by Tremay, Joy
“Yes, I do,” said Mia, thinking about the multiple stamps on her passport. She traveled to the States frequently.
“Good. I’ll ask Ben to give you tomorrow and Wednesday off, so you can prepare and pack.”
Surprised, Mia said, “You don’t have to do that.”
“You need time to get ready Mia. This is a six-week trip,” he said smoothly. “Ben will understand. I have to wrap up some business now. We have a noon flight, so I advise that we meet at the airport at ten. I’ll have Ben hand you your plane ticket at the end of today.”
Eric stood abruptly and Mia did likewise.
“This is going to be a great trip, Mia,” Eric said confidently, his eyes looking deeply into hers. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“So am I, Eric,” she said softly.
As she reached for the doorknob, so did he and their fingers touched, causing her senses to leap into overdrive. He opened the door for her, but before she stepped through it, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, startling her.
“Don’t worry. It won’t be all work and no play. Hawaii is too beautiful to spend indoors in a conference room all day.”
Mia’s eyes widened. She was completely disconcerted by his hand on her shoulder, but she said nonchalantly, “I’ve heard it’s gorgeous there.”
“Yes, it’s very beautiful,” he said thoughtfully, as he held her gaze.
Mia couldn’t help staring back at him. It was as if they had an invisible connection, and there seemed to be an electrical charge between them. She felt like she was drowning in his gaze. Eric Greyson affected her on a level that no other man had ever achieved in her life.
Finally he grinned, took his hand away from her shoulder and nudged the door open.
As she walked out of the makeshift office, she forced herself not to look back at him, but she could feel his eyes on her back all the way down the hallway.
The next two days passed in a blur as Mia was caught in a haze of excitement over her upcoming trip. The prospect of spending the next six weeks with Eric sent her mind whirling and her heart pumping. She constantly had to remind herself that she was his assistant and that she had to be professional and business-like in her attitude; not infatuated.
When it came time to choosing swimwear, Mia was undecided about whether to bring bikinis or one-piece bathing suits. She shook her head at her dithering. What did it matter anyway? It wasn’t as if she would go swimming with Eric. In the end, she decided to bring bikinis, but she couldn’t suppress her daydreams of swimming with him while his hands roamed her body.
By early Thursday morning, Mia was ready for her trip. She had tried to pack lightly, but ended up filling two large suitcases, mostly because her mother had insisted she take plenty of clothes. In a phone conversation they’d had the day before, her mother had been upset when Mia had told her that she planned on bringing mostly shorts and T-shirts, along with business attire.
“If you’re going to Hawaii,” said Victoria, “I insist you get some clothes from the new summer shipment.”
“No, Mom, those are your best labels. You need them on the store rack, not on me,” protested Mia.
“Mia Serena Connelly, you will not be wearing just shorts and T-shirts after hours. I insist you bring some cute summer dresses. You can’t go gallivanting around a tropical island with your boss, looking like a beach bum.”
“Mom, I won’t be gallivanting with my boss,” Mia said in exasperation.
In the end, Mia had capitulated, and had taken a few pretty summer dresses from her mother’s store. Mandy dropped her off at the airport and helped her remove the luggage from the car.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Mandy teased mischievously. “Knowing you, though, you’ll probably just go ahead and do whatever you want anyway.”
“Ha! I’m not that impulsive,” Mia protested as she pulled the handles out of her luggage.
“I beg to differ. I don’t know how many times I said ‘I told you so’ when we were kids.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Well, we’re not kids anymore, and you, dear cousin, even encouraged me to take this trip.”
“Only because your drop-dead gorgeous boss is going with you. Who wouldn’t?”
“He’ll be the reason I’ll get into trouble,” Mia said, smiling impishly. “Don’t worry. I’ll call you before I do anything completely outrageous.”
“Sure you will,” replied Mandy with a laugh.
Mia gave her cousin a hug, and as she did so, she heard Mandy let out a low whistle. Mia looked behind her and felt her blood surge.
