Not that she minded. It was a small price to pay to live in such a beautiful place.
"So you know what I was doing wandering around," said Robert with a tip of his now empty beer. "What brought you here? I thought this beach was all tourists."
Malia tried to look away from his handsome face and to the gentle ocean but the sun was too bright at its current angle and she turned back to Robert. "Just doing a favor for a friend. She's doing a study about the salt levels in the water at different times of the year so every day she needs samples from that section of beach."
"So you're out here every single day."
"No. But I come out Tuesdays and Thursdays. I help out with a lot of the more time consuming studies. The university here has some really great programs in geology and biology, so the students normally need a hand."
"That's nice of you."
"Well they pay me. Not a lot, but it gets me a decent dinner every now and then."
"Do you do a lot of odd jobs?"
"I do every odd job. Tours, labor, catering, hula dancer. You name it, I've done it."
He leaned in closer. "Whoa. Did you say hula dancer?"
"Well I wasn't very good. I don't exactly look the part." Unlike the Polynesian beauties who had the delicate dance down to an art, Malia had light brown, mousey hair. It probably would be much darker if she wasn't out in the sun so much. "But a friend needed a favor-"
"And you're the person everyone calls when they need a favor. Not the best position to be in."
"Well I get paid for my favors." She winced. "That came out wrong."
Robert let out a soft laugh. "I get what you're saying. I get called for favors all day and I don't get paid for a damn one."
"You're missing out."
"Apparently." He was quiet for a few moments and the setting sun was just right so that his blue eyes seemed like such an impossible color that she doubted they could be real.
"The sun is going down any minute. We should probably keep our eyes on it. The flash only lasts a second, so if you're not paying attention, you miss it." She took in a few deep breaths as she tried to bring herself back to normal.
Watching the sun was a good excuse to sit in silence and not do any more... flirting. She didn't know where the words were coming from. She didn't even know how to flirt. At least she didn't think she did.
So instead she focused on the oddly romantic horizon while the cool shade of the growing shadows around them was broken up with the warmth coming from large body next to her. She bit her lip as she closed her eyes. The idea had been that the darkness would help her focus, but instead all it did was enhance her imagination. Robert moving closer... setting a hand on her leg...
Her eyes snapped open and she glanced over her shoulder. She hadn't imagined all of it. Robert was closer. Right next to her actually. His thigh was just a centimeter from hers. His gaze dropped to her lips and her breath caught in her throat. She should tell him to move back or take a hike or anything. Instead, all that came out was, "It's going to happen any minute. You should keep your eyes on the horizon."
Somehow managing to follow her own advice, she turned back to the sunset. Only the tiniest bit of sun was showing now. If the conditions were right, the green flash should be there any second...
"I'll have other chances to see this," said Robert softly from behind her. "But I might never see you again." His breath brushed the side of her ear, letting her know that he was even closer.
Sun. Just focus on the sun. Do not turn around.
And then it was there. The mystical flash. Sure, there was some reason for it. The atmospheric conditions combined with the light spectrum. But to her, it was magic.
"Did you see it?" she asked, still not trusting herself enough to turn around.
"It was beautiful."
She didn't know if he was talking about the sunset or this was one more attempt at flirting, but it didn't matter. She was going home now and he'd be going back to his hotel. Which was a good thing.
"I'm glad you caught it, Robert. Not everyone does." She stood at the same time he did and they faced each other.
He held up his empty beer. "I'm due for a refill. Why don't we continue this conversation at the hotel bar? I can guarantee us a good seat."
Malia bit her lip. Damn it was tempting. Handsome man, free drinks, good conversation. But she still wasn't getting involved with a tourist and considering how strong a pull this stranger had on her already, it was better to run sooner rather than later. "I really need to head home."
"More favors to do?" he asked.
