She smiled when she saw a small turtle on the gravel, lazily moving its head. “This is gorgeous.” She let her big tote fall onto the rock.
“Let’s go inside.” Luc took off his shirt and removed his shorts. She almost gasped when she noticed he had dark blue swim trunks underneath.
Penny hesitated. She had chosen a black two-piece bikini because her plan had been visiting places and beaches with Brad, her gay co-worker, and let’s face it, she could use a tan. If she’d known Luc would be the one joining her, she’d have chosen a diver’s wet suit instead. Something that covered my big butt.
He dove into the pool, and she took advantage of the smack of his body against the splashing water, to quickly bring her sundress to her feet, wiggle out of the flip flops and follow suit.
She dipped right in and to her surprise, although the creek was small, it was deep and the current, fairly strong. The cold water brought an instant shiver to her body. She dunked her head, and when she emerged, an excited giggle escaped her quivering lips.
Penny exhaled, and brushed the hair off her face with both hands, then mimicked putting it up in a ponytail when she saw him.
Luc Leoni treaded water, his hair wet, with droplets dripping from his handsome face. Whew. His sexy mismatched eyes drilled into hers, and a heat wave coursed through her body. Silence descended upon them, bringing with it the kind of awareness she tried to fight. The way his eyes trailed down her, searing every part of her body in their wake.
Although the water covered her up to her shoulders, it was clear. He could see how the triangle bikini top left little to imagination, not to mention her bare, fair skinned stomach. He arched an eyebrow once he saw her hips.
Penny took a deep breath. Why did she think she’d be somehow sheltered in the water, when in fact she had never felt more exposed?
“I didn’t know the current would be strong.” She stretched her hand to hold onto a rock for support, as her legs treaded inside the water, making invisible kicks.
“Why didn’t you marry him, Penelope?” Luc asked, his voice slicing the tension.
She reached the rock. It made her mad that as she, literally, tried to keep her head above water, he simply stepped closer, as if the current didn’t mean a thing. “It wouldn’t have worked.”
“Obviously.” There was a pang of sarcasm in his voice. “Why did you wait so long?”
He must have meant why she had waited so long to break up with Darren. She considered that for a moment, however she decided to say what made her heart beat fast instead, “Well, the irony is back then I’d thought I’d waited too long. I wanted the perfect wedding. The perfect life. Darren really loved me, you know?”
His eyes darkened.
“I thought it was the right thing to do. When I organized the rehearsal dinner, I realized that I wasn’t the perfect bride. And maybe, I didn’t want to be.” Her voice wavered as the memory of the void that filled her during that day raced through her mind. “It wasn’t fair for him to be a prop in the dream I built around him. He deserved more.” Her voice gained confidence. “I deserve more.”
She glanced at him, half hoping he’d drop the subject because Luc wasn’t keen on deep-level conversations, and half hoping he wouldn’t. He surprised her with a tight nod and a remote stare.
“Telling everyone was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. My parents had flown in from Florida, all of our friends and family had made arrangements.” She continued, feeling the weight of a ton of bricks being slowly lifted off her shoulders. “But it also gave me a different perspective. My co-workers sided with Charles, who hated me because deep down he wanted to relinquish Darren’s issues with drinking to me.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Issues?”
“He’s a recovering alcoholic. My canceling the wedding took him to a dark place, and he relapsed.” She fought to keep her voice steady, but tears still welled in her eyes.
He gave her a compassionate smile, and her heart contracted. “Is that why you keep in touch with him?”
She pressed her lips and remembered all the meetings she’d gone alongside him, as well as the conversations she’d had with his therapist. Even after their breakup, to vanish from Darren’s life had been impossible. In some ways, she had been more linked to him after they were together than during. “I don’t want to completely disappear from his life. I feel bad for him. It’s my fault.”
“Penelope, it’s not your fault. Alcoholism is a disease. He needs treatment.”
“He is getting it…he’s better,” she said with relief. She sniffed and wiped the tear from the corner of her eye with her index finger.
“Do you realize if you hang around, it will only make it worse for him? You’re only avoiding the inevitable.”
“I know.” She sighed. “Sometimes, though, I can’t help the guilt. But, then, on the other side, how could we dive into marriage when—”
“He didn’t fulfill you?”
“I’m not talking sexually.” She stumbled on her words, and her face warmed.
His gaze darted on hers, and although he didn’t move, she felt the two of them getting closer and closer. The entity of desire, or whatever it was called, quickly broke the barrier she’d been trying so hard to build.
“But I’m sure that was to blame too, no?”
Yes. “Well, I -- I don’t know, I mean… It was just different.” She tried to sound natural as her hands played with the water, making waves around her. “Different than with you.”
“You make it all different for me too.” He closed the small gap between them, his accent more pronounced. “You make it better.”
His honesty disarmed her. Any intention she had of moving away dissolved like air bubbles. Her fingers caressed the rough surface of the rock behind her.
He cupped her face with one hand, while the other clenched on her waist, his fingers biting into her skin. Her need for him overpowered any lasting doubt. When he lowered his lips, she opened her mouth to stroke his tongue with hers.
