When Derek answered the door, his face brightened before falling back into a deep frown. Lexi’s heart was trying to beat outside her chest, and she wanted to shout the good news to him, but she waited until he motioned for her to come inside. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes were red and irritated. She wondered what he’d been doing since they’d parted, but she couldn’t wait to change his mood.
“Derek, I have the best news!” Lexi squealed.
Derek led her inside. He brushed her lips with a kiss. “I’m listening, ’cause I think it’ll be better than anything I’ve heard today.”
She pecked his cheek and bounced up and down on her toes. “I called my brother and told him what happened this morning. Jordan just called and told me about a foundation for artists that his friend created. They’re looking for ways to build the foundation as a tax deduction. They need a photographer who can take pictures of art in action.”
“Gee, Lexi, that sounds awesome, except for one little detail.” Derek lifted his hands to his face and pretended to click a camera.
“I know!” Lexi squealed again. “They’re providing the camera! It’s a Canon with all the equipment and a beginning budget of five thousand dollars to create the project.”
Derek gaped. Lexi smiled and put her finger under his chin. She took a piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. “Here are the details. Read it over, fill it out, and send it in. I personally vouched for you, and Paul thinks you could be what they need to get this project off the ground.”
“Would I have to leave the island? I mean, what kind of pictures are we talking about here?” Derek glanced at the paper and then tilted his head toward Lexi. “I want a new camera, but I don’t want to sell my soul.”
And that’s why I love you, thought Lexi. Derek deserved this good thing to happen in his life. Lexi felt like she’d been filled with sparkling light as she thought about what Jordan had done for her. “Nope. It sounds like you would have creative control to produce the theme. And they’re hoping for graphic design experience with logos and such. I wouldn’t mind helping out in that arena. I have a pretty good eye.”
Derek lifted his eyebrows. “So this could actually happen.” He looked at the paper again, but his gaze traveled back to Lexi’s face. “I can’t even read. My mind is like Pop Rocks right now.”
Lexi laughed. “Mine, too.” She couldn’t resist hugging Derek.
He lifted her off the ground and twirled her around. “You really are my golden girl.” Derek let Lexi slide back down, her feet next to his. He cupped her face and kissed her gently. “Thanks for doing this. I know it was all you, and I’m grateful.”
Lexi kissed him and then shook her head. “Not all me. My brother is a miracle worker. His contact list eats Rolodexes for breakfast.”
Derek laughed and tilted his head, his mouth a breath away. His fingers laced through her hair as he leaned in for another kiss.
22
Derek thought about everything Lexi had thrown at him in the last five minutes. It didn’t seem possible. A dream come true sounded trite compared to what she offered. He was desperate, but taking this job didn’t seem like a desperate move. It seemed like the muse goddess had just dropped a bucket of golden inspiration into his lap.
He smoothed out the paper that Lexi had given him. The breeze from his window picked up the edges as he read. One glance over the contents confirmed what she’d explained. “It says they want to make a decision within forty-eight hours. Lexi, this is nuts. What if they don’t pick me?”
“Then they would be nuts. With your portfolio, they’ll be blown away.”
“Wait, you’ve seen my portfolio?”
Lexi bit her lip and slid her foot along the linoleum floor. “Google is one of my best friends.”
“Really? Amazon is mine,” Derek said.
“Oh yeah, he’s my BFF, totally.” Lexi laughed.
Derek loved it when she laughed. Her eyes crinkled up and her pixie nose stood out next to her high cheekbones. Today he noticed a light smattering of freckles across her cheeks. She really was changing since she came to the island. “You know what this means, right?”
“That you might not have to chop coconuts every Saturday?”
Derek grinned. “That, and if they accept me, I’ll have a camera in time to take shots at the masquerade ball.”
Lexi’s smiled faltered, which made Derek’s smile widen. She was jealous. That didn’t necessarily make him happy, but it did confirm that she felt something for him. Still, he didn’t want Lexi to be uncomfortable. He was trying to come up with something clever to say when Lexi said, “I remember seeing a poster at the library now. I’d forgotten until you brought it up, but there was hinting of some celebrities coming to the island to bid.”
Derek winked. “It’s only one date.”
“Oh, I—uh, I know,” Lexi stammered.
Derek leaned forward and brushed her cheek with a feather-light kiss. “Good thing you’re not up for auction or I’d have to mortgage my house.”
Lexi giggled.
“No, I’m serious, Lex. I don’t want anyone else to date you. It took one date for me to see that you’re different. You make me want to be a better man.”
Lexi sighed, and then she leaned forward and kissed Derek. Heat rose up the back of his neck as he held her, kissing her slowly and completely. In between kisses, Derek murmured, “I’d better get this filled out, and then we should celebrate.”
“What do you have in mind?” Lexi’s jade-colored eyes sparkled with energy.
Derek needed to fill out the form and get it sent in, but he didn’t want to take his eyes off Lexi. She’d stepped out of his personal dreamland, and if he blinked for too long, she might disappear. He’d known her for two weeks, but they had a connection that was stronger than the year and a half he’d spent dating Carly. He pushed that thought from his mind and focused on the beautiful woman in front of him. “I want to take you to the Pu’u o Kila Lookout over the Na Pali coastline. It’s my favorite place on this island.”