"Always." This was her que. Time to turn around and walk away. Let the nice night stay a nice night in her mind. But she didn't walk away. She stood there, staring up at Robert. He leaned in slowly, giving her every opportunity to turn or run or slap him or really anything but what she actually did. Instead she stood up on her toes to meet him.
His lips were warm and soft and gentle and so damn intoxicating. He cupped her face with his free hand and angled her for better access as he depended the kiss, teasing her lips with his tongue.
At this point, Malia gave up trying to convince herself to run. She wrapped her fingers in Robert's soft shirt as she kissed him back. It had been so long since she'd even held a man's hand, let alone kissed one. She'd forgotten how good the contact felt. The sexual rush that ran through her whole body, urging her to do a whole lot more than kissing. The tingle in her hands telling her to touch him all over. Feel the stubble on his face. Snake under his shirt to see if his chest and stomach were as sculpted as she suspected.
Because her self control obviously couldn't be trusted, Robert was the first one to pull away. Well, he stopped kissing her. His hand was still at the nape of her neck and his forehead pressed to hers. "Come back with me. I have a room, we'll get room service. It will be so good for you."
Every one of those words sunk into her and Malia tried to form speech. Why was she fighting this? She sure as hell believed that he would make it good for her. Hell, she was half way to orgasm after just a kiss. What would happen if it was just the two of them and a bed?
Somehow she found a spare bit of reason left and managed to say, "I just met you."
"But it was a really nice meeting."
Malia smiled and Robert kissed her again, a quick brush of his lips against hers. "Tell me what I have to do to talk you into coming back with me?"
She finally forced herself to disengage from him, letting go of his shirt and stepping back so she could actually breathe. Practically, spending the night was a horrible idea. Her bike was locked up a block away and she didn't want to be going home in the middle of the night. It was bad enough that she'd waited until dark.
And she certainly couldn't stay with him until morning. "I have to leave. For real this time."
He sighed and she knew he was finally starting to believe her. "Can I walk you home."
She shook her head. "Biking home. Sorry."
"Well damn then."
"We'll always have the green flash though!"
Robert didn't laugh at the half assed attempt at a joke. "I don't like to lose."
"I didn't realize I was a prize."
"At least in my game we both win." Robert reached behind him to pull something out of his pocket. It looked like a little piece of paper. A business card. "If you change your mind, give me a call."
That wasn't going to happen. Either way she took the card. "Have a nice night, Robert."
"I'll be thinking about you, Malia."
It gave her much more of a thrill than it should've to hear her name on his lips. "Don't think too hard. I'm not worth it." Malia finally forced herself to turn away and start on her way home. She forced herself to keep her head forward and not look back to see what Robert was going. Was he still watching her leave? Or had he turned away already, heading back to the crowds of the resorts along Waikiki Beach?
It wasn't until she reached her bike that she allowed herself to look at the card he'd g
iven her. Not that she was going to call him. Now that she was away from him, she was certain his spell would wear away and she could go back to being her sane, rational self.
Even so, it would be nice to know a last name. The second she turned the card over in her palm, the entire world started to spin. Robert Farrell? The Robert Farrell?
Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. Could it be a different Robert Farrell? Maybe a different Robert Farrell that happened to work at Farrell Enterprises? A different Robert Farrell who's father just died?
Oh no. What had she done?
~~End of Sneak Peek~~
To hear when Reckless is released, sign up for Mallory's Mailing list at: http://www.mallorycrowe.com/
Check out all of Mallory Crowe's Books!
Billionaires In The City Series
Teaching The Boss
Teasing The Boss
Tempting The Boss
Devereaux Billionaires Series
Touching Jace
Trusting Michael
Testing Luke
Taming Rourke
Fractured Farrells; A Damaged Billionaire Series
Ruthless
Reckless
Remorseless
Restless
Relentless
Bad Boys of the Underworld (A Paranormal series)
Finding Fire
Daring Fire
Binding Fire
Ruling Fire
Stealing Fire
Ruthless (Fractured Farrells: A Damaged Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 18