by Lakes, Lynde
“You could’ve helped,” she said.
“You were doing just fine, and I didn’t want to miss any of the show.”
“Pervert,” she said, trying to contain a smile. Staying mad was out of the question. She centered herself on the towel and pulled her knees to her chest. She felt good, really good. The beach had always had that effect on her. She didn’t even mind Cortz’s suggestive and sometimes outlandish comebacks; they kept the conversation jumping and full of surprises. It was the unknowns that bothered her. A shiver slipped down her spine. Fighting its effects, she lifted a handful of clean bleached sand and allowed it to filter through her fingers. A few grains blew onto her flowered swimsuit and she flicked them off. “Have you ever thought how long it must’ve taken for surf to pound, crush, and pulverize rocks and coral into the millions of gleaming grains to produce this sandy shore?”
“Let me see,” he said, “the general consensus is that Oahu, with its coral sand, would take three-million, two thousand, five hundred and fifty-five, point, two-five-zero years to become this.” He did a wide, half-circle gesture to the sand around them. As he brought his hand back, he paused and brushed some still clinging sand from her thigh.
Darli swallowed and zeroed in on the three colorful sailboats that dotted the distant horizon to calm her racing heart. When once again under control, she glanced through her rose-tinted sunglasses at him and laughed. “That was a rhetorical question.”
“Was it?” he said in his deep, penetrating voice. “Hmm.” He smiled, picked up her hand, squeezed it, then continued to hold it.
A rush of heat shot up from her hand to her breasts, warning her to pull away, but his hand holding hers felt so good, so right.
Chapter Fifteen
Cortz smiled, pleased Darli hadn’t pulled away. They remained holding hands for many blissful minutes. When Darli finally withdrew her hand, he looked up. She was framed against a background of deep blue sky blended with patches of turquoise. One side of her lightly tanned face was partly hidden behind a cascade of golden hair. He resisted an urge to entwine his fingers in the thick strands. He blew out a gust of air. He had to make this day count.
Suddenly, a niggling worry about Gregory Harris, the human that Taurus had patterned his appearance from, crossed Cortz’s mind. All he needed was that tragic human to show up and complicate things. He had to stay positive. Best not to worry about such unlikely events happening, he thought and pushed the concern to the back of his mind. He turned his attention back to Darli. Suddenly, she seemed preoccupied, staring intently off into the distance.
Cortz scanned the horizon to see what had captured her interest. His gaze fell on an unwelcome form. His heartbeat sped up, and he gripped her hand. Without pointing, he said, “Isn’t that Lieutenant Fox over there by those rocks?”
Darli craned her neck. “Where? I don’t see him.”
Cortz frowned. The Navy nuisance had disappeared. “He is gone now. What do you suppose he was doing here?”
Darli shrugged. “It’s a public beach.”
“He was in uniform, looking at us through binoculars.”
“Binoculars? Really? But why? There’s no reason for him to be watching us, is there?”
“I suppose not.” The lieutenant wouldn’t have worn his uniform to the beach if he hadn’t wanted to be seen, Cortz thought. Was the Navy nuisance trying to unnerve him? Cortz knew he dare not make too big a thing out of it. It might press Darli to renege on their agreement and insist upon hearing his secret now.
****
Troubled, Darli took a deep breath and averted her eyes. The ocean reflected the same blue and green hues as the sky above. Motionless puffy clouds hung in the air. Like the stilled clouds, she felt her heart still for one beat. Was it Fox? If so, why was he there? And why did his presence bother Cortz? Did it have something to do with the diamonds? Suddenly she wasn’t at all sure she could give him another day to explain. Nevertheless, she had to. Going back on her word was something she would never do. She watched a wave grow to a height, break, crash, and roll to the shore, pummeling the sand as it flowed inward. Darn you, Cortz, don’t you dare crush my heart that way.
She lowered her eyes and sighed. A silver tab from a soft drink can half-buried in the sand reflected the sun and caught her attention. It reminded her of the silver object. “Speaking of Fox, I almost forgot to tell you that he came by my office at the university on Friday.”
