Chapter 4

There was a lot to be said about living in solitude on a gorgeous tropical beach. I enjoyed spending my days barefoot in shorts and T-shirts and not having the need to touch my razor since I left LA. The downside was the loneliness. It was only yesterday when I welcomed the silence that surrounded me. However, today its deafening presence was driving me nuts. The only difference between yesterday and today was meeting Zara.

So basically, it took three days for my cock to laugh and say, “Yeah, I’m still in charge, dude.”

After our chance encounter I drove my lonely ass back to Hulopoe Bay. An unsettling emptiness made it hard to concentrate on my writing. All I could see was her gorgeous face, while I was walking on the beach, swimming in the ocean, or showering. Zara was front and center in my thoughts and nothing I tried worked to remove her.

In all fairness, I also missed Spike.

Maybe I should find a pet?

But Spike had this uncanny ability to communicate, so I really wanted him as a pet…with his owner…not that I wanted her as a pet…just as a friend…or lover…at my disposal…preferably tied to my bed.

Shit.

I released a heavy sigh while looking out at my beautiful view of the beach.

From where I sat in the tiny living room of my cabin, I had an unobstructed view of the ocean in between the heavy shrubbery that framed the house. As clear as day, I could envision her walking out of the water and straight toward me.

With a determined pace, just as she had when she’d found Spike in my arms, she closed the distance with each long graceful step. Instead of denim cutoffs and a T-shirt, she now had on the tiniest white bikini that could be considered legal. Two triangular scraps of white fabric covered each perfect breast, while a third covered her pussy.

From where I sat, I saw beads of water clinging to her skin, reflecting the sunlight like tiny diamonds. Even in this daydream the brilliance of her smile sucked the air from my lungs. The way she shook out her long golden-brown locks, mimicking that iconic scene starring Bo Derek, had my cock going from zero to sixty in 1.5 seconds flat.

Having a mind of its own, my hand drifted from the flat surface of the wooden table I was working at and slipped into the waistband of my mesh shorts. I tightly gripped myself, imagining my hands skimming the curve of her hips, the slope of her crotch. I wondered what her dewy skin would taste like under the slow drag of my tongue.

It wasn’t long before my daydream morphed into a full-blown sex-dream. Under the visualization, I pumped and twisted my cock over and over until…

A knock, followed by “Mr. Lance?” killed the dream.

My eyes flew open to see Kaholo’s massive silhouette coming into focus through the screened porch door, and Zara was no longer anywhere to be found in my imagination.

Fuck.

He stood, waiting patiently for me to respond. I couldn’t get up if I didn’t want my obvious predicament greeting him. I hastily grabbed the laptop off the wooden table in a quick attempt to tamp down my arousal.

If my cock could talk, he’d be cursing me out right about now.

“Um…come on in.” At my words, he walked into the cabin carrying a few plastic sacks.

I wasn’t sure if it was the look on my face or the strategically placed laptop, which I’d brilliantly opened upside down, that caused his eyebrows to rise in question.

“Is this a bad time?”

“No, not at all.” Contradicting my words, I remained seated for obvious reasons while subtly flipping the open laptop around.

“Um…” He stood awkwardly, before explaining his visit. “I’m just back from the main island. I thought I’d bring by your requested items.” His massive arms lifted the sacks higher while his eyebrows still practically touched his nonexistent hairline.

“Thank you. Can you just leave them there on the couch?”

“Um…sure, Mr. Lance.” As he turned, I saw him grin only for it to disappear when he once again faced me.

“Was everything okay while I was gone?”

“Yes, everything was fine.” Maybe he knew her? Maybe I could nonchalantly mention my new visitor? With that specific agenda in mind, I admitted, “I actually had some company. A small dog found his way over.”

“We do have some strays in these parts. I hope he didn’t give you much trouble.”

“Not at all. Actually, he was great company. A small white Maltese, and when I went into town we found the woman who was looking for him.”

His eyebrows finally lowered to form a frown. “Marshmallow?”

My heart pounded excitedly, and Zara’s face instantly popped back into my mind. I blinked repeatedly until Kaholo reappeared. “Awful name for the little guy, but yes, that’s him.”

“Zara must have been frantic.” A slow smile spread over his lips, causing his braided beard to poke outward instead of downward. “She is beautiful, no?”

This dude was on to me, and by the way his brows rose again he’d just figured out what had my ass planted in that chair, refusing to move.

“Yes, she is. Do you know her?”

“Oh, yes, Mr. Lance. I am good friends with her papa.” Still smiling, he walked to the door before stopping. “Have I mentioned we’ll be having our annual luau on Wednesday for Kamehameha Day?”

“No, you haven’t.” I watched his braid bob as he nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh, yes, Mr. Lance. It’s a big celebration. Since 1871, every year on the eleventh of June we Hawaiians celebrate the unification of Hawaii by King Kamehameha in 1810. The entire town comes out to celebrate with parades and a festival until we end up on Hulopoe Bay Beach for a luau.”

