Second Time Lucky

by Debbi Rawlins

  “Let’s stop for a while,” Mia suggested just as he was about to pull onto the highway again.

  Although David preferred going elsewhere, he cut the engine. “No swimming here. The way the waves break in the middle of the bay makes it too dangerous. That’s why there are only bodysurfers in the water.”

  “I do want to swim, but I’d like to have a better look at the bay and those two islands out there. Wish we had binoculars.”

  He squinted at the pair of barren islands not too far from the coast. “Not much to see. One of them is called Rabbit Island. No rabbits left, though. It’s a seabird sanctuary now.”

  She grinned at him. “You’re just a fountain of information. Did you get any sleep at all last night?”

  “Not much,” he muttered, as he watched her get out of the car, the hem of her shorts riding up high enough that he caught a glimpse of her peach-colored swimsuit. Grudgingly he climbed out behind her. “I’m thirsty. Supposedly there’s a small town about ten minutes from here.”

  She smiled over her shoulder at him. “I just want a quick peek. I doubt I’ll ever make it out here again.”

  He stood alongside her, their shoulders almost touching. “You mean to this side of the island?”

  “No, Hawaii.”

  “Too many other places on your list?”

  “I wish. More like too much work and no time for anything else. Not to mention no money,” she added ruefully. “This is kind of a last hurrah.”

  “Ah, the business Shelby mentioned.” After he’d returned to his room last night, he’d belatedly wished he’d asked questions during dinner with Shelby as a buffer. Find out if their new venture would be a further complication for him. “I understand now why you felt you had to leave us,” he said casually. “With the hours you worked, starting up a business would have been nearly impossible.”

  “Nearly?” She chuckled. “Not a chance I could have done both effectively.”

  “I didn’t catch what kind of business it is.”

  “Sort of a concierge service.”

  He waited for her to elaborate, and when she didn’t he said, “Good thing you have a PR person.”

  “Look at you being all funny.” Mia gave him a wry smile. “If I thought I could nab Pearson and Stern as a customer, I’d be all over it. We’re going to rent out everything from power tools for that small one-time do-it-yourself project to designer handbags in case you want to impress your future in-laws.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Or if you need a wife for the day, we’ll provide that, too.”

  He choked out a laugh. “Pardon me?”

  Mia’s teasing grin made her eyes sparkle. “To do errands or plan or help host a party, that sort of thing. Our sorority held a fundraiser when I was in college, and Shelby, Lindsey and I rented ourselves out for a day. That’s how we came up with the idea. But we never had the seed money until now.”

  “Should I even ask what service you rendered?”

  “Oh, just use your imagination.”

  “Right.” That could get him in trouble. “So I assume the new firm you’re going to work for is smaller and won’t swallow up your time.”

  She looked startled. But when she said, “I don’t want to talk about work or anything related,” he understood. She looped an arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder. “This week will go by fast enough.”

  Briefly closing his eyes, he deeply inhaled the exotic scent of her spicy shampoo. His initial instinct had been right. Maybe it was wrong to tell her about the offer now and ruin her vacation.

  This was insane. He’d never in his life been this indecisive. Or cowardly.

  No, business would wait. For once, he was putting himself and Mia first.

  “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

  MIA HAD DONE THE RIGHT THING. She’d spent enough sleepless nights expounding on the pros and cons of quitting the firm. If her decision disappointed David, then too bad. No “if” about it. A third-generation lawyer like him wouldn’t understand that she simply didn’t want to practice law. Neither would her family and her former coworkers. That’s why she’d withheld that small detail. She couldn’t help it if everyone assumed the new business was a sideline. Eventually she’d have to tell her parents and siblings, but she figured the shock would be easier to overcome once Anything Goes was a success.

  She finished off the last of her ice-cold strawberry slushy just as they found Bellows Beach Park. Unlike the other beaches, there were trees. Lots of them, providing both shade and privacy. Fortunately, there weren’t many people there: a small group of surfers, a few teenagers who probably should’ve been in school. But that was it, and the white sand seemed to go on forever, which meant they weren’t likely to be bothered by newcomers.

  They easily found a secluded spot where someone had recently been camping, if the charred remains of a small cook fire were any indication. Nearby, palm fronds had been used to erect a makeshift shelter. The lean-to wasn’t much, probably helped to block the breeze, but it also provided privacy. Privacy she had no intention of wasting.

  She glanced over at David, who’d just cut the engine, and found him watching her. Was he thinking the same thing? “I wish I had thought to bring a beach towel from the hotel,” she said, “or picked up a couple of those straw mats I saw people using.”

  He gave her an amused smile.

  “What?”

  “Did you enjoy that slushy?”

  “I did. You can’t say I didn’t offer—Oh, crap.” With a swipe of her tongue, she’d figured out why he was still smiling and pulled down the visor. In the mirror, she regarded her clownish reflection with a sigh. “You could’ve said something earlier.”

  “I shouldn’t have said anything at all. It’ll fade soon enough.” The way his voice dropped told her he had the same idea about how to use their lucky spot.

  She dabbed ineffectively at the red stain that made her lips look as if they were twice as big as they were. “How did I manage to do this?”

