The Only One for Her (7 page)

Chapter 14: Lindy

The waiter brought our bill and anxiety turned my stomach into knots. Would Trace want to see me again? I knew I wanted to spend more time with him. He was a very compassionate man, listening to me talk about my past. I hadn’t had a man actually want to listen to me in a long time. When he took my hand my body tingled. His touch had an effect on me I wasn’t expecting. But, I wasn’t expecting
any
of this. It seemed like something wonderful could be coming my way. But, who was I kidding? Everything that started out wonderful had a way of ending…tragically. Putting my heart out to be potentially trampled on again scared me to death.

“Shall we go?” Trace asked me.

“Yes.”

“How about a walk on the beach?”

“Sounds perfect.”

Trace put his hand on the small of my back as he guided me out of the restaurant, toward the sand. Torches lit the way and within seconds our shoes were off. The soft, cold sand against my feet was welcome. Something about walking on the beach always soothed my heart. The pounding of the waves calmed my spirit.

“So, how long will you be in Maui?”

“Not long. Just four days. How about you?”

“A week.”

“Are you staying at one of the nearby hotels?”

“I’m staying here, at Napili Kai.”

“Me too,” he said.

The breeze off the ocean caused me to shiver. “You’re cold. Come here,” he said, pulling me in for a hug. I laid my head on his chest, nestling it under his chin. After a long moment, the heat radiating off his body had warmed mine. His strong arms around me had done things to me, too. Things I hadn’t felt in a long time.

My stomach was doing flip flops.

A deep pulsing radiated between my legs.

My nipples became hard and for a brief moment all I wanted was for Trace to pick me up and carry me off to bed.

Incredible. How was this possible?

Ro’s words came rushing back…have fun, let yourself go. Looking up at Trace I said, “Thank you for tonight. I’ve enjoyed spending time with you.”

Trace’s eyes locked onto mine. “Me too,” he said, as his lips descended upon mine. They were soft and warm. His kiss was gentle at first, but then he parted my lips with his tongue. His hot, sensual tongue swept across mine, my insides becoming hot like molten lava. We stood there, making out under the moonlight. Trace’s hands pulled me closer, pressing his body more firmly against mine. So many things went through my mind, but what kept repeating was how much I wanted him…
needed
him.

Our kiss slowed and Trace put his forehead to mine. “Lindy, you busy tomorrow? Would you consider spending the day with me?”

Trace wanting to see me again ignited everything in my body. Of course I wanted to spend more time with him. I tried to steady my voice and not sound eager. “I would love to. What time did you have in mind?”

“How about ten? We could take a picnic to a nearby waterfall. A small hike.”

“Ten it is,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound like a giddy school girl, even though I felt like one.

Trace kissed the back of my hand. “Are you ready?” he asked.

Ready for what? For you to sweep me off my feet and carry me to bed. That was a definite yes. I think so, I’m not sure. Maybe? I just stood there staring at him, not saying anything. Indecision had me in its grip.

“May I walk you back to your hotel room?”

Oh, of course, he’s a gentleman. “Yes,” I said, afraid if I said any more words I may sound like a babbling idiot. I wanted this man, but I was also afraid of being with him.

Trace began walking me in the direction of the hotel, holding my hand. “Which building are you in?

“That one,” I said, pointing to the one on the left.

“Me too. What’s your room number?”

“208.”

“I’m in 210.”

“Right next door.” That’s convenient. Right next door to me. I could practically reach out and touch him.

We climbed the stairs and arrived at my door. I was torn, part of me wanting to invite him in and the other part wanting to hit the brakes.

Trace brought my hand to his lips again. His soft, succulent lips. Lips that I wanted all over my body. He kissed my hand and said, “I’ll see you at ten.”

“Yes, ten.”

Trace’s hands found their way to my waist, pulling me in for another hug. Whispering in my ear he said, “I can’t wait to spend tomorrow with you, Lindy.”

“Me too,” I responded breathlessly. If he hadn’t been holding me up, I think my knees would have buckled. He was so damn sexy. His mouth found mine again, kissing me like a man leaving for war, not knowing if he’d ever see me again. Feeling his hard ridge pressed against my stomach, I knew he was as into me as I was into him. His tongue danced with mine for I don’t know how long. All I knew was that I didn’t want him to stop. When our kiss slowed and his lips left mine all I could think about was inviting him in.

