Primitive Flame

by Lakes, Lynde

He darted a glance at Lani. “Don’t tell me you believe in the fire goddess?”

  “I saw her!”

  “Must’ve been a volcanic mirage.”

  It wasn’t. But how could she expect him to believe that? She looked out the window into the darkness, still trembling. In spite of the welcome sight of the Honolulu city lights in the distance, she wouldn’t feel safe until they were on the ground.

  Cort shook his head. “Five years of flying, and this is the first time I’ve had a problem. The instrument panel went crazy. I tried for an evening to remember, but plunging into a volcano wasn’t what I had in mind.”

  She gave a small laugh, releasing some of her tension. “Except for the scare, the evening was super. The lu’au was great, and I loved meeting your friends.”

  “Not too upset to go out with me again?”

  The hope in his voice made her smile. If he only knew how much she wanted to spend more time with him. She felt as though she were a rope in a tug-of-war, pulled in two directions, uncertain which way to go. Their relationship was destined to end badly, and letting herself get too close to him would make parting that much harder. And when she stopped his project, it would be over.

  “Can we stay on the ground next time?”

  He winked. “Nothing air-bound. I promise.”

  After they landed and headed home, she snatched looks at Cort’s chiseled profile. Dear Lord, what had she agreed to? Dating him flirted with disaster. A fleeting image of the hag in her first vision brought a new thought. What if spending time with Cort was the only way to save him?

  They pulled up in front of Grandfather’s house with a mellow saxophone wailing from the car radio. Under different circumstances, the music would have relaxed her. Cort switched off the ignition and turned in the seat to face her. He took her hands in his. “You’re still trembling.”

  She savored the warmth of his big hands curled around hers. “Delayed reaction, I guess.”

  “You’re a courageous lady.”

  She laughed. “I hope you don’t get charged for the gouges my fingernails made in the chopper seats.”

  “Courageous and a sense of humor. I like that.”

  His eyes glistened in the darkness, gathering luminescence from the porch light. Lani needed to feel the safety of his strong arms, the soothing warmth of his broad chest against her cheek. As though reading her mind, he drew her close. His chest was so warm, so solid.

  “Try to forget our close call.”

  She didn’t think she could. However, slowly, with every throb of his heart, her body stirred beyond the lingering fear. He stroked her hair, quickening her heartbeat, arousing perilous desire. “I’m fine now, really. I’d better go inside. We both have to work tomorrow.” It was a weak excuse, but if she stayed in his arms much longer she’d do something stupid.

  “Right.” He held her a second longer. Then he kissed her temple and walked around to help her from the car.

  Lani gestured with the gift box. “Thanks for this and for taking me to the lu’au.”

  “My pleasure.” His deep voice sent a startling rise of gooseflesh to skin already sensitive to his touch. He slid his arm around her waist, heating through the fabric to her bare skin. She concentrated on breathing evenly.

  At the door, he withdrew the key from her hand. “Here, I’m good with locks.”

  Instead of opening the door right away, he folded her into his arms. He looked down at her in the now familiar way he had of studying her closely. The tenderness and affection in his eyes frightened her. She was getting in too deep.

  As his face slowly lowered toward hers, she ignored the stab of panic. Their lips met, barely touching. His gentle kiss torched a smoldering inner fire. She pressed wantonly against his solid chest. Her nipples hardened beneath the clinging material of her dress and ground into the silkiness of his shirt. Heat flashed to her cheeks, but she didn’t draw away. Her whole being begged him to explore her mouth deeper.

  He tore his lips from hers. “Whew! Who taught you to kiss like that?” he asked in a ragged voice.

  Her face burned. Stunned herself, she had no answer.

  He gave her a little extra squeeze then released her. He opened the door and handed her the key. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Lani nodded, still unable to speak. She slipped inside the house and leaned against the rough surface of the door. Kissing him with such fervor asked for trouble. Yet, it seemed natural to mold herself to the hard lines of his body, to give in to the longings that flooded to the surface in hot waves.

