Zara

My father’s timing sucked.

Lance quickly glanced out of the window one more time before staring back into my eyes. I calmly met his gorgeous ice-blue gaze and waited, even though my heart pounded in my chest like a jackhammer. It had little to do with my father coming home, although that annoyed me to no end. My breathlessness had all to do with every nerve ending in my body sparking to life just from the way Lance looked at me.

Having Lance’s strong arms wrapped around me, his intoxicating scent invading my senses, and his warm lips kissing my temple stirred desire within me as violent as the rain that continued to fall.

The more time I spent with him, the more I wanted. For the first time in my life, I worried my father’s ridiculous issues regarding our privacy could push away a really good thing.

“Ugh. I dread this.” I voiced my thoughts. “I’m warning you now, please don’t hold his asinine behavior against me.”

Completely unfazed by my request, Lance released me and took a step away to add distance between us. He looked down at me and gently said, “Zara.”

The way he said my name with such authority caused my heart to flip. For the most part he could get it to flip no matter what he said to me. I’d become used to falling under his spell, but I’d also perfected hiding that fact. Unfortunately, it was getting harder to do. The more I got to know Lance, the more I fought to act normal in his presence.

“I’d never hold anything against you,” he said, his eyes never wavering from mine. “I’ll be fine. Ten bucks says your dad and I will be best buds.”

“You’re on.” I could tell by looking at Lance that he thought I was overreacting.

Andres Jobert was…

I guess “paranoid” would be the term I’d use to describe him. Always convinced the entire human population was out to get him. Yes, he had his reasons to be that way, but more times than not he took his behavior way too far. My mother was the only person who could put him in his place.

The door creaked open ominously, like a crypt keeper was emerging from an ancient tomb. Dad’s eyes landed on Lance in an angry glare the moment he walked into the house.

“Hi, Papa. You remember Lance White?”

“Of course.” Surprisingly, he extended his hand, which Lance accepted with a smile.

“Sir. It’s nice to see you again.”

The hospitality was short-lived. Ignoring him, my father turned to me. “I just came to get my lunch and walk Marshmallow. I wasn’t sure you’d venture home in this mess.” His baritone voice boomed louder than necessary. “Why are you home?”

The unsaid accusation combined with the look on his face meant he assumed Lance and I were also up to no good.

“Lance happened to be at town hall. He had business with Palu and very graciously drove me home since it was pouring out.”

“Where do you work, sir?” Lance asked, appearing relaxed in spite of the torturously tense atmosphere bouncing around the room.

“I’m a custodial engineer at the hospital. My wife is an administrator there.” His eyes landed on me before he added, “My stubborn daughter refuses to accept my help in securing a managerial position.”

“Papa, don’t start.”

That was all I needed. To work at the hospital where my parents were practically celebrities. Palu paid me well, but my father felt it was beneath my talents. He had no idea it had to do with my independence, and it was just a stepping-stone until I moved. I was a legal adult, and my father’s overprotectiveness no longer served as a valid excuse for his paranoid behavior. We’d been in Lanai for over thirteen years already, and no one from South Africa was coming for us.

My father was very overprotective by nature, but when my sister Lilou was killed, an irrational need to shelter the rest of us from harm began to dominate every aspect of his life. Everything he did, every decision he made, was to keep my mom, Annia, and me safe. The problem was, we were safe. Being in Lanai, far from the political upheaval my father had run from, enabled our family to live a nice quiet life without threat. Yet he continued to think that, at any moment, a radical from his past would show up at our door.

I needed to break away from his hold, find my own self, and live my own life. It was time to leave Lanai. My sister Annia supported my plans and wanted me close to her.

Being where Annia and Kai lived would be the easiest move, but not necessarily the one in my best interest. With both their daughters on Oahu, my parents would, without a doubt, pack up and follow. I loved them dearly, but I was suffocating and needed to be on my own.

After graduation I’d considered moving to the mainland to attend a large university. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the costs of moving, tuition, living, and even travel expenses to get me home for holidays.

I needed to work, but somewhere other than Lanai. I’d recently applied for a position as a tour guide in Honolulu with the department of tourism. With luck, I could work my way up and maybe someday earn enough to go back to school.

In the meantime, I’d be doing something I loved. Witnessing people falling in love with our beautiful islands and having a part in their experience would be a privilege and an honor. Hawaii was a magical place that had become part of me. The one thing I knew for sure was I couldn’t leave it permanently.

Since meeting Lance, I’d tried to envision what his life was like on the mainland. A gorgeous man like him had to have quite a social life. I could tell he enjoyed nice things. I was sure wealth was on his side. Besides the expensive watch and clothing he wore, the ability to pick up and disappear for weeks while living on a tropical island wouldn’t be easy to accomplish on a fixed budget.

“What is it you do again?” my father rudely asked.

For the first time, Lance looked uncomfortable. “I’m an accountant.”

“Right. In New Jersey.”

“No, sir. I’m originally from New Jersey. I work in California.”

“And your employer is so kind as to let you have so much time off?”

“I’m self-employed.”

“And you can afford to leave your business for weeks?”

“Yes, sir.”

Silence fell between them, forcing my hand. The clock was ticking and I didn’t have much more time left to my lunch hour to waste with my father’s lunacy.

“Enough with the third degree, Papa. Are you grabbing your lunch to go? If not, then we’ll get our lunch in town.” I folded my arms and quirked up a brow while Lance stared at me as if I’d lost my mind.

A tic in my father’s jaw meant he was debating whether to stay or not. Knowing my father, his mind was predicting how my mother would react to his intrusion. “I’ll eat at work.”

“Good.”

“I can save him a trip and drive you back to work,” Papa persisted.

“That’s not necessary,” I said with a shake of my head. “Come, Lance. Let’s eat.”

His eyes met mine before cutting back to where my father stood scowling.