Pleasure in Hawaii (Kimani Romance) (11 page)

She chuckled. “I’ll take the Fifth on that one.”

“Well, we’re here now and can start a whole new part of the adventure.”

“I can hardly wait,” she said, regarding his profile and imagining that some of their adventure would be spent in bed, all over each other.

They pulled into the lot at Hana’s Sunrise Bed and Breakfast. It was a two-story country Victorian that was larger than Gene’s B&B and set on a couple of acres amidst bamboo trees with sweeping views of the ocean and mountains. Sloane was awed and eager to see inside.

“Your friends have a gorgeous bed-and-breakfast,” she told Gene.

“Yeah, they’ve got a great property here,” he agreed. “Makes for a perfect getaway for anyone who’s daring enough to brave the trip here.”

They went inside and were greeted by the hosts, who hugged Gene and kissed him on both cheeks.

“This is Aiko and Kehau Poaipuni,” Gene introduced.

Sloane smiled at the sixtysomething Samoan couple. “Sloane Hepburn.” She was also kissed on both cheeks by them.

“You were right, Gene,” Aiko said with an eye on Sloane. “Your lady friend is quite stunning.”

“Mahalo,” Sloane said, blushing.

“And genial, too.” He laughed warmly. “Nice of you to visit our part of the island.”

“Gene made it sound irresistible.” Sloane smiled at him. “And from everything I’ve seen thus far, he was right.”

“Hey, all I did was speak the truth,” Gene said. “The rest you can blame on nature, along with such heartwarming folks as Aiko and Kehau.”

Kehau giggled. “Always the charmer, Gene. We do our best to keep up the traditions of Hana.” She cupped her arm under Sloane’s. “Why don’t we show you to your room so you can freshen up?”

“Sounds good,” Sloane told her, certain the room would reflect everything else she’d seen of the place. Moreover, she wanted to see where she and Gene would be spending some private time on this side of the island.

The Ku’uipo Suite did not disappoint. Upstairs, it had a private lanai and offered a panoramic view of the ocean and two other islands.

“I love it!” Sloane declared.

“So do I,” Gene said, and thanked their hosts again.

“Always the best for you and yours, Gene,” Aiko said.

“Expect the same the next time you visit my place.”

“Of course.”

When they left, Gene put his arms around Sloane’s waist. “So here we are.”

“Yes.” She raised her eyes to meet his. “We made it.”

“Glad you came?”

Sloane fluttered her lashes seductively. “That will depend on how well we make the most of our time here.”

A slow grin spread across Gene’s mouth. “Oh, I’m sure we will take full advantage of the setting…and each other.”

“Hmm…” Her eyes closed as she imagined putting the words into heated action.

Gene kissed her, parting Sloane’s lips and sliding his tongue inside. The kiss left Sloane light on her feet while heavy in her need for this man. But she fought back the urge, realizing they would have two nights to explore each other and more.

She pulled their mouths apart. “That’s a good start. I’ll expect you to finish it a little later.”

He licked his lips. “Without a doubt. You’ve got my word on that.”

“I’ll need more than just your word to back that up.” Sloane glanced at his trousers, detecting the bulge that clearly wanted only to be inside her.

“And you’ll have it,” Gene said with assurance, leaving Sloane hot with anticipation.

They met the other guests and mingled in the downstairs living room while the Poaipunis served apple muffins, fresh island fruit and tropical juices. Gene was glad to see that Sloane fit right in, just as she did at his bed-and-breakfast, engaging others without being prompted and comfortable in her own shoes. It was but one reason why he liked her so much. She was as down-to-earth as he was and not afraid to take chances and accept new challenges. He suspected this was what had drawn her to Maui in the first place. And into his arms and bed. He saw no reason why they shouldn’t continue to bask in each other’s company with no end in sight.

That afternoon, Gene took Sloane to the Hana Cultural Center and Museum. There they saw the Kauhale O Hana, an authentic recreation complex of housing and gardens that reflected life prior to European contact.

“That’s very interesting,” Sloane said, holding Gene’s hand as they walked through the museum.

“I thought so too, the first time I visited,” he told her.

