Paradise Wild (Wild At Heart Book 2)

by Christine Hartmann

  She leaned toward Denver and lowered her voice.

  “Then the custodians waxed the stage before the main performance. I took one hop in my fuzzy outfit and slid on my pink butt across the floor into the orchestra pit. That was before YouTube, luckily. But I broke most of the flutes in the wind section. They had to do a special fundraiser to replace them before football season.”

  Denver slid partly under the table, holding his sides as he laughed.

  “Oh, it gets better. How about my senior year on the volleyball team? I dove for a save during a game and hit my head on the net pole. Knocked myself out. In mid-air. That was in the early days of YouTube. It went viral.”

  Denver gasped. People in the neighboring booths stared at him.

  “Stop. I believe you.” He wiped his eyes and focused on her.

  Ellie sat back, arms crossed.

  His face dropped its smile. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. That must have been really hard.”

  Ellie grinned. “Stop biting your lip. I know I’m my own best comedy channel.”

  “No. Really.” He reached his hand across the counter, palm up.

  She hesitated, and then put her hand in his. His fingers closed around hers in a tight squeeze. “I want to laugh with people. Not at people. That first time I saw you in the water, you were scared. It could have looked funny to someone else. But it didn’t to me.”

  Ellie stared. “Nobody’s ever said that before.”

  Denver’s unblinking eyes held her gaze for what seemed like Ellie to be hours.

  “You never met me before.”

  ***

  At Kanaha Beach Park, the deep green folds of the West Maui range created a mystical backdrop to the brilliant blue ocean and tan sand. Wind surfers shot across the water, bouncing on the rough surface whipped up by the strong northerly blast. Ellie held her hair in her hand, sand blowing against her bare legs. She and Denver meandered along the shore. Eventually, the hot sun drove them to the shade of a hau tree, where gusts of warm, moist ocean air fluttered the heart-shaped leaves.

  “Wait here.” Denver held up his hand and jogged back to his Ford Escape.

  Ellie watched. He was handsome, she thought, the way a stallion is handsome, overflowing with graceful power, built for speed and hard work, yet also unexpectedly silken and alluring.

  He returned carrying a beach blanket and a mini cooler.

  Ellie’s eyes narrowed. “So this wasn’t an impromptu side trip after all?”

  Denver presented her a bottle of cold water.

  “My parents are pilots. I’m always prepared for an emergency landing.”

  Denver sat cross-legged. Ellie fidgeted.

  Why’d I wear a skirt? Can’t cross my legs. Kneeling’s stupid. Sideways gets old.

  She finally apologized and stretched out, supporting her head on her arm, looking into the boughs above.

  “If you’re going down, I am too.” Denver stretched himself beside her at a respectable distance.

  Ellie closed her eyes. “Hawaii’s amazing if you pay attention.”

  “There’s no place like it.”

  “My friend Jacqui says it can bring out the worst in people. She says she sees visitors who spend their whole vacation seething with resentment.”

  “Because it’s so beautiful?”

  The ocean breeze whirled through the overhead leaves. “Because their own home isn’t beautiful. They’re pissed they have to go back.”

  “So they never really arrive.”

  Ellie rolled to face him. “I guess so. I don’t want to do that.”

  Denver turned on his side. “Are you afraid you will?”

  “Maybe.” Ellie squinted at him. “Do you have something you’d do over again if you could?”

  Denver dropped a hand to the blanket with a thump. “Sure. I wouldn’t have gone into business for myself. I’d have joined my parents’ company.” He rolled onto his back again and stared at the sky.

  “I’m not complaining. I like my company. Drones are cool. We’re on the cutting edge of a lot of things. But there’s a lot of pressure. It would have been easier to learn the ropes from my parents first. Now I feel like can’t go back and ask them questions all the time.”

  “Are things going well?”

  “RED’s doing…okay. There’s a lot of demand. Drones for non-military purposes is what we do. China’s a big market with a lot of possibilities. But my partner and I are the only front-office employees. It sometimes feels…overwhelming.”

