Me And Mr. I.T. (Kupid's Cove Book 2) (17 page)

I held her hands in my lap and tried to give her a reassuring smile. “Something tells me I don’t know the whole story about your childhood. Cleft lip is very common, and now they have plenty of surgeons who can repair it here on the island.”

“If that was all I had to worry about, life would be simple, but it’s not. When you put everything I have together it makes a syndrome and they aren’t completely sure if it’s genetic or not, but if it is, I don’t want my child to go through what I have.”

I held her face and kissed her again lovingly, before leaning back. “So there’s more to this than what I can see?”

“You would see it if I didn’t camouflage it the way I do. The port wine stain is always covered with spray tan and then a layer of foundation.”

“Because it’s red?” I asked and she shook her head.

“It’s not red anymore. I had laser treatments as a child, at least on my face, but it left the skin a very dark brown. Since it covers most of my cheek and eye on the right side, I try to even my skin out with the tan. It keeps people from staring so much.”

I held my finger up and got off the bed, jogging to the bathroom where I ran the water until it was warm. I took a washrag off the shelf and wet it, grabbing a dry towel on the way back out. When I got back to the bed, she had a peculiar look on her face, until she saw the towels in my hand. She crawled backward a few paces.

“Maltrand, no,” she whispered, but I didn’t let it deter me.

I climbed up on the bed and brought my lips to hers. While I kissed her, I washed the makeup from her face tenderly. I could feel her lips trembling as I kissed her. I held her chin and continued to clean her face. She kept her eyes closed and I watched her neck bob with the difficulty she had swallowing. She was holding her breath, waiting for my reaction to what I would see under the makeup she had so artfully applied.

“There comes a time in everyone’s life, Ellie,” I whispered, “when you have to be yourself and forget about what everyone else thinks.” She was about to open her mouth to speak, but I held my finger against her lips. “I know that your job requires you to put your best face forward, but at night, when you’re home in your own space, you shouldn’t have to hide. How does your soul have time to breathe when it’s always being suffocated and hidden?”

I dried her face and in the low light of the small lamp on the bed stand, it was hard to tell much difference in the skin. I ran my thumb across her cheek, and that was where I felt the ridge of what must have been the birthmark. I scooted closer and kissed her cheek all the way to her eye and back to her lips. I felt the wetness of the tear that escaped and wiped it away with my thumb as I made love to her lips. “You’re so beautiful, Ellie.”

She was trembling, but when she put her arms around me I wrapped her in mine and held her tightly, knowing there was more to come. She felt like a ball of tension in my arms, but there would be no way for her to relax until I knew everything.

I turned my head and kissed her cheek. “You said, at least on your face; does that mean you have another?” I asked.

I let her go and immediately noticed her hand rubbing her leg. I thought back to all the times I’ve seen her limping and I sucked in a breath. “You have one on your leg, too.” She brought her knees up and hugged her legs, avoiding my eyes with hers. “That day in the office when I barely bumped you and you fell over. The way you walk with a limp when you’re tired or been on your feet for a long time. Am I right?”

“I don’t think I can hide it much longer anyway so you might as well know about it,” she said softly, but sarcastically.

“Why have you been trying to hide it, sweetheart? I’ve told you I don’t even see those things when I look at you. All I see is how beautiful you are.”

She shook her head. “You won’t think this is so beautiful. I’ve had the veins treated periodically when they become painful, but I can’t prevent the changes in the limb.”

“It’s painful?” I asked, rubbing her good leg through her pants.

“Sometimes, if I don’t wear my stocking, or I’m on it too long” she said pausing.

“And when you walk in sand or fall down?”

She seemed frustrated with what she wanted to say, but finally spoke. “My right leg is growing by the day. I wear a compression stocking to keep the blood flowing correctly through the veins, but the tissue and bone grows from the excessive amount of blood to the area. It’s why I wear long dresses and skirts. It distracts the eye from my legs.”

I scooted to her and opened my legs until she was between my thighs, one leg on each side of me. She had no choice but to put her legs over mine until we were chest to chest.

I rubbed her arm up and down, letting the tension build between us as I gauged the reaction to the way I touched her. “Will you trust me enough to show me your leg?”

She leaned in, resting her forehead on my chest. “Honestly, I would rather you make love to me first.”

“Why?” I asked, hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head.

“If you make love to me first, at least I’ll have that experience with you before all of this,” she said, motioning around the room, “disappears.”

