Page 31 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

“Okay. Night, Cynthia.”

“Night.”

After disconnecting, he cleaned himself up, his mind still turning over the comment she’d made at the end. He zipped his pants and discarded the towel. She’d never been unreachable before, always seemed to have her cell with her, and he couldn’t stop the nagging feeling she was keeping something from him. Someone knocked on the door, and his worries were pushed aside as the dinner crowd started to arrive.

Cynthia lay in her hotel bedroom thinking she should be embarrassed. Sweat had gathered between her breasts, her heart was still beating out of control, and she hadn’t felt this relaxed in weeks. For some reason, having phone sex with Chris felt right. Two months ago, if someone had told her she would be having phone sex with a man she’d had a one-night stand with, she would have said they were mental.

She pulled her nightshirt over her head and settled back in bed. Her flight was early in the morning, and now she was wide awake. Turning on the TV, she decided to find something to put her to sleep. Eleven hours from Atlanta to Honolulu.

The last three and a half weeks had been a whirlwind of activity. Once she’d signed the papers, she’d taken over all her grandmother’s properties in Hawaii. She’d stayed two weeks in Lake Park, helping Anna with her newly hired baker.

Waiting had almost killed her, but she hadn’t wanted to leave Anna high and dry. And Cynthia needed to get her affairs in order. The people who had been renting her grandmother’s house had just vacated. Perfect timing.

She wanted to see Chris. The timing was convenient, but she’d waited because she worried about her feelings for him. Even though she had tried her best not to, she’d become attached to him and, apparently, would go to any lengths to please him. She’d never had phone sex and had never masturbated.Ever. And she had done both because the sound of his voice, the fact that he was aroused and touching himself…it had been too much to ignore. Even as she blushed, she couldn’t feel guilty.

Lord only knew what kind of trouble she would get into in Hawaii. But she was looking forward to every minute of it.

Chapter Eight

The scent of plumeria intermingled with the spicy scents ofDupree’sas Cynthia walked up the path to the front door. The sun was setting behind her, and she breathed in another dose of heavy Hawaiian air. Dusk was her favorite time in Hawaii. The heat of the day disappeared, leaving a clean, crisp feeling to the air. The restaurant wasn’t too far off Kalakaua Boulevard, close to the heart of Waikiki, but even in the heart of the city, the area was unpolluted. It was something she loved about Hawaii.

A lot of people waited for tables, lingering around the benches in front. Jazz poured from the speakers, not too loud, but just loud enough to let you appreciate the music. She gained a few looks when she passed a group of men. These were not the type of men who paid attention to her, usually. They were attractive, but almost too attractive, and they knew it. She’d dressed in a pair of low-riding, hip-hugging jeans, a snug T-shirt, and sandals. Sure the red lipstick and out-of-control curls, thanks to the Hawaiian humidity, had something to do with it. Smiling to herself, she reached for the front door, only to have another dangerously good-looking man open it for her.

This one was pure sex. Gray eyes, with a hint of blue, along with golden-brown hair, he had to be taller than Chris, who was just over six feet.

“Thank you.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Do I note a little of the South in your voice?” His voice was deep, Southern, and filled with sensual teasing.

She nodded but said nothing else as she stepped over the threshold. Although attractive, he was a hunter, and that wasn’t what she wanted. She dismissed him from her mind the moment she entered Chris’s restaurant, which was decorated in bold splashes of color, with scenes from New Orleans in pictures and murals on the walls. The jazz that played outside lingered, but at a much more muted volume. The lighting was subdued, the waiters and waitresses dressed in red and black. The aroma she’d first encountered outside almost overpowered her within the cozy confines of the restaurant. A mixture of spices, peppers, and onions scented the air in the room.

“May I help you?”

A young woman stood behind a podium, or rather, leaned on crutches behind the podium. With her golden-brown skin, high cheekbones, and wide nose, it was clear the woman was Hawaiian, but her most distinctive feature was her eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of blue, almost the same shade of the Pacific Ocean. Piled on top of her head, her hair was black, smooth, and probably went down to her waist. Not a stitch of makeup adorned her face, nor did she need it.

“I hope you can. I was looking for Chris.”

“She appears to be the sweet magnolia Chris met when he went to the mainland.”

Cynthia jumped at the voice of the man she’d encountered at the front door.

“Evan.” The woman behind the podium had gone breathless when she said the man’s name, but then cleared her throat. She looked up at him, admiration—no, beyond admiration—in her eyes. Cynthia knew a cynic when she saw one. Evan was one, and this woman would probably get hurt in the end.

The oblivious male smiled at the woman as though she were his little sister. “May, how are you doing? Chris said you had an accident.”

May blushed. “Nothing big.” May returned her attention to Cynthia. Cynthia sensed the young woman fighting the urge to sneak a glance at Evan. “Chris is a bit busy, but I can take you into the back.”

“Oh…I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”

May laughed, the sound of it turning a few heads, including several men. It was one of the most lyrical sounds Cynthia had ever heard.

“Get me away from this podium. Chris stuck me here.” As the woman hobbled down the hall, she said over her shoulder, “The doctor ordered me to stay home, but I knew Chris needed my help.”

“He’s lucky to have you.”

She laughed again. “I have a feeling he would argue with you tonight.” She stopped at a set of chrome doors. Cynthia hurried to open them. “Thanks. Still learning how to do that since I’ve only been on these suckers for a few days.”

As soon as she entered the kitchen, Cynthia saw Chris. Her heart did the little flip-flop she never seemed able to control. Her nerves stretched thinner. What would she do if he rejected her? What would she do if he didn’t?

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