“Would you like to come in?” I heard my thoughts being spoken out loud. What did I just do? I just met this man. How could I already be inviting him in? I knew my eyes were wide and my expression startled as I stared up at him.

Trace caressed my face with his hand. “I want nothing more than to come in and spend the night with you, but I don’t think you’re ready for that. Something in your eyes is saying to wait. And you’re worth the wait.” He kissed me on the forehead and began making his way to his room.

Once inside my hotel room, I needed time to regroup. His words had overwhelmed me. Dane had said the same thing to me when we were dating. Dane had waited for me to be his wife before we ever made love. I was his princess and he was my prince.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I thought about how incredible my evening with Trace had been. Had another prince found me? I just hoped if this was my new fairy tale it would last forever this time. But that was the thing with time. Sometimes it was unmerciful, fleeting. It took no prisoners and made no apologies for shattering your life.

Placing my hand on my neck, I picked up the locket Dane had given me, opening it. One side held a picture of my wonderful man. The other side had the words, “Marry me,” engraved on it. That’s how he’d proposed. 

Taking me out to the most romantic Italian restaurant in town, Dane presented the locket to me at the end of our dessert. When I opened the box and saw it, I instantly loved it.

“Before you open it, Lindy, I want to tell you that you are the only girl for me. I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You have been with me through so many hard times. You are my rock and I want to be yours for the rest of our lives.”

“Dane, what are you saying?”

“Open the locket, Lindy.”

I opened it, seeing his picture, thinking it was like a promise ring. But then I saw the other side and the simple two words etched in it. Marry me. He was asking me to marry him. I looked up to find my handsome man on one knee.

“Lindy, will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you marry me?”

“Yes, Dane. You’re all I want and all I need. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Sighing, I put the locket against my chest again. I never took it off. It guarded my heart, not letting anything or anyone penetrate. But tonight, tonight I thought Trace might be the man I would take off my locket for. The man I could give my heart to. I had allowed the locket to protect my heart for a long time. Perhaps now I could let it rest, be put away as a special treasure I would always love. Was I finally open to love again? Hopefully, tomorrow would give me more insight as to whether or not my locket would be stored away.

My phone lit up just as I was thinking I should call Ro.

“Are you still on your date? Am I calling at a bad time?”

“We just said goodnight,” I said laughing. “You sound like a nervous wreck.”

“I am a wreck. You just went on a date and I need to know everything that happened.”

“It was so good, Ro. Trace was such a gentleman and I had a great time.”

“I’m so glad. I wanted this day to end on a positive note. You deserve to have fun, Lindy.”

“It was fun, overwhelming, sexy. It was a lot of things.”

“Sexy, huh? What happened?”

“After dinner, we went for a walk on the beach and Trace held me in his arms. We ended up kissing for a long time.”

“Just kissing?”

“Yes, just kissing. I just met the guy, Ro.”

“I know, I know. Going slow is good.”

“Well, I did kind of blurt out an invitation for him to come in, but he said he could tell I wasn’t ready and he didn’t want me to do anything I would regret.”

“Seriously? He put your feelings before his own? He sounds so great. Most men wouldn’t have thought about your feelings. They would have just thought about what they wanted.”

“I know, right? He really made me feel special.”

“You are special, Lindy. You have so much to offer. Any man would be lucky to have you.”

“Thanks, Ro.”

“So, I guess it’s a good thing I couldn’t come with you after all. I might have gotten in the way of you two meeting.”

I laughed. “I guess it was meant to be this way.”

“Dr. Stevens is coming my way. I better go. I have a couple of questions about Todd. Call me tomorrow.”

“I will,” I said.

Chapter 15: Trace

For a split second I had considered taking Lindy up on her offer. My mind rationalized that we could just cuddle. I knew I was fooling myself. It was too fast for her. I saw it written all over her beautiful face. I could see the words had escaped her gorgeous mouth and she knew she couldn’t take them back. I didn’t want Lindy to regret anything she ever did with me. I wanted her to feel cherished, not fucked. She was special to me. From the moment I heard her words on the rocks, I knew this woman was different from any other woman I’d ever met.

I only had three more days to prove to her that she meant something to me. I felt like a heel for inviting her on a picnic I had prearranged for Angelina and myself. I had planned several romantic events to surprise my bride. I didn’t want them to go to waste, but I also didn’t want Lindy to know they were already in place for someone else. How was I going to tell her this was supposed to be my honeymoon?
Shit
. This slippery slope was going to be hard to navigate.

