Delicious Do-Over (12 page)

After she’d loosened up, she’d surprised him with her eagerness to learn. He’d never played the teacher role before and he actually enjoyed the experience. Even when he’d popped his cherry at fifteen it had been with an older college woman. Of course there hadn’t been any instruction going on. The whole thing had happened embarrassingly fast.

Lindsey stirred, but she was still asleep. Slowly he peeled back the sheet and examined the red mark on her neck. It bothered him to know he’d done that to her. Unintentionally, but it didn’t matter. It was there with no way of erasing it.

Thinking he saw her eyelid twitch, he stayed perfectly still, watching, waiting, hoping she’d get more sleep, hoping she’d wake up and kiss him.

She was amazing. It wasn’t just her looks, although she rocked that department, too. She was brave and much stronger than she seemed to think. It was always easier to follow the crowd, do something because everyone else did it. Lindsey held her ground on certain principles, and she sure as hell wasn’t a pushover.

He saw her lid twitch again, then she wrinkled her nose. Making a small fist, she stretched one arm above her head, arched her back and slowly opened her eyes. They widened on him as if she’d forgotten he was there. Then she blinked, tucked in her hand, her lips curving in that shy smile he liked too damn much.

“Hey,” he said, gently kissing her cheek.

She primly pulled the sheet up to her throat. “What time is it?”

He hid a smile and tugged at the sheet. “Hmm, you have something down there I haven’t seen yet?”

She gave him a dirty look. “You’re hilarious.”

“Come on. Let me see if I missed anything.” He ducked his head under the covers.

Laughing, she pulled his hair.

“Ouch.” He shot back up. “I guess I need a hair cut.”

Lindsey frowned. “I usually like short hair on men, but I don’t know, I kind of like it long,” she said, moving a shoulder. “It suits you.”

“What? The beach-bum look?”

“Is that what you are?” The teasing glint in her eye was gone with a blink, and for a few awkward seconds neither of them spoke.

She didn’t have to say it. She wouldn’t be happy with a man who had no ambition or goal in life. She was too smart, too sensible. She believed in long-term plans.

He had the sudden urge to tell her about the patent, how he never had to work another day if that’s what he chose. She’d be more impressed with his current project, not the product itself…she wouldn’t give a crap about a lighter surfboard, but that he was actively working and so close…

But close didn’t cut it. He’d been “close” for two years now. Just as he’d been close to designing the next generation camber profile snow ski, until someone else had beat him to it.

Nah, there was nothing to tell her. He’d end up opening the door to questions he didn’t want to think about, much less answer. Almost thirty and he’d accomplished nothing in the past ten years. Pretty sad that he’d done all his best stuff by twenty.

“Hey.” He placed a hand on her belly, then briefly cupped the small patch of trimmed blond hair below, the one place his mouth hadn’t been. She’d told him she wasn’t ready, and he hadn’t pushed it.

She squirmed, smiled a little. “‘Hey’ what?”

“It’s seven-thirty. I’m starving. We can either order room service, or get on the road and stop somewhere along the way.”

“Room service. I need—” She jerked, breathed a soft gasp when he slid a finger against her. “Coffee.”

Dammit, he was hard. He flipped the sheet back, and her gaze went straight to his cock. He pumped it once, a second time. She didn’t look away. Major progress. “I’ll order,” he said. “What else besides coffee?”

She threw off her side of the sheet and moved against his palm. “I bet we used up all the condoms.”

“Nope. Only five.”

“Only,” she repeated with a mocking smile, then tensed, briefly closed her eyes, gasped again.

He touched her tightened right nipple. “Pancakes? Waffles? An omelet?”

She caught her lower lip with her teeth, slightly arched her back. “Surprise me.”

“I intend to.” Damn, they had used up the condoms that were on the nightstand. The box was in the bathroom. “Here.” He took her hand, and cupped her palm over her pussy. “Keep this warm for me.”

The color rushed to her cheeks and her hand stiffened. Obviously she wasn’t crazy about that idea. The night had been one long exploration, sometimes they’d moved too fast and strained her comfort level. He’d made sure she knew none of it was a problem. If she’d pulled the sheet back over her body before he returned, he wouldn’t be surprised.

He lightly kissed her lips, rolled his tongue over the nipple he’d abandoned. “Be right back.”

“Rick?”

Since he’d already hit the floor, he stopped by her side of the bed.

She gingerly stroked his cock, looked up at him with those big blue eyes and said, “First the condom, then room service.”