“Because once I see it, I’ll leave?”

“Yeah, it’s a very real possibility. That night you brought me home when I was drunk?” she asked and I whispered, “Yes”. “He was just another long line of guys who saw me for who I really was and left. It started with Bain. He broke my heart and after a year and a half, the memory of him walking out the door after he saw my leg is still so vivid in my mind, it hurts. I don’t love him anymore, but my heart can’t take watching you do the same thing.”

“I’m not Bain, or Mark, or any of those other guys.”

“I know that, but-”

I stopped the words with my lips and after a languishing kiss, I whispered against her lips again, “I’m not Bain.”

She laughed a little. “No, no you aren’t. You’re Mr. I.T., my Mr. I.T., but you have to understand why I feel this way, right?”

I slid my hand under her pant leg and she stiffened immediately. “I do understand why you feel as though I’ll leave, but you have to have faith that I won’t. Right now, in this moment, you’re doing something that will open your world up to love. It’s scary, it’s paralyzing, and you’re fighting against it for all your worth because that’s all you know how to do. Let me teach you how a real man will love you.”

She lifted her head and looked up into my eyes. Whatever she saw there was enough, because she raised her right pajama pant leg and hooked a finger in her compression nylon. She pulled it down and off and I got my first look at what was keeping her from living.

I turned and laid her leg across both of mine, running my hands up it gently. She was right, the leg was almost twice the size of her left. It was red, had large veins running through it, and looked as painful as anything I’ve ever seen. I ran my hand up and down it, feeling the bumps of the veins and the way the birthmark stood off the skin in a claylike manner.

“Am I hurting you?” I asked, grasping the arch of her foot in my hand.

All she could do was shake her head no, her eyes closed against the onslaught of whatever she thought I was going to say or do.

“I wish I could make this go away for you. I’m sure you felt the same way when you saw Hope the other day,” I said, rubbing the top of her foot.

She finally opened her eyes when I didn’t take my hands off the leg she thought was so hideous it should never see the light of day. “I always wondered why I had to have Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome. All my life I’ve wondered why I had it, why I was abandoned, why I wasn’t good enough for my mother.”

She took a shaky breath and I took her face in my hands, kissing her softly. “You are more than good enough, Ellie. You’re magnificent. Your birth mother was scared, probably single and poor, and she knew she couldn’t take care of you. But God didn’t let you die. He brought the woman who would love you forever to your side.”

She nodded. “When I’m not frustrated by the things I deal with, I know that, but I still wonder why. I think that’s a normal part about being human. Then this chain reaction of events happened and I ended up in an ER on an island I don’t live on and run into another little girl, abandoned by her mother for the same reason. As I held her, I wondered if that one moment in time was the reason I was born. Do you think all of this, this whole thing we call life, can be narrowed down into such a short encounter?”

I stroked her face, the sweetness of her words bringing tears to my eyes. “I believe that with all my heart. I believe I was supposed to be sitting at the curb a year ago when Gideon needed me, because that short moment in time led me to this bed, in this hotel. While I was there for a short encounter to help Katie, I think the true moment of my life was to sit here and tell you I don’t care about your leg, your eye, your lip or any other superficial part of you. I love you, all of you, end of story. Do I hate that you have to be in pain and fear ridicule for something beyond your control? With all my heart I hate that, but I hope by loving you more and more each day, you’ll come to see that you can have the life you want.”

I picked up the stocking that lay discarded on the bed and gathered it in my hand, the material stiff enough for me to have to struggle to get it up past her ankle. I brought the stocking up to her thigh, smoothing it of wrinkles and running my hands up and down her leg, the silkiness of the nylon a foreign sensation to my palms. When I was finished, I lifted her head up and held her chin. “I want nothing more than to make this marriage legal right this moment, but I’m not prepared and you’re concussed.”

She scoffed. “There weren’t any real vows said or legal marriage license filed. Consummating it won’t mean a thing.”

I smiled, my lips moving toward hers, to feel the softness of them against mine.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Ellie. In my heart, it will mean everything. It will mean you’re my wife and I’ll never walk away from the commitment I make to you with my heart and my body. I love you, Ellie, every part of you, from your toes to the top of your head and every part in between. When you look in the mirror you see the syndrome, but when I look at you I see the woman I love.”

She threw her arms around me with her chin over my shoulder the way a child does when seeking comfort. I could feel her weariness all the way to my soul. “I want to love you, Maltrand,” she whispered into my ear, “but I’m afraid to love you at the same time.”

