Free A Bridge to Dreams by Sherryl Woods

It’s not exactly the same, but you do have beaches and endless vistas of deep blue water.”
    Tears filled her eyes at the sentimental thought. “You really brought me here because you wanted me to experience Hawaii?”
    He brushed a strand of hair back from her face, his fingertips caressing her jaw. “I want you to experience everything. Will this do for a start?”
    â€œIt’s almost perfect.”
    â€œAlmost?”
    She grinned at his indignant tone. “The only thing missing is the scent of frangipani,” she confessed wistfully. On rare special occasions she indulged in scented bath salts that filled the steamy bathroom with the fragrance. Then she’d lie back in the tub and soak, imagining herself on an island beach surrounded by the soft, sweet scent of plumeria blossoms. She looked at Brad and caught a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
    â€œThat’s where you’re wrong,” he said, clearly gloating as he reached into the backseat for a box that he’d hidden from view.
    Karyn’s eyes widened when she saw the name and address of a Waikiki florist embossed on the side. “But when? How?”
    He laughed at her astonishment. “You were in that shower long enough for me to fly to Hawaii and back,” he teased.
    â€œSeriously, where did you get it?”
    â€œI called first thing yesterday and had it flown in. It really did arrive while you were in the shower. I ran down and tucked it into the car while you were dressing.”
    With trembling fingers, Karyn awkwardly opened the box. The remembered scent of the waxy, fragile blossoms wafted up. She lifted the lei gently from the box and held it to her face, breathing deeply.
    â€œOh, Brad, it’s the nicest present anyone’s ever given me,” she whispered. “They’re just the way I’d always imagined.” She turned eyes that were misty with tears toward him. “Thank you.”
    â€œYou don’t have to thank me, sweetheart. The look in your eyes is thanks enough. Let me put it on for you.”
    Brad settled the lei around her neck, then kissed her on each cheek. Then, while staring deep into her eyes, he must have seen her longing or perhaps what he saw there merely mirrored his own desires, because slowly, he bent his head and his lips deliberately covered hers. Instead of satisfying the yearning, though, the kiss merely fueled the keen awareness of the textures of his skin, the silky moistness of his lips, the faint stubble on his cheeks. A sweet, insistent ache spread through her and she moved closer still, seeking the fulfillment that her body somehow knew Brad and only Brad could provide.
    Lost in the building passion, Karyn was unaware that the fragile blossoms were being crushed. When Brad reluctantly pulled away, his body taut, the touch of his fingertips still lingering against the sensitive peak of her breast, only then did she see that the petals of her extravagant gift were damaged.
    But nothing—nothing, Karyn thought with a sense of wonder and conviction—could harm the love that was flowering between them.

CHAPTER SIX
    K aryn had a good, long, heart-to-heart talk with herself before Brad picked her up for the next-to-last day of their vacation. She reminded herself that when it was over, he would go back to his life and she would return to hers. She was merely a diversion for a man used to a more sophisticated woman. Even those who dined regularly on caviar and beef Wellington occasionally yearned for fish and chips—and vice versa. Happily ever after only happened in storybooks.
    There were to be no regrets. She had indulged in a once-in-a-lifetime dream. She had savored each moment of delight stirred by his kisses, but that’s where it had to end. Even Brad seemed to understand that and had not pushed for a deeper intimacy. The day before he had even chosen activities that had kept them safely amidst people—from the vast