“What?” Jack asked, smiling along with Kalama even though he had no idea what she found so funny. Stifling another giggle, Kalama glanced at his torso. Jack looked down. He stood in his doorway wearing an ancient pair of green cotton boxers from his college days. To add to the horror of the already uncomfortable situation, his buddy was peeking out from the flap, still very happy from his recent dreams.
He turned his back to her quickly and made short work of putting himself away. Kalama let out a full-bodied laugh and Jack found himself joining in.
“Sorry about that,” he said, still chuckling. He gestured for her to come inside.
“No troubles. I brought coffee.” Kalama held a white travel mug of coffee in each hand. She brushed past him with grace and Jack inhaled the exotic scent of her, plumeria or maybe maile. He didn’t know which but the seductive scent danced around his senses, making Mr. Happy even happier.
“Thanks. I didn’t know there was coffee in that house. I figured we’d get you some groceries today.”
“I walked down the hill to that cute café and picked it up. It’s Farmer’s Market day in Hilo so you can take me there.” Kalama turned on her heels and thrust out a cup to him.
He grabbed the proffered coffee, their fingertips brushing against each other’s ever so slightly. The tiny touch sliced through him, his nerve endings keenly aware of how delicious she looked. The wicked thought of leading her to his bed and licking her luscious body into a frenzy took hold of his brain. Jack let his gaze slide down the length of her, drinking her in from the tip of her black hair to the curves barely concealed by her clothes to the very tips of her flip-flop-shod toes.
“Maybe you should put some pants on.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and he watched, enthralled, as her uneasy breathing caused her amazing breasts to strain against that tank top.
“Am I making you nervous?” Jack took a few steps closer, closing the distance between them. Maybe backing her against a wall and doing wicked things to her body wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He smiled at the sexy turn the morning had taken.
“No, Jack, but we need to keep this professional.”
“I promise you, when I bend you over that couch I will entirely professional about it.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Kalama took a single step backward. Jack couldn’t help noticing the lack of conviction in her words. It spurred him on even more. Setting his coffee on the end table by the sofa, he moved forward once more. Her nipples hardened under her tank top and he couldn’t wait to taste them.
“We don’t have to use the couch. My bedroom is just a few feet away and I have a nice, comfy queen.” Jack pressed his advantage until their bodies almost touched. “Or if you really want, I can fuck you on the kitchen counter.”
Kalama swallowed and backed up, letting out a soft squeak when she encountered the wall behind her. Jack reached out and snagged her coffee mug and set it down next to his before returning his attention to her curves.
“Now, Jack, no’ho po’no.”
Jack placed a hand on the wall next to her head, effectively trapping her soft frame against his. Lowering his head, he nuzzled her neck, drinking in the sultry scent of her. Blood roared in his ears and his heart began to pound. Logic told him he needed to back off, but his cock seemed to be taking over. “What does that mean?”
“It means behave.” She sighed with what he hoped was pleasure and tilted her neck, granting him more access to her soft skin. Arching her back, she pressed her breasts against his bare chest. Jack hissed as pleasure shot through him. He rocked his hips forward, rubbing his thickening cock against the juncture of her thighs. The thin fabric of his boxers stroked his erection as he continued to tease her.
“You don’t really want me to behave,” he said before nipping her lower lip with his teeth.
Softer than a whisper, he skimmed his free hand up along the curve of her body, over her flared hip and stomach until he stopped just below the full swell of her breasts. He wanted to hear her say the words before he went any further. “Tell me.”
The room had grown dark as if clouds blocked out the once abundant sunlight. The dimming light cast interesting shadows along the curves of her body.
“Jack.” Kalama looked up into his face, her eyes flashing with desire. “Touch me.”
He needed no other command and slid his palm up to cup her breast, enjoying the weight and fullness in his hand. Brushing a thumb over the distended tip of her nipple, he toyed with the bud over the fabric of her tank top. She shivered against him. Kalama slid her palms up his chest to rest on his shoulders. Rising to her tiptoes, she licked his lips before claiming his mouth in a demanding kiss.
