What a Girl Wants (11 page)

Chapter Eleven

“Friendship is love minus sex plus reason.”

—Mason Cooley

“So,” Reece said to Maddie. “What you’re saying is that you and Alex are not on the same page?”

“Page? You kidding me?” Maddie strolled through the hotel lobby, talking to her friend on her cell phone. “We’re not even in the same book.”

“He’s not still pissed at you, is he?”

“No, we’re good. We both agreed to forget about the cherry incident, the golf incident
and
the shower incident. Cripes, at this rate my piece could be called, ‘Maddie the Accidental Tourist.’ I stayed out of his way for four days.”

Reece laughed. “Chickie, you should write a novel about this. You could seriously give Danielle Steele a run for her money.”

“More like Stephen King.”

Maddie spotted Alex outside by the dolphin statues. He stood with his hands across his chest in deep concentration and stared up at the talking parrot perched on the hotel’s marble railing.

She said goodbye to her friend, shoved the incident memories aside and stood behind him
¾
then realized it probably wasn’t a good idea to sneak up from behind him again, so she moved to his side. She cleared her throat and mustered her best parrot voice. “Hey, handsome. Have any chocolate?”

His smile assured her that the few days apart had helped glue their friendship back together.

“Will a sugar-free mint do?”

She grimaced. “Where have you been hiding? What have you been up to?”

“Catching up on research. I hear you and Tim did a great photo shoot of the island.”

“I put him through my version of the Iron Man Competition.” She grinned at the memory. “We took a fifteen-mile bike ride and the next day we went on a five-mile hike up the side of the waterfalls and lava sea cliffs. He got to sit down when we went whale watching. Saw some wild dolphins. That was awesome.”

“I would have loved to have seen that. See any sharks?”

“Not that time, but we did see a few hammerheads when we went snorkeling. I casually mentioned how cool it would be to get a picture of them. One of the crew’s members on the boat volunteered to snap the pictures. Apparently, Tim does not lend his camera to anybody. Before he jumped into the water, he told me to tell you that it’s been a blast. Then he willed me his autographed Rangers jersey and jumped in the water. But the sharks swam away.”

He chuckled. “I’ll live the shark experience vicariously through your article.”

“I think my favorite part was the six a.m. wake-up call for the eight-mile hike to the volcano, but when we got there they had to close the park because the sulfur-dioxide level was four times its normal one. We were coughing like two pack-a-day smokers. Tim still insists his nose burns. We went back last night to see the lava pouring into the ocean. He got some great shots of that.”

“Can’t wait to see them.” He smiled again, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “What are you up to this morning?”

“I’m going to the marketplace to check out the shops.” She took in the shadow of his beard and the dark circles under his eyes. Even his obvious weariness didn’t detract from his good looks. “Are you obsessing over your interview with Mr. Hollister? You look tired.”

“I’m good.” He rubbed the stubble on his strong chin. “I can join you. Give me fifteen minutes to shower and shave?”

“And you’re game to browse through the market and boutiques?”

“I’m game,” he said and added with a set to his jaw. “Hollister left me a message. Apparently he has a full schedule for the next few days. So it looks like I’m free.”

 There was a critical tone to his voice anytime he mentioned Mr. Hollister’s name. Maddie didn’t understand why Alex disliked Mr. Hollister. She herself had taken an immediate liking to the older man. He seemed interested in their work, was a gracious host and had invited her for lunch at the mansion the day after tomorrow.

At the cocktail party, she’d noticed he enjoyed the sweet table. Any man who loved chocolate and desserts as much she did was A-okay in her books. She opened her mouth to defend Maxwell Hollister and tell Alex about her pending lunch invitation, but she sensed now wasn’t the right time to mention that particular detail.

It was obvious Alex had thought Hollister might be creepily interested in her, but she knew that wasn’t the case. He’d gone out of his way to introduce her to a number of eligible bachelors at his cocktail party.

Not that she was interested in any of those guys. The object of her interest stood in front of her, feigning enthusiasm about a shopping trip.

Victor Grant slipped a sheet out of the file he held in his hand and glanced down at it. “I thought you promised George Saunders you’d keep this information confidential?” he said to Maxwell.

Maxwell sat back in his leather chair, lifted his brows and stared at Victor without answering.

