A Daring Affair (16 page)

Mia chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. Her love for Eric was growing stronger every day, but she wasn’t sure if she should tell him how she felt. She was afraid she was setting herself up for heartbreak. She decided that the only thing she could do right now was to take one day at a time and enjoy the present.

She sighed and took one last gulp of her milk before she returned to the bedroom. As she snuggled back into bed with Eric, she felt contentment seep into her bones as he pulled her into the warmth of his embrace. There was no use in worrying about the future because life was too unpredictable, especially with Eric.

The next morning, a rooster’s loud crow woke Mia just as the sun was rising. A cow mooing in the backyard had her opening one eye. She felt Eric kiss her gently and opened her bleary eyes as he looked down at her.

“I’m off to go surfing with Mano. I’ll be back in a few hours,” he said with a smile.

A thin, cotton sheet draped over her naked figure, and he ran a hand down her stomach over the sheet.

“Maybe I should stay,” he said as he looked at the mounds of her breasts.

“No, you have fun with Mano,” she said with a yawn. Mia watched him get up before she snuggled back down into the bed and fell asleep again almost instantly.

A few hours later, Mia woke to the tantalizing aroma of coffee. She slipped into a light pink, silky robe and walked into the kitchen. Eric stood behind the counter, stirring sugar into his coffee. His hair was damp, and he wore a light blue T-shirt and beige cargo shorts. He grinned at her and opened his arms wide.

“Aloha kakahiaka, good morning,” said Eric as she went into his arms willingly.

“What time is it?” she asked, yawning.

“About eight thirty.”

“How was your surfing?”

“Awesome,” he answered, ruffling her tousled hair affectionately. “I’ve made breakfast, so eat up,” he said, releasing her.

He poured her a cup of coffee, and she closed her eyes, savoring the distinctive taste. “This is certainly not the coffee I’m used to back home,” she said, taking another sip.

“It’s Kona coffee. I always make sure the kitchen is well-stocked with it,” Eric said. “Try this - it’s a traditional Hawaiian breakfast called Loco Moco.”

Mia sat down on a bar stool while he handed her a bowl and fork. She looked at the contents inside the bowl curiously.

“What is it?” she asked dubiously, sifting through the food with her fork.

Eric sat next to her and answered, “It’s lightly fried Spam on a bed of cooked white rice, gravy, a fried egg and topped with sliced green onion. Most people use hamburger patty instead of Spam, but this is my own version.”

“Well, it sounds interesting,” she said slowly, “but I’m not that hungry.”

Eric laughed at her hesitancy. “Dive in, Mia. It’s tasty, and it will give you energy for what I’ve planned for us today.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’ve already had two bowls of Loco Moco.”

Mia took a hesitant bite and, to her surprise, found the meal to be quite tasty.

“This is pretty good,” she mumbled, her mouth full.

“Told you so,” he said, smiling.

He reached for a large plate of sliced tropical fruit and placed it on the white tile countertop.

“Here are some mangoes, papaya, and pineapple,” he offered. He took bread out of a package and handed it to her. “And this is Hawaiian sweetbread.”

“Do you eat this much every morning?” asked Mia, taking the bread.

“Surfing can give me an appetite,” grinned Eric.

“What are we doing today?”

“I’m taking you on a helicopter ride to the Na Pali coast,” answered Eric as he placed dirty bowls and utensils in the dishwasher. “Mano’s cousin, Wene, is a pilot who works for a helicopter company that takes tourists over the Na Pali coast. Wene offered us a free trip.”

“Wow, I’ve never been in a helicopter before,” Mia said excitedly.

“It’s pretty incredible. Don’t forget to put on plenty of sunscreen, and wear a bikini underneath your clothes.”

“Why?”

“He’ll be setting us down near a stunning waterfall where we can swim.”

“Really?” Mia asked, getting even more excited.

“Really,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. “So, hurry up and finish your breakfast, so we can go.”

Mia ate, showered, and dressed in record time.

“I’m so glad my parents’ car is still in good condition,” said Eric as he pulled out of the driveway.

“How old is this car?” asked Mia

“Nearly fifteen years old. Toyota Corolla’s are built to last.”