  Taking a calming breath, she switched off the porch light and the living room lamp Grandfather had left on for her. She tiptoed toward the back of the house, making her way through the darkness, guided only by moonlight shimmering through the window. She didn’t want to disturb her grandfather, didn’t want him to see her face, still warm with desire. She turned into the inky hallway and felt her way along the wall until she reached her door.

  Inside the bedroom, Lani switched on the bedside lamp. She lifted the framed poem from the box. The poem spoke of true love, lasting love. It was too soon for him to love her. However, he must have felt something special or he wouldn’t have written the poem in the first place.

  The word love swirled on the paper, making her dizzy. So many weird things had happened. She hugged the frame to her breast.

  Cort had surprised her in so many ways. What had surprised her most, besides her own response, was his simple, tender kiss. She’d feared a rough construction boss would be more aggressive, but he remained a gentleman. It was she who had behaved wantonly.

  Her heart felt light. She pulled on her nightgown and danced a few whirling steps around the room, then caught herself. Good grief, she was acting like an adolescent over a man she’d only just met, a man who had haunted her dreams, the man whose project she had to stop.

  Lani reread the poem before turning back the light coverlet on the bed. It would be much easier if Cort wasn’t such an intriguing man. Was it so wrong to enjoy what they shared for a little while?

  She switched off the light and waited for sleep to come.

  Suddenly, an ominous red-orange glow brought an eerie light to the darkened room. A vision flashed on the wall and exploded into a fiery crater. She clamped her lips together to keep from screaming. Stay calm…ride it through. It’ll be over soon…only a vision…can’t harm me.

  She watched the lava boil within the volcano and spill out over its edges. Steam rose above the pit. Her eyes burned. New terror and fascination gripped her. Out of the hazy mist, a slender form of a woman wrapped in a filmy, almost transparent muumuu stepped forward. The apparition was adorned with garlands of lehua blossoms and maile vines. Lani’s mouth went dry. For the first time, she could see the woman’s face clearly. Dear God, it was like looking in a mirror!

  She wanted to challenge the spirit, but she needed to know more about what she was dealing with. She had to delay the confrontation until she talked with the kahuna. In spite of Lani’s terror, she managed to slide her trembling fingers upward to the switch of the bedside lamp. Brightness filled the room. The specter shrank and changed shape, forming into a pinpoint of fire, then disappeared through the open window.

  Lani sank back into her pillow. With sheets drawn up to her chin, she stared at the empty wall in front of her. What had just happened couldn’t be real. She couldn’t explain it anymore than she could explain the helicopter’s mysterious mechanical failure. One thing was certain—the danger tonight had been greater than on her arrival flight. Lani gripped the hem of the sheet tighter, trying to still her trembling hands. Why was Pele terrorizing her? Wasn’t it enough that she’d taken steps to stop the construction?

  After all the premonitions, she would have to stay close to Cort until she had the answer. Lani rubbed her aching head. Who was she kidding? Her rationalization merely justified what she very much wanted to do.

  ****

  Cort lay in his darkened bedroom with his hands
behind his head, wondering if his moon was in the wrong rise or some other such B.S. He couldn’t explain the things going haywire around him, and he couldn’t explain what had happened in the chopper. The craft had been checked out before and after the incident, and everything was A-Okay. Everyone blamed El Nino for all the trouble in the atmosphere, and that made as much sense as anything he could come up with.

  He’d like to believe Lani’s fear wasn’t warranted, but he couldn’t—they’d definitely had a close call. He admired how she’d handled the mishap with humor and courage. Cort closed his eyes a moment, letting an emotion he couldn’t name pass over him like a turbulent breeze. The truth was, he felt much more than admiration, and it scared the hell out of him. Part of him wanted to put her on a pedestal—another part wanted to carry her to his bed.

  In his wildest dreams, he couldn’t have imagined a more arousing response to his kiss. She’d pressed so close he could feel every curve and valley of her luscious body. He’d wanted to make love to her right there on the wooden porch under the light of the moon. Unfortunately, he was very aware that she was Keo’s granddaughter and very aware that he couldn’t offer her the permanent commitment she deserved. What was he thinking? They’d only been out a couple of times. Who said she wanted anything lasting from him? It didn’t matter—he would protect her. He owed Keo that.

