She mustered up a smile, one of those business-deal beams.
“Good night, Nick.”
Son of a bitch, I want to kiss her.
He cleared his throat and followed her to the illuminated entryway, but stopped short a few feet from the double doors.
“No awkward discouragements,” he whispered. “Remember?”
“I remember.”
But had she asked, he didn’t think he would have discouraged.
***
Briana swiveled in her chair so that her back was to the desk, and her bare foot was tapping restlessly against the glass wall. She stared out at Sand Island, but didn’t really focus on the freight community. Lifting a cup of coffee to her lips, she barely felt it scald her tongue. For the umpteenth time she recounted the events of last evening and wished desperately that it could be erased. There was no doubt in her mind that she had made a complete fool of herself to a virtual stranger. And more importantly, destroyed her professionalism. What type of reputation would she have if she slept with a USGS representative? Not a good one. Briana Holt—willing to take care of obstacles in any manner necessary.
“Uuuh-hmm.”
There was no way in hell she was going to meet Nick at Manale today. Aside from the obvious fact that she was way too busy, there was the nagging fear of how she would react being close to him again. She doubted it would be professional—not when confronted with over six feet of temptation.
“Uuuuh-hmmm!”
Briana dipped her toes into a low-heeled pump and swiveled around to cock an amused eyebrow at the young man shifting from foot to foot in her doorway.
“Yes Naoki, are you trying to get my attention?”
Striking an, I just won a million dollars smile, Naoki charged forward and grabbed the frame of one of the visitor chairs for support. “No, no, nothing really, just checking on the schedule for today.”
The smile did not diminish in the least, and Briana found herself responding to it with a sly grin of her own. She laced her fingers together and contemplated her young cohort.
“Looking for some time off, perhaps?”
“Maybe.”
Holding herself in check for as long as she could, she expelled her breath and leaned across the desk to coax, “Okay, Takanawa, spill it.”
Not wasting a second, Naoki pushed the door shut and dropped into the chair.
“Oh God, she’s beautiful. I mean aside from the obvious, which you already saw, she’s sweet, shy and—and miracle of all miracles, she wants to see me again.”
Sweet and shy girls don’t hang out at bars by themselves, do they? Briana tossed aside the nagging thought, suddenly realizing she was getting old. She reveled in Naoki’s happiness, though.
“And you’re asking about the schedule because you want to spend the afternoon with her?”
Naoki sat back for the first time and nervously toyed with the bridge of his glasses. “Bree, we’ve got a lot of work to do, I would never think of doing that to you.”
“Hmmmph. Are you going to come in this Saturday even though I will ask you not to?”
“Yep,” he affirmed.
“Take the afternoon, Takanawa.”
Thick lenses could not conceal the flash of enthusiasm. “Are you sure? What about you? What happened last night? I didn’t even notice you leave.”
Provoking images of last night reigned as Briana lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. She glanced at the clock.
“Oh, I needed some air—took a walk along the beach and then headed home.”
The urge to secret her encounter with Nick McCord surprised her. Especially with Naoki, someone she shared everything with. It was a bad sign.
“Sorry Bree.”
“Pleeeese. Don’t be sorry. I’m so happy for you—”
“Knock, knock.”
Briana and Naoki turned towards the door. A young woman stared at them with owlish eyes. Her arms were crossed over a stack of folders clasped tight against her chest. Narrow glasses deemed her a bookworm, and it appeared as if she had stood in the doorway for hours waiting for the courage to interrupt.
Kathy Bishop, Briana remembered. The intern.
“Yes, Kathy?”
“I have those reports you wanted me to research.”
“Excellent.” Briana smiled openly, to which the girl responded with a tremulous curve of the lips. “Just leave them on the desk.”
Kathy hobbled forward on strapless sandals and glanced shyly at Naoki. Tucking her head into her neck like a turtle, she asked, “Anything else, Ms. Holt?”
“Check with me—” Briana was about to say later in the day, but the words were curiously amended to, “tomorrow morning.”
“Okay,” Kathy nodded and backed out of the room, bobbing her head courteously towards Naoki who gave her the evil eye over the rim of his glasses.
As soon as they were alone again, Naoki leaned forward.
“Hey, what reports did you have her research? I’m the research department around here. She just started three days ago. Where did you dig her up anyway?”
Too many secrets.
Briana didn’t want Naoki to see the stack of data she had Kathy research on tidal activity in the region. It would require an explanation she was not ready to impart. For now, she wanted to keep the Nick situation low key—incase it blew up in her face.
With every argument against it ramming through her head, Briana was certain of one fact. She was going to meet Nick today. Curiosity and the lingering effects of his touch proved the victor.
“Feeling threatened, Takanawa? By a college student? The poor girl idolizes you, aspires to be like you.”
“Aspires to take my job, you mean.”
Briana chuckled and discreetly shoved the pile into her desk drawer. “Really Naoki, your value to me is immeasurable and you know it. You keep me sane. How can I place a worth on that?”
Naoki grinned. “That’s what I’m here for. Hey, by the way, is that geologist still badgering you?”
