They made it in time for their tour. Just barely, but they made it. Now they were with a group of other visitors waiting for the guides to take them inside. They sat in rows of wooden benches on the palace’s back porch and put ugly cotton footies over their shoes so they didn’t damage the floor. It made sense, but still, they looked ridiculous.
She positioned her swathed feet next to Lukas’s, snapped a picture, and texted it to her friends with the caption: About to take a tour of the Iolani Palace. Check out the required footwear!
Karen sent back, Stylish!
Anne’s text came in next. It’s a foot condom!
Another ten seconds passed before Meg answered. Wait, whose feet are those next to yours?
Busted. Julie hadn’t even been thinking when she photographed her feet next to his. It had just been a nice visual. She quickly replied, Time to go on the tour. Talk to you guys later!
With that, she shut off her phone and stuffed it into her purse. There were going to be some entertaining messages when she finally checked it again, but she wasn’t having that confession session in front of Lukas. Men never understood the female need to share everything with their girlfriends, so she had always thought it best to go by the old saying, “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” She huffed a laugh. Anne would demand voyeuristically salacious details—mostly just to yank Julie’s chain—which wouldn’t happen, so it wasn’t as if she was really planning to tell her friends everything.
Lukas glanced at her. “What’s funny?”
“My friends. I sent them a picture of the footies.” She paddled her foot condoms through the air.
He hummed and nodded. “They’re quite classy.”
“Exactly.”
The docent broke into their conversation. “If you’ll all follow me, please.”
Lukas took her hand as they stood, and she twined her fingers with his. It was nice. This whole morning had been nice. Probably the first time she hadn’t thought about Auntie Eloise upon waking. Then again, not anticipating going into her late aunt’s shop might have helped, but Julie had woken with a smile on her face that had everything to do with getting laid.
Allowing Lukas to pull her along, she stepped into the former home of Hawaiian royalty. The sweep of the carved koa wood staircase caught her attention immediately and she hauled Lukas over to look.
It was a gorgeous house. Not as massive as some of the palaces in Europe, but every bit as beautiful. The room where they’d imprisoned the queen made Julie sad. Sure, the lady hadn’t been abused, but a nice cage was still a cage. What a terrible thing, to have your country taken away.
In the basement, there were displays of the royal jewels as well as information on Hawaiian history, including one of the islands’ time as a leper colony. Equal parts lovely and horrifying. When they emerged an hour later, she had a much deeper respect for the islands than before she’d arrived. Which had been the point, she supposed.
Lukas squeezed her hand. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She glanced back at the imposing gray building. “It really is.”
They strolled along the path between wide green lawns, heading toward the gate by the converted barracks where they’d bought their tickets. The humidity wrapped around them, and she thought they might be in for another rain shower. If it was as short as the one yesterday, it would be no big deal. They could duck into a coffee shop or something and wait it out.
Once they were out on the street, Lukas tugged her to the right. “Did you want to check out Chinatown? It’s not terribly far from here.”
She followed along without protest. Making it downtown hadn’t been high on her to-do list, but they were here, so why not explore? “Would this be your first time to Chinatown, too?”
“Yep. I’ve never managed to come anywhere near this area of Honolulu.” He looked both ways, then led her across the road and up Hotel Street. “Call me crazy, but I’m betting they have Chinese food in Chinatown. Want to grab lunch there?”
Since she hadn’t had more than a granola bar for breakfast, her stomach rumbled an emphatic affirmative. “Sounds good. I would kill for a good egg roll right now.”
He winked at her. “Well, let’s get you fed before something dangerous and homicidal happens.”
“Smart man.” She swung their linked arms between them, looking around to see everything as they went by.
They passed a mall, the business district, and a few statues before they reached the neighborhood they wanted. Chinatown turned out to be a mishmash of Asian cultures, with a Vietnamese pharmacy next to a Thai grocery store. They skipped over a few restaurants that seemed a little dim and seedy. It wasn’t the most affluent area, though she didn’t feel unsafe. Of course, that might be partly because of the six-foot tall man at her side. Funny what a difference that could make.