Cortz shaded his eyes and turned toward her, frowning. “What did he want?”
Darli detected anxiety in his voice. “The Navy is still investigating the object that fell into the ocean.”
“Have they discovered something?”
She shrugged. “Fox said his office is inundated with calls. Many people saw the object. He seems to think I know more than I’ve told him.”
Cortz stared out at the ocean. “But you don’t.” His tone gave her the impression that he felt it might be best to keep it that way.
****
Cortz closed his fists, angry with himself. Even though he was certain Fox had been spying on them, he should have kept it to himself. To accomplish his mission, he needed this day to go well. He had to keep things light—and win her heart.
“Race you,” he said, forcing a grin. He kissed the top of Darli’s forehead, crossed his legs, and pushing upward sprang to his feet. He ran beyond where the sand joined the sea.
“Hey, wait for me!” Darli shouted.
He glanced back. She threw down her sunglasses and followed him.
“Catch me,” he said, and dove through the crest of an approaching wave.
When he came up for air, she was right behind him. She leapt and almost grabbed him around the neck. The competitor in him refused to let her to win the first time out, but she had definitely surprised him with her water skills. This would be a challenge.
After a good pursuit, Cortz caught her and gently pulled her under the water for a salty kiss. Breathless moments later, they surfaced, laughing and gasping for air. Cortz held her tightly against him. Aroused by the unity their touching bodies provided, he began to tremble low in his groin. If he didn’t have her soon, he would vibrate to destruction.
Suddenly, Darli wriggled free and swam away in strong even strokes, as though needing desperately to put a distance between them. “Let’s eat, I’m starved,” she shouted, heading for shore.
“Right behind you,” he shouted, fighting tremendous disappointment.
****
Back at their blanket, Darli grabbed two towels and tossed one to Cortz. She dried off, while watching him towel his glistening, muscular body. His rough swipes had a certain grace. A familiar warning prickle slid down her spine. She looked out at the rolling waves. Often their breaking spools hid dangerous undertows.
To cover her unease, she silently laid out their picnic. She could feel him watching her. He grabbed a couple of sodas from the ice chest and opened them. “Where do you go when you get silent?” he asked.
“Usually, into my world of astronomy,” she said. “Something triggers a lecture idea.” It wasn’t really a lie. Usually didn’t mean now.
“I’d love to hear about it.”
“It concerns transformation and the sun,” she said, improvising. “With the sun composed primarily of hydrogen, fusion has an ample source of fuel. The mass of the assembled helium is less than the mass of the ingredients and the balance is energy. If I can excite my students with the idea of saving on electric bills without cutting creature comforts—”
“I like it,” he encouraged. “If they can grasp the need for more innovative ways to harness that source of power, it will help save this planet.”
“Right.” She smiled. His passion for astronomy and the environment escalated her excitement. “My idea is to convey to them that the energy released from nuclear fusion is phenomenal, limitless.” Suddenly she realized that while they munched on the ham and cheese sandwiches, Cortz had managed to draw her into her favorite subject
of astronomy and her students. She loved talking about such things, but not now. Now, she wanted to talk about him. “Cortz, I don’t know anything about you, other than I like you, and we have fun together.”
“What else is there?” he asked, grinning.
“I’m serious. I need to know more about you.”
His face clouded and all smiles disappeared. “You agreed to wait until tomorrow.”
“To hear about the diamonds,” she said, removing her sunglasses so she could look deep into his eyes. “But what about you? Or are you and the diamonds inseparable?” She forced a teasing smile. “Come on Cortz, you don’t have a dark, wicked past, do you?”
Cortz sighed. “No dark, wicked past, I assure you.”
“Glad to hear that. So, exactly who are you, Cortz Conrad?”
Cortz’s jaw muscle tightened. “You have a vexatious knack for getting right to the point. But my story may take a lifetime to tell. Could you narrow the question?”
“All right. Is there a special woman in your life?”
