“This Chicagoan adores you, too,” Danica replied, and gave his thigh a gentle squeeze.
At Boyd’s request, the helicopter pilot took them across the park, pointing out different points of attraction and sharing historical anecdotes. Having seen it all before, Boyd focused his attention on the woman who had won him over. He wasn’t sure how to go about keeping this relationship alive and prospering.
Once Ashlyn returned, should he ask Danica to pack her bags and move over to his place? Or was that too much, too soon for them, in spite of the whirlwind romance that had brought them to the brink of something extraordinary?
Had she given any serious thought to putting Chicago in her rearview mirror? Or should he be the one considering a move to the Windy City? He didn’t know the best way to maintain the strides they had made in their relationship or to nurture it to last into the future.
For now, though, he would simply focus on the present—on the beautiful sights and the breathtaking woman sitting beside him.
After the copter ride they went back to Danica’s current residence, where they made love all evening, trying new positions and expanding on old ones. Boyd happily put his all into pleasuring her, just as Danica seemed tireless in bringing him great satisfaction. When their slick and satiated bodies were through reaching powerful, quavering orgasms, their moans and gasps waned. Soon sleep overcame them as they cuddled in each other’s arms like a couple very much in love.
* * *
A day later Boyd phoned Ashlyn, wanting to pick her brain about Danica now that things seemed to be headed in the right direction between them. After all, apart from his sister and Danica being tight, he was also close to Ashlyn and respected her perspective on things.
He was sitting in a comfortable accent chair at his house, having left Danica in bed snoozing. Was there anyone more angelic looking and sexy as hell while they slept? He seriously doubted it.
“How are things going in Chicago?” Boyd asked when Ashlyn’s cheery face appeared on the screen of his iPad.
“The weather’s great and I’m having a wonderful time with Hunter and Danica’s terrific friends.”
“Good to know.” He sat back. “Looks like you made the right call when you decided to take this adventure.”
Ashlyn smiled. “Hey, sometimes little sister does get it right.”
Maybe more often than he cared to admit. “I take my hat off to you.”
“If only you were wearing one, I’d take it.” She laughed. “How are things with you and Danica?”
Boyd grinned. “Thought you’d never ask. Actually they couldn’t be any better.”
“Oh, really…?”
“Well, maybe we can climb a few more mountains,” he indicated. “That’s sort of why I’m calling you. I’d like to know things about Danica that I don’t right now, to give me more insight into who she is and what she wants. I was hoping you could help me out there.”
“Of course I’d be happy to,” Ashlyn said. “One thing you probably don’t know and should is that her birthday is this Sunday.”
“Is that right? She never mentioned—”
“She probably had other things on her mind. But ever since I’ve known her, Danica’s always treated her birthday as if it were the most special day in the world.”
“Hmm…” Boyd rubbed his chin. “So what, she rents a hall with an orchestra and invites all her friends, or what?”
Ashlyn laughed. “No, not quite. She usually goes out to dinner with friends, reminisces about the great birthday parties her folks used to give her, and basically, just takes great pride in having another year surrounded by friends.”
“Okay, that sounds cool.”
“Perhaps you should step into that role this time around and make it something truly to remember.”
“Excellent idea!” Boyd smiled, his mind already churning with ideas. “I think I can come up with something to make it memorable.”
“I have no doubt you will, big brother.” She looked at him thoughtfully. “Let’s see… What else can I tell you about her? Like me, Danica’s always been a go-getter. She never settles for less and knows what she wants out of life.”
“I can see that. What does she want out of life, other than what everyone wants, like success and financial independence?”
Ashlyn narrowed her eyes. “Well, she wants you—in case you hadn’t already figured that out.”
Boyd cracked a grin. “I think I’ve gathered that much. But does she want to try and make this work between here and Chicago, have one of us relocate, or what?” he asked bluntly, figuring that Danica had already made her feelings known more clearly to his sister.
“What do you think?” Ashlyn asked him. “Danica just wants to be with you, wherever it is. She’d rather have you decide how best to do that instead of putting something out there that you might not agree with.”
“Does she really think we wouldn’t be on the same wavelength?” he had to ask.
“That’s not the point.”
“Mind telling me what is the point?”
“Danica lives in Chicago and you live in Hawaii obviously. She would gladly give up what she has here and move to the Big Island in a heartbeat—and, in fact, she would prefer that over asking you to move to the Windy City.” Ashlyn paused. “But she wants you to say in explicit terms that it’s what you want to do, so she doesn’t feel she’s imposing her will on you and your lifestyle by suggesting something you’re not totally on board with.”
Boyd thought for a moment. “I think I understand.”
“Then I take it you won’t have a problem with Danica becoming a permanent resident of our state?”
“Not at all,” he assured her. “I’d love to have her here all the time.”
Ashlyn’s face lit up. “I was hoping you’d say that. Now you need to tell her.”
