“Thank you for this.” Tori wrapped her arms around him where they were standing by the screen door to the lanai. She squeezed him tightly then lifted her lips for a kiss. He met her halfway and they shared a long, leisurely kiss there in the light island breeze. It was such a pleasure to do something for Tori that she wouldn’t have done for herself.
He took one last taste then pulled away. “Okay, time to get into uniform. It’s against the law to wear clothes in paradise. You brought the red polka dot suit, right?” He waggled his eyebrows at her and, as he’d predicted, she blushed. He loved her new bikini she’d worn to his apartment swimming a couple of weeks ago—so much so that he’d made a point of mentioning it almost daily since then.
As much as he loved it, he’d suggested that it would be practical to have a second suit along. She hadn’t mentioned whether she’d bought one, but he knew she’d gone shopping for a while yesterday, longer than it would have taken just to buy a suitcase, so he had a suspicion that she had.
They walked back through the living area and stood there looking at the two bedrooms. They hadn’t discussed sleeping arrangements, but Adam hadn’t wanted to presume, so he’d made sure the condo he’d booked had two rooms. It had obviously been set up for a family. The master bedroom had a king-sized bed with a fluffy white comforter and a window that overlooked the pool and beach. It had a big en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower. The other bedroom had a double and a twin, both beds with matching red and blue striped coverlets, and a bathroom with a tub.
Without asking, he picked up her suitcase and took it into the master bedroom, leaving his duffle in the entryway. He set her bag on the dresser, turned around and froze.
Tori was putting his duffle bag on the suitcase rack by the closet.
Still, he tried. “I don’t mind sleeping in the kids’ room.”
Tori laughed and walked towards him. “It is a kids’ room, isn’t it? No. I think we can share the king just fine. Besides, this room is much more romantic.” She slid her arms around his waist.
He embraced her in return and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He loved how she fitted perfectly against him when they hugged. “It is, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and you have to be the most romantic guy in the world to do this. Seriously, Adam, I know I’ve probably said it a million times already, but this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”
His cheeks warmed under her intense gaze. “You’re welcome. You deserve it.” He just had to make it clear to her by the end of summer that they deserved a chance to try for something long term. There was too much at stake. His heart contracted at the thought of losing the woman in his arms and he cleared his throat. “So. Pool or beach? And would you like to eat in tonight or go out?”
* * * *
They ended up spending the remainder of the day walking on the beach, swimming, lounging on the lanai and by the pool. Then Tori fixed a small pitcher of margaritas and they visited with other guests and tenants at the communal grill as Adam grilled chicken breast skewers to have with their steamed rice and broccolini—a simple dish they ate outside and followed up with fresh pineapple shared by one of their neighbours.
“Come on, let’s take a stroll,” Adam whispered in her ear as they finished putting the kitchen to rights. His breath sent a shiver through her and she nodded.
“Let me grab a sweater.”
They walked the short distance across the lawn to the sand then started meandering up the beach in the direction of the refuge, carrying their sandals. Earlier the waning light had been beautiful on the water, with the palm trees and Haleakal in the distance. She’d taken several pictures on her phone and had sent one to her mom’s email.
Adam took her hands in his and she smiled mostly to herself. What a romantic trip this had been, and it was only the first day. She wondered if tonight would be the night that they would finally make love. It seemed fitting somehow. The whole place was magical and serene and she could definitely see why people continued to come back to the islands time after time. She was already wondering how much it would be to purchase one of the condos in their complex. It was a mix of year-round owners and short-term tourists, and it was very low-key and nice…
What on earth was she thinking? Once she went back to work, she would have as little time as ever, and popping over to Hawaii just wasn’t feasible or realistic. She might be older, but she wasn’t retired yet.
She laughed out loud, thinking that she probably wasn’t the first visitor to have fallen under the spell of the islands.
“Share?” Adam asked, rubbing her hand with his thumb.
Tori leaned against his upper arm. “I was just thinking about buying a condo here.” Adam started laughing too. “Yes, I know. I was telling myself that it was a bit premature to think about retiring to Hawaii, even for someone my age.”
“Stop it. You’re not that old.”
“Older than you.”
Adam stopped walking and pulled her to a halt. “Is that a problem as you see it?”
“No. No, it’s not,” she reassured him as she tugged him into motion again. “Really,” she added when he looked at her a bit incredulously.
“Okay, that’s good, because it’s not an issue for me. At all.” He ran his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. She snuggled in for warmth. It wasn’t chilly, per se, but without the sun the breeze was cool.
They walked for a while longer then turned back to return to the complex. After taking turns rinsing off the sand at the rinse station by the short steps up from the beach, they slipped their flip-flops on and returned to their lanai.
“Do you want to have some coffee or another drink and sit outside for a while?” Adam asked.
“Coffee sounds nice. I can’t get over how gorgeous it is. I’d hate to miss a moment by going to bed earlier than we have to.”
“Oh, I don’t know… I’m kind of looking forward to bedtime myself.”
Tori’s jaw dropped at his low, suggestive tone. And with that, Adam chuckled and went inside to make their coffee.
