Pleasure in Hawaii (Kimani Romance) (8 page)

Sloane tilted her head to look at Gene’s striking face. He too seemed quietly contemplative now that the sighs and moans they had emitted earlier had subsided. “So where are we going with this?” she asked.

Gene lowered his eyes to connect with hers. “You mean our relationship?”

“Is that what it is?” Her lashes fluttered. Neither had really defined what it was they were engaged in.

“What do you want it to be?”

She glared at him. “Come on now, that’s not fair. I’m asking you the question. Please don’t turn it around on me.”

His jaw tightened. “All right. We’re obviously involved in more than a one-night stand. I suppose we are seeing each other or dating.” He met her gaze. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Sloane pursed her lips, happy to know he saw things as she did to an extent, but feeling unsatisfied for some reason. “I only want to know how you really feel about us,” she responded. “Not what you think I want to hear.”

He chuckled. “Well, I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

She drew in a deep breath. “Do you see a future between us?”

“I thought you were only looking for fun and sexual frolic, nothing serious?”

“Maybe I was—then.”

His gaze remained focused on her face. “And now…?”

Sloane considered this carefully. She didn’t want to give him the wrong signal. Or seem wishy-washy. At the same time, it was a woman’s prerogative to change her position midstream. And a man’s, too.

“I think I want to build something steady between us and see where it goes from there.”
Okay, I’ve put it out there. Now the rest is up to you.

“I’d like that, too,” Gene said equably.

“Seriously…?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Always a but,” she cut in with irritation. “But what?”

He lifted his leg off hers. “I can’t promise you anything like an official commitment.”

“That’s not what I’m asking for,” she said tartly.

“You’re sure about that?” Doubt rang in his voice.

“Yes. I just wanted to know that our heads were in the same place in wanting to be together.”

“I definitely want to be with you,” Gene said honestly. “You’re everything I could ask for in a woman. But, putting my cards on the table, I’ve already been through a marriage and I’m not really looking to go down that road again. I just want things to continue as they are.”

“Who said anything about marriage?” Sloane rolled her eyes. “No one’s asking you to sign away your bachelorhood in blood. I didn’t come to Maui to get married, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m not worried,” he insisted. “I only wanted to put it out there so we understand each other.”

“I think I’m beginning to understand all too well.” She untangled herself from his body, suddenly feeling unsettled about the limitations of this arrangement. “You want all the goodies of a hot and passionate sexual relationship, but only on your terms.”

“Seems to me that we entered into this with the same terms. Or am I mistaken?”

“Maybe we did,” she conceded. “It doesn’t mean I’m forever locked into that position. I was hoping you felt the same. If not, then I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too, if I’ve offended you,” he said sincerely. “That was never my intention. To be clear, I’m not locked into anything, except for wanting to be with you. I simply think that there’s no reason to rock the cart by looking too far ahead. Let’s just take it a day at a time.”

Sloane suddenly realized that she might have been expecting too much, too soon from him. They hadn’t been involved for that long and they both needed time to see if this was truly headed in the right direction or if it would burn itself out before either could end up hurt and disillusioned.

“Sure, why not?” Sloane told him, knowing she had her job to fall back on in case things with Gene stalled. “I wouldn’t want any apples to fall out of that cart.”

Gene grinned seductively. “You’re the apple of my eye.”

She felt his awareness of her. “You would say that while we’re naked in bed.”

“That can’t be helped, now can it?”

Sloane blinked. “If you say so.”

“I think we both say so.”

Gene ran his hand across her breast and nipple. Sloane couldn’t ignore how good it felt. When he put his hand between her legs, her ire with him began to melt like hot butter. No matter her misgivings, she couldn’t resist Gene when he put her in the mood. Perhaps he was playing on that in keeping what they had alive and well while shying away from something more substantive. And she was totally falling for it, just as she was falling for the man himself.

Gene spent the night at Sloane’s place, though they did little sleeping. She was the one woman with whom he could make love for hours on end and still be left wanting more. What he didn’t know was if this meant what they had constituted the basis for a long-term relationship. Sloane had caught him off guard in wondering where things were headed. He probably hadn’t handled it as well as he should have.

The truth was, he liked being with her. Apart from the sex, she was good company, something that had been sorely lacking in his life for a while now. But he wasn’t quite sure what it meant. Could what they had developed in bed lead to a much deeper commitment down the line?