“I will,” Boyd promised
“You two should live together,” Ashlyn said, giving her candid opinion—something she had never shied away from doing.
“That’s something we would have to talk about, but I’m comfortable with it.”
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Ashlyn told him. “It’s not like you don’t have tons of room in that house of yours to fit Danica and her things.”
“You’re preaching to the deacon,” Boyd quipped. “I have no problem sharing my space with Danica.” Though he could imagine they would spend a great deal of their time in one particular place in his large home—his bedroom. Make that their bedroom. “We’d have a lot of fun together.”
Ashlyn laughed. “Listen to you, sounding like she’s already moved in.”
“I just hope it’s what she really wants,” he said. He wondered if leaving Chicago behind would truly be that simple for Danica. He knew it would be easier said than done for him to pull up stakes and leave the only real home he’d ever known.
“You really want Danica to be a big part of your life, don’t you?” Ashlyn asked.
“Yeah, I do. I just don’t want to blow it by saying the wrong thing or the right thing at the wrong time, if that makes any sense to you.”
She nodded. “I understand exactly where you’re coming from, since I’m in a similar situation myself.”
“You mean with Hunter?”
“Yes.”
“So it’s getting pretty serious, huh?”
“Pretty,” Ashlyn admitted.
“Thinking about delaying your return home?” Boyd wondered aloud.
“I’m thinking about a lot of things these days.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
“Mahalo, but I think I’ll have to make up my own mind on this one.” Ashlyn leaned forward, grinning. “I’m happy to give you advice, though, as always
.”
“Whether I want it or not,” Boyd said, running a hand through his Rasta locks.
“You did call me for help, did you not?”
“Guilty as charged,” he conceded.
“Well, my last piece of advice for you this time around is to just go with your feelings and say what seems right without giving it too much thought and without second-guessing yourself.”
Boyd scratched his chin. “I’ll work on that.”
“Good. I’m sure everything between you and Danica will work out as it should.”
Ashlyn’s words comforted him. “I’ll take that as a positive sign that we’re good to go wherever the road takes us.”
Ashlyn nodded. “Words to live by for both of us!”
“You know, if I haven’t told you this, I really miss my kid sister,” Boyd told her.
“I miss you, too.”
“Yeah?”
“Of course. Just because we don’t hang out as much together these days as when we were growing up, doesn’t mean I don’t still like having you around.”
“Seems as though the years have passed by too quickly. Now you’re there and I’m here…”
“And we’re just a video call away,” Ashlyn reminded him. “Not to mention a plane ride. Besides, we both have someone special in our lives to take up the slack.”
“True,” Boyd conceded happily.
After they said their goodbyes, Ashlyn’s face vanished from the screen and Danica’s beautiful face filled his mind’s eye, just as the woman herself filled his heart with glee and his body with longing.
He sat back in the chair and contemplated his next move.
Chapter 10
“Thanks for inviting me over.” Danica spoke of Blair’s lunch invitation as she stepped inside the woman’s elegant split-level beachfront home for the first time.
“I should be thanking you,” Blair said. “Believe me, I could use the company. Since Ashlyn’s been gone, it’s gotten to be pretty lonely around here. It’s just me and my cat, Tracy.” She looked down at her feet and then around the room. “She’s around here somewhere.”
Blair ran a hand down her flowered skirt. “By the way, you did a great job with the photographs. Everyone loves the way they look on our website.”
Danica downplayed her talents. “It was easy with such great subjects.”
“I especially love my new office picture,” Blair said, blushing. “So does Palmer.”
“Mahalo.” Danica’s cheeks rose into a smile. “Happy to be of service.”
“Worth every penny.”
“You and Palmer make a nice couple,” Danica told her.
“I think so, too. Maybe we can get you to photograph us together while you’re here.”
That wouldn’t be for much longer as things stood now, Danica thought to herself. Unfortunately her time on the island was running out. Still, she told Blair, “Sure, I’d love to do that.”
Her temporary neighbor grinned. “Great! I’ll call Palmer to see what his schedule is like.”
“Cool.” Danica wondered what her schedule would be like for the rest of her stay. Did Boyd have anything special in mind? Not that she needed anything other than his presence to make a day extraordinary.
“We’ll be eating lunch on the lanai,” Blair said, getting her attention.
“Sounds good to me.” Danica smiled, glancing around the open floor plan at the floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors and an eclectic set of contemporary and traditional furnishings. “I’d love to see the rest of the place.”
“I’ll be happy to show you,” Blair said, taking her hand.
Danica was impressed with everything she saw, including an array of exotic plants. She was envious of Blair living there, just as she had always been of Ashlyn. Now that Danica had gotten a taste of living in paradise, she wasn’t ready to give it up, particularly if she also got the man to make her experience complete.
“How long have you lived in Hawaii?” Danica asked her as they sat on the covered lanai.
