A miracle in Hawaii: a contemporary sexy romance

by Fiona Miers

  Her hand trembled as she reached for her water. Wow. She’d never expected him to be so honest about his own misgivings. “I don’t know what to say.”

  He chuckled, a real laugh that made a grin stretch across her own lips. His face truly transformed when he was happy, and it made her want to please him all the more. Which was silly, and strange for her. Those butterflies that made her feel like a teenager on her first date.

  “Well, that’s a first for you. I don’t know who you hired but this is delicious.”

  Samara picked up her own fork and sampled the prawn risotto. The perfect balance of cream, salt, and parmesan spread across her tongue. The texture, also divine. “Hmmm… I agree. I poached him from a restaurant on the other side of the island. One of the cleaners had said that the chef wanted work closer to home, so I made a few phone calls, and we have a head chef worthy of the title.”

  They finished their entrees and the mains were served. Another beautiful combination of flavors and textures.

  “Well, I can’t find fault with his skill or his choice of meals yet.”

  Julian was eating his steak so fast he looked like he barely had time to breathe. But after a final forkful of greens and scalloped potatoes, he moaned and dropped his knife and fork.

  “I think I worked up a bit of an appetite today.”

  Despite her best efforts to put some mental distance between them, his words made her whole body squirm in her chair. Their afternoon had her achy, hungry for more of the passion she’d found in Julian’s arms.

  “You must have.”

  The plates were taken away and Samara poured some more water for her suddenly dry mouth.

  “I have a proposition for you,” Julian said, his words laced with a honeyed tone that made her belly twist and tighten. She pressed her thighs together and crossed her legs to dull the ache that throbbed at her center.

  She took another sip of her water, savoring the anticipation building in her body. “It sounds like it’s going to be an improper proposition.”

  He chuckled again, but this time his eyes grew darker. “It may be. We have nine days left until you fly back to New York. I propose that during the days we work alongside each other just as we have been, and at night we dine together and go to bed, enjoying each other however we see fit.”

  Their desserts arrived and Samara picked up her fork, slicing a thick forkful of baked cheesecake, and scooping it through the blue berry sauce at the side. “A work holiday fling, so to speak?” Her traitorous body jumped at the idea but her chest tightened. Flings were not her style, and Julian was far too exceptional a man for her fragile heart to get close to.

  “Yes. Precisely. I don’t do long term relationships, Samara. I should warn you now.”

  She swallowed hard and tried not to show how his words chilled her. When had she ever entered a relationship with the end firmly in sight?

  Never.

  “Tell me why…and don’t cite our original agreement not to get personal. I think the pool today crossed us over into the forbidden zone.”

  Julian leaned back in his chair and picked up the shortbread on his plate, biting into the crumbly cookie and chewing slowly.

  Samara took another taste of her cheesecake, the smooth subtlety of the lemon zest utter perfection. This chef was worth every cent they would be paying him.

  “Okay, I’ll answer a few of your questions, if you answer mine.”

  “That’s a fair deal.” And not one she would have expected from him.

  Julian looked toward where the staff were talking, shining glasses and silver cutlery. Just as they should be. When he glanced back, the teasing in his gaze was gone, replaced by a bleakness that rippled out on to his handsome face.

  “I don’t enter into long term relationships anymore, because I have just survived a short marriage and divorce.”

  Her breath exhaled in a painful gush. That was not what she’d been expecting. A player that didn’t want to be tied down? Sure. But not someone who’d loved and lost. Her eyes shifted as though seeing him differently. “Oh, that must have been painful.”

  He nodded tightly, once. “The whole bloody thing was painful. My wife…”—he practically spat the word out—“played the dutiful role right up until the day we said I do, then she turned into an absolute hell cat. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

  Every fiber in Samara’s body wanted to tell him that not all women were like that, that those few bitches were the extreme minority. She couldn’t deny that they did exist; she’d worked for several. But she kept her mouth shut. There was only one way to prove to a man who’d been bitten that not all women were the same, and that was lots of time and love. Two things she didn’t have to give him.

  “Okay, thanks for being honest. Now you ask your question, Julian.”

  His face calmed. “Tell me why you only allowed my company to hire you for a fortnight. We would have paid for you to stay for three months. More.”

  She shrugged. “The answer is simple really. I’d planned to have this whole year off and had saved the money to do so. But my parents rang up a few weeks ago to say the bank was foreclosing on their house and they needed money. I gave them what they needed, but it left me short for my goals for this year. So, I’m here, filling up the bank balance again.”

  He blinked. “I’m sorry to hear that, but it doesn’t answer the real question. Why only two weeks? If you need money, why not work more? Stay longer.”

  She shook her head hard. She hadn’t worked herself to death for the past decade to worry about money now. “I have money. I own my two-bedroom apartment and still have my business. I just didn’t want to struggle if things didn’t go to plan, and your mother’s phone call felt like the hand of fate handing me a boon. But when it comes down to it, I need to take this year off for my health.”

  He swallowed strangely, a downward edge pulling at his lips. “Are you unwell?”

