by Aubree Lane
“I wasn’t manipulating you!” she protested lamely. “And I didn’t lie.”
Ben chuckled. He swayed his hips from side to side and vamped a shoulder roll. “Don’t worry, Ben,” he said, mimicking her titillating verbiage.
Erika laughed. “Okay, I get it. I like you, Ben. I thought that’s what boys wanted.”
“No boy I know,” he clucked. “I want to get to know the real Erika Turner. Not the flirty fake version of you.”
She eyed him seriously and considered his words. “Let me tell you about the real me. I still climb rocks, and I like going diving off my dad’s boat. I occasionally smell like puke because I play with my baby brother a little too rough. Is that the kind of girl you want to hang out with?”
Ben pointed out towards the reserve. “All we have are rocks. I know how to snorkel, but I’d like to learn how to dive. And you should smell me after I’ve spent the day cleaning up after a few thousand birds.”
Erika’s eyes turned warm and mushy. “I think we are going to get along just fine.”
“But you can’t keep coming out here without your parents’ permission,” Ben explained. “If your dad and mom trust us, we’ll be able to get away with a lot more stuff.”
Erika blew out a sigh with relief. “For a moment there, I didn’t think we were going to have any fun at all.”
Ben pointed to her phone. “Call your dad.”
“I’m serious, Ben. He knows exactly where I am.” She held up the smart phone and wiggled it in her hand. “He can track me.”
He grabbed the device away from her. “Quick, turn it off!”
Erika snatched it back. “Are you crazy? If he can’t find me, that’s when he’ll go ballistic. I’m giving him the choice whether to call me on it. Right now, he sees me coming here as a non-issue. I don’t want to make it one.”
Ben blinked. He had no idea what he was getting himself into with Erika Turner, but he couldn’t wait to find out.
21
David couldn’t remember the last time he fell asleep on the beach. Without any kids to watch, a case to work, or a schedule to keep, he was finally able to tune out the world. The heat of the tropical sun made him lethargic and his body didn’t want to move. It took him a while to get this relaxed. The doobie-ous marijuana caper ended happily several days ago. Oliver Beal was still out there somewhere, but Grady, Brittany, and Erika were in the clear.
He and Marissa only had two more days on the island before real life caught up with them. Christmas had come and gone. It was the first and hopefully the last holiday he and Marissa would ever miss with their kids.
Eleanor had everything well in hand. The children were allowed to open the majority of their gifts, but the family celebration would take place on New Year’s Eve instead. David was glad he and Marissa took the extra time for themselves to reconnect as a couple. He missed his kids. He really did, just not enough to race home to them.
“David?” Marissa asked beside him. “Are you going to sleep all day?”
“Yep,” he mumbled.
Her laughter was sweet and playful. “Do you realize we don’t have any kids and can do anything we want?”
He forced one eye open. They had been doing whatever they wanted... repeatedly. Marissa set a goal to make up for the lost time they endured during the months of separation, but there was no way his Harvey Wallbanger could keep up with her Fuzzy Navel.
Her teeny tiny bikini didn’t offer much protection and her skin was turning pink. “Did you put sunscreen on?”
“Did you?” she giggled in reply. “If you don’t get out of the sun soon, your back is going to look like a lobster.”
David pulled himself up on his hands and knees. “Fine, I’ll go inside and sleep.”
Marissa grabbed his chin. “Are you really going to sleep the entire day away? By my calculations, our love making has fallen way behind schedule.”
That was exactly what he wanted to do. “Wake me in a couple of hours and I’ll take you out to a nice dinner.”
“Let me repeat myself. We don’t have any kids and can do whatever we want,” Marissa insisted.
David groaned. “Go find Annie and shop or something.”
Marissa pressed her luscious lips against his. When the kiss ended, she said, “I’m going to get what I want, yet you continue to tease me.” She shook her head and her long blonde hair wisped across her face. “Why do you do that?”
“When we’re on Oahu, you and I both know once the bedroom door closes, I end up doing all the work. The moment you step off the plane, you turn into a giant lump of mush. I have to get you moving somehow.”
“Would you be interested in living here someday?”
That didn’t appeal to him one bit. “I love our little Tahoe house, don’t you?”
She leaned back on her towel. “I haven’t been there enough to know. You and the kids have settled in, but I’ve been shuttling back and forth from San Diego. Josh better have the papers ready to sign when we get back because I refuse to be away from you any longer.”
That was music to David’s ears. “You promise? I suck at being a mom.”
Her eyes crinkled with joy. “Remember what you said earlier about doing all the work?”
He knew where this was leading, but indulged her anyway. “Yes, I remember.”
Marissa didn’t let up. Her sexy smile teased him mercilessly. “I promise never to be away from you again if you promise to...” She licked her luscious lips and let him fill in the blanks.
David loved moments like this. No one had his back more than his wife. The physical distance between San Diego and Tahoe hadn’t lodged a permanent wedge between them. They survived a year of unbelievable turmoil and came out stronger for it.
He straddled his wife’s body and her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.
