Pure Satisfaction--A Hot Holiday Romance

by Rebecca Hunter

  She gave him her sunniest of smiles. “Of course it is.”

  Adrian sighed. She wasn’t going to drop this. “That guy we passed was leering at you.”

  “I didn’t notice.”

  “Doesn’t it bother you? He was probably in his fifties.”

  Ruby chuckled. “Maybe I like older men.”

  He scowled, but that only made her laugh harder.

  “Seriously, you think I should care about some married dude who can’t keep his eyes to himself? That’s not my problem.” She shrugged.

  Fantastic. She didn’t care. It was bad enough in the office, when he’d barked at Raj to keep his eyes to himself. Now it wasn’t even his business.

  She tipped her head to the side, like she was considering it further. “I guess it’s a little depressing to think about, generally. It doesn’t speak highly of marriage.”

  “You’re not a fan of marriage?”

  “Not true. I’d like to get married after my thirtieth birthday.”

  He blinked down at her. “What?”

  “That’s my plan. It’s not very interesting.”

  “Humor me.”

  She sighed. “When I moved to New York, I made a pact with my mother that I’d be selfish until I turned thirty. You know, do all the things I want, follow my dreams, et cetera. Then, after I turn thirty, I’d do things that take a lot of compromise, like relationships and family.”

  Why would anyone make a pact like this? And what the hell kind of plan was that? Did she think getting married was something you just decided to do, like joining a gym or choosing a restaurant? It was ridiculous. If it worked that way, he’d be married, with a couple of kids and living in the suburbs.

  But his irritation was mixed with a twinge of disappointment that settled in his stomach, which only irritated him more. Ruby Bisset was the opposite of what he was looking for. Her view on relationships had absolutely nothing to do with him. Why it bothered him... Well, he didn’t want to even think about it.

  “Interesting,” he muttered.

  “That was very diplomatic of you, Adrian. I can see that frown of yours.”

  He suppressed a smile. He wasn’t the only one paying close attention. “And what are you doing with all this follow-your-dreams time?”

  She shrugged. “Have fun. Travel. Live for the moment. All those clichés.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Seriously, I’ve been exploring photography. Techniques, but also why we take photographs. I mean, these days, we can find incredible professional photographs on the internet of just about everything. So why do people still come to New York and take photos of the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty? Not to get a better photo. I want to explore that.”

  He thought about her question. Actually, it was a good one, an interesting one.

  “And then you have people on social media taking amazing, professional-quality photos of everyday things, like books or coffee, making that kind of everyday, mundane reality extra special. I want to explore the why behind that, too.”

  “I see.” He thought about those ideas. “That’s interesting. Really interesting.”

  “Even though it’s about social media?” she teased.

  He gave her a look that was probably lost behind his sunglasses.

  The path split, and they took the turn toward the water. Ruby slowed as they passed a couple lounging in an outdoor canopy bed, the long white curtains half drawn. A Kalani staff member was serving them drinks on a tray decorated with the same red flowers on Ruby and Adrian’s dinner table the night before.

  Adrian checked his watch. Two minutes.

  “You ever been somewhere like this?” she asked.

  He looked at his watch again, but she didn’t take the hint. He sighed. “I’ve been to Hawaii but never to a resort like this.”

  “This is the kind of place I dreamed of when I was younger.”

  “Hawaii?”

  “Anywhere with palm trees. Not many of those in Ohio.” She smiled up at him, and some of his tension about being late faded. “I’d look at photos of places like this, wondering what it would be like to be there.”

  He blinked down at her as she watched the couple talk and laugh with the server, little snippets of their conversation floating toward them in the breeze. She wanted this. He, on the other hand, had the money to come to places like this, but he found no joy in traveling alone.

  “Someday I’ll come back, for real,” she said quietly.

  There was so much longing in her voice that he had the strange urge to promise her it would happen. He squashed that thought and tipped his chin in the direction of the docks just down the hill. “Ready?”

