Life's a Beach (4 page)

Another Hawaiian man dressed the same as Kai staggered by just as Zarafina waved from the fourth-floor balcony. He was a big guy and wasn't moving too fast. He was carrying an armful of wet sheets, which were dripping puddles as he walked. Amelia wouldn't be surprised if they set up a clothesline right here in the courtyard and hung out the wash. It would probably dry in a couple of hours. It couldn't possibly hurt the décor any.

“It's okay,” Zarafina called down from the fifth floor, giving her two thumbs-up.

Amelia took the first set of bags up to the first level and then came back for the second set. She repeated this until she decided that she was just going to collapse on the bags and take a nap. But by then, she was only a few steps from her room. She'd come this far, she decided, so she went the rest of the way. The door was propped open and she startled the maid, who was still making up the beds.

“Hi,” the maid said. She was a strawberry blonde with freckles. “I'm Joely. I'll be out of your way in a minute.”

Amelia heard the shower running and thought Zarafina had the right idea. “No worries,” she said. “Take your time.”

“Here, let me help you with those. Makoa wasn't around?” Joely grabbed the carry-ons and pulled them into the room.

“No, Kai said he was helping other guests.”

“I just put some fresh fruit and some ice water out on the lanai.” Joely pointed to the small balcony behind a screen door. “You've got a nice view if you crane your neck.”

Amelia kicked off her shoes. “That sounds fantastic.”

As Joely hummed and finished making the bed, Amelia started to unwind. She was too tired to sleep, if that made any sense. But she was content to nibble on pineapple and rehydrate. The view was nothing short of spectacular. It was worth it to lean over the balcony rail for a glimpse of the crashing waves.

Zarafina joined her, and Amelia did a double take. She didn't think she'd ever seen her aunt looking so peaceful and clean. Gone were the multiple layers, and her hair was braided neatly. She wore a simple cotton dress that reminded Amelia of the house frocks her grandmother used to wear.

“I'm not going back to New York,” Zarafina said, helping herself to some cantaloupe.

“I don't blame you,” Amelia said. If you had to be homeless, there were worse places than Hawaii. A kernel of an idea started to form. Why couldn't she stay in Hawaii? She'd have to find a newspaper or an apartment guide. Yeah, her and every other tourist.

Joely opened the screen door and handed Zarafina her card. Both women jumped, as if static electricity had just zinged them.

“I wanted to give you my cellphone, in case you needed anything,” Joely said, blinking at her hand. “The phone system is on the fritz and sometimes calls don't get routed to housekeeping like they should. I'll be around in the early mornings and after dinner for a few hours. If I don't answer, just leave me a message.”

“Thanks,” Amelia said, impressed. She never would have given out her cell number to a guest.

“Sit down, dear,” Zarafina said. “You have an interesting aura.”

That was Amelia's cue to leave. “I'm going to jump in the shower and then head out to the beach.”

“I really shouldn't,” Joely hedged, but Amelia could see that she was interested in what Zarafina had to say.

They were still huddled together on the balcony after Amelia took the world's best shower. Zarafina had her tarot cards out, so Amelia didn't disturb them.

As she rifled through her luggage to get the things she would need right away, Amelia noticed that the room wasn't any different than one that would be in a two-star hotel, but then again the resort had never claimed to be anything else. They should really update the pictures on their flyers, but it was probably cheaper to just use the old ones instead of fixing up the place and taking new ones.

Slipping on a pair of flip-flops, Amelia sprayed sunblock all over herself, putting extra on her nose. She grabbed her room towel and headed out to the beach.

She was in Hawaii. A thrill of excitement filled her. She was ready for some hot sex, hot sun, and hot surfers, not necessarily in that order. It was time for her luck to change.

Amelia's foot sank to the ankle in the lush sand. Unlike Jones Beach on Long Island or Hammonasset Beach in Connecticut, there weren't any shells or debris on the walk to the water. She couldn't find an unoccupied beach chair, so she walked closer to the water before dropping her towel and flip-flops to the sand.

