Paradise Wild (24 page)

Corinne stared pensively at her reflection in the mirror hanging over the dresser. She was mesmerized by the swollen area of her cheek with the slight tinge of blue. If she did not bruise so easily, there would be no telltale reminder of what had happened last night. The swelling would last a few days, and the bruise would fade to brown, then yellow.

She wondered what Jared would say when he saw the mark. Surprisingly enough, she wasn’t in the least angry about it. What had happened after Jared struck her was well worth anything that had gone before. She didn’t hate him anymore, she knew that now.

But she wasn’t quite sure what she did feel. There was a powerful physical attraction, but anything more than that was frightening to admit. It wouldn’t do to fall in love with him. He hadn’t believed her confession, and never would. And the disgust he felt for what he thought she was would destroy any relationship they might have had. No, it was hopeless. She would be better off gone from here as soon as possible.

The door opened, but Corinne was reluctant to look around. She held her breath, waiting for someone to speak, but when no one did, curiosity got the best of
her. She turned to see Jared standing by the door, looking just as shy as she felt.

He came forward slowly, and stopped abruptly when he saw her cheek.

“Oh, no—did I do that?” Jared didn’t give her a chance to answer, but was in front of her in an instant, gently lifting her face up to his. “I’m sorry. What is it about you that makes me lose control? I’ve never hit a woman before, I swear it. I’m…. sorry.”

Corinne became unnerved. He was standing so close. Her pulse quickened, and her face flushed. She lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not very much,” Corinne answered, looking up at him again. “It looks much worse than it really is.”

Jared moved away, discomfited by the soft words that were passing between them. “Akela suggested that you might like an outing. I’ll be going up into the hills today to bring down a few stalks of bananas. I understand Mrs. Merrill’s son has a passion for them.”

“I hope you don’t begrudge him the fruit growing on your grounds,” Corinne said stiffly.

“Not at all,” Jared replied, looking at her curiously. “You
do
like that baby, don’t you? I understand you’ve been spending a good deal of your time with him.”

“Is there anything wrong with that?” she demanded, a bit sharply.

“No, I suppose you needed some diversion to fill your time.” He took a step closer, his brow furrowed. “But why do you get so sensitive every time I mention the boy?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said evasively, turning away from his penetrating eyes.

“Do you think it’s wise to form such a close attachment to another woman’s child?”

“Florence is not just another woman, Jared. She’s been a mother to me, a sister, and she’s my only true friend. She’s been with me all my life and I love her. There would be something wrong with me if I didn’t care for her child.”

“That’s good enough logic for most people, but I was under the impression that you were different. Didn’t you want a life free of attachments? That’s not possible when you love, Corinne. Then you need love returned.”

“Perhaps I’ve changed,” she whispered.

Jared wasn’t quite sure he had heard her correctly. “Have you?”

“You don’t know anything about me, Jared, you really don’t. But then, I didn’t know myself.”

“And do you now?”

“I think so,” she replied slowly, thoughtful. “I’ve found that I have a lot of love to give, but very few people that I care enough about to give it to.”

“You seem to have spread it around recently,” he said unthinkingly, and immediately regretted his words.

“You had to bring that up again, didn’t you?” she said angrily, her hands on her hips. “Our marriage was a farce to begin with, but must I remind you that you deserted
me?
”

“I didn’t come in here to fight with you,” Jared said. “I’m sorry for that remark—it was uncalled for. I was hoping we could continue the truce we started last night.”

“So was I, but—”

“No buts.” He cut her off with a grin. “Will you come with me today?”

She hesitated, wanting to go, yet thinking that she hadn’t nursed Michael. “How soon? I haven’t even eaten yet.”

“You’ll have plenty of time. We’ll leave in a couple of hours.”

“I’ll be ready then,” she smiled.

Corinne was disappointed later to find that Jared had a long walk in mind. She brought along a parasol, for the sun persisted throughout the day, and Jared had warned her to wear comfortable shoes. She found out why after they left the road a good half mile up the coast and started over the rough terrain.