  Even though his loins cried for release, he would use his brains. If he wanted sex there were plenty of hot little numbers who preferred a romp with no commitments. Strange how, at the moment, none of them would fill the bill. His mind was too full of Lani.

  ****

  Waitresses bustled by, efficiently handling the lunchtime crowd at the Sky Room Restaurant. It had been a busy morning at the office, and Lani was relieved to get away from the phones for a while. Between getting to know each other better and sharing a few laughs over nothing, she and Julie managed to order their lunch, and then they fell easily back into their conversation.

  In her winsome southern accent, Julie said, “I’m glad you’re single too, sugar. Being the only unattached person in the office is a drag. Married people can’t relate to a single’s problems. Especially when it comes to dating.”

  Dating problems? Julie? Lani doubted it. Julie was a lively, petite blonde. And she was smart. The way she could explain a tax-free exchange to a client was impressive.

  “Do you like sales?” Lani asked, quickly shifting from the subject of dating.

  Julie arched a brow. “With showing properties and field work, I don’t have to spend as much time with little Genghis Khan now. That’s a plus.”

  “Is Loo Chinn really that bad?”

  “Utterly inflexible.”

  “Well, Miss Personality Plus. I think you were made for sales.”

  Julie beamed. “A gregarious nature is a must, but I had to crack the books for years to learn the legal end to get that sweet lil’ license in my hot lil’ hand.”

  The waitress brought the local special, steaming noodles laden with braised vegetables and strips of pork. Lani and Julie slipped into a comfortable silence while eating.

  Lani felt Julie studying her, but when she looked up, the perky blonde lowered her eyes and poured sweetener into her tea for the second time. She stirred the tea absent-mindedly, avoiding eye contact.

  Finally their gazes met. “Julie, is something wrong?”

  Julie brushed crumbs from the table. “You went to lunch with Cort Wayne yesterday.”

  Lani almost choked on her sip of tea. She hadn’t expected him to be the topic.

  “You know Cort?” Of course she does. He comes in the office.

  Julie’s lips narrowed. “Quite well. With you being new and all, I thought I should warn you. He’s strictly a one-night-stand, sugar.”

  Lani clutched the napkin. “You dated him?”

  Julie nodded. “When the sexy devil first came in the office, I thought he was Mr. Right, but he just likes to play.” She paused while the waitress refilled their water glasses.

  “I’m sorry,” Lani said lamely, not knowing what else to say. She wanted to preserve the image of the sweet, gentle man who had touched her heart like no man had before.

  Julie’s nostrils flared. “Before he made heavy moves on me, he told me he wasn’t the marrying sort. I didn’t believe him. I thought after we did the wild thing he’d change his mind. Fat chance. Even after I gave him the best I had,” she said bitterly.

  Lani remembered hearing a relationship expert say that men usually told women enough to protect themselves within the first twenty minutes of meeting—if they’d just listen. Lani knew firsthand how easy it was to ignore all the warning signs.

  She pushed her half-eaten lunch away.

  “At thirty, my clock is ticking,” Julie rattled on. “I need someone ready to commit and settle down, not a lifetime wolf.”

  A pressure in Lani’s chest expanded until it hurt to breathe. It wouldn’t make Julie feel any better to point out that at least he’d been up front about it.

  Julie stopped talking and looked at Lani with wide eyes. “Am I upsetting you with any of this, sugar?”

  Lani shook her head, denying the pain. If Cort were such a wolf, why had he stopped the kiss? “Don’t worry. I’m not his playmate of the month.”

  “Well,” Julie said, “be forewarned. He goes slow in the beginning. But once he’s won your trust, he moves in fast.”

  Fighting the warmth rising in her cheeks, Lani brushed away some nonexistent lint from her skirt. Last night she’d been the one with the runaway libido. “What’s Cort’s connection to Loo Chinn?” she asked, wanting to shift the focus of the conversation.

