by Mimi Barbour
Still shaken, Leilani sat watching the dude become angrier when the machine didn’t behave the way he’d expected. Only a faint luminosity from the emergency lights around the ceiling kept them from being completely in of the dark and actually added a kind of romantic glow to the enclosed space.
“Do you really believe that slamming your hand against those buttons will do any good?” Sarcasm wasn’t her usual way of dealing with things, but for some reason his ridiculous action brought out the worst in her. “I’m sure if we wait patiently,” she continued, “the hotel staff will get us moving soon.” Careful not to push his buttons, she tried to sound levelheaded. Sitting on the thick carpeting seemed to be the safest place for now, and as far away from him as possible.
“Yes, you’re right. It’s been a long day.” His fingers rubbed at his forehead and then swept through his well-groomed black hair only for the thickness to reset itself in stylish disorder. He leaned against the wall, but his glare toward the closed doors didn’t fool her. This handsome Hawaiian was hugely annoyed.
“I’m going to just sit here and enjoy having a few minutes to relax,” stated Leilani. Her hint fell on deaf ears. He was now taking out a fancy knife, releasing the screwdriver thingy, and soon began to take out the screws from the gleaming brass plate.
“Fine, you do that.” Silly fool didn’t even look her way while he spat the words out and gouged himself. “Son-of-a-bi—”
Clearing her throat reminded him he had company, and cut off his expletive. His childishness made her smile. She pushed her dratted suitcase behind her, crossed her legs, and leaned back, getting as comfortable as she could.
The man, dressed to kill in a beige suit that probably cost double what she’d spent on makeup in her lifetime, now took off his jacket to drop it in a heap on the floor. He pulled his designer, blue silk tie loose, stuffed it in his pants pocket, and rolled up the sleeves to a creamy shirt that highlighted the muscles in his toned chest and arms.
Without thinking, Leilani reached over and rescued his jacket. Folding the garment neatly, she placed it away from where his feet could trample it. Then her attention returned to the evening’s entertainment.
Whew! Now that she had time to look, he was one gorgeous package. Not too tall, he still carried himself with an attitude of power, and she had no doubt that he was used to the world playing the game his way. Either it happened or he made it happen.
She crossed her arms and took an audible breath, hoping he’d notice. Could he make things worse with his poking around in the switches? Heck, what if he electrocuted himself? She’d have to perform live-saving measures, maybe CPR. Just because she was a nurse didn’t mean she had to sit by and watch a fool injure himself. I’ll use scare tactics.
“Just so you know, I’ve never been good at administering CPR. If you get a shock and need medical assistance, you’ll be on your own.”
This did stop him for a few seconds. He glanced her way, a slight sneer on his lips. “I’ll have you know I’ve worked in this hotel for many years. I happen to know my way around most of this machinery.” As if on cue, a sudden snapping shock happened at the end of his statement.
So did the short plunge that the elevator took. But this time, when he lost his balance, the stranger landed on top of her. Within a few seconds, the car shuddered and held, a grinding sound heralding some obstruction.
Automatically, her arms had lifted to protect him, and she’d clutched his face toward her chest. The lights dimmed, came back on, and then shut off. They were literally in the dark. Both held their breaths as if the weight of the air might make a difference to the elevator dropping further. No one moved. She embraced him, and he lay quietly in her arms.
Chapter Four
Kale Jordan had never felt more frustrated than he had today. His role as the owner of Jordan Hotels had always sat heavily on his shoulders, but he normally performed his duties with aplomb and a huge amount of energy.
Today was different. Earlier, he’d broken off his romance with Ramona Haui, a pampered daughter of one of the richest island families, a girl whose sense of entitlement surpassed his by a long shot. Spoilt and sassy, her verve had excited him to begin with, and they’d formed a liaison, becoming lovers.
As soon as he’d given her the power of being known as his girlfriend, she’d begun to take advantage. Making plans for him, without his knowledge. Taking his acquiescence for granted when she wanted her way about parties and such.
Tonight had been the last straw. He’d worked brutal hours over the last few weeks to get the season under way, and had flown to three different hotels to deal with hitches in their smooth running, mainly personnel problems and all involving women. When he’d arrived back to town that morning, he’d had visions of a quiet night followed by a trip to his beach house the next morning. A trip he planned to take alone, to refill his depleted reserves.
Instead, Ramona had attacked with all her demands the minute he’d arrived in the office. Note to self—find out who blabbed and fire that person. His orders to staff had been strict. Tell no one about my plans to return today. No one included—no it actually pertained to his girlfriend. That alone was a sad state of affairs.
Their breakup scene was ugly. Ramona’s bitter recriminations were disgusting and included language that caused Kale to cringe. Hell, he figured he’d heard it all during his university years, and then working with some pretty hard-assed businessmen, but her invectives, spit at him with venom, had them all beat. Go figure, a face of an angel hid the mind of a slut.
