Jessie wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but she was shaken out of the spell the moment one of the guys didn’t turn off in time. Even from shore, she could see the mistake right away. He went up for a jump just before the wave reached the outer reef and came down right on the inside corner of it. And stayed down.
“Shit,” muttered Tomoko.
Jessie’s hand came to her mouth as she watched the spot where he went down. His board popped up, floated away and then, finally, the guy surfaced. He looked around, like he was a little dazed, and then he lay on his back as the current swept him farther into Purgatory. The other two surfers didn’t show any sign of noticing him.
“Fuck,” Tomoko said, standing up. “I’ll be right back.”
She ran up the hill and returned in a wet suit with her longboard and a life buoy.
“How can I help?” asked Jessie.
Tomoko frowned, still heading for the water. “I’ll need your help when I get him to shore. But don’t get in. Mr. Keahi saw this beach on my schedule, and he personally called this morning to make sure we weren’t surfing here. You’re definitely staying on shore.”
She waded in and pushed off the bottom, lying on her board. In powerful strokes, she paddled through the incoming waves. Byron had called Tomoko about their agenda? Jessie wasn’t sure how to sort through her reaction to this piece of information. She felt like she should be offended at the way he was watching over her but, strangely, she wasn’t. It felt good in an uneasy way, like even in her gut she wasn’t sure if she should be feeling this warm giddy.
But this was his resort. Of course he was worried about all his guests during a storm. She was absolutely not going to imagine the way that conversation would go if he were here right now. The way she’d glare at him, and his eyes would turn heavy and hot as he apologized. Nope, she wasn’t going to think about that. Especially when Tomoko was in the middle of a rescue.
Out by the reef, the guy lifted his head, looking around. One of the other surfers was pointing to him, but no one else was helping. The stranded surfer caught sight of Tomoko and started to swim for her, but his strokes didn’t do much against the current. Tomoko wasn’t a particularly big woman, but she was strong and fast, and soon she was there, helping him onto her board then heading back to shore. Jessie’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the streaks of red running down both the guy’s bare legs. She stood up to meet them as they came closer.
“He might have a broken ankle,” Tomoko called to her. “I want him to stay on the board. Can you help me get it to shore?”
Jessie kicked off her shoes and waded into the waves until she was waist-deep. Tomoko slipped off the board and took off her leash, and together they steadied the board and guided it onto the beach.
“I need to drive until I find cell phone service to call an ambulance,” said Tomoko. “Will you stay with him?”
“Of course.”
“And try to stop that bleeding if you can.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
BYRON WALKED INTO the Kalani’s office, steering his brain back to the reason he was taking a detour to the island on his way to Tokyo: to check on the damage to the resort. He’d rationalized that he would have made this trip even if Jessie wasn’t here, though considering the initial report that the damage was mild, the truth was that he would have waited until after the business in Tokyo was settled. As it was, he didn’t have much time. He needed to leave tonight if he was going to make his meeting in the morning...and he’d do better with some sleep, too. Which meant he wasn’t staying the night with Jessie. Sex might not even be on the table if he showed up at her door after the business portion of this trip was done, so this wasn’t just a very expensive and inconvenient booty call.
Byron wasn’t completely sure all this logic worked, but after a long day back in New York, he’d made the impulse decision to follow it. The buzz of excitement running through him warred with the echo of Sheila’s warning: be careful. He could handle seeing Jessie for a few more hours then walk away. This was just a little more fun while she was still here at the Kalani.
He headed for his office, but Sheila intercepted him. The look on her face told him he wasn’t going to like whatever was going to come out of her mouth. But he had prepared for her warnings, so he gave her an easy smile.
“Good morning,” he said, then checked his watch. “Is it still morning here?”
She frowned. “I got a call from Tomoko a bit ago.”
Byron froze. There was worry in her voice. “And?”
“The connection was bad, but I heard the words Purgatory and ambulance.”
His entire body was still as he digested the words Purgatory and ambulance. They traveled down fast and hit him hard in the gut, staying there, twisting. What the hell was going on? Tomoko had specifically said they were just going to check out the spot, not surf...though Jessie definitely liked to do things her way. But Tomoko wouldn’t have given in to Jessie if she pushed her...would she?
He wasn’t sure how long he had been quiet. “You tried to call her back?”
“I couldn’t get through. You know how reception is in that area.”
Byron’s imagination was already at work, feeding him all sorts of worst-case scenarios. He needed to do something, and it wasn’t going to be a well-thought-out something if he didn’t stay calm. One slow breath. Another. No phones, no way to communicate.
“What are they driving?”
“Tomoko’s red pickup.”
Easy to spot. There was only one main road between the Kalani and Purgatory, and it continued south, to Hilo...where the nearest hospital lay. If he took that road, he could track them down.
“I’m going to head to Purgatory, and if they’re not there, I’ll keep going,” he said. “Marcos can start the review of the damage without me.”
