for his office, one guestroom, and his room. I hovered at the door of his bedroom.
The place smelled of him, like salt and sun. The bed in the center of the room was unmade, its dark-colored blankets and sheets tousled. What had he done in it the last time he’d slept alone? As I watched him walk into the room, the fantasy rammed into me.
My breath caught. Heat bloomed between my legs, sending tendrils of warmth curling down my thighs and through my stomach. Halfway into the room, he noticed I’d stopped. Raising an eyebrow, he turned back.
“Afraid I’ll drag you to bed if you come in?” His voice was mild, joking, but there was an edge to it.
“Or maybe the other way around.” I gripped the edge of the door, self-conscious of the huskiness in my voice.
His look turned feral. “Even better,” he murmured. “Come in.”
“No.”
He took a step toward me. “What do you want, ipo?”
Every time he called me that, something fluttered inside my chest. But I couldn’t tell him what I wanted, what I’d just pictured in my mind. I shook my head stubbornly.
He took another step closer, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it away. His eyes gleamed. He was such a cheater. By now he knew what the tattoo and the muscles and that narrow-eyed look did to me.
“You’re cruel,” I whispered, pressing my back against the doorjamb.
He stalked closer. “Is that what this is? Cruelty?”
I nodded.
He stroked my cheek with the flat of his thumb. Savoring the feel of his touch on my skin, I closed my eyes.
“What were you thinking? Tell me.”
“I can’t.”
“Whatever it is, I’m going to like it.”
I shook my head weakly. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Look at me.”
I opened my eyes. He cupped my face, looking down at me. “How can you be embarrassed?”
“Because, what if you think I’m too…too wanton?”
His lips twitched. “Wanton?”
“Yes, you know, dissolute, shameless…lustful.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know what it means. Too late, I already know you’re wanton.”
“Really?” I breathed, not knowing whether to laugh or be embarrassed. Looked like my secret was out…now the world would know I wasn’t frigid.
“Yeah. And I like it.” He stroked his hands down my neck, over my shoulders, down my arms. I didn’t dare touch him. My body might rebel and jump him before I knew what it was doing. Anyway, we’d come here so he could work. He needed to work today.
“I’ve never known anyone like you,” he continued, his hands now at the undersides of my breasts, caressing me there. “When we make love, you are so open, so real. Like I’ve known you forever, can’t imagine life without knowing you. You’re a part of me, ipo. When you feel something, I feel it too.”
“But I don’t feel,” I argued. “I mean, I try to avoid strong feelings altogether.”
“You’re wrong about that. You do have strong feelings. I’ve seen them. A lot.”
He was right. Since I’d grown to know Kanoe, I’d felt intensely. I felt interested, excited, happy, furious, aroused. Alive. “I try not to. In my life on the mainland, I avoid strong emotions, like love or anger. When I was a child, my mother taught me that strong feelings only lead to strong pain in the end. She taught me to be solid. I’ve learned to become solid. What you see is what you get.”
“Not true,” he said.
“With you, maybe. But before I met you, I was…I was stable. You…you’re chipping away at my stability.”
His hand traveled over my hip. “And you resent that?”
“No, I…” It scared me. I’d always known it was too dangerous to give all of myself to someone. Look where it had left my mother—alone, poor, angry, and with a kid to raise by herself. “Emotions can be dangerous. They can interfere with goals.”
That, I realized with a sinking heart, had already happened to me with Kanoe. I’d been sidetracked, disinterested in work. And I hadn’t even cared.
He gazed at me, not challenging, but inquisitive. As if he wanted to dig deep, to really understand me. “So when you’re home, you let your career close you off from experienci
ng life?”
“I experience life—”
“From a distance.”
God. This man was breaking me down from the inside out. I lunged at him, covering his mouth with my own. He kissed me gently, but I wished he would kiss harder, devour me like only he could.
Moving his hand behind my neck, he pulled away but kept his forehead against mine. “Do you trust me, Celeste?”
“Yes.” The realization washed over me like the gentlest wave. God, yes. I’d never trusted anyone like I trusted him. What a strange, absurd feeling that was, given that I’d known him only a little over a week.
“Then tell me why you won’t come into my bedroom.”
“I—” I took a deep breath. “I saw your bed, and I had a sudden fantasy.”
“Tell me.” His hand moved down my back, pressing my body against his. His cock pushed against me, and I felt it hardening at the contact.
“I wondered whether—” I gulped. This was so embarrassing. “Whether you’d masturbated the last time you slept here. Then, in my mind, I pictured you pleasuring yourself, and I thought—” I forced myself to breathe. “I thought I might like to watch.”
Heat prickled my cheeks, but he exhaled over them, cooling them, then kissed each one in turn. “It was the night before we went to Kona. I was thinking of you.”
“Did you…?”
“Yeah.”
I felt dizzy. Him pleasuring himself—the thought made me weak-kneed.
“I was an asshole after we got back from flying,” he murmured. “This will make us even.”
I shook my head. First of all, I’d forgiven him for being an asshole. Second, if being tied to a surfboard gave me such intense orgasms every time, I’d be happy to be tied to his surfboard for the rest of my life. And third, did he mean now? Right now? Was he going to lie down on the bed and touch himself? While I watched?
I opened my mouth to give a weak protest—You have to work, let’s do this later, maybe, hmm?—but he covered my lips with his finger.
“Stand right here. But I need you to be naked.”
After a short hesitation, I nodded. I could never say no to him. I didn’t want to say no to him.