Lying down on the towel, which was too small to be comfortable, Amelia tried to relax, but she was afraid she was going to fall asleep and wake up looking like a lobster. Besides, without the shade of an umbrella or one of those teak wood loungers, it wasn't that comfortable.

She sat up and watched the guests walk up and down the beach. A pang of loneliness flitted through her. If Jay was here, he'd be bitching about the lack of Wi-Fi or would be trying to get a drink. But at least she'd have someone to hold her hand.

Shaking off those feelings, she stood up and dusted the sand off the back of her legs. If Jay was here, he'd be wishing he was porking Quinn. Damn it all. What was she going to do about her morning coffee? Well, she didn't have to decide for another two weeks, and she hadn't come all this way to sit and brood.

The first touch of the water against her feet made her giddy, the white spray lingering like an ankle bracelet. She twirled around, taking in the unending blue of the sky, the white sandy beach, and the powerful waves. As she stared out into the ocean, a restlessness she hadn't known she had in her sprang to life. This was a new beginning for her. She could change her life, start over, and be whoever she wanted to be. It was a pretty heavy thought, and one she should revisit once she'd actually slept.

Sweat trickled down the back of her neck. The heat of the sun was making her eyes close. To wake up a bit, Amelia went out up to her knees. Splashing water over her arms and chest, she wondered if she should dunk under to get cool. It would mess up her hair.
Ah, the heck with it,
she decided. No one was admiring her hair anyway. Amelia watched the waves come in, and she jumped on one to ride it in. Instead of the rush of a quick body surf, it was as if the hand of Poseidon flung her ass over teakettle onto the beach. She front-skidded so hard, half the beach went down her bathing suit.

“Wonderful,”
she thought, picking herself up. Luckily, her mouth had been closed; otherwise she would have swallowed the other half of the beach. She walked to chest-deep water so she could try to shake out the five pounds of sand clinging to her. As she was treading water and not making any headway in the sand removal, another wave, larger this time, caught her unaware. Though she managed to hold her breath, she was again spun head over heels. This time Amelia gained her footing only to have Poseidon pull the rug out from under her feet and drag her out to sea. She was a strong swimmer, from all the summers she'd spent at the Y. Both of her parents had been in the navy, for Pete's sake, so instead of panicking, Amelia waited until the powerful pull subsided and then she kicked to the surface. It wasn't as bad as she'd first thought. Sure, she was out farther than she wanted and quite possibly literally and figuratively over her head, but it was quiet and peaceful and she loved the way the warm water swayed around her.

Then the third wave hit her like Michael Jordan slam-dunking a basketball.
Now
she panicked. Not knowing which way was up, Amelia tried to touch the ocean floor with her feet. She couldn't. Stretching as far as she could, she kicked with all of her might, and eventually her hands hit the sand. Running out of air, but at least knowing which way to go, Amelia pushed upward and crested.

“Help,” she coughed, waving her arms. But there wasn't a lifeguard on duty, and only a few people in the water, and they, having more sense, were nearer the beach. She swam toward the shore. The waves helped push her in, but then that damn undertow or whatever it was dragged her back out again.

So yeah, the instructors at the Y had never talked about this situation. And Long Island Sound was a bathtub compared to these churning waters.

“Help,” she tried again.

Old Girl Scout rules flashed in her mind:
Always swim with a buddy. Make sure there is a lifeguard on duty.
She hadn't meant to go for a swim, but the ocean had other ideas.

Another monster wave turned her around. If she'd been more awake and had had time to prepare for this, it might have been fun. Growing up near the beach in Connecticut, she'd been a fish; the water didn't usually scare her. But at the moment it was frightening and exhausting. She was going to drown and no one would miss her.

