171
One
Who would have guessed that after just two weeks Kari McKinnon would leave the Hawaiian Islands married to a man she hardly knew.
Brushing feathery bangs out of her eyes with the back of her hand, the eager young woman stepped out of the door of the 747. Shading her eyes in the dazzling sunshine, she gaped as everything came into focus. Native Hawaiian girls were placing leis around disembarking passengers. As she slipped into paradise, the tall, sexy woman accepted her adornment of exotic flowers. Nervous but thrilled, Kari felt like she was eighteen again, like a kid in a candy shop with an unlimited budget. It was such a thrill to be in the islands! The enchantment of it all enveloped her like a cozy dream.
Dressed in jeans and a pale yellow tee shirt, her light auburn hair was loosely pulled back into a ponytail with a twisted yellow bandanna. Wispy bangs nearly obscured her emerald eyes. Curvy in all the right places, she'd always been a little self-conscious of her fairly large, well-rounded breasts. Her legs put Mary Hart's to shame. Unfortunately, her size ten feet often didn't cooperate with her nearly flawless legs. In other words, Kari McKinnon was a klutz.
She was embarking on her dream vacation. Her Minnesota publishing company, in honor of its 50th year, had held a drawing for a three week Hawaiian vacation for its employees. Nearly everyone had been happy for her when she'd won. Everyone that is, except her supervisor, Mark Jefferson.
A slight shadow crossed her face in the blazing sunshine. Mark. Why did she have to think about him at this moment? Mark Jefferson was her married boss. Kari McKinnon was his next target in a string of affairs. She'd seen many women leave the company because of him. He was one of the reasons she'd been so elated that she would be spending these three weeks in paradise. Now, she had some breathing space to decide what to do before returning home.
Maybe, if she was lucky, she would find the man of her dreams and not have to worry about Mark. Right. Just like in a fairy tale. She was a little old to be dreaming about a handsome prince sweeping her off her feet. Correction. Big feet. Kari didn't think glass slippers came in canoe size. Not one to take herself too seriously, the young woman grinned in spite of herself. Her best friend, Jordan, had given Kari her nickname in grade-school. Klutzy Kari, aka, Kiki. She'd been a natural born klutz from birth.
She'd been somewhat reluctant to leave her widowed father, Jack, who was still recovering from a heart attack, but he'd insisted. Their neighbor, Wanda, had agreed to keep an eye on him. Kari smiled wryly. Wanda had been keeping an eye on Jack for some time now.
Heaving a big sigh, Kari strolled into the terminal toward the luggage pick up. She was in paradise now, and the rest of her life could wait.
Lugging her two suitcases, Kari threaded her way through families and starry-eyed lovers.
"Excuse me. Sorry." Bumping and banging her way along, she really needed to sit down a moment and get her bearings. Turning around, Kari slammed right into a rolling wall of luggage. As the feisty young woman hit the portable luggage carrier, cases banged on the floor, followed by a flurry of words and feet, simultaneously.
"I'm so sorry. Please let me help you. I'm so sorry." Kari dashed to retrieve one bag and then another, muttering, but speaking to no one in particular. Her mind was aflutter. Oh Lord! How could I do this now? What a way to start out my dream vacation! Scrambling to gather as many as of the bags as she could, one of her sandals went flying into the baggage handler's chest. Thoroughly humiliated now, and totally embarrassed, Kari shoved the stray suitcases into his arms as he let loose a string of explicatives in his native tongue. Grabbing her shoe and luggage at the same time, she made a beeline for the nearest exit as his angry shouts trailed after her.
*****
Dark, sexy eyes were watching Kari’s every move as she banged her way through the airport. Austin DuQuaine, the son of a Texas oilman, was blown away as he observed the flustered, wide-eyed, pony-tailed redhead cause one hell of a commotion in the crowded hall. Austin's stare was laced with sudden desire as he assessed the chagrined woman fleeing the terminal. But what a woman! With strawberry-colored hair flying all over, wide green eyes and a figure to lust after, he just knew he had to hold her. His knees were like Slinkys and he just knew there was a small rollercoaster inside his gut. Whew! This was crazy. A guy doesn't fall off the deep end right away like this. Does he?