  Ruby nodded, and they continued along the path toward the water. A private boat was waiting for them, tied to the longest dock. It was a large speedboat, with white seats and a sun canopy over a portion of it. As they approached, a man wearing a captain’s hat stuck out his hand.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Santos? I’m Kiran, your guide.”

  Mr. and Mrs. The words sent a zing through him. Santos wasn’t his name, and Ruby was so very far from his wife, but still there was a rush of satisfaction in that moment.

  Adrian blinked, reality coming back into focus. Damn. Maybe Ruby was right—some sort of nickname was a good idea. It was definitely better than hearing Mr. and Mrs. all day. He glanced over at Ruby, who was giving her sunny smile to their guides. Adrian suppressed a frown. He had to work so hard to get real smiles from her, and they mostly came when she was laughing at him. Why did the rest of the world get them so easily?

  “This is Dan, my assistant,” Kiran said, gesturing to the man who was lifting bags and boxes from the dock and loading them into the boat. Dan smiled and took their bags. Kiran handed them each a map.

  “We’re going to drive down the west coast of the island and stop in a few areas that are particularly good for viewing marine life,” he said, tracing the route on Ruby’s map. “It’ll take us over an hour to get to our first spot, and then we’ll work our way home.”

  Ah, viewing marine life. That was what they were doing here.

  Dan handed them life jackets and helped them into the boat. He pointed to a white, L-shaped bench. “If you want to stay out of the wind and sun, this is a good spot.”

  “Thanks,” Ruby said, settling onto the bench.

  Adrian’s steps slowed, and his body went on high alert. For the next hour, he was going to sit next to Ruby, who was wearing an almost nonexistent bikini and see-through cover-up. While pretending to be her husband. Somehow, he hadn’t seen this coming. How the hell was he going to keep his distance?

  She brushed her long, dark hair over her shoulder, seemingly oblivious to his struggle.

  Three years of shutting her off at work told him that he was capable of doing just about anything if he forced himself to. He swallowed, thinking about yesterday. She’d pushed him a little and most of his self-control faded. What would it take to shred the last of it? He swallowed. Hopefully he wouldn’t find out.

  Adrian headed for the bench where Ruby was seated and sat down, leaving room for a whole separate person to fit between them. He leaned back, trying to look more easygoing, which was a stretch even on his best days.

  Ruby slid over on the bench until she was right next to him. She gave him a cheery smile. “Hello, husband.”

  He shifted, trying to put a little distance between them.

  “You’re not supposed to be scared of your wife,” she said, just over the buzz of the motor. “You’re supposed to be charmed by me.”

  “I’m completely charmed. Can’t you tell, darling?”

  She laughed, which put him a little more at ease. The boat sped up, and she lay her hand high on his thigh to steady herself. His cock jumped to life, and a groan slipped out, covered by the hum of the moto
r. It was beautiful torture, and if she didn’t move her hand soon, he was going to have a full hard-on right here for the boat crew to see.

  “Sorry,” she said, not sounding very sorry as she moved her hand away.

  They raced along the coast, the wind blowing around the side of the canopy, with Hawaii on one side and the volcano of Maui rising up in the mist on the other side.

  Ruby pulled her phone out from her handbag and captured a few shots of the water and the mainland. She switched over to selfie mode, getting photos of her hair or her shoulder with the scenery in the background. He stayed close as she switched seats, making sure she didn’t fall as the boat bounced over the waves.

  “What does this function do?” he asked, pointing to an icon she hadn’t used.

  “It’s filters for selfies. I’ll show you.” She held up the camera so he was in the frame, too, and just as he opened his mouth to protest, she said, “Smile,” and took a picture.

  “Not cool,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Should I have let you fix your hair first?”

  His grumbling response was completely lost in the noise of the motor.