  “Fortunately I love strawberry.” He leaned over and kissed her briefly before sweeping his tongue across her lower lip. “Hmm, very good.”

  “I dare you to do that again.”

  “Plan on it.” He winked and opened his door. She really wished they’d done more kissing before he got out, but she quickly changed her mind when he stepped out of the car, removed his sunglasses and yanked up the hem of his shirt. After exposing his flat belly, he paused to unfasten another button at his neck before pulling his shirt off altogether.

  Mia blatantly stared. It was rude. Definitely embarrassing because she couldn’t quite close her mouth. And she didn’t give a damn. He had a gorgeous chest, tanned and lightly muscled. But how? He worked all the time.

  “I’m not stripping,” he said. “Not here. No matter how much you beg.”

  “Even if I get on all fours?”

  He gave her a long, studied look. “You get down there, and I’m sure we could come to some kind of agreement.”

  “Oh, wow, if the ladies in the office could hear you now.”

  A flush tinged his cheeks. “What happens in Hawaii stays in Hawaii, remember?”

  “I’m just saying…” She opened her door and slid out, unable to drag away her gaze. “How do you have time to go to a gym?”

  “I don’t.” He shrugged. “I have a few routines I do at home every morning to keep in shape for tennis.”

  “Plus, you’re tan.” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s March. You used a tanning bed.”

  “Right,” he said dryly. “I had to be in Florida recently.” He stuck his head inside the car, and fiddled around, the fluid movement of his shoulder muscles holding her gaze prisoner. “Do you play tennis?”

  “Badly.” She was dying to ask what he’d been doing there, why he hadn’t been home licking his wounds because Friday had been her last day. Obviously it wasn’t all business that had taken him south, or he would’ve had no time for the
outdoors.

  She heard the trunk pop, and met him at the rear of the car to see what he had stashed.

  There were a pair of folded blue beach towels and two rolled-up straw mats that seemed to be a favorite of tourists crowding Waikiki beach.

  “Should have bought a cooler and drinks.” He grabbed the towels, passed them to her and then got the mats.

  “I’m impressed you thought to bring these, although not surprised. You’re thorough, if nothing else.”

  He closed the trunk and pocketed the keys, watching her the whole time, a wicked glint of amusement in his brown eyes. “Yes, I am, I’m thorough in everything I do.”

  Somehow the amusement melted into a promise that made her skin tingle with yearning. If this were a dream, she’d be hitting the snooze button, loath to wake up. Good God, this was David. In Hawaii. With her. Sure, she’d known him for a long time, but that was some other David, who in some ways she’d gotten to know quite well.

  This version brought back the old feelings she’d struggled with early on, day after day.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” He rubbed her upper arm, as if she were a child that needed soothing.

  “Like what?”

  He frowned, the tender concern in his eyes nearly her undoing. “As if you’re afraid.”

  “That’s crazy. What’s there to be afraid of?”

  His mouth curved into a thin smile. “I hope not me.”

  She sucked in a breath when she realized he was right. Fear had tucked itself in a small corner of her heart. But that wasn’t on him. It would be her own fault if she tried to make more of this week than it was. “Nope. I just want to have a good time, no regrets, no expectations.”

  “I want that, too.”

  “Perfect.” So why did his agreement hurt a little? Now that she’d had a small taste of him, was she getting soft? Getting greedy? She had to stick to her cheesecake rule. She could only indulge when she ate out. Not even a sliver was allowed to reside in her refrigerator since one bite was impossible for her. It invariably led to a minibinge.

  Thinking something might come of this week would be a mistake. If David had seriously wanted to pursue her for a real relationship, he could’ve done that in New York. No, she’d seen the women his family deemed appropriate, and while she was no slouch, she wasn’t on anyone’s social radar. Now that she wasn’t even going to practice law, she could just imagine his parents’ horror. But that was good, right? All she wanted was a one-week fling—that’s what this trip had been about from the beginning. That it was with David didn’t change the game.

  His hand closed over hers, and she snapped out of her musings. “We don’t have to stay,” he said quietly. “Say the word, and I’ll take you back to the hotel.”

  “No, I’m having a great time. I spaced out, I know.” She shrugged. “Sorry. It’s just that—Nope, not talking about work.”

  “No argument here.” He let go of her hand, and used the car to balance himself while he kicked off his deck shoes.

  “Mind opening the trunk again? I want to leave my purse and sandals.”

  He did as she asked, then frowned at the peach-colored bikini top she pulled out of her bag.

  “It’s my top,” she said.

  “I know.” He glanced at her breasts. “Where are you going to change?”

  “Here.”

  He didn’t seem thrilled with the idea, but then he didn’t have a say. He squinted through the trees at the pair of figures walking close to the water at the south end, far enough away that their genders were undistinguishable. “I saw a sign for the restrooms about a mile back.”

  “It’ll take two seconds.” She reached under the tank top and unsnapped her bra. “You can warn me if anyone’s coming.”

  “Okay,” he said, doubt reflected in every syllable of the word.

  She smirked. “You do have to turn around.”

