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“Don’t you have friends?” he asked.
“I do. Olina, my friend and one of my employees, lives in the suite beside mine. I eat with her and her three children when I can. But I’m usually too late. They eat earlier so she can get the kids to bed at a reasonable hour. They have school.” Leilani smiled. “I imagine she’s tucking them in now. They’ve been little troopers, considering what they’ve been through. Palili still has nightmares about drowning.”
“Were they some of the people who escaped into the ocean?” he asked.
Leilani nodded. “By the time Olina and I got to them, it was the only way out of the fire.”
Angel’s chest tightened. He’d just learned another amazing thing about this woman. Not only had she lost her home and belongings, she’d almost lost her life. Instead of looking out for herself, she’d helped save the lives of a woman and her three children. Leilani was what heroes were made of. He squeezed her hand gently. “I’m sorry they had to go through what they did. It can’t be easy getting over it.”
The band eased into a slow, romantic song.
“I like that song,” Leilani murmured.
Angel pushed to his feet, still holding onto her hand. “Would you like to dance?”
Her brow furrowed.
He cocked an eyebrow. “You know that dress deserves at least one dance to get your money’s worth.”
Leilani laughed and let him help her to her feet. “By all means, I need to get my money’s worth out of this dress.”
He pulled her into his arms and moved slowly to the rhythm of the music.
She rested one hand in his and the other on his arm; her eyes closed and a smile played at the corners of her lips.
While she danced with her eyes closed, Angel studied her beautiful face. Hers was an exotic beauty, a product of her Pacific Islander heritage. Dark skin, dark eyes and dark shiny hair spilling down her back, brushing against his hand. More than anything, Angel wanted to kiss those full, sensual lips.
Her petite body felt fragile next to his large frame. But he knew her small size contained a fierce spirit, undaunted by tragedy. Though he’d only known her a few hours, he could already tell a few days with her would not be enough.
All too soon, the song ended.
Leilani’s eyes blinked open. “That was nice. The whole evening was nice. But I should call it a night. We have a busy day tomorrow. And after the snorkeling tour, I have to do some errands for my cousin’s wedding.”
He hooked her arm through the crook of her elbow. “Thank you for having dinner with me. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
“You don’t have to,” she said.
“I know. But I want to.” He stared down at her. “That is, if you’re okay with it.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
Together, they walked through the resort and down the path to the section where Leilani lived.
When they arrived at her door, she slipped her hand out of the crook of his arm. “Thanks again for dinner and dancing.”
She looked up at him, her face bathed in moonlight, her lips turned up in a smile.
“I want to kiss you,” he whispered.
Her eyes flared, and her hand rose to rest on his chest. “What’s stopping you?”
“Not a damned thing.” His pulse quickened as his arms came up around her. He lowered his head.
She rose on her toes.
His lips were a breath away from hers.
“Leilani?” a female voice called out from the door next to hers.