Lexi stepped closer to him and put her hand on his chest. “Then I’m sure I’ll love it. When can we go?”
“How about Saturday afternoon, once Pika runs out of coconuts?”
“Sounds good to me. But we need a celebration right now.” She fished her keys out of her pocket and jangled them. “I’m going to the store to buy ice cream. Flavor?”
“Salted caramel and pecans.”
Lexi arched an eyebrow. “Specific. A man who knows what he wants. I like it. Anything else?”
“Just you.” Derek felt the heat from her gaze. Lexi licked her lips, and Derek thought it was a good thing she was leaving for ice cream so he could cool down, refocus, and not rush into things. There were big words on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to say to Lexi, but his good sense warned that it might be too soon. He took a breath and tapped the paper on the table. “I’ll get this done before you come back.”
“Take your time. I’ll see you soon.”
* * *
Lexi walked into the grocery store with a skip in her step. She kept seeing the look on Derek’s face when he realized that he might be getting a new camera. The application was a formality, but only Lexi knew that. She was buying ice cream to give him time to send in the application. Otherwise she probably would’ve stayed at his house and kissed him.
She touched her lips. She’d been kissed before but not like that. Derek made her feel loved, cherished even, and she wanted to be wrapped up in his arms feeling the scruff on his face against her cheek as he held her.
Her plan had worked, and Derek looked happier than he’d ever been. How many times had the hard knocks of life pounded Derek into the pavement? Lexi wanted to give Derek a taste of a different life—one where he could work hard, but get lost in his art instead of stewing over how to pay his property taxes.
She tugged on the freezer door, where stacks of ice cream tantalized customers. Derek’s opinions about rich
people were like an iceberg—seemingly insurmountable, hard as ice, and possibly miles deep under the surface. She didn’t know what it would take to overcome his prejudice, but she was willing to try.
On her way back from the store, Shawn called. She thought about not answering, but if he was calling to profess his love again, now was the time to let him know she and Derek were more than friends.
“Hi Shawn, how are you?”
“I’m good. I just talked to Jordan and he told me about your friend’s camera. I think it’s awesome that you’re helping him out.”
Lexi hesitated. “You do?”
“Yeah, here’s the deal,” Shawn said. “I know I sort of blindsided you when we talked last time, but I want to at least be your friend. I miss you and I miss us, but I’ll take friendship over nothing.”
“Thanks, Shawn. That means a lot.” This was the Shawn she knew—he had some different goals, but at his core he was good, and he’d helped her through lots of tough times.
“I want you to be happy,” Shawn said. “I hope we can stay in touch.”
“You going through text withdrawal, too?” Lexi laughed. They used to text each other fifty times a day to keep up with all the appointments and deadlines.
“My phone is so sad and empty, you don’t even know,” Shawn replied.
“Well, I hope your phone can handle the adjustment. Tell it to slow down and take some breaks once in a while.”
“I might just do that. Take care of yourself, Lex.”
“Thanks, you too.” She ended the call, appreciating how Shawn had re-established their friendship once he found out about Derek. Jordan must have known something about Shawn’s feelings for her; otherwise he wouldn’t have told him about Derek. Another point for her big brother, always looking out for her and trusting her to make good decisions.
She drove back to Derek’s house with a smile. She thought about the masquerade ball and how easily Derek had read her mind. Were her thoughts that transparent? She’d thought up at least ten different scenarios of how to get Derek off the auction block without unveiling her filthy-rich status. The high-ticket dinner and ball was typical of a fundraising effort—pocket change for Lexi. The Eliza conversation left her feeling unsettled, and Lexi determined that if there was a way she could keep Derek out of Eliza’s clutches, she would do it. It might take a pretty good costume to pull it off, though.
By the time Lexi arrived with her cloth bags filled with ice cream and goodies, the beginnings of a plan involving the very handsome face of Derek Mitchell circled in her mind.
23
“I never see you so happy,” Pika said. He tossed another coconut at Derek. “You look goofy.”
Derek smiled wider and ducked to miss a piece of coconut husk that Pika tossed at him. He wasn’t happy; he was overjoyed, elated, ecstatic, jumping-up-and-down-like-Lexi excited. After his most successful art night in Hanapepe yet, Derek had awoken to his phone ringing with a call from Jordan Burke’s friend, Paul Reedley. Paul asked him if he was ready to begin working and ended the phone call by confirming the address they would ship the new camera and gear to.
Derek might’ve thought he’d died and gone to heaven, except that Lexi wasn’t by his side—and he was still chopping coconuts. Her gorgeous smile and goodness made him keep his word to help Pika today, even though he wanted to take the entire day off and spend it learning more about Lexi. For all the time they’d spent together, Derek didn’t know as much about her as she knew about him.
She didn’t like to talk about her previous life in Chicago. Derek wasn’t sure if there had been another man. She’d never mentioned anything except the brutal job she’d worked for too long. She didn’t show up for his art night, and his disappointment had been hard to hide from the customers. When she texted an apology letting him know that she’d spent the evening helping Kima set up an online site for her woven goods and that time had run away from them, all Derek could think of was how much he wanted to kiss her.