“That’s easy. There is no one, or at least there wasn’t until I met you.”
Corny, but nice. She smiled, unable to conceal her satisfaction with his answer. The dampness had almost totally evaporated from her hair; the ocean breeze was lifting the drying strands and blowing them across her face. She pulled her hair back and loosely wrapped it over itself, not wanting anything to distract her concentration. “Where were you born?”
A wry smile spread across Cortz’s face and he made a helpless gesture with his hands. “Indirectly, we are back to the subject of the diamonds. I can’t tell you about me without including them.”
“Then tell me.” She touched his hand and stared up at him with the most beguiling expression she could muster.
He looked conflicted. “Using those soft green eyes to entice me is unfair. It is difficult to refuse you anything. But—”
“Help! Help!” a woman screamed. “My keiki! He’s drowning!”
Cortz was on his feet instantly, running toward the ocean.
Darli followed. Before he could reach the boy, the child was sucked under a wave. Cortz dove under. When he came up for air, he shouted, “Darli, I can’t find him!”
Darli dove under, desperate to find the child. She came up empty. It was as if the wave had swallowed the tiny body. Fear clutched her breast. Frantic, she and Cortz repeatedly dove under the water. She was barely aware of the salt burning her eyes and the roar of the waves throbbing in her ears. When her breath ran out, she had to come up for air. Cortz was still under…
Chapter Sixteen
Darli was about to go under again when Cortz surfaced with the boy’s limp body in his arms. The minute Cortz got to shore, he placed the boy face down and began a resuscitating technique. Darli knelt beside Cortz, ready to assist if needed. The boy’s mother dropped down on her knees next to them and prayed.
A crowd formed around them. “Stay back!” Cortz shouted. He turned the boy over. It appeared his hand vibrated as he massaged and applied pressure to the boy’s chest.
“What on Earth is he doing?” a man asked.
The resuscitating technique was unfamiliar to Darli. But Cortz went about it with such confidence she didn’t question it.
Finally, the dark-skinned boy coughed and relief washed over Darli.
“He’s going to be all right,” a man shouted to those standing around. Then he patted Cortz on the back, and with astonishment in his voice, said, “Whatever you did, brah, it worked.”
Darli was equally impressed. Cortz’s quick action and gentle handling of the boy impressed her as much as the unusual technique.
The boy’s mother hugged her child against her round, ample body. Tears slid down her face. In broken English, she asked, “How I thank you for saving my keiki?”
“You just did,” Cortz said, intently watching the boy take deep breaths.
Afterwards, people continued to come by to congratulate Cortz for saving the child. He nodded in acknowledgment of their praise, but remained silent, as if embarrassed by all the attention.
“Where did you learn that technique?” Darli asked.
Cortz’s jaw tensed. “Would you mind if we leave now?” He avoided eye contact and began packing up their things.
“Is something wrong?” Darli asked, sensing that an impenetrable curtain had just closed between them.
“When I couldn’t find the boy right away…I feared…. I just need some solitude to get over how close we came to losing him. I’m sorry to cut the afternoon short, but after my previous serious burn, it is probably best that I don’t stay out in the sun too long. Besides, I would like to go shopping.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Shopping?”
“Yes. If we go now, we’ll be finished in time to go out for dinner.”
“Out for dinner?” She smiled, hoping to dissolve the wall that he had erected between them. She silently helped Cortz pack up the picnic remnants and together they carried them to the car.
In minutes they were on the road, she accelerated to a moderate speed. The windows were down and her hair streamed in the wind. Heavy flowering pink, white and rainbow shower trees and bougainvillea bushes lined the winding road. Plumeria perfumed the air. On the third curve, the ocean came into view. The sun-paled sea was a translucent turquoise as it rolled and thrashed upon the jagged shores.
Darli glanced at Cortz. His tight-lipped expression was grim, troubled. But what could she expect? Almost losing the child had shaken him. It had shaken her too. Still, she suspected there was more to his mood-swing, probably something to do with seeing Lieutenant Fox.