  Waves crashed against the sand in the distance. Near the parking lot two homeless men scuffled about rights to a bench.

  “A lot of pressure?”

  “It’s fine. I worry too much.” Denver shifted back to face her. “What about you?”

  Ellie brushed hair back from her forehead. “Worry?”

  “No. What would you do over?”

  Ellie pursed her lips and examined the hem of her skirt. “I would go to Stanford instead of the University of Delaware.”

  “You got into Stanford and didn’t go?”

  “My parents teach at the U of D. It’s a good school.” Her momentary smile faded. “But I stayed in Delaware for such a basic reason. To be with my boyfriend, Elliot. The same jerk who dumped me after we moved together to San Francisco.”

  Denver skidded abruptly across the blanket. Her heart skipped a beat and she held her breath as he enfolded her face in his hands. She closed her eyes, waiting and wishing for what might come next.

  Still, when his lips bore down on hers, the intensity made her shiver. She stared at him. His unblinking eyes told her exactly what he thought of the loser who had let her go. Time and space telescoped for her to that one instant. The roar of waves filled her ears, a light breeze caressed her body, and the scents of sunscreen, sea, and Denver’s aftershave made her head spin. She clutched his hands to anchor her, afraid she would float away.

  Denver explored her mouth and neck, bearing down insistently, nibbling at her as though he could not get enough. Ellie melted into his embrace, borne along on the tide of his passion. His hands rubbed her back. His lips pulled her earlobes. His rough cheeks rubbed against hers.

  His desire staggered her. It felt like a strong tide washing her out to an ocean she had never explored, had never even known to exist. Her participation in their entwined fervor came in spurts, as she rose to the surface and gulped for air, pressing back against his lips, gripping his smooth back with her fingers. Then he pressed himself against her again and she dove under, submerged by the waves, letting him lead, floating, blissful, in his arms.

  She expected him to stop or to push her too quickly to a place she wasn’t quite ready to go. But instead he rode the wave of her desire perfectly, matching the rhythm it beat against his shore. When he did pull away, seemingly hours later, it was at the exact moment she thought she would need to resurface for air.

  She lay breathless in his arms, heart-shaped shadows playing across her chest.

  ***

  Keep your mind on the job at hand, Ellie.

  Her car followed the reflective road stripes of Mokulele Highway in the early evening dark. But her thoughts floated constantly back to the blanket under the tree, the insistence of his kiss, the hour that magically disappeared from her day in the space of what felt like a few minutes.

  It was only kissing. No big deal.

  Her lips still tingled from his last embrace in the parking lot. Her body still throbbed from the way his chest rubbed against her breasts.

  Snap out of it.

  A car behind her honked, jerking her mind back to the road. She could still make out the taillights of Denver’s SUV in front of her. She sped up to keep them in sight.

  Traffic thinned as the highway transformed into the wide, tree-lined main street of Wailea.

  No way. He lives near me?

  She watched his car turn left at a traffic light. She raced through the yellow signal.

  I’ll follow him home.

>   She felt a faint twinge of guilt at the idea and dismissed it. The road snaked past grand hotels, gated communities, and a golf course. Her foot eased on the accelerator.

  Ellie stared. Denver’s turn signal flashed. He veered carefully down a side road. Her road. She braked and waited a few seconds before following. When she rounded the corner, the street was empty. She drove slowly past her neighbors’ homes, peering down driveways right and left. In one she finally caught a glimpse of the Escape’s brake lights disappearing behind a solid metal gate.

  Ellie’s mouth hung open. She pulled in front of her own metal bamboo fence.

  He lives next door.

  Chapter 10

  The house seemed strangely empty after the date with Denver, and after changing into more casual clothes, she retreated to the front steps. Residual heat from the mid-day sun still emanated from the sculptured cement, warming her legs as she sat. Viv, on a leash, explored the grass for critters.

