Page 10 of Paradise Found
“They’re usually couples or groups that my family’s worked with for years.”
“So, no single Swedish hockey players who want to spend all their time with you?”
She blinked while assessing his earnest blue eyes. “I should go,” Oleanna mumbled.
“Alright. If you have to. What time are you coming by tomorrow? For ourhalo-halotrip.” Lighthearted anticipation replaced his intensity.
“I’ll finish work by noon. We can take the van and grab lunch, how’s that?” she asked hurriedly, schooling her features from reflecting the flushed excitement of his face. “Can you stay out of physical harm till then?”
“I’ll try,” he droned. “Before you leave, I wanna tell you something.”
“Huh?” she inquired, noticing thatshehad been the one to eliminate the distance between them.
“I’m glad I came to Hawaii,” he whispered into her ear. This time,hewas the one to step closer.
She swallowed before rambling. “Early summer is a great time to be here, before the worst of the heat.”
“That’s not why.”
“Then why?”
“I jumped on a flight at the last second instead of going back to visit my family in Sweden.”
“Oh,” she muttered because now his face was an inch away, his mesmerizing lips stealing her attention.
“I thought it was a means to get away,” he continued. “That’s not it. It wasn’t to get away from anything. It was to find something.Someone.”
“Axel, what are you… oh, um…” she babbled.
He was still shirtless, the expanse of his pectorals daring her to look. She stared at his erratic pulse instead. When his glistening mouth parted to speak, it was as if a spell was cast. She stared at his lips, knowing they were as dangerous as they were gorgeous.
“Oleanna,” he mumbled, trance-like.
Before she could stop them, her hands reached out to his chiseled jaw. Oleanna stepped close enough for her breasts to graze his chest. He released the sexiest groan. She consumed his aroma of pine and masculinity, musk and confidence.
With one hand, he locked her palm against his face, lips grazing her fingers. Both moaned at the contact. With his other hand, Axel gently braced her lower back, pulling her tight.
“Where did you come from, Oleanna? It’s like you came straight from my dreams, do you know that?”
A memory hit her in a flash.
Back in Minneapolis, Axel had handed her an envelope containing the cost of cleaning for the month and, as usual, a generous tip for the staff. He had smiled at Oleanna and her cousin Malia, both in the kitchen. She’d smiled back, holding herbreath in anticipation. Then, he had turned away and walked out the door.
He saw her, but he didn’t see her.
And when they weren’t in this cottage and on vacation, he would go back to seeing her but not seeing her.
He wanted to know where she came from? Not from his dreams, that’s certain.
When he leaned in, she wiggled away. They stared at each other, faces flooded with shock and arousal and confusion.
She offered a curt nod before walking out the door.
“I’m sorry, Axel. I have to cancel.”
When the phone on the wall first rang, he didn’t realize answering it would deliver such a disappointment. If he knew, he would have let it ring all damn day.
“Why?”
