Something Amazing

by M. Clarke

  Jax was right; I was scared. Sadly, I had to admit I had used needing to email my clients as an excuse to get away from him. He was making me have emotions I wasn’t ready to feel. Since I was the one that had broken up with Greg, I felt guilty as well. But having Jax flirt with me, I couldn’t help the joy that took me away from reality just for a brief moment.

  For that second, I felt like I had levitated off the ground. I didn’t have to defend my reason why I’d liked the way he looked back at me…the defining moment when he took a tiny piece of my heart without my consent, but that tiny part of me wanted more of him. I wanted to know more about who he was and a whole lot more of his body. Then I snapped back into reality, told myself I would only get hurt at the end, and reminded myself why I was there in the first place. “I know his type.”

  Stacey opened her mouth to speak, but she didn’t have a chance to retort. “Aloha,” our waitress greeted. “What can I get for you tonight?” Thank goodness the waitress came by and saved me.

  “Anyway,” Stacey started to say after the waitress left, “you should get to know a person before you judge.”

  “I know. It’s not like he asked me out and I turned him down.” I had the urge to turn to see Jax, but I stopped myself and fidgeted in my seat.

  “I have a feeling he will. He looks like the type of man that will go after what he wants.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He lives here. I don’t do long distance relationships. It was the main reason Greg and I broke up.”

  “Well…you just never know.”

  Our conversation was minimal as we enjoyed the music. A live band had set up just as the sun started to set, creating not just a joyful atmosphere, but a beautiful sight as well. Peeking through the pink and violet clouds, the sun shone for the last time that day. As it slowly started to fade away, the surrounding lights and the stars became brighter and more apparent.

  After a while, our waitress placed our plates of food on the table. Glancing back at Jax, I saw that the crowd by the bar had died down.

  “The food is fantastic,” Stacey said, taking a sip of her drink. “This fish is so tender and fresh.”

  “My salad is good, too,” I added. “The shrimp is big and the crab,” I let out a soft moan, “is delicious.”

  “What’s your plan this week?” Hendrix asked, sliding into the booth next to Stacey. I jerked a little, surprised by his appearance. Thank goodness we were raving about how good the food tasted; otherwise, it would have been very embarrassing.

  “We just got here. What do you have in mind?” Stacey raised her brows, leaning in closer. Her attention was diverted from the cuisine to him.

  “There’s so much to do. Horseback riding, snorkeling, kayaking, helicopter ride—”

  “Helicopter ride,” Stacey repeated with excitement. “Let’s do that one.” She looked at me to confirm.

  I didn’t want to be the third wheel. “You know I’m afraid of heights. You two can go.” Hoping they would stop asking me questions if I had a full mouth, I took another bite of my salad.

  “You’re afraid of too many things,” a voice whispered in my ear, sending a jolt of shivers down my back.

  “I’m not afraid. I mean….” I couldn’t speak when he sat right beside me. His leg touching mine almost made me choke on the shrimp I was chewing.

  “I’ll go with you,” Jax said, wrapping his arm behind my chair, leaning closer, and passing my comfort zone.

  “I’m not getting on that thing. You can go by yourself.” My tone was nice, but I couldn’t look at him. He made me feel so nervous. His presence alone made my heart thump faster, and I could feel dangerous heat flush through my body.

  “You have to go on it once to see the parts of the island you’ll never be able to see on a tour,” Hendrix informed.

  “It’s not just the heights. I get car sick, and I’m pretty sure I would get air sick, if there’s such a thing.” I didn’t mean to, but I turned to Jax when I heard him chuckle. When my eyes met his, blazing heat spread all over me, even down to my toes. I had to stop thinking what it would feel like to have a one-night stand with him. I could already feel his hands cupping my breasts and my ass just by his stare alone. It was so intense and deep that it was hard to look away.

  “You can take something for that.” I think that’s what Hendrix said. “Hey!”

  My body jerked from the loud snap from Hendrix. Was he mad?