  “Right.” He surveyed the area once again before he slowly gave her his back. “You might feel more comfortable changing in the car.”

  “It’s a convertible.”

  “I meant that I’d put the top up,” he said dryly.

  “Okay. All done. You can turn around.”

  He wasted no time in doing just that. His gaze went unerringly to her breasts, which were barely covered by two skimpy triangles of fabric. The way they were thrust out while she tied the bow in back made her a bit self-conscious. Made her clumsy. The task seemed to take forever.

  He finally dragged his gaze away, looking slightly embarrassed.

  She nervously busied herself with wiggling out of her shorts, being careful not to pull the bikini bottoms down with them. Then she took her time folding everything, trying to get rid of the jitters.

  After depositing her clothes in the trunk beside her bag, she did a quick check of her front to make sure everything was in place. She cringed when she noticed a spot on her upper thigh she’d missed covering with the bronzing lotion. Unfortunately, she also noticed the slight roundness of her belly because she never made time for the gym, nor had she done crunches in forever.

  Sighing, she gathered the towels she’d set aside while she changed, and strategically held them up in front of her. Only then did she realize that David had slipped out of his khakis to reveal a pair of red swim trunks. His thighs were nicely muscled, though not overly so, but his calves surprised her with their bulk and definition. They didn’t belong to a casual jogger, but more like a serious runner.

  He closed the trunk, and they followed a grassy path through a cluster of trees that bordered the pristine white sand. There was no need for discussion as to where they’d plant themselves. They stopped at a spot that was half-sunny, half-shaded, and shielded them from the north side of the beach by the leafy lean-to.

  David untied the straw mats, and then shook out each one, placing them side by side, so close together they almost touched.

  Mia dropped a beach towel on each mat before focusing her gaze on the water gently lapping the shore. She was painfully aware that David was staring at her. It was weird that she would feel more self-conscious in a bikini than being naked. But then, this was full, unforgiving sunlight. Not the same as a dimly lit hotel room. On the upside, she got to eye him, too. She looked over at him.

  He gave her a guilty smile. “I feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store.”

  She grinned and lowered herself to the mat, positioning herself so that she could lean back, giving the illusion of a flatter tummy. Giving the illusion that she was cool and composed when her insides were doing somersaults.

  He got down beside her and tossed the car keys on the mat, and mirrored her position, so that the upper halves of their bodies were both in shade. The sun burned down on their thighs and calves. She stared at the pesky mole near her knee that she’d hated since grade school. Had she been smart, she would’ve had it removed while she still had health insurance.

  “You’ve been out of law school for eight years now?” she asked, turning to meet his eyes. She was pretty sure he was thirty-three, past the age a lot of guys started getting married. No way she’d bring that up.

  “Yep. It feels like twenty.” His brows drew together to form a slight crease. “You have the greenest eyes. I used to wonder if you wore contacts to get them that color.”

  “Maybe I do.”

  He shook his head.

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve had almost three years to figure it out.”

  She snorted. “You barely spared me a glance.”

  “Think so?” A slow, sly smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he looked so deeply into her eyes that her entire body flushed. He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, then touched the corner with the tip of his tongue.

  “Oh, God, I still have clown lips, don’t I?”

  David stopped her inane muttering by kissing her again, this time coaxing her lips apart and kissing her long and hard and deep. She felt herself start to slip backwar
d, and his arm was suddenly behind her, guiding her back until their kiss broke and she was lying supine on the mat and staring up into his warm brown eyes.

  “No one’s coming,” he whispered as he trailed a finger from her chin down between her breasts, his touch so light she couldn’t be sure she hadn’t imagined it.

  He kissed her eyes, kissed her nose, brushed his lips leisurely across hers. Then he touched her breast. She automatically arched up, filling his hand. Her nipples tightened, communicating their need. He found one through the fabric of her top and circled it with the pad of his thumb.

  “We shouldn’t have stopped,” he whispered huskily. “We should’ve gone straight to the hotel.”

  “You said no one’s coming,” she reminded him in a weak voice.

  He groaned, and pushed aside one triangle of her top. For a second he just stared at her bared breast, his eyes dark and hungry, and then he put his hot mouth on her puckered flesh. His moist heat bathed her skin, and she shivered, squeezing her eyes closed when his teeth scraped her hard nipple.

  She blindly reached for him, found his hip and slid her hand around to cup his firm, round ass, urging him closer until his erection pressed her thigh. She moved her leg so that she rubbed him just right, smiled when she heard his soft groan, groaned herself when he sucked hard at her nipple.

  He cupped her other breast, inched the fabric over until he’d exposed the other nipple. He rolled his tongue over the crown, stopping briefly to nip at the hard tip. But when he simply breathed on it, Mia shivered.

  “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this?” David whispered. “How much I want to kiss you everywhere.” He kissed the spot between her breasts, and then moved to the heated skin between her ribs. When he got to her navel, she experienced momentary panic and tensed.

  She didn’t know why. No one was around. But the mood had definitely shifted.

  He sighed, and she felt his withdrawal even before he planted a final kiss on her belly. “Come on,” he said, his breathing irregular. “I know where we can get some great room service.”