Eric was standing a few feet away, watching them intently. He wore black slacks that hugged his muscular legs, and a black leather jacket that emphasized his inherent sexiness. The terminal was crowded with travelers, but Mia didn’t see anything or anyone else. Her focus was solely on Eric.
Mandy elbowed her side and asked, “Is that him?”
“Yep,” answered Mia, her gaze captured by his.
“Wow, Mia, crush-worthy is not an accurate description of your boss. I have to say that he’s the epitome of male perfection,” Mandy gushed. “And that is no exaggeration.”
Mandy’s statement snapped Mia out of her staring contest with Eric. She looked at Mandy with amusement and said, “This coming from a girl who rarely stops writing long enough to notice any available men around her.”
“Not true. I noticed the FedEx guy the other day. Besides, this one is kind of hard to overlook,” Mandy said dryly. “You’d have to be six feet under not to notice him.”
“Tell me about it,” mumbled Mia with a frustrated sigh. She hoped she didn’t look as discombobulated as she felt, especially since Eric was fast coming toward them. Why couldn’t the man have at least one imperfection, like a pimple or two?
“Mia,” he said.
His deep voice always managed to send a sliver of excitement through her nervous system. She was suddenly glad that she had picked out a pretty dress for the trip. A blend of light blue cashmere and wool, it protected her from the frigid cold. Tall, dark brown leather riding boots completed her outfit.
“Good morning, Eric,” she said, her heart fluttering in her chest.
“I hope you packed plenty of summer clothes. The weather in Maui is around 25 degrees Celsius right now.”
“I did,” she said, then turned to her cousin, who was staring at Eric.
“Eric, this is my cousin, Mandy. Mandy, this is my boss, Eric.”
Eric extended his hand and Mandy took it without hesitation.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Mandy said.
“Likewise,” said Eric.
Mia watched him carefully as he greeted her cousin. Normally, Mandy drew the attention of the opposite sex, but Eric looked at her with polite indifference.
“Thanks for dropping me off, Mandy,” Mia said, turning to her cousin.
“You’re welcome, cuz,” Mandy said before giving Mia a quick hug. “Have a safe a trip.”
Mandy whispered in her ear, “Did you pack your bikinis?”
“Yes,” Mia whispered back.
“Good, because you should definitely wear them around him,” Mandy said as she released Mia.
Mia rolled her eyes at Mandy before she gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “Love you, Mandy. I’ll give you a ring when we get there.”
The cousins parted as Eric wheeled Mia’s luggage to an airline agent, who glanced at their tickets and placed tags on Mia’s luggage handles.
“You only brought a duffel bag?” Mia asked curiously, noticing his lack of baggage.
“I own a condo in Maui, so I don’t need to bring anything with me.”
“Must be nice to have a place there.”
“Yes, it is,” Eric said before he turned to look at her. His eyes raked over her slim figure, and she caught his look of appreciation before he turned his attention to an airline agent scanning his passport.
His handsome features had already attracted a fair amount o
f attention from other female travelers, and she caught some of them staring at him. It didn’t help that she was hypersensitive of his every gesture, from the way he stood to the way he nonchalantly ignored the other passengers in line with them. In order to keep herself from staring at him, she moved to stand in front of him, but she could feel his eyes on her back. It seemed as though every nerve in her body was hyperaware his presence.
When they finally passed through security, Eric led the way to their gate, where they sat together.
“We have about an hour to wait. Would you like something to eat and drink?” Eric asked.
“A coffee and a croissant sound good,” answered Mia. She opened her large, dark brown purse to take out her wallet.
“I’ll get it for you,” he said before she could open her wallet.
Mia watched him walk toward a coffee shop and frowned. How in the world was she going to concentrate on work around him? A longing ache was growing inside her. She had the feeling that the more time she spent with him, the more the ache was going to intensify. Her body instantly heated whenever she looked at him. Instead of a bikini, she should have brought a wet suit.