“About nine years now,” Blair responded as she dished out pasta salad onto their colorful plates. “I’m originally from Missouri. I ended up going to med school in Honolulu. That’s where I met you-know-who. We got jobs on the Big Island and were happy, or so I thought, before things turned sour.”
“I’m sorry,” Danica offered sincerely, “I didn’t mean to dredge up—”
“No, it’s fine.” Blair lifted a hand. “In fact, Richard and I have made our peace.”
“Really?” Danica helped herself to a thin slice of smoked ham from the platter her hostess held out.
Blair nodded. “It was long overdue. I’ll never forget what he did to me and our marriage, but I’m ready to forgive. It also helps that I have a new man who seems to respect me. Not to mention he’s damned good in bed.”
Danica laughed. “Well, that always helps.” She thought of her bed adventures with Boyd that at times seemed nonstop.
“I assume you’re getting some, too, these days?” Blair asked.
“Yes, we’ve been intimate,” Danica admitted. “Boyd definitely knows what he’s doing.”
Blair chuckled. “That’s good to know. If a man can’t bring it in bed, what’s the point?”
Danica giggled, finding it strangely natural talking to Blair about sex. “I agree.”
“I mean, they have to be good for something other than their looks and plenty of talking.”
“If only that were true for all men,” Danica said, half jokingly.
“The important thing is that it’s true for the men we’re with now.”
Danica smiled. “You’ll get no quarrel from me there.”
“So have you and Boyd talked about what you plan to do once the trading places comes to an end?” Blair ate a forkful of her pasta. “Or is that none of my business?”
“It’s okay.” Danica wiped her mouth with a napkin while considering the question. “We haven’t really made any definitive plans yet. But we both seem to want to keep this going, so I guess we’ll just have to see which way the wind blows.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if we could be neighbors permanently?” Blair asked.
“Yes, it would be,” Danica had to admit, though it seemed unlikely, even with Ashlyn’s future plans up in the air.
“Maybe you and Ashlyn could become roommates?” Blair suggested.
I think I’d much rather room with Boyd, she thought. But she said, “That’s always possible, I guess.”
“Of course I hear that she’s smitten with a guy from Chicago,” Blair said. “So I suppose she might want to bring him back here.”
“That could happen,” Danica admitted. She was pretty sure Hunter wouldn’t dismiss the idea outright, even if he was well established in Chicago.
“Say, here’s a thought…” Blair paused dramatically. “No matter how things go with Boyd, if you really want to stay in Hawaii and don’t want the three’s a crowd thing with Ashlyn and her man, you could always stay at my place.”
Danica’s eyes grew wide. “You’re offering to let me move in here?”
“Sure, why not? There’s plenty of room for little old me and I’m not even here much of the time, so you’d have it mostly to yourself anyway to do whatever you want.”
“That’s a very generous offer,” Danica said, one she’d never expected. “Are you sure?”
“I know it was impromptu, but I never say anything I don’t mean,” Blair insisted.
“Mahalo. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” How could she not? Short of a steamy romance with Boyd and living together in idyllic Hawaii or rooming with Ashlyn, Danica felt she couldn’t go wrong sharing Blair’s house and remaining on t
he island. But would it be the same if she weren’t with Boyd? It was an outcome she didn’t even want to imagine. She gazed at Blair, whom Danica now considered a good friend. “If I do end up back in Chicago, you’ll always be welcome to visit anytime.”
Blair beamed. “Count on it!”
Danica smiled back and sipped her drink thoughtfully. Her birthday was quickly approaching and she was happy to be able to spend it in Hawaii. Even better would be if she had many, many more birthdays to look forward to while living in paradise with Boyd as husband and wife. Or was that thinking way too far ahead when her future with Boyd remained uncertain at best?
* * *
On Sunday morning Danica opened the door to find Boyd standing there holding a vase with what looked to be at least two dozen multicolored roses.
“Are these for me?” she asked, putting a hand to her mouth in surprise.
“None other,” he responded coolly. “Hau’oli la hanau, or happy birthday!”
“Mahalo.” Danica blushed, taking the vase and inhaling the lovely fragrance. “How did you know?” She answered the question before he could. “Ashlyn told you, of course.”
Boyd nodded. “I wish you had.”
“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
“That’s not what I heard,” he told her.
“And just what did you hear?”
“Only that your birthday is very special to you and your parents made sure of that.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Very true. I’ll never forget the birthday party I had at age five. Seemingly everyone from the entire neighborhood was there. I felt like a princess.”
“And deservingly so, I’m sure,” Boyd said sincerely.
“Oh…that’s sweet.” Danica appreciated his kind words. She only wished she had known him in childhood, to have shared each other’s birthdays through the years.
“Sweeter would be to keep the tradition going in honoring your day of birth.”
“Being in Hawaii and spending time with you is already probably the best birthday gift I’ve ever had.” Danica hoped she wasn’t laying it on too thick wearing her heart on her sleeve.
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