Breaking off from her saucy mouth, Jack began to rain kisses down her neck and cleavage. His hands roamed over her body, following every curve and dip of her frame, stroking over her thighs. He slowly pushed up the hem of her tank top, exposing the tanned flesh of her stomach. With his other hand he toyed with the right strap of the garment, pulling it off her shoulder to rubbing his jaw along the curve of her breast. She shivered under the scratch of the stubble covering his chin. Yanking the strap down, Jack pulled back to admire the expanse of skin his action had exposed.
He bent his head and sucked her right nipple into his mouth through the fabric of her top. Still toying with the hem of her tank top in one hand, he slid the other down her body. Kalama groaned low in her throat and arched her back, offering him more of her breast.
He slipped his hand down her stomach and into the waistband of her shorts. Her skin was like pahoehoe lava, smooth and scorching. Dipping down, he skimmed his fingertips along the elastic of her panties. Her stomach tightened. She closed her eyes and leaned her head forward, resting her forehead on his chest and giving in to his touch.
“You’re right, don’t behave,” she whispered as she parted her legs.
Jack traced his fingers along the soft curls, damp with her need for him, for his touch. He slid one thick finger between her slick folds, and then added a second. Bending his head he rained kisses down her jawline while he finger-fucked her gently.
She raised one leg and hooked it around his hips, opening her body to him even more. He groaned as his cock rubbed against her thigh. She jerked in his arms as a crash of thunder split the air. The stormy weather had come up suddenly, just as his lust for her had taken him over in a rush. The desire to rip the clothes from her body and sink deep into the heat of her body was all-encompassing.
“Yes, Jack, auwe, oh god.” She panted as he pumped in and out her slick channel.
“That’s it baby, come apart in my arms.” Jack fingered her faster, the scent of her arousal drifting up to his nostrils.
She lifted her head and opened her eyes, meeting his stare. For the briefest moment, her once dark eyes seemed to blaze with red fire. He couldn’t tear his gaze away.
Her hot, sweet muscles clamped desperately around his fingers as her climax overtook her. Her beautiful face was the very picture of desire. Jack rocked his hips against her in an effort to gain some relief as she rode his finger to the very edge. The ground beneath their feet seemed to rumble and shifted in time with her climax.
Finally she eased down and collapsed, boneless, against the wall. Jack eased his fingers from her shorts and brought them to his lips. Licking the digits clean, he met her gaze, never once wavering.
“You taste damn sweet. I can’t wait to taste you from the source.”
“I think we should get started on that right now,” Kalama said with a laugh, languidly pushing away from the wall and reaching for him.
A pounding on the door interrupted their play.
“Hold that thought,” Jack said, pressing a quick kiss to her lips and reluctantly headed toward the door.
The rain was really coming down now. Such was the way in the islands—the storms came on fast and left just as quickly.
Sam stood on the lanai, soaking in his blue HPD uniform.
&n
bsp; “Howzit? Gonna let a braddah in?” he asked, pushing open the screen door before Jack could answer. He stopped just inside, taking in the sight of Jack, clad only in his boxers, and the disheveled Kalama still resting limply against the wall. Jack wondered how he was going to explain, but the wicked look in Sam’s eyes told him there was nothing he could say that would fool his friend. “Hey, sistah. How you?”
Kalama smiled and pushed herself from the wall, scooping up her coffee in the process. “Stay good.” She caught Jack’s eye and gave him a secret little wink. He stifled a smile at her saucy comment. He’d just bet she was feeling good after that orgasm he’d just given her. Now if he could only figure out what Sam wanted and then get him out of here so they could pick up where they’d left off.
“Oh no, sistah.” Sam ran a hand through his black hair and shook it free of the raindrops. Jack took a step back in disgust.
“I’ll get you a towel, Sam,” he said, turning on his heels and heading into the bathroom.
“Get some pants too, brah. Your boxers are scary.”