“The whole town, huh?”

His grin widened. “Yes, Mr. Lance.”

“Sounds fun.”

“You may want to wear swim trunks. Most of us end up in the ocean whether we like it or not.”

I nodded while thinking I might have to attend my first luau wearing a protective cup under my swim trunks. I could see the headlines now:

MAN ARRESTED AT LANAI CITY LUAU FOR SPORTING A RECORD-BREAKING HARD-ON

The hours dragged between the time I heard about this luau and it actually occurring. Through Palu and Kaholo, I was able to get details of the day’s activities. Midday, I ambled into town, parked my Jeep at the end of the street, and watched the flurry of activity that took over the stretch of Lanai City proper.

A quartet of Hawaiian shirt–wearing locals entertained a portion of the crowd as they sang and strummed on their ukuleles. Nerves had me sitting and watching from afar. The backs of my thighs were coated in sweat as the hot leather seats baked my flesh from the outside in. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to leave the Jeep.

My eyes searched the faces for the one I’d hoped was there. My ears trained on every noise, hoping to hear the familiar yipping of a white Maltese named Marshmallow who should’ve been named Spike.

I had thought long and hard over the obsession to see her again. I came up with only one logical explanation. Going in, I’d had no expectations of having any kind of a sex life while I hid in paradise. By meeting Zara, the decision-maker between my legs took notice, and now that he had all bets were off.

Thus my predicament.

“Yip! Yip!”

Standing beside my Jeep was Zara, holding a squirming Spike.

“Hallow,” she said with a smile, revealing two perfect dimples.

Fuck.

“Hi!” I responded a bit too enthusiastically. To deflect, I added, “Hey, buddy,” before exiting the Jeep to stand beside her.

Spike’s excitement over seeing me forced Zara to move him forward so I could take him into my arms.

“He spotted you and wouldn’t stop barking until I came over,” she admitted. His excitable yipping and wiggling, along with the black bow tie that was still fastened around his neck, caused a grin to spread on my face.

Why the fuck that made me happy I had no idea.

“I guess he’s missed you.”

“And I missed him.” And you, I added in my mind.

“I almost feel bad I separated you two,” she continued.

“There’s one solution. You could move in and we can share him.” She giggled adorably, but I was pathetically serious.

Something was different with Zara. Gone was her aloofness, her standoffishness I’d witnessed during our first meeting. Instead, there stood a sweet, smiling, almost shy girl who intrigued me as much as the feisty one had.

The sound of her sexy South African accent instantly stirred things within me. My memory of it fell short, as did my memory of her face. From behind the safety of my Ray-Bans, I was able to devour her beauty. The absence of makeup revealed a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes weren’t just light brown, flecks of jade and gold made them look like they were backlit. Two of the fullest lips I’d ever seen caused an overwhelming desire to nibble on them.

While I stared, she blushed adorably, the slightest rosy tinge coloring the tanned apples of her cheeks.

Her outfit was a variation of what she had worn the first time we met. Sexy shorts and a sleeveless V-neck revealed toned, tanned legs and arms. The thin knit fabric hugged the swell of two perfect breasts that I imagined pushing against my chest as I pulled her close to kiss her.

She looked young, innocent, and it made me want to claim her as mine. I had to fight the impulse to throw her over my shoulder and carry her away to a remote location where no one would ever find her again.

How sick was that?

I’d spent all of nine minutes with her so far, and I was actually contemplating committing a felony. Spike, oblivious to the thoughts of what I wanted to do to his owner, licked my neck and jaw enthusiastically before he peed on me.

“Marshmallow, no!” She reached for him, clipping his leash to his collar and placing him on the ground. “I’m so sorry.” Her blush deepened, now creeping downward over her neck and into the smooth flesh that showed between the V of her neckline.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s good luck.”

“I’ll launder your shirt for…” Her words halted when I removed my T-shirt and threw it into the Jeep. Her eyes darted away when she realized that I was watching her staring at my chest.

“I have to go.” She lifted a shaky hand to push her hair behind her ear. “I, um, promised my friend I’d ride in the parade with her.”

No…don’t go. Stay forever. I shook my head at the sap that took up residence in my brain. “Where will Spike go?”

She smiled at my refusal to use his proper name. “I was going to run him home.”

“No, let me watch him. It’ll give us time to catch up.”

And me a reason to see you later.

She hesitated a few seconds before nodding. “Okay, thank you.”

When she handed me his leash, a jolt of electricity zipped over my skin when our hands touched. She paused for a moment before smiling as she walked away. My eyes watched those fucking gorgeous legs, the slight swing of her ass, and her hair brushing the middle of her back with each step she took.

“Fuck.”

Spike looked up into my eyes and said, “Yip.”

“Yeah. Yip. Thanks for spotting me, dude. I owe you one.”