Meet Me in Hawaii

by Georgia Toffolo

  She rested her head in his palm, unable to speak as she lost herself in his soft gaze, so filled with compassion that she could feel the tightness in her chest, her throat build. She raised her palm to cover his, took his warmth to find her voice. ‘It was a living nightmare, watching him… watching him waste away, so slowly but surely, and not be able to do anything, only watch as the light went from his eyes.’

  Oh, God, she was going to cry, she could feel the tears burning behind her eyes, see her own emotion reflected back at her in his gaze. But she’d cried all the tears, she’d lived through the pain, she’d been there and done that. No more.

  His lips parted as though to say something, drawing her eyes lower to their soft, alluring appeal. It would be so easy to forget the pain in a kiss, to lose herself in him and this crazy heat he ignited in her.

  Don’t do it, Malie.

  But desire beat pain.

  She wet her lips, saw him do the same, lifted her eyes to his and saw the passion building there.

  ‘Malie?’

  He was asking her permission; she knew it just as she also knew it was wrong. It was messy. It was too intense. She shook her head and turned away before the madness won out, forcing her legs to walk.

  He came up behind her, his hand gentle on her hip as he met her step for step. ‘Is that why you left?’

  ‘It was a part of it…’ She wouldn’t lie, she had no reason to lie, not with him. ‘The final decision came when I was eighteen.’

  ‘The age of adulthood?’ he teased softly, and she laughed, but even she could hear the sadness in it. ‘Keen for your own independence?’

  ‘Kind of… I was in a car accident.’

  She felt his fingers pulse on her hip. ‘A bad one?’

  She nodded, her ‘yes’ a choked-up hum. ‘My friends and I were on our way to the school summer dance, when a car drove into ours.’

  Even now goose bumps prickled across her skin, the memory, the terror, the sight of so much blood and crumpled metal. She shuddered and Todd pulled her closer to him, his body warmth soothing hers.

  ‘I came out practically unscathed… Lils and I were cut, bruised, but nothing serious, except for the nightmares that soon followed. But my friends Zo and V…’ She swallowed. ‘They were trapped by the car, Zoe caught between the rear and the driver’s seat, V by the steering column.’ She shook her head. ‘They had to cut them out… we all survived but…’

  ‘But?’ he pressed softly.

  ‘It doesn’t feel my place to say… though it’s not like you’re ever going to meet them, are you?’ She gave a shaky laugh, expecting him to agree because in what world would they ever become friends on that scale. She wasn’t foolish enough to expect – no, to want more from this. ‘V can’t have children of her own, and Zoe… Zoe lost the use of her legs. She’s wheelchair-bound now…’

  Wheelchair-bound but boy, had she shown the world what she was capable of. She smiled as she thought it, even as Todd pulled her closer, offering her more support. ‘You should see her, though, that woman is fearless, there’s nothing she can’t do if she puts her mind to it.’

  ‘I can imagine,’ he murmured. ‘It seems I’ve found the answer to your passion, the reason you do all this…’

  He turned her to face him again, his eyes so full of that passion he spoke of.

  ‘Is that so?’

  He cupped her face again, held her eye. ‘Your brother, your friends, Zoe… they’ve all inspired you.’

  ‘They did, they still do.’

  ‘You know what I think?’

  She searched his gaze, her ‘What?’ so soft, so tight, as her throat closed over but not with sadness, or grief this time… he was so close now, his mouth hovering just above hers, his scent assailing her senses once again and making her sway into him.

  ‘I think you’re an inspiration, Malie Pukui – you and the strength you’ve found to survive all you’ve experienced and still be able to give.’

  ‘I’m nothing.’ It was so quiet she wasn’t even sure she’d said it aloud and then his thumb brushed over her lower lip, his eyes intense as they traced the move.

  ‘Don’t ever say that.’

