A rumble rose in his chest and he gripped her hips tighter.
I’m playing with fire.
But she couldn’t stop herself.
Bailey trailed her lips up the column of his throat and moved away from his mouth at the last moment. She shifted and rose so that she was looking down at him.
His features were intense, almost as if he was daring her to continue.
She lowered her head slowly, anticipating the moment, savoring it. She wondered if he would let her keep control or try to take it from her.
Which did she want more?
All of it.
Her lips were a fraction above his. His chest rose and fell as he breathed a little faster. He slid his big hands up to her waist, but didn’t move them any further.
“And right here,” she whispered above his lips then kissed him.
He groaned as she moved her mouth over his, tasting him and breathing in his scent. He responded with a kiss that matched her own.
Exploring…
Getting to know each other on a deeper level.
A soft moan escaped Bailey when she realized how hard he was between her thighs.
Her belly flipped as she wondered what would it be like to be with him? To have him inside her?
She didn’t just tease him when she moved against him. She tortured herself, too.
Did she dare go any further?
If she did, what would that mean?
She didn’t do one-night stands, and she knew that wasn’t something he wanted from her.
Fear fluttered in her chest. What am I doing? What about my future?
Stop thinking. Just feel.
He cupped the back of her head and brought her closer to him for a kiss so passionate, it made her head spin.
Spinning.
I’m spinning.
And she was sliding into him…becoming a part of him.
A faint voice in the back of her mind said, No. You don’t want this.
It was easy to shove that voice away. Yes, I do.
She expected him to want to roll her on her back and take control, but he let her have all the control.
Her body ached for him, but she broke the kiss and rose to look down at him. Her breathing was heavy. She couldn’t stop wanting him, needing him.
The waterfall rumbled in the background, nearby birds twittering above the sound. It added to the moment, added to the thunder of her heart and the voice in her head telling her, go for it, Bailey.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.” His gaze traveled over her features. “And I don’t mean just on the outside. You’re an amazing woman within. I want more from you than a moment, Bailey. More from you than just one day.”
The rest of what he meant he didn’t say, but she knew it. She knew he wanted everything from her.
She closed her eyes. Tell him, Bailey.
Her throat threatened to close off. She shifted, lowered herself, and pressed her head against his chest.
His heart pounded like a thoroughbred’s hooves on the track. The rise and fall of his chest caused her to move with every tortured breath he took. Were his hands shaking as he held her waist?
“I don’t know what to do.” The words came from her, but out of nowhere. “You’re not in my plan, Seth. No man is. I’ve thought this through a dozen—no, a hundred times. I’ve worked too hard to give up everything.”
“I would never make you give up anything, Bailey,” he said softly, and she wanted to believe what seemed like the truth in his eyes. “Never.”
Did she dare hope that somehow this could work?
How could it?
“For you to not expect me to give up anything would mean you’d have to give up something.” She closed her eyes and struggled to fight back tears. “I can’t do that to you.”
At the same time, she felt like losing him would be worse than making tough choices like giving up any of her dreams.
I am not giving up. I can’t. I won’t.
Tell him.
She couldn’t get the words out.
Why not?
“You wouldn’t be doing anything to me or forcing me to make a choice.” He stroked loose strands of hair from her face, his fingertips sending tingles along her skin. “We just talked about that, so you should know my feelings. If I do something, it’s because I choose to. Maybe it’s too soon, but in my heart, I choose you.”
I choose you.
Tears burned the backs of her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall. Just like she wouldn’t let him give up the things he loved, no matter what he said.
It wouldn’t be fair—give up what he loved so that she could have what she loved.
Tell him.
He moved her carefully and maneuvered her so that he was sitting on the cave floor, and she rested in his lap, her head against his chest again.
He was so solid, so real. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, warming her, making her feel safe and cared for.
Her voice trembled as she thought about a future without Seth. A future with Seth. “This is going to tear me apart if I’m not careful.”
“I won’t let anything hurt you.” He held her close. “You and I each have choices to make. For now, let’s just enjoy today.” She raised her head and looked into his eyes as he said, “And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next…”
“Okay. One day at a time.” She gave a slow, shuddering sigh that reverberated throughout her entire being. “Thank you, Seth.”
He tugged at her braid. “For you, anything.”
9
Early in the morning, the day following the trip to the grotto, Seth sat in the lobby with Manu, head paniolo of Pono Ranch. They’d grabbed a continental breakfast and carried it with their coffee to couches in the lobby.
The sun hadn’t risen yet, and it was dark outside the enormous lobby windows.
Bailey might still be asleep, worn out after their long adventurous day. Last night he’d told her he would be meeting with Manu in the morning.
“Your saddle and things arrived safely at ‘Aina Kapu?” Manu roped Seth’s attention and brought it back.
“Every piece.” Seth rested his forearms on the armchair. “I’m pretty lucky that way. I don’t lose luggage.” He knocked on the wood piece attached to the cloth-covered arm.