Sheila tilted her head to the side, her gaze thoughtful. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but seemed to change her mind. Finally, she sighed. “You could use one of the maintenance trucks if you don’t want to wait for a driver to get your car.”
He blinked. His own car was parked in the garage of his house, which would take a while to access, and the driver who had dropped off him and Marcos was long gone. The maintenance trucks were much closer. Whatever Sheila’s hesitations about the direction this was taking, she was still helping him.
“That’s a great idea,” he said.
“You know what I’m going to say.” She sighed. “Be careful.”
“This is careful,” he said and headed for the door.
Not careful would have been to cancel a week of important meetings just to spend a few more days with Jessie. Which was what he’d wanted to do that night they said goodbye. But he didn’t. He was keeping his priorities straight, putting the Kalani and his promise to his father first. Searching for her didn’t change anything, nor did that sinking feeling that had settled in his gut. He was still on track for all his business priorities, too.
Byron climbed into one of the maintenance trucks and found the keys in the glove compartment. He started it and headed for the main road. Very few cars were on the road as he drove down the eastern coast of the island. The pavement was still wet, and leaves and branches sat in clumps on the road, where washes of water had pushed them. Byron blocked out all his unease, forcing himself to focus on the road in front of him and his next step.
He was going to find Jessie. And whatever lay ahead, he’d figure out how to deal with it.
He turned off the highway and got onto the winding road that led to Purgatory, his heart jumping in his chest. As he headed down the last dirt road, he searched for ambulance lights flashing ahead. Nothing. But parked at the end of the road, between a black truck and a VW bus, was a red pickup. Tomoko’s truck. Either they had left with the ambulance or they were still here.
Byron pulled up next to the VW bus and
parked then shut off the engine. He jumped out, starting for the beach, scanning the scene in front of him. His steps slowed as he caught sight of Jessie and Tomoko sitting on the beach, not far from the water. Jessie was leaning back on her hands, and her long white hair dangled in the sand behind her. Her legs were crossed, and she looked relaxed. And unharmed.
Byron came to a stop halfway down the slope to the beach. Now that he was sure she was safe, the reverberations of every worry he had tamped down hit him. After all the effort he had made to keep calm, his heartbeat was racing, chased by a different kind of unease. That need to take care of her had recklessly spread outside the bedroom. He had been scared about Jessie, scared enough that he hadn’t even considered other possibilities in this situation that should have been equally disturbing—like the fact that it could’ve been Tomoko who was the injured one.
Byron swiped a hand over his face. He could figure that out on the plane to Tokyo. Right now, he could focus on the woman in front of him and the fact that his body was quickly diverting the rush of his worries into other areas. Visions of how to relieve some of that tension were emerging.
Shut it off, buddy. You don’t even know if she’ll be happy to see you.
He took one more calming breath and started across the sand. The wind was blowing gently onshore, and neither of the women heard his approach. His mind was still reeling from his intense reaction to the idea that Jessie might be hurt, and he wasn’t sure what he was going to say. Instead, he silently sat down on the beach next to her.
Jessie glanced at him, then did a double take as she turned, her mouth parted in surprise, her eyes wide.
“What...?” Her question trailed off at she stared at him. “How...?”
Her second attempt failed, too, but a smile was spreading across her face. God, it felt good to see her again, and he was dying to show her just how good he felt. But not here, on a public beach, right in front of a Kalani employee.
Byron tipped his chin at Tomoko, who was also gawking at him. “Hey. Everything okay here?”
Slowly, she nodded. “Sheila told you about the surfer that got stuck between the reefs?”
Oh. Now this situation was making more sense.
“She only caught a few key words, like Purgatory and ambulance. And I...” He hesitated, debating how to finish that statement. “I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
An understatement. Jessie was studying him like she had plenty of things she wanted to ask, but this wasn’t the place. His gaze slid up her long legs to her cutoffs...which were wet.
“You cold?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not really.”
God, he wanted to get her alone. And he only had a few more hours until he was scheduled to leave again.
“You mind if I join you for a while?”
“We were about to leave. Unless you have another suggestion?” There was a hint of challenge in her voice. It wasn’t overtly sexual, at least not in a way that anyone else would pick up on, but for him it was an invitation.
Did he take it, right here in front of Tomoko? Then again, he had just taken personalized service to a new level by showing up. He was almost sure she understood something was going on. And with the clock on his departure ticking, he decided he wasn’t going to care.
“Can I offer you a ride back?” he asked.
Jessie smiled a little. “You can.”
She brushed the sand off her hands and stood up, while he tried like hell not to stare at her. So he got up, and they all started for the road. Tomoko said goodbye and headed for her truck, and he opened the door for Jessie and then climbed into the driver’s seat. They sat in silence, looking at each other, excitement bubbling inside him.
“Is that other surfer okay?” he asked.
“He broke his ankle and got cut up on the reef, but he seems fine,” said Jessie. “Tomoko rescued him, by the way.”