CHAPTER THREE
“This is for you,” said Eric. He had handed her a slim black binder before the plane left the runway. “There’s information on the hotel we’re building on North Beach.”
“Thanks,” said Mia as she placed the binder on her lap.
She was about to open it when Eric said, “Don’t feel pressure to read it now, though.”
Mia had watched him pull the tray down in front of him and place his laptop on it. His focus was on the screen before him. Mia scanned the information in the binder but found that she couldn’t concentrate sitting in such close proximity to him. She was also annoyed at herself for being irked with him because of his ability to completely ignore her.
She glanced back down and read that Bliss Corporation had spent many years negotiating for the development of the new hotel, but there had been much opposition from the community. The locals had not been in favor of having yet another hotel on Maui. Finally, after winning support with tactful concessions, the hotel had broken ground last year.
“You’re from Hawaii?” she asked, after reading Eric’s short bio in the binder.
He nodded. “I was born in Kauai, but raised in Vancouver.”
“Did you visit Hawaii often after you left?”
He nodded. “My maternal grandmother was half native-Hawaiian, from Oahu. She married an American fighter pilot, who was based at Pearl Harbor, after the war. After my grandparents passed on, my mother inherited their houses in Honolulu and in Kauai. My family frequently vacationed at both places and visited the other islands.”
“Wow,” said Mia, “the company must appreciate that you know the local customs.”
“It does help that the locals consider me one of them.”
Eric then got back to his work, blocking her out once again.
Mia sighed, closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. It was best to ignore him until they landed and take a nap. The next thing she knew, he was gently nudging her awake.
“We’re here, Mia,” he said with a smile that had her instantly alert.
She patted down her wayward hair and hoped she didn’t look like a mess.
“Did you get a lot of work done?” she asked as they waited to get off the plane.
“Not as much as I’d like to,” Eric answered. There was something in his eyes that made her heart do a double somersault.
The first thing Mia noticed upon landing at Kahului Airport was the heat and humidity. She was grateful that she had remembered to put a sundress and sandals in her duffel bag to change into upon arrival. Eric waited for her while she changed in the bathroom. She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and was pleased with her summer attire. Her yellow sundress hugged her figure from the waist up, while the skirt flared a few inches above her knees. She slipped into white wedge sandals, which added an inch to her height.
Mia left the bathroom and found Eric had changed into summer clothes as well. His duffel bag must have contained his change of clothing as he now wore beige cargo shorts and a white, cotton polo shirt.
“We better head over to baggage claim and get your luggage,” Eric said, taking her duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder.
They immediately spotted her luggage at the carousel. Eric reached over and easily retrieved her suitcases. He turned and grinned as a tall, large Hawaiian man, wearing a bright red floral shirt and dark shorts, walked over to them.
“Eh, howzit brah!” the man called out, smiling broadly. He held two garlands of deep purple flowers, and placed them over Eric and Mia’s heads. “Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii!”
Mia beamed widely, admiring her lei. “Thank you so much.”
Eric held his hand out and shook the other man’s.
“Howzit, Kimo? It’s nice to see you again,” Eric said, grinning.
“You’ve been hanging around too much in cold Canada, braddah. You need to work on your tan,” Kimo said with a gruff laugh.
“I see you’ve been going to a lot of luaus lately,” said Eric teasingly, looking at his friend’s girth pointedly.
“You know you’ve missed the kalua pork and poi, Eric,” Kimo said, patting his bulging stomach.
“What’s kalua pork?” asked Mia curiously.
“Pork cooked in an underground oven called an imu,” Eric answered. “Kimo, this is my assistant, Mia. Mia, this is Kimo. I’ve known him since we were keiki, children. I used to beat him in surfing competitions.”
“Sure, you did,” Kimo said wryly to Eric, before he extended his hand to Mia.
“Aloha, Mia. Welcome to the Valley Isle. Good luck assisting this guy,” he said teasingly. “And Eric, don’t forget to tell the pretty young lady that you often wiped out, too.”