“Hey, what’s that?” They got to what appeared to be a general store, though the signs were all in an Asian language she couldn’t recognize. Sitting in wooden bins outside were fruits and vegetables of varieties she’d never seen before. The one she had pointed at was bright red with green spikes.
Lukas narrowed his eyes at it. “I think it’s called a dragon fruit, but I’m not sure.”
“Huh. Should we buy one and try it?” She leaned closer to inspect one of the fruits. Would it be as red on the inside as it was on the outside? Or green like the spikes? What would the thing taste like?
“Mmm, I wouldn’t.” He tugged her hand to get her started down the street again. “First, we don’t know for sure what it is, which means we don’t know whether it’s ripe or of good quality or not. Second, we don’t know if you can eat it raw or if you have to cook it. I don’t have any way to cook something in my hotel room. Do you?”
“No.” She shrugged. “Those are all good points, too. I’ll look dragon fruit up when we get back, just so I can see if that really is one.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He grinned, laughter lurking in his gaze.
She arched her brows. “What?”
One broad shoulder rolled in an easy shrug. “Just enjoying you enjoying everything around you.”
Blinking, she cocked her head. “Well, I enjoy you. Especially last night.”
The grin turned positively sinful and hot enough to melt the panties off any woman alive. His thumb rubbed sensuous circles in the middle of her palm. “I hope you enjoy me again. Repeatedly. When I’m well-rested, I’m good for more than just one round.”
All the air rushed out of her lungs, and the lust that always seemed to be just below the surface with them sizzled to life. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth when he brought her hand to his lips and bit the tip of her index finger, then kissed away the sting.
“So…lunch?” He lifted one eyebrow as if he hadn’t just left her a quivering mass of want.
She shook herself out of her stupor. “I’m going to pay you back for that later.”
“I look forward to it.”
A shiver went through her at the many ideas of how she could exact her revenge. Maybe sucking him until he was ready to come and then backing off. Or kissing, licking, and biting her way from one end of him to the other. Oh yeah. She would love to make him beg.
Okay, she had to stop thinking about that or she was going to implode right there in the middle of Honolulu. Holy God, the man lit her on fire with a single look. She’d never had that happen before, and it was fabulous.
“What about this one?” Lukas stopped in front of a place with handwritten menus hanging on the wall. The items available were written in both Chinese and English. At least, she thought it was Chinese.
They stepped inside. One side of the room was dominated by a huge glass bakery case, and the other side held tables and chairs for customers.
Standing in silence, they read over the food choices. Then she leaned toward him. “Does that really say pig blood rice soup?”
“Yes, it does.” He tapped a fingertip against his chin. “Would that be b
etter or worse than squid?”
“I think that’s an experiment best left unconducted, Doctor,” she retorted with a shudder. There was a limit to the new experiences she wanted on this trip. Eating anything with blood in the title was definitely over the line. “The Singapore rice noodles sound much more edible—I mean, appetizing.”
“Freudian slip?” He ruffled her hair and she stuck her tongue out at him in return. “So, you’re okay with this place?”
“Let’s find a table.” She turned on her phone to get a picture of the menu, noting that she had several missed messages from her friends. They’d have to wait. She snapped a photo, switched her phone to silent and stuffed it in her purse.
A waitress with a thick accent came along to take their orders, then disappeared into the back. Within fifteen minutes, they had their food. It was tasty and the place was quiet. Rain had begun pattering against the street outside, and Julie was glad to be inside. No need to rush the meal. They were the only customers in the place, but that might have been due to the weather.
“How are the Shanghai noodles?” he asked.
“Singapore. They’re good.” She forked up a generous portion and held it out to him. “Try some.”
