pulled away. “Okay, time to get into uniform. It’s against the law to wear clothes in paradise. You brought the red polka dot suit, right?” He waggled his eyebrows at her and, as he’d predicted, she blushed. He loved her new bikini she’d worn to his apartment swimming a couple of weeks ago—so much so that he’d made a point of mentioning it almost daily since then.
As much as he loved it, he’d suggested that it would be practical to have a second suit along. She hadn’t mentioned whether she’d bought one, but he knew she’d gone shopping for a while yesterday, longer than it would have taken just to buy a suitcase, so he had a suspicion that she had.
They walked back through the living area and stood there looking at the two bedrooms. They hadn’t discussed sleeping arrangements, but Adam hadn’t wanted to presume, so he’d made sure the condo he’d booked had two rooms. It had obviously been set up for a family. The master bedroom had a king-sized bed with a fluffy white comforter and a window that overlooked the pool and beach. It had a big en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower. The other bedroom had a double and a twin, both beds with matching red and blue striped coverlets, and a bathroom with a tub.
Without asking, he picked up her suitcase and took it into the master bedroom, leaving his duffle in the entryway. He set her bag on the dresser, turned around and froze.
Tori was putting his duffle bag on the suitcase rack by the closet.
Still, he tried. “I don’t mind sleeping in the kids’ room.”
Tori laughed and walked towards him. “It is a kids’ room, isn’t it? No. I think we can share the king just fine. Besides, this room is much more romantic.” She slid her arms around his waist.
He embraced her in return and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He loved how she fitted perfectly against him when they hugged. “It is, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and you have to be the most romantic guy in the world to do this. Seriously, Adam, I know I’ve probably said it a million times already, but this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”
His cheeks warmed under her intense gaze. “You’re welcome. You deserve it.” He just had to make it clear to her by the end of summer that they deserved a chance to try for something long term. There was too much at stake. His heart contracted at the thought of losing the woman in his arms and he cleared his throat. “So. Pool or beach? And would you like to eat in tonight or go out?”
* * * *
They ended up spending the remainder of the day walking on the beach, swimming, lounging on the lanai and by the pool. Then Tori fixed a small pitcher of margaritas and they visited with other guests and tenants at the communal grill as Adam grilled chicken breast skewers to have with their steamed rice and broccolini—a simple dish they ate outside and followed up with fresh pineapple shared by one of their neighbours.
“Come on, let’s take a stroll,” Adam whispered in her ear as they finished putting the kitchen to rights. His breath sent a shiver through her and she nodded.
“Let me grab a sweater.”
They walked the short distance across the lawn to the sand then started meandering up the beach in the direction of the refuge, carrying their sandals. Earlier the waning light had been beautiful on the water, with the palm trees and Haleakal in the distance. She’d taken several pictures on her phone and had sent one to her mom’s email.
Adam took her hands in his and she smiled mostly to herself. What a romantic trip this had been, and it was only the first day. She wondered if tonight would be the night that they would finally make love. It seemed fitting somehow. The whole place was magical and serene and she could definitely see why people continued to come back to the islands time after time. She was already wondering how much it would be to purchase one of the condos in their complex. It was a mix of