Page 4 of Paradise Found
The closeness of their bodies took her breath away and yet, inexplicably, she had the oddest sensation that she could finally and completely exhale.
The top of her head barely reached his chin, so when she looked sideways and tilted her head up, it surprised her to seehis mouth at eye level. Axel hadn’t merely leaned in, he crouched to be closer.
“Are you alright, Oleanna?”
The way he said it, full of concern and awe, was as potent as an injection of swoon. Her name on his lips wasn’t an afterthought to the question. It was like a fine piece of candy that lingered in his mouth.
“Yeah, I’m…”Finewas at the tip of her tongue. Except she wasn’t fine because Axel’s other arm moved up to rub her back. Gently, yes, but confidently, too.
If she opened her mouth, it wouldn’t be a word coming out, it would be a purr. She shook her head to clear it.
Oleanna conveyed the rental instructions by rote memory.
“Your stay includes brunch and dinner that my aunt cooks. For weeklong stays, we also include a grocery run and a luau in a famous resort about half an hour away. Since we weren’t prepared for your stay, and you’re only booked for the night, we arranged for Uncle Greg to bring you to the luau.”
She was speaking robotically. Her trembling body, however, was far from unaffected.
“Away from here?” His breath was so close to her hair, she felt strands gently lift off her cheek.
“Yeah, it’s famous—” Oleanna croaked while stepping back because her chicken skin, what her cousin would call her goosebumps, returned with a vengeance.
“No, I don’t want to leave,” he interjected, arms to the side. He released her easily but did not step back. Neither did she.
“And I can stay the week. Or two. I can stay two weeks.” He sounded exhilarated.
She almost burst out laughing at his candidness. It was a glimpse of Axel not as a superstar athlete but as a young man, excited about an adventure.
She did the calculation at $900 a night. The house belonged to her father and his extended family. Taxes and upkeep required them to rent it out to cover over $30,000 of annual costs. Corporate resorts had been creeping up around them for decades, and only the diligent upkeep of taxes, paperwork, and litigation kept this little slice of heaven in the family. What he was offering would put them comfortably over that minimum level.
“I’ll let Uncle Greg and Aunt Eleanor know,” she confirmed with a smile.
Through his lowered lids, Axel watched her intently. She licked her lips because god, she was thirsty. His chiseled jaw clenched, rendering an expression she felt in her core. Irrationally, she wanted to unclench his jaw by running her hand over his two-day stubble.
Then, Axel returned her smile with a grin so slow, it was almost sweet. A sensual man one second and an infatuated boy the next. Irresistible. And wrong.
Oleanna should leave rightnow, or risk her knees failing to get her out of the cottage because some kind of swoon virus had infected her.
“In that case, why don’t you settle in? Maybe rest or go for a swim? The beach looks deceptively close though it’s at least a ten-minute trek through some rocky parts. I wouldn’t recommend going barefoot. My cousin Danny, Uncle Greg’s youngest son, can show you the best path when you’re ready.”
His smile widened, and so did hers.
“Use this phone.” She pointed to the landline. It was a beige contraption hanging on the wall circa 1985. “The main house number is pre-programmed when you press one. Your cell phone should work, too, although this is faster. Please use it if you need anything.”
“Like what?” he asked huskily.
“Well, we’re not exactly a hotel, but if you need extra towels or want your sheets changed more frequently than every other day, let us know. There’s always water in the fridge and some basics. The pantry is stocked. Whatever you need, we’ll do our best to accommodate.”
“Are you on the other end of that line, Oleanna?”
The sultriness of his voice made it impossible to answer without catching her breath. She shook off the sensation that he was content to wait and stare at her for as long as it took her to find her voice.
“Sometimes.”
“Hmm,” he muttered vaguely, still staring at her with an affectionate expression. That couldn’t be right.
“This might be the best decision I’ve ever made,” Axel whispered.
“What decision?” She couldn’t help teasing. “The one to show up during the busiest week in Waikiki when rooms have been booked for months? Or the one to jump in a stranger’s van to be driven deep into old plantation fields where you don’t know anyone?”