  Geckos chirped, shrill and insistent, like young birds waiting to be fed. The evening air was motionless, the rhythmic crashing of waves growing louder the longer Ellie listened. She gazed at the shrubbery that separated her yard from Denver’s.

  Her phone pinged.

  Denver: Miss u already.

  Her heart jumped. She squinted toward the bushes.

  No light. Where is he?

  Ellie: Did u see me follow u?

  He’ll think I’m a stalker.

  Delete.

  Ellie: Craziest thing. I live next door.

  TMI after just one date. Way awkward if this doesn’t go anywhere.

  Delete.

  Ellie: Had gr8 time.

  Denver: What r u doing tomorrow night?

  A party song boomed to life in her head. He wants me. Her shoulders wiggled in time with the music.

  Ellie: Nothing. Want to get together?

  Wait. A colder part of her brain flipped off the dance music. Don’t jump in headfirst. Take it easy.

  Delete.

  She pursed her lips.

  Ellie: Sorry. Busy.

  Denver: This weekend?

  Damn. This time I really am busy.

  Ellie: My friend’s coming from CA on Sun.

  Denver: Sat? U been to Maui’s swap meet?

  Ellie grinned.

  Ellie: No.

  Denver: U’ll love it.

  Ellie: Love thinking about going with u.

  She shook her head.

  Get a grip.

  Delete.

  Ellie: Looking forward to it. Sleep tight.

  She kissed the phone lightly.

  Denver: U2.

  “Come on, Viv.” Ellie kept her voice low and tugged the cat’s leash. Viv braced his feet against the steps, arched his back, and resisted with every ounce of his nine pounds.

  “What’s so great out here?”

  Everything, his body seemed to say.

  “Be sensible. Bad creatures could eat you.” She reached under his belly and hoisted him into her arms, where he hung limp and dejected. “You can’t always do what your heart says, you know. Sometimes you have to use your brain.”

  ***

  The following morning Ellie heard the gardeners pull into the driveway just after breakfast. She yanked a towel from the bathroom rod and wrapped it around her head, dug in the kitchen drawers for her beach sunglasses, and threw her San Francisco Giants windbreaker over her sarong before she stepped outside to greet them.

  “You look like you’re trying to avoid paparazzi.” Celine laughed at her later from the corner of the laptop, which Ellie had perched near the living room windows.

  “What would you do in my position?”

  “Act normal.”

  Ellie pushed the drooping headdress from her forehead. “Normal?”

  “Sure. He doesn’t know you followed him home. If he notices you next door, you can act surprised.”

  Ellie made a face. “Are you kidding? How good am I at acting?”

  “Bad.”

  “Right. I think my plan’s better. Wear disguises. Hope he doesn’t notice. And figure out a way to bring it up casually later. If there is a later.”

  Celine rolled her eyes. “He asked you out again, didn’t he?”

  Ellie maneuvered her little finger inside the turban and scratched. “He doesn’t know what he’s getting into.”

  “Believe me. He knows. That was no speed date you went on.”

  “No.” Ellie’s eyes glittered. “But I came here to get away from all that.”

  “Remind me what your plan was again?”

  “To avoid the dating grind. The broken heart crap.”

  Celine nodded slowly. “Ah. I see. That kind of stuff that’s only possible in San Francisco.”

  “I’m starting fresh.”

  “You told your next door neighbor you’re keeping it casual?”

  Ellie shook her head. Baby blue terry cascaded across her face. She forced an opening through the folds. “Got to go work on my disguise.”

  “See you later, Double-Oh-Seven.”

  In the afternoon, Ellie drove to a tourist outlet before heading to Jacqui’s hotel. She flicked through hangers of garishly colored sundresses, choosing ones two sizes larger than what she usually wore. A floppy woven leaf hat and oversized sunglasses joined the pile on the counter while Don Ho music drifted on the air-conditioned breeze.

  Jacqui met her at the hotel spa check in desk. She dragged Ellie quickly behind the counter. “You bring yoga clothes?”