Was marriage a possibility in the future, in spite of what he had suggested to Sloane? Or was that a road she had no interest in herself as an independent businesswoman who obviously had chosen not to settle down with anyone?

Gene didn’t care to speculate at the moment, hoping that they had sufficiently smoothed the waters while making the most of their time together. He was holding Sloane’s naked body, her alluring scent and taste lingering on his lips. Though they had practically worn each other out making love, he suspected they might still have one more round in them before it was time to go back to the bed-and-breakfast and cater to his guests and their needs.

S
loane made her rounds the following day, welcoming new guests and greeting current ones. In both instances, she wanted to show them the hospitality of Island Shores. It was why she’d been brought there, to uphold a tradition established ever since the resort hotel opened for business. Still fresh on Sloane’s mind was her conversation with Gene last night, before, during and after their lovemaking. It was still a mystery to her as to how far he wanted their relationship to go in the future. Clearly, he was not interested in marrying again, soured by his past experience. Indeed, Sloane had seen her fair share of marriages turned into divorce, affairs and unhappiness. Yes, she knew there were others who were successful in maintaining a long marriage and managed to keep the fires of bliss burning. But they seemed to be the exception rather than the rule these days.

It doesn’t mean I’d have to go down the same path
if I met the man of my dreams who happened to be the marrying type.

Gene came the closest to marriage material Sloane had ever been involved with for a woman for whom marriage had never been a priority. She’d always been too busy to want to think in those terms. And now that the idea of being a wife had entered her mind, the timing and man were off. Maybe something was telling her to keep that genie in the bottle and be happy that she had her career and a great lover. Not to mention living in as picturesque a setting as she could have ever dreamed.

“Aloha,” a woman said, getting Sloane’s attention.

She saw a thirtysomething couple standing there dressed casually and greeted them.

“Can you recommend a great place to have dinner outside the hotel?” asked the man.

Sloane smiled. “I sure can,” she responded, as two such places came to mind. “I think the Kaanapali Beach luau is a terrific choice for a fabulous dinner and great show. Or if you prefer a more romantic setting, you might want to try the Maui Seas supper cruise. The food is excellent and the views are incredible.” Aware that some visitors were more budget-conscious, she also recommended a couple of less expensive restaurants.

A few minutes later, Sloane ran into Sally Weincroft, the seventy-five-year-old Australian who had asked the hotel to set up her itinerary.

“G’day,” Sally said in a sprightly tone.

“Good day.” Sloane flashed her teeth at the woman, who was slender with fine white hair and seemingly the picture of health. It was her third day in Maui. “How are things going?”

“Marvelous. I’m having the time of my life, thanks to you and your staff.”

Sloane blushed. “We’re just doing our jobs.”

“You’re doing it well. I will tell my family and friends back in Sydney when I go home that they must visit Maui and stay at the Island Shores Resort.”

“Any recommendations are always appreciated,” Sloane told her.

Sally took a digital camera out of her purse. “Do you mind if I take a picture of you with me?”

Sloane’s mouth curved upward. “Of course you can.”

She hugged Sally and posed for the picture as Sally stretched her arm out and snapped the shot.

“Thanks so much,” Sally said. “It will add to my memories of this wonderful island.”

“Happy to do whatever I can to help,” Sloane said, and waved as Sally moved away.

A moment later Sloane was joined by Alan Komoda. “Based on her outfit, I’d say Sally has easily fit right in with us Hawaiians,” he said.

“I think you’re right,” Sloane said, noting Sally’s colorful Maui T-shirt and print shorts.

“Hopefully she’ll be influential in getting more people from Down Under to come here.”

Sloane gave him a knowing look. “I think there’s a very good chance of that.”

Alan nodded and then frowned. “It looks like some kids trashed a suite before they checked out.”

“My goodness,” Sloane uttered. “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough. All I can say is they must have had some wild party in there.”

“Do you want me to—?”

“I’ve taken care of it,” Alan said. “The damages and extra cleanup are being billed to the party who reserved the room.”

Sloane sighed. “That’s good.”

“Unfortunately, we get a few of those every year. Seems like a tropical paradise mixed with drinking leads to rowdy behavior for some people.”

“Those types don’t need a tropical setting to act crazy,” Sloane said. Still, she wondered if Gene ever had these problems at his bed-and-breakfast. If so, how did he deal with them? Was he able to spot potential troublemakers in advance?

