by Ann Omasta
He gives me an odd look. “I don’t know what you think is in my job description, but it’s nothing like that. I’m not a gigolo.”
“I thought this might fall under the ‘other duties as needed’ category,” I tell him, only half-joking.
“No, I’m here with you because I want to be.”
His words are sweet and perfect—exactly what I want to hear—and it frustrates me beyond reason. I run a hand through my hair before calling him out on it. “I know that Leilani is pregnant.” I let that hang in the air for a bit. Kai is silently looking at me, like he needs more of an explanation than that. “Well, don’t you think you should be going on a romantic stroll along the beach with her, not me?”
“No,” he tells me before understanding dawns. “Oh, you think the baby is mine. Leilani and I are just friends—have been since we were kids.” Relief floods through me at his explanation, until he bowls me over with a surprising statement. “The baby is Honi’s.”
You could have knocked me over with a feather. Huge, sweet, high-voiced Honi is the father of Leilani’s baby?
“Honi has always been in love with her, and I think she feels the same way about him, but she’s scared to admit it, even to herself.” I nod, trying to absorb what he is telling me. Honi seems like a terrific guy, but he is not at all the type of person I pictured being with someone like Leilani. “He’s not exactly who she envisioned herself ending up with, but love sneaks up on us sometimes.” Kai’s words mimic my thoughts exactly.
“Whoa,” is all I can say. Suddenly, it sinks in with me that all of the barriers between Kai and I were figments of my imagination. His shady dealings behind the bar and his gorgeous, pregnant girlfriend were things I had blown out of proportion in my own mind.
I am in paradise with a sweet Hawaiian hunk, and there is no reason why I can’t have a hot, sexy fling with him. The realization washes over me. We have stopped walking and are standing very close. The moon isn’t quite full, but it’s big and shining brightly over the ocean. There is a light breeze tossing my hair back. This is the perfect moment for a kiss. I tip my head back and wait, but nothing happens.
He asks if I’m ready to head back to the resort and the moment is gone. Maybe I have misread him? Is he just being friendly? We walk alongside the pool and I torture myself with these thoughts. Why didn’t he kiss me? Should I have kissed him? There must be a reason why he didn’t. I wonder what it could be.
Suddenly, he stops and turns to me. He hesitates as if undecided about what to do. Finally, he steps closer to me and drops his lips down to mine in a tender, tantalizing kiss. I open my lips seeking more, but he pulls back.
“Goodnight, Roxy.” He says the words, and then he is gone. I stand there with my eyes closed, feeling like I am floating for a minute. I bring two fingers up to my lips, savoring the feeling of having just received the best kiss of my life.
“Wow.” I say the word aloud since no one else is around. Finally, I return to our cabana, even though I know there is no chance of my heartbeats slowing enough to allow for sleep anytime soon.
Chapter 16
Apparently, my heart rate did eventually calm down because I sleep like the dead. I awaken with a start and realize someone is knocking on our door. As I stumble to answer it, I’m surprised to see daylight. I am alone in the room, so I must have slept through Baggy and Ruthie getting up and leaving, which can’t have been quiet.
I fling the door open and am only moderately surprised to see Kai on the other side. He doesn’t seem taken aback by my appearance, which I’m sure is a hot-mess mix of disheveled bedhead and raccoon-eyed smeared makeup.
“The market is open today. Would you like to go with me?”
I have no idea what the market is, but if Kai wants to take me somewhere, I am there. “I should probably shower first.” I point in the general direction of my head and smile with closed lips, careful not to show my fuzzy, unbrushed teeth or spew any of my dreadful morning breath in his direction.
“I’ll wait by the bar,” he tells me and spins on his heel to head that way.
I shut the door and spring into action. I want to get ready quickly so he is not waiting on me for too long, but I also want to look great and be ready for any adventure he wishes to embark upon. I finally decide to wear a bathing suit with a cute sundress over it.