  “Oh, no, it’s nothing serious. Look, I don’t want to give you too many details, but I’ve worked hard for a long time. I’ve sacrificed family time, friendships, and my health to a certain degree to get ahead. But my priorities have shifted and my endometriosis has given me a time line I’m finally listening to.”

  “You’re still being very vague.”

  She huffed out a laugh, her vision board swimming into view in her mind. Time to be completely honest, and although she knew that he was about to freak out and possibly run away, she owed him the truth. He’d given it to her.

  “Julian, do you really want to know about my plans for babies, marriage, and my very unhealthy uterus?”

  He shuddered, literally shuddered, like a leaf in a strong breeze. She laughed at him.

  Curiosity killed the cat.

  “See. Told you.”

  His spine had straightened until he was sitting up like a soldier. “You’re right. I don’t want to know.”

  She licked the metal prongs of the dessert fork. “Good. So, let’s just enjoy the next nine days and then we can go our own separate ways.”

  And before she’d consciously made up her mind she was hearing herself agree to his proposal. She may not be the type to sleep around, but if this was the last chance she had to feel a man’s arms around her before she began the long and painful process of IVF, then she would enjoy it.

  “Sounds good to me.” He grinned at her and her belly flipped, tugging at her in that special way.

  They finished their three-course meal and stood up. “I think that chef is hired for good now, don’t you?”

  Julian nodded, “Yes. Definitely. You did well there. Shall we…” He tilted his head and she assumed he meant to go back to their room. She’d love to, of course, but a bit of waiting never hurt anyone.

  “Yes. But can we go for a little walk first? I am so full from dinner.”

  She watched him carefully and if he was disappointed by her request, he didn’t reveal it.

  “Of course, that’s a great idea. Around the pool ag
ain? Or…”

  She had a better idea. “I’d love to walk over to the beach. I haven’t set a toe on Waikiki since I arrived.”

  He smiled, one of his genuine, relaxed smiles, and they headed into the quiet foyer and through the glass doors that now opened on approach.

  She giggled a little as they walked out into the humid night air and he asked, “What’s funny?”

  She waved her hand at the entrance. “Oh, those doors. I’m always so pleased by small improvements that make a massive difference to a business’ appeal.”

  He chuckled. “Yes. That was a good thing to fix.”

  “It was my very first phone call. How are the numbers for the hotel going?”

  “We’re still very much in the red, but we didn’t expect a turnaround from the first day. Three months is the goal. But let’s not talk about work. Tell me about your fantasies.”

  A surprised laugh filled up her belly as she ran across the road, finally landing with her sandaled feet on the cool sand of Waikiki beach.

  “Now this is a fantasy.” She tugged at the buckles and shuffled out of her shoes, before picking both of them up. She held them by the back straps and let the small grains of sand nestle between her feet. It was dark, so all she could see was what the street lights illuminated, and the moon light that sparkled off the water. “Standing on a beach in Hawaii. I’ve wanted to come here for so long.”

  She began to walk, loving the sound of the waves, the quiet around her. She put her arms out wide and spun in a circle, her dress twirling around her legs. “Isn’t this magnificent?”

  He chuckled softly, the sound rolling around her. She was getting used to that laugh.

  “Are you laughing at me, Mr. King?”

  She turned to look at him and began walking backwards, her eyes now adjusted to the dark so she could see the unusual play of emotions on his face.

  What was he thinking?

  ****

  Julian stuffed his hands into his pockets and began walking along the firm sand, his Italian leather shoes sinking with each step he took.

  “I am. But it’s a good thing.”

  She twirled again like a five-year-old with a new party dress, a sight he would never have assumed he would find attractive on a woman. But Samara was utterly enchanting.

  “How is it a good thing?”

  How much should he tell her? They were beginning an affair of sorts, so some nice words were appropriate, but this woman was an Alice. There was a large rabbit hole in front of him and the last thing he wanted to do was go tumbling down it.

  “It’s good because I’ve never met a woman like you. You’re fun.”

  She laughed again, the sound so clean and smooth it sent a shiver down his spine. There was no pretense or artifice to her, and he wasn’t used to it. In his world, he was always looking behind people’s words, investigating their intent, and second guessing how they were trying to manipulate him.

  With Samara, he didn’t need to do that. She was different, and it was as obvious as the moon in the sky. And all of a sudden, he was intrigued.

  “Tell me why you’re so different, Samara. Where did you grow up? What were your parents like?” He was a big believer in making your own destiny, but science was proving just how important genetics were in making you who you were.

  “I’m not that different. I suppose I’m a little happier, or more positive than most the people I know, but that’s just me. And my mum. She’s a beautiful person.”

  “But not very thrifty with money it seems?”

  He regretted his words the moment he saw her face drop. “Well, they are actually. My dad got sick a while ago and they had to re-mortgage their house to pay for it and I think they fell behind on payments with him not working. They live on a big block with lots of development potential and I think someone saw the chance to grab their house. I don’t blame my parents.”