Why she’d been so upset, he’d never know. All he’d wanted was a few days off to rejuvenate his energy and work on his hobby. Be alone and soak in some well-earned peace and quiet. Without these times, his life as owner and manager of the Jordan chain would sap all his strength, and he’d get nothing accomplished.
After she’d stormed from his office, continuous setbacks had occurred that demanded his exclusive attention. By the time he’d settled them, he had no choice but to retire to his penthouse home and try to steal away in the morning.
Except now, here he sat sequestered in a broken, unlit elevator with a girl who looked like the perfect representative for Miss Hawaii. Without doubt, another gorgeous misfit! He knew that the beer he’d promised himself would have to wait even longer.
A strange hum began and the earlier ceiling lighting resumed working and began to throw an eerie radiance around the space. At least it gave enough illumination for them to be able to see what they were doing.
Kale quickly removed himself from her arms, but not before a strong whiff of the perfume from her flowers invaded. This time the lilies must have rubbed against his face. His first sneeze heralded the beginning of a profound allergic reaction. The next sneeze verified that it had hit him with a vengeance.
“Bless you.”
Why did she have to sound as if she cared? He hadn’t even wanted to acknowledge her. Gruffly he replied. “Tank ew.”
“Allergies?” She spoke, while at the same time nodding all-knowingly. He wished he could say no. That a bug had flown up his nose, or that he had a terrible cold. Allergies in a man had always seemed sort of well… girlie, and he hated the weakness. Instead, he leaned his head against the wall and accepted the tissues she held out.
“Yeth.”
“It must be my flowers.” She sighed but surprisingly took them off, and lovingly placed them in a plastic bag she’d found inside the huge purse she carried. She moved it to the opposite side of the floor area and asked, “Better?”
Kale appreciated her gesture, so he nodded.
“I have allergies myself, so I know what you’re going through. At home there’s a yellow flowering plant called Broom, a Scottish import that blossoms into gorgeous flowers to decorate our island highway. And every spring I suffer for months until the flowers die off.”
“Where’s home?” Now why did he encourage her? He hadn’t meant to ask, it just came out automatically.
“Victor
ia, Canada. On Vancouver Island. At one time I thought it the most beautiful place in the world, but then I arrived here.”
He sneezed once again… and again.
“Bless you.”
This time he only nodded in acknowledgment, not caring if she thought him rude. And not realizing that she might take that as a hint to continue yapping. Good Lord!
“My mother was an island girl, born here in Honolulu. She passed away last week, and I’m bringing her ashes back to her homeland. Apart from the strain of my mother’s passing, I also worried about the flight. You see I’ve never travelled before. To tell the truth, I’ve never been out of British Columbia.”
“Does any woman tell the truth?” Where had those words come from? He might think them, but he’d never say so. It was as if someone else directed his tongue. Before he could stop it, another belligerent phrase spilled out. “If so I’ve never had the good fortune to meet her.”
Gruffness distorted his voice to where even he had trouble knowing who spoke. He’d perfected an accented politeness that so titillated the ladies, and a calm directness that worked with the male patrons, and always used these mannerisms around the patrons. With this little lady, all he’d done was grunt and sneeze. What the hell was wrong with him?
Chapter Five
The peevish man sounded so much like her mother that Leilani automatically switched into her calming mode. She answered his outrageous comments with a soothing directness that had always worked.
“Aye, you know that’s a silly statement, and you can’t really mean it. Why there are many women who can be trusted. Take me for instance. I’ve never purposely lied since I left my teens behind. I try and help people every day and it’s paid off with loving friends and a fairly happy life.”
He stared at her, and as if by a silent command, the lights brightened enough for them to truly see each other if they sat close. Strange! Both moved simultaneously.
“I guess you do look like a nice person.” Grudgingly, he admitted what any blind man could see. She knew only honesty shone from the eyes she’d turned to meet his.
“You do also,” Leilani offered.
“Now how can you possibly say that? You don’t even know me.”
“I don’t have to know you. Remember, you stopped and helped me with my suitcase while everyone else ignored my dilemma and ran to catch the elevator. Even though you were allergic to my flowers, you never demanded that I remove them, right? I find most people are genuinely nice and are only trying to get along in life.”
“Most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!” He sneezed to emphasize his exclamation.
“Bless you. And it isn’t ridiculous at all. I have no doubt we all have some habits and character traits that aren’t very popular, but I’d say most men and women just want to make a decent life, have friends and a family who care about them, and work hard so they can look forward to a reward.”
His hand sliced through the air. “Bullsh—”
Clearing her throat cut off his swearing.
“Fine! I’ll clean up my language, but you’re still being naive. Most people are out for what they can get, and if they can screw over anyone else in their path, all well and good. I work in an industry that sees it all the time. I will admit it wasn’t always that way. When I was younger, many of our tourists were happy to see the Hawaii we grew up in. They were happy with any attention given to them and made working in the industry a good place to be. In the last while, many people who come to the islands demand better and always want more. They never seem to be satisfied.”