  Julie was too much into her resentment to be swayed from her tirade. “With little more than a wink, Mr. Gorgeous charms the pants right off his dates. It’s plumb pitiful what he does to women.”

  Lani’s mind whirled in turmoil. She’d been favored with several of his beguiling winks. She had to admit that her own first impression of Cort wasn’t all that good. He’d grabbed her keys and insisted on driving her home. Another time, he’d jumped into the car and almost forced her to go to lunch with him. Both instances showed an aggressive side she wasn’t sure she liked. Then there was that other tender side to him, the part that showed her grandfather great respect and formed deep friendships with Big Island folks, and the poetic side that wrote a poem for her and elegantly framed it, the part that she’d already let into her heart. Was revealing his vulnerable side merely a ploy in his game of seduction?

  Lani’s heart began to shrivel at the edges. “Cort seems deeper than that.”

  “I didn’t say he lacked all good qualities. He’s well thought of by his crew, and everyone in the business says he can get a job done with the least cost and in the shortest time of anyone in the field. And when he tells his men to jump, they ask how high.”

  That was true. Lani had seen how his men respected him.

  “Loo thinks he walks on water,” Julie continued. “Everyone says he’s tough, hardworking and one of the most experienced guys in construction. He’d be a great catch. Sad he’s not a one-woman man.”

  “Are you still interested in him?”

  “Good grief, no!” Julie’s face flushed, and she laughed nervously. “Do I sound like I am?”

  “Well, yes.”

  Julie waved a dismissing hand. “He isn’t even my type. He’s just so damned good-looking!”

  It didn’t take a genius to detect the hurt and frustration in Julie’s voice. Giving too much validation to the rantings of a scorned lover wouldn’t be fair to Cort—or herself. She decided to figure him out on her own. But she’d be cautious and guard her heart.

  By the time she returned to her desk, she had a full-blown headache. “So much for a fun, relaxing lunch,” she muttered, searching through her purse for an aspirin. She had to relieve the throbbing. Her appointment with the kahuna was in a couple of hours, and she had promised Loo to have the Morris contract ready before she left. />
  As her fingers flew over the keyboard, her lunchtime conversation with Julie kept playing in her head. Did Julie have a hidden agenda for telling her those things about Cort? Who was Cort Wayne, really?

  ****

  Cort tossed the last length of PVC pipe into the stack and wiped the sweat from his brow. At least with physical work he felt in charge, something he hadn’t felt for a while in the other parts of his life. He enjoyed working side by side with his men, but he’d sure as hell be glad when the extra man came on board. He had more important things to do than switch materials around. Dammit, he had contracts on his desk waiting to be reviewed and signed.

  Heading for his office, he passed the spot where Lani had fainted. Last night she hadn’t made any threats to close him down. Whatever that former craziness was, she’d gotten over it. Now if he could get the Tanaka brothers to back off. They wanted in on this job, but he didn’t need partners, especially ones who’d been linked with mismanagement and corruption.

  After seeing how Lani handled the mishap last night, he had a hunch she’d be a much more formidable foe than those jerks. Good thing she was on his side. That sizzling kiss had convinced him she wasn’t his enemy—far from it. It had been an amazing kiss. It was as if the earth had rumbled and fire had shot to the skies with a volcanic force, leaving him pistol hot and shaken. Man, he’d been tempted like crazy to take the kiss up several levels. He shook his head at his screwy reasoning. He liked her too much to try to get into her lacy stuff.

  It was scary as hell that he wasn’t operating just on lust and desire anymore. He dug everything about her. She was smart, brave and tough in her own way, nothing like her soft curves suggested.

  He looked up at the sound of a car pulling onto the site. It was Tam Tanaka’s shiny black BMW. Cort frowned. Was the bastard here to gloat over his recent problems or give him new ones?

  Tam was slender and taller than most Japanese. His never-worked-a-day-in-his-life rich-boy-strut made Cort want to puke.

  “I can make your troubles disappear,” Tam said in his cocky tone.

  “Is that because you’re behind them?”