by Tremay, Joy
“Looks like they’ve got a lot done in the past few months,” Eric said as they walked toward the elevator together, wheeling her suitcases behind him.
“What time will you need me tomorrow?” asked Mia as the elevator doors closed.
“Why don’t you sleep in and get some rest?” he answered. “You can meet me in the boardroom at noon. Just ask anyone at the front desk where it is.”
* * *
Mia smiled at him gratefully, touched by his offer to let her sleep in. She was surprised to find him staring at her lips, and she felt herself melt at the intent look in his eyes. Sharing the small confines of the elevator with him suddenly seemed rather intimate. The elevator doors opened, allowing her to breathe more easily.
Mia followed him down the dark blue carpeted hallway, admiring his broad shoulders and brawny figure.
“Here you are, Mia,” said Eric as he inserted her key card into the door. “If you get hungry, there’s a restaurant downstairs. Let them know you’re my assistant so you won’t have to pay.”
“Thanks,” she said, suddenly feeling tongue-tied. He opened the door and placed her luggage in the middle of the large room. An awkward silence filled the air for a few seconds.
“Um, thanks for lugging around my stuff,” Mia said with a short laugh. “I probably brought more than I actually needed for this trip.”
He looked at her indulgently. “You’re welcome. Here’s my number at my condo if you need me.”
Mia’s eyes widened as he took out a scrap of paper from his pants’ pocket. She took the paper from him bemusedly. “Thanks,” she said, unsure of what else to say. “Have a good night.”
Eric’s eyes met hers and after a pause, he nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mia.”
Mia watched him walk out of her room and wondered why she felt so bereft. It would have been nice to have dinner with him tonight, but she supposed he had better things to do than spend more time in her company. She sighed and sat on her king-sized bed. Despite her weariness, she was filled with anticipation as she stared out of the window and beheld the beauty of Maui.
She awoke at seven in the morning, feeling refreshed and eager to start the day ahead. She had wanted to sleep in, but her body seemed to know that she was in a tropical paradise, and refused to stay in bed. After taking a shower and dressing in a pair of beige shorts and a green tank top, she decided to take a stroll around the hotel. Since Eric had told her that he wouldn’t need her until later that afternoon, she was eager to explore her surroundings.
“Aloha, miss,” greeted a man wearing a blue and white hotel uniform. He was raking the leaves near a tree.
“Aloha,” Mia said, smiling back at him.
Birds were chirping, the palm trees were swaying with the warm wind, and the sound of the ocean surf reached her ears as she strolled through the lush green lawn of the hotel grounds. Birds of paradise plants with their brilliant orange and blue flowers landscaped the garden. Bright red ginger flowers and colorful orchids bloomed everywhere. The beauty was breathtaking.
She paused in the patio area to watch two men busily carving tiki totems.
“Is that part of a palm tree you’re carving into?” asked Mia.
“Yes, miss,” answered one man politely, looking up at her with a grin. “We also use acacia wood. These are the gods Kanaloa, the sea god, and Kane, the creator god.”
“They’re beautiful - nani,” Mia said appreciatively, adding the Hawaiian word for beautiful. Prior to departing for Hawaii, she had purchased a book about popular Hawaiian words and phrases.
Mia continued with her stroll, heading toward another garden area. She paused to admire a colorful flower bed, noting the vivid hues.
“Enjoying the sunshine and warm weather?” asked a deep voice at her side.
Mia turned to find Eric looking at her. He was wearing business attire, and she was chagrined at being caught wearing shorts and a tank top.
“Good morning. I couldn’t sleep in. It’s just too beautiful here,” Mia said, blushing under his steady gaze.
“What do you think of the gardens?”
“They’re stunning,” Mia said appreciatively as she looked around at the extensive grounds.
“We have an excellent landscape gardener, but I had input as well,” Eric replied, a touch of pride in his voice.
“You did?” Mia asked in surprise.