Come to think of it, I’m looking forward to it, too, she thought with a smile.
Chapter Ten
To simplify things and make the most of their space, Adam had volunteered to use the kids’ bathroom, so he’d headed in with his stuff to get ready for bed while Tori was in the master bath. He wondered as he brushed his teeth when was the last time he’d been a bit nervous about sleeping with a woman…and by that he meant actually sleeping. To be honest, he hadn’t ever really given it much thought before.
He’d tossed off that flirtatious remark earlier, but had immediately given himself a mental head-smack. Why had he even gone there when he was trying not to become more intimate?
Because he really, really wanted to. That was why.
He set his toothbrush aside and splashed some water on his face. If he didn’t pull himself together and start being consistent, he was going to look like a complete idiot, or at the very least indecisive.
And speaking of indecisive—sleep pants or boxer briefs? He usually slept in the buff but…
Oh hell, might as well wear both. Probably be good as a reminder for his control.
He slipped on the items then walked back through to the living area. The door to the master was wide open.
“Tori?”
“Come on in.” She padded barefoot out of the bathroom in a faded blue Cal Bears T-shirt that hung almost to her knees. It had the look of something that she wore a lot…and by its size and how boxy it was, it was obviously a man’s shirt. After an initial smile at him, she was no longer looking at him, busy sorting through some clothes she’d unpacked into the dresser.
A twinge hit him in the gut. Whose shirt had she kept? It took him a moment to realise that he was jealous of some mystery man from her past. It was a pretty alien feeling and didn’t sit well with him at all.
Turning away, he went to the window to look out on the subt
ly lit pool area and beyond to the palm trees silhouetted against the ocean. It was mostly quiet and the sound of the waves was soothing. “Is it okay with you if we leave the window open tonight?” he quietly asked over his shoulder.
“That sounds perfect.” Her voice was closer than he’d anticipated. She slid her hands around his abdomen and laid her cheek against his bare back.
The conflicting emotions warring within were a new experience for him. He loved being close to her, but not knowing where he stood, not knowing what the future held when so much was at stake, left an uneasy edge to his joy in being with her.
He swallowed down his discontent and reached back to pull her around the front of him, wrapping his arms around her as they both looked out of the window together. He heard her yawn and had to smile.
“It’s been a long, full day. Why don’t we go to bed?” he prompted.
“Mmm, that’s probably a good idea, but part of me doesn’t want to miss a moment.”
Adam knew what she meant. He turned and guided her away from the window and towards the bed. “You’ll still be in Hawaii and listening to the waves all night while you get some sleep. What side would you like?”
She answered by crawling up on the bed and across to the side away from the window closest to the bathroom. The back of the tee rode up her legs and gave him a glimpse of something satiny and aqua. More new lingerie? He groaned.
Tori lifted the covers and slid between the sheets, lying on her side facing Adam. He knew as soon as her head hit the pillow that he wouldn’t have much problem keeping it casual tonight. Her eyelids were already drooping.
He smiled at the sight she made, barely a bump in the covers of the big bed. He climbed in on his side and faced her, reaching out a hand to brush back a curl that had fallen across her temple near her eye.
“You didn’t look very happy when you came into the room,” she mumbled, though her sleepy gaze was direct.
Damn, she was observant. He decided to just put it out there. “I was just wondering whose shirt that was.”
A line appeared between her eyebrows as she frowned. “What? This shirt? It’s mine.”
“I mean before… Who you got it from.”
“Always been mine. I bought it about… Well, a long time ago. In college. Why? Did you think it was some ex-boyfriend’s?”
He was sure his guilty expression gave him away.
“I’d like to think I’m not that crass,” she chided gently. “Even if I had kept something like that, I wouldn’t wear it to bed with my new…” She trailed off.
Adam wondered why she’d stopped. “Boyfriend?” he finished for her.
She looked away over his head towards the window. “Well, yes, I suppose.”
Ouch. She supposes? Adam opened his mouth, a bit disconcerted that she was so reluctant to name him as such when they’d been dating for over a month. “You—”
She snapped her gaze back to meet his. “No! I’m sorry. That sounded bad. I just mean, a boyfriend sounds like something a teenager would have. I was trying to think of a more…adult term.”
Relieved, Adam relaxed back onto the pillow. “Lover?” he suggested.
“Well…”
“No, I guess that wouldn’t exactly fit yet either. Date?”
“We’re more than just dates by now. I mean, who goes on a date to Hawaii?”
“Hmm…” Adam loved how serious her expression was as she tried to think, but at the same time she looked so sleepy. “Partners wouldn’t work either. I think you’d have to be living together for that one to apply.”
“Hmm…” she echoed as her eyes drifted closed then opened again. “How about…?”
He waited for her to finish her sentence, but her eyes blinked closed again and remained shut this time.
“I think that lovers and partners is the way we’re headed, Tor,” he whispered. “At least I hope so. That’s why we’re taking the scenic route.”
Tori exhaled on a sigh and it looked as though a faint smile crossed her lips as she sank deeper into sleep.