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  What did he know about a single home and needing to re-mortgage to pay for medical bills? It was so far away from how he’d been brought up.

  “So you grew up….” He didn’t want to say poor, but what other word was there?

  “I grew up very happy and had everything I needed,” she finished for him, dancing a little in the sand.

  He frowned as he watched her delight. Was it possible that this was all an act? He doubted it.

  “Come on, Julian. Take your shoes off. And your jacket too. You look ridiculous.”

  “Why? You wanna go skinny dipping?”

  That would be the only reason that he’d be stripping off his suit.

  She giggled in the night air. “Nope…but you’ve got a point. Home time?”

  She bounced back to him, dropping her shoes and grabbing both of his hands in hers. A hand squeezed his heart from the inside, taking his breath with it. Samara stared up at him with the trust of a child and he was undone.

  He pulled her closer and his lips touched hers, breathing in her scent, her warmth, her smell. “Let’s go back to the hotel.”

  She nodded and bent down to pick up her shoes, taking his hand once again so that they could walk back together. It was a foreign feeling, the casual squeeze of her hand in his. They weren’t on display, no one could see them. She wasn’t like his ex-wife. Samara wasn’t holding his hand to mark him as her property, nor playing a role. She wanted to hold his hand, and considering what they were about to share, it all made sense.

  He pulled away as they stepped back onto the pavement, his hotel a huge presence across the road. “Shall we?”

  She nodded and together they ventured inside, walking up the stairs to her room on the second floor.

  His heart pounded as they entered her room, an anomaly in these situations. She undressed for him slowly, her eyes shining with happiness as she stripped to her lacy knickers, her tight, full breasts already erect and begging for his touch.

  Julian stripped to nothing, his cock eager and lengthening by the moment.

  He took her hand and lay her down, licking every inch of smooth, hot skin and exploring her body. She gasped and moaned, arching her back and reaching for him as she climbed up the rungs to orgasm.

  When he stood up to get himself ready, she slid to the edge of the bed and took him into her mouth. Pleasure crashed into him as he allowed himself a moment of pure indulgence, enjoying the way her hair cascaded over his hands and her soft mouth sucked him with perfect tightness.

  When he finally lay her down to take her, she didn’t allow him an inch of space.

  She clung to his back, kissed his lips, and pressed into him so hard when she came he was scared she’d squeeze the very soul out of him.

  When they were done, he wanted to stay with her. A horrible, uncomfortable feeling that had been absent for so long. He managed to extricate himself once she’d fallen asleep and when he stepped into the hallway outside her room, he could finally breathe.

  It was too soon for him, but he knew that if he was in a position to love someone again, then Samara, despite how different she was, would be the perfect candidate.

  It was a sad thought as he lay in bed. Right person. Wrong timing.

  His dreams tortured him all through the night.

  Chapter Five

  “No, it’s your turn to answer one!” Samara pushed Julian’s naked chest back hard until she could jump on top of him, clinging to the sheets to cover herself while his hot, naked flesh pressed into the spot between her thighs.

  “Fine. Ask away.”

  They’d continued their one question a night game after that first dinner, and she was beginning to crave that special time with him. Those few short hours she got to see Julian unguarded, smiling. They weren’t enough.

  “Tell me what you’re most afraid of in the world.”

  Blue eyes grew stormy for a moment, before clearing like a summer’s day. “Snakes. I can’t stand them.”

  “Oh, you’re cheating again!” She reached under hi
s arms and tickled the flesh over his ribs.

  He flipped them both over and she landed flat on her back, her hands pinned above her head.

  He smirked down at her helpless form and she glared back. He was too strong for her, and even though she hated it because it made her feel weak, she loved home dominant he was. She pouted up at him. “That is not fair. I answered you honestly.”

  It was a battle, every night. To glimpse a true part of him, a rawness that she desperately wanted to see. He’d fought her those first few nights and she hadn’t minded too much, but they were getting to their last days together and she’d grown more desperate to know him.

  “I’m not afraid of much, Samara. Death, maybe. My parents growing old and sick. Maybe.”

  He shrugged a little and she relaxed the fight in her arms, so he rolled onto his side behind her, pulling her body in to his until his heart beat against her back.

  Her eyes closed all by themselves. Like curtain call at the end of an amazing play.

  “I can agree with you there. I’m really close to my parents. I couldn’t imagine not having them.”

  The silence stretched and she let her body relax against his, willing him to stay a little longer. Why he had to go back to his own room each night she’d never know.

  Work he said. Yeah right. More like a deliberate wall he kept up between them.

  “I better get going. You’re tired.”

  She groaned and twisted in his arms, pressing him down so that she could curl up on him, her head on his chest. “Why do you always leave? We’ve only got two more nights together and then it’s all over.”

  A lump lodged itself in her throat and she swallowed hard against the hot ache in her chest. They worked their arses off each and every day, and they celebrated their successes together each night. They were a great team. She hadn’t wanted to care about the man in her bed, but she did. A lot. She couldn’t stand the idea of not seeing him again.