Pleasure in Hawaii (Kimani Romance) (13 page)

She squeezed his fingers. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Way too much,” he admitted. “But only because I am totally into you, no matter if you need an attitude adjustment from time to time or not.”

She yanked her hands from his and playfully hit his shoulder. “I think it’s you who needs the attitude adjustment, mister.”

Gene chuckled. “I thought you wanted me just the way I am?”

“Maybe I do,” she told him coquettishly.

“So show me how much you want me.”

Sloane laughed. “What, you want me to rip your clothes off right here and now?”

The thought turned Gene on, but he didn’t want to go quite that far right now. “I’ll settle for a long, hot, juicy kiss.”

“With an emphasis on
juicy,
” she sang with amusement.

“Just kiss me—let me taste those pouty lips and I’ll be in heaven.”

Sloane moved closer. “All right, I’ll be your angel and give you a slice of heaven in Maui.”

She held his cheeks and kissed Gene on the mouth, slipping her tongue between his teeth. He sucked her soft lips as though they provided nourishment.

When they finally broke away from each other, Sloane looked at him with eyes full of emotion. He’d never seen her look more beautiful.

“That was some kiss,” he told her, licking his lips. “You’re definitely an angel.”

“I’m also a lady who loves you,” she cooed, her eyes locked with his.

“What?” Gene wanted to make sure he understood her meaning as his heart skipped a beat.

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Gene Malloy. I sure hope you can handle it.”

T
here, I said it. Now what happens?
Sloane wondered if she had been premature in sharing her thoughts. She could not read the expression on Gene’s face to know what his response would be, making her sweat it out till he said something. Her greatest hope was that the feeling was mutual.

“I can handle learning your feelings,” he said levelly, his brown-gray eyes peering at Sloane. “It’s something I’ve wanted to hear you say.”

“And what about you?” Sloane gazed at him with nervous anticipation.

Gene kept a straight face. “I think I’ve known for some time now that I love you. I was just waiting for the right time to say it.”

Right time?
Her heart fluttered with delight. “Are you sure you wouldn’t have kept this little secret to yourself forever had I not spoken up?”

He chuckled cutely. “Not a chance. You’re far too important to me to have remained mute and risked allowing my window of opportunity to pass us both by. I’m not afraid to say I love you, Sloane, or to accept your love for me.”

His words warmed her. “I’d have to say the same thing.”

Gene angled his head and kissed her, making sure she felt it from her head to her toes before stepping back. “You might say that was sealing the deal.”

Sloane touched her tingling lips. It only confirmed what was already abundantly clear: Gene had an effect on her like no other, producing sexual feelings that had grown into love.

Her eyes lifted to meet his. “So now that we have sealed our love, where do we go from here?”
I don’t want to set my expectations too high.

“How about to the beach?” Gene responded succinctly.

“The beach?”

He smiled. “Yeah. It’s a nice day. Let’s take a walk.”

That wasn’t quite what Sloane was expecting in response to her question. But since she had the day off and there was nothing she wanted to do more than spend time with the man she’d just admitted loving, a beach walk could be romantic.

“All right, we’ll walk,” she told him.

A few minutes later, they left the bed-and-breakfast and walked down the path leading to the beach. Gene took Sloane’s hand as they moved barefoot through the soft sand.

“After my divorce, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever find love again,” he admitted.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting to fall in love either when I moved to Maui,” Sloane said.

“Guess we were both in for a surprise.”

She regarded his profile. “Does it scare you?”

He gave her a steady look. “No. Quite the contrary, it’s renewed my faith in human nature and my ability to rediscover what’s been in me all along.”

“You mean love?” she asked.

“Yeah, and being open enough to allow it to spring to life when the right person came along.”

“I thought falling in love would only hinder my work ethic,” Sloane admitted, “leaving me reluctant to go down that path. But I was wrong. Meeting you and having a romance like never before has opened my eyes in ways I never thought possible.”

Gene grinned. “Putting our love cards on the table will make things even better for us,” he declared. “Now every time we make love, it won’t only be about the wonderful sex between us, but the emotional connection that drives it.”

“True.” Sloane felt a stirring within as she pondered the new level their relationship was entering. “I guess this means we’re in a committed romance.”

“It sure does,” Gene affirmed. “In reality, that’s been the case from the moment we started seeing each other, as I haven’t had my eye on anyone else.”

“Me neither,” Sloane said. “You’re the only one I’ve been interested in since I came to Maui, and I’m very content with that.”

