A Daring Affair (12 page)

* * *

Eric gazed at Mia’s sleeping face beside him. It was too early to rise, so he had time to contemplate the escalating intimacy growing between himself and Mia. He knew that it was generally frowned upon for managers to be romantically entangled with employees.

Eric didn’t want to take advantage of Mia’s attraction to him while he was her immediate boss. He had known almost from the beginning that she was interested in him. The chemistry between them was so obvious that a stranger could pick up on it.

He knew that what he felt for Mia was different from the way he had felt about other women. At thirty years old, Eric had plenty of experience with the opposite sex. He worked hard all his life, but he also played hard. However, he had never once mixed business with pleasure. But one teasing look from Mia’s sparkling green eyes had him forgetting all about his own personal rules about dating staff members. He was constantly battling a rampant arousal whenever she was near. She was beautiful, sweet, and an enthusiastic, passionate lover. He craved her sensual kisses, and couldn’t keep his hands off her.

Being with her made him feel complete, and when she wasn’t around he felt strangely bereft. He had the sneaking suspicion that he was starting to need her, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. Gazing at her lovely face now though, he erased his niggling doubts, and placed his arm around her waist, settling back down on the bed. All he knew was that he had never felt such contentment with another woman before, and for now, that was enough.

* * *

“Don’t touch the turtles,” Eric said to the children frolicking in the ocean.

Mia took off her snorkeling mask and was amazed at how close the sea turtles had come up to shore.

She and Eric had decided to go down to the Kaanapali Beach resort area to swim at Black Rock after work. The last two days had been full of meetings and last minute complications at the hotel. She was glad to finally escape work for a while and swim in the warm, inviting ocean. Eric had suggested that they take a break and told her that the Hawaiian green turtles often swam around Black Rock, especially in the early evening. Right now, there were three giant turtles swimming around the shallow water, delighting a small group of tourists.

“They are Green Sea Turtles, or honu in Hawaiian, and they’re an endangered species,” explained Eric patiently to one of the children. “They are a symbol of good luck to Hawaiians.”

“Do they bite?” asked a concerned parent.

“No, they’re not aggressive, and they won’t attack; however, they will sometimes directly swim toward you and bump into you but don’t be afraid, they’re gentle creatures,” Eric answered, watching the turtles circle around them. “They eat marine plant life like sea grass, algae and seaweed.”

“They’re so large,” exclaimed Mia, wishing she had brought her underwater camera.

“Adults can weigh up to 190 kilograms or over 400 hundred pounds,” Eric said, “and they can grow up to one point five meters long or five feet long.”

“That’s huge!” exclaimed one parent.

“Aww, they’re swimming away,” whined one child.

“Let’s go follow them,” Eric said to Mia.

They put their snorkeling masks on and swam out to sea into warm, crystal clear water. They trailed after the sea turtles and were able to get a close-up look at one of them.

Mia gave Eric a thumb’s up under water as she observed the turtle feeding on algae from nearby rocks. She was careful to keep a respectful distance from the turtle as it fed. A small school of shimmery silver Needlefish swam passed her as Eric took her hand. They swam toward a coral formation and observed several yellow Butterflyfish feeding on algae.

They lingered in the ocean for a while before heading back to shore. The sun was beginning to set, and the brilliant orange and pink colors of the sunset held Mia spellbound.

“Maui is so beautiful,” she said, taking off her snorkeling mask and straightening back her wet hair.

“I think it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth.” He held her hand as they walked along the beach.

“I’m beginning to think you’re more Hawaiian than Canadian.”

Eric laughed. “I guess I’m a mutt.”

“Mia!”

They turned to see Charlie walking toward them. He was carrying his surfboard and wearing bright green board shorts. Mia glanced up at Eric and noticed that his features had hardened perceptibly.

“Hi, Charlie,” Mia said cheerfully. She had not seen him in several days, not since they had gone dancing together.

“Nice to see you again,” Charlie said, his appreciative look taking in her bright yellow bikini.

She could almost feel Eric’s displeasure of the other man’s presence.

“This is Eric,” Mia introduced.

“Hello,” Eric said brusquely.