The path they followed was narrow, and still quite muddy from the storm. There were ditches to cross, and dried-out thicket and leafless trees to skirt. This area looked nothing like a tropical paradise. The only color was that of the wild kalamona shrubs, with clusters of bright yellow-orange flowers, and the green and brown of the
koa
, rubbish trees.

They walked along silently yet companionably, with Jared holding her hand to pull her along behind him, helping her over deep ditches. She was at ease with him, perhaps for the first time.

They passed between craggy hills, and the landscape suddenly changed drastically to green splendor. It was beautiful here, like an enclosed valley. An upward climb led through thick wildflowers and lush trees.

Finally the path leveled off and they came to a patch of banana trees, where Jared stopped. While he searched for likely stalks, Corinne looked back the way they had come. She gasped at the view. It took in the entire length of the north shore.

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?”

Jared had come up behind her and now she felt his arms slip around her waist and pull her back against him. At that moment, Corinne was undeniably happy.

“Yes, it is lovely,” she said with a sigh. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“My pleasure.”

When Jared didn’t move away, but instead brought
his lips down to the side of her neck, Corinne felt the stirring of desire. She wanted to scream at him for arousing her when there was nothing they could do about it up here. She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened about her.

“Jared,” she began in frustration. “Jared, shouldn’t we be going back now?”

“We’ll have to go on a bit,” he said into her ear. His manner was unhurried. “The bananas aren’t ripe enough in this spot.”

“How much further?”

“My cousin has a good patch of trees behind his place. I meant to stop by for a visit, anyway.”

“Your cousin?” Corinne asked, surprised. “You have a cousin—up here?”

“Don’t look so astonished,” Jared said. “Lots of people like the seclusion of the mountains.”

“But I’m not dressed to meet your relatives.”

“You’re dressed just fine. But I like the idea of your being
not
dressed.”

The devilish glint in his eyes gave her warning even before he reached to unfasten the buttons at her neck. She moved out of his reach and started backing away from him, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

“Jared, no.”

“And why not? You’re my wife.”

“You’re crazy,” she said, unable to keep from smiling.

He shrugged and reached for her, but she turned and started running down the path. Jared caught up with her before she got more than a few feet away. He tumbled them both to the ground. He began to raise her skirt and she laughed, even as she protested weakly.

“Not here, Jared.”

“Yes, definitely here, and definitely now,” he said, and kissed her soundly to silence her.

Corinne lost herself to the moment. She wanted Jared. He had the power to arouse her with just a soft word, an impassioned look, a touch. Why him and no other man? Other men had desired her, but the fact that Jared did thrilled her.

With the heady scent of wildflowers surrounding them, they made love with a savage urgency that suddenly overcame them both. Corinne was left feeling decidedly wicked, yet utterly pleased with Jared’s impulsiveness. She wanted to stay there all day, making love again and again. How she wished they could. But now that Jared was satisfied, he would want to go on.

But Jared surprised her. He made no move to rise, but propped himself on his elbows, easing his weight from her. His eyes were bright blue as he gazed down at her, then touched her lips with a featherlight kiss.

“You are magnificent,
makamae
.”

“Well, thank you, sir,” she said impishly.

He smiled. “I think I’ll take you for a walk on the beach tonight. Walking with you is quite enjoyable. The night will be perfect, with the stars and the moon out to touch your beauty.”

Corinne sighed. “I think I’m going to like this truce, Jared.”

He kissed her again lazily, then sighed. “We’d better go now, before I’m tempted to forget all about bananas and everything else.”

Reluctantly, she let him pull her to her feet and help her straighten her clothing.

Twenty minutes later and further up the cliff, they came to another leveled-off area where a crude shack made of thin wood and metal scraps huddled beneath thick trees. Animal pens were all around, yet small pigs
and chickens ran about freely, unpenned. Ferns and plants abounded, covering the hillside. There were mountain apple trees, a huge mango tree which shaded the shack, and the banana patch Jared had mentioned not far from the shack.

Corinne clung to Jared’s arm. “Surely your cousin doesn’t live here?” she whispered.

