by Nella Tyler
“Where did he go?” Meg asked perplexed. They moved to the end of the path and saw that it was a dead end. There were tall bushes on either side of them which stopped at a seven-foot wall. The only way out was to walk up the lane and past them. “I don’t understand. How could he have left this lane without coming past us? He couldn’t have scaled the wall. We would have seen him do so.”
“I have no explanation,” he said. He looked around and appeared ill at ease. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
They moved swiftly down the lane, then up the terrace steps. As they moved along the cobblestones, Meg felt bereft. As though she had left her safe haven. A chill went down her body and she rubbed her bare arms.
“Cold?” he asked. He removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.
“I just had the strangest feeling that I have left my sanctuary. It’s hard to explain.”
“There’s no need. I just had the same feeling,” he said.
He escorted her to her suite and waited while she extracted the room key from her purse. He took it from her and opened her door. He reached inside to flip on the light switch. As he held the door she moved inside. Turning to face him she stood on her toes and gently kissed his mouth.
“Thank you for tonight. I had a wonderful time,” she whispered.
“So did I. I will call you tomorrow. What is your cell number?”
She took a business card from her purse and gave it to him.
“Don’t lose it,” she smiled.
“Not on your life,” he grinned as he slipped it into his shirt pocket.
She removed his jacket and handed it to him.
“Thank you. It kept me warm and toasty.”
“Maybe next time I can do that job,” he grinned crookedly.
“Maybe. Goodnight,” she smiled.
“Goodnight, Meg. Sweet dreams.” He kissed her cheek then strolled down the hall to the elevator.
She listened for the elevator doors to open and close. She then closed her own door and turned to lean against it. She sighed as she thought about the evening. It had been a lovely night and she hoped there were many more to come. She pushed away from the door and slowly moved into her room to go to bed.
Chapter 3
Meg was awakened by someone flopping onto her king size bed. She opened her blurry, green eyes and saw Benita sitting crossed-legged at the foot of the bed munching on a bowl of strawberries.
“Hey! I want some of those,” Meg mumbled as she pushed herself into a sitting position. She fluffed the pillows behind her and relaxed against them.
“There’s plenty in the fridge. They are so good. Sweet and juicy,” Benita grinned.
“In other words I’ll have to go get them myself,” Meg muttered.
“Yep!”
“Nope,” Ashlee said as she swept into the room carrying a breakfast tray. She moved to the bed and set the tray down beside Meg. “As I’m the considerate and thoughtful one, I’ve brought you some fruit and orange juice.”
“Thank you so much. I’m starved this morning,” Meg said gratefully. She reached for one of the bowls of fruit.
“It must be from spending a magical evening with a certain, handsome gentleman,” Ashlee said sagely. She plucked the other bowl of strawberries from the tray.
“I would bet that Drake is responsible for that silly grin on her face,” Benita mused. “It must have been a very enchanting night, indeed.”
Meg thought about the garden and smiled.
“It was pretty special.”
“Oh! Do tell,” Ashlee urged.
Meg described their walk in the garden.
“It was like a walk in a fantasy land.”
“And was Drake your prince charming?” Benita asked.
“In every way imaginable. He made me feel like his princess,” Meg sighed.
“Did he kiss you?”
“Ashlee!” Meg objected.
“Well, did he?” Ashlee insisted.
“Yes.” Meg voice was barely audible.
“What was that?” Benita teased.
“Speak up, girl. We can’t hear you,” Ashlee declared in laughter.
“Yes,” Meg said in a loud voice. “He kissed me. And what a kiss it was.”
Benita beat the bed with her hands in her excitement.
“Oooh! I knew it! I knew he was a great kisser,” Benita exclaimed. “It’s written all over him.”
“You can’t tell by looking at a man if he is a good kisser,” Meg protested.
“Oh yes you can. He’s oozing with sex appeal,” Ashlee gushed.
“Well, all I can say is that Doug needs to go to the school of Drake to get some skill. He is sorely lacking,” Meg retorted.
“Oh well! His lack of sexual prowess is Denise’s problem now,” Benita said. “If you ask me, he did you a favor by breaking off the engagement.”
“Absolutely. One look at Drake is proof of that,” Ashlee agreed. “Are you guys going out again?”
“He asked for my cell and said he would call me today,” Meg replied.
“He’s not wasting any time. That’s good,” Benita said.
“Probably because he wants to sleep with me,” Meg said dejectedly.
“And what man wouldn’t? Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Ashlee blurted.
“You are gorgeous with an equally attractive personality. He would have to be dimwitted not to see what a fantastic catch you are,” Benita stated.
“And stupid he is not,” Ashlee said seriously. “Don’t compare him to Doug too much, Meg. I can tell that Drake is nothing like him. It’s just a feeling, but I don’t see him as the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. I don’t think that’s his style. When he commits, he going to stick around for the long haul.”
“Commitment? You guys are moving way too fast. We’ve only been on one date. And half of that was spent with the two of you,” Meg exclaimed.
“You will have plenty of one-on-one dates with him and you will see his integrity shining through those awesome, grey eyes of his,” Benita said. “His intentions are as clear as his eyes. You just can’t see it yet.”