I turned my head toward her and kissed her cheek. “I know,” I assured her, reaching over to shut the light off in the room. “I know it will take some time for you to believe I’m not going anywhere, so I’ll keep saying it. I’m not going anywhere.”

I lay down and she naturally fell across my chest with the motion, her body relaxing as I covered her with the sheet. Her hand was rubbing my thigh and she had no way of knowing what that did to me.

“I have an IUD in place. We can make love. You know, if you want to,” she whispered, finally pulling her hand back to her cheek.

“Oh, I want to, more than you’ll ever know, but not tonight.”

“See, I knew showing you my leg was a bad idea. Before that you were ready to be with me, but now you have a headache.”

I laughed and her head bounced on my chest. “No, I don’t have a headache, but I know you do. You have a concussion and forgive me, but I won’t make love to a woman when the only thing she should be doing is sleeping.” I rubbed her shoulder and could feel her start to relax again as I told her how beautiful she is. It wasn’t long until I heard the soft even breathing of sleep. I kept rubbing her arm and tried to take in everything she had told me, and shown me. Her whole outlook on life made sense now. She is who she is because of what she has dealt with all these years, but I have a chance to change her at the very core of her being and that’s exactly what I intend to do. It will take me a long time to peel off all the layers of protection she has pulled on over time, but it will be worth it. I closed my eyes, offering a prayer of thankfulness for everything I had, and for guidance for the years to come.

Chapter Fourteen

Ellie

I walked through the conference room, the new flooring, and décor, changing the feel of the room instantly. I walked through the conference room with my clipboard, taking notes for the pictures I would need. The new flooring, and décor, changed the feeling of the room instantly from fancy ballroom, to professional meeting room. In about an hour, the room would be filled with business suit clad men and women pretending to attend a business meeting. I had the room staged for pictures and had already taken the ones of it empty. Once I had the images of a business meeting underway, I was halfway there.

We’re planning a party in the less formal business room for Monday night, when Gideon promotes Lei to general manager. I hired a photographer to come in and take photos of that party as well, and then I’ll be able to make the brochure and get it to the printer. Once it goes to the printer, I can go into marketing mode and start talking with the news outlets and media about the changes at Kupid Enterprises. All of that will mean a few more days in Honolulu before heading back to Maui to help Katie get the rest of the event promotion done.

All mixed up in the middle of that were my feelings for Mr. I.T. I didn’t have an excuse anymore for keeping him at arm’s length. He knew it all now, and instead of walking away, he’s only held me closer. Granted, he just found out last night, but this morning he told me again how much he loved me, and that he knew I loved him, too, even if I couldn’t say it yet. He’s right, I do love him, but I hesitate about being with him because in a few weeks, when he’s had time to think about it, he may change his mind. If I let myself fall even more in love with him, it will be that much harder to say goodbye.

I blew out a breath, and rested my chin on my chest, exhaustion taking over my body. The concussion made complicated tasks difficult, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I prayed I felt better tomorrow, considering I had to be on my game for the party Monday night.

“Ellie, are you okay?” Lei asked from behind me.

I lifted my head and saw the woman in front of me holding a cup of coffee. She held it out to me and I took it gratefully.

“Aloha, Lei. I think the concussion is kicking my butt. I’m tired.”

She rubbed my shoulder a little and nodded. “That’s what Mr. I.T. said. He asked me to bring you some coffee because he’s in the middle of something, but he wanted me to tell you he loves you.”

I was sipping the hot brew and my lips automatically went up into a smile at her words. “Thanks, Lei. Listen, I need to talk to you about something. Can you take a walk with me for a minute or are you working?”

She shook her head. “I worked the overnight shift, so I’m done and ready to head home. I can spare you a few minutes, what’s up?”

I picked up my camera and clipboard, carrying the coffee with us as we walked to the elevator. “I would rather discuss it where no one can hear, if that’s okay?”

She punched the up button on the elevator and looked at me nervously. “I’m not in trouble, am I? I got a call from Gideon that he and Katie will be here tomorrow night.”

I chuckled. “No, you aren’t in trouble, Lei. I’ll explain when we aren’t within earshot of anyone.”

We stepped into the elevator car and I punched the first floor button, knowing I may be overcautious, but I didn’t want to talk about the thefts anywhere we could be overheard.

“Did Gideon book a room for when they’re here?” I asked her and she nodded.