  ‘But…’ Her argument trailed away. In truth she had none, she couldn’t think straight with him this close, with the desire to kiss him burning away every thought, every action save for one. ‘Todd, please…’

  She was already reaching up on tiptoes when his lips found hers, their gentle softness in no way comparable to the sparks that alighted inside her.

  Never had a simple kiss done this to her.

  Not one so soft, so gentle, so… oh, my…

  She was immobile, her whole body alive to the feel of his mouth as it moved over hers, his hands as they slipped into her hair, held her close. She heard a whimper and knew it had come from the very heart of her.

  The warnings were there, dizzying up her mind, but she couldn’t think past the warm pleasure swirling through her body. He slanted his head, his tongue nudging her lips apart and the whimper escaped again, her hands lifting to his wrists like she would pull him away, but she couldn’t. It was too nice, too all-consuming. Instead she brushed her tongue against his, tentative, probing, and shivered as the thrill of it rippled through her. No, she didn’t want this feeling to end. She wanted it to grow, she wanted more.

  And that’s when it hit her. The timely reminder that everything had to end.

  Fun, enjoyment, love, life.

  And when it ends there’s pain, so much pain.

  Yes, he could block it out for her for now. But what about tomorrow, and the day after that, and… She pulled at his hands, her head shaking, her eyes squeezed shut. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have.’

  ‘You didn’t, it was me… it’s OK, Malie, we can forget—’

  But she was already turning to run.

  ‘I have to go.’ She hurried away from the heat of the kiss, her shame burning at her cheeks. ‘I have to be up early for the first group, thanks for a great evening, for… for… this.’

  And then she turned her back on him and kept on going, collecting her shoes as she went. She didn’t stop to get her drink, she didn’t even stop to say her goodbyes at the party. She was too busy berating herself for her own stupidity.

  What the hell had she been doing?

  Having fun. Going with the flow. Getting lost in the appeal that was the millionaire Todd Masters and the man underneath.

  She shook her head, the painful stomp of her bare feet against the harsh ground the perfect distraction to the chaos underway within.

  She never should have kissed him. Never let him get beneath her skin. Never should have cared. Really cared. Her brother’s death, the accident, they’d taught her how fragile life was and letting Todd in could only ever complicate things.

  Get a grip, Malie. You’ve only just met the guy and he’ll be gone again soon enough. It’s not like you’ve fallen head over heels, the whole love-at-first-sight nonsense is just that – Nonsense!

  She pressed her fingers to her tingling lips, felt them mocking her internal lecture and knew the next few weeks would be a challenge like none other.

  Chapter Five

  HE WAS LOSING HIS mind, the beauty of Hawaii making him unable to focus on work, and that never happened. Ever.

  He lived for his company and his charity work. They filled his days and his nights when needed. He stayed busy. Flying from city to city, making money, investing more. He didn’t take holidays, he didn’t need holidays. They were a waste of good, productive hours.

  But here… here he wanted to be at the beach, he wanted to be in the water, he wanted to be near her. And that’s what it came down to. It wasn’t the location, it was Malie.

  He knew it. He just didn’t know what to do about it. In any normal situation he would propose some fun while visiting and move on when he was done. But this was different. She was different. Not to mention the fact that the Foundation’s kids relied on her to make their holid
ay perfect and he had no right messing with that.

  He’d certainly had no right to kiss her last night either. But he’d been so caught up in her pain, the emotion swimming in her gaze, and the chemistry that promised to take it away, even if it was only temporary.

  He breathed a heavy sigh. It had been a foolish move, one that he should regret. But he wasn’t so sure he did.

  In fact, if he had his time over, he knew he’d do the exact same thing again.

  He’d exposed himself when he’d told her all he had, he hadn’t felt like himself… and yet he’d never been more true, more open, more honest, and it had left him in some weird state of limbo where he couldn’t settle.

  He rubbed a hand over his face like it would somehow clear the brain fog, but it was no use. The kiss, the way it had made him feel… yes, there had been the carnal urge, the desire, but it had been the overriding emotional connection that had made it impossible to resist. And it was that which unnerved him too.