“I thought I saw integrity in Doug but I was wrong. How could I be so wrong about him? I refuse to make that same mistake regarding Drake. I may be better for me to keep my distance from him,” Meg responded sadly.
“Don’t judge Drake by Doug’s standards. He has none,” Ashlee said. “Doug was an idiot to leave you. And for a teacher at the same school no less. He couldn’t even make the effort to look for someone outside of work. He’s a low-life and you’re better off without him.”
“But Drake is a man of a different ilk. He fairly reeks of sincerity, truth, honor, and commitment,” Benita said. “He smells of responsibility, decency, and worthiness. Do not push him away. Do not push love away, Meg.”
Meg sighed.
“It’s too early for this kind of talk. I’ll take it one day at a time and see what happens. In the meantime, I want some more strawberries.”
Meg scrambled from the bed and left the room. Ashlee and Benita looked at each other and wished Doug to the devil.
*****
Meg, Ashlee, and Benita sunbathed by the sparkling pool. Meg was stretched out under an umbrella as she would burn easily. Ashlee wore a white bikini while Benita donned a red one. Each woman had fantastic figures and caught the eyes of admiring men within minutes of being poolside. Meg wore a less revealing one-piece green suit with skirt. She was glad that a man had not approached her for all she wanted to do was lay there and think about the night before. She closed her eyes behind her dark sunglasses and allowed the images of the last night to flood her memory.
“Is this seat taken?”
The voice was that of older woman. Meg didn’t bother to open but eyes to answer.
“No. It’s available,” she replied.
Then she felt the side of her seat cushion dip. Her eyes flew open and she snatched her glasses off.
“Drake!”
“At your service,” he smiled.
“I thought you were going to call me.”
“Would you rather I called and not be here? I like the direct approach,” he mused.
“Of course I would rather see you. I just was not expecting you,” she said. “Have you been inspecting the property today? When the morning passed without a call from you I assumed you were busy.”
“Your assumption was correct. I’d hoped to be available sooner but the general manager was very thorough,” he sighed.
“Well, that’s a good thing. He must be a very conscientious man,” she smiled.
“It seems he is. He wanted to continue our tour after lunch but I refused. I told him I would see him tomorrow.”
“Any particular reason for not continuing the tour?’ she asked archly.
He reached for her bottle of sunscreen on the table and poured some onto his palm.
“There are more interesting things on my mind,” he said.
“Such as?” she flirted.
“Turn over and I will show you.”
Meg would have preferred to continue to look at his broad, muscled chest. He wore his blue shirt open with a pair of khaki shorts. His dark brown hair was tousled as though he had run his fingers through it. Meg recalled the feel of his hair on her fingers when they had kissed last night. She wanted to feel his hair again right then.
He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to turn over. She flipped over to her stomach as instructed. She felt him slide her shoulder straps down her arms. Meg became suddenly bold and slid her arms out of the straps. She then cradled her forehead on her folded arms. She could have sworn that she heard him suck in his breath. She smiled at the thought of turning him on. After a moment, he slowly began to massage the lotion into her back. His hands were gentle but firm. His fingers expertly massaged her tense muscles as he applied to lotion.
“Why are you so tense?” he asked.
“Having a man apply sunscreen to my back is not a common occurrence for me.”
“I can’t imagine any man not wanting to perform the task” he frowned.
“You don’t know Doug,” she thought. She recalled last summer when she’d asked Doug to put sunscreen on her back. He’d acted as though she’d asked him to drop from a cliff. It was the beginning of her doubting his pledge, but she was too afraid to challenge him about it.
“I’m just not used to it. But I kind of like it,” she quipped.
“Get used to it. You’ll never have to do it yourself as long as I’m around,” he returned.
“Can I engage your services for other things?”
He leaned over her.
“What other things did you have in mind?” he whispered in her ear.
“A kiss?”
He flipped her over before she could blink and captured her mouth in a scorching caress. She linked her arms behind his neck and kissed him back. It was thrilling to be kissed so thoroughly in public. She could hear wolf whistles from men walking by. Doug had never wanted to show affection in public. Sights of other couples being affectionate with each other made her feel sad and alone. Apparently she wouldn’t have to worry about that with Drake.
“Hey, guys! The hotel is just a few feet away,” Benita giggled.
Drake rose up and looked behind him. Benita and Ashlee were standing at the foot of Meg’s lounge chair.
“Do the two of you have nothing better to do than ogle us?” Drake teased.
“Well, you guys are an interesting sight but we have a reason for interrupting you,” Ashlee said.
Meg held her suit over her breast as she sat up and peeked around Drake.
“Which is?” Meg queried.
“We’ve been invited to hike to Likeke Falls. Are you game?” Benita asked.
“Sure. But I don’t recognize the name. I didn’t see it in any of the tour guides I read,” Meg said.
“It’s not a place where tourists flock. A local would have to tell you about,” Ashlee said.
“And of course you’ve connected with a knowledgeable local,” Meg smiled.
“Absolutely,” Ashlee grinned. She gestured to a man standing a few feet behind her. “This is my friend, Kai Akina. He is a native of Oahu and knows every inch of the island. We couldn’t find a better guide.”
