“No, I’m heading home to Florida for Christmas, after this assignment. I’m flying out to Ocala and spending it with my sister’s family. She’s got two boys—my parents should be there too.” Selena smiled fondly. She couldn’t wait to see all of them.
“Christmas in Florida? Is it even Christmas if it doesn’t snow?”
“Yes, we take turns shaking detergent flakes out the window, so it looks like winter.” Selena clinked glasses with him. “We can’t all have massive drifts of snow to go sledding on.”
“Or ice to slide all over the roads.” Blaine popped some ceviche in his mouth. “I’ve always wondered, how does Santa get in, if he can’t come down the chimney?”
“We have a special gold glitter key that allows him to come through the front door. And instead of the cookies and milk, Santa gets a margarita with some oranges.”
“No cookies? That doesn’t seem fair.”
“My brother-in-law’s diabetic. It would have been nice to spend Christmas with my family here, though.” She looked around. Florida was nice, but it wasn’t Maui.
“Would you rent them rooms at the wellness center?”
The thought was laughable. “They wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like that.” Or even eating at a restaurant like the one she planned to open. “Too many vegetables. My father, especially, would piss and moan at the menu.”
“I don’t feel so bad for giving you such a hard time about the veggie burger.” Blaine grinned.
“It’s not that my father doesn’t like to eat vegetables—he just never gives them a thought. His mother had boiled the heck out of them, until they were mushy and tasteless. By the time I introduced him to roasted carrots and cauliflower and stuff like that, my parents no longer wanted to be bothered spending time in the kitchen. So the only time that they eat healthy is when I make them dinner.”
“And with you cooking for rich people all over the world, I bet you don’t get to do that as often as you like.”
Selena nodded and took a sip of her drink. “It’s true. My dad has medical issues and Mom’s not in the greatest health either. I worry about them because they rely on take-out food too often. Like someone else I know.” She fed him a bit of mango to take the sting out of her words.
“The food is not this good in Detroit. Maybe you should open up your restaurant there.”
“I could open it up anywhere. My restaurant is going to take the fast-food world by storm. I’m going to offer inexpensive and healthy to-go foods. But more important, they’re going to be so delicious, you’re not going to even want any other fast-food brands.”
“That’s a tall order, but if anyone can do it, you can.” He clinked glasses with her.
“Yeah, all I have to do is finish up my contract, empty my bank account and graduate from the Cordon Bleu. Then my life can start.” Selena heard how bitter that sounded and shook her head.
“What happens then?” he asked.
“I’ll settle down, get a real boyfriend and do what I love.”
“What’s that?” he asked, sipping his drink.
“Making people happy and healthy with my food—without having to pick up and start over every week or so.”
“I still don’t think you need to get an MBA from Cordon Bleu, Paris to do that.”
“Maybe not,” she said, pondering the possibility. “It seems like a long time until my life can start otherwise.”
“No time like the present to work long hard hours for your company,” Blaine said. “Ask me how I know.”
“I can’t believe you’re all chill just sitting here, knowing that you have access to the internet back in the penthouse suite,” she teased.
“Well, part of our deal was that I would take advantage of the rest, relaxation, and try all the new things and activities that you and Mikelina worked so hard to provide for me. So, here I am.”
“I’m glad to see that you’re being so reasonable.” Selena narrowed her eyes at him. “Why do I think this is not going to last?”
Blaine shrugged. “I guess you’ll just have to enjoy it while it lasts.”
“I intend to.”
“Do you have your notebook on you?” he asked.
“Never go anywhere without it.” She patted her purse. “Unless, I forget it in my handsome lover’s room.” She leaned forward for a boozy kiss. It was great.
“And they call me a workaholic. At least I didn’t take my laptop to the beach.” He ran his thumb over her lips before returning the kiss with a much more lingering one.
She broke away first this time. She didn’t trust herself not to engage in major public displays of affection if she didn’t. Clearing her throat, she asked, “What about my journal?”
“Well, since I haven’t had a chance to do my own work, yet. I was thinking about this restaurant idea of yours.”
“You were thinking about my restaurant?” she said, confused.
“I really like the idea that you had sketched out. I think you have the good chance for a franchise opportunity. Tell me a little bit more about it.”
“What you read and what I just told you are really all I have. It’s a fast-food restaurant selling vegetarian options made in a healthy manner with ethically sourced produce.”
“That’s a buzzwords dream,” he said. “But doesn’t really tell me what type of food you’d be making and how.”
“Well, you’re familiar with fast food.”
“Yes, one of the four food groups, right? Quick, cheap, tasty and bad for you?”
“Exactly. So, let’s say you’re on a road trip and you’re hungry, but you don’t have time to stop for a full meal. Normally, you’d look for the quickest place that you can get in and out and then get back on the road. That means you’re eating in the car on the go and usually it’s a burger, fries and shake. With my restaurant you’d get carrot sticks, a veggie burger and a fruit smoothie.”