 “Forget I asked that.” Victor took out another sheet of paper from the file. Maxwell noticed the slight tremor in the PI’s hand. “Are you sure you want me to leak
this
story to the rags?” Victor cleared his throat and again Maxwell noticed the PI’s unsteady grip on the paper. “The Washington-Donovan story? You’re sure?”

Maxwell nodded. “You heard me right the first time.”

Victor let out a low whistle. “I don’t know if they’ll touch this. I…the research I did for you said that there’s a gag order on this one.”

Maxwell leaned forward, steepling his hands on his desk. “What exactly is your
problem with following my instructions?”

“There’s no problem, sir. I was thinking that it might stop Donovan from getting the England promotion if this was made public.”

Maxwell regarded the PI before answering. “Controversy will only make him more appealing, that’s how their industry works.” Maxwell grabbed a file off his desk and swung his chair around, turning his back to the PI. “That will be all.”

He flipped through the file, a duplicate of what Victor had. He scanned the pages. “We’ll see how much of a
god among journalists
you’ll be considered now, Mr. Pulitzer Prize.”

Maddie and Alex toured the local shops and art galleries. Maddie collected menus for her article from different restaurants and managed to fill two tapes interviewing tourists and the locals. They sat on the patio at Jo Jo’s Ocean Watch, a small outdoor cafe, underneath a gorgeous blue sky. A warm breeze floated in from the sea. The whole afternoon was like relaxing in a lavender bubble bath.

They dined on fresh butterfish after Maddie assured Alex it was fine by showing him the list of fish names she carried with her at all times. Butterfish would not cause anaphylactic shock.

“Let me see that list,” he had insisted and scanned it. “Good thing you’re not allergic to dessert, it’d be hard to satisfy you.”

“The only dessert I’m allergic to is wedding cake.” She wasn’t exaggerating. Weddings did make her nauseous.

She was impressed with Alex’s knowledge of the Hawaiian language and culture. While they enjoyed a local dessert of shaved ice with sweet syrup, he entertained her with stories of his childhood. He had spent his school breaks on Maui, where his parents owned a condo.

His less-than-enthusiastic expression was evident when she pointed to a jewelry store. “Ah, I can tell that you’d rather poke your eyes with hot shoots than keep shopping, huh?”

“Nah. I can handle it. Let’s try a few more shops.”

“Nice try, Donovan. Most women would probably even believe you. But I know you were bored to tears browsing through the craft boutique. Although you did seem interested in the scented candles.”

“For your information, men don’t tear. I’ll be forever in your debt if you don’t mention my name, craft boutique and candles in the same sentence.”

She cast him a flirtatious wink. “C’mon, big guy. Then it’s time to pay your debts.” She laughed at his worried expression as he paid their bill.

They left the restaurant and she led him toward Natalie’s Jewels by the Sea, a quaint jewelry shop. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it painless.”

Inside the store Alex stood beside her and she pointed at something inside the glass showcase. Maddie spoke to the young saleswoman, whose name tag on her fuchsia sundress indicated her name was Natalie. “Can I see that necklace, please?”

Natalie placed the necklace on the counter. “You are welcome to try it on.”

Maddie picked up the necklace and glanced at the price tag. “That’s okay.”

“The chain is platinum.” Natalie dangled the necklace, smiling at Alex. “The pendant is embossed with a replica of the silversword.” She ran her manicured nails across the beautifully crafted image of silver sword-like leaves. “It’s a one-of-a-kind piece, handcrafted by a local artisan, Eli Kawika. Eli calls this piece Leilani.”

“Heavenly flower,” Alex commented.

“You speak our native tongue?” Natalie flashed a brilliant row of white teeth at his nod.

Alex picked up the necklace and handed it to Maddie. “Go ahead, try it on.”

Maddie pulled her hair back and Alex clipped it in the back. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. It was a stunning piece, but she had spent her extra resources on clothes and lingerie, and now she had to save up to pay Bernie the PI for more work. Through the mirror, she observed Alex and Natalie speaking in Hawaiian.

“That necklace looks like it was made for you,” Alex said.

