Page 110 of Try Easy

“Heh,” he said, looking down into her eyes. He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. His calloused fingers trailed down her neck, then dropped away. “Why are you here?”

“The magazine article. The picture.”

His gaze danced over her face. He looked at her mouth for a long time and then finally he blinked up at her. “What?” he asked.

“The picture in the magazine,” she said. “Didn’t they call you?”

Keoni shook his head.

“Surfing Magazine is publishing one of my pictures,” she said. “They were supposed to call you for an interview.”

Keoni stared at Lou for another moment. “Your picture is going to be in a magazine?” he asked finally.

Lou nodded, correcting him, “Your picture, actually.” She bit her lip. “I hope you’re not mad.”

“Mad?” His eyebrows rose. “Why would I be mad?”

“You were embarrassed about that picture in the tourist pamphlet,” she reminded him.

“That’s different, but…” He shrugged. “This is you. You should know me better than to think I’d be mad.”

He sounded disappointed, and Lou realized this was going all wrong. She steered things back to her plan.

“Oh, hell,” she said. “I was hoping you would take one look at me and fall in love.”

Keoni stiffened. “It’s too late for that,” he said. “I fell in love witchu the moment you stepped offa da plane.”

“You did?” she asked.

He nodded.

Lou glanced behind him into the house. He still hadn’t invited her inside.

“Are you alone?” she asked, steeling herself for his answer.

A muscle in his jaw tensed, and he nodded again. “I can’t be with anyone, Lou. I told you that.”

Lou blew out a frustrated breath and hung her head. She was glad that Keoni wasn’t with anyone else, but this wasn’t exactly good news.

“Okay,” she said. “I understand.”

He nodded. “Awrite.”

“Do you mind if I use your telephone?” she asked.

Keoni took a step back, gesturing for her to come inside.

Lou slipped off her sandals and brushed passed Keoni into the house. “I just need to call a ride,” she said.

“Are you going back to the airport, then?” he asked, coming to stand beside her in the kitchen.

She turned to look at him, wondering if she should tell him the truth. She’d bought a one-way ticket. She didn’t plan to return to Seattle.

The room was too small with him in it, especially when he was only wearing a towel. Lou could feel the tension mounting between them, and she knew he felt it, too. How much longer was he going to punish himself for something that wasn’t his fault?

Lou couldn’t take being so close to him and not touching him. She could smell the coconut shampoo in his hair and it was driving her crazy.

She abandoned her plan and threw her arms around him. Keoni held very still, and then after a tense moment, his arms came around her. He pulled Lou against his chest so hard that all the air rushed out of her lungs. Then he crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her with all the passion she had hoped she hadn’t imagined.

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