by Susan Stoker
“Move it, asshole!” a man yelled from the large SUV behind Midas’s convertible.
“I guess we’re going,” Midas said.
“Guess so,” Lexie agreed.
He took hold of her hand and walked her to the car, holding the door open and closing it once she was settled inside. Then he jogged around his car, flipped off the impatient jerk behind him, and climbed into the driver’s seat. “I thought I’d take you the long way to Waikiki, if that’s okay. Let you see a bit more of the island. It’s still early, and it’s Sunday, so the traffic shouldn’t be too bad.”
“Sounds good to me.” Lexie didn’t care where they went, as long as she got to spend time with Midas.
“Great. We’ll head up 61 to Waimanalo, past Makapu’u Point, Hanauma Bay, cut over to Kahala Avenue so we can go past Diamond Head and the zoo before finding a place to park at the far end of Waikiki, then we can walk the whole thing. Sound good?”
“Midas, I have no idea where any of what you just said is. So I’m just gonna sit here, soaking up the wind, sun, and company, and enjoy being in Hawaii.”
Midas pulled away from her building, ignoring the man behind them, continuing to berate him for being so damn slow to move, and smiled at her. He reached for a take-out coffee cup in the holder between them and handed it to her. “Figured you could use a pick-me-up this morning.”
Lexie took the cup and saw that he’d gotten her the exact coffee she liked. Damn, this man. He was one of a kind, and it was hard to believe he was with her. “Thanks,” she said as she took a sip.
“Good?” he asked.
“Perfect.”
The self-satisfied smile on his face didn’t bother Lexie in the least. He had done good. She was definitely impressed.
As they headed for the interstate, Midas gave her a running commentary about the buildings they were passing and pointed out things of interest. He might not be a native, but he obviously knew his way around the island, and some of its history. Lexie sighed with contentment as she tried to look at everything at once.
Three hours later, Midas still couldn’t keep his eyes from Lexie. They were walking hand-in-hand down Waikiki’s busy shopping street. They’d taken the path along the sand and beach itself on their way down, and now they were lazily walking back toward where he’d parked. They passed high-end store after high-end store, though Lexie didn’t seem inclined to shop.
He wouldn’t really have cared if she did, though that wasn’t really his thing, and it didn’t seem to be hers either. Not that he thought a woman who’d lived in some of the poorest places in the world would be addicted to shopping, but it was a relief nevertheless.
They’d talked nonstop all morning, yet Midas craved to know more about her. She was friendly to anyone they passed, smiling at everyone.
She’d even stopped to help a mother who was obviously at the end of her rope. She’d had a toddler in a stroller who was screaming, and her son, probably around six or seven years old, had a bloody nose that she was trying to get under control. Lexie entertained the baby while ordering Midas to run into a fast food restaurant nearby to get more napkins for the poor mother. By the time he got back, it seemed as if Lexie and the woman were best friends. He never would’ve guessed they’d just met each other.
The only place she wanted to stop at was ABC Stores, the knickknack shop full of kitschy, cheap Hawaiian souvenirs. She ended up buying a tie-dye shirt that said Honolulu on it, a pair of plastic flip-flops, a bag of Maui onion potato chips, a towel with an image of a sunset, a hula girl that was supposed to be put on a dashboard, some Chapstick, and a pen that had sea turtles all over it.
She grinned like a little kid when she exited the store, and Midas couldn’t help but be caught up in her good mood. “You know most of that crap is made in China, right?” he asked.
“Don’t care,” she said, her smile not dimming in the least. “Now hush, don’t ruin my Hawaii high.”
“Your Hawaii high?” Midas echoed with a chuckle.
“Yup.”
He took the bag from her and intertwined their fingers with his other hand. They walked on for a bit and when they neared his car, he asked, “You still want to come hang out at my place?”
She turned to look at him and immediately nodded. “Yes.”
