June looked over at the table where the waitress was placing two steaming plates of food on the table. June almost wished they hadn’t ordered anything. She was far from hungry now, her stomach busy with a butterfly horde.
“Come on,” Lance said, sliding his fingers through hers and leading her to the table.
How had he done that? June wondered. She’d been practically comatose, and he seemed as alert as ever. She sat down and took a long drink of her pineapple juice, trying to clear her head. It had only been a dance, not a declaration of infatuation. Lance seemed to have no problem digging into his meal.
June took a couple bites of her own food, telling herself she’d allowed her mind to drift too far. She was on a date—a first date—with a man she wouldn’t see after this vacation was over. She was letting the island setting and the charming restaurant and the sweet music, not to mention the hot-looking man sitting across from her, bewitch her.
She couldn’t figure out his flaws, although he still seemed pretty mysterious. Could that be considered a flaw? Of course she wasn’t going to discover his every deep dark secret on a first date.
“How’s your food?” Lance asked.
“Really good,” June said, although she’d hardly tasted it as she ate. Her tumbling thoughts were occupying too much of her attention. “How about yours?” They were back to small talk now it seemed.
“Delicious,” he said, spearing a piece of chicken with his fork.
And the rest of the meal was like that—small talk. June tried not to let the disappointment overwhelm her. But what did she expect? The magic of the dancing and swaying in his arms was gone, and now it felt like a regular date. She became aware of other conversations at the tables around them, the clinking of knives and forks, a burst of laughter. The world that seemed to include just her and Lance had faded away.
The waitress came to their table again and asked if they’d like dessert. Both of them said no, and before June knew it, she and Lance were walking out of the restaurant. June fought back her deflation, wondering why she felt so let down and what she had been expecting. Maybe it was Maria’s comment about getting kissed, and Sydney’s about how Lance was really into her.
But the date had turned out quite ordinary after all.
The ride home in the Jeep was even quiet. Not completely surprising, since the top was off and it was hard to talk over the warm wind rushing about them. When Lance pulled up to the bungalows and shut off the engine, June decided she was tired and was looking forward to reading for an hour or so while tucked in her bed. At least her novel was guaranteed to have a good ending.
“Thanks for everything,” she said, keeping her voice cheerful. “The food was great. Tell Steve thanks too.”
She reached for the door handle, not needing to make Lance open the door for her, when he grasped her hand and said, “Hey.”
She stopped and looked over at him, her pulse thudding at his touch.
“I’ve been wondering something,” he continued in a low voice as if he didn’t want any passersby to overhear him, even though they were completely alone in the velvety darkness. “Why did you stay with Kevin when he degraded you so much?”
This stopped her, but she realized she’d been asking herself that very question for a long time. She looked down at where he was still touching her arm. “I guess I let myself get caught up in us and forgot about me. It sounds lame, but it’s the truth.”
“I get it,” Lance said. “I think it was the same for me with Kerri. I was afraid if I took a stand, she’d leave. But then she left anyway.”
June met his gaze, and in the moonlight, it was hard to read his expression. But the way his hand was still on her arm, and the fact that he hadn’t made a move to get out of the Jeep, told her he’d listened to her and understood her.
“But I’m not that guy anymore,” he said. “If there’s one thing I learned through all the crazy stuff is that what I want is equally important. And if I don’t go for it, or ask for what I want, it will slip through my fingers.”
June nodded, not sure what to say or where this was going.
He shifted in his seat so he was facing her more. Then he slung his arm across the back of her seat, getting closer, but not touching her yet. “June,” Lance said in a near-whisper. “I know we just met and it’s our first date, but I want to kiss you.”
Her breath hitched. “I...” She couldn’t formulate a coherent sentence.
“Is that okay?” he asked, and she might have said yes, but she wasn’t sure.
June didn’t wait for him; she was done waiting. He was so close now, close enough to touch. She slid a hand behind his neck and drew him toward her, pressing her mouth against his. She might have initiated the kiss, but he took over without hesitation. And it was like being on the dance floor again. Everything else disappearing but the feel of him.