  The image of the two of them came up on her phone again. Ruby looked so happy with her carefree smile. His mouth was parted a little but...was that a smile, too?

  “Perfect.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “That wasn’t so painful, right?”

  Before he could think of an answer, she turned away to slip her phone into her bag. Then she pulled out her own camera and started taking photos of things he wouldn’t have expected, like the spray of the water coming off the boat and the pattern of the clouds. He watched her work, trying to keep up with what she was doing as she adjusted aperture and speed settings. After a few quiet minutes, she seemed to notice his interest.

  “Just watching,” he said, nodding to the screen of her camera. “I wouldn’t have thought to take any of those pictures, but they really capture the feel of being here, on the boat. Impressive.”

  She met his gaze from over her sunglasses. “I could have given you some photography tips...if you’d agreed to my social media training.”

  Of course, she had to bring that up.

  He swiped a hand over his mouth, trying not to smile, but it was impossible to hold back. “Fine. You were right. I shouldn’t have turned it down without knowing anything about it.”

  “I forgive you. But I reserve the right to gloat, too.”

  She put her camera back into her bag and tucked her legs under her, watching the landscape. He had the urge to pull her onto his lap and tease her back, giving her a little of the sweet torment that had dogged him all morning. Maybe put his hands high on her thighs, just to see how she’d react. She was so close...and this was so not a good idea. He had to remember that last part.

  The drier landscape of the north shifted to the greener hills of the south as they rode past beaches and inlets. The boat slowed as they turned in toward a cove, just beyond one of the tall coastal hills. As they puttered along, Dan took a seat on the other stretch of the L-shaped bench. He smiled at both of them, but Adrian could have sworn that the guy’s gaze lingered a little longer on Ruby than necessary.

  Adrian put his arm along the back rest, behind Ruby, hoping his point was clear.

  “Is this your first time out on the Pacific?” Dan asked.

  Ruby glanced at Adrian, looking for help. When was the last time James had been to Hawaii?

  “It’s, uh, been a while,” Adrian hedged.

  “Are you from the island?” Ruby asked.

  Dan shook his head. “Southern California. But I’ve been here for almost five years now.”

  Ruby took over the conversation, deflecting anything that was remotely personal and steering it back to Dan. The guy was young, probably about Ruby’s age, with a deep suntan, an overgrown haircut, and the kind of laid-back attitude that would be trampled all over in New York. But here in Hawaii, he looked completely at ease, like there was nothing else on his mind besides the day ahead of them.

  In other words, Adrian’s polar opposite. The only thing he had in common with this guy was their mutual attention on Ruby. And now that Adrian had noticed, he couldn’t unsee it. He watched Dan closely, looking for hints that behind his sunglasses, Dan’s gaze wasn’t staying on her face.

  If Ruby was here on her own chosen vacation instead of being locked up with Adrian, was this the kind of man she would have flirted with? Adrian watched as their conversation flowed easily back and forth. It was a skill Adrian had long given up on mastering. Then again, it didn’t matter. Even if she would have chosen someone younger and more fun, Adrian was the one playing her husband. And he was the one who had made her come last night. Even if he shouldn’t have.

  “This little bay has everything,” Dan said, pointing out toward the shore. “It’s a beautiful spot for just about any water activities.”

  Ruby turned to look, and Adrian caught the guy’s head dip down, in the direction of her bare thighs. Adrian gritted his teeth, battling the strong urge to show this young frat dude that this was his wife. Well, she was his fake wife, but right now, it didn’t matter.

  Adrian lifted his arm from behind the seat and rested his hand high on Ruby’s thigh. She turned to look at him. Her sunglasses made it impossible to read her expression, but a smile teased at her lips, so he bent down and brushed his mouth against hers. Goddamn, he’d been aching to kiss her all day, and it felt too good to stop. Soft lips, the electric spark jumping between them, and the scent of coconut everywhere. Oh, how he wanted this woman. Adrian could feel his resolve to keep his pants zipped waver, but he could worry about that later. Right now, he didn’t care.