Midas smiled. Why it had been so hard to ask that question, he didn’t know. Well…yes, he did. It was because he was afraid she’d change her mind. He wanted her undivided attention. While he loved how friendly and outgoing she was, he couldn’t help but be selfish and want all that unbridled positive energy aimed at him.
He got her settled into the passenger seat and went around to get in the driver’s side. Lexie was digging into the bag from the ABC Stores—and she pulled out the hula girl in triumph.
“No,” he said as sternly as he could.
“Yes,” she countered.
Midas simply shook his head. He knew he wasn’t going to insist she leave the gaudy hula girl in the box. If it made her happy to put it on his dashboard, he’d let her.
Lexie peeled off the sticker on the bottom of the thing and Midas tried not to grimace as she pressed the dancing doll onto his dashboard. That adhesive was going to be impossible to get off, but again, after seeing Lexie’s delighted expression, he didn’t have the heart to bitch about it.
“Look, Midas! It’s awesome!”
He simply shook his head and started the engine. The doll shook her hips to and fro as he pulled out onto the street, and Lexie’s giggle shot straight through him. Fuck, he was going to get so much shit from the guys. But he didn’t even care. Seeing Lexie so happy and carefree was worth the ribbing.
He couldn’t help but remember the moment he’d seen Lexie in the desert, scared out of her mind, disheveled, but determined to not be a liability. Then when they’d hunkered down in that hole in the shop, she’d been worried about what was going to happen next. He much preferred to see her this way. Lighthearted and happy. He had a feeling it didn’t take much to please this woman, and he made a mental vow to do what he could to make her life fun and carefree.
His place wasn’t anywhere near as impressive as Aleck’s—not that any of the other guys’ were either—but he’d made it as comfortable as he could. They passed the airport and went by the joint base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, where he worked. He wanted to take Lexie to the Pearl Harbor Memorial at some point, but today, he headed toward Barbers Point, where his small house was located.
He’d lucked out when he’d first come to the island and was able to take over another SEAL’s lease. The man was being moved stateside and was happy to not only hand it over to a fellow SEAL, but to not lose any money on his lease at the same time. There were two small bedrooms, a combination dining and living area, a functional kitchen, but it was the yard that was the biggest draw for Midas.
He couldn’t quite see the ocean from his place, but he could hear the waves and smell the ocean air. And the mango and guava trees in his backyard were a major plus. He’d spent quite a bit of time building a deck with a cover and picking out the most comfortable deck chairs he could find. He’d even built a bar on one side of the deck, complete with a mini-fridge and sink. It wasn’t perfect, but he was proud of the fact he’d built it all himself.
He pulled into the driveway and hopped out to open the garage door. He’d learned never to underestimate the Hawaiian weather. It might be completely sunny without a cloud in the sky now, but in an hour it could be pouring. Midas pulled into the one-car garage and waited for Lexie to come around to his side. He held out his hand and she immediately took it.
“Ready?”
She scrunched her nose. “For what? Do you have a protective pet ostrich or something that’s gonna try to peck out my eyes when we go inside?”
Midas laughed. “No. But I have to warn you, I don’t have a huge balcony like Aleck.”
Lexie shrugged. “So?”
“Right.” He turned to open the door to the house, but Lexie stopped him
with a hand on his arm.
“I don’t care what your place looks like, Midas. Seriously. You’ve seen my tiny little closet of an apartment. Besides, I’m not with you because of where you live or what material possessions you might have.”
“Why are you?” The question just popped out, and Midas wished he could call it back the second the words left his lips.
She grinned. It was a sexy and mischievous smile. “Because of your hot body, of course,” she teased.
“Yeah?” Midas asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her off her feet.
Lexie shrieked with laughter and braced her hands on his shoulders. “Of course. Why else?”
“Well, I was hoping my large…personality had something to do with it.”
She threw back her head and laughed some more, and Midas couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was so beautiful. And it was more than her looks. Her joy for life couldn’t be contained. Her spirit was much like her curly hair, unruly and wild.
