by Nella Tyler
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.
“What happened?” she mumbled as she tried to sit up. He helped her and pulled her to his chest.
“You tripped over a tree root. Do you not remember?” he asked worriedly.
She began to recall falling and hitting the ground. She winced and rubbed her aching thigh.
“I remember now. I didn’t see that dratted root,” she said in annoyance.
He stilled her hand to replace it with his own. He massaged her thigh tenderly.
“Better?”
She nodded.
“Yes. Thank you.”
“You were unconscious. We should have you checked out at the hospital,” he said anxiously.
“No. That’s not necessary. The fall knocked the air from my lungs. But I’m fine now,” she protested.
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?” He gingerly ran his fingers through her copper hair to feel her head.
She looked up at him.
“I didn’t. My hard head is okay,” she chuckled. “My thigh is little sore, but the pain will go away in a bit.”
His hand cupped her face.
“You do tend to be hard-headed,” he grinned.
She opened her mouth to retort and he covered it with his own. He kissed her slowly and tenderly. Then he drew back.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he whispered.
His kiss had completely swept her previously outraged thoughts from her mind.
“I’ll try not to,” she said instead.
He helped her up and scooped her into his strong arms.
“Oh no! I can walk,” she objected.
“I’ll put you down at the bottom of the hill. Until then, enjoy the ride.”
“If you say so,” she giggled as she looped her arm about his neck.
He kissed her temple and made his way down the hill.
Chapter Four
They all stood at the shore of the crystal-clear lake and stared in awe at Likeke Falls. Meg had never seen anything so beautiful. She leaned against Drake and watched as the water rushed over the rock to pool in the waiting lake.
“Drake! How about a swim? I will race you to the falls,” Noah said.
“I was a competitive swimmer in college. I’m too fast for you,” Drake said.
“I doubt it. I was on the 2012 Olympic swim team in London. I have a silver medal to prove it. Still think you’re faster than me?” Noah touted.
“Oh! It’s time to put your strokes where your mouth is,” Meg teased.
“Bring it!” Drake said. He looked down at Meg. “I’ll be back for my consolation prize.” He smiled ruefully.
“And what might that be?”
“A kiss from you.” He tweaked her nose then took off his shorts to reveal dark grey swim trunks. Kicking off his socks and shoes, he trotted into the water.
Kai treaded water at the side of the waterfall. They were to race out to circle him then back to where the girls waited on the shore. They waited for Kai to raise his arms then took off. Drake was a strong swimmer, and for the first leg of the race he
was a body length in front of Noah. Drake circled Kai first then Noah followed.
“I think Drake is actually going to beat Noah,” Meg said excitedly.
“Think again,” Beni exclaimed. “Noah is making his move.”
And indeed Noah was. He was gaining quickly on Drake, and within seconds had overtaken him with quick, strong strokes.
“He doesn’t seem big enough to have such powerful strokes,” Ashlee marveled.
“It’s his conditioning. Although he doesn’t swim competitively anymore, he still swims every day. He’s in great shape,” Beni said. “I doubt if he’s lost a second off his Olympic time.”
The two men were swimming toward them and Drake looked to be two lengths behind. Noah arrived at the shore to the cheers of the ladies. He bowed then turned to wait for Drake to arrive. Drake did so and was breathing heavily.
“Man! I can see how you made the Olympic team. You’re a beast,” Drake panted. “Great job!”
“You’re very good yourself. Did you ever try out for the Olympic team?” Noah asked.
Kai arrived at the shore and Ashlee moved to hug him.
Drake shook his head.
“I didn’t continue to swim when I left high school,” Drake said.
“Too bad. With some training, I bet you could have made the team. How old are you?’ Noah asked.
“Twenty-eight,” Drake answered.
Meg smiled. Drake was only three years older than she was. He was the perfect age.
“We would have been on the same team. How cool would that have been?” Noah smiled.
“Pretty cool,” Drake replied.
“Kai and I swim almost every morning. You should come with us,” Noah invited.
“I will,” Drake said.
“We’re going for a walk. Do you want to come?” Kai asked.
“No thanks. I think we will have a swim,” Drake answered.
“See you later then,” Kai said.
Kai and Noah grabbed the ladies’ hands and moved off with them. Drake moved to Meg’s side.
“Come out to the waterfall with me.”
Meg hesitated. She wasn’t a strong swimmer.
“I am far from a fish in water. I would only slow you down,” she demurred.
“It’s not a race and I’ll be right beside you,” Drake said softly. “I will take care of you.”
Meg sighed and relented. It wasn’t as though she couldn’t swim at all. She just wasn’t the best at it.
“All right.” She removed her clothes to reveal a blue, one-piece bathing suit with a skirt.
“I like. You’re sexy as hell,” he murmured.
Meg was unsure how to respond to that. He didn’t give her time to think about it. He caught her hand and guided her into the water. They began swimming leisurely toward the falls. There was an opening behind the falling water and Meg realized it was a shallow cave. They arrived at the fall and swam through the falling water. Meg’s feet easily touched the ground. She turned toward fall and stared through the cascading water. It made everything seem eerily distorted. Drake came up behind her and put his arms around her.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
“Only a penny? Surely they’re worth more,” she smiled.
“I’d give you whatever amount you want if you would share them with me.”
She leaned her head back against his broad chest.
“I wasn’t thinking anything of importance. I just noticed that everything looks disproportionate when seeing it through the water,” she responded.
“The trick of the water. It distorts objects to appear to be something they are not,” he remarked. “But this sheet of water also has a dual purpose.”
“What is that?”
“It provides the privacy that’s needed for me to kiss the daylights out of you,” he whispered.
