Island Conquest

by Brooke Hastings

  Daniel lifted his mouth. "Lani?" he whispered.

  "Please, Daniel," she pleaded, almost in tears. "Don't torment me…"

  He lowered his head again, and now there was no more teasing—only compelling movements of his hands and body that brought shudders of fulfillment to both of them.

  Afterward, Lani lay on the bed, emotionally exhausted, and watched as Daniel walked into the other room, returning with an ash tray and lit cigarette. She was deeply distressed by the way he had made love to her. What had been the point of it? Her total humiliation? Her abject surrender?

  He lay back down on the bed and said conversationally, "I gave up smoking years ago, but I still crave one of these after making love." He kissed her lightly on the mouth. "I have the feeling this honeymoon is going to be very hard on my lungs."

  Then, aware that she hadn't even smiled at the joke, he asked in a concerned voice, "What's the matter, darling?"

  When she was silent, he coaxed, "C'mon, Lani. I know I didn't hurt you. I thought you enjoyed that. Please tell me what's wrong."

  "It's just… the way you… why did you do that?" she stammered, tears streaking down her face. "Why did you have to make me feel so… so helpless?"

  Daniel stubbed out his cigarette and gathered her into his arms. "Hey, don't cry, princess. I never meant to upset you. I just wanted to please you." He drew slightly away so he could look into her eyes, and smiled—a crooked, sheepish little grin. "Okay, that's not entirely true. I admit I wanted to impress you with my skill as a lover. My ego was involved—I wanted to arouse you so completely that you'd forget any other guy who ever touched you. But try to understand… I've fantasized about this moment for nearly seven years, Lani. I wanted it to be… fantastic."

  Lani stared up at him, not knowing what to say. Finally she whispered, "And was it?"

  "For me, yes. Because when you add deep love to intense physical attraction, you…"

  "What did you say?" Lani interrupted instantly. Was Daniel finally telling her what she longed to hear?

  "I said, 'When you add deep love…'" He paused, then grinned down at her, "You think I haven't told you that, huh? Except I have, a hundred different times over the last six years, by trying to help you, to spare you pain, and even by my jealousy. But you refused to see it." His voice dropped in pitch and became more tender. "If you were more experienced, you would know that a man doesn't make love like that to humiliate a woman or dominate her. I wanted to give you as much pleasure as I could, partly because it was exciting for me, but mostly because I love you."

  He pulled her back into his arms, and Lani willingly snuggled closer. "And to think I almost ran out on you," she mused.

  "You what?"

  "I did. I didn't understand why you wanted to marry me. I thought it was lust, or concern for my reputation, or unrequited love for Michi." She felt a rumble of laughter against her chest. "Well, I did. And I ended up in tears in Michi's office, and she told me… well… everything."

  "Did she?" he demanded. "Did she tell you that you've been driving me crazy ever since you were fifteen? When I saw you in June you were still a kid. By August I couldn't keep my eyes off you. I was appalled at myself—and half-insane from your constant teasing. I knew the last thing in the world I should do was go off in the car with you, but I couldn't stop myself, any more than I could help kissing you. The only way I could rationalize it was to pretend that I was teaching you a lesson, but afterwards I knew I couldn't react that way to you and still marry Elizabeth. Then your mother died, and my father had a heart attack, and you were so brave… and strong, and caring… I fell head over heels, in spite of how young you were. There were times when I wanted to turn you over my knee for being so stubborn, and every time I saw you I had trouble keeping my hands off. I was jealous of every guy you dated, including my good friend Rob Bradley, who I could have cheerfully murdered the night I found you two together. Did Michi tell you all that?"

  "Not exactly," Lani admitted. "Just that you've been in love with me for years, and that you wanted to marry me when I was eighteen. But then," she added softly, "I've been keeping you at a distance, convincing myself that you were arrogant and brutal, manufacturing resentments against your family, and ranting on about your company, all because I didn't want to admit I felt the same way."

  Daniel leaned back against the pillows, gently pulling Lani down beside him. "Keep saying things like that and you'll be trapped in this hotel room for the next six days, princess. The only part of the Big Island you'll see is the view from our balcony, and our only contact with the outside world will be when I call room service for our meals… and more cigarettes!"

  "We could always come back," Lani giggled.

  But Daniel's attention was no longer on the conversation. He played with a lock of her hair, then ran his hand down her side to her hip. "I want to make love to you again," he murmured, his lips against her neck.

  Lani started to turn into his arms, then changed her mind. "No," she stated firmly. "Not now."

  "What do you mean, no?"

  "I mean N period, O period. No." She started to get up, only to be pulled back down. She pushed against Daniel's chest, trying to escape his hold, but he was having none of it. After a breathless tussle she found herself imprisoned by his body, her arms captured above her head.

  "You're going to pay for that bit of rebelliousness, Mrs. Reid," Daniel threatened.

  When Lani made no reply, he bent his head and kissed her, a bruisingly passionate exploration of her mouth that left her hungry for more. When he lifted his head and saw the desire in her eyes, his expression became quite objectionably complacent.

  "I want you, and I'm going to have you. You understand that, princess?"

  "Yes, Daniel," Lani answered meekly.

  "Are you going to fight me?"

  "No, Daniel." She paused for just a minute, then added poutingly, "But I'm not going to beg. Not ever again."

  "Is that supposed to be a challenge, Mrs. Reid?" he drawled.

  "Yes, Daniel." Lani smiled, and proceeded to let him prove her a liar.