His arms slid around her and pulled her close, at least as close as possible in the Jeep, and her entire being centered on the warmth of his mouth exploring hers. He kissed her slowly, deliberately, testing and tasting. Her toes tingled, and her hands wanted to explore his shoulders and touch his face.
Kissing Lance was like waking up after an unexpected deep night’s sleep. She felt relaxed, yet invigorated at the same time. A breeze brushed against them, making her skin prickle with a mixture of warmth and coolness. Lance’s hands moved from her waist, up her arms, and then cradled her face.
“June,” he whispered against her mouth. “You are beautiful. Don’t ever let another man make you feel otherwise.”
June thought she might melt, but somehow she remained conscious of one hand sliding behind her neck and the other hand trailing down her arm. He kissed her again, this time more deeply, and slowly, making it clear he wasn’t in a hurry. And neither was June. She had no idea where her friends were for the night, but the grove Lance had parked by was quiet and still, giving them plenty of privacy should anyone happen along the path that wound between the row of bungalows.
It had been a long time since June had felt cherished by a man. And by a man who didn’t have an agenda, who wasn’t trying to get her inside his apartment and bee-lining it to a bedroom. Lance’s hands hadn’t strayed, and he wasn’t pressuring her. He was enjoying their closeness, and June appreciated that. She knew it would be very easy to let herself get carried away, and she also knew she’d be full of regret in the morning.
The downy softness of the island night would give way to a fully bright sun and remorse. She really liked Lance, and she didn’t want him to think she would kiss just any man on the first date. She sincerely hoped that this wasn’t a fling for him. The depth of her thoughts should have worried her, but she somehow knew Lance was sincere. At least, she was counting on it.
When Lance drew away and kissed her forehead, then rested his chin on top of her head, pulling her close, it gave June a chance to catch her breath.
“What’s happening, June?” he whispered.
“I don’t know,” she said. And it was the truth.
“I don’t either,” he said. “But let’s go with it.” He lifted his head and gazed at her, the intensity in his eyes starting a small fire in her stomach. “Did I tell you you’re beautiful?”
June laughed. “Only once.”
June didn’t want to open her eyes, even though she knew the morning was nearly over, judging by the light filling the Maui bungalow bedroom. Lance had kissed her last night... thoroughly. Before she began worrying that she’d started some random vacation fling with a newly divorced man on the rebound, she kept her eyes closed a little longer.
Remembering. Lance’s strong arms pulling her close, his long fingers caressing her face and moving behind her neck, then into her hair as his mouth explored hers. The fire of his touch had singed the butterflies that had been in her stomach all night. The way he’d told her she was beautiful and that if he ever met her ex-boyfriend, Kevin, he’d be more than happy to knock him out.
June couldn’t help
but smile at the memory of Lance’s vehemence and tenderness all rolled into one. She’d never felt so protected, so understood, so cherished. The heat grew again at the memory of the way he’d kissed her, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d be acting like a lovesick teenager. June allowed herself a luxurious stretch and one more flashing thought of how he’d walked her to the bungalow door, his arm around her, and drawn her in for another kiss that left her no doubt as to what the word swoon really meant in a romance novel.
“Are you ever going to get up?” Sydney’s voice cut through June’s delicious daydreaming.
June reluctantly opened her eyes.
Both her friends were standing in the open doorway of her bedroom. June hadn’t even heard them open the door. Sydney was grinning, and Maria had an equally broad smile. “You got kissed, didn’t you?” Maria asked.
“Can’t a girl have a little privacy?” June asked, knowing it was too late to hide her blush.
“Oh. My. Heck!” Sydney practically catapulted onto June’s bed, followed by Maria. “Tell us everything! We tried to stay up, but the time zone difference kicked our butts. Apparently that didn’t stop you from getting some action.”
“You guys!” June said with a laugh. “I just woke up. I can barely think right now.”