She got herself under control and peered at him. “You gonna put me down?” she asked.
“Nope,” Midas informed her as he easily held her against his body and turned the doorknob.
“A girl could get used to this,” she said with a laugh as he carried her into his house. There was a small entryway just off the garage door, but the entire house could be seen at a glance as soon as he stepped into the living area.
The door to his bedroom was open, and Midas was relieved that he’d remembered to make his bed that morning. The second bedroom door was shut, because it was full of junk he’d acquired over the years. A set of weights, a bicycle, a bookcase full of military thrillers, and other odds and ends.
Lexie wiggled against him, and Midas reluctantly leaned over and set her feet on the floor. She put the plastic bag from the ABC Stores on a table as she passed it and headed into the kitchen. Turning in a circle, she examined the four-burner stove, the white fridge that was probably twenty years old, the toaster, blender, air fryer, and coffee maker on the counter, and the cracked tile on the countertop before she met his gaze.
“I like it,” she said.
Midas burst out laughing.
“What?” she asked, her brows furrowing.
“Lex, this kitchen’s older than I am. Nothing matches, there’s no extra space on the counter, there’s no dishwasher and there’s absolutely nothing special about it.”
She shook her head. “You’re wrong. It’s lived in. I can picture you here in the mornings drinking your coffee, thinking about the upcoming day. It doesn’t matter that nothing matches, all that matters is that it works.”
“Come here,” Midas ordered, holding out his hand. He needed to kiss her. Now.
She smiled slyly at him. “Why?”
He couldn’t help but grin. “Because I want to kiss you,” he admitted.
“Oh. Okay,” she said and started for him. When she got within reach, he pulled her into him, careful not to hurt her, and bent his head.
Then he kissed her as he’d been longing to all day.
Every minute he spent with this woman, she snuck deeper and deeper under his skin. She had a way of looking at the world that he never would, if she wasn’t by his side. She admired the kids in the ocean learning to surf, laughed at the antics of crabs in the sand, and watched with rapt admiration the dancers hired to entertain the crowds in the open-air mall. She made everything seem new and shiny, while Midas was more often jaded and skeptical of the motives of the people around him.
She made him a better person, simply by being herself.
If he’d thought Lexie might let him be in charge of their kiss, he was wrong. She pulled on his hair and tilted her head to a better angle, pushing her tongue deeper into his mouth. Smiling, Midas let her do as she pleased. Her eagerness and enthusiasm turned him on even more.
But as much as he wanted to back Lexie into his room and strip her naked and make long, slow love to her, he didn’t want her to think that’s why he’d invited her to his house. He pulled back, and he loved the small smile on her face and the way she sighed against his lips.
“Thirsty?” he asked gently.
She nodded.
“Water? Lemonade? Coffee? Tea?”
“Water’s fine. Thanks.”
Midas kissed her on the forehead and headed for a cabinet. He got down a plastic cup, opened the freezer and put some ice cubes into it, then filled it from a container in the fridge. He walked back to her and she took it with a small smile.
“No bottled water?” she asked.
Midas shrugged. “It’s not good for the environment,” he told her.
Her smile widened. “No, it’s not.”
They stared at each other for a moment before Midas mentally shook himself. He was seconds away from hauling her into his bedroom after all, and he knew he needed to distract himself. “Come on, the kitchen and living area aren’t terribly exciting, but I know you’ll love my yard.”
He put his hand on her back and guided her to the sliding glass door that led outside. He opened it and waited with bated breath to see her reaction. This was his pride and joy, something he loved.
“Holy crap, Midas. This is…” Her voice trailed off as she gazed around the area.
The fruit trees were lined up near the fence and there was a small patch of grass in the middle of the area. They stood in the shade of the deck, and the breeze that constantly blew off the ocean felt cool against his face.
She walked across the yard to the trees and reached up to touch a mango. Then she did the same to the guava tree. She turned and studied the wooden deck he’d built, then walked back toward him. Lexie put her cup down on the small table between the two deck chairs and gingerly lowered herself onto a cushion. The chair reclined as she leaned back, and she smiled up at him.