“It’s not made for my budget.” She had to come up with an excuse, because she wasn’t ready to tell him about having hired a PI. “I’m saving to buy that antique brass bed I was telling you about. And I don’t have anywhere to wear something like this.” She motioned for Alex to unclasp the necklace and smiled at Natalie. “Thank you.”

Maddie put the necklace on the counter and touched Alex’s arm. “We can go now. My shopping’s done. Don’t see anything for Reece in here. I’ll go back and get her a wooden tiki mask for her collection.”

She didn’t think Alex heard her as he stared at Natalie, an island beauty with waist-length hair the color of Kona coffee and high, exotic cheekbones in a delicate face. Her almond-shaped hazel eyes met Alex’s bedroom eyes. Natalie didn’t need any padded bras.

Maddie sighed, feeling like the proverbial third wheel. She pinned her gaze on Alex and Natalie and grudgingly admitted they made a stunning couple. The earlier warm bubble-bath feeling now turned tepid, and all the bubbles dissolved.

“
A hui hou
,” Alex said to Natalie.

“What does
a hui hou
mean?” Maddie asked as they headed for the door.

He opened the door before answering. “It means have a nice day.”

They left the shop and walked a few yards. Alex stopped in his tracks and looked away. “Can you wait here for a minute? I want to ask Natalie if she can recommend a good steakhouse in this area. Where the locals eat. You know, for dinner.”

Yeah, right. More like recommend her phone number
.

Alex didn’t lie well, unless he was nabbing a scoop. When they kidded around and told tall tales, he shuffled his feet and looked away, the way he was doing right now.

Her spirits sank even lower when she thought about the conspiratorial look that had passed between Natalie and Alex. But she had no claims on him, he was free to do as he pleased.

She sat on a bench, settled back, and tried to shake the distress from her mind. She pulled her recorder and a new tape from her tote bag. Work helped her cope with rejection.

With the recorder light on, she began her monologue. “For the romantic couple, the island’s restaurants are seductive. Imagine having an intimate dinner on an outdoor patio, nestled in a cozy corner overlooking the sea, a starlit sky forming a canopy overhead. Of course, the island’s young beauties, especially the ones working in the shops, could entice your man away from you. No, nix that last remark.”

She ran her fingers through her hair. “To continue. Dinner itself can also be sexy and naughty, with rich and creamy textures, a delightful foreplay to the evening ahead when you stroll along the ocean’s coast with that special someone, and gaze into the sunset.” She shook her head, attempting to wipe out the image of Alex holding Natalie’s centerfold-worthy body.

A friendly looking older woman sat next to her on the bench. Maddie returned her smile and asked, “Excuse me. Do you speak English?”

“Aloha. Yes, I speak English. What can I do for you?”

“Can you please tell me what…
a hui hou
means?”

“Till we meet again.”

“Yeah, I thought it was something like that.” Maddie took a deep breath and nodded. “Aloha and thank you.”

Her creativity now deflated, she clicked off her recorder and dropped it into her bag. The reason for her dejection walked toward her with a smile as wide as that of a kid in a candy store. Correction. A jewelry store. He had Natalie’s phone number in his pocket, no doubt.

She knew when it was time to give up, throw in the towel, the lingerie, and even the Kama Sutra book. Why had she ever thought she was woman enough for a man like him?

What did her mother always say? “Get over one man by getting under another.”
For the first time in her life, she was actually going to consider Felicia’s advice.

“I’m ready for more shopping.” Alex sounded pleased with himself.

“Did you get her address too?” she blurted out and then wished her mouth had a rewind button.

He cocked his head to the side and touched her chin. “I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”

“I need a hat for my sundress too,” she answered over her rapidly beating heart. “But I’d like to head back. I’ve had enough shopping for today.”

Unfortunately, she’d found what she wasn’t looking for.

Chapter Twelve

“Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other.

Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.”

—Katharine Hepburn

The next afternoon Maddie stretched out on a lounge chair by the pool, as she worked on her article and dictated into her recorder. She drummed her fingers on her bare leg in tune with Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s beautiful rendition of “Over the Rainbow” resounding from the tiki bar.

“Hmmm. Where was I?” Oh yes, she was dictating a commentary about the hot bachelors she’d met at Mr. Hollister’s party. “Single gals will want to flirt with tanned eye candy, lick salt off margarita glasses, discover private corners and roll around in the fine sand. Yes, you will get sand in your bikini, but you’ll love it. And that sounds exactly like the right plan for this single gal.”

