Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (best affordable ebook reader TXT) 📗

sense he was surprised by her directness. ‘I hope not, it would make for tricky terrain to walk.’

She ignored his attempt at humour, shaking her head as she clicked the coffee machine on and turned to look at him. ‘I think they do… I think you look at me and you can’t understand why I’m so keen to do the opposite.’

He ran his teeth over his bottom lip and damn it, if her belly didn’t contract with a rush of illicit heat.

‘What exactly does the opposite mean?’

‘It means I’m not going there with you. We had our… day, and it was fun, we agreed from here on in we’re…’ She struggled to define them. What exactly were they? Not friends, not business associates or colleagues, not…

‘We’re?’ he prompted softly.

She walked towards him, needing to get past him to head for a quick shower but he didn’t budge and she was forced to stop, to look up at him.

‘What are we, Malie?’

She wet her lips. ‘You’re Todd Masters, my… my pupil this second, which makes me your teacher, and you’re going to need to move if I am to get out of this gear and get kitted out for our lesson.’

His eyes raked hungrily over her and she felt every stretch of exposed skin, his gaze burning a path that struck with the throbbing force right at the heart of her. She needed to get laid, like yesterday. Desperately, insanely, and the man that made her want it so bad was the one man she wouldn’t let herself have.

He stepped forward, his thought-obliterating scent assailing her senses, the heat of his body engulfing her, his eyes searing down into hers. ‘Aren’t you tired of fighting this, Malie? I know I am…’

She tried to shake her head but it wouldn’t seem to move. She tried to speak but nothing came. She swallowed, her throat bobbing with thickening desire: just once, just let go once, then hit rewind.

Maybe it’ll be awful. Maybe those fingers that look so strong and capable will suck when they’re roaming over her, hungry, desperate.

And then what?

‘We have a responsibility to the kids…’ she tried.

‘We do, but that has nothing to do with this.’

‘It will complicate things.’

‘The only complication I can see right now is that I can’t concentrate anymore, I can’t sleep, I can’t work, all I can think about is you.’

Oh my God…

‘Don’t say that.’

‘What, the truth?’

‘Any of it.’ Her voice shook with her body as she held herself rigid, refusing to lean into him as her limbs, her torso tried to do just that.

‘Tell me you don’t feel it too?’

‘I…’ The denial stuck in her throat. She was a crap liar, just like Lily. She wet her lips, tried again. ‘It doesn’t matter—’

‘Hey, Malie, you here?’

Her eyes flared and Todd pushed up off the frame. It was Kalani – crap!

‘Saved by your godfather,’ he teased quietly, though she could see the seriousness in his gaze, the continued probing, the need to understand.

She gave him a weak smile and walked past him to find Kalani wedging the front door open.

‘Morning!’ she said, her voice unnaturally high which made her wince. She tried to lower it as she added, ‘You’re opening up early?’

‘Thought I’d get started on the paint job outside. Been putting it off for ages.’ He looked past her as he straightened, his eyes widening in surprise. ‘Morning, Todd, I didn’t expect to see you here.’

‘Morning.’

‘Todd’s here for his lesson,’ she rushed out, hating how her cheeks warmed. She had nothing to feel guilty for. Nothing. It wasn’t like he’d caught them at it. He could have done, though, they’d been that close… ‘I’m just gonna hit the shower, coffee is on, help yourselves.’

She legged it into the changing room, not waiting to read the look on Kalani’s face or the corresponding one on Todd’s. She didn’t doubt the speculation that would exist in her godfather’s mind – he knew her too well – and she could do without his judgement, she had enough of her own to contend with.

She checked her watch. Six hours and Zoe would be here. Six hours and she’d have her joyful distraction.

‘Sorry, Zo,’ she muttered, feeling a new sense of guilt at using her friend in such a way. Zoe wouldn’t mind being her saviour though, not when she understood how very real her problem was.

Fifteen minutes later, she’d showered, scraped her hair back and donned her surf kit. She was ready. Or as ready as she was ever going to be when it came to Todd.

She pushed open the door into the main room, it was empty; she tried the kitchen, empty. She headed out front and there they were, seated at the table and chairs they used for briefings. Kalani was laughing at something Todd had said, the pair of them relaxed, legs outstretched, coffees in hand. Her belly fluttered at the easiness of the scene. She could almost forget that Todd didn’t belong here, that he was a fleeting presence that would soon be gone. She could almost believe he and Kalani had been long-time friends with the way they were chatting.

Todd looked to her and their eyes met, it was a second before she could breathe, another before she could speak. ‘You ready?’

She caught the slight pinched look on Kalani’s face and knew it was due to the strange tone to her voice. She ignored him.

‘Sure,’ Todd said, getting to his feet and knocking back the rest of his drink. ‘I poured you a coffee, why don’t you have it while I change?’

‘Thanks.’ She stepped free of the entrance to let him pass. She didn’t breathe in again until he and his addictive scent were on the other side of the door, leaving her in the far safer company of Kalani. She headed to the table to take up her coffee and felt Kalani’s inquisitive gaze on her. Scratch safer…

‘Don’t say it,’ she said, lifting the mug for a sip and looking out to