  “Don’t look at her that way. She’s off limits,” Hendrix said to Jax. “She’s Matthew Knight’s future sister-in-law. And you know how Matthew can be.”

  “First of all, I don’t know Matthew that well. He’s your friend. Second, I’m not afraid of him. He can kiss my ass. If I see something I like, I take it.”

  Hendrix slid the palm of his hand down his face and shook his head, causing Stacey to giggle. “I was afraid you were going to say that. But seriously, hands off. And why are you here? You’re suppose to work the evening shift for me.”

  “Don’t worry, I just took a five-minute break. The real show is about to start now that the band is here.”

  “Don’t break any glasses. Glasses are to be used to drink from, not to be tossed in the air.”

  “Don’t worry.” Jax stood up and patted his brother on the back. “The best part of breaking glasses is that you can buy new ones. Anyway, duty calls.” He started to walk away, then turned after a few steps. “Hendrix, set up the helicopter ride for the four of us in a couple of days.”

  “Why in a couple of days?”

  “I can’t go tomorrow.”

  “Who says you’re invited?”

  “Rachel wants me there. She’s going to need me if she gets air sick.”

  I flashed my eyes at Jax, surprised by his words, and kept my smile at bay when he winked at me then headed to the bar, turning ladies’ heads on his way.

  “He never listens.” Hendrix shrugged his shoulders. “Ladies, you’re good to meet on Wednesday? I’ll set everything up.”

  “Sure,” Stacey said excitedly. She looked at me with begging eyes.

  I arched my brows and started eating my unfinished salad. “Why not?” I grumbled.

  Chapter 4

  Rachel

  “Stop taking pictures,” Stacey ordered, tugging me away.

  I ignored her as I continued to take pictures with my camera. Having such a breathtaking view, I couldn’t help myself. I had to take pictures of the ocean that sparkled like crystals shimmering along the waves, and the puffy white clouds that decorated the sky like swirls of whipped cream, allowing the sun to peek through.

  “Okay. I’m done.” I carefully covered the lens and continued to walk along with Stacey. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

  “I want shaved snow. Hendrix told me this place was pretty famous for their shaved snow, and right next door is pretty well known for their ice cream.”

  “Lapperts?”

  “Yes. Let’s have shaved snow today and ice cream tomorrow.”

  “Sure. I’m up for anything.” I had never seen Stacey speed walk like this before.“Here it is.” A frown crossed her face. “The line is too long. See, I told you it’s famous.”

  “You want to come back later? We just finished lunch.”

  “Hendrix said the line is long all the time. Let’s just stay, please?” she pouted.

  “We don’t have anything else to do. That’s fine.”

  “Thanks.” Stacey gave a grateful smile.

  While we stood in line, I started taking pictures again. “Look. They’re selling fresh fruit. Let’s go get some later.”

  “Okay,” Stacey agreed, but she was too busy looking at the list of flavors. I already knew which one I wanted. Strawberry had never failed me before, so that was what I was going to order.

  Given this opportunity, I took pictures of the fruit: mangos, papayas, pineapples, and lychees. The massive camera I’d gotten from Matthew and Becky for Christmas came in handy when wanting to take pictures from a distance. I
also took some of the surrounding shops and people’s backs, since I didn’t think they would appreciate me taking pictures of them without their permission.

  When I turned my lens as far as I could, it brought me to a restaurant we had passed on the way. It was a little blurry at first, so I focused on a couple only because the guy looked familiar and…Jax? He was sitting on a bench with one arm resting on the top. He looked so dashingly handsome in his white, short-sleeved button down shirt that it was hard to look away. I didn’t know what it was with white linen shirts, but on guys toned like Jax, they did funny things to my sex drive.

  What I was doing was an invasion of privacy, but I couldn’t look away. I was so curious about who that girl was. Her back was toward me, so I couldn’t see her face, only her long, blonde hair and the sundress she was wearing. Was she the reason why he was too busy today? And why did I even care?