“We’ll wait.” Sydney folded her arms and stared expectantly at June.
“All right, all right,” June said, scooting to a sitting position in her bed and propping pillows behind her. “We went out to eat at—”
Maria grabbed her arm. “Skip to the good stuff. We’re not getting any younger.”
Sydney rubbed her hands together. “Unless it’s too steamy to confess.”
Holding her hand up, June said in a rush before she lost her nerve, “Okay, okay. He kissed me. A lot.”
Her friends squealed in unison. “And?” Maria prompted.
“That’s it. We kissed in the Jeep, and then again at the doorstep.” June pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs tightly as she remembered Lance’s warm embrace and his all-encompassing kisses. It was pretty squeal-worthy, she had to admit.
“So, what are you doing today?” Maria asked, her dark brown eyes wide with anticipation. “Frolicking in the ocean again on boogie boards?”
If June’s body wasn’t humming with the after-effects of an amazing date with Lance, she’d probably be more aware of the ache in her shoulder muscles and thighs. The boogie-boarding the day before with Lance had been the start of a pretty-much-perfect day. “I... don’t know exactly.” June let out a groan and dropped her head into her hands. “That’s not good, is it?” She lifted her gaze to meet her friends’.
“He didn’t talk about getting together today?” Sydney asked, tiny frown lines marring her flawless complexion. She was applying face masques daily to get ready for her upcoming wedding.
“No.” June’s voice fell to a whisper. “Now what?” Disappointment swept through her, followed closely by doubts. It had been a great day with Lance, and an even better night, but there hadn’t been any follow-up.
“I did see him out running this morning along the beach,” Maria chimed in. “And it’s not like he’s that far away, so he really didn’t need to ask for your number.”
June gave a dry laugh that she didn’t feel inside. She looked over at the bedside table, where her phone was plugged into the charger. The small clock next to the lamp glowed 10:35 a.m. “He’s probably run a marathon by now and is out on a rented kayak already.” Her friends both laughed, but it sounded as hollow as her own. The worst thing about wondering if you’d completely misread a man’s intentions was if your friends agreed with you.
She met Sydney’s gaze and saw nothing but sympathy. Had the kiss just been a kiss after all? And all their talk about their past hurtful relationships nothing but casual conversation?
“Why did you guys let me make a fool of myself?” June threaded her hand through her unkempt hair. She must have tossed and turned plenty last night in her sleep.
Sydney patted her shoulder, and Maria grasped her hand.
“He’ll probably be stopping by soon. You’ll see.” Sydney’s smile was beautiful, but it wasn’t genuine enough to convince June.
“On the bright side,” June said. “I get to spend the day with my besties.” Her friends had conveniently gone incognito yesterday while June spent a whirlwind day with Lance.
Maria leaned forward and hugged June. “Get dressed, then, because we’re going shopping.”
“I can’t think of anything better.” June climbed out of bed. After a quick shower, she pulled on denim shorts and a red tank shirt that exhibited her sunburn streaks. Yes, streaks. June never tanned normally and picked up random patches of sun. If they were going to stay any longer than a few days in Maui, she’d be tempted to invest in a tanning lotion. Twisting her hair into a large clip to keep it off her neck, as the day was sure to be warm and humid, she was grateful for the umpteenth time for her friends.
If she’d been dumped after an equally fabulous date back home in Portland, she would have spent the day reading straight through one or two Regency romances and eating every sugary snack she could find in her apartment.
But, here in Maui, she’d be spending the day in retail therapy with her two favorite girlfriends.
They rented a Jeep, which only reminded her again of Lance and their date, but this time June sat in the back, letting the wind tug at her hair as Sydney drove on the meandering, picturesque highway bordered by flowering hibiscus plants. “We found a place yesterday that you’ll love,” Sydney called to June over the wind. “I hope you’re ready to spend some money.”