The next day, Sloane had tea with Kendra in one of the Island Shore’s three restaurants, The Leaf Garden.

“Edy and I went out again last night,” Kendra gushed. “Then I spent the night at his place. That man must have invented the word stamina.”

“Didn’t waste any time, I see,” Sloane teased as she thought about Gene’s incredible stamina in bed, which she matched step for step.

“And it’s a good thing,” Kendra said with a smile. “The band is doing a gig in Kauai next weekend, so it will have to carry us till he gets back.”

Sloane smiled. “Sounds like you really have the hots for him. Or is it the other way around?”

“It’s both. We like hanging out—just like someone else I know.”

Sloane’s cheeks flushed. “Wonder who that might be?”

“You tell me.” Kendra batted her lashes. “Or have things cooled off between you and Mr. Bed-and-Breakfast hunk?”

“No, things have not cooled off between us.” Sloane put the teacup to her lips. “Quite the contrary, it seems to be getting better all the time in the bedroom.”

“What about outside the bedroom?” Kendra asked.

“Things are good there, too.” Sloane envisioned being in Gene’s arms on the dance floor.

“So the sex is great, the friendship is fantastic, the man walks on water—sounds like someone you’ll want to hang on to for a long time. Or am I reading you wrong?”

“I didn’t say he walked on water,” Sloane said, chuckling. “Well, maybe close to it. That doesn’t mean we’re in this for the long haul.”

“Doesn’t he feel the same way about you?” Kendra asked.

“I guess…” Sloane sighed. “I’m not sure where we’re headed, if anywhere. He’s divorced and not interested in marriage. I’m single and open to—”

“Whoa—” Kendra’s eyes widened. “You’ve already got marriage on your mind?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you aren’t denying it?”

“All I’m saying is that I’m keeping my options open,” Sloane said. “What will be, will be, whether it’s a long relationship or…whatever.”

“But what if you two aren’t on the same page?” Kendra asked curiously.

Sloane paused. How would she handle that? If she decided she wanted more than an out-of-this-world sexual relationship, would Gene come around to her way of thinking? Or was his position set in stone regarding tying the knot again someday? Sloane imagined the whole issue was probably all for naught since she was still holding true to her own plan of succeeding in her career and not allowing something such as marriage to detract from it. Or had her resolve begun to weaken, whether she cared to admit it or not?

“Then I suppose I might need to find a new book,” she remarked, though doubting it would come to that anytime soon.

Kendra grinned crookedly. “In that case, good thing there are lots of great reads out there in the form of eligible, gorgeous men.”

Sloane could barely conceive that anyone could captivate her the way Gene had. She only hoped it wasn’t the recipe to set her up for a fall.

Sloane’s cell phone rang. She took it out of her purse and saw that it was Gene calling. Should she answer it?

“Don’t mind me,” Kendra told her. “While you’re passing sweet words to your man, I’ll text Edy. He loves it when I tell him how hot he is.”

“Okay.” Sloane clicked on the phone. “Hi.”

“Hey,” he said. “Busy?”

“Not right now.” She took a sip of tea, happy to hear his sexy voice.

“My buddy, Walter, from Detroit and his wife, Talia, are flying in this weekend for their anniversary.”

“How nice,” Sloane said thoughtfully. “I take it they’ll be staying at your B&B?”

“Yeah.” Gene paused. “If you don’t mind, I was thinking that it would be nice if you spent some time with Talia, maybe show her around a bit.”

“I’d be happy to do that.”

“Thanks. I’m sure they will be googoo-gagaing each other most of the time, but that might grow old, and I just want them to have a good time.”

“Does anyone ever not have a good time when visiting Maui?” questioned Sloane. She wondered if he had always been so cynical about romance between a husband and wife. Or had his perception changed after his divorce?

“Probably not,” Gene allowed. “I guess I thought this would be a great opportunity for my best friend’s wife to hang out with my girlfriend.”

Sloane’s brow rose when she heard him describe her as his girlfriend. “So I’m your girlfriend now?”

He chuckled with embarrassment. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Sloane glanced at Kendra, who seemed to be hanging on every word. “Not if you don’t.”

“I don’t,” Gene said. “In fact, I like the sound of it.”

So did she. At least it gave them a foundation to build on. “I’ll try to think of something special to do with Talia,” she told him. “Do you know what kinds of things she enjoys?”