I take my choices to the bathroom and glance in the mirror after starting the shower. My reflection is downright frightening. The fact that he didn’t go running from this room at the sight of me is amazing. I take the speediest shower I can without skipping shaving, which isn’t an option. I do take the time to rub some magic jelly on my dry knees and elbows. It feels so great on my skin that I decide to douse my entire body in it. Why not? Besides, I smell like a delicious coconut concoction that Kai might blend behind the bar.
I take the time to apply sunscreen on my face. After adding mascara and ChapStick, I pull my hair into a low ponytail and declare myself presentable. Not just presentable, I decide as I catch a glimpse of my swingy skirt in the full-length mirror. I’d give myself a 6.5 today, maybe a 7. I’ll just try not to think of the fact that Kai is a 9.5, possibly a 10.
When I join him at the bar, he beams at me like I am the most beautiful woman in the world, and I instantly forget all the one-to-ten rating-scale nonsense. I look around to tell Baggy and Ruthie that we are leaving, but can’t find either of them. I decide to just go. That is what they would do. Besides, they can call my cell if they really need me.
Kai leads me to the limo that he picked us up from the airport in. “You’re allowed to drive the resort’s limo when you’re not working?” I ask him.
“Nana Lana needed the Jeep today.” I try to picture a grandmotherly type tooling around the island in Kai’s Jeep. His grandma must be even more like Baggy than I had imagined. “Besides, I am working,” Kai adds.
I raise my eyebrows in question, so he continues, “I’m picking up fresh fruit and juice at the market.”
“Oh, you just invited me along to help tote and carry, eh?” I tease him. Going to a grocery to pick up supplies for the resort isn’t something I would have thought I’d want to do on a Hawaiian vacation, but I’d be willing to do about anything with Kai.
“You’ve figured out my evil plan. Gorgeous and smart—I am a lucky man.” I beam at his praise and successfully fight the urge to deny its accuracy.
I get to ride in the front of the limo this time, and I’m thrilled when Kai reaches over to hold my hand in his much larger one. We ride mostly in silence. I enjoy the scenery and the wonderful feeling of connection with Kai. Occasionally he points out something of interest, like the elementary school he attended, but for the most part we are quiet.
When we arrive at the market, I’m surprised and delighted to see that it is an enormous farmer’s market, not a grocery, like I had assumed. The vendors sell everything from delicious fresh fruit to souvenirs of every imaginable size, shape, and type. The tables stretch on for what seems like miles, and I am in heaven.
I purchase a cup of pineapple and mango from a smiling man who faintly reminds me of Honi. The fruit is so sweet and juicy that I actually groan in delight at the taste of it. Kai seems to take pleasure in watching me enjoy it. When I bite into a large piece of pineapple and juice runs down my chin, he leans in and flicks his tongue out to catch it. It is an intimate and sweet gesture that sends a thrill of excitement down my spine.
While Kai negotiates with a vendor over the bulk price of coconuts, I continue shopping. I discover a booth with locally made, adorable magnets. I purchase three for five bucks, which seems like a fantastic bargain anywhere, let alone Hawaii. My selections are a colorful surfboard for Ruthie, a silly googly-eyed turtle for Baggy and a tiny hand-painted waterfall scene for me.
I walk away from the magnet vendor feeling rather pleased with myself. Then it dawns on me that it’s a little strange to have bought souvenirs only for the people who are with me on the trip. I stop at the next boo
th and purchase a bowl made of palm fronds for my parents, just so I have something to give them when I get home. I don’t even want to think about going back, though.
Kai catches up with me just as I stop to look at a table of coconut oil-based lotions and creams. “Nana Lana would not approve of you supporting the competition,” he teases near my ear.
“Just looking,” I tell him.
He continues to nuzzle my neck. “You’re wearing magic jelly on your neck.” The words vibrate close to my skin, making the tiny hairs on my neck stand at attention. “You smell good enough to eat,” he growls.
I wonder if we are making spectacles of ourselves, but his nearness feels so terrific that I almost don’t care. He trails soft kisses behind my ear. When his tongue brushes against my skin, my knees almost buckle. Kai steadies me as I lean into his tantalizing mouth. The lotion vendor is discreet enough to busy herself with aligning bottles as if she doesn’t notice.