Just as he was going in for some heavy necking, Erika’s voice rang out in disgust, “Get a room!”
David looked up and watched his teenage sister-in-law head down to the dock. “Go clean something and leave us alone,” he hollered back.
“I can’t,” she retorted smugly. “I got caught sneaking off to the bird sanctuary, so I have to help Dad out on the boat for a week.”
His young sister-in-law was too smart to get caught, unless she wanted to. “You got busted on purpose, didn’t you?”
Erika pressed a hushing finger to her lips. “Today is just the shuttle service to Honolulu, but tomorrow is the Mahi Wreck tour. Dad said Ben could come with us.”
The girl continued on her way, and David turned back to his wife. “I don’t think Terence knows the meaning of the word punishment.”
“I think he simply wants to spend time with his daughter,” Marissa said. “And get to know her new boyfriend. Personally, I think it’s brilliant.”
“Remember during all the custody rigmarole when you and I talked about becoming her guardians?”
Marissa inclined her head.
“I’m so glad it didn’t come to that.”
“You and me both, my love,” Marissa agreed. “You and me both.”
• • •
Oliver Beal walked down the pier, joyfully counting the wad of cash he made from the sale of the Brett Boden original. Getting that damned tiki out of the B&B without getting caught had been a bugger. The Javier family was always hovering around. Lena was an easy mark, but staying clear of that private detective and his wife had been a bit tricky.
With the sculpture safely on its way to a buyer in Japan, all Oliver had to do was make his way to a neighboring island and lay low until it was safe to get out of Hawaii altogether. He was finally free of his wife and brother. Oliver loved Warden in his own way, but it was time the siblings parted. Their outlook on life was too different. Warden was a softy and had somehow grown a conscience. The day his younger brother refused to snag the credit cards out of the guests’ rooms, was the day Ollie knew their partnership was over. They should have grabbed what they could and got out
of Lena’s fast. Instead, Warden accepted a job and stayed on far too long.
Oliver didn’t understand Callie. Their marriage was a sham. The girl slept around so much, he suspected she was pulling tricks. The dumb bitch always seemed to have money. She drove a Pontiac Grand Prix, while he shuttled people to and from the airport in a cab. It was her brilliant idea to grow pot in the Barlow’s backyard. That fiasco was all on her. She deserved to go to prison, and he felt nothing but relief.
It was too bad she was taking his little brother with her. But if it meant he could get away with twenty grand, he was pretty sure he could learn to live with it.
The Brett Boden sculpture was a gift sent down from the heavens. Oliver found himself much wealthier, selling that funky piece of wooden art, than the cash he would have been able to snag before the stolen credit cards were reported and closed out.
Ollie passed by a large window. He had to look twice at his own reflection before he recognized himself. Gone was his jet black hair. He was now blond and beautiful. The paunch of his belly was nothing more than a rolled up shirt tied around his waist. He decided to keep the disguise until he was off the island. Maui was only three and a half hours away by boat, and he couldn’t wait to blow this popsicle stand.
• • •
Lena walked down the hall towards the tiki room. She hated it when Terence made Erika work boat tours. Now Lena was stuck cleaning the rooms of their departed guests all by herself. With a new round of visitors on their way, she didn’t have a moment to spare.
The duo had this easy tour down pat. An hour up the coast, drop the clients off in Honolulu, then Terence and Erika would head out to sea until it was time to pick up their customers and shuttle them back to the B&B. Erika dutifully complained, as usual, but she loved being out on the Erika Rose and the time she spent with her dad.
Lena didn’t typically mind when her brother pulled the stern father act, but today she was going to have to hustle because of it. Brittany offered to help, but it would take longer to train the girl than doing it herself.
She opened the door and realized this could no longer be referred to as the tiki room. Boden was gone. What remained was glass cut out of its window frame and a rope and pulley system attached to the ceiling. Losing the statue was a great monetary loss, but what worried Lena was how she was going to have the room ready in time for her guests.
She needed help. It was time to rally the troops.
David and Marissa walked by.
“What’s happening?” David asked.
Lena pointed to the big empty space in the corner. “Boden’s been stolen.”
“Are you calling the cops?”
“The family. Guests will be arriving soon and I need this room.”
“Stop!” David said firmly. “That statue was worth a lot of money. This is a crime scene. It can’t be disturbed.”
Lena looked at her phone and hesitated. She closed her eyes and remembered how beautiful the room looked before Brett Boden decided to be generous. She never cared for the hulking beast standing in the corner and part of her was glad it was gone. Boden was insured to the hilt. Dollar signs floated through her head and all she could see were the benefits.
Lena continued scrolling through her contact list.
“Lena,” David warned. “Don’t do it.”
“Do you think I’ll ever get him back?” If David said yes, Lena was hitting send this very instant.
“No, but if Oliver Beal is behind this, we’ll need proof to nail him. Please don’t repair the room before Agent Tam has a chance to process it.”
Putting Oliver behind bars was a good selling point. Lena relented. “Fine, but the only way this is going to happen is if you two vacate the premises. My guests will need a place to sleep.”