“I’ll certainly take mental notes on everything we see here so I can recommend it to guests at the Island Shores.”

“Good idea. Call it firsthand research, which is the same thing I do when I come to Hana and steer others in this direction.”

Sloane looked at him curiously. “So this was like half a business trip for you?”

Gene lowered his eyes to meet hers. “Not at all. I wanted us to experience this magnificent place together. Anything else is strictly incidental.”

“Perfect answer,” she told him, flashing her teeth.

He smiled. “That’s what you’ve done to me. My focus these days is almost entirely on you.”

“I could say the same thing. Wonder what it means?”

Gene gave her a thoughtful gaze. “Guess it means we’ve found something special.”

“I like being special to someone,” Sloane said softly.

“As you should. And I like being with you.”

She lifted her chin and kissed his mouth, then wiped his lips with her pinkie. “How about we go back to our room and make good use of the bed?”

“You read my thoughts,” Gene said, feeling aroused. Or was it the other way around?

After some heated sex and exchanging needy kisses to complete the shared seduction, Sloane lay naked in Gene’s protective arms, her head resting comfortably on his chest. She found herself wondering how he felt about various things in life as part of getting to know him on a broader level and seeing how they stacked up to one another.

“I have some questions for you,” she said, angling her eyes up at him.

“Do you now?” His voice lowered a notch with curiosity. “Ask away.”

“What were you like as a boy?”

“Oh, pretty much the same as I am now—fun-loving, witty, adventurous, insightful and always wanting to look at what’s in front of me rather than behind.”

“When did you have your first crush?” Sloane asked.

“When I was eight. I thought my teacher, Ms. Bellwood, was hot.”

Sloane chuckled. “Did you ever cheat in college?”

“Not once,” Gene responded with a straight face. “I didn’t want to shortchange my education or future.”

“Good for you.” She paused. “Who do you most admire, not including your parents?”

“I’d say Barack Obama, with Nelson Mandela a close second.”

“Nice answers.” Sloane nodded. “Do you believe in God?”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe in extraterrestrial life?”

Gene laughed. “You really are darting all over the map, aren’t you?”

“What better way to dig deeper into the man?” Sloane asked.

“I can go along with that. Yes, I believe that there are probably other life forms outside this planet. Why should we be all alone in the cosmos?”

Sloane was enjoying this, especially since their answers were similar for the questions up to this point.

“What’s your favorite sports team?” she asked.

“The New Orleans Saints,” he said, “followed by the Houston Rockets.”

“I didn’t hear a Detroit team there.”

He gave a wry chuckle. “Exactly.”

She chuckled as well. “Have you ever traced your roots?”

“Good question.” Gene ran his hand along her shoulder. “No, I haven’t, but I’d love to do it and see where it leads.”

Sloane was also very interested in tracing her roots. She knew painfully little about her ancestry and hoped to learn more in time.

“What’s your favorite movie?” she asked, enjoying the feel of his fingers caressing her arm. “
Titanic,
maybe. Or
Star Wars.
”

“I loved the first Harry Potter movie,” noted Sloane, “but I probably like
The Sound of Music
best. I’m a sucker for musicals and sentimental tales.”

He nodded, thoughtful. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“So when was your first sexual experience?” Sloane had not intended to ask this, as the last thing she wanted was to be compared with any woman he may have bedded, including his ex. But she threw it out anyway, just to see what he would say.

“Where did that come from?” Gene asked.

“Nowhere in particular,” she told him. “Just wondered.”

“I was sixteen. She lived down the street. It wasn’t very memorable.”

Sloane ran her foot across his leg, slipping it between his legs. “How about your current sexual experience? Memorable?”

Gene groaned lustfully. “Very unforgettable.”

She licked his nipple and saw it rise. “Glad to hear that I’m embedded in your mind.”

“You’re embedded in more than just my mind,” he uttered, a lascivious edge to his tone.

“Oh really?” Sloane looked at him longingly. “Maybe we can work on building those memories a little more.”