Gene stopped and faced her. “So am I—content that I happen to be involved with the loveliest lady in Hawaii or anywhere else. I say let’s enjoy the journey we’ve embarked on and make the most of wherever it leads us.”

“I want that, too.” Sloane held his gaze before resting her eyes on Gene’s generous mouth. She needed him to kiss her in that moment.

He answered her silent plea, positioning his face and moving his lips onto hers. Sloane embraced the kiss as she did the man himself, with passion and promise. She wanted only to love Gene and test the limits of that love for all it was worth.

That afternoon, Gene went into town for supplies. His mind was still on Sloane, who had gone home. He expected her back later for another round in bed and possibly further discussion about their feelings. Gene hadn’t anticipated that Sloane’s minor annoyance with the Delacortes’ stay at his bed-and-breakfast would lead to him and Sloane professing their love for each other. Yet it had only been a matter of time before they declared their feelings to each other.

For his part, Gene had known early on that Sloane was someone very special with whom he could possibly fall in love. She had managed to steal his heart and give him a whole new and exciting reason for living. And to know that her feelings for him were just as strong floored Gene. What more could he have asked for than coming to the aid of a gorgeous, sexier-than-she-imagined woman and falling for her, while getting the same in return?

Rather than simply accepting his good fortune, Gene wanted to make sure it never went away. But how could he be certain of that? He’d already gone through the marriage thing and learned the hard way that it offered no guarantees and, in his case, only heartbreak and disappointment.

Could it be different with Sloane? Or was that a direction she still had little interest in, with her professional objectives taking priority?

What Gene didn’t want was to mess things up by applying undue pressure or making demands that might backfire, driving Sloane away. Not to mention he wasn’t sure what the hell he wanted beyond the love and lust they gave each other. Maybe that was enough in and of itself to sustain them. Or maybe the more they gave of themselves, the more they would want or demand.

For now, Gene intended to immerse himself in the new direction their relationship had taken that made him feel higher than the clouds and had him thinking ahead to tomorrow and the day after.

Sloane welcomed the group from New Orleans to the Island Shores. They were assembled in a conference room where she would tell them about various activities they had arranged that were designed to keep them engaged while their spouses were at business meetings. She wasn’t too sure they all were on the same page, which was why her choices had a range of appeal.

“Aloha, everyone,” she said, getting their attention. “We are so pleased that you’ve come to Maui with your spouses to enjoy some fun and frolic away from home. I’ve put together an amazing itinerary that I’m sure everyone will enjoy. But first, let me tell you a bit about Maui and what makes it the best of the Hawaiian Islands.”

After doing her best to promote Maui, Sloane was ready to offer her program for keeping them busy while satisfying the overall objectives of the corporate gathering at the Island Shores.

“For today, I thought we’d start off with a visit to the Maui Arts and Cultural Center,” Sloane stated. “It’s located on the north shore of central Maui in Kahului, not far from the airport. After lunch, our next stop will be Lahaina, which means ‘merciless sun’ for its hot weather at this time of year. Lahaina is located in West Maui and known for its famous Front Street with fine art galleries and numerous interesting shops.”

Sloane outlined the other activities she’d planned for the next few days, including hanging out on Kaanapali Beach, snorkeling in Kapalua Bay, visiting the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku and Maui Mall, going on a supper cruise and, on their last day, enjoying a luau at the Island Shores Resort.

Whew, that went about as well as could be expected,
Sloane told herself after it was over. She was pleased that she had put together a well-rounded itinerary for the group. Now the hard part was making sure everything went without a hitch.

A couple of hours later, Sloane was still on her feet and feeling sorely in need of a foot massage. She knew Gene would be happy to be her masseur, as he had expertly soothed her tired feet several other times, giving special attention to each toe and her heels. Then afterward he would be more than welcome to rub down and stroke other parts of her body.

Sloane’s phone rang, jarring her from those sensual thoughts. It was her girlfriend, Gail.

“Hey there,” Sloane said pleasantly.

“I need to get away from here,” Gail complained.

“What happened?”

“What didn’t happen is a better question,” Gail snorted. “Went on a blind date that was a total disaster. Business is good, but I had a falling-out with a supplier. Oh, and did I mention that my mother was here for a week getting on my case about being single, too thin and needing a makeover? Need I say more?”

Sloane suppressed a chuckle, though she felt bad for her. “Sounds like you have had it rough.”