On her next dunking, though, she saw an incredible sight. A sea turtle passed by her, so close she could touch it. She didn't, but it didn't seem to be affected by the tide. Swimming sideways, she followed it, and when she came up for air she noticed a man on the beach. He had his hands shielding his eyes and was looking right at her.

“Help!” Amelia shouted, waving her hands.

He came into the water at a dead run.

She tried to swim to him and meet him halfway, but the damn current pulled her back. However, this time when she went under she was staring at a golden-eyed man who grabbed her and pulled her against him.

It's Aquaman,
she thought hysterically as he powerfully kicked them toward shore. When his feet touched, he didn't let go of her.

“You okay,
wahine
?”

“I've had better days.” She clung to his muscled shoulders as he walked them in. Just her luck to meet the sexiest man she'd ever seen while looking like a half-drowned rat.

A wave crashed into the back of his knees and he stumbled, but when the ocean attempted to take her back out, he tightened his grip until she was plastered against him. He held her firm against the pull of the tide.

Oh, my.

Once she had her footing, he set her down and walked her in. She was shaking and her teeth were chattering. “My towel,” she said lamely, and pointed down the beach.

“A'ole pilikia,”
he said.

Some part of her remembered Hani saying that. It meant “no problem.” Well, no problem for him, but she was drenched. But she allowed him to guide her to some shade. There was a hammock strung between two large concrete palm trees.

Hammock?

“
Dude?” she asked as he handed her a large, fluffy beach towel.

“I know you?” He crossed his arms over a remarkably buff chest. He put on mirrored sunglasses, and she winced at what she looked like in the reflection. He, on the other hand, looked slick and sleek after his swim. Fine golden hair was plastered to his chest and arms. He had a deep tan, shaggy blond hair, and just enough stubble to make her want to run her hand over his jaw.

“I'm Amelia.” She held out her hand. “Thank you for rescuing me.”

He shook it and then wrapped the towel around her and began rubbing her arms and back.

“You okay?”

Amelia's eyes half closed and she leaned into him. It had been awhile since anyone had taken care of her. “I'm fine. It could have been worse.”

Which seemed to be the theme of this vacation.

“Did you swallow a lot of water?” he asked.

“No,” she said quietly. “I got lucky.”

“You sure did, sweet thing. Those signs out there say
STORM SURGE
. It means swimming is no good.”

“Good to know.” It might have been nice if someone at the resort had warned her when she checked in.

He left her to go grab a beer from a cooler. She missed the warmth of his body and the quick massage, which just showed how starved she was for touch. Amelia finished drying off as best as she could, and kept the towel over her shoulders to catch the drips from her ponytail.

He handed her a Corona and clinked bottles with her. “This your first time in Maui?”

She took a deep pull before nodding. “Not how I pictured collecting on the drink you offered me. We talked on the phone….” Had it been just yesterday? Amelia was too tired to figure it out.

“Amelia,” Dude said. “With an
A
.” He gave her the shaka sign.

“Right.” She looked at the hammock. “Do you mind if I sit down? I'm about to fall over.”

“Shoots,” he said, and helped her into the hammock.

She wondered what the hell that meant, but it looked like he was okay with the idea.

He sat in the sand next to the hammock. “Stretch out. You've had a hard welcome.”

“Fits the last few days I had.” Amelia bit back a yawn and took another long swallow of beer. It was the best thing she'd ever tasted, and she wasn't a beer drinker. She usually liked wine.

“Did your boss fire you?” He sat cross-legged next to the hammock.

She nodded, trying not to stare at his strong calves or the way his wet bathing suit clung to his legs. Amelia looked out at the beach. There were families coming and going, lots of people laughing and having fun. She ignored the pang in her heart and concentrated instead on the beautiful sun and ocean. The ocean, not so coincidentally, didn't have a lot of swimmers in it. But she did see some parasail boats and Jet Skis over by the other resorts.

“That sucks.” He took off his sunglasses and gave her a sympathetic smile. He had tiny laugh lines around his eyes. Dude was hot.

