Primitive Flame

by Lakes, Lynde

  She shivered. “For a lifetime.” Although she’d stepped away from him, Lani was acutely aware of his every movement. He stayed close by.

  Feeling her way, Lani found a heavy-duty flashlight where Grandfather kept it handy on a hook near the corner of the counter.

  Suddenly, the power came back on and Lani squinted at the brightness. Cort’s face and clothes were black from smoke. Soot had settled into the small fine lines around his eyes. The dried blood on his forehead sent a pang of sympathy to her heart. She longed to touch him, ease his pain. “You shower first. I’ll make something hot to drink.”

  The tired look on his face eased a bit and he pressed his lips together, seeming to fight the grin that broke through. “We could save time by showering together.”

  Images of them, two nude silhouettes behind smoky glass, made her face flame. His pass sounded more like the swinger Julie described than her Cort.

  His forehead furrowed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that—it just popped out.”

  Had Pele loosened his tongue? “Mean it or not, you’re scrubbing your own back tonight, Mr. Wayne.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, that would be best.”

  Perhaps if he’d been half as agreeable about protecting the relics, Pele wouldn’t have thrown lightning bolts into the sky. Biting back unfair thoughts, Lani collected a couple of towels out of the linen closet and a T-shirt and Bermudas from Grandfather’s room and handed them to Cort.

  “Enjoy,” she called over her shoulder as she headed for the kitchen to make sandwiches.

  This time his laugh sounded weary. He’d fought the fire with all he had, showing the strength and endurance of ten men. Now, it had taken its toll.

  Later, Cort came out of the bathroom wearing Grandfather’s Bermudas, dwarfed like a muscle man at a circus trying to wear the fat man’s clothes. She held back laughter with her hand.

  “Don’t laugh,” he said. “The kids I coach would consider these oversized threads cool.” He raked back his wet hair, expanding a chest made powerful by his hands-on work as a construction boss.

  “You coach kids?”

  Cort nodded. “They’re a great bunch. Brothers I never had.”

  Lani smiled. He liked kids, bubbles, kittens. “What sport?” With those shoulders… “Football?”

  “Baseball right now. Football in the fall.”

  She picked up the bandage and antiseptic and patted the couch beside her. “Let me put something on that gash.”

  He sat down and leaned toward her. He smelled of soap and his own male scent. He moved so close the rhythm of his breathing thundered in her ears. Holding a cotton ball in unsteady fingers, she dabbed at the wound on his forehead. Such a strong face, she thought. His tan skin was lined only enough to be interesting. She shifted and accidentally brushed his hand with her breast. Heat rushed to her face.

  Cort placed his hands on her waist. “This will keep them out of the way.”

  His warm touch seeped through her clothing to her bare skin. She applied a little too much pressure to his wound. He winced.

  “Sorry.” She concentrated on the task, trying to block out the possessive way he’d clamped his fingers around the narrow curve of her body.

  “I don’t think you need stitches,” she said, smoothing a bandage and a piece of tape into place. She stood, needing to escape before she made a fool of herself. “Your clothes are in the washing machine. All you’ll have to do is throw them in the dryer when the cycle’s finished.” She gestured to the hot chocolate and grilled cheese sandwiches on the coffee table. “Help yourself. I’ll be back.”

  Lani retreated into the refuge of the bathroom. Inhaling deeply, she willed her heart to quit racing. Her cheeks burned from her thoughts of the virile man just outside the door, the man she’d grown to care for so deeply.

  She turned on the water full blast, and gritting her teeth, she stepped into the tepid shower, hoping it was cold enough to cool her ardor.

  ****

  In the living room, Cort held Lil’ Guy on his lap while the kitten licked its paw. Cort stroked the silky fur. He’d always had dogs and never given cats a second thought. Until now. This kitten was special. It was something he and Lani loved together. He liked that.