Penny moaned when he grasped her even tighter, rougher. She savored his hot lips, his strong chest, his hard-on pulsating through his trunks. He slid his thigh in between her legs, and a hot tingle spread through her system.
“Luc,” she part warned, part moaned.
The current only molded their bodies further if that was even possible. He withdrew his mouth from hers and began to nibble her chin, and she threw her head back to prolong the delicious sensation running through her veins. Her body quivered with pleasure once his teeth grazed her over sensitized neck. With a quick glance around them, she sighed with relief because they were the only ones in the area. But for how long?
No voices, either. Only the soothing sound of water splashing into the creek. The serenity of the ambience strongly contrasted the tsunami of emotions inside her. Pleasure. Apprehension. The inner battle between letting go and staying grounded even though her feet no longer reached the bottom.
She suppressed a moan when with his head submerged. He boldly pushed her bikini top aside and freed her aching breast.
The simmering heat that traveled through her body reached an agonizing level, her pink rosebuds sensitized by the cold water and the rub of his hot tongue. Luc kissed, suckled, and teased one nipple with his tongue, grazing it between his teeth, while his hand cupped, pinched, and rubbed the other. Her fingers dug into his wet hair.
“Your breasts are amazing,” he said in between small gasps when his head emerged from the water. His hand glided on her body, and when he inserted two fingers inside her moist heat, she gasped. The bubble of pleasure ballooned inside her, and begged for release.
“Luc, we can’t do it here,” she murmured before reason slipped away completely. Just because there wasn’t anyone around them, well, was no guarantee no one would come.
His kiss almost made her change her mind, or lose it at last. More intoxicating than any Mai-tai. More delicious than cheesecake. “Come for me.” His husky tone both p
leaded and demanded.
He inserted a third finger, while his thumb rubbed, pressed, and teased her clit. “Tonight, I’ll be inside you, ma petite.” His words seared in her ears as he nibbled on her earlobe.
“Yes.” Her answer was a desperate scream.
A surge started at her toes and skittered all the way to her racing heart, warning her it was time to let go. She could no longer fight it. She wanted him. His promise to be inside her later on only fueled her inside turmoil.
It was all too much. He nipped her earlobe and began to whisper words in French, of which she didn’t know the meaning. But she imagined. Oh, yes. She closed her eyes and let him take the lead, as he touched her deep and hard and made circles on her inner lips. He increased the pressure on his thumb, encouraged by her low whimpering in his ear.
The bubble burst inside her, and she quivered for a few minutes, as her body went through the motions: the anticipation, the shocking pleasure and the aftermath. Still trembling, she rested her head on his shoulder as he held her close and kissed her wet hair.
She couldn’t wait for tonight.
Chapter Seven
“Why are we here?” she asked when they hopped off the motorcycle and she saw a rusted sign over an office with faded red paint that read Hana Airport. “Pictures?” She grabbed her digital camera from her bag, and realized that most pictures that day had been of her, which Luc had offered to take.
She had waited for the perfect opportunity to snatch a picture of him, without trying too hard. After she’d admitted she wanted him, she didn’t want to act like an infatuated airhead. Those days were over, she hoped.
“Better.” He grinned, and as someone waved at him, her pulse skittered. No, it wasn’t the bald burly guy who greeted Luc with such enthusiasm that scared her, but what was by his side–a tiny helicopter, the sun shining on its metal. She let the camera fall deep into her bag.
“Luc?” she called to him as he made arrangements with the man and signed a piece of paper.
He took his time studying her face, feature by feature. The raw desire from earlier vanished from his eyes. Instead, they flickered with an emotion that could only be unwavering support. But why?
A chilling trickle of fear spread in her bloodstream, as she anticipated his goal. He wanted her to fly–with him, she assumed, as he opened the doors of the helicopter and inspected the helmets and what looked like an infinite number of small buttons on the black console.
“You can do this.” Luc turned to her, when she opened her mouth to protest.
She looked at his hands; his long fingers caressed the console with a knowing touch, then at his eyes, which carried the boldness of someone who wouldn’t stand for a negative response. Someone happy to take her out of her comfort zone. Someone she felt like slapping across the face.
“I can’t go in there.” She touched her stomach and wished she could stop the sourness from spreading.
“You don’t sound like a woman who called off her wedding,” he said coolly, without a trace of accusation. Instead, challenge flickered in his eyes. “Overcome your fear.”
Overcome your fear. Easy for him to say. A man like Luc didn’t fear anything, and if he did, he grabbed the bull by its horns. Penny chewed on her lower lip, looking at him through the helicopter glass. “Are you just doing this to mock me, Luc?”
He frowned.
“There’s always the possibility you find pleasure in seeing me terrified.”
He chuckled. “Sometimes I find pleasure in…seeing you. But I won’t get into that, since we are in a public place.” Straightening his posture, he nodded more to himself than to her. Then he gave her a glance, a sobering expression taking over his handsome face. “Take the chance, Penny. I’ll fly, and if you feel uncomfortable we can come back.”
Why is he doing this?
Anxiety crawled up her body. “I already feel uncomfortable.”
“That’s just your fear talking.”