“You drive me absolutely insane, Roxy,” he informs me before pulling back. I instantly miss his touch.
I decide that “insane” is the perfect word for how he makes me feel. I lose all of my normal inhibitions when Kai is near, and when he touches me, my body comes alive with a fire inside that I didn’t know was there.
Suddenly, we hear a high-pitched wailing voice about twenty feet from where we are standing. Kai springs into action. By the time I realize what is happening and follow him, he has already assessed the situation and taken off in pursuit of a young man. I quickly deduce that the tiny, upset woman has had her purse stolen.
I put my arm around her to try to offer some comfort as she continues to wail. Another bystander pulls out her cell phone to notify the police. A crowd has gathered around, and we all watch helplessly as Kai chases the thief.
They run across a busy street toward a residential area. The boy has a good lead on Kai, but Kai is closing the gap. When the young man climbs over a tall privacy fence, I hear a man from the crowd say, “That big guy isn’t going to be able to get over that fence.” Kai proves him wrong by hurtling himself over the fence at full speed as if it requires no effort at all.
I smile in secret pride at Kai’s athletic ability, although I’m not sure why. “Looks like he made it,” I say to the doubter, who now has a surprised, slightly envious look on his face.
Now that the runners are out of sight, the crowd begins to disburse. I still have my arm around the tiny victim. Her wailing has stopped, but tears are streaming down her face. I feel so bad for her, but I’m not sure what to do to help. “It will be okay,” I tell her, even though I’m not at all certain that is the case. I don’t like not being able to see what is happening with Kai and the pickpocket. What if he pulls a weapon on Kai? The thought makes me shudder, so I try to push it out of my mind.
It seems like we stand there forever. After what feels like an incredibly long time but is probably actually only a few minutes, a policewoman arrives on the scene. She tries to get details from the victim, but the elderly lady is still too upset to be of much help. I step in and share as much information as I know. When I get to the part about Kai taking off after the thief, the officer stops me. “Kai Mauka?” she asks me, smiling.
I nod, even though I’m appalled to realize that I don’t know Kai’s last name. I’m going to be rather embarrassed when he gets back, if he is not the Kai she is referencing. I wonder how common the name Kai is on the island.
The officer doesn’t seem to notice my stress. “Nothing to worry about, then. Kai will bring him in,” she reassures us.
Now, I’m pretty certain that we aren’t talking about the same person. After all, why would a police officer have faith that a resort chauffeur/bartender/fire thrower would win a foot chase with a criminal and bring him in?
It isn’t long until Kai proves her absolutely right. He and the young man approach us. Kai has his large hand around the gangly lad’s arm, but other than that, they look like they are on a friendly stroll.
“If I’d have known you were chasing after him, I wouldn’t have bothered driving over,” the officer says to Kai, beaming a huge smile at him and tossing a familiar arm around his shoulder. I immediately wonder how acquainted Kai is with the lovely lady.
“Happy to help anytime I can.” Kai returns the hug with his free arm and gives her a sweet kiss on the cheek, which makes her blush. I can feel jealousy bubbling at the familiarity they share, but I force it down.
Kai turns his attention to the boy. “Don’t you have something to say?”
“I’m sorry,” he mumbles, handing the stolen handbag back to the distraught lady.
“We didn’t hear that.” Kai gives him a stern look.
“I’m sorry for taking you purse, ma’am. I won’t do anything like that again.” This time he looks the woman in the eyes and speaks with purpose. It makes me wonder exactly what went on when Kai and the young man were out of our sight.
“I’ll take over from here,” the cop informs us as she places handcuffs on the young man. Kai finally releases his grip on the lad’s arm and the officer begins reciting the boy his rights and leading him to her patrol car.
The tiny lady is staring at her purse with a huge look of relief evident on her face. She carefully unzips the bag and inspects its contents. Satisfied that her belongings are all present and accounted for, she pulls out her wallet. She reaches in and pulls out a crisp twenty-dollar bill, which she shoves at Kai’s chest.