  She paused, pulled back, and her smile grew. Then she came in for another kiss, this one so far from soft. She opened her mouth and sucked on his bottom lip, and the sensation went straight to his cock. His fingers tightened around her thigh, and her breath hitched.

  Oh, yes. Why the hell had he thought he could sit next to this woman for an entire day without touching her? Not after last night, and definitely not when some dude sized her up.

  Ruby licked her lips and backed away, her breath uneven. Adrian glanced over at Dan, who clearly hadn’t missed a thing. Adrian bit back a smile. Message received.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  AFTER THE KISS, Adrian was the perfect fake husband. The Adrian version of perfect, at least, which she had to admit she liked a lot. It had taken her a bit to put together what had caused the sudden shift, especially considering the way he’d barely spoken to her this morning. But when she caught Adrian looking at Dan with smug satisfaction, she’d almost laughed aloud. For a man so insistent on appropriate behavior, that kiss was beautifully hungry and unrestrained.

  She wasn’t even convinced that Dan had been flirting with her—though she’d been known to misjudge men’s intentions in the past—but clearly, that was Adrian’s interpretation. Now Adrian was actually playing a convincingly hot, possessive, fake husband. She had to admit it was fun.

  Kiran steered the boat into a cove and moored just outside the reef. The rest of the cove was lined with black lava. One side of it looked like a park, with white sand, a smattering of palm trees and buildings with thatched roofs. Most of the rest of the land around the cove was a lush tangle of tropical plants and trees, but the road was visible, with cars parked along it. People were scattered along the black rocks and on the beach with fold-up lounge chairs and coolers. It was a far cry from the luxury setting of the Kalani, and she couldn’t wait to explore it.

  “That area, just beyond the black rocks, where everyone is sitting,” Dan said. “That’s one of the best snorkeling spots on the island.” Bright snorkels poked out of the water in clumps where he was pointing.

  “Sea turtles live just inside that part of the cove,” he said, gesturing to one side, “and there’s a pod of dolphins that drop
s in right beyond the reef. If we’re lucky, they’ll make an appearance.”

  Kiran finished tying off the anchor, then sat on the side of the speedboat. “We brought the small inflatable boat you requested, as well as the snorkeling masks and fins. Which would you like to start with?”

  “The boat,” she said quickly.

  “Snorkeling,” Adrian said at the same time.

  She looked over at him, and he sighed. “I guess it’s the boat.”

  Ruby smiled at him. Their fake marriage was coming along very well.

  She pulled off her cover-up while Kiran and Dan took out a small self-inflating boat from under the deck and brought it to full size. They lifted it into the water and tied it to the side of the speedboat.

  “Kiran will stay here,” Dan said as he fitted the oars into their sockets. “But we have another inflatable raft if you’d like a guide with you.”

  Before she could answer, Adrian jumped in. “We’ll be fine on our own.”

  Kiran nodded. “The turtles live in that area and swim through the channel. Just make sure to avoid the coral. Dan can come out and meet you for any reason.”

  Dan held the boat while they climbed in, first Adrian and then her. It was...intimate, and no matter how they adjusted, their legs were touching. Dan untied the boat and gave them a push toward mainland. “Just wave if you need anything.”

  “Yeah, right,” grumbled Adrian.

  He looked grumpy and uncomfortable in his life jacket, his legs shoved up against hers in the little dinghy. It was obviously well made, but Adrian was much too big for it, even by himself.

  “How the hell is this James and Cristina’s idea of a luxury vacation?” he added, grabbing the oars.

  “I think it’s romantic,” she said, smiling. “I’d like to find those sea turtles, sweetheart.”

  “Of course, darling,” he deadpanned. But she swore she caught a hint of a smile as he said it.

  Adrian had taken the rowing position, and he seemed to know what he was doing as he maneuvered the boat toward shore.