Midnight with You

by Cheyenne McCray

  When he reached the water, he watched the waves, as if to find the ideal place to surf. He started walking into the water and kept going until he was hip-deep.

  Bailey found herself watching every movement he made.

  He climbed on top of the board and paddled out past the whitewater where the waves were breaking. He sat just outside that point, on the outer edge.

  He waited until a huge wave started to crest and he began paddling his board toward the shore.

  In the next moment he was gliding on the wave. He pushed himself up in a quick motion and planted his feet. He stayed in a low crouch and rode the wave.

  Her jaw dropped and she leaned forward, holding her breath.

  Wow. Just wow.

  He rode the enormous wave as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

  If she didn’t know better, he could have been a surfer who was more at home on a surfboard, rather than a rodeo cowboy who rode a horse.

  And then he seemed to glide onto the shore. He shook the water from his hair, a grin on his face as if he’d just ridden a bucking horse for the full eight seconds and won the championship.

  Seth looked…happy. Like he was having more fun than she could imagine.

  He waved to her and she waved in return. She watched him head back out into the water to do it all over again.

  When he was headed out to catch his third wave, she kicked off her flip-flops, tugged her shirt over her head and dropped her shorts. She rubbed sunblock all over her body. She liked the sun, she just didn’t want to end up with a burn.

  Her one-piece was a little more revealing than she liked, but it was a cute suit that she’d bought just for the trip. It had cutouts on each side of the waist and dipped low in both the front and back.

  She walked to the shore, sand shifting beneath her feet and sticking to the sunblock on her skin.

  Water splashed her feet and ankles before it drew back into the ocean as she watched Seth prepare for another wave.

  He caught one and stood—then looked at her. She couldn’t read his expression, but he was so focused on her that he lost concentration and the wave knocked him from his surfboard.

  Her heart leapt and she held her hand to her chest.

  Seth’s head broke the water. He reached for his board and caught it. He paddled back out and caught another wave.

  This time he didn’t look at her until he reached the shore.

  She had already walked up higher on the shore, close to their chairs.

  He shook his head and grinned as he approached her. Water ran over his face and he pushed it away with his palm. His board shorts dripped all the way up the sand. He stopped and shoved his board upright in the sand.

  “That was some wipeout,” she said with a grin.

  He laughed as he knelt to remove the strap from around his ankle. “You shouldn’t walk out looking like this and distract me while I’m about to catch a wave.”

  She smiled. “You should pay more attention to what you’re doing.”

  “Oh, I am.” He straightened and walked right to her, a spark in his eyes.

  She had the urge to step back but stood her ground. “Oh?” Her belly flipped even as she raised her chin.

  Seth reached her and caught her braid. He pulled her head back in a move that took her breath away.

  In the next moment he molded his body firmly to hers. His wet chest pressed against her breasts.

  She felt suddenly dizzy and off balance, like she might not be able to stand on her own.

  He caught her mouth with his and gripped her shoulder as he continued to hold her head back.

  His kiss seared her, chasing away the chill of the water soaking him. Her body heated and she returned his kiss with as much fervor as his.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself even tighter to him.

  His erection dug into her belly, sending a different kind of heat through her—more like fire.

  Yes, she was on fire and she couldn’t get enough of Seth. She wanted him so badly. She didn’t think she’d ever wanted anything so much in her life as she wanted him.

  Last night when he’d left her at her door after a kiss that took her breath away, she had thought it was hard watching him leave.

  Now it would be impossible to let him walk away.

  No—yesterday, last night—those moments were nothing like this very moment.

  If they weren’t on the beach, in public, she would have been stripping off his shorts and dragging him to the sand.

  He tasted so good, he felt so good. Like nothing she’d ever had before.

  Seth tore away from the kiss and looked into her eyes. “What are we doing, Bailey?”

  His voice was coarse, hard. Like he could barely get out the words.

  She tried to speak, but at first couldn’t.

  “I don’t know,” she finally got out. “It scares me…yet at the same time it frees me.”

  Was she changing her mind about her future?

  No. I can’t. I’d have so many regrets for the rest of my life.

  He released her braid and trailed his knuckles down her cheek. He continued moving his fingers down her neck to the hollow of her throat.

  She shivered from fear, from desire. Goose bumps rose on her skin and her throat felt thick with longing.

  “Seth,” she said. “I—God, I don’t know.”

  He lowered his head and kissed her gently. “Then we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing until you figure it out.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  He smiled, but it looked a little strained. “Ready to play in the water?”

  “Can you show me how to surf?” She gestured to the surfboard. “Is it hard?”

  “It takes practice, like anything.” He took her hand and led her to the board. “I have a feeling a woman who knows how to handle a horse, ski the Snowbowl, and take care of herself in any situation, will do extraordinarily well.”

  “Then let’s do it.” She smiled up at him, the heat of the moment gone and replaced by the excitement of venturing out and learning something new.

  He tugged the board out of the sand, and they headed down the beach to the shore.