June’s hand tightened subconsciously over her purse in her lap. She might be an accountant by trade, and frugal most of the time, but she was also on vacation. Twenty minutes later, she was climbing out of the back of the Jeep, definitely feeling the stiffness in her muscles from boogie boarding the day before. She walked with Sydney and Maria into a charming boutique called Sun and Sea.
A curvy Polynesian woman in a pink-and-white muumuu greeted them. “Aloha. I’m Mahalini. Let me know if you need any help.”
June said aloha before Mahalini turned to a customer she was already helping. June wandered around the store, trailing her fingers along the rounders of cotton dresses and soft blouses. The island women looked so feminine and pretty in such clothing that June decided that would be her code of dress in Maui as well.
She found a mango-orange sundress and strappy white wedge shoes and went into the curtained dressing room to try them on.
“Love it,” Sydney said when June came out of the dressing room to show her friends the outfit.
The store employee stood next to Sydney. Mahalini stepped forward and tucked a fresh plumeria behind June’s ear. The scent of the flower was strong and sweet, and when June turned to face the mirror, the plumeria completed the outfit perfectly. The sting of Lance not asking her on another date lessened. A new dress and shoes was certainly helping.
“I’ll take the whole outfit.” June smiled over at Mahalini.
June and her friends shopped at a few more boutiques, and June picked up another outfit and a pair of comfy flip flops. When in Maui...
By the time they returned to their resort bungalow, the sun had crossed the sky, and a beautiful sunset had flamed against the western horizon.
“Someone’s been to our place,” Maria said as she shut off the engine to their rented Jeep.
June looked over at the bungalow. A wrapped bouquet of exotic flowers lay on the front porch. Her heart thumped as she wondered who had brought flowers and who they were for.
Both Sydney and Maria cast her a significant look, but June didn’t dare allow herself to hope. She climbed out of the Jeep and led the way to the bungalow. Picking up the flowers, she was immediately struck by their heady, fresh smell. If nothing else, Maui was a plethora of divine scents.
Nestled inside the bouquet was a plain white envelope. She lifted it out and turn
ed it over to see her name scrawled across the front. Not knowing what Lance’s handwriting looked like, she still knew it was from him. Both Sydney and Maria looked over her shoulder as June opened the note. Privacy wasn’t a thing between her and her best friends, apparently.
June, meet me at the resort bonfire tonight?
—Lance
“It looks like you’re going to get use out of the dress you bought,” Sydney said, and Maria laughed.
June ignored her friends’ quips.
When Lance hadn’t asked for her number or made any follow-up plans last night, June had felt that their date had been what she’d suspected—a one-time vacation thing. Even though they’d told each other their “ex” stories and found they had a lot in common—June couldn’t help but feel that she’d jumped in too fast with both feet.
Yet, kissing Lance at the end of their date had been unexpected... and exhilarating.
She read the note for the third time, ignoring the excited chatter of her friends as they proclaimed that Lance really was interested in her, and the flowers and note had proved it. Tingles ran through June’s body. It appeared her friends were right, but that didn’t suppress all the doubts that had sprouted over the last several hours. She hadn’t heard from Lance all day; that’s why they’d gone shopping.
It was sheer chance that June had spent the day with Lance yesterday, and maybe it was the tropical-island atmosphere combined with Lance’s incredibly good looks, but June knew she had to face reality. In two days, she’d be back in Portland, sitting behind her desk, crunching numbers. Lance wouldn’t be far away in Vancouver, but he might as well be a world away.
“Come on,” Maria said, nudging her arm and bringing June back to the present. “I’ll paint your fingernails and toenails to match your new dress. You’ll look stunning for Lance.”
“What’s wrong, June?” Sydney asked. “I thought you’d be thrilled. Even retail therapy couldn’t hide that you’ve been hoping to go out with Lance again.”
June met Sydney’s hazel gaze. June had been hoping for this, so what was wrong with her? “You’re right. I’m just surprised, is all. I’d steeled myself for not doing anything more than the one date.”
The Falling Series Box Set Page 10
