“What anniversary are you celebrating?”
“Lucky number ten, though it doesn’t seem that long.”
Sloane smiled. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“Any children?”
“Not yet,” Talia answered. “We’re working on that, figuring it’s about time to start a family.” She paused. “Have you ever been married?”
“No, I haven’t.” Sloane felt a little self-conscious in so saying, as if she were wearing a badge of shame by remaining single into her early thirties.
“Ever come close to marrying?”
“Honestly, I can’t say I have,” Sloane responded. “I’ve had boyfriends, but never anything very serious.”
Talia raised a brow. “Was that by choice?”
“Yes, pretty much. I’ve always been career-oriented. I suppose I figured marriage and family might interfere with my career.”
“Doesn’t have to,” Talia pointed out. “Walter and I have great careers and still manage to have a great marriage at the same time.”
“I can see that.” Sloane grinned at her. “Maybe you really can have it all.”
“Definitely, if that’s what you want.”
Sloane pointed out more attractions as they passed them and Talia was clearly in awe, just as Sloane had been when she first arrived. Her mind continued to wrap around the idea of marriage someday. Gene seemed like a good candidate should she ever choose to go down that road, except for the fact that his been there, done that approach made it seem like marriage might never be in the cards for them.
“What was Gene’s ex-wife like?” she asked Talia impulsively, assuming they had known each other. Am I really asking her this?
“Well, she was high-maintenance, self-centered, spoiled, argumentative and hard to please,” Talia answered bluntly.
Sloane laughed. “What were her good qualities?” Knowing Gene, she was sure he saw something redeeming, since he married the lady.
Talia chuckled. “For one, she fell in love with Gene and went after him. Lynda was also smart, attractive and charming when she wanted to be. Guess that was all Gene needed to be sold on her. At least for a while.”
Long enough for them to move to Maui and open a bed-and-breakfast together, thought Sloane. Obviously that wasn’t enough to hold things together.
“Why did they break up?” She’d gotten Gene’s abbreviated side of the story. Maybe there was more to it.
Talia shifted in the seat. “I wasn’t privy to all the dirty details, but from what I know, toward the end they were fighting on a regular basis over everything. Gene bent over backward to try and make it work, but the harder he tried, the more Lynda pushed him away. Things finally reached the point of no return and she left Gene.”
“I’m sure he was devastated,” Sloane stated sorrowfully.
“Relieved is more like it. I think deep down he knew it was only a matter of time.” Talia sighed. “Though I can’t prove this, I believe Lynda had someone else on the side when the relationship ended.”
That was certainly an eye-opener to Sloane. “If that were true, then it was certainly better for Gene to move on.”
“I absolutely agree with you,” Talia said.
Sloane couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be with another man if she were married to Gene, particularly with the attention he gave her in and out of the bedroom. Not to mention he had his act together as a successful businessman who wasn’t afraid to go after his dreams. Or rescue damsels in distress when waves decided to target them for a bath. She wished his ex had not poisoned Gene against the idea of sharing that type of commitment with another woman.
“I’m so happy Gene met you,” Talia’s voice broke into Sloane’s thoughts. “I know he’s been busy running his business, but I think he’s been lonely, even with the guests he sees day in and day out. You’ve taken away his loneliness.”
“I’m happy we met, too,” Sloane said. Gene never struck her as being lonely, but then she hadn’t considered herself lonely either before they met. Now that Gene was in her system, Sloane was sure she’d be lost without him as an integral part of her life.
“I don’t mean to jump the gun, but if you ever reach the point in your relationship where marriage comes up and you’re open to the possibility, I hope you don’t let Gene’s failed marriage put you off. As far as I can tell, you’re nothing like his ex.”
Sloane smiled faintly. “Thanks for saying that. As for marriage, I doubt I’d be put off by Gene being divorced because I know it’s part of his life. But I think he has a major problem with marrying again.”
Talia’s eyes widened. “He told you that?”
Sloane wondered if she should be sharing too much of their private discussions. She supposed she could trust Talia who, as the wife of Gene’s best friend, seemed to have a grip on things.
“Yes, he made that pretty clear,” she replied.
“That’s not what he tells Walter, who then confides in me,” Talia said.
“Oh…” Sloane regarded her. “And what exactly does he tell your husband?”
“That he’s completely past Lynda and would like a second chance at love and marriage, if the right lady came his way.”
“Really?” Sloane wondered if Gene was simply telling Walter as a married man what he wanted to hear. Or was Gene toying with her? Maybe he doesn’t consider me the right lady for marriage.
“I think Gene’s probably trying to protect himself against being hurt the way Lynda hurt him,” Talia stated. “I’m sure he doesn’t really mean marriage is out of the question. I know he likes you a lot, and if the opportunity came to put a ring on your finger, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“That’s interesting,” Sloane said, not sure she bought into it. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on the part of Gene’s friends to bring him into the married fold again. “As it is, Gene and I are far away from thinking in terms of marriage. Right now, we’re still getting accustomed to being a couple as we juggle our respective careers. That might have to be enough as far as the future goes.”