  Sexual attraction was something he could deal with, something he could manage and keep within his control. He never mixed business with pleasure, be it charity or otherwise. But with Malie… he dragged in another breath… it had been different.

  And there was that word again. Different.

  He stared at his laptop screen, trying to focus on it, instead of the constant replay underway in his head, but it continued regardless. He’d been reliving it every waking moment since. The beach, the moonlight and her. If he closed his eyes – his lashes lowered – he could still feel her. Her soft, pliable mouth beneath his, the taste of her so sweet, and that little whimper which had quivered through her as she’d leaned into him.

  His body reacted instantly and he shot his eyes open. He had to get a handle on this.

  She’d run. At the end of the day, she’d run. It didn’t matter that she’d kissed him back, that for a few seconds it had been perfect, she had ultimately chosen to end it. And whatever her reasons were, he should be grateful to her for seeing sense when he hadn’t been able to. He didn’t want to jeopardize the success of this trip, especially when it could only ever be a bit of fun, a temporary lift to his otherwise monotonous and controlled existence.

  Life was how he liked it, orderly and straightforward, so long as he didn’t dwell too much on his frustrations with his father.

  All he had to do was keep his relationship with Malie professional and platonic. He had five lessons to get through and a few weeks on the island, nothing in the grand scheme of things for him, but plenty for the kids who’d make memories that would last a lifetime.

  Now he smiled, his hand massaging the knot at the base of his skull as he glanced at his watch. It was four o’clock in the afternoon, Malie would be coming to the end of her second group session now. He thought of the kids in that group: Jonny, Louis, Sky and Tara. They were a great bunch, but Tara was the one that really caught his attention. Her visible scarring from a house fire had made her withdraw into herself and he hoped, really hoped, that this trip would bring the ten-year-old girl out of her shell again. Not to mention help her parents, who’d lost sight of their marriage long ago.

  Only a handful of kids had their parents come along on the trip and Tara was one of them. He hoped they would use the time Tara was busy to enjoy some holiday time of their own and that they would soon realize that giving her some space was just as important as loving her.

  If they only saw their daughter happy and enjoying life again, they would hopefully relax their tight hold over her and learn to relax with one another too. And if anyone could see Tara happy again, he had faith Malie would. Her easy smile that lit up her entire face, her bright green eyes that danced with humour, fun, joy… even though he knew deep down she carried her own scars.

  And maybe that’s another reason he felt so drawn to her, maybe he wanted to help her too. To understand why, when she missed home like she did, she still chose to live in Hawaii. Her parents had owned a surf school, the perfect place for her to do what she does now, and yet she did so thousands of miles away.

  But then he hadn’t missed the past tense either, they’d owned a surf school, which suggested they didn’t anymore. And surely they must miss their daughter. Having lost their son, to have their only child living miles away… he shook his head. He had so many questions, so many scenarios playing out in his mind as he sought to understand her better, even though he knew it wouldn’t help him to keep his distance. To keep it professional.

  He shoved back from the desk and stood. It was no good sitting here and getting nothing done. If he hurried, he could catch the end of the lesson and see how the kids were getting on.

  And if the opportunity arose, he would apologize for overstepping the line last night.

  He headed outside feeling the pressure ease between his shoulder blades already. It was only a short stroll along the beach to get to the surf school, the fresh air would do him good too.

  Fresh air.

  Chat to the kids.

  Apologize to Malie.

  Safe and simple.

  The beach was busy, but he could spot his crew almost immediately. They all wore the same bright pink rash vests, Malie’s sporting the word INSTRUCTOR in bold white print. He smiled, the gesture lifting him inside and out. She was in the sea, the water up to her waist as she held onto the board with ten-year-old Louis lying on it. He was small for his age, malnutrition leaving him way behind his peers, but what he lacked in size, he made up for in noise and laughter.