Shrugging his shoulders, Austin stepped in the direction the flustered young woman had disappeared. Rapidly striding around a corner, the handsome Texan stopped abruptly. The curvy redhead was sitting with her palms holding up her quivering chin, as her elbows rested on her shaky knees. She looked horrified.
Austin hesitated. Drawing in a deep breath, he approached the unsteady young woman, quietly.
"Ah hum. Can I be of some service to you, ma'am? You seem to be, ah, in distress."
Kari glanced up, her bright eyes shimmering on the verge of tears.
"I...I don't talk to people I don’t know."
He stuck out his hand. "Austin. Austin DuQuaine. And you are?"
She ignored his outstretched hand. "I'm not...I mean you aren't...oh. My name is Kari."
"We aren't strangers anymore now are we, darlin'. And, I wouldn't worry about those suitcases. Things like that happen all the time in airports." His gorgeous brown eyes twinkled with merriment.
****
Austin DuQuaine could barely tear his gaze from hers. Quickly, but deliberately, his gaze traveled from her toes (big feet, but great legs) up to her face, pausing very briefly at her breasts (nice) that were rising and falling rapidly at the moment. The kind a man could find great pleasure molding in his hands. The tee shirt tucked into snug blue jeans left no doubt as to what was hidden underneath. She had the most gorgeous green eyes he'd ever seen. Her eyes reminded him of the ocean on a stormy evening just before sunset. Back off boy. This isn't what you are here for. What the hell are you thinkin’ anyway!
Austin couldn't believe his reaction to this woman. His immediate response to her shocked him. These feelings were distinctly different from anything he'd known before and, this southern boy wasn't quite sure how to handle these peculiar, intriguing emotions. He made a half-hearted attempt to clear his mind of the lascivious thoughts that were running through it at the moment. He ordered his body to behave itself. It wasn't happening. Oh, well! One can't win all the time, can they now. He noticed a deep flush creeping over her face as Austin checked her out.
****
Although she should have felt indignant, it was oddly pleasing to her. On top of that, he'd witnessed her little escapade. Great. Just great. The most gorgeous guy she'd ever laid eyes on, and he'd seen her at her best. Miss Goofball Graceless America! Nervously knotting a loose strand of hair around her index finger, she stood up. Although she was tall herself, he stood a full head above her.
"I'm such a klutz. I'm always running into something. I just hope I didn't break anything. Mr...I'm sorry. What did you say your name was?"
"DuQuaine. Austin DuQuaine. It's-"
"Mr. DuQuaine. It was very kind of you to offer to help, but I'm okay now. I hope I haven't caused you any inconvenience." Kari twisted her hair around her finger furiously.
"It's Austin, and no, you haven't Miss-"
"McKinnon. Kari McKinnon." Pulling her finger free of her tangled hair, she extended her hand out this time.
He took it and lifted it to his lips, a southern gentleman for sure. "My pleasure, ma'am!"
Kari shivered, hastily withdrawing her hand. His kiss sent a funny feeling through her, combining with the butterflies already in her stomach. Her hand was burning where his lips had been.
"Well then, Mr. DuQuaine, Austin, I'll...I'll be on my way." She reached for her bags and straighten
ed up.
Kari blushed, hesitating slightly. "Uh, well, good...good bye Mr. DuQuaine."
"Ah, good day, Miss McKinnon. I hope we'll see each other again."
Flustered, Kari could barely get out an answer. "Oh. Yes, well, I...well maybe. I...I have to go or I'll miss my ride."
"Perhaps I can give you a lift." Austin smiled winningly.
Looking up into those big, brown eyes of his, she got lost in the moment. "I…I there is someone waiting for me from the hotel. I...I have to go. Right now." Kari backed into the bench she’d been sitting on a moment ago. He grabbed her arms as she started to fall.
"Oh, no. I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." Her face nearly matched the color of her hair by now. Aghast, Kari winced at the good looking stranger's amused grin. Totally confused now, she extricated herself from his grip, grabbed her suitcases and dashed out the first exit nearest to her.
Kari could feel his stare boring a hole through the back of her already damp shirt as she fled. She grew crimson at the thoughts that were entering her own head. Those milk chocolate eyes looked right through her! She felt as if he could actually see right through her clothes, and the thing was, the thought rather excited her.
