Impossible Love: An Unforeseen Destiny Novel Book One (4 page)

Ashamed, I force myself to turn back to the table, and I glance at Mom. She raises her eyebrows at me and smirks.

“Looks like the foliage isn’t the only thing adding beauty to the island.”

“Mom!” I say in a harsh whisper, glancing at the honeymooners. They’re too engaged with each other to have heard Mom.
I think.

I swipe the dangling car keys from her fingers and ignore the sudden warmth invading my cheeks. She chuckles as I add them to the dry bag and shift my efforts on the proper way to close it. My hands fumble with the closure while Mom stifles another laugh.

The hot tour guide moves to an open grassy field area. His sexy voice rings through the air as he calls everyone to join him in a circle. Mom keeps her mouth pressed tight as she looks at me, but the impish sparkle in her eyes gives her thoughts away. She’s so enjoying my embarrassment. I shake my head and try to ignore the second wave of warmth flooding my face.

“Behave,” I whisper, making our way to the group.

“Kayla, can you hold this for a second?” Mom hands me the lunch tote and repositions her baseball hat.

“Good morning, everyone. My name is Kai Hale, but if you can’t remember when we’re out on the river, just call me anything, I’ll answer.”

He smiles, and my gaze drops to his mouth. His perfect mouth with lips that are neither too small nor too large. Watching them move, I wonder what it would feel like to have those lips on my own. Would he be a passionate or aggressive kisser? Or a combination of both? It’s not like I’m an expert in the field, but it doesn’t stop me from picturing those lips upon me.

“There’s only eight of us today, so my job will be easier,” he says jokingly, smiling even wider.

The group’s laughter breaks my trance, and I turn away, face fully inflamed. I try to ignore the flurry of emotions his smile causes.

Gah. What am I thinking?
Perhaps Staci is rubbing off on me. I need to concentrate on his instructions or else I’ll probably drown. But if I capsize, then wouldn’t hot tour-guide Kai have to save me? No, don’t go there.
Concentrate
.

“Does anyone here have any experience?” Kai asks.

A few hands raise, but I make sure to keep mine down. I don’t know squat about kayaking other than the oars go into the water, and I don’t want to tip over.

“Good, not a lot. I actually prefer people not to have experience,” Kai says.

His dark brown eyes scan the crowd and lands upon mine. Kai’s speech pauses, and a hint of confusion crosses his face. It happens so quickly; I think I imagined it. Or, it means nothing, because he looks away and talks about maneuvering the kayak.

“When the kayak veers to the left, place your left oar in the water and paddle…”

Kai keeps talking, but his words become jumbled in my brain. What the hell? There’s a crapload of cute guys crawling all over Purdue’s campus. I don’t understand what makes him so special.

I force myself not to look at him as he continues with the instructions‌—‌the possible life-saving instructions. But damn, even the sound of his voice keeps doing weird things to my insides.

I mentally shake off these stupid feelings and glance at him. Kai isn’t paying any attention to me. In fact, he won’t even look me. He asks a question and seeks approval from every individual. But me. When Kai’s gaze lands on the person to my left, he skips over me to Mom. How stupid am I to be lusting over this boy? It’s clear the attraction isn’t mutual.

Chapter
Six

Kai~

I glance at the group scheduled for the next tour and mentally calculate eight people. With only five minutes before instructions begin, my gut tightens at the prospect of the other couple canceling. I meander over to McKenna and she shakes her head, confirming my fear.

“Only eight today,” I ask.

“The last couple canceled.”

I nod and try to remain expressionless. I don’t want my disappointment to show, but damn, this tour needed to be full. Tomorrow’s tour isn’t full either. By working on commission, rent may be hard to come up with this month if I don’t make my full wages. I suppress a sigh. I suppose my tips for the rest of the week will determine how hard a hit my savings account will endure.

McKenna flashes me a reassuring smile and hands over the itinerary comprising the group names I’ll be guiding along the Wailua River.

“It looks like you’ll have a decent group today, though. Everyone seems nice.”

“Thanks,” I say. At least there’s that. In the past, I’ve been tempted to lead a few arrogant groups down a wrong turn. And after spending last night half awake with Bethany, I’m ready for a hassle-free day.