She clicked off her recorder and tossed it into her beach bag. At the same time she clicked off any more thoughts of Alex. It was time for a siesta in a hammock to rest up for the fun she intended on having
without
Mr. Full-of-Principles. He was full of
himself
. From hereon in, they were only good friends, pals.

Her plan for sexual boot camp had been hugely dumb.

It wasn’t the tropical sun that burned her cheeks, it was embarrassment at her behavior. Especially since her plans had taken a turn into screwball land.

She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.
Oh, God, what was I thinking? Everything I did and said was so frickin’ stupid.

How dim she must have looked. Not to mention desperate. Like her mother. Okay, that almost made her hurl. She was in no way anything like Serial Bride.

She took a sip of lemonade, then pressed the cool glass against her forehead.

After all, can’t a woman be spontaneous and crazy every now and then?

Taking a deep breath of salty air, she resolved that it was time to get over Alex
.
Move on.

Alex can go his stripper-boob chasing way, and I’ll go my fun-loving way.

She tried to ease the inexplicable ache in her chest at the thought of Alex with another woman. Odd. She had seen him dating over the years. She had never been jealous before. Okay, maybe a little, but not to the point where she wanted to smack him so hard he’d have to maximize his dental plan.

Why did it bother her so much now?

Because the man is a tease and a big jerk.

A tanned, blondish guy peeked out from the edge of the pool. He beamed a “Say hello to me” smile to her. She smiled back.

He lifted himself out.

Damn, he’s wearing a banana hammock. That’s wrong on so many levels.
She liked her rocks in a cocktail drink, not peeking out of swimwear.

She turned her smile upside down and shot Mr. Speedo a “Don’t bother me” glare.

Next.

She scanned the pool area for other eligibles.

The sudden appearance of a large shadow hovering over her chair and the faint clean scent of citrus sandalwood interrupted her search.

She turned her head to the side, away from him.

Alex touched her arm.

Annoyed at her traitorous heart for performing a little flip at the contact, she clicked her tongue and shut her eyes.

“Hey, Mads.”

She slid her sunglasses down to cover her eyes and clicked her tongue again. Louder, this time.

“Maddie, look at me.” He lifted the sunglasses off her face, turned her head toward him, and pulled up a chair. With his elbows on his thighs, he locked eyes with her. “You’ve been ignoring me and acting strange since yesterday. What’s up?”

She shook her head at his perplexed expression. He was the most intelligent man she knew. How could he not understand her annoyance at his picking up Natalie in front of her? Least he could have done was admit that he went back into the jewelry shop to get her phone number. “I’m not in the mood to talk.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

“You, do, huh?”

He lay back in the chair with his hands behind his head. “Totally.”

“Aren’t you the enlightened one.”
Not.

“Yeah, remember, I did grow up with a few sisters.” He winked.

He actually winked.

Idiot man.

“I get it,” he said.

“Get this.” She sat up. “You were right. And I was wrong. You happy now?” She knew she was more pissed at herself than at him, but he wasn’t helping the situation one bit.

“Right about what?”

“Us. Me. You. We won’t work.”

“Hey, I thought we cleared that up the other day.” He gave her what looked like a sympathetic smile. “Okay, you won’t be yourself for a few days. I get it.”

Again with the “I get it.” The nerve.

She gathered her book, reading glasses and lotion and tossed them into her beach bag.

He touched her arm. “I’ll shut up now, and we can enjoy the sun in silence.”

Any minute now she expected Mr. Know-It-All to pull out a bottle of Midol. She hoped he would do exactly that, because she’d take a lot of pleasure in sending him into the Soprano Hall of Fame.

She stood and grabbed her flowered sarong.

“Where are you going?” He pointed behind her. “Look, Frank is headed this way. How about I order you something sweet? A chocolate martini?”

Cripes. What’s he gonna suggest next, a diuretic for bloating?

She tied the sarong around her hips. “Ever since we’ve arrived I’ve done some stupid things. And not all of it, including my mood today, has
anything
to do with PMS, you big idiot.” She clutched her beach bag tight, resisting the urge to bop him over the head with it and dashed toward her room.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Tim said, stepping onto the patio. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“To a place where I won’t have to encounter stupidity of the third kind.”