Or maybe the window is open for marriage in the future, if we continue to build our relationship and find we want to make it a permanent thing.
The next evening, Sloane had Gene and his friends over for dinner. She didn’t make anything too fancy, going with steak, baked potatoes, corn and wheat bread. For dessert, she’d purchased a caramel cake. Drinks were lemonade and red wine.
“This is delicious,” Walter told her as he ate.
Sloane smiled as she sliced into her steak. “Glad you like it.”
He grinned and eyed Gene. “Maybe you should hire Sloane as your cook, old buddy. Yeah, I know you’re not so bad in the kitchen and have Dayna to help out, but there’s always room for improvement, right?”
Gene chuckled. “Can’t argue with you there that Sloane knows her stuff. Unfortunately I doubt that I could pry her away from the Island Shores to feed my guests.”
“Probably not, but it doesn’t mean you can’t hire her for part-time service.”
Talia hit her husband on the shoulder. “Walter…”
He looked at her dumbfounded. “What did I say?”
“Just leave it alone. I’m sure if Sloane wanted to work at Gene’s bed-and-breakfast, she would do so.”
Sloane suddenly felt all eyes on her, prompting a response. “I appreciate the compliments on my cooking, but even if I wanted to, I’m nowhere near good enough to cook for Gene’s guests. They come here expecting genuine Hawaiian cuisine. Not quite my specialty at the moment. Thanks, but I’m happy where I am and wouldn’t want to take away Gene’s business by pretending to be something I’m not.”
“Well said,” Gene said, meeting Sloane’s eyes. “I couldn’t agree more. That said, I came here as an outsider and learned all there was about the local culture and cuisine, so anyone can with time. Believe me, though, when I say I’m more than satisfied enjoying your cooking when I come here. Also, my breakfast menu i
s not exactly five-star food like they serve at the Island Shores, and my guests don’t expect it to be. They only want to get off to a good start for the day and go from there.”
Sloane liked how Gene stepped up and put the brakes to any attempts, well meaning as they were, by Walter to get her to play a role in the bed-and-breakfast. Not that she was opposed to helping out when she had the time, were Gene to ask. Right now, she was much more interested in spending private time with him in his house than being a servant for his guests.
“Would anyone like seconds?” she asked, smiling.
Following the meal, they went for a walk on the beach. Sloane and Gene lagged behind Walter and Talia, who were taking pictures of each other and the ocean, seeking to capture every moment of their anniversary trip.
“They’re having a great time,” Gene said, holding Sloane’s hand. “Thanks in part to you.”
Sloane blushed. She liked the feel of his hand covering hers. It made her feel they were truly a couple for the world to see.
“I’ve had fun with your friends,” she told him. “Talia and I will definitely keep in touch.”
“I’m sure she would like that.”
“I also have a feeling this won’t be the last time they come to Maui,” Sloane said.
“I agree. Once you’ve gotten a taste of this place, it becomes addictive.” He kissed her cheek. “Just like I’m addicted to you.”
Sloane squeezed his fingers. “I like the way that sounds.”
“You’ll like it even better when I put the words into practice tonight,” he said sinfully.
“Hmm. Just what type of practice are we talking about?” she teased him.
“The type that has me exploring each and every part of your body—making every fiber in you beg me to be deep inside.”
Sloane felt a prickle of heat between her legs. “Are you trying to get me wet in public?”
Gene’s mouth curved up at the corners. “Maybe I am getting you ready early so that I have plenty of licking to look forward to.”
She gazed up at him desirously. “You can lick to your heart’s content.”
“Just my heart?”
“And everything else you’ve got.” She couldn’t believe they were talking like this outside.
“I’ll consider that a challenge,” Gene said. “I promise I won’t disappoint.”
“You never do,” Sloane conceded, at least where it came to sex. The jury was still out as far as other aspects of a relationship that they were working on.
“Neither do you,” he told her, putting his arm around her and planting a succulent kiss on her lips.
Sloane pulled one of his lips into her mouth, unabashedly savoring the taste of him before Talia and Walter came upon them.
“Get a room,” Talia joked.
Sloane touched her mouth. “We already have one. Make that two.”
“And so do we.” Talia giggled. “Guess we’d all better get to them and see what trouble we can stir up.”
Walter held her slender waist from behind. “It’s never any trouble as far as I’m concerned.”
Gene laughed, hugging Sloane. “You’ve got that right. No trouble at all.”
Sloane colored, though feeling surprisingly comfortable with Gene’s friends and the intimate talk. She knew Gene could definitely walk the walk, as could she. It made the buildup that much more rewarding.
“Sloane is definitely a keeper,” Walter told Gene later that night as the two sat on the lanai drinking beers.
Gene lifted his bottle. “You think so?”
“Don’t know the lady very well, but from what I see and what Talia tells me, you two seem meant for each other.”
Gene did not disagree. How could he when he felt the same way? “Maybe we are,” he said. “We haven’t gotten around to finishing each other’s sentences yet, but I do feel pretty damned good about being in her company.”
“There’s certainly some natural chemistry between you two that I never saw with you and Lynda,” Walter told him.
