AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The ship had officially sailed on my attempts at pretending to be sophisticated.
I gulped when he took my hand and led us off the beach and into a small jungle-like patch of palm trees. The ocean and beach were still in full view, but the palm fronds above our heads created a canopy that gave the illusion that we were in our own little world.
“I’m sorry, Beth.” His eyes bored into me as he said the words.
I pressed my back against the rough bark of one of the palm trees. It reminded me of a tall, skinny pineapple and poked my shoulder blades. But I didn’t care.
Kai was there.
“What do you have to apologize for?”
“I didn’t give you a chance to talk yesterday.” He closed the distance between us and cupped my cheek with his hand. “I should have let you explain.” He inched closer and placed a feather-soft kiss on my temple. “Can you forgive me?”
My chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. Spots floated around in my peripheral vision, and I was convinced a few of them were shaped like hearts. “Of course. Can you forgive me?”
Fiery passion like I hadn’t seen before flashed in his eyes, and his full, kissable lips curved into a smile. He put both hands on my waist as he inched toward me. “I think I already have.”
Those were his last words before he pressed his lips against mine. My eyelids fluttered closed as I melted into him. It might sound cliche, but the entire world faded away.
Nothing else mattered.
I slipped my arms around him, pulling him even closer, so that nothing stood between us. No schemes. No secrets. Not even a sliver of empty space.
I breathed him in as strong winds whipped around us. My heart beat to island time while Kai explored every inch of my lips—slowly and tenderly.
Thunder boomed overhead from clouds heavy with rain, but it didn’t faze us. Nothing was going to interrupt our special brand of magic, not even the tourists jogging down the beach, looking for shelter.
Kai came up for air with a heaving chest. He rested his forehead against mine. “How do you like my island?”
I caught my breath and ran my hands over the bulges of his rock-hard biceps. “I like it a lot.”
He pulled back for a moment before going in for another kiss, this time buckling my knees when his lips touched my neck. “How do you feel about family businesses?” His lips tickled my skin as his breath steamed up my neck.
I forced myself to focus. Talking wasn’t easy when Kai was so close that I could feel his heartbeat. “I guess it depends on the family.”
A low chuckle rumbled in the back of his throat. “And office romances? What do you think about those?”
I put my hand on his chest and pushed him back as far as I could stand. If he wanted to have a conversation, I was going to need at least a foot of my own space so I could think straight.
Well… six inches. Six inches would be enough. There was no need to go overboard.
“Why does it matter what I think about office romances?”
“Because I can’t offer you the position of senior marketing specialist for Kalua Family Tours if you’ve got a thing against office romances.”
“What? Are you seriously offering me a job right now?”
“That’s what it sounds like to me." His grin widened. "There’s nothing like poaching the best talent from your competitor.” He practically sang his last words.
I threw a hand to my hip, pretending to be annoyed. “Oh, is that all I am? Just the competition’s talent?”
Kai threw his head back and laughed. “No.” His laughter quieted, and his eyes sparkled with something that I could only describe as… love. “You’re so much more than that.”
He cupped my face with both hands and drank me in. My cheeks warmed beneath his continued gaze as he worked the tips of his fingers into the hair at the base of my neck.
Then he kissed me so gently it took my breath away. The first drops of rain began to fall as I clutched his shirt, aching for more of him.
“So,” he muttered against my lips, “you want the job?”