“It sounds simple, but is it going to be cost prohibitive?”
“Oh, he’s throwing out the financial words. It’s getting serious in here. Wouldn’t you rather talk about the ukulele lessons Mikelina has planned for you later this week?”
“Ukulele lessons? Are you freaking serious?”
“You promised.” Selena wagged her finger at him.
“You did that just to distract me. Let’s talk financials.”
“Why? Are you thinking of investing?” She cocked her head at him.
“I might. Talk to me like I was.”
“Blaine, I don’t want your money. It’s bad enough I’m accepting a bribe to use the internet. I’m only doing that because it’s getting me closer to my goals to go to Cordon Bleu, which now I’m wondering if I need. I suppose the money also provides me a buffer in case Titus happens to stroll by and sees you and me necking on the beach.”
“Necking on the beach sounds fun. And you’re distracting me again.”
Selena drank more. “I haven’t figured out the financials yet,” she admitted. “I haven’t gotten that far because it’s still about four years away. And by that time, who knows what will be going on with the organic farms.”
“And what has Cordon Bleu got that you can’t get in the States.”
“Prestige. I’ll be taking classes with world-renowned chefs.”
“Won’t those be in French? Do you even speak French?”
“Un peu, a bit.”
Blaine grabbed her arm and started kissing up her wrist to her shoulder. “Tish, you spoke French.”
Selena laughed and gently shoved him away. “I loved watching The Addams Family when I was growing up. Morticia and Gomez are relationship goals.”
“Sometimes I feel like Wednesday and Pugsley are my sibling goals.” Blaine said.
“Yeah, because sending someone to Maui for two weeks is equal to your sibling attempting to g
uillotine your head off,” Selena said.
“Do you have any brothers and sisters?” he asked.
“Yes, I’ve got a perfect older sister. She lives in Ocala with her husband and two boys. I’m the cool aunt who comes over and makes homemade pasta.”
“Lucky kids,” he said. “I always wanted to be an only child, but I’ve got my older brother, Mitchell.”
“Why did you want to be an only child?”
“Because you can keep all the French fries that fall out of the container into the bottom of the bag.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you and your sister fight over rogue fries?”
“What French fries? My parents would never take us to a fast-food joint.”
“Where did you go when you got all A’s on your report card?” he asked.
“I never got all A’s. But if I got a good report card, I didn’t get punished.”
“Oh, your parents were one of those.”
“What do you mean?” Selena finished her drink and was feeling buzzingly happy.
“I bet, if you got a 98 on your test, they asked what happened to the other two points?”
“It’s like you were there during my childhood.”
“My parents were never like that, but somehow I grew up to be that,” he said, with a small chagrined look. “I don’t take other people’s failures well.”
“I saw that, along with five million other people.”
Blaine groaned. “Do you think that will ever be swept under the rug and forgotten?”
“No. The internet and YouTube are forever. But the good news is something more interesting will come along soon, and then you’ll be off the hook. At least until your car gets on the market.”
“It’ll get there,” he said, tapping his fingers on the table.
“Finish up your mai tai. You’re beginning to lose your vacation vibe, Mr. Serious.”
“You’re right.” He guzzled it and then reached down to hold her hand. “So we established that I don’t have a girlfriend because I’m a workaholic. Why don’t you have a boyfriend?”
“I’m never in one place for more than two weeks,” she said.
“But you come back to some of these places throughout the year, right?”
“Yes, but I never know where I’m going until the week before. And trying to keep a long-distance relationship going is tough under normal situations. It’s just easier to keep things casual. And lately casual hasn’t been doing it for me. Not that I’m expecting this to be more than casual,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to scare you away.” That was the last thing she wanted. The mai tai was making her blab more than usual.
“I’m not scared,” he said. “Casual is good, but the not so casual, long-distance relationships could work, if both parties were invested and there was the payoff at the end.”
“What you mean payoff?”
“If there was an end in sight. Like if we both knew that in two years we’d be permanently in the same place at the same time. Then a two-year long-distance relationship is doable, knowing that after two years, we’d be together full-time.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t know where I’m going to be after Cordon Bleu.”
“But while you’re at Cordon Bleu, you’ll be in Paris. Isn’t that in the city of love and romance?”
“I suppose it is. Maybe you can punch your brother in the face next time, and get sent to Paris while I’m there.”
“It’s a date. As long as you don’t have a boyfriend.”
“And as long as you don’t have a girlfriend.”
Selena switched to water as she ate her ceviche, content to sit there and have her shoulder touching his as they faced the ocean. Looking out at the waves crashing in, she was getting sleepy.
“Do you want to go on the helicopter ride with me?” Blaine said.
That woke her up. “I’ve never been.”
“What do you mean you’ve never been? How many times have you been to Maui?”
“A bunch over the past five years. But it never really seemed something I wanted to spend all that money on.”
“What do you do between jobs when you’re not cooking dinners?”