Gene put his hand between her legs, feeling her arousal. “One body part at a time…”

T
he next day, Sloane and Gene spent time on the black-sand beach of Hana’s Waianapanapa State Park. Once again, Sloane was fascinated by the view, along with the Hawaiian legend regarding freshwater caves. She took her fair share of pictures and planned to have an online photo album to display.

They went from there to tour the Ka’eleku Caverns, winding underground lava-tube trails that had gone unchanged for 30,000 years. They followed that with a visit to Kahanu Garden, located in one of the Hawaiian Islands’ largest untamed native hala forests. It was home to a variety of ethnobotanical plants, particularly those of the Pacific Islands.

“I’d love to have some of these plants in my garden, if I had one,” remarked Sloane, feeling warm and cozy with Gene’s arm around her.

“In fact, I have a couple of them at the bed-and-breakfast,” he told her. “They’re not always that easy to manage, but wonderful to look at.”

“I know what you mean.” Sloane recalled her garden when she lived in Raleigh. It could at times be a bear to tend to, yet the end result always proved more than worthwhile.

“Don’t tell me you have a green thumb?”

She raised her eyes. “Is that so surprising?”

He chuckled. “Nothing about you surprises me.”

“Nothing at all?” she challenged him.

“Well, maybe I’m still a little surprised that such a lovely, smart, well-rounded lady like yourself should wind up in Maui without a man in her life. But that’s a good thing, from where I stand.”

Sloane regarded him boldly. “Could be that I was simply biding my time till the right man came along,” she said.

Gene snuggled her a bit closer. “And did he?”

She felt his warm breath on her cheek. “You tell me.”

“I’d say you found precisely the right man to be in your life.”

“Oh, you think so, do you?” Sloane teased.

“Yeah, I certainly do.”

He tilted her face and brought their lips together. The kiss was just long enough to get Sloane’s heart racing before Gene moved his mouth away.

“I’d have to agree with you,” she told him with a sigh.

He beamed. “I thought you might see things my way.”

“You make it hard not to,” Sloane admitted. And it was getting harder with each day to not want to spend it with him. Part of her wished they could just retire from life and devote every waking moment to making each other happy. If only. The reality was they had responsibilities that neither could walk away from. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t dream of having the man all to herself.

After they had dinner with the Poaipunis and the other guests, Gene whisked Sloane away for what he said was a surprise. Her curiosity was more than a little piqued, wondering what else he had up his sleeve.

“What is this?” she asked after he drove her to the beach.

“Not just another beach,” Gene said mysteriously. “Kaihalulu Beach is a sight to behold with its red cinder beach and lagoons.”

“You’ve got my attention.”

“Don’t I always?” He grinned sideways. “C’mon, let’s take a walk. I want you to see something.”

She could read the slow seduction in his dark eyes, beguiling her. “All right.”

After they removed their shoes, Gene took Sloane’s hand as they walked down the beach near the shoreline. The sun was slowly beginning to set and the water glistened from its rays.

“Aren’t you afraid a sneaker wave might come and sweep us away?” Sloane asked nervously.

Gene laughed. “Not a chance. I won’t let one catch us off guard. Besides, I’ve got other plans that don’t include being washed out to sea.”

“Hmm…wonder what those might be?” Her eyes darted up to his face.

“Oh, just a nice way to make our last night in Hana memorable.”

“You mean create our own memories?”

He grinned slyly. “Something like that.”

They padded across the sand away from the water and onto a secluded beach.

“What do you think?” Gene asked.

“It’s amazing,” Sloane responded, noting the sand was pristine. “How did you find this?”

“The Poaipunis showed it to me last year. Most visitors overlook it, settling for the more popular spots on the beach.”

“Their misfortune.”

Gene put his hands on Sloane’s shoulders. “Ever made love on the beach?”

“Never,” she answered without prelude.

“Why don’t we do something about that?”

She met his eyes. “Such as?”

“Such as this.” Gene cupped her cheeks and kissed her mouth. “And this…” He ran his fingers torturously across her nipples. “And this.” He took her hand and placed it on the bulge in his pants. “I want you.”

Sloane gasped as she pictured his throbbing erection inside of her. “I think you’ve got me.”

Gene kissed her again. “Oh, I know I have you whenever I want. And that’s now.”