A quick scan shows the usual crowd: the honeymooners, the adventure-seekers, the elderly couple, and the lesbians. Wait‌…‌that’s different. My gaze reverts to the girl whose back is facing me. The long, dark hair pulled into a ponytail suggests the girl is younger than the woman standing in front of her‌—‌presumably the lady’s daughter, perhaps more my age. Unwittingly, my view drops to the girl’s legs and the jean shorts that cuts off right below her tight ass. I swallow down the growl threatening to escape and picture those lean, skinny poles wrapped around me.
Shit, what the hell am I thinking?
I drag my chin down and order myself to read the itinerary. John Cox would fire my ass if he thought I was ogling his customers, especially after Hagan’s incident a few years back. Almost being sued over his employee having sex with the customer’s underage daughter caused a huge policy change. In Hagan’s defense, he had no idea she was underage. The charges were dropped, but John continues to make sure we stay in line.

I sneak another glance. Damn, I’m a sucker for lengthy legs.

Unable to help myself, I skim to the two girls’ names and hold back a sigh.
My detective skills suck.
The information helps somewhat‌—‌the two last names are the same, Cannon. But with Kayla and Cara as the first names, I’m not sure who’s the youngest. I shake my head and waltz to the open grassy area to direct everyone’s attention. Knowing who the girl is or anything about her doesn’t matter. She’s a customer. End of discussion.

“Good morning, everyone. If we can all form a circle, we’ll get started.” I stand in an open area and wait for the group to get positioned.

Kayla and Cara join the circle last, the older of the two standing to the left of me. “Kayla, can you hold this for a second?” the older lady asks.

Okay then, that’s settled. The sweet ass belongs to Kayla. Happy to have that resolved, I scan the group before beginning.

“My name is Kai Hale, but if you can’t remember when we’re out on the river, just call me anything, I’ll answer.”

I go into my usual spiel and ask if anyone has kayaking experience. A few hands raise, and like clockwork, I go right into my “preferably non-experienced” speech. I need to gauge everyone’s skill level, so I analyze their facial expressions while I ask specific questions. People reveal so much about themselves through non-verbal communication.

I assess each individual, but my body stills when my gaze lands on a pair of piercing cobalt-blue eyes. The hue is so striking; they’re almost violet. I pull my head back slightly as my speech trails off.
Hmm‌…‌I’ve seen that particular shade of eye color before
. I shake away my confusion and try to ignore the neglected wisps of dark hair framing her face. A seemingly perfect face.

“Um, so when you’re out on the river and the kayak veers to the left, which side do you place the oars?” I ask.

I await an answer, but no one volunteers the correct information. I then explain the proper oar placement and steal another glimpse at Kayla. For her height, her facial features are petite‌—‌high cheekbones, straight little nose. Damn, she’s beautiful. My eyes are drawn to her full lips. Those perfectly kissable lips beg me to violate them.
Whoa, don’t go there, Kai.

My mind races as I continue with the impromptu lessons. I need to stay focused, but my gaze drops to those long legs again. Images of her naked body lying beneath me with those thighs embedded around my hips parade through my mind. My cock tightens and strains against my shorts in response. That snaps me out of my fantasy. Quick.
What the hell is wrong with me?
This island isn’t short of beautiful girls, both locals and tourists. There’s no need to allow this particular one to mess with my job.

I adjust my stance and strategically place the clipboard to conceal a certain body part. I clear my throat and continue with the instructions. It’s probably best I don’t look at her, at least until I feel confident no one will drown.

“Okay, any more questions?” I ask, carefully assessing everyone’s response. Everyone except Kayla. No way am I looking at her. The transport van pulls into the driveway, and I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. The quicker this tour is over, the better. “Okay, if there aren’t any more questions, then follow me, and we’ll head to the river.”

I grip the clipboard tighter and lead the group to the van. Pulling the side door open, I nod at the driver, Paul.

“Right on schedule,” I say to Paul as everyone piles inside. I’m glad he’s here. He’ll make a good distraction and keep me focused on the task at hand.

“The rains last night may make for an interesting day,” he says, trying to hide his grin.

“Yeah, I know. The trail was just starting to dry, too.”