Because she was always a toucher, Leilani lifted his hand, placed it in hers, and patted it with her other. “Don’t concentrate on the few who ruin it. Look at the others who love your island and want to enjoy its beauty. For every rotten jerk, there are so many good folks who’ve saved their pennies to come here. You don’t notice them because they’re the quiet people.”
“They’re quiet because the loudmouth buffoons make it impossible for them to be heard.”
“Actually, the loudest are the ones who need affirmation the most. I see many of those poor people. I’m a nurse in a cancer clinic, and I’ve always found that the complainers are the sad souls who are in need of the gentlest care.” She could see that her reply shocked him so she asked, “Do you want to hear my theory?”
“Do I have a choice?”
His teasing note dimmed her delight in sharing. “Not really. If I don’t keep talking, I might start screaming. Panic, you see. Small places can do that to some people.”
“Then by all means, tell me why whiners make the saddest patients. I can’t wait to hear your reasoning.”
First, she settled back against her suitcase and crossed her leg over the other, while still holding on to his hand. “I believe as babies and wee children, a lot of those folks were ignored by their parents. Being that their particular personalities needed this interest desperately, they ended up whining and demanding it. In fact the more they carried on, the better it worked… didn’t matter if it was a negative reaction, any reaction would do as long as they were acknowledged. Children whose parents or siblings doted on them in their youth tend to be much less insecure and in need of attention.”
“I see. And what about those people who don’t want folks bothering them with petty complaints and silly grievances?”
“Then those people shouldn’t be working in the hospitality industry, should they?”
“Not everyone has a choice, Miss….”
So now, he wanted to know her name. Took him long enough to ask. Of course, it was a two-way street. She could have asked him first. However, wasn’t it up to the male to make that move? Leilani wished she had more experience with men. Between the energy her mom had demanded each day, her jobs to pay for her nursing, and the time-consuming studying it took her to get her degree, dating had been low on her priority totem pole.
“He repeated his request, this time a little louder. Miss…?”
“Leilani Taylor. And you?”
Chapter Six
“My name is Kale. You’ve given me a lot to think about, Leilani.” Her still holding his hand and rubbing it as if he needed to be soothed also had him thinking—and feeling. Adrenalin began pumping so hard through his body; he knew he should break the contact, except there wasn’t enough money in the world to make him stop the wonder of her touch. Even his body loved her soft caresses, and hardened with pleasure.
When it came to his libido, he’d always had incredible control. Or he had, before this little minx had fallen into his world. Nothing he tried would stop the urge that had attacked him. The urge to pull her onto his lap, and kiss her quiet.
Not that her mellow voice irritated. In fact, he could listen to her talk all night. Considering how much he hated it when his previous girlfriends had nattered on about their inconsequential nothings, this alone perplexed the hell out of him.
Finally, he noticed that Leilani had indeed stopped chatting. Perversely, he wanted her to continue. Seems he liked the sound of her voice. Who knew how long they’d have to wait for the repairs on the elevator? He might as well get to know this doll-like creature better. Undoubtedly, Kale figured he’d eventually find out she was the same kind of female as all the others he’d had the misfortune to date.
He broke into the silence. “Okay, I’ve given your theory consideration, and I believe there is some merit to what you say. My perspective has become cynical over the years.”
“It wouldn’t if you loved what you do.”
“I don’t hate it. I’m just exhausted and it’s coming out in my attitude. But I feel much better now having spent this time with you.”
“Kale, tiredness can’t explain your inner feelings. Isn’t there something else you could do that you love?”
Kale thought about the project he’d begun working on, before being called away to attend to his hotels. How he’d hated being forced to leave. “I guess there is, but it’s only a hobby. I have a responsib
ility to my staff and the investors who rely on me. Don’t worry about me; I’m a big boy. Tell me about your mother and where you have to take her ashes.”
The girl looked at him when she realized that he was now returning her handclasp, that he’d become a participant in the hand-holding she’d so unconsciously started. As if he’d known it would be difficult for her to answer his question, and he wanted to be encouraging, he lightly squeezed her fingers.
“My mother was a very difficult woman. Most of her life was filled with regret and anger. She demanded a lot from… uhh people, and then withheld approval even after she’d get her own way. My father couldn’t live with her, and left when I was quite young. I tried to be the daughter she wanted, even became a nurse to help her through her disability, but I’m sure there were many days she regretted being a mother.”
“What kind of disability?”
“She was a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair.”
“Living with her must have been demoralizing.”
“Not at all. I just told myself to treat her like a little girl who didn’t know any better. Most days the treatment worked, and she’d try harder. I honestly feel there’s an answer for her deep unhappiness, and that I’ll find it here on the island where she came from.”
“You’re a better person than I am. I would have left.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You can’t even leave a job you dislike, because of the people depending on you. So how could you think you’d have left a woman who only had one thing to live for?”
Shame coursed through Kale when he’d blurted out the company line most people would say instead of giving her the courtesy of speaking from the heart. She’d seen right through him. “If you put it like that, I suppose you’re right. At least she did love you.”