She didn't dare turn around. He might think she was really forward and for some odd reason, Kari didn't want him to see her as that kind of person.
Groaning inwardly, she recalled the last few moments. If only she hadn't made such a fool out of herself. There she was again, not paying attention. Nobody likes a klutz.
For heaven's sakes woman, you just met the man. You aren't going to see him again. Get a hold of yourself, KIKI! She shook her head at the sudden fantasies that had entered her mind. Lifting her chin, Kari quickened her pace through the terminal. She wasn't sure which was racing faster, her legs or her heart. It was a toss-up.
She was staying at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Kohala coast, and didn't want to miss the hotel limousine that would be there to pick her up.
"You staying at Hilton, Missy?"
Once outside, Kari, (having set her suitcases down rather shakily) glanced around and found herself staring at a small native boy no more than eleven or twelve.
She laughed. "No, I'm afraid I'm not." He looked crestfallen. Kari's motherly instincts kicked in. "Maybe you could show me where I can find the car going to the Mauna Lani Bay. And I could really use a hand with these bags."
A huge grin spread across his little brown face. "Come with me then. Show you the way." He grabbed her bags, beckoning her to follow.
Kari turned around, glanced at her watch, then up at a clock just outside of the terminal. She surveyed the area, nonchalantly, looking to see if Austin DuQuaine was still around. He was nowhere in sight. A distinct impression of disappointment entered her mind.
Oh well. A chance encounter in an airport. So, what else was new. Kari shrugged her shoulder, sighing, and followed her self-appointed guide out the door. Her dad always told her not to get in the car with strangers, anyway. This was the one time Kari wished she'd made an exception.
Two
Austin DuQuaine was in awe at first sight. (An experience he'd never thought would be his.) She was perfect. Innocent, shy, very pretty, a great body, with a touch, , of klutziness mixed in. And those legs. They reminded him of sitting down to a plate of good, Texas barbecued ribs-you could never get enough of them. In those few moments, he'd met someone unlike anyone he'd ever known.
Following her, careful to stay out of sight, he made a mental note that Kari McKinnon was staying at the Mauna Lani Bay. Nice place, and expensive. She didn't look like the wealthy sort, more down to earth. But, who could tell these days? He figured she must be staying a while, according to the stuffed beyond capacity luggage she was dragging behind her. He had plenty of time to make a move. Retrieving his bags, Austin DuQuaine headed in the opposite direction.
A limousine from DuQuaine Industries was waiting to drive him to the beach side estate owned by his father. He watched the waves roll in and out as the vehicle wound its way slowly toward the house overlooking the ocean. Kari. Kari McKinnon. Austin DuQuaine definitely planned on looking her up as soon as he finished his business. His goal? To make Kari McKinnon his lover.
His thoughts drifted unwillingly to his father. Mitchell DuQuaine was a wealthy Texas oilman. An arrogant and ruthless man, he expected his only son, Austin, to take over the DuQuaine empire when he retired. His mother, Candice, was the perfect southern wife. She ran the household while her husband ran the business. Over the years, Candice had nearly disappeared in the shadow of her husband.
On top of everything else, Mitchell expected his son to marry the young, spoiled heiress to the Wentworth fortune to boot. The union had been a done deal between his father and Lyle Wentworth, his rival in the oil business.
Lisa Wentworth, Lyle’s only daughter, had gone along with the arrangement, as long as she could keep her other friendships. Austin hadn't cared. Those relationships probably wouldn’t stop either when they were married. Hell. Lisa hadn't made any overtures towards him now for a few months. He wasn't the party boy he'd been at one time. At thirty-four he was ready to settle down.
He never intended love to be part of his future. So what was it about that red head that had gotten to him the moment he’d seen her? Austin had felt like he'd been jolted by a thousand mega-watts of electricity when their eyes first met. Just lust? Austin didn't stop to reflect how or why. He just knew he had to have that woman. Nothing else mattered at the moment except making Kari McKinnon his. He stretched his six-foot-two frame languidly.