Midas returned the grin and pushed the footstool closer so she could put her feet up.
She sighed in contentment. “Just so you know… I’m never leaving.”
He chuckled and sat on the other chair. He had four more chairs just like these in the second bedroom in his house, for when the rest of the team came over. But he supposed he needed to find a couple more since Elodie was now in the picture…and of course for Lexie.
“Seriously, this is…it’s better than Aleck’s balcony,” Lexie said.
Midas snorted. “Right.”
“It is,” she insisted. “I mean, I’ll admit that the double rainbow was pretty impressive, but this feels more intimate. We’re right here next to the grass, I can hear the wind blowing through the trees, and if I get hungry, I can literally go and pick a fresh mango. And this deck…it’s…” Her voice trailed off.
Midas looked over at her…and saw Lexie pressing her lips together as if trying to keep her composure. “Lex?” he asked in alarm.
She waved a hand. “I’m good,” she said in a wavering voice. “It’s just that, whenever I’d dream about having a house of my own, this was the kind of yard I wanted. Nothing huge, because it’s a pain in the ass to mow, but with trees, and a covered deck just like this one. Somewhere I could relax without having to worry about the sun baking me, or a place I could bring a blanket out to a chair and simply enjoy the sounds of nature. It’s perfect, Midas,” she said sincerely, turning her head to look at him.
He wanted to scoop her up and hold her, but Midas forced himself to stay still. “Thanks. This is my favorite place in the world. After a hard mission, I’ll come home and sit out here for hours, grounding myself and getting my equilibrium back. It’s private, so I don’t have to worry about anyone interrupting me, and even if it’s raining, I can still sit here and enjoy it.”
Lexie nodded. “You’re lucky, Midas.”
He was. He knew that. Even more so to be sharing his space with her.
The rest of the afternoon went by way too quickly. Midas and Lexie talked about everything from politics, to the pros and cons of tourists in Hawaii, to his job…what he could tell her, at least. They talk
ed about Food For All, and Midas learned that Lexie had gotten a couple more emails from Magnus Brander. The man was taking more interest in Food For All and wanted to pick up where his brother had left off.
Midas told her more about Baker Rawlins, the reclusive former SEAL who lived up at the North Shore, and who’d helped reassure Mustang and Elodie that she truly was safe from the New York mobster who’d forced her to go on the run in the first place.
Of course, that comment had led to many questions about Baker, and just when Midas was about to get a complex that she seemed more intrigued about the other man than she was with him, she stood up and stepped over to his chair.
“May I?” she asked, gesturing to his lap with her head.
Midas held out his arms. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Lexie settled into his arms without fanfare, squirming and burrowing until she was comfortable. Midas had never been so thankful to have chairs that reclined than he was right that moment.
“I have to say, you’re much more comfortable to lie against without all the stuff on your vest.”
He chuckled. “You say that now, but you didn’t seem to have any trouble falling asleep on me in that hole.”
“True,” she said with a small sigh. “It’s so hard to believe that it wasn’t that long ago,” she said softly.
Midas reached up and pulled the tie out of her hair, something he’d been aching to do all afternoon. He smoothed the locks away from her face, then ran his hand over them again and again. He petted her hair absently and felt her sigh of contentment against his neck.
“I wonder how Astur is doing.”
“At risk of making you fall for Baker and not me, I talked to him about Astur and her family,” Midas said.
Lexie lifted her head and stared at him. “You did?”
“Yeah. I promised Shermake I’d do what I could for them, so Baker is working on something for me.”
“What?”
“I want to sponsor Shermake, Cumar, and Hodan if they want to go to a university. East Africa University has a campus there in Galkayo. They specialize in computer science and engineering. There are also a few health science programs too. But if they aren’t interested in those, they can go to Puntland State University, also in Galkayo, or they can choose to go to a residential program at Mogadishu University.”