“Oh, no.” He backs away as if the money has burned him. “No reward needed. You try to enjoy the rest of your day,” he tells her and turns to leave, effectively taking away the option of her insisting that he take the money.
We continue on through the vendors, but I am no longer interested in shopping. “You are an amazing man,” I tell Kai honestly.
He grins down at me. “You’re pretty amazing yourself, Roxy.” He brushes a brief but tender kiss across my lips.
I am so completely and instantly aroused by this simple touch that I would likely go along with anything he suggests. If he asked me to sneak off to a public restroom for a quickie with him, I am quite certain that I would follow him. I try not to touch anything in public restrooms, yet if Kai wanted to, I’d get naked and naughty with him in one. The power he has over me is frightening but exciting at the same time.
We leave the market without visiting the restroom—to my relief and disappointment. I spend the entire drive back to the resort looking for places that we could pull the limo over and climb into the back. Although I see several, I am too chicken to suggest it. Kai is a gentleman and returns me safely and uneventfully to the door of my room.
He gives me a quick peck on the cheek, says he’ll see me later, and leaves. Sigh.
Chapter 17
If I had known what I would find on the other side of the door, I would have never opened it. I did open it though, and what I saw can’t be unseen.
I didn’t see them at first, which is why I walked all the way in, leaving me no way to gracefully retreat. “Hi!” The word startles me, but nearly not as much as the sight of the man uttering it.
My eyes quickly assess the situation I’ve walked in on. The only good thing about the entire scene is that I wasn’t five minutes later. The scenario I probably would have encountered then would have definitely scarred me for life.
For some reason, I seem to be the only one embarrassed by my walking in to find Baggy and Jim, or Howie, or whatever his name is, in their bikinis and lubed up from head to toe in magic jelly. The air in the room is filled with an odor similar to what I would imagine a coconut processing factory smells like, so that probably should have been my first clue to enter with caution—or better yet, not at all.
Baggy’s boyfriend is sporting a bright yellow banana hammock, and his skin is as shiny as an oiled pig. He has both hands raised and is waving in welcome at me as if I should come in and sit down. The full-frontal view of his barely covered junk is almost too much to take in.
Baggy i
s wearing a red bikini and her skin is glistening as well. “This stuff is magnificent!” she raves, holding up her almost empty jar of magic jelly.
“Yeah, it’s good stuff,” I respond. I try to avert my eyes but the sight of the two of them is almost like a train wreck—you don’t want to look, but for some reason, can’t quite tear your eyes away. Finally, I come to my senses enough to start backing out of the room.
“I’m going down to the pool,” I inform them.
“Don’t leave on our account,” Jim/Howard says.
“Nope, that was my plan all along. I just came to the room to grab a towel,” I add quickly, snatching one from the bathroom. They are polite enough not to point out there are plenty of towels for guests at the pool. “Enjoy the rest of your day,” I yell on my way out.
Once it closes, I lean back on the door. “Wow.” It’s really the only word that fits the situation. Then a snort of laughter erupts out of me and I giggle all the way to the pool.
As I lay back on a lounge chair to absorb a few minutes of sunshine, I try to decide if I should warn Ruthie or let her discover Baggy and Jim/Howie on her own. I finally decide that if I happen to see her, I’ll tell her. Otherwise, she’s on her own. I’m not going to seek her out. Besides, I had to see it. I snicker to myself, imagining how Ruthie’s eyes would nearly pop out of her head as she described the scene. Once she gets over the anger of me not warning her, this will likely strengthen our sisterly bond. No one else could possibly understand.
“You look like you’re up to something.” Kai smiles down at me as he walks past.
“You have no idea,” I tell him mysteriously.
He winks at me but keeps walking, so I enjoy a long, luxurious look at his fabulous backside.
Chapter 18
I move to a lounge chair in the shade in order to avoid getting sunburned. I didn’t have time to grab a book from the room, so I spend a few minutes looking at my cell phone. I have now been e-mail- and social media–free for a few days, and I quickly find that I haven’t missed it. The volume of notifications that ding when I sign on to the resort’s Wi-Fi feels overwhelming, so I put the phone back to sleep and stow it in my purse.