A coconut husk smacked Derek in the arm. “Dude, you’re losing your stride. Stop kissing that girl and get to work.”
“Sorry, man.” Derek chuckled; Pika had read his thoughts accurately. He chopped with renewed vigor. The sooner he finished this load of coconuts, the sooner he could kiss Lexi again.
* * *
Derek hurried home after work to shower and get ready for his date. Lexi would be there at three-thirty, and even though he tried to calm himself, his insides filled with anticipation. The lookout over the Na Pali coastline was a special place to him, and he was eager to see what Lexi thought of the rugged mountain.
When she arrived a few minutes late, she greeted Derek with a hug and a peck on the lips. She wore denim capris and a light blue T-shirt; her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks. You’re not too shabby yourself,” Lexi replied. “So how’d you get lucky enough to finish early on a Saturday? No competition from Jefe this morning?”
“It was weird. Jefe didn’t show up until we were ready to leave.” Derek stretched his arms over his head. “He said a water heater was delivered to his house this morning. Someone paid for everything, even the install.”
Lexi smiled. “That’s wonderful and good timing.”
Derek nodded, studying Lexi. He wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t seem particularly surprised about Jefe’s water heater.
Before he could ask, Lexi changed the subject. “So I looked into that masquerade ball, and you’re right, there are some big people coming in. Did you know that the Christian rock band 7 Arrows is coming to perform?”
“They are?”
Lexi turned her head and smiled. “So you listen to Christian radio? You’ve heard of them?”
“Sure. They had that big hit a couple years ago that crossed over. It’s the band with male and female singers, right?”
“Derek, you’re going to hear them perform. I’m so jealous.”
“I kind of think you’re jealous of more than the band.”
Lexi pushed his shoulder. “Hey, how would you feel if I was on the auction block?”
“I told you already. I’d mortgage my house.” Derek was only half joking. He interlaced his fingers with hers and brought their hands to his lips. “You’re my golden girl.”
There was something behind her eyes. Her gaze had been soft, yet powerful. He shook his head. It didn’t make sense, but when he looked at her, he saw determination, like she would do anything to be with him.
* * *
Lexi walked beside Derek along the path of red dirt, damp from the moisture that hung heavy in the air over Wai’ale’ale Crater. The back side of the Na Pali coastline butted up against the crater that hosted more rainstorms than anywhere else on the island.
“Are you warm enough?” Derek asked. “I can grab a jacket.”
The sun was playing peek-a-boo with the clouds, so they alternated between the perfect temperature and a tad cooler than comfortable. Lexi stepped forward into a patch of sunlight. “I’m good now, but don’t get the jacket. That’s what snuggling is for.”
Derek pulled her close to him, nuzzling her neck. “Good point.”
“Thanks for bringing me here today. I’ve been looking forward to this since I saw your photos at the first art night.”
“This is my favorite place on earth.” He led her to stand on the edge of the precipice.
The valley expanded below them in a beauty that Lexi would never be able to describe but would love to capture on canvas. The ocean was a silver sheet sparkling against the skyline, and as they stood there, Lexi thought she could hear its distant roar, even though it must have been a couple miles away. Turning slowly, she took in the panorama of bright white waterfalls, dark green plants, and the ever-present red dirt in patches under clusters of bright yellow and fuchsia flowers.
They took pictures with their phones, but they couldn’t capture the vibrant landscape in the same hues and varieties. They’d passed a few peopl
e on their way back down to the parking lot when they first arrived, but the area was quiet now. Lexi’s heart swelled with thanksgiving for the intricate beauties that God had created for His children. She was certain that she had stepped into a little piece of heaven as she stood in silence holding Derek’s hand. A peace settled over her as the wind picked up, billowing out from the valley below. She hadn’t figured everything out yet about her new life and her relationship with Derek, but it felt right.
Standing here in Kauai next to him was exactly where she was supposed to be. She closed her eyes and mouthed a silent plea that she could find the courage to tell Derek the truth about her past and how it would continue to affect her future. Back when she and Jordan were conquering the world, no one ever told her that being wealthy would be such a challenge. She wanted to live a normal life, but she also wanted to climb the mountains of the Na Pali coast and talk to God and then drive back down and buy a new water heater for someone like Jefe. She wanted to change lives, and because of her money, she could.
Lexi swallowed and opened her eyes. She turned to Derek. “I think I understand why this place is your favorite.”
Derek nodded. The sun was sinking toward the water, promising a spectacular show of colors as it set.
“Will you bring me back here when you get your new camera? I’d love to give Jordan a glimpse of what he’s missing.”
“I will, on one condition.”
“Okay?”
“That when he comes to visit you, he won’t try to steal you away from here.”
Lexi laughed. “I thought it was going to be something hard. Once Jordan sees this paradise, he’ll stop asking me to come back to work. Besides, I can’t think of anything that would make me ever want to leave this place.”
Hawaiian Masquerade (Destination Billionaire Romance) Page 12