Page 24 of Try Easy

“Not unless you have a better one,” she said, her nose crinkling.

Keoni smiled and held out his hand to Lou. “Come on, we’re almost there. Wait till you see.”

Lou took his hand and Keoni felt that spark of awareness again. He wondered if he’d feel it every time he touched her. Then he wondered about kissing her. If touching her hand felt this good, what would it be like to kiss her mouth?

Keoni dropped Lou’s hand. It wasn’t smart to think thoughts like that, not when Lou was only here for a few days. Keoni didn’t seduce tourists, even ones as pretty as Lou.

They were almost to the top of the hill when Keoni halted. “Close your eyes these last few steps,” he said.

“Why?” Lou asked, tilting her face up to his.

Keoni looked at her mouth. It was wide and sensual. Tempting. He looked back to her eyes. Blue-green, the color of the deep seas of off-shore Maui. The color of his childhood.

“I want you to be surprised,” he said. “I’ll lead you.”

“Okay,” Lou said.

She closed her eyes. Keoni put his hand on the small of Lou’s back and turned her toward the top of the hill. He walked her nearly to the edge of the hill, and then stopped her before she could take another step.

“K’den,” he said. “Open your eyes.”

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