  10

  Bailey headed into the resort lobby, wearing a thigh-high snug-fitting sea blue dress with a princess neckline and bare shoulders. The back of the light material was low-cut, to the middle of her waist. It was sexy yet casual enough for the place Seth called the Cracked Coconut.

  Through the tall resort windows, the sunset streaked the horizon with yellow, pink, and orange.

  When would Seth get back? He’d had to run an errand, so she said she’d meet him here rather than him picking her up at her room.

  After lunch and the rest of the amazing afternoon, Bailey and Seth had headed back to the resort. They’d somehow managed not to end up in her room, on the bed, and having incredibly wild sex.

  Damn.

  How she wanted that with Seth.

  She groaned.

  Stop it!

  She adjusted the yellow hibiscus bloom above her ear as she walked. She’d left her straight hair long and loose around her shoulders, and it tickled where it reached low on her partially bare back.

  Seth had told her the place they were going to had a no-shirt, no-shoes required policy. She wore flat sandals since the bar was so casual.

  The Cracked Coconut was in Hele. Islanders and tourists dressed up or dressed down, it didn’t matter.

  She liked dressing up for Seth.

  Men stopped to watch her pass, and she was glad for the sun that had reddened her cheeks despite the sunblock. The gawking men couldn’t see her face turn pink because of the way they so blatantly stared at her.

  When she wore jeans and T-shirts, she never worried about men ogling at her. It wasn’t the same when she dressed up.

  She didn’t like their unwanted attention. It both unnerved and irritated her.

  But she did love the way Seth looked at her. Every ti
me she caught him watching, it made her feel not only warm and squishy inside, but beautiful, too.

  A breath of relief made her sigh at the sight of him coming through the resort’s main doors.

  In the next moment she was tongue-tied.

  He was so devastatingly sexy that he snatched the relieved breath she’d just taken and stole it away from her.

  His grin weakened her knees. He caught her into an embrace and kissed her until she thought she’d pass out from lack of oxygen. He stole that much breath from her.

  She looked up into the eyes of the man she was falling for hard and fast.

  “You’re back.” Lame thing to say, but she couldn’t think of anything else.

  “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Have you been here long?”

  She shook her head. “Just got here two minutes ago.”

  He moved his lips to her ear. “Every man here is jealous of me right now. I have the most beautiful woman at the resort in my arms.”

  “I don’t like men staring at me.” Bailey flushed. “Sometimes I think I should wear a grain sack instead of a dress. Can we go now?”

  “I hate to tell you this, but you’d look just as gorgeous in a grain sack.” He placed his hand at her lower back and guided her out the front door to a car waiting outside. “I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

  “God, no.” She shook her head. “They make me feel uncomfortable, not you.”

  He slid his fingers along her spine and she shivered.

  She looked up at the man beside her. If anything, he had women ogling him.

  And maybe that helped make everything better. After all, she had the hottest man on the island.

  * * *

  The Cracked Coconut’s lights glittered ahead. Hawaiian music from a live band filled the night as Seth and Bailey walked down a boarded sidewalk to the front of the bar that was popular with both locals and tourists. White sand and an incredible view of the ocean spread out behind the bar.

  He’d always liked the Coconut—maybe not as much as Keoki’s—but it was a fun place to go to with a partner.

  He looked at the top of Bailey’s golden head. Especially this partner. The last and only woman he wanted to be with for the rest of his life.

  Damn, Greer. Get your head on straight.

  Seth had been coming to the Coconut for years and it hadn’t changed a hell of a lot during his time here until now. After his last stay, he understood the place went through a remodel last fall.

  The closer they walked to the Coconut, the more changes he saw. The rich honey-colored koa wood-slatted ceiling shone, and the well-done palm frond roof cover made the bar look native but of the modern world. Lights swung in cages from the trees, light flickering through the leaves like tiny stars.

  He wondered which band played tonight. It changed regularly, but it was pretty much the same bands that rotated in and out of the various bars and restaurants on the small island.

  Artistically arranged lighting hung in trees surrounding the open-air bar. Koa wood furniture with stuffed teal cushions in front of short circular tables made it look comfortable and appealing.

  “This is really nice,” Bailey said as they walked up a few wood steps to the front of the Coconut.

  Seth nodded. Some things he recognized—like tonight, Kai Bane and the Makani band played on stage near the entrance. He knew Kai, the lead singer, who belted out one of Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole’s songs.

  The chatter from the crowded place almost matched the volume of the band.

  A beautiful young Hawaiian woman in a colorful flowered dress welcomed them.

  “I am Nalani, your hostess. Would you like to sit at a table or at the bar?” she asked.

  Seth glanced at the bar. It was an interesting set-up because there were no stools. The same style of seats around the tables were also at the bar, but the counter had been lowered to the level of the chairs.

  Interesting.

  When he looked back at the hostess she studied him like she was trying to place him.

  “A table closest to the ocean,” he said.

  Nalani’s brow lifted and her expression brightened. “You are that crazy paniolo who comes from the mainland to the rodeo every year and rides the bucking horses.”

  He laughed. “Crazy, that’s me. Just arrived a couple of days ago.”