“She’s a runner,” Gene mentioned. “Talia would probably find it a big thrill to run alongside the ocean. Just be sure to stay away from those sneaker waves,” he added with a laugh.

“I’m sure we will.” Sloane forced a smile, though she wished someone had given her the same advice beforehand. “Anything else?”

“Talia loves to shop. Walter tells me she’s never entered a store she didn’t like. No telling how much she’ll run up the charge cards while here.”

“I know a couple of stores she’d probably like.” Sloane thought it might be the perfect time for her to build up her own wardrobe, as she had been too busy to do much shopping for nonessential clothing to this point.

“Sounds good,” Gene said. “You and Talia will get along great. You’ll definitely leave an impression on her.”

“Hope you haven’t gotten too carried away in your praise,” Sloane told him and saw Kendra suppressing a giggle. “I’m not sure I want to be put on a pedestal.” Certainly not by trying to impress his friends.

Gene laughed easily. “Don’t worry, I managed to contain my enthusiasm where you’re concerned. Walter and Talia are very down-to-earth people. They’re also close friends and always like to know how I’m doing, who I’m seeing, what she’s like—all that stuff.”

“I see.” Sloane thought about her friend Gail, in whom she’d confided about Gene and who always wanted to know more. Not to mention Kendra, who had finished her text and was seemingly itching for Sloane to hang up and fill her in on the details. “I’m looking forward to meeting your friends.” Maybe they could even give her a few tidbits about the man that he had chosen not to provide.

“I can assure you the feeling is mutual.” His voice dropped a charming octave, causing Sloane to react. “I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”

“All right,” she agreed, even if she would have loved to talk longer and more about their relationship.

“Talk to you later,” he said and made a kissing sound that managed to reach through the phone and warm Sloane’s soul.

Gene was a trifle nervous as he watched through the window for the rental car to pull into the driveway. It wasn’t every day that someone from his hometown visited. In fact, he could probably count on one hand those who had and stayed at the bed-and-breakfast, and that didn’t include Walter and Talia Griffin. Till now.

He wished Sloane were there with him to greet them, but understood that she was busy working. At least she was willing to get together with them and show Talia around. Gene was glad they seemed to have gotten past a small bump in the road and were moving to a new level of dating. He had referred to Sloane for the first time as his girlfriend, a term that he hadn’t used since before his marriage. He liked the sound of that where it concerned Sloane and was sure she felt the same with him as her boyfriend. Where they went from there was anyone’s guess. The one thing Gene knew for sure was he wanted Sloane to be a part of his life, be it as a steady romantic mate and best friend or possibly more down the line.

Gene was all smiles when the red Nissan Sentra drove up to the bed-and-breakfast. He stepped outside to welcome his hometown guests.

“If it isn’t Mr. Bed-and-Breakfast himself,” said Walter Griffin, grinning. “What’s up, man?”

“Aloha,” Gene offered the taller, wider man, giving him a big hug. He stepped back and studied his friend. “Do I detect a little gray in that closely cropped black hair?”

Walter squared his shoulders. “Maybe just a little. What can I say? That’s what being a hotshot law professor does to you.”

Gene laughed, running a hand over his shaved head. “The same might be true for a bed-and-breakfast owner if he had any hair.” Smiling, he turned to Talia. She was small-boned and attractive with bold brown eyes, and her black hair was done up in a corkscrew-braid interlock. “Hey, Tal.”

She grinned broadly. “Aloha, Gene.”

“Aloha.” He gave her a hug. “Good to see you again.”

“You, too.”

“How was the flight?” Gene asked her.

“Bumpy at times, smooth at others, and very long,” she responded. “But the important thing is we made it here in one piece.”

“There you have it,” Gene agreed, and gave Walter a pat on the shoulder.

“Your house is huge,” Talia proclaimed. “The brochure and pics you sent don’t do it justice.”

Gene grinned. “Let’s go inside and I’ll show you around.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Walter said. “And I can’t wait to meet this lovely lady you’ve been going on about.”

“She feels the same way,” Gene said, knowing they would have to wait a little while longer to meet.

Sloane decided to take the afternoon off to hang out with Gene and his friends. She was sure it would mean a lot to Gene, and this would give her the opportunity to spend more time around him while in the company of people he cared about aside from his guests. She wasn’t certain what to bring to his house, figuring that Gene likely had everything they would need as far as food and drink. In the end, Sloane settled on some gourmet chocolates and Maui Blanc pineapple wine.