“Funny,” Jack answered and tossed the towel in his direction. He pulled on a pair of jeans he’d picked up in the bathroom along with the towel. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited for Sam to get to the purpose of his visit. “I assume you came over here for a reason other than to drip on my floor and mock my weekend attire?”
“Right. Got a call this morning from the Bishop Museum over on O’ahu. Seems our resident vandal is no longer confining his antics to the Big Island,” Sam said as he toweled off his hair.
“Shit. This can’t be good.”
“You know those three Ku statues they have on exhibit over ‘dere? The one belongs to the Bishop but the other two are on loan from London and a museum in Massachusetts,” Sam handed the towel to Jack and pulled out a kitchen chair. He straddled it and waited.
“I remember reading about that special exhibit. Those tiki carvings haven’t been together in Hawaii for over one hundred and fifty years,” Kalama said as she moved closer to Jack. She’d picked up his coffee and held it out to him. He smiled his thanks and took the proffered drink. “It’s a huge cultural event.”
“It’s a good publicity stunt that’s for sure,” Jack said before taking a sip of coffee.
“Those statues belong to the islands, Jack. They are sacred representations of Ku, one of the most revered gods in the Hawaiian pantheon.” She whirled on him, eyes flashing and nostrils flaring. Thunder crashed outside.
“Okay. Okay. I get it. Don’t knock the cultural stuff or you’ll pour the coffee on my head,” Jack said, holding out one hand, palm up.
“The gods live in those carvings. A kahuna could entreat the deity to inhabit the tiki.” She swore under her breath and glared daggers at him.
Jack stared. She was a feisty little thing. Full of passion and moaning in his arms one minute and ready to tear his heart out the next if he made any kind of crack about her beloved Hawaiian culture.
“Separate corners, maninis. At least until I’m finished telling you about the big problem we have.” Sam rose to his feet and took a step toward them.
“Sorry, brah, someone has vandalized the Ku statue belonging to the Bishop. They took an ax to it and hacked big chunks out of the ‘ulu wood. It’s destroyed,” Sam said, his word coming in a rush.
Kalama gasped and pressed a hand to her heart. Sam nodded as if some unspoken message had passed between them. Jack watched as tears filled her eyes.
“Why would someone do something like that? How the hell did they get in?” Jack couldn’t believe what Sam was telling him. Sure, he didn’t buy into all the voodoo, hoodoo, magic stuff but the statues were cultural icons and priceless. For someone to willfully destroy them was almost incomprehensible.
“The museum head has no idea. There was nothing on the security cameras. And I mean nothing, brah. It’s like some ghost did it. They called me because of the trouble we’ve been having over here. They’ve asked us to send someone over to look at the damage. I think our two cases are connected but I just don’t know how.”
“I’ll go,” Kalama said. She looked at them, her eyes clouded and her expression blank. Jack would give his eyeteeth to know what was running around in that beautiful head. He’d bet his vintage stereo she knew more about what was going on then she let on.
“Take my boat. I know it will take a day or two to get there but it’ll be less hassle then flying. I’ll call the guy at the Bishop and tell him to meet you at the docks in Honolulu,” Sam said as he pulled out a key ring from his pocket and began removing a single key. He passed it to Kalama with a sad look in his eyes. “Find out what’s going on, sistah. The islands need you.”
Jealousy flared in Jack as he observed the unspoken connection between Kalama and Sam. He hated himself for the feeling. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Jack sighed.
“I’ll go with you. Nani can watch HVO for the day or two we’ll be gone.”
“I’ll run back up to the house and pack a bag. Pick me up in an hour?” Kalama asked.
Jack nodded and flashed a smile. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”
“Oh, I know we will,” Kalama said as she headed for the door, “Hopefully, you’ll understand what’s happening,” she mumbled under her breath.
“What?”
“Never mind. See you in an hour.”