  “No. All I’ve got is spy clothes.”

  Jacqui’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ll ask you about that later. But right now I’m in a pinch. I’ll lone you something.”

  Jacqui strode past glass brick walls and gleaming marble counters with Ellie jogging to keep up. Pink flowers overflowed from baskets hung overhead with invisible wires, creating the sensation of walking under a cascade of blossoms. Harp music filtered from screened speakers. The air smelled of lavender and musk. Jacqui veered into a dark hallway behind a door discretely marked ‘Personnel Only’. Ellie followed. They stepped into a white locker room. Jacqui flung open a locker door and rummaged through the contents. She handed Ellie a crumpled black bundle.

  Ellie held tiny Lycra pants at eye level. “You think I can fit into these?”

  Jacqui eyed her. “You’re not any bigger than me. They stretch.” She tugged off her shirt and Ellie turned away as Jacqui undid her bra.

  “I’ve got a class to teach and only one student showed up. You have to help me out.” She handed Ellie the still warm bra and tank top.

  Ellie averted her eyes, mouth wrinkled. “I have to wear these?”

  “Unless you want to wear this?” Jacqui turned around and displayed a skin-tight leopard pattern exercise top.

  “Uh, no.” Ellie looked around for a changing booth.

  “Just do it here.” Jacqui fiddled her bra into place. “I’ve got to put on some make-up. Nobody comes in here at this time of day.”

  When Jacqui disappeared, Ellie removed her street clothes and struggled with the Lycra bottoms. I’ve put on jeans with more give than this. She heaved the hem above her hips with a two-handed tug. It snapped into place.

  “Ow.”

  “You okay back there?” Jacqui craned her neck in the mirror.

  Ellie rubbed her backside. “I don’t think I’m quite as thin as you think I am.”

  “Doesn’t matter how you look.”

  “Says who?” Ellie waved Jacqui’s bra in the air and sniffed carefully. At least it’s not stinky. When she had it on, she looked down with dismay, seeing that her breasts hardly filled the cups.

  Jacqui rounded the corner of the lockers. “You look great.”

  Ellie beheld herself in a mirror. “You don’t have a single bump of fat, and you’re falling out of that bra. I look like I snuck into my mother’s closet.”

  “Nobody will be looking. Follow me.”

  Ellie traipsed after her. “Why exactly am I taking your
class again?”

  Jacqui pushed her out the door back into the guest area. “Because it looks bad if I don’t have at least two people. You said you wanted to be a spy. Here’s your chance to go incognito. For the next two hours, you’re a rich hotel guest from Washington State. Now follow the signs for the yoga studio.”

  Jacqui pulled the door closed behind her.

  Ellie pulled at her sagging bra and sighed. “Two hours?”

  Two and a half hours later, the friends sat at the hotel bar by the Maui-shaped swimming pool. Couples held hushed conversations around them. Muffled Miles Davis mingled with the splashing of the pool’s waterfall.

  Ellie raised her Blue Hawaii with a groan, one hand supporting the other. “I’m never going to be able to lift my arms again.”

  Jacqui pushed aside a half finished gin and tonic and stared at the waterfall. “You’re building muscle.”

  “I have no muscle. That’s why I kept falling over.”

  Jacqui glanced at her phone. “Keep the big picture in mind—moving with grace though the universe.”

  Ellie folded her arms on the bar and flopped her head to rest. Jacqui instinctively whisked Ellie’s drink out of harm’s way.

  Jacqui held up her phone again. “I just got another text.”

  Ellie opened one eye and peeped at her. “Something serious?”

  Jacqui shook her head. “Don’t know. It’s just a rumor. But it’s going viral.”

  Something in the tone of Jacqui’s voice brought Ellie to a sitting position. “What happened?”

  “They say someone was killed on the hotel grounds last night.” Jacqui inspected the pool in front of them. “Here.”

  Ellie drew her legs up in disgust. “Eew. In the water?”