“Huh?”

She waved off any further conversation and pushed through the glass doors. First things first, take a shower, shake off her conversation with the idiot and then start having some real fun.

Without said idiot.

Confused, Alex watched Maddie leave.

Man, he’d never seen her
this
moody before.

He sighed. He didn’t like the fact that she was obviously steamed at him, but he should at least be pleased that it looked like she’d given up her pursuit of a no-strings arrangement with him. Not that he’d ever given it serious thought. Okay, maybe for a few minutes.

He hoped she didn’t think it was because she was undesirable.

Was she blind? Christ, whenever he was within a few feet of her, the blood drained from his upper body.

Since arriving on Makana he had a laser-like focus on her. Time to dim the light and let her enjoy herself on her own, and he’d do the same. She was a grown woman after all, and he’d never been accused of holding a double standard.

“Hey.” Tim now occupied the same chair Maddie had vacated. “You look like someone tore the head off your G.I. Joe. And Maddie wants to have a tribal meeting to vote you off the island. Come on kiddies, can’t you get along?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. “I had a conversation with her that felt like I was in a phone booth with an open umbrella. It didn’t matter which way I turned, I got it in the eye. Sometimes I don’t get women.”

Tim chuckled. “Just because you dated a few sorority houses full of them, you think that gives you the right to understand them. Don’t believe everything you
think.” He settled back in the lounge chair. “She probably needs some time on her own. She’s worked that nice ass of hers hard since we got here.”

“Hey, what’s with the nice ass comment? She’s not your hump-and-dump type.” So much for not interfering.

Tim sat up straight in his seat. “Screw off. You know damn well Maddie’s my friend and I wouldn’t even consider anything like that.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“And even if I did, what business is it of
yours
?”

Alex scowled at Tim. “You wouldn’t, would you?”

Tim flipped him the bird and was about to say something, but Alex interrupted, lifting his hand to halt him. “Yeah, I know, it’s none of my business what she does.” He settled back in the chair and looked up at the sky.

 “And for the record, I wouldn’t go there with her.” Tim settled back in his chair. “What the hell is wrong with you lately? You’ve been acting like an asshole.”

Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “Not enough sleep. I have a few things on my mind.”

“You’re still an asshole.” Tim slipped out of his T-shirt and hung it on the back of his chair. “Fuck, I know I’m going to regret this. Spill. What covert operation do you have up your sleeve?”

Alex was hoping that for once, his instincts would prove wrong. He had a few days to investigate, dig deeper into Hollister’s past, get some timelines, some questions answered, and then confront the man. He signaled for Frank. “I’ll let you know if I need you.”

Tim nodded and Alex ordered them each a beer.

“You’re too wound up,” Tim said. “You need a diversion. Look around, man.”

Alex checked out the bikinis. That’s exactly what he needed, a diversion. “Let’s hit a club tonight.”

He couldn’t even remember the last time he had had sex. On his travels to the Middle East and southern Mexico, he’d put all thoughts of sex out of his mind. It hadn’t been hard to do
¾
he’d spent most of his time dodging landmines.

The odd journalist or civilian worker he had considered tangling with had either been married, and that was a boundary he’d never cross, or he’d heard her biological clock ticking loud and clear, another boundary he’d never cross. He’d substituted exercise for sex, resulting in the buff body that could now earn him some much needed and deserved sex on the island. He would have put that theory to the test with Stella the airline hostess, but Maddie’s creative mischief had interfered.

A tall blonde wearing a black thong approached them, winked and flashed Alex a smile. He nodded, admiring her bikini and her smooth skin, tanned in all the right places.

He closed his eyes and imagined this blonde in his bed.

The blonde’s hair changed to auburn and her skin turned vanilla, with a sprinkling of freckles. His blonde fantasy flight crash-landed when he pictured Maddie’s long legs wrapped around his waist. Her lips were pressed against his. Damn, she tasted good.

Oh, boy.
It was going to take a lot more work than he’d bargained for to exorcise a certain green-eyed babe out of his system.

“Hi,” the blonde said, snapping Alex out of his Maddie fantasy.

“How are you?” Alex answered.

“Interested.”