His strong fingers wrapped around her wrist and guided her hand to his mouth. He took the food, but his gaze locked with hers. Fire flashed in those blue depths, and a quiver settled low in her belly. She wanted him. Now. Again. And there wasn’t a thing she could do about it, since they were miles from their hotel. His lips quirked in a half-grin as he released her hand, chewing the bite she’d given him.
“Delicious. Want some of mine?” The innuendo in his question was unmistakable.
Words failed her. He was trying to kill her, he really was. If he weren’t sitting across the table from her, she might not have been able to keep her hands to herself. She swallowed, cleared her throat, and just as she was about to say something, the restaurant’s door opened and a few more customers spilled in.
With the addition of other people, Julie and Lukas settled into more mundane conversation. He wanted to know more about her business and the crafts she specialized in. She found out more about his research. It occurred to her while they ate that he was exactly the kind of man she’d love to date back home. Which was sad because she had a gut feeling that he wouldn’t be interested in the same. Not that he wasn’t interested in her, per se, but that relationships weren’t even on his radar. There was a certain attitude about a man who was open to a relationship, and Lukas didn’t give off that vibe at all. He wanted a vacation fling, and nothing more.
Then again, when she’d arrived the day before, she hadn’t exactly been in a headspace where a relationship was even close to something she’d consider. Maybe it was better not to let her thoughts stray in that direction, and just have fun with Lukas in the days they had left. She wouldn’t mind spending more time with him like they’d done yesterday and today. Not just in bed, but hanging out, talking, getting to know each other, and seeing the sights together.
Maybe that made this a mini-relationship. All the good parts with none of the bad. It would be over too soon to get her heart trampled, but she got a few days to remember how fun it could be to have a boyfriend. Or something. Maybe it was best not to dwell on it. Embrace the moment, the way Eloise would have done. Yeah, that was the best idea.
The waitress came out bearing a huge baking pan loaded with golden brown rolls. “Hong Kong bun, fresh from oven. You want for dessert?” She brought the pan closer to Julie and Lukas’s table, so a whiff of heavenly scent filled her nose. The waitress grinned. “Sweet coconut butter in center. Very good. You want some?”
“Yes,” Julie and Lukas said at the same time.
Julie laughed. “I’m stuffed but it looks so good. I just have to try one.”
Their server set the pan down on the empty table next to theirs, went to grab two plates and a spatula, and dished their dessert right in front of them.
Lukas quirked a brow as the waitress took the pan away to the bakery counter. “That woman knows how to advertise. No one could have resisted.”
In answer, Julie moaned as she took her first bite. “Oh my God, they taste even better than they look. The coconut butter filling is amazing.”
His gaze was glued to her mouth, hunger that had nothing to do with food reflecting back at her. “Julie.”
Since he’d teased her multiple times today, she figured she should play this up. She chewed another bite, savoring slowly. She threw in another moan for good measure. “So. Yummy.” Then she echoed his earlier words. “Want some?”
He cleared his throat, a bite of his bun suspended halfway to his mouth. “Did you want to head back to the hotel after this?”
The roughness in his voice went straight to her core, making her body throb. “Yes.”
“Let’s pray the traffic has cleared up.”
“Ugh. Traffic.” There was a real killjoy. If the roads were clear, it would take about twenty minutes to get back. If they weren’t clear, the wait until she could jump Lukas’s bones was indefinite. Patience might be a virtue, but she’d never claimed to be virtuous. If she were, she wouldn’t be shagging a virtual stranger.
“It would be worth the wait.” His gaze dipped down to caress her breasts, and she felt her nipples tighten.
She hurried her way through dessert. As good as it was, it couldn’t even begin to compete with how good Lukas was. Delicious. And half the calories.
They maintained a casual pace from the bus stop to her hotel room, but it was a sham. There was nothing casual going on. The way she’d been looking at him the entire ride back had made Lukas want to rip her clothes off and fuck her until she begged him for mercy.
