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

every layer of clothing he’d removed, another layer over her heart had fallen away, every time they’d come together, the bond had strengthened until the very idea of being apart seemed impossible.

But it would pass, she just needed time. Time to fix her life, time to see clearly and then she could be objective about the future and whether she could entrust her heart to Todd.

A little late for that, don’t you think?

Her body shuddered, its agreement clear, her heart was already long gone, and for the first time in more years than she could count, she wanted her mum. She wanted to talk to her and tell her everything, to have the confidence of Tara to be honest about Koa and how she’d hated living like he didn’t exist, like she didn’t exist too. She wanted to say she was sorry for running. She wanted to tell her about the surf school and the work they were doing… she wanted to tell her about Todd.

She was already lifting her bag, looking for her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialled Home.

It had barely rung once when her mother’s familiar voice came over the line. ‘Malie?’

‘Hi, Mum.’

‘This is early for you – it must be five, six in the morning out there?’

A sob erupted out of her control and she tried to bury it so that her mother wouldn’t hear.

‘Malie? What is it? What’s wrong?’

She could hear the panic in her mother’s tone, knew she’d caught her anguish and she couldn’t keep it trapped any longer, the time for pretence was over.

‘I… I could do with a chat… if you have the time?’

‘I always have time for you. You’re worrying me, love, what’s going on?’

Malie felt her lips curve into a watery smile as her mother’s love shone down the line. A small flutter of what felt a lot like hope and belonging once more started up inside.

‘It might take a while…’

‘Just start at the beginning, love, I’m here.’

It was as good a place as any…

Chapter Twenty-One

HE KNEW SHE’D GONE, even before he opened his eyes. He could sense the emptiness of the bed, the room, the house. He was alone. Something that had never bothered him before, but now he felt it like a weighted ache deep inside his chest.

He didn’t even strain his ears to listen for footsteps or sounds in the kitchen, didn’t try to fool himself into thinking she was making breakfast, or outside enjoying the sunrise, any of those things that would be expected the morning after a night such as theirs. Waking up to a relationship, a real relationship. Not that he’d ever really had one of those. But he’d hoped – no, he’d convinced himself things were different now. That she wouldn’t run, not this time. Not after all they’d shared, all they’d felt. Because she had felt it too, he was sure of that.

He rolled over and palmed the bed, felt the residual warmth from her body and wondered how far away she was, but even as he thought it, he knew he wouldn’t run after her. That he couldn’t.

She needed to come to him when she was ready.

If she ever would be…

He closed his eyes against the pang, the doubt, the what-if; he had New York to prepare for, he had work to do, work he could control, Malie he could not.

No matter how much he loved her, he had to let her be free. Free to make her own choices. Free to live her life.

His gut twisted and he got out of bed, crossed to the window and looked out over the sea. The sea that would forever remind him of Malie. The urge to run after her was so strong, like a physical pull that he couldn’t ignore. He lowered his gaze and turned away. No, it was good that he was leaving, New York couldn’t be more different, and once he was there, he could fill his head with work, far away from this place where the temptation was too much.

He threw his focus into packing before he could decide to do otherwise.

A week later, not even the miles between them could stop him reliving that morning and the weeks that had led up to it. No matter how busy his schedule, the back-to-back meetings, the social functions that served to fulfil a business need, she was always on his mind. Like now, as he stared unseeing at the figures projected onto the screen of the conference room.

‘What do you think, Todd?’

‘Hmm?’ He focused through the brain fog to see Nathan, his head of development, looking at him like he’d lost his mind – he couldn’t blame him. He’d completely zoned out. Again.

‘Sorry, what were you saying?’

Nathan frowned and gestured back to the projection. ‘The venture looks quite viable, if you take into consideration—’

A knock on the glass door cut him off and the entire room of ten all looked to it. Grace stood there, gesturing to him. There was only one reason Grace would disturb this meeting, the one reason he had given her all week as a free pass to contact him regardless of the hour.

‘Hang on, Nathan.’

He stood up and walked to the door, opening it.

‘It’s on,’ she said in a low voice, her eyes bright. ‘You told me to tell you and it’s been confirmed, the surf conditions are perfect, the Queen of the Pipe is kicking off today.’

His heart lurched. ‘And the line-up? Have they released it?’

Grace nodded, her eyes widening because she knew what this would mean to him. ‘She’s on the list.’

‘What time is it on?’

‘Should be airing in the next hour.’

An hour. He had time to conclude the meeting and get back to the hotel.

‘Thanks, Grace.’

He strode back into the room, suddenly feeling alive, more alive than he had done in seven days. Ridiculous when he was no closer to having her, but to know she was taking this step, she was going for it.

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