* * * *
Tori found a safe place to stand and came up above the surface when Adam tapped her on the shoulder. He removed his snorkel from his mouth and said, “I think you’re ready for some shade. You look pretty pink.” Adam pressed a finger to her cheek then nodded as though to confirm his suspicions. “Yep. Definitely pink. Break time.”
She followed suit and grimaced at the rubbery taste she was aware of now that she wasn’t distracted by the wonders of the coral beds just offshore from their condo complex. “But I can see some really yellow fish I wanted to—”
“Later. Trust me. The fish will still be there, and we have a few days yet. Besides, I have a surprise for you.”
“Another one?” He’d already surprised her this morning with a gift of what he’d called a rashguard, but was basically just a long-sleeved, swimsuit material shirt—to keep her from getting burned while they went snorkelling, he’d told her—then had shown her the snorkelling gear he’d gone to pick up before she’d woken up.
She glanced longingly one last time at the coral under the water then carefully followed Adam back ashore to the sand. There were actually trees growing along the edge of the grass and beach, so at this time of day, there were shady patches of sand. A few people had brought chairs down, some in the sun and some in the shade, but still there were barely a dozen people within sight in any direction. Adam had chosen their accommodations well.
After a quick rinse, they walked to their lanai. “Would you like a water?” Tori offered. But before she could open the screen door to go inside, Adam stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“Sure, but after that, why don’t you take a shower and get cleaned up? We’re going to take a short drive and then have dinner out. If that’s okay?” he hastened to add.
Tori nodded, already beginning to understand just how much pleasure Adam took in planning and doing. It was actually really nice being on the receiving end of his enthusiasm for different activities, and she was happy to go along with his ideas. He hadn’t hit a clunker yet…other than possibly the rock wall at the gym a couple of weeks ago. She’d got stuck frozen in place partway up the wall and couldn’t force herself to go up or down, or let go. Adam had had to climb up to her and basically prise her fingers from the hand-holds to allow the belayer to lower her back to the floor.
So, if it didn’t involve heights, she was open for anything he came up with.
“That sounds great. Should I wear anything specific?”
“How about the tropical print sundress I saw hanging in the closet? Oh, and bring a sweater.”
“We’re going to a luau, aren’t we?” Tori chuckled at the crestfallen look on Adam’s face at her having guessed his surprise. She crossed to him and gave him a light kiss. “I love that idea, and thank you for planning it. I think I would’ve figured it out when we pulled up at the venue anyway.”
“That’s true.” When she would’ve backed away, he held her in place for one more lingering kiss. “Having fun?”
“The best fun of my life,” she replied in a subconscious echo of her goals. Adam’s expression sobered a bit and he released her from his embrace. She studied him. Not for the first time, she wondered if he indeed knew something about the other goal, the one she hadn’t shared with him and never would. It was possible, since she had thought she’d noticed her notebooks being out of place the day he’d used her computer to check his email. At the time, she’d thought he might have just knocked them askew accidentally then put them back. She wouldn’t have taken him for a snoop. But then again, human nature being what it was, curiosity might have got the better of him…
However, if he did know about that goal, why on earth hadn’t they had sex yet?
Still puzzling over that, knowing that the answer wouldn’t be forthcoming any time soon, she excused herself to get ready.
When she got into the bathroom and had stripped, she gave herself a once-over and grima
ced when she saw the back of her neck. There was a definite line in the small area between the mock turtleneck of the rashguard and her hairline. She made a mental note to thank Adam both for the gift of the cover-up and for calling a halt to their snorkelling when he had. She had a reddish hue to her hair and was fair-skinned, but fortunately didn’t burn as easily as her mother. Still, they were in the tropics, so it wasn’t a matter of if she burned but rather to what degree. She’d need to make sure to slap sunscreen on more often tomorrow.
Tori got in the shower and washed her body and hair then added conditioner. While she left it in, she ran her hands back down her body and thought about the night to come. Last night had been all about sleeping, but she hoped to do more than sleep in that comfy bed tonight.
She smiled to herself and slid her slick hands back up to cup her breasts, gliding her thumbs over her nipples as she imagined Adam naked and wet on the other side of the wall. The thought sent a shot of lust through her and she gave them a tweak then soothed them with her palms. She felt the unmistakeable tingling in her pussy.
How many times had she masturbated since she’d met Adam? If the old wives’ tale was true, she’d be blind by now.
She ran her hand down between her thighs and sent her fingers skating over her clit. Dipping a finger inside, she confirmed the slick feel of her juices and used them to lubricate her nub in earnest. By now she knew that, while shower gel worked well, nothing felt as good as the real thing.
After watching Adam’s gorgeous body well on display all day in his suit, it didn’t take her long to approach her climax. The final straw was imagining that Adam needed some toiletry item and knocked, but she couldn’t hear over the water. So he walked in and watched her pleasuring herself, stroking his cock as he urged her on…
Oh God…
She threw a hand out against the wall and shuddered as she came hard, panting as though she’d just finished one of Adam’s gruelling workouts. While she recovered, she mentally sorted through what she would wear to bed under her T-shirt tonight. Maybe nothing?
Sex on Summer Sabbatical (Seasoned Women) Page 7