Charlie nodded to him, and Mia watched the men take each other’s measure.

“What have you been up to, Charlie?” Mia asked, wanting to distract both men from sizing each other up. It was difficult not to compare them. While Charlie possessed the lean build and muscles of a surfer, Eric was taller by several inches and was more muscular.

Charlie grinned at Mia. “Surfing and partying, mostly. How about you?”

Mia glanced up, noticed Eric’s aloofness, and hoped that Charlie had not.

“Working, mostly,” she answered.

Charlie pointedly looked at Mia and Eric’s linked hands, making her blush.

“Well, glad you’re getting out and having fun,” Charlie said, his smile dimming a fraction. “Maybe we can hang out some time.”

Mia nodded, feeling awkward. She liked Charlie’s carefree, uncomplicated companionship, but she had a feeling Eric would not approve of her having a friendship with him, no matter how platonic it was.

“Sure, see you around,” she said lightly, aware of Eric stiffening beside her.

Charlie grinned. “Okay then - later.” He gave her a shaka sign and walked away, whistling.

As soon as Charlie was out of earshot, Mia turned to Eric with a frown. “You could have been a little friendlier,” she reprimanded.

Eric stared down at her, his eyes turning dark at her light admonition.

“Why should I be friendly with a guy who checks you out in your bikini and asks you out?” he asked, bristling beside her.

“Charlie was not checking me out,” she protested.

“Yes, he was. He could barely keep his eyes above your neck,” Eric said irritably.

“You’re exaggerating. He wasn’t asking me out, either.”

“He asked you if you could hang out with him in front of me,” Eric retorted scathingly.

“You’re being ridiculous, Eric. He’s a friend, nothing more.”

“A friend? How many times have you hung out with him?”

“Twice, and both times were fun and enjoyable. There’s no need to be jealous,” she said soothingly.

“Jealous?” Eric scoffed. “I’m not jealous.”

Mia crossed her arms in front of her and raised her eyebrows.

Eric sighed. “Okay, maybe I was just a little jealous,” he admitted reluctantly.

She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it.

“Charlie is a friend, that’s all,” Mia said reassuringly.

Eric took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.

The tender gesture warmed her heart.

“Just make sure he doesn’t see you in a bikini again,” he said grimly.

Mia rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll make sure to wear a parka.”

Eric grinned at her cheekiness. “Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’m hungry from all our snorkeling.”

Mia smiled to herself as they continued to walk along the beach toward the parking lot.

* * *

“Aloha, everyone, and welcome,” Kimo said with a big grin. He was greeting the first guests that had arrived to check into Bliss Beach hotel.

Mia and Tish stood in the lobby, wearing red Hawaiian print dresses. They were giving leis of bright purple and white flowers to the guests. Other hotel workers stood by passing out leis and welcoming guests with cheerful looks on their faces.

Thankfully, the pool had passed inspection, and the waterfalls cascaded throughout the length of the pool. The tiki totems had been placed throughout the gardens, and the hotel itself was shiny, new, and decorated in a classic Hawaiian style.

Mia looked at Eric as he stood next to Kimo, greeting the guests. He had opted to wear a blue Hawaiian shirt and beige slacks, and looked very debonair as he smiled and chatted with the incoming crowd. Kimo had informed Mia earlier that the hotel was fully booked for several months ahead. They had hired a professional hula dance troupe to entertain the guests every evening. At the large, green space at the edge of the hotel grounds facing the beach, the chef and his staff were busy preparing a kalua pig in an imu oven, for the luau feast to take place later that evening.

“This hotel is so lovely,” gushed one middle-aged woman, who stood wide-eyed in the lobby.

“Aloha,” Mia greeted the woman politely, handing her a lei. “Where are you from?”

“Denver, Colorado. This is my first visit to Maui, and I’m so thrilled to be here,” said the woman excitedly.

“Welcome, and we hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you so much!”

The day passed in a blur as Mia assisted Eric, helped out at the front desk and took care of minor details throughout the hotel. By the end of the day, she was ready to go back with Eric to his condo and relax. For the last several nights, she had stayed there, completely checked out of her hotel room. They had not discussed that she move in with him - it just seemed the natural thing to do.