Austin DuQuaine was an exceptionally handsome man. Definitely a "catch" many women had observed. He was in excellent physical shape. After all, he rode his champion stallion extensively and worked out at the company gym. His hair was a dark shade of blonde shot with hints of red. It looked like silk, but was thick and layered trailing down the back of his neck, just barely laying on his muscular shoulders. His large, dark brown eyes added to his almost beautiful, yet masculine features. Flashing eyes that turned an abstruse mahogany when he became angry or passionate about something (or someone) made him even more attractive.
The car pulled up in front of the mansion. Austin didn't wait for the door to be opened for him. He'd always felt uncomfortable having someone wait on him. As he strode up the steps, the front door was opened, revealing an enormous, elaborate hallway, the ceiling so high, it would take a ladder and then some to touch it.
"Good day, Mr. DuQuaine. We were expecting you. Let me show you to your room." A middle aged English man stepped through the doorway, relieving Austin of his satchels. "I'm called James, sir. Do not hesitate to call me for any of your needs." Naturally, Mitchell would hire an English butler.
"Whatever you say, James." Austin followed him in and up the expansive, cambered stairway, the railing painted with a delicate, flecked gold coating. Glancing around, the place reminded him of a jewel. Definitely his father's taste, but not his.
They entered an enormous bedroom facing the ocean. James began to unpack Austin's bags at once. "Don't bother with those, James. I like to unpack my own things. What I really need, is a nice hot shower."
"I'll see to it for you, Mr. DuQuaine."
"That's okay, James, I'll do it. You can go now. Wait. There's one thing you can do. Bring me a scotch on the rocks."
"Right away, sir."
James left the room and Austin began to look around. He walked over to the window. It ran from the ceiling to the floor and the length of the room. He stared, mesmerized by the deep green color of the ocean's waves as they rolled endlessly onto the beach directly under his window. That emerald green. Where had he seen that color before? Kari McKinnon. She had eyes the same color of the deep sea.
Austin was suddenly unsettled thinking about her. It was this island. Made one think of romance. Ah yes. Romance. Something he'd thought very little about in his life lately.
Austin tore his eyes away from the view and began to s
urvey the room. He found not only a shower but his own personal hot tub. Yeah, that looks good.
Stripping down to the cotton shorts that he always wore under his clothes, he stepped into the hot tub. Austin relaxed immediately, closing his eyes, reveling in the warm. soothing rhythm. Green eyes the color of a stormy sea rose up before him.
Imagining Kari there with him, he visualized her lovely body, naked and willing. Feeling his hands fondling the cascades of thick, lush hair, he felt himself grow hard. Austin imagined his hands leaving her hair to move slowly down her neck to stroke her ripe, luscious breasts, those wonderful legs wrapped around him.....
"Uh hum...Mr. DuQuaine...your scotch. Shall I put next to you, sir?"
Austin's eyes opened leisurely as the butler's voice brought him back to reality.
"That's fine, James. Thanks."
"You are quite welcome, sir."
"And James, please don't call me sir. Mr. DuQuaine will do."
"Quite right sir, I mean Mr. DuQuaine. Will that be all?"
"That's it, James." The butler left quietly. Austin closed his eyes, continuing his sensuous daydream. The lady would be his, soon. Very soon. He was used to getting he wanted, and Austin DuQuaine definitely wanted Kari McKinnon.
Three
She was a new woman after only three days in paradise. She'd been to the beach, a luau, shopping, sightseeing and had broken down and had her hair done in the salon at the hotel that day. A lovely native girl working in the salon, had talked her into weaving a garland of different varieties of island flowers in a loose braid down her back, ending four inches from her waist. Her light, strawberry colored hair took on an ethereal look with the flowers in it. Kari had gone all out then. She'd gone into the hotel boutique and bought a very sexy, strapless sarong and high spiked sandals.
"Oh crap!" Kari caught sight of herself in the mirror of the dress shop. She began to blush immediately. "I'm not sure I could wear this anywhere except in my room." Now why couldn't I have looked like this when I ran into that gorgeous Texan. What was his name? Austin. Austin DuQuaine. Not seeing him again was the one thing Kari regretted, even if she had made a complete idiot of herself. Although despite that, he had mentioned hoping to run into her again. Fat chance of that happening. She never got the good ones.
Austin's Pleasure Page 1