“I’d like to come to Maui for a few days, clear my head and have some fun for a change.”

Sloane quickly adjusted to the surprise news. “That sounds fine. When?”

“This Friday through Sunday,” Gail said. “I know it’s short notice, but—”

“Don’t be silly,” Sloane broke in. “You’re more than welcome to stay with me.”

“Who said anything about staying with you? I’m sure your sofa is comfortable and your bed, too, but I’d rather not put you out.” Gail sighed. “I’d like to stay at your man’s bed-and-breakfast, if there’s a room available.”

“Hmm.” Sloane knew that Gene’s suites were often booked months in advance. “I’ll give him a call to see if he has anything.”

“Thanks,” Gail’s said. “I want to check out this Gene Malloy myself in his own environment to see if he really passes muster in romancing my best friend.”

A chuckle escaped Sloane’s throat. She could imagine Gail giving Gene the third degree and him looking at her as if she were crazy. On the other hand, if Gene really was to become a fixture in her life, she wanted him and Gail to get along, just as Gene wanted her to like Walter and Talia, and vice versa.

“You’ll see for yourself what a terrific guy he is,” Sloane told her confidently. “I’m sure he’ll like you, too—but not too much.”

Gail chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“You’d better.” Sloane laughed. “Actually, I think it would be great if you stayed at his bed-and-breakfast. That way you could interact with the other guests and not find yourself bored to death while I’m at work.”

“Fat chance of that,” Gail said. “If I’m going to fly across the country and ocean, you can be damn sure that I won’t allow myself to be bored in Hawaii.”

“Good point,” Sloane said. “And who knows, you might even find Mr. Right in Maui, just like I did.”

“That would be nice,” Gail said dreamily. “I could sell my business and reopen it there, or follow my dream man wherever he happened to be from.”

“Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s make sure Gene has a room,” Sloane told her. “Or, if that fails, I can get you a nice room at the Island Shores.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Gail said. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”

Sloane disconnected and called Gene. He picked up right away.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said sweetly.

She beamed at hearing his appealing voice and flattery. “Do you happen to have a suite open this weekend?”
Say yes, please.

“As a matter of fact, I do. The couple in the Paradise Suite is checking out on Thursday and the room will be free for the next week.”

“Perfect,” Sloane said. “My girlfriend, Gail, from Raleigh, wants to fly in for a few days. I could put her at the Island Shores, but I wanted to try you first.”

“That was thoughtful,” Gene said. “I’d be delighted to play host for your friend.”

Sloane smiled. “Great! I’ll tell her.”

“I’m sure she’ll be checking me out, so I guess I should be on my best behavior,” he joked.

“Aren’t you always?”

“For the most part.” Gene chuckled. “I admit to being a bit naughty when I’m in bed with you.”

“Just a bit naughty?” Sloane asked.

“Okay, a lot,” Gene said, chuckling lasciviously.

“That’s more like it.”

“I haven’t heard any complaints from you.”

“That’s because there are none,” she conceded, blushing. “You do your thing exceedingly well in the bedroom.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to put a smile on your face when the deed is done,” Gene promised.

“You just keep doing your deeds and I’ll keep smiling,” Sloane murmured, feeling hot all over.

Gene laughed. “It’s a deal.”

She lifted one heel of her pump off the floor, relieving the soreness. “I think what I could use most right now is a foot massage. Think you could help me out there?”

“It would be my pleasure to give your feet a nice massage. Shall I come to your place or do you want to come to mine?”

“You can come over,” she told him. “I should be home in about an hour.”

“I’ll see you then,” he said. “I promise your feet will get extra-special attention, along with any other body parts that need tending to.”

“I’m counting on it.” Sloane smiled. “Bye for now. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Gene responded.

Sloane loved hearing those words of endearment from Gene, just as she felt good being able to say the same to him. Things were certainly looking up for her these days. Was that a sign that the future would be even brighter?

Sloane picked up Gail at the airport, excited that her friend would be there to share a bit of quality time.
I probably should have invited her sooner, but there was just too much going on.
Including a magical romance with Gene, who had stolen her heart and filled her with joy. Maybe Gail would be as fortunate after being with one too many losers.

Sloane spotted Gail as she emerged into the sunlight. Both broke into a smile.

“Hey, girl,” Gail said.

“Aloha,” Sloane replied, keeping up with her now-routine Hawaiian greeting. She put a flower lei around her neck.