They sank down onto the sand, which felt to Sloane like a warm, soft mattress with no borders. She watched Gene inch her dress up over her thighs and then put his face between her legs. She felt his teeth nudge aside her thong, giving him unencumbered access to her private parts.

Sloane shuddered violently as Gene licked her clitoris relentlessly while holding her thighs to keep them in place. Though she wanted nothing more than for him to be deep inside her body for her first beach orgasm, the sensations were too intense, too pleasing, too deliberate to be able to contain herself. Sloane swung her head left and right, moaning louder than she wanted to as the moment of ecstasy erupted between her legs and quickly spread in waves throughout her body.

When Gene had finished what he clearly wished to have happen, he lifted his head. “Did you enjoy that?”

“Do you have to ask?” Sloane was still trying to reestablish her equilibrium.

He grinned ravenously. “No, your quivering body, the way you got so very wet every time I licked you, told me everything I needed to know.”

“Not everything,” she told him desirously. “I was still holding back until your penis impaled me over and over again. Please don’t make me wait a moment longer. Otherwise I’ll scream.”

“Go ahead,” he said. “No one will hear but me. And I like the sounds of your lust.”

Unzipping his pants, Gene pulled out his erect penis and rapidly slipped on a condom. He sank to his knees into the sand between Sloane’s propped-up legs. He burrowed into her with such need that Sloane winced from the sheer quickness of his manhood filling her. She quickly adjusted, giving in to him to allow deeper entry. He pinned Sloane’s arms over her head, then brought his mouth down hard upon hers. She tasted herself on his lips and tongue penetrating her mouth, arousing Sloane that much more while Gene plunged into her over and over, bringing her to a new high.

Their bodies and clothes were slick with sweat and covered with sand while they lay there locked in passionate lovemaking, each arousing the other with kisses, touches, nibbles, scents, pounding heartbeats and finally cries as they were caught in the throes of orgasmic release. Sloane clung to Gene’s hard body and screamed out his name as they came together in one earth-moving moment of satisfaction.

Afterwards, a deep sigh and chuckle escaped Gene’s lips. “We may have to escape to the beach more often for some fun in the sun.”

Sloane breathed in the erotic redolence of their sex. “I’m game, if you are.”

“Yeah, I am game anytime,” he promised.

“Good. In the meantime, just kiss me again.”

“With pleasure.”

Sloane widened her mouth, embracing Gene’s as it contoured with hers. She explored the soft and tasty inside of his lips with her tongue and teeth, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She loved kissing him and could do so all day, enjoying the movement of his mouth on hers, using his tongue at just the right times and places.

In that moment of clarity, it became abundantly clear to Sloane what she had not admitted to herself till now. She had started to fall in love with Gene Malloy. She wondered if the feeling was mutual.

On Monday, Sloane was back at work, her fascinating trip to Hana still fresh on her mind. How could it not be, when she could still taste and smell Gene as they found new ways to merge sexually? It also brought about a new awareness of her feelings for the man, though she was unsure what it meant for their relationship or its future.

She was at her desk when Kendra came up to it, gazing at Sloane with what she perceived to be a snooping look. “Well?”

“Well, what?” Sloane rolled her eyes, playing dumb.

“How was the big weekend in Hana? Or shouldn’t I ask?”

“You can ask. It was fabulous.” Sloane satisfied her curiosity with a summary of the trip, including some hot romance with Gene.

“Is there anything that your man doesn’t do?” Kendra batted her lashes outrageously.

“Hmm…” Sloane flashed a dreamy smile. “Not that I can think of.”

“I am so jealous. I’ve got to get Edy to take me to Hana and make more sparks fly.”

“Go for it.” Sloane looked at her. “In fact, I intend to recommend it to everyone who seems adventurous.”

“Just how adventurous does one have to be?” Kendra asked nervously.

Sloane laughed. “Only enough to hang on to your seat with your eyes closed every now and then on the drive there. But trust me, it’s worth the trip.”

“So I hear. And now that you’ve gone, I have to be brave and try it too.”

“You won’t regret it,” Sloane assured her. “Especially with Edy to keep you occupied.”