“He did. He said he didn’t want to boot you guys from the penthouse.”

I chewed on my lip and wondered if I should offer to change rooms anyway. When I was in the penthouse, I felt like everything was Kate and Gideon’s, which made being in their bed awkward. “I’m not comfortable with that, Lei. The room is in need of a cleaning any way. Maltrand and I will move to the room he booked, and they can have their penthouse back. That way, if they decide to stay longer they are comfortable with their things already here.”

“If you’re okay with that, I agree. Katie is recovering from surgery and I think she would appreciate it, even if she doesn’t want to say it. Their bed is custom made and the same as the one they have at home, and I think that she would like to be in her own bed.” I agreed as the elevator arrived on the first floor and we stepped off.

She punched a button on her hotel phone that she carried, even though she was off duty. “Aloha, Benji. I’m with Ellie KeKoa. She and Maltrand are going to move to the honeymoon suite tonight, so the boss can have the penthouse. Will you organize housekeeping and a porter to clean the room and move their things?” She waited while the other person spoke, but I hadn’t moved past her using Kekoa as my last name. She answered a few questions and hung up. I motioned at the phone.

“Leave that at the front desk until we get back,” I instructed. You never could be too careful, considering whoever was stealing worked at the hotel.

She left it on the reception desk charger and joined me as we walked outside. “I’m nervous about this, Ellie. Did I do something wrong?”

I shook my head, and it was hard not to tell her about the GM position, but I couldn’t. “No, but there is something going on you need to know about. However, I can’t talk about it in public. Gideon has asked me to bring you in on this. When they get here tomorrow we will be discussing it together as well.”

“Should I be taking notes?” she asked, her nervousness evident in the way she held her hands.

“We would rather you don’t,” I said, walking down the driveway and out to the sand, as though we were just two women going for a walk. Near the back of the beach was a palm tree, and I leaned against it, checking for anyone lurking, but the beach sat nearly empty, considering the weather was rainy and cold. “Mr. I.T. and I are here to do more than set up the business suites,” I explained and she leaned against the tree with one foot behind her.

“I assume it’s not to celebrate your honeymoon?”

“It was a convenient cover, but no. We’re here to find a thief.”

“Someone is stealing from Gideon?” she asked confused.

“Yes, they’ve stolen over a quarter of a million dollars so far. I’m supposed to be trying to track down the thief, but I’m not having any luck with their social media pages. Maltrand planted some coding and malware in the programs, but so far, no one has,” I motioned around with my hand trying to come up with the word, “whatever happens when you plant coding and malware in a computer.”

She rolled her eyes a little at my explanation, but I watched her go from nervous to angry. “I can’t believe an employee is stealing,” she fumed. “Gideon would have helped them if they needed help. All they would have had to do was ask.”

“Exactly what Mr. I.T. and I said, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have to find whoever this is and stem the leak before it endangers all of our jobs.”

“What do you need me to do? I’ll work triple time if I have to.”

I smiled and patted her back. “I know you would, but that isn’t necessary. However, if you want to go home and nap and then come back over tonight, I would like to go through the list of people here and have you give me your opinion about them. I don’t know everyone and I don’t have time to try and get to know them all. I need answers, fast, and you’re the only one who knows everyone and their situations.”

She nodded eagerly. “I’m happy to do that, Ellie. Is that why Gideon is coming tomorrow?”

“Partly. He’s naming the new general manager on Monday night and throwing a party for them. We’re hoping to draw the thief out that night, but we’ll need your help. I’ll ask you to help me with a list tonight of employees you trust to work while everyone else is at the party. Do you understand what I mean?”

“You want the thief at the party?”

I nodded. “I’m planning to have an open bar, but only low end liquor. I’m hoping whomever this is will want to throw around some money on more expensive food and drink. It’s a long shot, but all we’ve got right now.”

“Okay, I’ll make a list of the employees I trust to do crossover jobs, so the majority of employees can be at the party. I would suggest any that don’t come to the party who aren’t working, be scrutinized for not attending. Gideon should make it a required event for all employees. Unless they have children and can’t find a sitter, they need to be at the party. Anyone who isn’t there should go into the pot as potential thieves.”

“Great idea. I’ll include that on the invite, that we need all employees there to welcome the new general manager.”

“Do you know who it is?” she asked. “I can have the employees do a card for them at the same time I have them sign a goodbye card for Marcus.”