Chapter Seven
The water was extremely choppy and the swells rocked the boat in the midafternoon sun, making Jack a little seasick. They probably should have waited for the wind to stop before embarking on the trip to Oahu, but Kalama was adamant about getting there as quickly as possible. As it was they hadn’t gotten moving until around noon.
“You look a little green over there, Dr. Jack,” Kalama said, coming from below deck with a glass of water in her hand.
Sam’s boat was a hand-me-down from his father, but the small craft had a lower deck with seats that converted to a bed, a galley and a head. They had taken fishing trips on this tug from time to time. Usually Jack’s stomach behaved itself but for some reason today was different. They’d received a call from Sam about another incident. This time on the island of Maui. Since they had to pass Maui to get to Oahu, Jack told his friend they’d stop there first. Once they were off shore a ways from Kaho’olawe, Jack killed the engine for a moment and let them float.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the glass of water from her. He let his gaze drift over her body. She’d donned another pair of shorts that hugged her ass and hips as well as a tank top that seemed crafted for the sole purpose of driving him mad with lust. Her feet were bare, she’d kicked her flip flops off the second they’d stepped on board.
The breeze picked up her long hair and tossed it around her, giving her an ethereal look.
“What did Nani say when you told her we were headed to Oahu?” Kalama’s voice held a strange note as she asked the question. Her usual lyrical tone seemed to trip over the other woman’s name.
The boat pitched and Kalama stumbled straight into him. He braced her body the best he could, the sea starting to act up even more.
“Careful. You all right?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist in an effort to steady her.
“I’m fine, but you look like you need to sit down for a moment.” Kalama tugged away from him and led him to the bench seat at the back of the boat. Laughing as she shoved him down on the seat with more force than necessary, Jack looked up at her, enthralled despite his rebelling stomach.
“Nani? What did she say when you told her what happened?”
“She wasn’t there actually. David told me she’s gone to the Kona side for the weekend. He’s going to watch things and call me if anything weird happens.” He watched her expression change, the sparkle in her dark eyes shifted to something stormy.
“Does she go away often?”
“No, not normally.” Jack reached up and grabbed her hand, yanking her gently closer to him. His thoughts were not on his assi
stant back at the lab or even on the desecration at the museum in Oahu but on how he could separate Kalama from her clothing. He knew he should concentrate on the serious business at hand, but it seemed every time he was within arm’s reach of Kalama all he wanted was to touch her, taste her, make her cry out in pleasure as he had this morning. She was becoming an obsession in a short span of time. Jack didn’t have the willpower to stop it. She was magical and intoxicating and he was drunk on her nearness.
He pulled her closer into the space between his knees. Inhaling her exotic scent, he closed his eyes and nuzzled her stomach through the fabric of her tank.
“Jack,” she whispered and ran her hand though his hair. Resting her palm at the nape of his neck, she toyed with the strands, sending shockwaves of pleasure down his spine. His cock stirred.
“I can’t help it, Kalama. I need to touch you. I don’t understand it, but I can’t fight it.”
She leaned down, her lips mere centimeters from his, and whispered, “I understand the feeling.”
She pressed her mouth to his and he groaned with the sweetness of it, but he wanted more. Pulling back, she swiped her tongue over his lips in a leisurely lick.
“It’s as if I’ve known you my whole life.” He slid a free hand up her hip and slipped a single finger under the waistband of her shorts. Her stomach muscles flinched as his reward.
She slanted her lips against his, this time demanding more from him. She sucked on his bottom lip, nipping it gently with her teeth. His cock hardened even more and scraped against the confines of his jeans. Her hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, began a slow meander down his body. Fingertips tripped down his chest leaving rivers of fire burning into his flesh until she reached his straining erection.
“Very nice, Dr. Jack,” she murmured against his lips. “I didn’t get to see that much this morning. Now I want it all.” She squeezed and Jack groaned low in his throat.
Snaking his fingers under the hem of her tank top, Jack caressed her body as he worked his way up. He cupped her full breasts and ran his thumb over her nipple. She arched her back and let out a keening moan.
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