He slid his hand around her neck to lift her face to his seeking mouth. Meg parted her lips and he deepened the kiss. She sighed contentedly as she enjoyed the expertise of his kiss. She could submit to his kisses anytime he wanted to give them. He ran his tongue over her upper then lower lip, which only incited her more. She turned to face him and looped her arms about his neck.
“You’re such a good kisser,” she murmured against his neck. “How did that happen?”
He chuckled.
“Lots of practice. But it came easily to me. I like kissing women.”
“I think I want to be the only woman with whom you practice,” she sassed.
“Really?”
She nodded.
“Umm hmm.”
“Well, that might require some negotiating.”
Meg laid her cheek against his shoulder as she pondered his words. There she goes again. Wandering into deep water that she wasn’t sure she could swim in. She had implied that she wanted him for her boyfriend. And of course he would want all that such an arrangement included. How was she going to unsay what she had said? It was too soon for that kind of a relationship. She wasn’t ready. Her heart was still too raw.
“Meg? What’s wrong?”
“I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth,” she mumbled.
“And sometimes I jump to conclusions. It’s all good. Don’t worry about it.”
“Is it?”
He gently lifted her head to face him.
“Yes, it is. Don’t beat yourself up for reacting to your feelings. I like kissing you as much as you like being kissed,” he said gently. “I quickly turned your words to my own advantage and I shouldn’t have. You want to take things slowly, and I’m good with that.”
“Are you really?”
“I swear I am. Please believe me, Meg.”
She smiled wanly.
“I believe you.”
He kissed her nose then captured her mouth for a tender kiss. Then he pulled back.
“We’d had better swim back before they think we’ve drowned.”
“All right. Although I do like our little haven.” She looked around and noticed what seemed like markings on the stone wall She moved to the wall to look closer. There were pictures of men, women, and children running.
“Drake. Come look.” He moved to stand beside her. “Look at this. These are pictures etched in the wall.”
“In ancient times, the Hawaiian people would communicate with drawings,” he responded.
“What do you think they are saying?”
“The figures look as though they are running.”
“From what?” she queried.
“That I don’t know. But what I find interesting is that the etching is not worn or faded. If the picture was drawn thousands of years ago, it should be hardly distinguishable,” he observed.
“It looks like it was drawn yesterday,” she said in awe.
“But who would do such a thing and why?”
“And who is the message for?” she asked
“A mystery.”
“I love mysteries,” she said excitedly. Meg would love nothing better than to unravel the secret.
He laughed at her eagerness.
“So do I. Shall we try to solve it? There will probably be a dull explanation to our inquiries. But it would be fun to find it.”
“Yes. I will be Watson to your Sherlock. But let’s keep it a secret until we discover more information,” she grinned.
He chuckled.
“All right, Watson. Let’s head back and start digging for clues.”
She clapped her hands in excited anticipation then stretched out in the water to swim through the fall. Drake swam close beside her. He smiled as he thought about their new adventure. It would keep him in her company that much more. And that was perfect for him. They didn’t notice Peleke standing on the rocks atop the waterfall them watching them across the lake. His marine-blue eyes were darkened and his face was drawn with worry.
*****
Meg sat in the living room of her suite and listen idly as Ashlee and Beni talked about the day. They were happy about meeting and spen
ding time with Kai and Noah and were excited to be having dinner with them. Meg chatted and laughed with them but remained quiet about her and Drake’s discovery in the cave. Although Meg shared everything with Ashlee and Beni, she preferred not to speak of it to them. She wanted to keep it between her and Drake a little longer. She liked sharing a secret with him and didn’t want anyone else included just yet. It gave her a special connection with him, which was something that she needed. She longed to feel closer to him and this secret helped to provided that feeling.
“Will you and Drake join us for dinner, Meg?” Ashlee asked.
“Not this time. Drake has some business to attend to and I’m rather tired. I think I will relax in the Jacuzzi for a while then turn in,” she replied.
“Are you sure? You have to eat and you could always make it an early evening,” Beni pressed.
“I’m sure. I will order in,” Meg said.
There was a knock on the door. Ashlee stood to answer it.
“Okay. If you’re sure,” Ashlee said as she moved to the door. She opened it. “Hi Kai. Hi Noah. Come in.”
The two men entered the suite and looked around.
“Nice,” Noah said
“I’ve been in the hotel but never inside a suite. It’s quite elegant, if a little dated,” Kai said.
“That what’s Meg says,” Beni responded as she moved to stand beside Noah. “I guess Drake has some work to do on the place.”
“I wondered if he has decided to buy and restore it,” Meg commented. “It will be interesting to hear his assessment.”
“It’s would be a good investment if he does buy it. I’m willing to take on the electrical and plumbing contract if he does,” Noah said.
“I’ll let him know when I see him,” Meg said.
“Are you guys not coming with us?” Kai asked.
“Not tonight. Drake is working and I’m a bit tired. I intend to read a book in the hot tub then go to bed,” Meg explained.
“If you’re sure,” Noah said.
“She is,” Beni grumbled. “We just had this conversation. She refuses to change her mind.”
Meg laughed.
“Have fun, guys.”
“We will,” Ashlee grinned.
The two couples left the room and all was quiet. Meg called for room service then went into her bedroom to change into a bikini. She was too shy to wear them in public, but their suite had a private hot tub on the large patio. It was one of the perks for having a room on the first floor. She put on a yellow/gold halter-top suit. It was the perfect color foil for her hair. Too bad she wasn’t bold enough to wear it in public; it was stunning on her. She grabbed a white robe and went into the living room. She picked up a magazine and sat on the sofa to wait for her pork rib dinner. She was reading an article about dolphins when a knock sounded on the door. Thinking it was room service, she hurried to the door and opened it without looking through the peephole.