Working alongside him by day, and sleeping with him at night had given them more time to really get to know one another. It seemed unbelievable to her that only three weeks ago, she had barely known him. He was quickly becoming a big part of her life and she couldn’t imagine not being with him every day. There were only three weeks left of their Maui trip, and she didn’t know how to broach the subject of how he felt about her because, a part of her was too afraid to ask.

“Busy day, huh?” Mia asked Eric as they walked into his condo together later that night.

Eric nodded and walked over to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses. They had eaten dinner at the luau feast and had watched some of the hula dancing before leaving the hotel.

“Yes, but the hotel is finally open, and so far, so good,” Eric said, pouring the wine. He handed a glass to Mia, who sat in a bamboo lounge chair in the living room. Eric sat across from her in a matching chair.

“Cheers and congratulations for a job well done,” Mia said, leaning over to clink glasses. “The guests were very complimentary about the hotel. They were really impressed with the pool and gardens,” she said, taking a long sip of her wine.

“Now we just cross our fingers that everything will go smoothly, and there’s nothing that I’ve overlooked,” he said.

“You never overlook anything.”

“I think I have.”

“What?”

Eric placed his wine glass down.

Mia glimpsed his hungry look before he kneeled down in front of her. Her eyes widened as he slowly pushed the skirt of her dress up to her waist and gently spread her legs.

He gazed at her lacy, red thong and his eyes darkened. “You,” he said, before he dipped his head down and kissed her on her most sensitive spot.

Mia gasped and placed her hands on his dark brown hair. It certainly was a great way to end a long day.

* * *

The next morning, Mia woke up early to take a short walk. She chose to wear comfortable, black yoga pants, a pink tank top, and flip-flops for her early morning stroll. Eric’s condominium complex was large and situated in an established neighborhood with views of the coast. As she stood admiring the ocean view from a small cliff, she felt hands reach around her waist. She instantly recognized who the hands belonged to and snuggled back into Eric’s warm embrace.

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” Eric grumbled, laying his chin on top of her head.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Mia said, putting her hands over his. “How did you know where to find me?”

“I figured you were out for a walk.”

She turned around in his arms and smiled up at him, her green eyes sparkling. “It’s Saturday. What do you think we should do today? Go to the hotel and see if everything is going well?”

Eric placed a kiss on her nose and shook his head. “No. I just spoke to Kimo, and he said everything is running smoothly. He said there’s no need for me to be there, and suggested that we get some R and R.”

“Sounds good to me,” Mia said, placing her head on his chest.

“Why don’t we fly to Kauai for the weekend?”

She looked up at him in surprise. “Kauai?”

“We can stay at my family’s home there,” Eric said, sweeping her auburn hair back so he could place a kiss on her neck.

“How far is Kauai from Maui?”

“Around 360 kilometers or 224 miles. It’s about an hour plane ride. It’s known as the Garden Isle. I think you’ll like it there.”

Mia was starting to get excited, and not just because she would see Kauai, but that Eric had invited her to his family home.

“I would love to go,” she said enthusiastically. “When do we leave?”

“Pack a bag and we’ll catch a flight this morning.”

Eric called a taxi to drive them to the Kahului Airport. They landed in Lihue - Kauai’s airport - and Eric had contacted a friend to pick them up.

“Howzit, Eric?!” greeted a tall, Hawaiian man wearing a white T-shirt, red board shorts, and black flip-flops. He was a slightly less bulkier version of Kimo.

“Mano!” said Eric with a grin. The men shook hands enthusiastically.

“Been a long time, braddah,” said Mano before he looked at Mia curiously.

“Mano, meet my girlfriend, Mia,” introduced Eric.

Mia stared at him for a stunned moment.

Mano shook her hand and grinned. “Girlfriend?” he asked, looking at Eric inquisitively. “Nani wahine,” he said, which Mia understood as
beautiful woman
.

“Mahalo,” Mia said, and Mano looked pleased. “I like your name, Mano.”

“Thank you. It means
shark
.”

“That means you better watch out for him,” warned Eric teasingly. “He used to be a regular ladies’ man.”