While he paid the cashier, Lindsey waited outside the door of the small store, enjoying the ocean breeze coming from across the highway, and watching a heavyset older woman with long black hair liberally streaked with gray. She sat on the grass under a coconut tree, strumming a ukulele and singing to herself. Her woven hat and faded Hawaiian shirt had seen better days and her feet were bare, but she seemed at peace with her music, stopping only to scatter scraps of bread to the squawking birds.

“Last chance,” Rick said as he joined Lindsey outside. “Need anything before we head to my place?”

Shaking her head, she frowned at the bag, suspicious of the brown box she’d glimpsed. “I thought you needed coffee.”

A sly smile tugged at his mouth, and he opened the bag to her inspection. It was a box of milk chocolate macadamia nut clusters. Not one of the small boxes, either.

“You rat. You know I can’t resist those darn things.”

“Don’t worry.” He put an arm around her, kissed her hair and murmured, “I plan on working every calorie off you.”

She smiled, having become more accustomed to his teasing. They walked toward the Jeep, and the woman in the hat looked up, her brown face lighting up with a big grin when she spotted Rick. She stopped strumming long enough to wave a thick hand, then went back to her music.

“Hi, Auntie Leialoha.” Rick jerked his head toward the store. “Jimmy has two more loaves of bread for your birds.”

“Mahalo, Rick.” Still grinning, the woman gave him a reproving shake of her head. “God bless you.”

“She lost her son in the Gulf War,” Rick said softly. “She hasn’t been the same since.”

“You’re related?” Lindsey asked when they got to the Jeep.

“Related? No.” He paused. “Ah, she’s not really my aunt. Around here it’s a term of respect when you address someone older. Everyone calls her Auntie Leialoha. If I introduce you to some of the little kids they’ll call you Auntie Lindsey.”

“Really?”

“It’s kind of weird at first, but you get used to it.” His phone rang, and he dug it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. “Sorry. I gotta take this.”

“Go ahead.” She climbed into the passenger seat and watched him round the front. Heard him address the caller. Apparently it was Wally, someone he’d spoken to earlier as they’d left the hotel.

He stopped, stared at the Hawaiian shaved-ice stand across the street, and scowled over something he’d been told. He seemed really ticked off, and Lindsey tried not to eavesdrop, but this demeanor was such a contrast to Rick’s easygoing manner that she couldn’t help herself.

He slanted her a glance. Abruptly he turned away, raked a hand through his hair and dropped his voice to a low angry murmur.

A strong breeze swept off the water, picked up his voice and carried it to Lindsey just as he said, “I don’t care what she says. Just make sure she’s out of my house before we get there.”

Lindsey stiffened. He was talking about another woman. Who was at his place? Or maybe Lindsey had heard wrong. His voice had been muffled, the wind sometimes distorted sound…

Come on, Lindsey
. She had no right to be upset if he was involved with someone else. Of course he hadn’t said anything about it, but if he were that callous…

Feeling a bit queasy, she pressed a hand to her stomach.

He swung in behind the wheel. “Sorry about that. Small change in plans. We’re… Are you all right?”

“Fine.” She pretended to smooth the front of her tank top, wishing her stomach would settle down. “A change in plans?”

“We’re not going to my house yet. We’re stopping at the shop.”

“Your shop?” she asked, and he nodded. “I thought we were close to your place.”

“We are.”

“Maybe I could drop off my bag first.” She kept her gaze level with his, waiting for guilt to creep across his face.

“Give me a half hour.” He didn’t even blink. “In Motion is on the way.”

“Sure.” She turned her head and stared toward the vast blue ocean, aware that he was dividing his attention between her and reversing the Jeep.

He had to know something was wrong. Maybe he knew her better than she apparently knew him. If he was seeing someone seriously, then good for him. But he’d had no business showing up at the hotel to meet her.

Lindsey sniffed quietly. Or making her fall just a little bit in love with him.

“Sunset,” he said gruffly, turning to Rick. “Where do you think?” The man’s piercing black gaze shifted to Lindsey. “You must be—” His bushy brows drew into a frown.

“Lindsey,” Rick offered. “This old grouch is Wally.”

“I’d shake your hand but I got crap all over mine.” He inspected his rough callused palms, and muttered, “No wonder since I’ve been doing all the work around here lately.”

With a faint smile, Rick winked at her. “Wally runs the show and keeps everyone in line.”