Briana stared across the desktop into the almond eyes she knew so well. She muffled her hiccup with a brush of her hand.
“He might have some credible points.”
“Are you crazy? I told you the guy’s got nothing on you. He’s just some bureaucrat looking to pick a fight.”
The nagging console on her desk proved an ally as Lena, her stout secretary, passed back a call. “I really don’t want to talk about it.”
Naoki frowned and then moved towards the door, mouthing the words, “You’re sure about this afternoon?”
Briana waved her fingers, trying not to notice how much they shook.
***
Nick stalked out onto the lanai. Beyond the feathered palms eclipsed by the azure sky, a hazy cumulus cloud marred the clear heavens. The trade winds would soon move the cotton puff on its way, though.
Nick stooped over and clasped the rail, cursing it when it jarred slightly under his touch. He would have to work on it this weekend. Living so close to the water had its setbacks. Degradation to the bungalow’s structure kept him in an eternal state of restoration—but there was no greater perk than this vista.
Despite his resolve not to, his gaze drifted to the beach only steps away. An image from last night flashed in his mind. Briana’s face bathed in the moonlight, her lips parted just a breath before he kissed her.
Sleep was futile after he left her. He ended up sorting through paperwork and test results all through the night. Those long hours of work accounted for his haggard appearance and dismal demeanor at the moment.
There was no way he was going to allow himself to be bewitched by another woman whose intelligence and fanaticism towards work were packaged in one hot body. Although, as much as he wanted to compare her to Meleana, he found that there really was no similarity. Yes, Meleana was beautiful, but in a standoffish, intimidating kind of way. Briana was a subtle intoxication—something you had a taste of, and yearned for more. Beneath a business-like veneer
lay a fascinating insecurity.
Reaching for the bottom of his UH t-shirt, Nick yanked it over his head. He hiked down to the shore, eager to hit the water. Anything to wash away the images of her. But the trick did not work. The warm saltwater reminded him of how the ocean cloistered them, doing little to douse their heat.
He rose to the surface and snapped his head to ring out the water. He raised a hand to the back of his neck and peered out towards a lumbering freighter, heavy with cargo.
There was no choice. He had to put an end to this while it was still early enough to do so. It wasn’t what he needed right now. Heck, it wasn’t as if Briana was throwing herself at his feet. She wasn’t going to get hurt if he stopped this—this, whatever it was before it started. Okay, maybe last night was hot. Damn hot. But lust wasn’t what he was looking for.
Right.
He was looking for a staid woman that he could settle down with. He was getting old, and it was time. Meleana had cauterized any festering desire for an affair with someone steeped in their work.
That was it. The decision was made. He was going to avoid Briana from now on. It was best. After all, he had his work cut out for him to determine what was agitating the Windward coast. As a matter of fact, he wouldn’t even make it to Manale today. He would spend the afternoon in his office at the University to avoid any impetuous move on his part. Briana probably never would have met him anyway. Her response was elicited in the heat of the moment, and he was certain that in the light of day, the businesswoman would return and snub him.
Mollified, but bitter, Nick surged out of the water and cursed when a shell cut into the underside of his heel. Satisfied that there was no blood, he continued towards the bungalow, but his steps slowed. Suddenly he was aware of the stillness in the air, and the solitude of his home.
Mutinously, he looked up towards the lanai and envisioned Briana standing there in one of his shirts. She smiled down at him, silky blond hair wafting in the breeze. The collar of her shirt billowed and privileged him with a glorious view. She laughed openly, and he nearly smiled in response to the vision.
Damn.
***
Both hands were on the steering wheel, and the key was in the ignition, but the car wouldn’t go.
“Grow up, Holt. You can handle this guy.”
The pep talk didn’t seem to work as she glanced at the rearview mirror to make sure she was not holding up anyone in the parking garage.
Digital numbers on the dash alerted her it was almost one o’clock. Nick had probably left already, if he had showed up at all. Last night Briana spent hours replaying their encounter over and over in her head, and kept picturing those dark eyes until she thought she would go mad.
This morning, under the obtrusive sun, her vision wasn’t so rose-colored. Nick McCord had imperfections. He was aggressively male, with a touch of arrogance—although the latter was a trait she envied. He had a way of looking at her with the corner of his mouth curling indolently as if he found her amusing. The gesture intrigued her.
Okay, so there weren’t too many imperfections, but there were some. Perhaps in the light of day she would see more, when the moon and diamond-lit sea were not such an alluring canvas.
Easing the car into drive, Briana pressed on the gas and emerged from the heavy shadows of the garage into the brilliant sunlight of another gorgeous Hawaiian day.
Poised atop a sand dune, Briana held a hand to her forehead to ward off the glare as she scanned the beach. It was vacant. No hot geologists waiting to take her out on a date.
Did that really come as much of a surprise?
Tempted to just turn around and flee to the sanctuary of her office, she glanced at her watch and reasoned that Nick might have been tied up. Delayed, yes, delayed.
Starting down the dune to the shoreline, the breeze billowed beneath the hem of her sleeveless dress, and an instant later molded the sheer material back against her thighs. After several unwieldy steps, she stooped to peel off her sandals, and smiled at the sensation of warm crystals blanketing her toes.