Neither of them spoke for a while.
“You’re here,” she whispered.
“I aim to please.”
* * *
Jessie sat in the passenger seat, trying hard not to stare at Byron as he drove. It was the first time she had seen him in a button-down shirt and dress pants, and it was a good look on him. Neither of them had said much since he’d pulled out of the parking space and started back toward the Kalani, and she was grateful to have a little time to process the fact that Byron was actually here, in the car next to her. She was trying like hell to get her head around it. Each time that thought went through her mind her heart gave a new jump, because the mix of joy and relief at seeing Byron on the beach had been...startling.
She had allowed herself to think a lot about Byron over the last couple days, despite the fact that he was a Powerful, Important Man, because she was never supposed to see him again. She never would have let her thoughts linger on a man for this long otherwise. Probably. Maybe. Well, truthfully, it had been hard to stop thinking about him.
Jessie had decided this was just because he didn’t act like any of the other Powerful, Important Men she had struggled with in the past. Or anyone else, for that matter. It was hard to tell how objectively she was seeing him, or if her view was clouded by all the very hot sex he seemed hell-bent on giving her. Now he was dressed like he belonged in a boardroom, and the image of him on his knees, serving her... Was this the same kind of rationalization that Jillian told herself, too? That gazillionaire Scott was “different,” despite the cutthroat decisions venture capitalists had to make in the name of growth and profitability? If so, Jessie really hoped that her sister was getting the same level of sexual attentiveness out of the deal.
But not only had Byron taught her just how much she loved being served by a man; he’d shown up on the island, completely unplanned, to...what? She still wasn’t sure why he had come, though she had her suspicions. Hopes, really.
“This resort is just one good time after another,” she said, breaking the silence. “Give my compliments to the owner.”
Byron glanced over at her, and his mouth curved up into a smile. “It’s specially attuned to each guest’s particular preferences.”
Jessie bit back her own grin. “Seriously, what are you doing here? I thought you had important CFO duties you couldn’t miss.”
“I had to survey the damage after the storm.”
“Oh.” Of course he wasn’t here just to see her. “Well, your timing is impeccable.”
He gave a snort of amusement, but he didn’t comment.
“How long are you here?”
“Just for a few hours. I have to be in Tokyo for a meeting tomorrow morning.”
He wasn’t even staying for the day, just stopping by. So why had he taken some of those few hours to come find her? Jessie was trying like hell not to read into this. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from pushing just a bit.
“Did you fly halfway around the world for sex?”
Byron shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it exactly that way.”
He didn’t look at all bothered by her question, and his answer wasn’t a denial. “How would you put it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “This trip has many...draws.”
Jessie laughed. It was a relief to laugh, after all the crazy events of the day. And Byron was here. For real. “Let’s make it worth your while.”
Watching him from the side like this was a treat. She could study him, looking at all the signs of happiness as his smile grew. “Gladly. But when we get back to the Kalani, a lot of things will be demanding my attention.” He glanced down at his watch, and his mirth faded a little. “And I don’t have a lot of time left.”
“Then we should probably quit talking and pull off the road soon.”
His eyes filled with heat and longing. Warmth flooded through her. She was the one who lit him up this way.
Byron pulled off at the next
exit and followed the narrow road under a bridge and along the side of a steep slope. They were on one side of a sharp valley, covered in lush forests that rose up over a river. At the far end, a waterfall peeked out through the trees. He parked in a scenic turnoff and rolled down his window, letting the sound of the water come in.
“Nice truck. You going for a working-class vibe?”
He flashed her a beautiful smile. “Does that work for you?”
“We’ll see.”
The car fell silent, and for a moment, Jessie found herself waiting for him to make a move. Then she remembered. This was Byron, a man who was turned on when she was taking the lead. She could do or say whatever the hell she felt like instead of trying to read what he wanted.
So she ran her hand along the dashboard, inspecting it. “When’s the last time you had sex in a car?”
“It’s been a while.”
She narrowed her eyes. “So you’re out of practice?”
And it was on. They were on. She could see it in the shift in his posture, the way his jaw tightened, the tension in the hand that lay on his thick, powerful thigh. Slowly, he looked over at her, his eyes full of heat. “We’ll see about that.”
Before she could answer, he unlocked the doors, opened the truck door and climbed out. Was she supposed to follow him? Hell no. He could come to her.
As it turned out, that was exactly what he was doing. She watched through the side-view mirrors as he walked around the back of the truck and headed for her door. He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and adjusted his cock. Oh, my, this was happening, and by the time his hand was on her door, she was really, really ready. All the fantasies she’d had since he left came back. She had craved this feeling right now, that Byron was about to devote every ounce of that careful focus to pleasing her.
The door opened, and he was right there, so big and real, and his eyes were like flames as they dipped down to her chest, then back up, to her lips. He seemed more determined than the last time they were together, which made her want to taunt him a little more. Besides, car sex didn’t have the most comfortable reputation.
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