There’s a short stretch of the trail that turns to thick mud if it rains too much. Yesterday wasn’t too bad, and people enjoyed trudging through the muck. Today may turn interesting, depending on how deep people sink.

Kayla slides to the middle seat, and the last person enters behind her. Bob, the older gentleman, takes his sweet time settling beside her. He eyes her legs the entire time. Then he has the audacity to breathe deeply and shudder. Fucking pervert. He’s here with his wife.
How about paying attention to her, not someone half your age
? My jaw clenches as I slam the door shut. With too much force, I swing the passenger door open and ignore Paul’s surprised look. He doesn’t say anything as I climb into the passenger seat and take a few calming breaths. I need to relax before asking the basic get-to-know-everyone questions. This tour is supposed to be fun-filled. I don’t want to ruin everyone’s day with my‌…‌my anger?
Jeez, calm down.
There’s no need for me to be this upset.

“Is this everyone’s first time to the island?” I ask after finally coming to my senses.

Paul throws the van into reverse as the honeymoon couple, occupying the last row of seats, answers first. The adventure-seekers pipe up, mumbling about their third trip to the island when Paul shifts the gear to drive. We proceed forward when the elderly couple’s wife says this trip is their second time visiting.

I shift in my seat and notice Kayla’s mom staring out the window, lost in thought. Her stare is almost haunting, and I briefly wonder what demons she possesses. Twisting a bit more, I make direct eye contact with Kayla. Her mother forgotten, I fall silent and wait for her answer.

She hesitates slightly while holding my gaze. “This is my first time to the island.”

She doesn’t add any information, and my usual follow-up questions get swallowed by her stare, No one else in the van exists while her eyes hold me captive.

“How long are you here?” The question flies out of my mouth before I can stop it. I sense Paul’s questionable look, but I shrug off his concern. I need to know how long she’s staying.
Why
I don’t know, but I’m curious as hell.

“Three weeks,” she mumbles, a tinge of pink flooding her cheeks.

Three weeks.
Three very short weeks, then she’ll be gone‌—‌Kauai, a diminishing memory in the back of her mind. My stomach rolls. I’m not sure why her leaving bothers me so much, but the fact reinforces that I need to get my head together.

“I hope you enjoy your stay. Kauai can be‌…‌magical.”

I face forward and catch sight of Paul’s sideways glance. His eyebrows squish together, and he looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
Fuck!
Magical? Why the hell did I say that? I think Kamp’s cheesiness is contagious. I remain tight-lipped the rest of the drive to the launch site.

“Remember to paddle along the north side once we take off,” I say after everyone launches safely into the river. To reinforce the fact, I point to the deck boats and a big tour boat that’s floating down the river. “It’s imperative to give them the right away, to assure our safety.”

They nod in understanding, and I give the green light to begin, motioning for the older couple to take off first. That bastard is taking the lead, getting as far away from Kayla as possible. I hang back to make sure everyone clears the channel into the river. Boats pass through here, which has me constantly watching. The last thing I want is for someone’s kayak to capsize. Or worse yet, be hit by a boat. Killing off paying customers won’t settle too well with the touring company.

I scan the group to ensure everyone’s paddling correctly and staying toward the right. My gaze inadvertently strays to Kayla. She’s perched in front of the kayak with sunbeams cascading around her. It’s picture-perfect. Or it would be if they were paddling correctly. Shifting my kayak to the left, I propel toward them to repeat the instructions I said earlier. I’ve learned once people launch into the water, they have a hard time applying the concepts.

“When the point of your kayak starts veering too far toward the left, bring the left paddle down in the water.” I wait for them to demonstrate correctly and then encourage, “Yes, like that. Okay, now it’s pointing too far to the right, so make the adjustments by paddling on the right side.” They follow my instructions precisely and have the concept down, but I don’t want to quit talking to her. “Okay, left‌…‌left‌…‌now right. Okay.”

Kayla and her mom know what they’re doing, and I really should leave them alone, but I can’t seem to make myself go. Not yet. I begin to ramble.

“The farther along we go, you’ll gain more confidence with each stroke. On the way back from the waterfall, you’ll be an expert and will be able to relax more.”