“I do food shopping, meal planning. I practice my cooking. I read a little bit. You know, the usual things. What do you do when you’re not working?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Well, we’re going to find that out again the next two weeks.” She squeezed his hand.
CHAPTER TEN
THEY BARELY MADE IT back to the Maui Wellness Center in time for the massages. Blaine held on to her arm when they got to the beach area where the large pavilion tents were set up, the linen panels closed and tied down on all four sides to give guests privacy during the massages.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
“You have your massage. I have mine.” Selena gestured to two different tents.
“On the contrary, or should I say au contraire, my chérie?”
“Gomez, you spoke French.” She pulled his hand up to her lips and did five quick kisses on his wrist. Then she looked around. “We have to stop being so obvious. Otherwise I’m going to get caught and Titus will yell at me.”
“Leave Tight Ass to me. In the meantime, I changed our individual massages to one couple’s massage by the beach.”
“You’re kidding?” She smiled.
“Nope, come with me.” Blaine knew from the confirmation message that was slipped under his door this morning that they were in pavilion five. He untied the rope securing the tent door closed and walked in.
Two massage practitioners dressed in white Maui Wellness Center uniform were just finishing setting up their tables. Their name tags said Keoni and Malia and they each looked like they could tear a phone book in two with their bare hands. A diffuser was puffing out a mild tropical scent and inside the pavilion tent looked like a magazine photo shoot of a cozy high-end spa.
“Do you prefer a man or a woman massage therapist?” Blaine asked. He didn’t care, so he asked for both and figured he’d take whomever Selena didn’t choose.
“Woman please,” she said. Malia smiled and walked over to her. That worked for him. Blaine was relieved. He knew it was strictly professional, but he didn’t want another man’s hands on Selena.
The massage practitioners pulled a curtain to give them privacy to get undressed and get on the tables. Blaine shucked off his bathing suit and shirt and lay face down, naked under the thick, sun-warmed sheet. He imagined that Selena was doing the same. It was soft and peaceful just lying here. His eyes immediately drooped. He hoped he wouldn’t start snoring. When the curtain opened, he turned his head and saw that Selena was smiling at him.
“Are you ready to begin?” Keoni asked.
“You bet.”
“I’m ready too,” Selena said.
For the next hour, Blaine was rubbed down, with deep-tissue stimulation. It was pain and then relief as his coiled-up muscles released. Then when he was a puddle of goo on the table, Keoni put hot rocks up and down his spine, stimulating the chakra centers, whatever the hell they were.
Blaine had to admit when it was all over, he felt as loose as jelly and horny as hell. But not for Keoni. It was from the little sounds of pleasure Selena made during her massage. It made him more than ready to continue a different type of massage with her.
Wrapped in a plush cotton robe, Blaine tipped Keoni and Malia each a hundred-dollar bill and waited until they left the cabana. The waves were loud, even over the wind that flapped the linen walls of the structure. The heat of the sand was soothing to his bare feet.
“How was that?” he asked, placing a hand on Selena’s oil-slicked back.
She shivered. “Blaine?” she said groggily.
“Just relax,” he said, pouring w
armed oil in his cupped hand. He let it drizzle down her spine, smiling as she quivered.
Stroking down her back, Blaine rubbed her in slow rough circles. He loved how she felt under his hands. “Do you like this?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she said.
He eased the sheet down her curves until she was completely naked. Pouring more oil on the base of her spine, he smoothed it over the soft mounds of her ass. He spread her thighs, his thumbs pressing hard circles over them. Blaine’s breath caught as she trembled. He could hear her breath coming in short gasps.
“You feel amazing,” he said, trailing his fingertips up and down her slippery inner thighs.
“Blaine,” she moaned.
“We’re all alone,” he said. “And you’re all mine.” He rubbed his hands all over her body, gliding and lingering. He would travel all the way up her inner thighs and then slide away. When he couldn’t stand her little whimpers any longer, Blaine decided to put both of them out of their misery and rub the thick wetness between her legs.
Selena cried out and instantly tried to muffle it. She was slick and ready to be loved, but he fingered her slowly and tenderly, sliding in between her slick folds and teasing her clit.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all day.”
The sound of her wetness made him long to sink himself inside her. The only reason why he hadn’t made love in the water was he didn’t think it would be comfortable for her. Blaine wanted her to feel nothing but mind-blowing pleasure. With one hand stroking up and down her back, he tickled her clit until she was writhing underneath him. She screamed into her arm when she came and he easily slipped two fingers inside her, pumping them gently.
“Turn over,” he said, his fingers still inside her as he helped her lie on her back.
With his fingers penetrating her lovingly, he drizzled oil over her stomach and rubbed circles over her chest and belly. Blaine was so intent on the feel of her beneath his palm, he didn’t realize Selena had worked his robe open until she took him into her mouth.
“Yes,” he hissed out, freezing with one hand around her breast and his fingers knuckle deep inside her.
“Mmm,” she moaned, pulling him deeper inside her mouth.
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