Maybe I didn’t have to tell her right away. I had been honest when she’d asked me if I had ever been married or engaged. I told the truth, just not the entire truth. After all, we were just getting to know each other. I didn’t want to see pity on her face when I explained that my fiancée and best friend were doing it behind my back. How I found out and humiliated her in front of everyone we knew. I wasn’t sure Lindy would still be interested in me after knowing the sordid details. Would she not find me enough too?
Was I not enough?

Time. I just needed time for us to get to know each other. I’d feel things out tomorrow and then I might have a better idea of what to do. How to tell her. When to tell her. If to tell her.

***

Today felt reminiscent of Christmas morning when I couldn’t wait to get downstairs and see what Santa had left for my sisters and me. But, this was way better. I was going to spend the day unwrapping Lindy’s heart, finding out more about her.

The first thing I needed to do was confirm my picnic basket would be waiting for me at the concierge’s desk. I called the hotel lobby.

“Napili Kai. This is Leiloni. How may I help you?”

“Yes, Leiloni. This is Trace Michaels. I was just calling to check on the picnic basket I ordered for today.”

“It’s being put together as we speak, Mr. Michaels. We have everything you requested. Did you need to make any changes?”

“No changes. I’ll be there to pick it up around nine forty-five.”

“It will be waiting for you at the concierge’s desk. Is there anything else I may assist you with today?”

“That’s all. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy your day.”

Nerves fluttered in my stomach. We were going to spend the day together. I wanted everything to be as perfect as last night when the world fell away and Lindy and I were the only inhabitants. She deserved that and I would provide that for her.

Walking past the dresser, I noticed an envelope addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Michaels.
What?
Thoughts of Angelina came crashing back. I had thought
she
was the one. I had trusted
her
. She had broken my heart like in that song; she carelessly cut me and laughed while I was bleeding. Shit. I had to sit down. Making my way to the sofa, I opened the letter from Napili Kai. It was a welcome letter with a gift certificate for dinner at the Sea House, where I took Lindy last night. Sitting there with the letter in my hands, I thought about why I was here. I came here to escape my reality of my life blowing up. But all of that changed the moment I saw Lindy, heard her words, and saved her from falling into the ocean. She had somehow, miraculously speared my heart. The anger driving me was gone. All I wanted was love. I wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of that.

I crumpled the letter, along with the envelope and threw it in the trash. I had things to do and dwelling on what could have been wasn’t one of them.

I grabbed a protein bar out of my bag and put on shorts, a tank top and my tennis shoes. Working out would clear my head and relax me simultaneously. Walking out the door, I practically knocked Lindy over.

“Good morning,” I said, my hands reaching out, landing on her hips. I couldn’t help but notice her workout attire. “Heading to the gym?”

“Yes,” she said. “You?”

“Yes.” We began walking there together.

“So, what are you planning on doing in the gym?” She looked very fit, and her defined muscles indicated she lifted weights. That was so sexy to me.

“I was going to do legs.”

“Me too.”

“Well, judging by how fit you are, I’m sure you could probably teach me a couple of things,” she said, gazing up at me.

That was so sweet. Angelina and I worked out together at the beginning of our relationship, but then she stopped. Too busy because of the wedding. Or maybe her other extra-curricular activities.

“I’m sure I could learn some stuff from you, too.”

“I find new workouts on Pinterest, Youtube, and Facebook. I’m always looking for a way to change things up.”

“Ah, muscle confusion. That’s the best way to keep yourself in shape.” Lindy was a few steps ahead of me now. I couldn’t help but notice her toned legs.

We spent the next hour sweating together in the gym. We both learned some new tricks from each other and agreed to meet in the lobby at ten.

The stream of water beating against my muscles made me think of how much I wanted to share this shower with Lindy. I’d much rather see the water cascading down her body than feeling it on my own. Working out with her had been more fun than I’d expected. I knew by her form and intensity that she took working out seriously. As seriously as I did. More in common?

Walking toward the lobby, I had decided to get there about fifteen minutes before Lindy. The concierge handed me the picnic basket and I checked the contents. It had everything I had requested. Along with the basket, I had snagged a couple of beach towels for us. Hopefully, we would be taking a dip in the pool at the waterfall. I wasn’t sure how adventurous Lindy was, but time would tell.