“It gets worse,” Amelia said, finishing the bottle. “Today was actually a step up.” Was he really that attractive, or was this beer goggles brought on by several traumatic instances in a row? She found that she really didn't care.

He took the empty and handed her another. She knew she probably should refuse, but she took it. She was thirsty, and the ice-cold beer was like the nectar of the gods. “How can it be worse?” he said. “You almost drowned.”

“I caught my boyfriend having sex with my barista after I got home from being fired.”

“Whoa,” he said. His gorgeous eyes darkened with emotion, going from amber to a hunter green, though she could still see flecks of gold in them. Dude was really handsome in a could-use-a-shave-and-a-haircut way. But who was she to judge? He'd just saved her life.

“Quinn made the best coffee.” Amelia shook her head sadly. “I gave up two years of my life to that coffee. Then this”—she encompassed the beach with a wave of her hand—”was supposed to be my second-anniversary celebration with Jay. Only I found out that we weren't really dating. We were just living together and having sex. And sex has been pretty much nonexistent lately.”

“That's some heavy shit, man,” he said, clinking bottles with her.

A beer and a sympathetic ear. Dude might just be the perfect man. She drank some more, her eyelids fluttering shut. All of a sudden it was too much to handle.

“I never thought this is how I'd end up. Alone and unemployed in the middle of the Pacific.”

“Beats being in the middle of New York in the winter.”

She gave a small smile. “There is that. If I have to be miserable, it might as well be in paradise.”

“You have been through a lot.” He reached up and took her hand. Opening her eyes, she looked down at his thumb as he rubbed it across her knuckles.

“I'm not totally alone,” Amelia said, just in case he was an axe murderer looking for his next victim. “I took my aunt instead of the shithead. Zarafina is a fortune-teller. She said I was going to find adventure here.” The beer must have gone straight to her head, because then she blurted out the next thing that came into her mind without even trying to filter it. “I was hoping she meant I'd get some hot sex bent over the lanai.”

He choked on his beer and spent a few moments coughing.

She drained the bottle and slid down in the hammock. “This is nice too,” Amelia slurred. “Aside from the almost drowning.”

Amelia became aware of swaying gently in the breeze with the clean smell of the ocean drifting over her. There was a warm body next to her. She rolled over.

“Careful,” Dude said, putting a foot on the ground to steady them.

Amelia still managed to crash into his chest, but his arm went around her so she didn't topple them both off the hammock.

“I'm so sorry,” she said, her words rushing out. “I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to fall asleep.”

He shrugged and rubbed a hand down her back. It was all very chaste, except he was half naked and she was wearing a bathing suit. Plus all she wanted to do was climb all over him and kiss his strong jawline. Must be some kind of rescuee-rescuer gratitude thing. Especially since they were very much still in public. She could see several people walking on the beach and others lying out in the sun.

“You were exhausted. There was room in my hammock. I had plenty of beer in the cooler, so I was all set.”

“You make a habit of saving damsels in distress?” She propped herself up on her elbow and forced herself not to trace that fine line of hair leading from his abdomen down into his board shorts.

She didn't usually wake up horny, but she wasn't complaining. She should have a fling. What would it be like to just throw caution to the wind and have sex with a handsome stranger? Was that how it had started with Quinn? she wondered. Had Jay called for delivery on some coffee and bagels, she showed up, and they wound up in bed? Could it be that easy?

“Nah, too much work.” He threw his arm up to cover his eyes, which gave her a nice view of a sculptured triceps.

For a moment she thought he had answered the question in her thoughts, but then she realized he was referring to acting as a lifeguard.

“Did I harsh your buzz again?” she asked.

“You're making it a habit.” He didn't sound too put out. “But you're cute, so I'll cut you some slack.”

Amelia grinned at the compliment. “Cute? I was hoping for
mesmerizing
or at the very least
alluring.
”

“Those are big words,” he said. “Makes my head hurt.” He put his arm over his eyes again.