“You haven’t been to Pono Ranch since you arrived on Momi.” Manu tipped his head. A good deal of silver and white was now shot through his wavy black hair. “This tells me something has caught your attention. A woman?”
Seth cleared his throat. “That obvious, huh?”
Manu’s dark eyebrows lifted. “Someone you met on Momi?”
“Yeah.” Seth shifted in his seat. “The day I arrived. Beautiful woman, who happens to have grown up on a ranch in Arizona. You might say she gets me.”
“That is a surprise—I’m sure other women fail to ‘get’ you,” Manu said, teasing Seth. The creases at the corners of Manu’s eyes deepened when he smiled or felt amusement. “Bring the lady to the ranch.”
Seth picked up his coffee mug from the end table. “I plan to ask her to the rodeo.”
Manu lifted his broad shoulders in a shrug. “You want to keep her a secret.”
Seth laughed. “No. I just don’t want to share her yet.”
The Hawaiian cowboy took a long sip of his own coffee and lowered the mug, which appeared small in his large hands. “Sun is starting to rise. I have work.”
“There’s always work to do on the ranch.” Seth smiled at the man who was older than him by a good twenty years or so. “It’s strange to me to not get up before dawn every day. Even when I’m on vacation, I still get up earlier than most.”
“I have stalls that need cleaning.” Manu set his mug aside. “If you’re bored, I have a pitchfork waiting for you.”
Seth laughed as he set his own mug next to the empty plate on the end table. “I didn’t say I missed the work.”
Manu got to his feet and Seth rose w
ith him. He walked with Manu to the resort’s entrance and through the towering doors.
“I’ll head to the ranch before the rodeo starts.” Seth hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans as they stood outside in the cool but humid morning. “I’m not sure about Bailey, but you never know. She has friends coming in sometime this week so she’ll probably be busy with them.”
“I will see you when you come.” Manu gave a short nod. “And maybe the woman, too.”
For a moment, Seth watched Manu walk away until he vanished into the darkness. On his first trip to the island, Seth had met the older cowboy and they’d become good friends. Manu had grown up on the ranch and had become head paniolo when he was less than thirty years old, some twenty years ago.
Every now and then, Manu would send a text, congratulating Seth on a win. It was good to hear from him, if only in a brief message.
Seth walked back into the hotel, his thoughts on Bailey again. He should focus on the upcoming rodeo, but one woman stayed in his thoughts constantly. Maybe too much.
Nah. Just enough.
He strode across the lobby and headed down the Nai’a, the Dolphin wing. Playful dolphin mosaics were inlaid in the tile down the length of the hallway. Seth was in the Niu suite—the coconut suite.
Seth used his keycard to open the door, his thoughts still on the woman he was falling in love with.
Hell, maybe he already had.
He let the door fall shut behind him and thought about the upcoming rodeo.
Funny thing was, he missed his horse, Ranger, when they weren’t traveling together. The chestnut was a good friend, and they’d been through a hell of a lot.
The last thing Seth wanted to do was ship him all the way to Hawaii for the rodeo. He’d miss Ranger, but Seth would only compete in the bareback riding event this trip.
He would skip the timed events where the horse that he’d trained with, lived and breathed with—was his one and only partner. In rodeo, you had to build a strong bond with your horse.
Mostly, Seth was lending his name to the fundraiser to help bring in more fans. He felt honored to be able to give back to the rodeo and the people who had helped him get his start.
He slid open the sliding glass door to his patio and stepped out to watch the sun come up. Thoughts of Bailey being with him to see the sunrise made him smile. One day that would happen.
A ranch in Arizona or Montana—it didn’t matter which. A houseful of kids, too.
He frowned, wrinkling his brow. Would Bailey’s career keep her from wanting children? Or would she take a break to enjoy them while they were growing up?
But then he could turn that question right around on himself. In the world he grew up in, and likely Bailey too, the women took time away from their careers to stay home with the children. But these were different times. Would Bailey work and he would stay home with their kids?
It was something he’d never considered before.
Ah, hell. He was getting way the hell ahead of himself and Bailey, too.
Seth slipped his hands in his back pockets, watching the sun as it crept up and spread golden light on the ocean. The breeze on his face and the island scents washed over him.
His phone pinged, telling him he had a text message. He dug his phone out of his front pocket and glanced at the screen.
Bailey.
He smiled as he read the message.
Hey, Montana. What’s for breakfast?
He responded with, Let’s hit a little shack near the beach.
Perfect, she typed back.
Fifteen minutes? he asked.
Make it twenty, she replied.
He paused before he typed, See you then, sweetheart.
She returned with a smiley face.
He grinned at the phone. Things were moving in the right direction.
Bailey smiled when she opened the door and saw Seth in board shorts, flip-flops, an Elk Mountain Ranch T-shirt, and a couple of colorful beach towels over his shoulder. He wasn’t wearing a hat and his short brown hair was streaked with gold.
She had to look for the cowboy in him—he could have been a surfer.
“Where are your boots?” She couldn’t help a broad grin. “You’re supposed to wear them with your board shorts.”