She inhaled. Deep down, it was damn time to move forward. Wouldn’t it be nice to step onto a commercial flight without a sweaty forehead and a chill on her spine? “What the hell.” She agreed with a shrug, acting like it was no big deal. Maybe if she acted that way, she’d convince herself.
Luc explained a few commands to her, and she paid attention to his explanations. The helicopter was even smaller once she was inside. She scooted on the chair to make herself comfortable. A heavy headset framed her head. No way to change my mind now.
She glanced at Luc, who maneuvered the buttons and what looked just like a car clutch with familiarity. As the helicopter took off, the noise got louder, and although this looked like a perfectly safe aircraft, it did nothing to damper her panic of flying.
That familiar fear crept up again, and she recognized the signs: light headedness, chest contractions, and a very dry, clogged throat. Faking a strong front was harder than she imagined. Why had she agreed to do this?
Luc’s right hand rested on hers, and he clasped it in a reassuring squeeze. “Look around you.”
She took a deep breath and followed his advice. First, it looked like the inside of white cotton candy. The clouds surrounded them. When she dared to look down, fear again pierced her stomach.
He loosened the grip on her hand, making invisible circles on her wrist with his fingers. His touch felt too good for her to worry about anything else.
As soon as she glanced at the wide open spaces, which looked like an endless green carpet, excitement rippled her skin. “It’s breathtaking.” She gasped, and freed her hand from his completely.
“I told you it’d be worth it.” He flew over the famous beach with black sand in Hana, where the white foam from the waves battered the rocks.
A small hysterical sound escaped her lips for the second time. She found no appeal in giggling, but her newfound excitement knew no barriers. She turned her head, her gaze darting to every possible angle from where she sat. She felt like a kid on her first train ride at the county fair. She touched the window and rectified her new relationship with the skies. “Thanks, Luc.”
“No need.” His lips curled into a dashing smile which made her want to kiss him senseless. No. They were up in the air, for goodness’ sake. They exited yet another ball of clouds and emerged inside the clear blue sky. Elucidation reached her mind.
“Did you always fear flying?”
She pressed her lips together. “No.” Even though it wasn’t cold, she braced herself. “When I was nine…I flew by myself for the first time, to spend my summer vacation with my Nana. My parents were separating.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“They both wanted to see me off at the airport, which turned into the worst idea ever. They had this big argument on the way there, and in the car I just couldn’t wait to get inside the airplane.” She appreciated his encouraging silence. “I wanted to run. Then once the plane took off, I was all alone. And I knew it wasn’t just temporary.”
“Where are they now?”
“Dad remarried. Mom dated someone for a while, but it’s over. They both live in Florida, with a comfortable four hundred miles in between.”
“And you were very close to your grandmother.” The nostalgia in his voice was as if he had known Nana. Or perhaps just remembered what Penny had told him about her. No. He couldn’t. It’d been way too long, back when all he wanted was to get in her pants. Much like now.
“She gave me stability when I needed it.”
He seemed lost in thought for a moment. “Do you still need stability?”
“If that’s all I wanted I would have married Darren. I don’t want to settle just because I’m thirty. Marriage shouldn’t be that way.” She looked straight into his eyes, and his nod didn’t offer her any explanation. “I take it you don’t want commitment?” She assumed nonchalantly.
He cleared his throat. “I guess it’s been like that.”
“It looks to me like it was your choice to avoid commitment.”
He
groaned, and she saw his lips tighten through the opening of his helmet.
“I just prefer things a certain way. Everything that love involves…putting someone else first, the responsibility…love. I’ve done all of that already at an early age.” Although a cool detachment sharpened his voice, he kept his fingers busy by touching some buttons on the console.
“But you never married.”
“That’s true.” Although he stiffened his chest, his feet moved around the pedal, as if he sought for a way out of the situation. “My dad died when I was fifteen, here in Hawaii. My mother couldn’t take all the memories. So we packed and left for New York, the three of us.”
“Three?”
He cleared his throat. “My younger brother Bertrand. He had Down Syndrome and congenital heart disease. But we did all we could and he lived eighteen years.”
Her body stilled, her mind trying to register the existence and death of his sibling. She remembered the colorful kid drawings she found in his closet, and her chest contracted. Poor Luc. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Touched by the strain in his voice, she stretched her hand to his. She entangled his fingers with hers. Luc, though, quickly withdrew his hand, and raised his fingers to scratch his chin.
“Luc, was he alive when I met you?”
“Yes, he died six months after we met.”
When they had gotten involved, he never talked much about family, thus she assumed he was an only child. She went for a summer trainee program, having met him during her first month and started dating him in the second. Usually they both worked long hours, so they’d settled for ordering Chinese or a light sightseeing around New York City when possible. She’d shared an apartment with a couple of roommates who also worked at the hotel, and Luc had said he lived with people, too. Since his apartment was located far from where they worked, they settled on meeting at hers.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about him? I went through something too, remember?” The smell of home baked chocolate chip cookies, made from scratch, always came to mind whenever she thought of her lovely grandmother. “Only six months before we met. And I mentioned it to you a few times.”
Heating Up Hawaii Page 8