  He’d tried to stay mad at Lani, but it was impossible. His crack about showering together was out of line. With his doubts, it would’ve been best to keep his sexual thoughts to himself. He knew he wanted her in his life, but her visit to the site in the middle of the night bothered the hell out of him. She didn’t want the work to start up again. Had she planned something? Like planting relics on the site? And if so, had the Tanaka brothers put her up to it? To protect their own view-offering lots, they’d tried to block development of the oceanfront land for years. He wanted to believe she was innocent of any wrongdoing, wanted to believe she could explain all this.

  Cort turned when Lani returned to the room. “Feeling better?” He lifted the kitten from his lap and placed it on the cushion beside him.

  “Much,” she said softly.

  She looked both angelic and sexy in her lacy yellow pajamas and matching robe. The clothing showed nothing, but he imagined the soft brown skin underneath. How could he ever believe this woman guilty of anything after she’d saved his life?

  He moved over and made room for her on the couch. Her hair was swept up into an array of curls, leaving a slender neck that begged to be kissed.

  “Good sandwiches.” He reached for another so he wouldn’t just grab her and be done with it.

  Lani sat down and tucked one foot under herself like a graceful doe. She filled her cup with steaming chocolate, spooned on some whipped cream and then, with a trembling hand, picked up a sandwich triangle. “Mmmm, this does hit the spot. I had no idea I was so hungry.”

  Judging by her shaky hand, Lani wasn’t as calm as she pretended. What was going on in her pretty head? Cort watched the provocative way she devoured the trails of melted cheese, remembering the feel of those lips beneath his own, wanting to feel them again. A whiff of her shampoo-sweet scent stirred a hunger that couldn’t be satisfied with food.

  The lights flickered. Torrents of rain pelted the roof while the wind rattled the windows and gutters. Lani shivered. She looked so vulnerable. He wanted to draw her into his arms and reassure her. But he didn’t dare until he reined in his desire. “Doesn’t seem to be letting up.”

  “You’re welcome to stay the night,” she said softly. “The roads won’t be safe in this storm.”

  “Is that the only reason you want me to stay?”

  She gave a laugh he felt sure was caused by nerves. “No. With the chance of the lights going off again, I’d rather not be alone.”

  He believed there was more to it, but with his uncertainties about her involvement in whatever happened tonight it was safer not to push something that probably neither of them was ready to handle. Still, she looked like she needed some reassurance. It couldn’t hurt to merely touch her hands. When he took them in his, they felt so small.

  “Good,” he said past the constriction in his throat. “I’d already decided to stay, even if I had to sleep in my car.” He wasn’t leaving her out here by herself tonight.

  “You can sleep in Grandfather’s room,” she said. “Sheets are clean.”

  He couldn’t care less about sheets. “What brought you to the site tonight?” He hoped she had a good explanation.

  “You won’t like it.”

  “Try me.”

  Her lower lip quivered. “I see visions.”

  “Here we go again. You claim to see things in the ground, and now this. What’s your game, Lani?”

  “It’s not a game. Before we ever met, I saw you surrounded by flames.” Lani looked down. “There were more visions and nightmares after that. Then, tonight, or rather last night,” she corrected after glancing at the clock. “It was so real. I knew I had to get to you right away.”

  “Extrasensory perception?” he asked, deciding to play alon
g and see where she led him.

  “I wish I knew. In one of my visions an old woman warned me that you were in danger. Then something drew me to your project site. I was enchanted by it.”

  “Try obsessed with it.”

  She leveled her gaze at him. “Do you want to hear this?”

  “Yeah. Go ahead.” He couldn’t buy any of her story, but he had to hear her out if he hoped to deal with it.

  “Grandfather told me some strange things about my birth.”

  Cort watched Lani as she related the story. She looked so miserable. He wavered between concern and disbelief. Keo was a solid man. Could the professor believe all this nonsense?

  Lani’s lava necklace seemed to be gathering light, pulsating. Cort felt an uneasy prickling at the base of his skull.

  “Don’t you see? If I had ignored the warning, you’d be dead. It’s all connected, the visions, Butch’s death and the fire tonight.”

  Lani was shaking like a leaf. It tore his guts out to see her like this. He gathered her into his arms. Her body was so warm, so soft. “Why didn’t you tell me all this before?”

  She looked up at him with wide eyes. “Do you believe me?”