As Eric drove up the coast toward the helicopter terminal, Mia couldn’t help wishing that they could stay in Kauai for a few more days. The Garden Isle was truly amazing, and she wanted to explore more of the island’s natural wonders. It was too bad they had to return to Maui later that evening.

Wene was more than happy to take them up on his red helicopter. He took them along the rugged coastline, deep into verdant, green valleys and hovered over magnificent waterfalls. The aerial view of the Na Pali coast was spectacular and took her breath away. Towering sea cliffs, shielding lush valleys and cascading waterfalls, extended toward majestic mountain peaks. She saw kayakers on the coastline, along with sailboats and catamarans.

“This is totally breathtaking!” Mia yelled out to Eric above the roar of the engine.

Eric smiled at her, “It’s something else, isn’t it?!”

Wene carefully set the helicopter down on a small patch of grassy area. He told them he would take a walk and return for them in an hour. With their towels in hand, Eric led Mia deep inside the forest, dense with abundant tropical plants and flowers. The trees and ferns grew rampantly as birds sang on the branches. She could hear the roar of a waterfall as they approached it.

“This is stunning,” she said, taking in the beauty of her surroundings.

“That is Hanakapi’ai Falls - it’s a 300 foot drop,” Eric said as he led her to the edge of the pool and began removing his shirt and shorts.

“Is it warm enough to get in?” she asked.

“It’s a bit chilly, but I’ll warm you up,” he teased as he put on his swim trunks.

Mia removed her white, cotton cover-up sundress and revealed her white bikini underneath. She took Eric’s outstretched hand and tentatively dipped her foot into the water.

“Oh, it’s cold,” she said, but Eric insistently tugged at her hand. She reluctantly went in knee deep, her toes gripping the sandy bottom.

He suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Soon, she forgot all about the temperature of the water. They swam and cavorted near the waterfall, splashing and kissing for an hour until they saw Wene motioning to them to come back.

“I wish we could stay here all day,” Mia said.

Eric held her hand as they walked back to the helicopter. “I have other adventures planned for today,” Eric said mischievously.

After saying goodbye to Wene at the helicopter terminal, Eric led her back to the Toyota Corolla, and they drove to a kayak rental place.

“Have you kayaked before?” he asked.

“My cousin Mandy and I used to kayak on Vancouver Island and spot orca whales.”

Eric strapped the tandem kayak securely to the top of the car and they headed out to the Wailua River. There, he set the kayak down into the river, and they leisurely paddled for about forty-five minutes before Eric signaled for them to stop.

“Hungry yet?” asked Eric.

“No, after the large breakfast you made me this morning, I don’t think I’ll be hungry for a while,” Mia said as they disembarked from their kayak.

Eric docked their kayak alongside several other kayaks before he took Mia’s hand and directed them up a well-worn path.

“We’ll hike for a mile. It will take us about a half an hour to reach the Secret Falls,” Eric said. “In Hawaiian, it’s called Uluwehi Falls. It’s not very secret.”

Mia was glad she wore sandals as they walked along the muddy trail. A cornucopia of trees grew in the jungle, along with a profusion of plants. As they neared the waterfall, she could hear the roar of the water cascading down. Other tourists had reached the falls and were wading near them.

“Is the water cold?” she asked, taking off her sundress as Eric dove into the water.

“A little. You’ll get used to it,” Eric said with a reassuring grin.

Mia hesitantly stepped over some rocks and slowly went into the water.

“Oy, not so warm,” she said, but soon adjusted to the temperature, swimming like a seal with Eric close beside her.

It was another unforgettable experience as Eric held her several times and kissed her passionately, oblivious to the tourists around them.

By the time they walked back to their kayak and paddled back down the river, Mia was in need of a shower and a nap. On the way back to Eric’s house, she reflected on the day’s events and knew that she would never forget Kauai. Eric had welcomed her into his home, introduced her to his friends, showed her amazing sights and given her memories of a lifetime. She didn’t want this to ever end, and she hoped Eric felt the same way.

She glanced over at Eric, admiring his handsome features.

He looked over at her and smiled. “What?” he asked.

“There’s so much to see and do in Kauai. I wish we could spend more time here,” Mia said with a sigh.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “We’ll come back again. Next time, I’ll take you to Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.”

His words made her heart soar, and she relaxed back in her seat, a content smile on her face.