Eric nodded, smiling. “My grandmother was an avid orchid grower, and she made me appreciate the beauty of flowers, particularly orchids. We’ll be strategically placing tiki totems in and around the garden areas as well.”
“I’m certain that future guests will enjoy the gardens,” said Mia.
“The pool is the last project that still needs to be completed.”
They strolled over to the pool area and watched several men meticulously install colorful tile at the edge of the pool. Artificial rock rose up from the sides of the pool for future cascading waterfalls.
“Looks like hard work,” Mia commented.
“I wanted only the best tile inlaid around the pool,” Eric said. He placed his hand underneath her elbow and led her to a bench overlooking the ocean.
“The first guests will be arriving in a few weeks, so it should be completed soon. I’m meeting with Kimo shortly to go over some front desk duties. I’ll see you in the boardroom at noon,” said Eric.
Mia sat on the bench and Eric draped his arm around the back of the bench. Her neck tingled in awareness as his arm brushed across it. He sat close to her, his thigh touching hers. Even through his slacks, she could feel his heat warm her bare thigh.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Mia said, determined not to get rattled by his presence. She stared at the vista of sea before her, hoping to distract herself. She felt his eyes on her, but she refused to look in his direction.
“It is,” he agreed quietly.
He paused for a long moment, and from the corner of her eye, she saw his head bend toward hers. Suddenly, she felt his lips brush gently across hers and she sat stiffly, surprised by his unexpected move. The kiss was so soft and so brief that for a moment, she wasn’t sure if it had even happened.
Mia looked at him, silently willing him to kiss her again. He slowly lowered his head and again kissed her, this time with more force. Mia closed her eyes and allowed the sensation of his lips on hers to take over her whole being. She opened her mouth and allowed his probing tongue inside. He tasted so good, and as she tangled her tongue with his, a part of her couldn’t believe she was kissing her boss.
* * *
Eric groaned, swept up in their erotic kiss. Her lips were lush and delicious, and he desperately wanted more. He swept his tongue over hers and explored the inner recesses of her mouth with hungry urgency. Her moan spurred him on, and he placed his hand on her breast, feeling the plump softness through her thin tank top. He was so far gone that he didn’t care if anyone saw them. He released her lips and kissed her soft neck, nuzzling gently.
“Mia,” he said hoarsely, “Damn.”
“People can see us,” she whispered, snapping him out of his dazed lust.
Eric pulled away from her reluctantly and looked into her eyes. They were glazed over with passion, and he wanted to suggest that they go back to her room. Mia was like a siren, causing him to forget who he was and where he was. But it would be a monumental mistake to take her to bed. After all, she was his assistant, and he was her boss. His need for her had overpowered his common sense for a few sensual minutes.
“I’m sorry,” Eric said, although deep down, he wasn’t. Mia Connelly had been the focal point of his dreams last night. In them, she had been naked and willing as he had made slow, sweet love to her.
“That’s okay,” she said with an unsteady breath. “I’m attracted to you, Eric.”
“You’re my assistant, Mia,” he said, trying to remember that taking advantage of an employee was breaking all his principles.
“And you’re my boss. However, I don’t rem
ember reading that it’s against the rules to date co-workers and there’s no specific policy against dating someone in management.”
Eric frowned fiercely. “There’s no company rule against employees dating one another. It’s frowned upon but not forbidden. Still, I don’t think this is a good idea. I apologize.”
“Don’t,” she said quickly.
“This shouldn’t be happening,” he interrupted.
He raked his hand through his hair, sighing loudly.
“What do we do now?” she asked uncertainly.
With that simple question, she had him stumped. He honestly didn’t know, because now that he knew she wanted him, his fierce attraction to her was only going to get more powerful.
“Let’s just take this slow,” he said quietly, looking into her pretty green eyes. His eyes drifted down to her soft, kissable lips, and all he wanted to do was kiss her again.
“Eric, Kimo is walking toward us.”
Aggravation streaked down his body. He took one last lingering look at her before he stood up abruptly.
