“Lyla?” she says after a couple of rings.
“Hey. You busy?”
“No, the restaurant’s winding down. I ducked into the kitchen. What’s up? You having a great time?”
“It’s pretty good,” I say. “I need your help.”
She groans. “Girl, just have fun—”
“I just met a guy,” I say in a rush. “He’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in my entire goddamn life.”
“Oh,” Olivia says with interest. “Do tell!”
I tell her about how he approached me at the bar, his charm, his energy.
“Would that be Big Dick, or positive?”
I consider the question. “Definitely both.”
“Okay. What’s wrong with him? Married? Attached?”
“He says no to both. Men lie, though, right?”
“Some do, yes.” I can practically hear her tapping her chin. “Does he seem like a serial killer? Getting Ted Bundy vibes?”
“No.”
“Then have some fun.”
“Doesn’t this interrupt the whole solo travel thing?”
“Yes, but it’s a good interruption. If you want the interruption, take the interruption. You’ll probably never see each other again, so girl, get you some. How long has it been, anyway?”
“Like you’re one to talk!”
“Touché. Look, I need to get back. Have fun, Lyla!”
I hang up and take a deep breath, looking at myself in the mirror. I hadn’t been sure about my spaghetti-strap slip dress, with its large flower print, but now it makes me feel sexy. It skims all my curves, none of which I’m ashamed to flaunt, and the delicious island drink boosts my confidence.
After adjusting my flower, I head back to the bar, then pause behind a large, flowering bush. True to his word, Handsome is still there, chatting with the older bartender. I watch him for a moment, waiting to see how he interacts with the people—the women—around him. He only keeps up the friendly chit-chat with the bartender, completely ignoring every other woman in the place, even the beautiful hula dancers.
I step out from behind the bush and approach him. He seems to spot me right away as he turns toward me. His gaze smolders as I get closer, and a tingle races over my body and settles deep between my thighs.
How long has it been?
Too long.
I reach him and lean on the bar. “What’s your name?”
He flashes that beautiful smile. “Anthony Jackson. What’s yours?”
“Lyla Reynolds.” I lean closer to speak into his ear. “And I’d like to take that walk now.”
4
Jackson
As I mentioned before, I don’t need to be told things twice.
I immediately stand up from my stool, the scent of her warm, caramelly, delicious perfume still in my nose, and offer my arm. We might be missing out on the luau dinner, but I’d rather walk on the beach with this goddess.
Besides, I’d like to eat her for dinner . . . and dessert . . .
The thought of burying my mouth between her thighs threatens to make me hard as a rock, and that wouldn’t be a good look right now, so I draw a deep breath, focusing instead on the Pacific Ocean. If ever there was a perfect Hawaiian sunset, we’re witnessing it, the dark orange sun just peeking over the ocean on the horizon, turning the sky a beautiful gradient of pale pink to navy blue. When I close my eyes, this is what comes to mind when I think of Hawaii, and now that I’m here, the sight of it in person feels like a blessing. The only thing that makes this moment better than anything I imagined before is the gorgeous woman on my arm.
“Wow,” Lyla breathes, also watching the view.
I glance down at her. She’s barely five-five, by my guess, and the sinking sun highlights the golden flecks in her tan skin and brightens her eyes. “Wow, indeed.”
She turns to look up at me.
This moment, standing on the beach with her, the warm ocean lapping at our feet with this picturesque moment, overwhelms me.
“I have a request,” I say in a low voice that’s gone a little raspy.
“Yes?”
“This exact moment is one I’ve fantasized about for a long time. This beach. This sunset. This ocean. This peace in my soul.”
She swallows, waiting.
Maybe it’s the Mai Tai. Maybe it’s being on vacation. Maybe it’s being on vacation in Paradise. But my soul yearns for her. It’s like it’s reaching out for her desperately, seeing something in her I can’t yet see beyond the physical, but intuitively telling me that she’s mine. And I’m hers.
Don’t be an ass, my inner voice chides. You will never see her again.
If that’s true, then it’s all the more reason to make this moment count. So I can look back on this trip with no regrets, with the knowledge I lived every second to the fullest. Even if she says no to what I’m about to ask, at least I wasn’t afraid to take the risk. I wasn’t afraid to try to live.
“Lyla, can I kiss you right now?” I hold my breath.
Her eyes widen with surprise, then she bites her bottom lip and nods.
Oh yes.
I step closer, sliding one hand beneath her long, soft curls, and draw her closer. There’s something in her eyes begging me for everything I want to give her. She needs this kiss just like I need this kiss.
I lower my mouth to hers. Her lips are plush silk, sweet from the drink, and warm. For a moment, I lose myself in the indescribable way they feel against my lips. Then, I need to taste her more deeply.
She invites me in, her mouth opening under my lips, and I offer my tongue. She sweeps her tongue against mine, and then they slow dance with each other, swaying to the rhythmic crash of the ocean, swaying like our bodies are swaying.
Her body is soft and lush under my hands. I run them up and down her back, to her hips, before settling on her waist. I want to touch every part of her, but I don’t want to overstep. I asked for a kiss, nothing more. I can’t do anything about the way my cock, despite my best efforts earlier, swells against her, and I know she can feel it. She pushes herself against me as if trying to grind on me.
Shit. Does she want me like I want her?
“Anthony,” she breathes, “I want you.”
I smile against her lips. “What a coincidence. I want you too.” I push my hips forward a little. “As if you couldn’t tell.”
“I have a request,” she murmurs.
“Yes?”
She draws a deep breath. “I never do this. But this exact moment is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and I don’t want to go home with regrets.”
My heart thuds. “Yes?”
“I’ve been tested, and I’m clean. I’m on birth control.” She gazes up into my eyes. They’re full of need, of lust, of yearning. And something more I can’t identify. “Will you come to my room and make love to me?”
I swallow. “I’m clean too. I haven’t been with anyone since my last test, which was a year ago. And, Lyla, yes. There’s nothing I want more.”
The walk from the beach up to her room is a blur, but everything comes into focus as soon as the door shuts behind us. She launches herself into my arms. I crush her body to mine, now touching, squeezing freely as our mouths crash together. The kiss on the beach was sweet, soul-deep, life-changing. A picture-perfect memory I’ll have forever. When I’m old and gray, I’ll always remember that amazing kiss with a beautiful stranger in paradise.