* * *

“Mahalo nui loa, thank you, very much,” said Mia gratefully to Mano and Olina.

They were at the Lihue Airport, and Mia was sad to say goodbye to the couple who had welcomed her so warmly.

“You’re no longer a malihini, a newcomer. You’re part of our ‘ohana, family, now,” Olina said sincerely while the men were engaged in conversation. “And between you and me, I’ve never seen Eric so into a woman as he is with you. You got him hook, line, and sinker.”

“Thank you, Olina. I hope you’re right,” Mia said and gave her a hug.

“You take care of yourself, Mia,” Mano said. “We hope to see you and Eric again soon.”

He gave Mia a bear hug and shook Eric’s hand.

“Eh, is da kine going to meet you at da airport?” Mano asked.

Eric nodded, smiling. “I’ll tell Kimo to take some time off so he can visit you.”

“We want to see your new hotel, but we’ll have to wait until the babies are born,” Olina said, patting her bulging stomach.

“Malama pono, take care” said Eric.

“A hui hou, until we meet again,” Mano said giving them a shaka sign as they went their separate ways.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The next two weeks passed by quickly as Mia worked long hours at Eric’s side. By day, they were professionals working hard at making the hotel run smoothly, and at night, they were lovers who couldn’t get enough of each other. Every morning, Eric woke her with a passionate kiss, which often led to a bout of lovemaking before they headed to work. It was a lovely way to start a day.

Eric showed no hint of their affair during work hours and meetings, though she occasionally caught him looking at her with a tender look in his eyes. Occasionally, she would feel his hand on the small of her back whenever they walked together on hotel grounds, or he would squeeze her shoulder right before a meeting.

However, that was the extent of his public displays of affection. She didn’t want to admit that it irked her that he could be so disciplined, while she could barely stop herself from cornering him in the middle of the day and demanding more of his kisses. They had not spoken of feelings since they had argued about Leilani, and although Mia wanted to tell Eric how much she loved him, she could never find the right time to tell him. Nor did she have the courage to ask him how he felt about her.

“Aloha ahiahi,” Mia greeted an elderly couple walking into the lobby. “Good evening.”

The couple smiled at her and paused to ask about car rentals. Kimo walked by and directed them to the front desk. Mia’s feet were aching from standing and walking all day, and she couldn’t wait to go back to Eric’s condo.

“How are you holding up?” Kimo asked. They watched several hotel guests stroll by, cameras in their hands.

“Okay,” Mia answered. “How about you?”

“To be honest, it’s been a long day. When the air conditioning in the gym went out, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Thank God, it got fixed quickly. Otherwise, we would’ve had a lot of disgruntled and sweaty tourists.”

Mia winced in sympathy. “You need a weekend off, Kimo. You’ve been working six days a week since the hotel opened.”

“Yeah, I know. I guess I should ask Eric if I can have this weekend off.”

“Why don’t you go to Kauai? I’m sure Mano and Olina would love to see you,” Mia suggested.

Kimo’s face brightened. “Hey, that’s a good idea.”

“What’s a good idea?” asked Eric, walking toward them. Mia couldn’t help noticing how good he looked in casual brown slacks and a white polo shirt.

“Me going to Kauai this weekend?” asked Kimo hopefully.

Eric paused and looked at Mia. She nodded at him, silently urging him to give his approval.

“Sure,” said Eric. “You deserve it, Kimo. Mia and I will be here if anything goes wrong.”

“My assistant manager, Tish, will be on duty. There’s no need for you guys to stick around all weekend,” protested Kimo.

“Tish is barely out of training. I’d feel better if Mia and I were here in case something happens,” Eric said firmly.

“Are you sure that I should leave?” Kimo asked doubtfully.

“Go, brah,” urged Eric. “You need a break.”

Kimo grinned widely. “Mahalo, Eric. I’ll give Mano a call now.”

Kimo walked away quickly and Mia smiled at Eric. “He’s probably going to surf with Mano all weekend.”

“No doubt,” said Eric, glancing at his watch. “It’s seven now. Why don’t you go on home?”

Mia loved the way he referred to his condo as their home. It made her feel even more secure that their relationship wasn’t going to end once they returned to Edmonton, which was in just one week.