“I’ll see you at noon,” he said curtly, trying to hide his frustration. It was going to be a long day.
* * *
Several hours later, Mia took one last look at herself in the mirror before she grabbed her laptop and left her hotel room. She was still recovering from the scorching hot kiss she had shared with Eric earlier that morning. She couldn’t believe what had occurred between them.
She touched her lips with her fingers, remembering how his tongue had probed hers. She told herself that she had to block out the kiss and concentrate on the job before her. But that was not easy to do. There was a deep ache in the pit of her belly, and all she could think about was how good he tasted. Professional boundaries weren’t going to stop her from fantasizing about him.
Mia took the elevator down to the first floor, intending to ask the front desk precisely where the boardroom was located. She stepped out of the elevator and found Eric standing in the hotel lobby, wearing a dark suit with a briefcase in his hand. He looked her over leisurely, making her spine tingle.
“Hello, Mia,” greeted Eric cordially, his expression inscrutable.
“Good morning, Eric,” she said quietly, proud of her even tone. “Should I call you Mr. Greyson when we’re in the boardroom?”
“Eric is fine, Mia,” he answered, his voice deepening as he studied her outfit.
She had tied her long, auburn hair back with a barrette, and she was glad she had worn a white, short-sleeved blouse and a black, pencil skirt. Her flat, black heels completed her business-like look.
“Did you continue to walk around the hotel grounds after I left you?” he asked casually.
Mia nodded, declining to tell him that she had daydreamed about him the whole time.
“For dinner, I’d like to take you to a mixed plate restaurant,” he said.
She was taken aback by the invitation. “Mixed plate?”
“It’s a traditional Hawaiian plate. Marinated beef or chicken, rice and macaroni salad. You’ll like it. We’ll head down to Lahaina after work.”
“That sounds like fun,” she said, thrilled at the thought. “I’d like to see Lahaina.”
They rode up the elevator together, the whole time Mia was trying to restrain herself from doing something embarrassing. Was it wrong to want to hit the stop button and throw herself at him? The elevator doors opened, and she followed him to the boardroom. It was a large space dominated by a black, oblong conference table, and a dozen, black leather chairs with views of the ocean below.
“We’ll be having a fairly long meeting this afternoon with several developers and key management,” Eric said briskly.
He took his seat at the head of table and indicated that she sat next to him. Mia forced her brain to focus on her task ahead and not on how much she wanted him to kiss her again.
There was a knock on the door, and several men in dark suits began to file into the boardroom. Eric stood, shook their hands, and introduced her to them. She nodded politely, clamping down on the memories of what had happened between them just a few hours before.
“Fairly long meeting” was a complete understatement. The meeting started shortly after noon and didn’t conclude until six, with just two short breaks. Mia had typed diligently with one part of her mind focused on her notes and the other part wondering how Eric and these men focused on business when the beach was only a few steps away.
She had successfully smothered her bored yawns toward the end of the meeting, and had tried not to look Eric’s way. If she had, she would have probably given herself away to the other men as being obviously attracted to him. The sensual, spicy scent of his cologne had tantalized her for hours, fueling her wayward imagination.
It had been difficult sitting next to him for several hours. She had told herself to get a grip as her fingers flew across the keyboard of her laptop. She was here to be an efficient assistant, nothing more. She glanced at her watch surreptitiously, hoping that her grumbling stomach had not reached Eric’s ears.
“That should conclude this meeting, gentlemen,” Eric said and stood up.
The other men stood as well, satisfied smiles on their faces. Mia sighed in relief. In her opinion, this particular board meeting had been tedious and mundane.
As the men filed out of the conference room, she caught Eric watching her as she typed a few last-minute notes.
“I apologize for the long meeting, Mia,” he said. “Unfortunately, there are still too many little issues that need to be hammered out before the hotel officially opens.”
“I understand,” she said as she followed him to the door.
“Are you hungry?”