  He believed that she believed it. “I don’t know. Maybe this is all a series of coincidences, but whatever it is, you shouldn’t have to go through it alone.”

  “What happened tonight proves you’re digging in a burial ground.”

  “No, Lani, it doesn’t.” He could buy that some kind of extrasensory perception brought her to the trailer in time to save him, but not the rest of it. “I told you before, the site passed the environmental study. There’s nothing in the ground but dirt.”

  She pulled away, taking her warmth with her. “But, I know it! The same way I knew you were in danger.”

  He crossed his arms. “Don’t be disappointed if Kohea comes up empty.”

  “What will you say when his engineers find something?”

  “Won’t happen.” Unless relics were planted, he thought with doubt building again.

  “But, suppose it does?” She held his gaze.

  She seemed so sure something would be found. “If by some farfetched chance authentic relics are found, of course they should be preserved.”

  “And you’ll forget the project?”

  “Let’s wait for the report.”

  She lifted her chin. “You’re not big on commitment, are you?”

  “I don’t make promises without all the facts.” If relics were found he’d insist upon tests, proof. Court action. But she didn’t need to hear that now. If she was plagued by visions, she needed support. God, he was so mixed up. He knew only two things for sure—he loved her, and he didn’t want to believe she was in a conspiracy against him. “I’ll promise you one thing. I’ll help you through this.” He had no idea how.

  Lani stared at him a moment as if deciding whether he’d given her enough to soothe her concerns. Finally, she said, “Thank you, Cort. That means a lot.”

  She touched her lips to his. He knew it was only supposed to be a kiss of gratitude, but she was so soft, so sweet. He drew her close and deepened the kiss. At the soft pressure of her breasts against his chest, heat shot to his groin. He traced the curve of her neck, planning to slide lower.

  What the hell am I doing? Lani needed understanding, not a seduction. Damn, he was in deep. He should run in the opposite direction, fast. But he couldn’t. No matter how much he wanted to make love to Lani, he needed answers first. Including why so many bad things were happening at the site. He wanted to talk to Keo and get his view on Lani’s visions. Maybe she needed a psychiatrist or something. He also needed to set his own brain straight and figure out exactly what he believed—and what he might be willing to commit to.

  He wrenched himself from Lani, regretting the astonishment he saw in her eyes. He kissed her forehead and picked up the sleeping kitten and placed him into her arms, using the cat as a barrier. “We’d better call it a night.”

  She nodded and looked down at the kitten cuddled against her. He reached out and stroked Lil’ Guy, aware that his hand moved less than a millimeter away from Lani’s breast. He couldn’t miss the outline of hardened nipples against her clothing.

  He tried to ignore the swell in his shorts throbbing in readiness. “It looks like Lil’ Guy has more sense than either of us. He’s already asleep. We should follow suit. I have to be up in a couple of hours to meet the delivery at the site.”

  “But the fire—”

  “The delivery still has to be met.”

  “Oh,” she said with disappointment in her voice. “Then I guess you’d better get some sleep. Grandfather’s room is the open door on the left. There’s an alarm clock on the nightstand.” She stroked the kitten, making no move to leave the room. “Call me when you get up, and I’ll make breakfast.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I won’t have time.” He wished he would. Instead of being turned off by the mystery surrounding her, he was drawn closer. She looked away at the gusty wind-driven rain pelting the window. Cort trailed a finger along her jaw. “Tell you what. Suppose I come back when I’m through, and we have a late breakfast?” Maybe by then he’d have the fire inspector’s report and some answers.

  Lani smiled. “I…I’ll count on it. Goodnight,” she said softly. Then she turned and walked slowly toward her bedroom without a backward glance.

  The next morning, Cort noticed Lani’s bedroom door stood open. He couldn’t resist a peek inside before he left. The dreary early light cast the room in a gray hue, but he could see her clearly enough. Her eyes were closed, her breathing even. Her hair fanned in loose waves across the pillow. Lil’ Guy’s head lay on the pillow next to hers, under the sheet up to his jaw line with paws hanging over the top. Lani had tucked the sheet under her own chin. They looked so damned cute.