Eric laughed. “Kimo works for the new hotel. He’s the front desk manager,” said Eric.
“Congratulations, Kimo,” said Mia.
“Thanks to Eric, I’ve got myself a great job,” said Kimo, giving Eric a grateful look.
“Now you can’t spend your whole day surfing, my friend,” Eric said as they walked out of the airport toward the parking lot.
“That’s all right, Eric, you’re still my favorite haole,” chuckled Kimo as they reached a dark blue sedan. He opened the passenger side door for Eric and the back door for Mia.
As Kimo drove them to the west end of Maui, Mia looked out of the window and breathed in the warm ocean air. The tropical landscape was completely different from the one she was accustomed to in Edmonton. She couldn’t believe she was in beautiful Hawaii with Eric. Hopefully, the next six weeks were not going to speed by quickly, because she intended to enjoy every second of her stay in Maui.
* * *
Eric glanced at Mia in the rearview mirror and was glad to see her rapt expression as she took in the wonder of Maui. He had spent the long plane ride sitting next to her in uncomfortable arousal, and had had a difficult time concentrating on work, therefore, he had not wanted to even engage in conversation with her. Toward the tail end of their journey, he had been unable to keep from constantly looking at Mia while she had napped.
At thirty years old, he had had his fair share of women, most of whom had been brief flings, with the exception of one. Somehow, Mia had gotten under his skin. During the plane ride, he had found himself fantasizing about joining the Mile High Club with her and covering them both with a blanket while he caressed her tempting body. The next six weeks was definitely going to stretch his patience, because he knew that he had to keep his libido under strict control. Otherwise, he’d end up tumbling her into his bed: a possibility that had teased his mind since he first set eyes on her.
“This is so beautiful,” gushed Mia as she stared open-mouthed at the view from the hotel’s terrace.
They had arrived at the five-story hotel a little under an hour after leaving the airport. Bliss Beach Hotel
was perched on top of a small hill, with spectacular views of the ocean below.
“It is pretty amazing,” Eric agreed as he rolled her luggage to the front desk and checked them in.
“Aloha, Mr. Greyson. Welcome back,” said a pretty, young woman behind the counter. She wore a white short-sleeved blouse and a tan pencil skirt.
“Aloha, Tish,” said Eric. “This is my assistant, Mia Connelly.”
“Aloha, Miss Connelly. My name is Tish Kinimaka, and I’m the front desk assistant manager.”
“Please, call me Mia,” Mia said, smiling courteously. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Tish used to work in a bed and breakfast in Molokai before coming to us,” said Kimo, grinning at Tish. “Her cousin is a surfing buddy of mine.”
Tish smiled at Kimo before handing Mia a keycard.
“Here is our room key, Mia. Let me know if you need anything,” said Tish. Tish looked at Eric. “I understand you’re not staying in the hotel, sir?”
“That’s correct,” Eric answered. “However, I do need the key to the boardroom and my office.”
“Yes, of course, sir,” said Tish deferentially. She handed him two keycards.
“Are you taking off for your condo now, Eric?” asked Kimo.
“Yes, I have to see what you’ve done to the place while I’ve been gone.”
“I just threw a couple of wild parties,” Kimo said jokingly. “Just kidding, braddah. Your place is exactly the way you left it.”
Kimo turned to Mia and explained, “Eric has me check on his place every once in a while to make sure the geckos haven’t taken over.”
“Geckos?” Mia asked, her eyes wide.
Kimo nodded. “They’re little lizards - harmless and kind of cute. I like them since they keep the pest population under control.”
Eric shook Kimo’s hand.
“Thanks for picking us up at the airport, Kimo. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“See ya, brah,” said Kimo. “Nice meeting you, Mia. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you often over the next few weeks.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Kimo.”
Mia watched Kimo walk away and glanced at Eric, who was looking about him with an air of satisfaction.