They both turned as Alan Komoda approached them. He gave Kendra a cursory nod and focused on Sloane. “Got a minute?”

“Sure.” Sloane eyed Kendra, who understood it was her time to depart.

“Better get back to it,” she said. “See you later.”

After Kendra had left them alone, Sloane wondered what was on Alan’s mind. Maybe some big client was coming in who needed special attention.

“Seems like two of our guests, Russell and Penny Delacorte, are planning to check out prematurely.” Alan frowned. “Something about having a change of heart with their accommodations.”

“Oh, boy,” Sloane said, wondering how anyone could have a change of heart about staying at the fabulous Island Shores.

“As you know, we try to keep our guests and the money they spend in-house for as long as they’re in Maui,” Alan stressed.

Sloane sensed what was expected of her. “Maybe I can talk to them to see if there’s a problem we can straighten out.”

“Good idea. People don’t just leave a resort hotel without a reasonable explanation.”

“I agree.” Sloane took a breath. “I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Hope so.” Alan gave her an optimistic look. “Also, we have a large group coming in next week from St. Louis for a corporate event. Apparently the spouses were invited, and many are expected to attend. They’ve requested that we find ways to keep them occupied for several days apart from the norm of hanging out on the beach, shopping, and dining.”

A smile formed on Sloane’s lips. “I’m sure I can come up with any number of exciting things for the spouses to do.” She assumed most were female, but would make arrangements that were gender neutral to account for male spouses too. “The more I’ve come to know the island, the more possibilities I see for our guests during their stay.”

Alan grinned crookedly. “Glad to know that you’re taking stock of your surroundings and applying it to your position as guest director.”

“The two go hand in hand as far as I’m concerned,” she stressed.

“Keep me posted. And best of luck with the Delacortes.”

Sloane wasn’t sure if she would need luck or not. In her experience, there were two types of disgruntled guests. Those who were flexible and leveraged this to get a room upgrade or other perks. Then there were the guests who were obstinate in their position and little could be done to change it. As Alan valued each and every guest at the hotel, it would definitely be a feather in her cap to keep the Delacortes from going elsewhere.

Sloane turned on her computer and pulled up the information they had on Russell and Penny Delacorte. They were from Las Vegas and had booked one of their most expensive suites for eight days. They had been there for three days with no reports of dissatisfaction, trouble with staff or other indications that might explain why they wanted out. The implication was that they would stay elsewhere, perhaps one of the other expensive resort hotels such as on Kaanapali Beach on Maui’s western shore. Or maybe they were leaving the island altogether for some reason.

Sloane was primarily concerned with keeping them at the Island Shores, assuming they planned to stay on Maui for the next five days. She looked them up on the internet and discovered that Russell Delacorte was a fifty-six-yearold executive in the gambling industry. One year ago, he had married Penny Alvarez, a cocktail waitress who was thirty years his junior.

Sloane could only imagine what they were getting out of the relationship, but was happy if they were. She paid a visit to their suite. The door was opened by Russell Delacorte, whom she recognized from his photograph on the web.

“Aloha, Mr. Delacorte,” she addressed him amiably. “I’m Sloane Hepburn, director of guest relations.”

“Hi.” He gazed at her steadily.

“Is your wife here?” Sloane asked.

“She’s in the shower,” he said.

Sloane’s thin brows knitted. “I was hoping to talk to both of you.”

“If this is about our decision to check out of the hotel—”

“Actually, it is,” she confirmed. “Are you leaving the island or…”

“We’re staying for five more days,” he told her unapologetically.

“Can I ask why you want to leave the Island Shores?”

Russell ran a hand across his sagging chin, pausing as he looked in the direction of the bedroom. “It’s my wife’s doing. She’s very high-maintenance and, well, just decided on a whim that she wanted to experience something else.”

Sloane considered that perhaps if she spoke directly to his wife she might be able to get her to reconsider. “Is there anything I can do to maybe change her mind?”

“I don’t think so,” he said stiffly. “It’s nothing personal. I think you have a great hotel and great food. But what Penny wants, Penny gets. Sorry.”