  Behind them fifteen-year-old Jonny was already standing, his hands whooping in the air, and fourteen-year-old Sky was paddling as she shouted up to him, their smiles painting a thousand happy words.

  But where was Tara?

  He frowned and scanned the other boards, those playing in the shallow surf, the shoreline – and then he saw her. She was sitting in the sand, hunched over as she tickled Nalu at her feet, her board lying untouched beside her. He felt the weight of disappointment in the pit of his stomach but shook it off. No one could expect her to make a turnaround in just a couple of hours.

  He walked up to the surf school and saw Kalani hosing down a row of surfboards.

  ‘Aloha,’ he called out.

  Kalani looked up and grinned. ‘Mr Masters! It’s good to see you.’

  ‘It’s Todd, please.’

  ‘Sorry, Todd.’

  ‘How long have they been in the sea?’ He nodded towards the water just as Louis let out a small whoop and launched himself up on his board. Didn’t matter that Malie still had hold of it, the boy was in his element.

  ‘Most of their lesson. It’s a bit unorthodox, but she finds it works better that way with kids; they’re always so impatient to be in the sea, it helps them concentrate and feel like they’re getting there quicker. Even if in reality it will take just as long.’

  ‘Makes sense.’

  ‘Sure does! It gets them confident in the water too, especially if they haven’t been in the sea much before.’

  Todd watched Malie swing Louis through the air and down into the sea with her. The boy gripped her shoulders: ‘I did it, Malie, I did it!’

  He heard her laughter across the distance as she wiped her face down, undoubtedly getting a spray of sea water from Louis’ lips as he cheered at her. ‘You did, dude, you were awesome, give me five.’

  He felt his chest warm, he wished he’d come down earlier and witnessed the entire lesson, this morning’s too. Maybe he could bring his laptop down here, work from the surf school occasionally.

  ‘Don’t worry, she won’t put you in the sea immediately, she’ll subject you to land work first.’ He looked back to Kalani and spied his smirk.

  ‘If the kids can do it, I can do it, too.’

  ‘You surfed before?’

  ‘No.’

  Kalani just nodded, but his smirk was still there as he continued hosing down the boards.

  ‘What’s so funny?’

  The guy looked him up and down. ‘I’d say you’re f
it enough for it, but you’re going to need to loosen up before you hit the water.’

  Malie’s words came back to him, their dance immediately after – his body overheating with the memory – the intimate movement of her body against his, and the kiss…

  He swallowed. ‘Right… well… I can loosen up.’

  Even he could tell he didn’t sound convincing and was about to make his excuses before heading down to the shoreline when he saw Malie come out of the water, Louis on her tail. The boy lay his board in the sand and hung back as Malie approached Tara.

  Todd froze, not wanting to catch her eye and distract her. Especially when Tara had never looked more isolated than she did right now, still hunched up, her only companion Nalu, while all around her people laughed, cheered, played ball games, enjoyed the water… what would she say to her? What would she do?

  And more importantly, would it work?

  Malie was careful as she approached Tara. She wasn’t overly tentative, but she wasn’t quite as full-on as she’d been with the others.

  She knew the girl’s history thanks to the detailed case file provided by the charity – her heart ached each time she thought of it. A house fire four years ago had claimed the life of Tara’s younger brother and left Tara herself scarred, half of her face suffering burns that no amount of surgery could conceal. And Malie knew well enough that the visible scarring would be nothing compared to what lay beneath.

  Her suspicions had only been reaffirmed when Tara and her parents had turned up an hour into the lesson, the parents delivering Tara personally with an anxious apology for their lateness. It had taken some coaxing to get her to come forward and numerous reassurances from Malie to her parents that all was OK enough for them to leave. They’d done so eventually, but the sight of Tara continuing to hold herself back from the group, barely responding to the greetings of her friends as she’d looked the other way and kept herself apart, was hard to witness. It didn’t matter that the girl knew everyone in the group from back home, she wasn’t ready to trust Malie or the water enough to get involved.