“So, did any other Stanford professors go to your conference?” Her palm grazed his ass as they walked through the lobby, though her expression was one of pure innocence, the little witch.
He shook his head, pressed his hand to the middle of her back, lengthened his stride, and urged her to hurry. “No, though one of the two presentations I gave was about joint research I’d conducted with a couple of colleagues in my department. Terry and Sven.”
“Yeah? What are Terry and Sven like?” She sounded a bit breathless as she all but jogged to keep up with him. “And is Terry a guy or a girl?”
They reached her room’s tower and he stabbed the elevator call button. Trying to concentrate on a normal conversation when he wanted to have her naked and underneath him was pure torture. “Terry is a guy. He likes to do very manly things in his spare time, like shoot machine guns.”
“A machine gun toting physicist?” She cocked her head and her gaze sparkled with glee. “Okay, then. Why not?”
Just as the elevator car reached the ground level, an elderly couple joined them to wait. Damn, he wasn’t going to be able to get his hands on her during the ride up. He ground his teeth with impatience. It did nothing to ease his pique that the old couple looked them over with obvious curiosity. He could only hope they didn’t take the opportunity to ask nosy questions.
The elevator came and all four of them boarded. Julie pushed the button for her floor, which was lower than the other pair’s. Good. The sooner he had her alone, the better.
He leaned closer to Julie and said, “Sven also has a degree in electrical engineering and is something of an expert on the workings of the electric chair. He has an old one sitting outside his office.”
The elderly duo gave him a startled look and edged away a little. It amused him more than it probably should have. Academics were rarely considered terrifying, except to their students and junior colleagues.
Julie made a face. “That’s kind of creepy.”
“That’s Sven.”
She cast him a glance out of the corner of her eye. “It sounds like a Scandinavian name.”
“It is.” He was already grinning in anticipation of her response.
“Hmm.” She lifted an eyebrow. “My theory about creepy Scandinavians is s
till holding.”
“So it seems.” The elevator pinged as they reached the right floor and he stepped out just behind Julie.
She slipped her card key from her purse and had her door open in seconds. He locked it behind them, then turned on her like a tiger on its prey. She tossed her purse aside and silently began stripping off her clothes. He did the same, and there was fire in her gaze as he unzipped his pants that made his erection strain against his boxers. Her enticing curves came into view, breasts just large enough to fill his palms tipped with dusky brown nipples. A slender waist flared out into rounded hips and the most amazing ass he’d ever seen in his life. Her legs were long and slender and made for being wrapped around a man’s waist. The thought made his cock throb.
When they were naked, she moved into his embrace, those soft breasts pillowed against him and her tight little nipples stabbed into his chest. Her gaze met his for a long, protracted moment. Then they fell on each other like wild animals. A part of Lukas told him to slow down, to take care not to hurt her, but her hands cupped his cock and her mouth was fused with his. She bit his tongue and he growled in response, his control shredding to nothing.
He pulled back and spun her toward the bed. He needed her now. She landed on the mattress on her hands and knees, providing him with an unobstructed view of the luscious curve of her backside and the slick lips of her sex. Before he did something stupid, like plunge himself into her without another thought, he reached for his pants and the protection he had tucked in his wallet.
His hands shook as he sheathed himself in a condom. He knelt on the bed behind her and, grasping his cock, rubbed the head up and down her slit before he eased himself into her tight, wet heat. One long steady push and he was hilted within her. He pressed a hand to the small of her back, groaning at how good she felt.
He reached around her to cup her breasts and roll her nipples between his fingers. A mewling little cry burst from her, and she shoved her hips back against his groin. They both groaned as her movement drove him deeper into her sex. He tried to go slowly, tried to wring every last ounce of pleasure out of the experience, but instead he pounded inside her. Faster, harder. He’d never lost his self-restraint so quickly, but she was right there with him, matching his movements, moaning her encouragement.
Hawaiian Holiday: Destination Desire, Book 2 Page 6