“Don’t want to get them wet.” He gave her a quick, soft kiss before drawing back. “You look fantastic.”
She glanced down at her Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt and yellow shorts that covered her bathing suit. She laughed as she met his gaze again. “This old thing?”
“Pretty much anything you’re in looks great on you.” He tugged on her long braid, that hung over her shoulder. “Ready?”
“You betcha.”
They snagged their usual ride, and it wasn’t long before they were deposited near Keola’s lone pier.
Keola Beach was a relatively short walk from the Moku Ferry that she and Seth had arrived on just a few days ago.
Bailey and Seth walked side-by-side to the beachside place he’d talked about.
From where they were, she saw that it wasn’t more than a shack with a window to order through. If Seth wanted to have breakfast there, she knew it had to have good food.
Next to the food shack was a small stand with surfboards and beach chairs for rent.
“One of the things I love about this beach,” he adjusted the towels on his shoulder as they walked, “is that you don’t have to go much farther, maybe half a mile, to check out the sea life. You can watch Hawaiian Monk Seals, see dolphins play, and sometimes you’ll even glimpse a humpback whale. There are usually sea turtles around, too.”
Excitement sent a thrill through her and she stopped to bounce up and down on her toes. “I so want to see them all. When can we go?”
“That would be a good trip for tomorrow or the next day, so we have time to enjoy it more.”
“I can’t wait.”
He led her up to the window of the shack. “Kana,” he said to the young man who opened the window. “How are you doing?”
“It’s been a long time since you showed up here,” Kana said with a grin.
“A year.” Seth laughed. “I wish I could come more often.”
He gestured to Bailey. “Kana, meet Bailey. She wants to try your best taro bagels with sweet cream cheese. One for me while you’re at it.”
Bailey raised her brows when Kana produced two large, purple bagels—as in the most brilliant shade of purple possible. Each bagel was sliced with cream cheese between the slices.
Kana handed them cups of passion fruit-orange-guava drink that Seth ordered as well.
Seth paid with cash he’d pulled out of a secured pocket inside the waistband of his board shorts. “Thanks, Kana.”
Kana waved to Bailey. “Come back for lunch.”
Seth raised his bagel before he and Bailey walked toward the beach.
They plopped down on the sand on their beach towels a short distance from where waves slammed the shore, just out of reach of the tide.
Bailey took a bite of her chewy purple taro bagel with the sweet cream cheese. She mulled over the flavors, which were a perfect blend.
She swallowed then sipped her juice from a straw. “This is awesome. You know the best places.”
“I have to say I do.” Seth took a bite of his bagel.
Bailey finished her bagel and juice before she knew it. “I could eat another, but I’ll hold off since we’ll be swimming.”
They went to the stand with the surfboards and beach chairs for rent. Seth grabbed a couple of chairs and paid while Bailey watched the ocean. When he came out of the stand with the chairs, he grabbed a surfboard on the way out.
She took the two light beach chairs from him and carried them. “You surf?”
He shrugged. “Been coming to Momi for over ten years now. You pick up a few things over time.”
Intrigued, Bailey followed him down the shore.
Waves rolled onto the beach where kids played and splashed in the water wit
h parents watching closely. Nearby teens and adults swam, snorkeled, and ran in and out of the water.
Seth and Bailey were in what was more like a small cove, protected from the bigger waves farther out.
A good distance down the beach on the right, away from the cove, the waves were much higher. Surfers swam out to meet the big waves and rode them to the shore.
Bailey didn’t know anything about surfing, so the lingo was lost to her.
“Want to swim first?” he asked.
She pointed down to where the surfers were. “Oh, no… I want to see the cowboy surfer dude.”
Seth snorted with laughter. “Don’t let my new surfer dude status color your opinion of this cowboy.”
Bailey shook her head and grinned. “This I gotta see.”
They walked until they were away from the cove. Seth stuck his board in the sand, then set up the two chairs and put a beach towel on each chair. He kicked off the flip-flops and pulled his shirt over his head.
She nearly melted at the sight of his bare chest. All those muscles. All that skin she wanted to touch, to taste...
She plopped down into one of the chairs to watch.
Seth dropped his shirt on the chair with his towel and rubbed sunblock over his body.
If she asked if she could rub the sunblock on all those rock-hard muscles, no doubt he’d let her do it for him.
Instead, she watched the play of those muscles and the way he moved.
Sigh.
He pulled a small container of wax out of the pocket in his shorts. She watched him confidently wax the surfboard like he’d done it a thousand times.
Maybe he had.
He checked the leash to make sure it was correctly fastened to the plug on the surfboard. He then secured the leash to his ankle.
Yeah, he sure looked like he knew what he was doing.
“Show me your stuff,” she said as he tucked the board under his arm.
He winked at her then jogged down to the surf.
Bailey watched him, marveling at his muscular tanned back, the definition in his biceps and triceps and his ass that was so nice no matter what he was wearing. He looked completely at home.
Midnight with You Page 9