  Spying on Jax flashing his dimples shot tingles through me, but at the same time I felt a little tinge of jealousy when his hand caressed her face. This made me conclude two things: either he was cheating on her with other women—because the way he’d flirted with me surely indicated he was interested—or he was a big player. Either way, my conclusion was not good.

  “What are you doing?” Stacey asked.

  Click! I jerked back.

  Shit! I accidently took a picture of Jax and the girl. I instantly dropped my camera to my chest because Stacey had stopped me from being a “peeping Tom”…and Jax had chosen that moment to look straight at the camera. At least I thought he did. Either way, I didn’t want both of them knowing what I was doing. Thank goodness for the strap that was around my neck, or I might have dropped my camera. It was heavy enough; that thing would have shattered into pieces.

  “Hum. Nothing. Just checking my view. I mean….” Heat suffused my face, and I felt guilty. However, knowing Stacey had no idea what I was doing, I diverted the attention to the man walking out of the store. “Look,” I pointed to the rainbow-colored shaved snow, “that’s huge. Want to share?”

  “You might not want to share after you get a taste.” Stacey fanned her face with her hand. “It’s so humid here. I can’t wait to cool down.”

  “What time are you meeting Hendrix for dinner?”

  “You mean what time are we meeting Hendrix for dinner.”

  “You should go without me.”

  “I’m not going to leave you alone.”

  Finally stepping into the store, we both let out a sigh of relief. It felt like I’d walked inside a fridge. Soon enough, it was our turn.

  “What can I get you ladies?” a guy asked, smiling.

  Stacey looked at me, letting me know she would order for us. “We’re both having the shaved snow. One with just strawberry and one with mango, strawberry, and passion fruit.” After she ordered, she handed the guy twenty bucks. “My treat.”

  I wasn’t going to argue. I would return the favor next time. “Thanks.”

  A few minutes later, I had to laugh as we walked out of the store. “This tastes so good. It melts in my mouth. You’re right, I’m so glad I’m not sharing with you.”

  “Told you,” Stacey smirked playfully, taking a big bite.

  “This way.” I tipped my head to the side. “I’ll buy us fruit.”

  In the middle of the outdoor shopping plaza, local vendors set up their displays on individual tables. Various items were sold from table to table. It reminded me of a farmers’ market.

  “Look at the mangos and pineapples.” My eyes grew wide and my mouth watered. I could already taste them.

  “You were always the fruit lover. I’ll hold your shaved snow for you.”

  “Thanks.” Passing it over to Stacey, I picked some fruit and handed them to the lady. I’d just opened my purse to take out my wallet when I saw a shadow and a body next to mine. Even without looking, I knew it was Jax. It had to be. He added extra heat to my body, the kind that made me feel like I suddenly had no brain, the kind no one had ever made me feel before. Instead of turning, I pretended to not notice and continued what I was doing. “How much would that be?”

  “I’m paying for these,” I heard a deep voice state, and saw his arm reach over.

  “No, I got it.” Unfortunately, it was too late; the lady had already taken Jax’s money. When I turned to him, my eyes were level with his sexy Adam’s apple. Shifting my eyes upward, I saw that stubble I wanted to run my hands over, and peering just a bit higher, his luscious kissable lips held a huge grin. Already standing so close, I thought of how I could accidently trip so I could touch him. Finally meeting his eyes, I squinted from the sun that shone right above his head. “You shouldn’t have paid for it.”

  “I did. So now you owe me dinner.” He took the change from the lady. “Thank you,” he said to her with a serene smile. She gave him one right back, a huge one. She hadn’t smiled at me like that. “You didn’t buy any passion fruit. Have you ever tried those?” Jax picked up two and handed them to the lady. She put them in the plastic bag along with the other fruit and handed the bag to Jax.

  “No. I didn’t even know what they were called.”

  Jax leaned over and whispered hotly in my ear, “People say that it increases your sex drive. Let me know when you want to test that theory.”

  Shit! I blushed again. “My sex drive is well intact and heightened. It just needs to find the right person to stimulate it.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that, but I only wanted to get him back. I should have asked if he had tested that theory with the blonde he was with, but decided that it would have been a bad idea. He would think that I was spying on him. My fault this time for making my face turn red. And where the heck was Stacey? I turned to her to divert our conversation, but she was nowhere to be found.