Kai stepped forward and shook hands with Drake and Meg.
“Aloha,” Kai smiled.
“Aloha,” Drake and Meg said simultaneously.
“It’s also very kind of you to take us to Likeke Falls. Thank you very much,” Meg said.
“Happy to take you there. It’s one of my favorite places,” Kai said.
“And this is Noah Brooks,” Benita said. “He’s not a Hawaiian native but he’s been living here since he was nine and knows the island well.”
“He may as well be called a local,” Drake grinned.
They exchanged greetings.
“We will be in excellent hands,” Meg smiled.
“We need to change. We’ll meet you in the suite, Meg,” Ashlee said.
“All right. I’ll be there in a minute,” Meg replied.
The girls and their new friends walked toward the hotel. Drake turned to look at Meg.
“So much for my getting you alone and having my way with you,” Drake sighed dramatically.
“You will survive. And who’s to say you would have your way with me?” Meg asked haughtily.
He slipped his fingers under her bathing suit straps and slowly pushed them to her shoulders.
“I can be very persuasive.” He dipped his head and suckled the side of her throat.
She slipped her hands inside of his shirt and caressed his chest, something she’d wanted to do since he sat beside her. She sighed. He felt so good. Her hands glided over his chest then moved to his back.
“Keep that up and you will not see Likeke Falls today,” he teased. He tightened his hold on her and pushed her back to the lounge. He kissed her chest then trailed downward toward her breasts.
“Stop, Drake,” she panted. “We can’t.”
“Oh but we can. We can do the hike another day,” he mumbled.
Meg moaned. She wanted to remain in his arms and be the recipient of his attention. But something held her back.
“No, Drake. Remember? We’re taking this slowly.”
He groaned into the valley between her breasts.
“Did I really agree to that?”
She chuckled.
“You did.”
He kissed the side of her breast then sat up. He pulled her to a sitting position and then up from the lounge.
“Come on before I change our minds.”
“Our minds?”
“Oh yes. I can definitely change your mind,” he smirked.
She punched his arm.
“You egoistical, cocky jerk! We’ll see how easy it will be for you.”
“Is that a challenge?” he asked.
“Maybe it is,” she replied daringly.
“You’re on!”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her swiftly toward the hotel. Meg was suddenly uncertain and wanted to take their conversation back. What had she gotten herself into? And did she want to get out of it?
*****
They hiked through the forest and the girls marveled at the plants and flowers. Their nostrils were filled with both sweet and musky scents from the colorful blossoms. They were standing on a grassy hilltop and looking out at the scenic view. They could see green rolling valleys for miles. And Mount Ka’ala in the distance was magnificent.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Benita said in hushed tones. “It makes me want to whisper as not to disturb its beauty.”
“I know what you mean, Beni. It’s like the softer you speak, the more lovely it is,” Ashlee chimed in.
“I could stay here forever but the men are heading back down,” Beni observed.
“It seems they have become fast friends,” Meg said.
“I’m not surprised. They have a
lot in common,” Ashlee said.
“Like what?” Meg asked.
“Well, Kai works in his uncle’s architect firm as an engineer,” Ashlee explained.
“And Noah owns a plumbing and electric company,” Beni added.
“Wow! They do have a lot in common. Stands to reason why they’ve ignored us since we’ve been hiking,” Meg smiled wryly.
“Men being men. But I’m glad that they’ve hit it off. Now Beni and I won’t feel like third wheels when we go out with you and Drake,” Ashlee said.
“You are not third wheels,” Meg protested.
‘We aren’t now,” Beni laughed.
“Hey! Are you coming today or never?” Drake called out.
“Never!” Meg responded.
Drake laughed at her.
“Do we need to come up there to get you?” he asked.
Meg recalled their bet.
“Let’s go, girls.”
Beni and Ashlee held back.
“I’m thinking it might be fun for them to come get us,” Beni said slyly.
“I like the idea as well,” Ashlee giggled.
Kai and Noah started racing up the knoll. Beni and Ashlee screamed and took off running in the other direction. Kai and Noah ran past Meg and she laughed at their antics. Then she looked down at Drake who remained at the base of the hill. She cocked her head.
“Do your legs still work or are you just lazy?” she quipped.
“My legs work just fine. I just prefer to look at yours from my vantage point,” he flirted.
Meg wore a pair of lime green-shorts and a white V-neck tee tucked into the shorts. She looked like a breath of fresh, spring air. But it was her shapely, tanned legs that drew his attention. Meg scoffed at his words and began to make her way down the hill. She moved quickly and didn’t see the root that protruded from the earth. The toe of her right shoe caught and she lost her balance. She saw the ground coming up to meet her as she fell forward.
“Meg!”
She hit the ground in a hard thud and felt as though she could not breathe. She closed her eyes as dizziness washed over her.
“Meg,” Drake said anxiously as he quickly sat beside her. “Are you hurt?” She didn’t move. “Come on, Meg. Open your eyes.” She moved her head from side to side and groaned. “Please, Meg. Wake up for me.” She slowly opened her eyes.