“I can eat,” she said, hearing her stomach growl.
Eric laughed. “Good,” he said as they walked toward the elevator. “Why don’t I meet you in the lobby in twenty minutes?”
Mia nodded. “Okay.”
Twenty minutes later, Mia stood in the lobby wearing a light yellow sundress. She hadn’t been certain what to wear, but the simple cotton dress was comfortable, and she had felt restricted all afternoon in her pencil skirt and crisp blouse. She wandered over to the large floor-to-ceiling windows of the lobby, and watched the sun set in the horizon.
“You look nice,” said Eric.
She turned and found him standing directly behind her. He had changed into a pair of gray shorts and a blue T-shirt. The difference in his clothing from what he wore at the meeting to now was stark. In a suit, Eric seemed unapproachable, but in casual clothes, he looked just like a regular guy, albeit one of the handsomest and hunkiest she had ever seen.
“You look pretty good yourself,” she said shyly.
Eric grinned, clearly pleased by her compliment. As they walked out of the hotel together, he placed his hand on her back, spiking her awareness level of him. He led her to a shiny, silver Porsche, parked at the front entrance of the hotel.
“Nice car,” she said.
“Thanks,” he said, opening the passenger side door for her. “When I’m not in town, Kimo takes it on joyrides.”
“You let him?” she asked.
Eric laughed. “Kimo drives slower than molasses, so a joyride for him is going the speed limit.”
The luxurious leather seating had her sinking comfortably into her seat as Eric turned on the ignition. Hawaiian music filled the car, the laid-back melodies making Mia smile.
“We’re heading over to Lahaina. It has a population of almost 12,000 people, but during the height of the tourist season it swells to 40,000.”
“I read that Lahaina was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii in the early 1800’s,” Mia said, as she watched in avid curiosity at the landscape passing before her.
“That’s right,” he said, glancing at her. “There’s a lot of history here, especially in regards to the ancient chieftains of Maui, the whalers, and the missionaries. Whenever I used to visit Maui with my family, we always went to Lahaina to shop and eat at
the restaurants. I love Maui so much that I decided to buy a condo here a few years ago.”
“You’re so fortunate to have spent so much time in Hawaii growing up,” Mia said half-enviously.
“I was very lucky,” he said. “Whenever my parents got tired of the rain in Vancouver, we’d fly to Hawaii.”
“Do you have any siblings?” Mia asked curiously.
“Just one. My younger brother lives in Honolulu, near Diamond Head, with his wife. My mother gave him the large house she inherited there, and he turned it into a bed and breakfast.”
“That must be nice,” Mia said as she watched locals and tourists alike driving into Lahaina.
“It is. My brother never considered living anywhere else after he graduated from college.”
“Smart man.”
Eric laughed. “I agree. Every winter, my parents leave Vancouver for a month or two and spend time in Hawaii. However, now that they’re getting older, they’re starting to dislike traveling and airports.”
“Why don’t they just move to Hawaii permanently?” asked Mia, admiring his chiseled profile.
“My father’s family was originally from England, but he was born and raised in Vancouver,” he answered, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. “He prefers Vancouver’s cool and rainy weather, and finds Hawaii’s temperatures to be a little too warm. My mother was born in Kauai, at her parents’ vacation home, and has always felt a deep connection to her childhood roots. She would like to retire in Kauai, but my father isn’t 100% on board. They’re trying to figure out a compromise.”
“What do you prefer?”
“I love Vancouver and Hawaii,” Eric said quietly, “but, to be honest, I prefer Hawaii. Have you been to Vancouver?”
Mia nodded. “I’ve been there a few times with my cousin Mandy. We love Stanley Park and Granville Island.”
“Great places,” Eric said as he parked the car on Front Street. “Welcome to Lahaina.”
Mia stepped out of the car and was immediately captivated by the varied shops, art galleries, and restaurants that lined Front Street. The streets were crowded with locals and tourists as they went about sightseeing and people watching.