  “Would you like for me to hold your camera for you? That looks heavy. It’s hard to miss, even from a distance.”

  I froze from his comment and glanced down at my camera. I didn’t want him to see guilt written on my face. “I’m fine, thank you.”

  “Did you take any good pictures today?”

  “Nope,” I gulped. Oh crap! He knew it was me? Now I really needed to find Stacey.

  “Cameras can be very deceiving. You can’t get the whole picture from just one shot.”

  “So true. I get what you’re saying. Have you seen Stacey?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Hi, Jax,” I heard Stacey call out. She was sitting on a bench in the shade and eating her shaved snow while watching us.

  Jax placed his hand behind my back to lead me to her. “Stacey. Two shaved snows?” Jax chuckled.

  “No,” she giggled. “One belongs to Rachael.”

  “Thanks for holding mine.” I took it from Stacey. “And, by the way, Jax bought the fruit for us. So we owe him dinner.” I wanted to stress that he bought the fruit for Stacey and me; I didn’t owe him anything.

  Chapter 5

  Rachel

  “I hope I didn’t force you to come. You don’t have to on go the helicopter ride if you don’t want to,” Stacey said, parking the car.

  “If I get air sick, I’ll make sure to throw up on you.” I closed the door behind me after getting out of the passenger’s side.

  “You’re too funny.” Stacey’s words got lost in the huge wind that whipped by, causing my hair and skirt to lift.

  “You made it.” Hendrix gave us hugs and opened the door.

  I sighed with relief from the cool air in the large, spacious room. On one side was a mini store filled with T-shirts, caps, and even teddy bears; the other side had a large flat screen. In the center was Jax, paying. He wore jean shorts and a blue tank that said Kauai on it, showing off his toned muscular arms and ink. And just like that, I froze. My heart mercilessly pounded faster just at the sight of him. I had to get a grip. How was I supposed to spend the day with him?

  “Rachel, you coming?” Stacey asked.

  At that exact moment, Jax turned and curled his lips into an irresistible smile, and
shoved his wallet inside of his back pocket. Why did that action alone seem incredibly hot to me?

  “Rachel.” Jax started to strut toward me. His steps were graceful and smooth as he approached, looking like a runway model coming for me. Then he surprised the hell out of me by embracing me, then letting me go.

  I couldn’t remember if I hugged him back, but what I did remember was how good he smelled, like the crisp ocean breeze. “Hi.” I flashed him a quick smile.

  “Hey, Jax,” Stacey greeted and turned to me. “We need to put our purses in the locker, but you can take your camera.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I followed her, then Jax and Hendrix led the way to where the flat screen was located. Seeing people already seated, the four of us sat in the front.

  A man appeared in the center. “Hi, and welcome to Blue Helicopter. My name is Dan. I’m going to give you some instructions after you watch the safety video. If you need to use the restroom, I suggest you do so now.”

  The show lasted about ten minutes, going over the safety rules. As soon as it was over, Dan came to the center again from around the corner. “When I call your name, please put this on as instructed in the video.” He picked up the floating device. “Make sure it’s tight, but not too tight. Group one is Hendrix, Stacey, Jax, and Rachel. Hendrix, you’re one. Stacey, you’re two, Jax, you’re three. Rachel, you’re four. Your pilot’s name is Michael. Head on out to the safety zone and stand on your number.”

  The brisk wind pushed us back as we exited the door. Surprisingly, Jax placed his arms around my shoulder, helping me get to my spot, and Hendrix did the same for Stacey. One thing for sure, these men knew how to treat a woman; such gentlemen in every way.

  “One.” The man pointed at Hendrix. In the video we were instructed to go one-by-one. After Hendrix sat in the front and was belted in, he pointed to Stacey. “Two.” Stacey smiled and waved at me. She sat in the front with Hendrix. “Three.” The man pointed to Jax.