Marissa stepped forward and slugged her husband in the arm. “Good going, hot shot. Now we’re homeless.”
“I hear Grady has an extra bedroom,” David shrugged.
“That is not an option.” Marissa dug into her purse and held up a set of keys. “Good thing I still have access to Daddy and Eleanor’s. I think we can rough it over there until we fly home.”
David’s soft caressing voice suggested warmly, “Or we could head for the airport and catch an earlier flight? I miss Jack and Sandy and I can’t wait to see what you got me for Christmas.”
Love filled Marissa’s eyes. “I could use a little kid time. We could be home by midnight.”
Lena interrupted their precious moment by shoving them out of the tiki room. “Glad we got that settled. Now get packing.”
The End
About the Author
Aubree Lane is a true story teller. This award winning author has been writing in one form or another for most of her life and has loved every moment.
Aubree lives in the beautiful foothills of Northern California with her husband, two wonderful sons, and her super special peek-a-poo. When not managing the pooper-scooper, Aubree can be found at one of her favorite vacation spots ranging anywhere from Lake Tahoe to Maui.
Her motto: Write Until Your Butt Hurts, And Your Eyes Are Crossed.
Aubree and her husband enjoy the harvest of their seasonal garden and relaxing in the paradise they created, called home.
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Early One Morning
Love in Oahu – Book 1
Annie’s Happy Cricket ringtone chirped deep within the recesses of her jacket pocket. She fumbled around in the soft microfiber lining, touching and discarding her sunglasses, a tissue, lip gloss, and a small electronic game before landing on the desired item. On the fourth and final ring, Annie successfully raised the device to her ear and announced, “Annie Harper.”
“You are not going to believe who our dive master was!” Marissa gushed into the phone.
Her best friend was on her second honeymoon and left Annie in charge of their children. “Don’t you want to hear about your kids?”
“If anything were wrong, you would be the one calling me, not the other way around,” Marissa barked impatiently. “Now pay attention. Our dive master was Terence Javier! Can you believe it?”
She couldn’t. Terence Javier had been their big high school crush.
One day, midway through their junior year, a new student joined Annie and Marissa’s favorite class and became the newest member of the high school choir. Their teacher, Ms. Caftan, a hippy kick-back with stringy waist-length salt and pepper hair, had traveled the world and loved exploring cultural differences. Ms. Caftan felt the new girl, having come from the Pacific Rim, presented an incredible opportunity to enrich their lives and had insisted that she bring something from her former life to share with the class.
A storm rolled in the following day and the wet weather had everyone in the class fighting the doldrums. Being forced to sound excited over some dog-eared yearbook filled with a bunch of strangers did not help matters, but the all-girl choir dutifully passed around the book, keeping most of their complaints to themselves. Then one girl commented on how many cute guys there were in Hawaii. A contest erupted, and the girls huddled together as they gossiped and giggled their way through the senior class, who were deemed far superior to their lower classmen. By the end of the hour, Terence Javier had been declared, as one of the more experienced girls put it, ‘the one she would most likely do’.
“Who?” Annie teased, knowing it would drive Marissa to hysterics.
Tahoe Blues
The opulence of the Grand Ballroom of the Cascade Bay Resort and Casino jumped out and smacked Cara in the face for the very last time. Cara Lee Greene Alexander, soon to simply be Cara Lee Greene, had just arrived to host her final event as the wife of Duncan Alexander.
Duncan was part of the wealthiest family on the Nevada side of North Lake Tahoe, and he was probably the hottest man alive. Unfortunately, it was those same qualities which brought about the end of their marriage. Wom
en loved to associate with the newly crowned King of Tahoe and owner of the Cascade Bay Resort and Casino, and Cara’s privileged husband had become far too accommodating.
Her husband couldn’t keep it in his pants if his life depended on it, and Cara was tired of trying to make the best of a bad situation. Her self-esteem had taken a brutal beating. She couldn’t understand why she wasn’t enough for Duncan, but that wasn’t what killed their marriage. It dissolved into dust the day Cara realized, Duncan was no longer enough for her.
The final straw came crashing down when she walked in on him and the latest one of his Blackjack dealing Barbies. Inside the walls of the sacred family compound, the couple had been completely nude and quite energetic under the covers of the couple’s bed. As their only safe haven from the glitz and glamor of casino life, Cara thought it would have been off limits.
The redhead was just one of a long line of immoral, insecure, boob-jobs willing to share her goods. But this time Duncan made it all too clear he didn’t give a damn how many footprints he left on Cara’s back as he trampled across their wedding vows.
Cara calmly walked over and pulled her suitcase out from under the bed and began packing. Through the groans and moans of passion, Cara was unobserved for several moments. When the couple came up for air and noticed she was in the room, the boob-job began to blubber, and Duncan scrambled to assure Cara the piece of ass under him didn’t mean a thing. His self-assured attitude made her ill. The urge to punish him for all the hurt and humiliation she endured during their marriage was overwhelming. Cara drew in a calculated breath and let the tension flow out of her body. Her gaze softened. She looked deeply into his eyes and stepped into his waiting arms.