It was the middle of the workweek and the beach was empty except for a young boy at play, his robust mother watching lazily from beneath the shade of a palm tree. Briana nodded in her direction realizing that the woman’s dark eyes were following her.
She continued her trek, balancing on the edge of the soft burst of froth. That phantom lick of water made her tremble with the predictable tug of fear. Remarkably, it was followed by a burgeoning warmth of recollection. Nick’s lips—his arms—his touch.
God, she had to stop doing this. She was a grown woman. It wasn’t as if she had never been kissed before. Although, no one had ever kissed her quite like that, and no one had ever enticed her into the water.
Briana flipped a curious seashell with the tip of her toe. With her focus on her feet, she nearly missed the wave that collapsed into her calves.
What the hell?
Swallowing down a ridiculous scream, she backed judiciously away. She would have sworn she was at a safe enough distance. The water here was as docile as a birdbath. But now as she looked out, she could see a ripple of agitated swells, as if a huge boat had just passed by.
But there was no boat. On the horizon there were two bulky shadows. They could be anything from fishing vessels to yachts, but whatever they were...they were anchored and had not produced a wake.
Yet, still those little waves persisted. Anomalies in a placid sea.
“Briana!”
Recognizing the voice, a tremor coursed through her. She turned to see a red jeep at the top of the slope.
He came.
CHAPTER SIX
Watching his jeans hike down the knoll, Briana felt a little queasy. Too much sun, perhaps? Or was it the intense expression on a man that was just too damn sexy for someone like her. She needed Joe Corporate. Calm. Refined. Professional. Boring.
“Hi.”
One husky word and he set her to trembling.
“Hi,” she whispered. Clearing her throat, she added, “I didn’t think you would—I thought maybe you had a meeting—”
Get a grip, Briana!
It didn’t help that he wasn’t smiling. It didn’t ease her nerves when he stared at her like he was about to verbally drill her into the ground—or physically drill her.
For a moment, he glanced away and she could see his broad chest expand on a deep breath. “I didn’t think you would be here,” he said quietly.
“I—” God, she couldn’t get her eyes off his lips. “I noticed the waves again.”
At that moment the high-pitched squeal of youth broke the stillness. Calling to his mother, the young boy hopped about in the wet sand. The woman in the red floral Kimono ambled towards him, her dress dipping into the water as she grabbed him under his armpits and hoisted him from the sea with a sharp berating. A howl of protest ensued and faded as they returned to the shade of the palms.
Nick jogged over to the stretch of beach where the toddler had been playing. Briana started after him.
Stooped before her, his shoulders swelled as he leaned forward. She peered around them and detected a sparkle of fish scales.
“What is it?”
“Yellow fin tuna.” He leaned back on his heels.
It was huge! With an ugly golden serrated spine like that of a dragon. What was worse was that not much further away was another.
“Now there are dead fish on Manale Beach,” she sighed. “I think the Gods are looking to sabotage me.”
Nick rose, and her petulance evaporated. He did not look pleased.
“This isn’t good, Briana. You may not be far off base.”
“What?” She stumbled backwards when he started to march up to the jeep. She sprinted to catch up and tugged on his arm.
“Nick, it’s all just coincidence, right?”
Halting, he didn’t look at her, but instead glanced up at the stagnant treetops. “No wind. No wakes...there should be no waves. And dead tuna belong on a boat, not
on shore.”
A chill broke the perspiration on the back of her neck.
Something told her this wasn’t going to be a lunch date.
“I have a call into the Hilo office to see if any underwater disturbances have been observed. If they don’t send a team over, I will get some of our guys to go take a look. The marine biologists will be here soon to address the tuna. Do you have security here? If you could send someone over to make sure no one touches those tuna. We have to be sure they aren’t diseased.”
“Oh God. Is it possible?”
“It’s possible, but combined with the strange tidal pattern the past few days...”
His voice drifted off. They had reached the grounds of Manale Palms and Nick hesitated, looking into the inlet at the seawall.
“I admit that I wanted to find some fault with this property,” he turned to her, “but there is no fault here. Your construction is not responsible for dead tuna washing up on shore.”
“You harbored these ill feelings towards Manale, Nick...maybe others do as well. Maybe enough to sabotage it.”
A dark expression crossed his face. For a long time he studied her...a long enough time to make her uncomfortable.
“Don’t get carried away,” he uttered quietly.
“I won’t.” The words hung in the air, and took on a deeper meaning. “Nick, you came today, to the beach. I didn’t think you would.”
He turned away, giving the impression that he was searching the grounds. Only her steadfast silence forced him to look back. “I—” his hand wrapped behind his neck, “I wanted to talk to you.”
Instinctively, her arms crossed. Here it comes, she thought. The tone of his voice was obvious. What single attribute of hers made him want to end this fledgling relationship—if she could go so far as to call it that? It wasn’t a relationship—he had simply kissed her.
But God, was it a kiss that he could so easily walk away from?
Maybe she had come across as too professional, condescending even. Maybe he preferred a superficial partner that he didn’t have to battle with.
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