  “Welcome back, paniolo.” Nalani gave a little bow of her head. “Come with me.”

  Nalani escorted them to a table for two against a wood railing, facing one of the most beautiful views on the island. “This is my favorite place with the best view in the Coconut,” she said.

  “Thank you,” Bailey said as Seth seated her. “This is lovely.”

  Seth smiled at the hostess. “I appreciate it, Nalani.”

  “Your server will be right with you.” Nalani smiled and retreated.

  The moment Nalani left, a busboy filled the glasses on the table with water. He left as fast as he came.

  “Absolutely incredible.” Bailey stared out at the ocean from her seat. “Look at how gentle the water is—it sparkles from the moonlight and the light from this place.”

  Seth watched the gentle swell of the ocean and the soft waves hitting the shore. He’d had so much damn fun being back on the waves and it had been great teaching Bailey.

  She learned quickly and after instruction had caught a small wave that she rode all the way to shore. She’d been exhilarated and excited and wanted to do it all over again.

  He reached across the small distance of the table. “Are you tired from our day at the beach?”

  She turned her hand palm up so they could link fingers. “I start to think I am, but then wonderful things happen and I’m not tired at all.”

  He enjoyed the way her fingers were woven with his. “Like what?”

  “This.” She gestured around them with her free hand. “What a beautiful place. Yet it doesn’t come close to the beauty of the grotto.”

  * * *

  The moment she mentioned the grotto, her face warmed. She had been so forward, so needy. It had been a wonder he hadn’t taken that as an invitation to come into her room with her when they got back to the resort.

  But he hadn’t. He’d kissed her and she’d closed the door behind him, leaving him in the hallway.

  Again.

  How many more times could she do that before she broke?

  “The grotto is a wonderful place.” He squeezed her hand. “I always thought about it as ‘my place.’ Now it will always be ‘our place.’”

  “That sounds a lot like a promise and a plan,” she said quietly.

  He gave her such a slow, gentle smile that it scattered butterflies through her belly. “It is.”

  “I’m Loni and I’ll be the one to keep you out of trouble.” A server placed a classy-looking menu in front of each one of them. A far cry from Keoki ’s double-sided laminated model. “Your first time to the Cracked Coconut?”

  As nice as this was, Bailey had a feeling she would take Keoki ’s place any day over the Cracked Coconut.

  “Loni.” Seth nodded an acknowledgment, then gestured to Bailey. “My guest’s first time, but I’ve been here before.” He looked around them. “First time I’ve seen it since the remodel.”

  “Now no place nicer than the Coconut.” Loni looked from Seth to Bailey. “Drinks?”

  The live music stopped, the lead singer telling everyone they’d be back after a break.

  Hawaiian music poured from speakers around the Coconut the moment the band left the stage. No doubt so there was never a lull.

  It was easier to give Loni their orders without talking over the band.

  When she left, Bailey smiled. “I wonder if the fruity drinks here can measure up to the Melia at Keoki ’s.”

  Seth laughed. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”

  Bailey opened her menu. “Enough choices to make my mind spin. Where to begin?”

  “Let
’s start with the appetizer.”

  After Bailey and Seth had selected the appetizer and meals, and gave their choices to Loni, the drinks arrived.

  Bailey sipped from her Bahama Mama then relaxed in her seat and ran her fingers through the condensation on the glass. “This vacation has only started, and each day just gets better than the one before it. How is that possible?”

  Seth settled his elbows to forearms on the chair’s arms. “Because it’s us.”

  She tilted her head to the side as she thought about it. “Is it?”

  “Do you really think you would have the same experiences with anyone else?” He shook his head. “Not possible.”

  She couldn’t help a smile. “It’s been nice.”

  “I really hate to ask, but when are your friends getting here?” Seth fiddled with a salt shaker as he waited for her answer.

  Bailey crossed her legs at her knees. “Tuesday morning.”

  Seth blew out his breath. “That means I get you to myself tonight and tomorrow, and then we’ll have to work something out.”

  She studied him a long moment, trying to imagine not seeing him again. She couldn’t imagine it at all.

  “We will,” she said softly “I don’t know when or how much. I can’t ignore my friends.”

  “I would never ask you to.” His gaze held hers. “I’m just hoping you can fit me in.”

  “Fit you in?” Her mouth curved. “I’ll do more than fit you in, paniolo.” She shook her head as she thought about friends versus cowboy. “I’ll just have to figure it all out when they get here. I don’t want to ignore them, and I—I sort of have a thing for you.”

  Seth’s smile broadened into a grin. “A thing for me?”

  “Well.” Bailey pretended casualness with a shrug. “As far as ‘things’ go.”

  His eyes lit with mischief. “Things can go pretty far.”

  She groaned. “This is a losing battle.”

  “Uh-huh.” He leaned forward. “But it’s a losing battle where you win.”

  She thought about it a moment. Was that the right way to look at it?

  It was too much, too fast. Wasn’t it?

  She let her breath out in a long exhale. “We’ll just have to see.”