Darn it. Cortz had escaped telling her about himself again. But he’d made a promise and she would hold him to it.
She checked the rearview mirror. A grey unmarked sedan had been behind them since they left the beach. It stayed the same distance, not gaining, not dropping back. She sped up. The car did too. She slowed. It slowed. There was no doubt. Someone was following them. Did the tail have something to do with the diamonds? She rubbed an aching neck muscle. She hadn’t realized the turmoil her promise to give him another day would bring.
Cortz insisted upon going to a particular clothing store in Waikiki, not far from the floating deck where they’d met. The store wasn’t crowded. “Could you help me find a shirt and socks to go with these slacks?” he asked, holding up brown dress trousers. “And would you excuse me for a short while?” He glanced toward the restrooms.
Darli nodded. She scanned the rack of silk shirts, looking through all of them before deciding. She held up a beige flowered pattern with a dark-brown background that would match his eyes. She looked around to see if he was heading her way, dying to show it to him. He was nowhere in sight.
With him gone suddenly shopping wasn’t fun anymore. He’d been gone at least fifteen minutes. She hoped he wasn’t sick. He had gotten quite upset at the beach. Then the devil got into her thoughts, bringing doubts. What if he wasn’t in the restroom? Tormenting images of him meeting with diamond smugglers popped into her mind. Now, she was reaching, but she couldn’t help it. There was no getting around it, until she knew about the diamonds she couldn’t completely trust Cortz. Torturing herself didn’t help. She laughed at how she’d let her imagination run amuck. Still, too much time had passed for him to be in the restroom. Maybe he was doing something perfectly innocent. She flipped through the shirts again. Yes, the brown one would definitely look terrific on him. Darli browsed a while longer and then glanced at her watch. He’d been gone for over half an hour.
Suddenly, he appeared in the doorway and hurried toward her with a big bunch of carnations in his hand. She felt her cheeks grow warm—she’d imagined the worst and he’d only gone to get her flowers. Wait a minute. His hair was wet and the whites of his eyes were red…as if he’d been swimming. But that didn’t make sense.
He thrust the carnations into her arms. With her thoughts off-balance, she inhaled their fragrance. “Than
k you,” she said, surprised she could speak at all.
“Are these the things you picked out for me?” The side of his fingers brushed hers as he ran his hand over the fabrics. Heat crawled up her arm.
“They are perfect!” he said. “You have exquisite taste.” His eyes glowed with appreciation.
Darli smiled, the flowers temporarily distracting from her previous suspicions.
It wasn’t until she was driving toward her apartment in the slow moving afternoon traffic that she began to wonder about things again. She glanced over at Cortz, torn by her emotions. There had been an intimacy in choosing his clothing—it had made her feel closer to him. And the flowers made her feel special. But she needed more than that from him. Not knowing about the diamonds put an obstacle between them. Still, in spite of her doubts, she sensed that Cortz’s heart was gentle, loving. He’d been so great with the little boy.
Confusion swirled in her head. I made a bargain. Stick by it and everything will be fine. At least for tonight, she would put her worries aside, dress up in a smashing outfit and go out and enjoy the best dinner in town! She could do that! But when the night was over, if he didn’t have a good explanation for the diamonds, she’d send him away—still, she hoped, with every inch of woman within her, that it wouldn’t come to that.
Chapter Seventeen
Darli looked forward to dancing off the calories from the Mahi Mahi fish dinner and selected a popular nightspot located along the shoreline of Waikiki beach. As they entered, a combo played “On The Beach At Waikiki.” Darli moved her hips in time to the rhythm. Cortz grinned.
She glanced at a tip on one of the tables. It was generous, but not excessive like the one Cortz had left for their waiter. She shook her head. Dinner had been delicious, but the waiter had been clumsy and forgetful. He deserved something for his effort, but not fifty percent. Was Cortz rich, showing off, or a poor money manager? Local charities could make better use of the money. Stop it. She was here to have a good time, not dissect Cortz’s every action.