“Why not?” Jared looked down at her in amusement. “He likes it up here. It’s like living in a past century. He has never taken to the modern world and what the
haoles
have done to his island.”

“
His
island? I don’t understand.”

At that moment a huge Hawaiian stooped through the doorway and sauntered over to them. He was immense, with a mat of black hair and a beard, and warm brown eyes. He wore only a pair of yellow flowered baggy shorts. Even his feet were bare, but he didn’t seem to feel the sharp twigs he walked over.

“Ialeka!” He gave Jared a bear hug before he released him and turned a curious eye on Corinne. “
Wahine male?
”

“Yes,” Jared answered with a note of pride. “This is my wife, Kolina.”

“Aunty Akela tell me you marry, Ialeka. When you make
luau
, celebrate?”

“It’s rather late for that,” Jared said.

“
Auwe!
Any reason good reason for
luau
. But come. You no visit long time. Kikuko!” he yelled, and a small Oriental woman in a faded kimono appeared in the doorway.

She was a solemn creature, shy, and so tiny compared to the big Hawaiian. She scurried back into the house without even a greeting.

“She put more
laulaus
in calabash. You stay have
kau kau
with us, huh?”

Jared didn’t have a chance to answer before the big man ambled back to the house, motioning for them to follow.

“We’ve been invited for dinner,” Jared explained.

Corinne began to relax after the initial discomfort of meeting strangers. The little house was quite comfortable inside. The two cultures blended well, mixing Hawaiian tapa cloth, gourds, and artifacts with Japanese idols, statues, and silk screens.

Kuliano Naihe was a jovial man and easy to like. He entertained them throughout the afternoon with Hawaiian chants and songs, accompanying himself on the ukulele. His wife Kikuko was very quiet, staying in the background. Jared explained to Corinne that it had nothing to do with their presence. It was just her way.

They ate a delicious meal in the back yard, where a magnificent sunset of red, orange, and purple hues lit the sky below them.
Laulaus
were made of pork wrapped in taro tops, which looked like thick spinach but tasted much better. The
laulaus
were steamed in a large calabash, first wrapped in
ti
leaves to protect them. The meat was tender, with a unique taste from the taro tops. Of course, poi was served too, and fresh papaya and unusual little mountain apples. Like nothing Corinne had ever eaten before, they had a soft, thin skin and one large brown seed in the middle.

Once the sky darkened, Kuliano lit a fire in the back yard and began to sing again. Jared, in no hurry to go, leaned back against a colvillea tree. Its tremendous bunches of red-orange buds, like clusters of grapes, hung from the tips of branches down around them. Corinne sat near him, enjoying the music and the company.

“How long have you known Kuliano and his wife?” she asked casually.

“All my life,” Jared answered. “You met Leonaka, my foreman, or so he told me.”

“Yes.”

“Kuliano is his father. Leonaka and I grew up together, more like brothers than cousins.”

“Wait a minute, Jared. When you say cousin, you mean it only as a term of friendship, don’t you?”

“No. The Naihes are my distant cousins by blood.”

“But they’re Hawaiian.”

“You noticed,” he said playfully.

Corinne found herself quite confused. “Would you mind explaining?”

“Leonaka and I have the same great-great-great-grandmother, Leimomi Naihe. So you see, I do have some Hawaiian blood, though little of it is left. Do you want to hear about it?”

“Yes.”

“Leimomi was a beautiful young woman who lived on Kauai, the first island landed on by Captain Cook in 1778. You’ve heard of Cook, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he was considered a god when he first came, and the Hawaiians, a friendly and free-spirited people, couldn’t do enough for him and his crew. Leimomi gave herself to one of the English sailors, a man she knew only as Peter. He sailed away, not aware that she would soon bear his son. She had a male child she named Makualilo.

“Leimomi later married one of her own people, and bore him a son and two daughters. Her husband accepted Makaulilo and raised him as his own. But the boy grew up feeling that he was an outcast. Cook’s visits ended in bloodshed, and there was much resentment of the white man for quite some time. Makualilo was too fair-skinned, a constant reminder of the disliked white men, who continued to visit the islands.