  Cort moved closer. His breath caught at how lovely she was. With lips curved into a relaxed smile, she looked like a beautiful child, but her full breasts and the indentation of her slender waist were not the curves of a child. She stirred—his heart pounded—he quickly turned and tiptoed out of the room. Why did leaving Lani, even for a little while, make him feel sad?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lani awoke to the roar of Cort’s Porsche. She sat up and threw back the sheet, almost dumping Lil’ Guy onto the floor. She rushed to the window. Too late. The car was already out of sight. Overcome with disappointment, she stared out the window. Had it been a mistake to tell him everything? Did he believe her?

  The rain came down hard under a dark gray sky. Between flattened blades of grass the ground was a patchwork of puddles and red clay. Bushes and trees glistened from the nonstop deluge. Rivulets rutted the reddish dirt driveway. Cort shouldn’t be driving in these flood conditions. One wrong turn of the wheel could send him skidding into a ravine.

  She pressed her nose against the windowpane in hope of seeing a patch of blue somewhere up the valley. The ragged line of the mountains remained partially hidden beneath a dense layer of mist.

  Lil’ Guy meowed loudly. Lani picked him up and stroked him absently. She glanced at the tangled bed sheets. Last night, her bed had seemed larger than ever before. What would it be like to share it with Cort? She wanted him so much! But how did he feel about her? She remembered the husky desire in his voice, but why had he stopped? Maybe he didn’t want to get mixed up with a woman who had visions. She couldn’t blame him. Until she cleared up her problems, she had to forget about love.

  Windblown torrents of rain pelted the windowpane harder. If the rain continued with its present intensity the road would wash out and Cort wouldn’t make it back. Lil’ Guy touched her face with his paw. “Hungry, Lil’ Guy? It might be just you and me today.”

  Lani fed the kitten before slipping on white shorts and a coral knit top. Was it unusual to have a rainstorm of this magnitude at the end of July? Her skin felt moist, but she wasn’t cold.

  In the slim hope Cort would somehow make it back for b
reakfast, she let a cup of mango tea sustain her. Good thing Grandpa had an electric stove. She didn’t feel up to dealing with flames of any kind.

  Hours passed. She wore a path to the window. This was ridiculous.

  She made more tea, and with it steaming on the table beside her, she opened her sheet music and with the koa ukulele, she practiced the song Grandfather had taught her. It seemed strange to be doing normal things while her life raged out of control.

  Deep in her own thoughts, the loud knock at the door startled her. She hadn’t heard a vehicle drive up. She eased the door open.

  “Cort!” She felt like throwing herself into his arms.

  His blond hair, darkened by the rain, was plastered to his head. Dripping strands curled onto his forehead, and she wanted to thread her fingers through them and gently smooth them back. He held two grocery bags, dotted with raindrops. “Did you wonder if I’d make it back?”

  Puddles formed at his feet.

  Lani nodded. “Where’s your car?”

  “I drove one of the company jeeps. Even using a four-wheel drive, I couldn’t make it all the way to the driveway. Too much mud. I hiked in from the main road.”

  His smile reached his eyes, brightening them to a luminous green.

  “How about the loan of some dry clothing again? If I don’t get out of these duds, I’ll make a real mess of the house.”

  “Sure.” Lani took the soggy grocery bags from him. “Stay put. I’ll get something for you.”

  She placed the groceries on the sink and hurried to bring some of kupuna’s clothes for Cort. Lani handed the garments to him then left the room. While she waited for him to join her, she put on a fresh pot of chocolate macadamia nut coffee. Her mind conjured up images of how he must look stripped to the buff: muscled shoulders narrowing to a lean waist, flat, hard abdomen, tight butt.

  She started in embarrassment when, silent as a cat, he came up behind her. “Is it all right to put these into the dryer?” Cort gestured to the wet clothes bundled into a ball under his arm.

  “Sure, toss ‘em in. They’ll dry in no time.” Lani hurriedly emptied the grocery bags, hoping he hadn’t noticed her heated cheeks. “Looks like you bought out the store.”