I smiled, hoping it covered my lie. “I’m not privy to that info. I’m assuming Gideon will tell us tomorrow when he arrives. You can do the card for Marcus, and we’ll make up a plaque for the new GM that we can present at the party.” I had to bite my cheek because Gideon was already bringing that plaque with him with her name on it.

“Okay. I’ll get some names put together that I’ve seen less than stellar work ethic from and we can meet up, say seven?” she asked.

“Sure, I should be done with everything I need to do in the business center by then. Get some rest, and don’t focus on this too much. I kind of want your gut reaction without going through everyone’s employee file in your head.”

She nodded. “I already have my list of gut reactions. Once I get home I’ll make a list of initials and that’s all.”

“Thanks, Lei. I’m heading back in to finish my photos. See you at seven.”

She waved and went back to the reception desk for her phone while I took the elevator to the penthouse. I wanted to relax a little bit after a long morning, knowing that Lei would be back for more work tonight. I spent the morning playing back the scene from last night through my mind, but I had yet to convince myself that I could let myself fall for him. When I arrived at the penthouse, I wasn’t alone.

“Aloha, beautiful,” he said, taking the things from my hands and kissing me chastely on the lips. “Are you done working?”

I sat down on the sofa and rested my head on the back. “For now. Lei will come back around seven to go through some social media files. She’s also going to bring a list of employees she trusts to work during the party Monday night.”

“How did she take the news?” he asked, sitting next to me on the couch.

“She’s angry, like we all are. Gideon is making a great choice in hiring her as the new GM.”

He tipped me forward and started massaging my neck. It felt good and I could feel my shoulders loosening as he worked.

“I also made the executive decision to vacate the penthouse for the next few days. Apparently, Gideon booked a room for when they arrive, but the bed here is designed the same way as their one at home. I figured with Katie recovering she shouldn’t have to give up her bed for us.”

He kissed my cheek and then went back to massaging. “I agree one hundred percent.”

I moaned a little as he hit a sore spot. He backed off and rubbed it gently with his thumb.

“She arranged for housekeeping to come up and clean, and a porter to move our things this afternoon.”

“Sounds like we need to vamoose for a little while then. Good thing I already have plans.”

I turned when he dropped his hands. “You do?”

He picked up my hand and kissed it. “Yup. I’m taking you to the beach for lunch and a swim, as newlyweds.”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t swim and I don’t have a suit.”

He held up one finger and stood, picking up a box off the kitchen counter and handing it to me as he joined me again on the couch. I raised one brow as I untied the ribbon and pulled the lid off. Inside was a tankini and bikini bottom. I held up the bottoms and inspected them, wondering what he was thinking.

“I know they’ll fit because I checked the size against your other undergarments.”

I let my hands fall to my lap. “You’re really sweet, Maltrand, but I can’t wear this. I’ve never worn a suit before, much less a bikini.”

“Never?” he asked, his mouth dropping open.

“Ever.”

“But you’ve lived in Hawaii all your life.”

“I used to play on the beach in boy’s board shorts. They were long and covered the leg most of the way. It can’t get sunburned, so it added an extra layer of protection along with the sunscreen.”

“I took that into consideration,” he said, pointing at the box again.

I pulled back more paper and found a long sarong that matched the tankini. I held it to my chest, clasped in both hands, trying not to cry.

“I’ve told you I can be trusted with your heart and now I’m showing you. I knew you wouldn’t be comfortable going out in public bare, so the sarong will cover your leg completely, and it’s made from SPF 50 material.”

I put my arms around his neck and rested my forehead on his. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Your understanding and acceptance of it makes me want to go out and be seen with you in this. It’s beautiful and I’m touched you would do this for me.”

He looked into my eyes, all his attention focused on me. “I would do anything for you, Ellie. I want to be the one to experience with you all the firsts you haven’t had in life.” He tipped my head and lowered his lips to mine. Our lips were barely touching and I wanted more. I wrapped my hands in his hair and kissed him back as hard and demanding as he kissed me. Before I could stop myself, I was straddling him, his head pressed back into the soft cushion and my tongue tracing the lines of his lips as he moaned with pleasure. It was on the second moan I plunged my tongue inside his mouth, taking what I wanted, all while giving him exactly what he needed. He held my waist, his pelvis thrusting involuntarily as his primal need took over. He pushed back with his tongue, taking control of the kiss and making love to my mouth while his need for me grew between my legs.