Gene recalled the sexual chemistry that had the sheets burning when he was inside Sloane an hour ago. “Maybe because what Lynda and I had was never real. At least it seems that way right now.”
Walter peered at him. “And you think it’s real, what you feel for Sloane, and vice versa?”
“Yeah, we definitely click.”
“You mean like love?”
Gene pondered the question. Was it love? Lust? Both? “It’s getting there,” he said without commitment, fearful of jinxing what they had.
“And by the look of things, like the way you two were all over each other on the beach, I’d say the ‘getting there’ feelings are mutual.”
Gene gulped down a swig of beer. Was Sloane falling in love with him? If so, what was she looking for out of this relationship? Could he give it to her?
“We’ll see where it goes,” he said. “I don’t want to mess this up or get too excited about us only to have it all fall apart.”
“You can’t think that way, man,” Walter insisted. “You won’t mess anything up as long as you be yourself and be straight with Sloane. As far as excitement, you’re entitled to get excited about having a beauty like Sloane in your life after being on your own for way too long.”
“Yeah, I know.” He acknowledged that it felt like it had been forever being without companionship after his divorce. Now Gene could hardly imagine not having someone like Sloane in his life.
“Maybe Talia and I will be back here for a wedding,” suggested Walter.
Gene looked at him defensively. “Now wait a minute, no one said anything about wedding bells.”
Walter chuckled. “Chill, man. That’s just me talking. But now that I put it out there, don’t close your mind to the idea. I seem to recall you told me that you wanted a second opportunity to get things right. Maybe this is it.”
“I’m not saying it isn’t,” Gene voiced thoughtfully, realizing he and Sloane had broached the subject uneasily. They had decided to leave it alone for a later day when there was more reason to delve into it. “Sloane and I will take things as they come,” Gene told him.
Walter leaned forward. “I don’t want to push this, but I think you and Sloane could do a hell of a good job running this bed-and-breakfast together. Yeah, I know she’s got her gig at the posh resort hotel, but with her knowledge of pleasing folks and your operational acumen, it just sounds like an arrangement that could be ideal both personally and professionally.”
“Maybe,” Gene allowed, “except for one thing—Sloane has her job, probably making damned good money. Surely more than I could ever pay her. Asking her to give that up sounds crazy.” He also wondered how it would work if they were living apart. Would Sloane feel crowded were they to share his quarters in a bed-and-breakfast?
“Not if it were for reasons of the heart. People do crazy things for love.” Walter tilted his head. “Or have you forgotten how that feels?”
Gene hadn’t forgotten the feeling, only the person he’d shared such emotion with. Now Sloane was in his life and he was still grappling with the feelings he had for her and where those feelings could lead in their romance.
Sloane was awakened when she felt the tenderness of Gene’s tongue between her legs arousing her. She cradled his head in her hands and pressed down, not wanting him to stop what he was doing in pleasuring her. Fortunately, he seemed perfectly content to accommodate her silent wishes. She bit down on her lower lip and rode the wave of sexual ecstasy coursing through her veins.
When the need to come overpowered her, Sloane fought back the urge, wanting Gene to be inside her when she had an orgasm. She gently coaxed him out from between her thighs so she could see his face.
“I want us to come together,” she whispered in a plea. “Make love to me now.”
Gene sucked in a deep breath and put on a condom before he spread Sloane’s legs wide and entered her. She made sure he went as deep as possible by arching her back and giving in to
his penis, drawing it inside with her contractions. He cupped her buttocks and propelled himself even deeper while their mouths kissed desperately.
Sloane clawed at his back as Gene’s powerful thrusts brought her to a new level of satisfaction, the effect causing her heart to pound rapidly. She soaked in the scent of their perspiring bodies wrapped in intercourse and tasted Gene’s tongue as he breathed raggedly into her mouth. She jumped when his body began to shake passionately as his surge emptied out of him, then held Gene tightly as her own climax erupted like thunder and lightning.
Sloane gasped sharply from the onslaught of their frenetic lovemaking that peaked for a full minute of sexual intensity before their bodies began to relax and their breathing returned to normal. Gene rested his head on her breasts, and they lay there too exhausted to speak right away.
Finally, Sloane cooed, “Hope you knew what you were getting into when you decided to wake me up.”
“I had a good feeling how things might end up,” he said coolly and licked her nipple.
“Male intuition, was it?” she asked, licking her lips.
“More like I knew you wanted me every bit as much as I wanted you. It was just a matter of bringing your body back to life and letting the rest take care of itself.”
She smiled with satisfaction. “I’d say you accomplished your objective pretty well.”
He looked into her sable eyes. “Any accomplishments came together. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Neither would I,” Sloane murmured, reaching up to kiss his mouth solidly, leaving her wanting more.
Chapter 10
A week later, Sloane was at work performing her duties as guest relations director, wondering if it was truly enough to satisfy her. She loved her job. Or at least she thought she did. But now Gene had opened her eyes to more possibilities in Maui. She was no longer content merely moving up the career ladder with little need for a man in her life. Now she wanted so much more, like coming home to someone every day and waking up to that person every morning.
Pleasure in Hawaii (Kimani Romance) Page 11