“Including you.” Wally stared blatantly at Lindsey, his craggy face a perpetual frown, and then switched his attention to Rick. “She’s a knockout. What’s she doing with you?”

“Haven’t figured that out yet.” Rick hugged her against his side and kissed her heated cheek. “What did Deanna say? Does she want cash or credit applied toward her next board?”

“Cash,” Wally said, glancing again at Lindsey, his speculative gaze moving over her face, down her body. Not insolent, but curious. “She just called. She split but didn’t get to the patio.”

Rick spread his hands. “The patio?” he said irritably. “What could they have—” He sighed, shook his head in defeat.

“Hey, bro, don’t shoot the messenger.” Wally chuckled, oblivious to Rick’s annoyance. “You got a minute to go over some invoices?”

“No.” Rick dug into his pocket, pulled out some cash and counted out a few twenties. “Is this enough?”

Wally shrugged. “Too much, but I know you’ll give it to her anyway.”

Lindsey walked over to a rack of T-shirts and tank tops, absently sifting through them as she vaguely listened to the men go back and forth. Rick sent her a couple of apologetic glances but she waved them off. The truth was, she was glad for the opportunity to be with her own thoughts. Her very morose thoughts.

She couldn’t help but think this stop was a stall tactic. It made her sick to consider that Wally knew what Rick was doing. That he was buying time to get rid of one woman so he could replace her with another. Maybe that’s why Wally had sized her up.

Clenching her teeth, she ordered herself to stop torturing herself. Rick was a free agent. So was she. Sure, last night had been incredible for her, more than she’d anticipated. It was supposed to be about sex, that’s all, but she’d felt as if they’d connected on a different level, as if there might be a tiny spark that would carry them beyond this week. But apparently she was wrong. It wasn’t his problem, it was hers. They had a silent agreement. One splendid hedonistic week of madness, and then back to their old lives. She couldn’t blame him for actually having a life.

But deep down she did. She blamed herself, too, for thinking she was open-minded and sophisticated enough to walk away from the encounter unscathed. Good grief, what had happened to her? She was more sensible than this. She knew herself better than to risk becoming emotionally involved.

She breathed in, slowly breathed out, trying to clear her head. Maybe she was simply over tired and over-reacting. Maybe there was another explanation for what she’d overhead. That was entirely possible.

Wally’s hearty laugh pierced her preoccupation. He and Rick were trading barbs, which she doubted was for her entertainment. The two men seemed to have a gruff affection for one another and only an hour ago she would’ve enjoyed listening to them. Right now, all she wanted to do was to return to Waikiki. In fact, the next flight to Chicago wasn’t out of the question.

“Hey.” Rick was suddenly beside her, his hand at the small of her back. When he tried to kiss the side of her neck, she moved her head.

“The T-shirt you wore the other day,” she said, avoiding his eyes. “It had your shop’s logo. I didn’t know—”

“Lindsey.” He rubbed her back. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She darted a look toward the register where she’d last seen Wally. He wasn’t there. “Your friend…he seems like a real character.”

“Yep. I’ve known him for five years. He runs the shop. Whether I’m here or not. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

“I’m glad for you.”

He hesitated, and she knew he was studying her, trying to figure out what was going on, but she couldn’t look at him. He read her too well, and she was feeling pretty miserable. And the last thing she wanted was his pity.

“Look,” he said finally, “I only wanted to drop off the money and introduce you to Wally. We can leave anytime you want.”

A nasty remark about the coast being clear teetered at the tip of her tongue, but she thought better of it. “Sure.”

“Why don’t you pick out some tanks and shirts for yourself and your friends? You know, a souvenir from the North Shore.”

She looked at him then because he sounded nervous. His hazel eyes were dark and troubled as they met hers. Did he finally understand that she knew what was going on?

Silently, she cleared her throat. “We should go.”

“Right. We’ll be dropping by here again. You’ll have more time to check out the merchandise.” His mouth lifted in a worried smile. “Wally’s in the back. I’ll tell him we’re leaving.”

She managed to return his smile, desperately wanting to ask him about the phone call. She didn’t want to say she’d eavesdropped, but more than that, she didn’t want to see him lie. But this wasn’t the time or place. She would ask him, though, either in the car or at his home. She’d be able to tell if he was hiding something, if there was someone important in his life. If necessary, she’d ask him to take her back to Waikiki, or she’d spring for a cab.

Heck, maybe she should just go ahead and do that anyway. No matter what, she already was in over her head.