Aloha, page 80
My heart leaps. “Of course, I’ll come visit you! LA is only two hours from San Diego, so we can easily—”
“No, no. I mean come with me.” He takes my hand and kisses the top of it. “They’re putting me up in a furnished house on the beach for the rest of the summer, until I can figure out where to live permanently. Come stay with me there, Julia. You’ve still got eight weeks till you have to get back to work, right? Spend it with me.”
My breathing is erratic. My heart lodged in my throat. Is there any reason why I need to go back to San Diego? My friends live there. My father, too. But no, I can’t think of a single reason why I can’t say yes to this crazy idea. “Yes!” I blurt excitedly. “I’d love to come with you.”
Mateo cups my face in his hands and kisses me, but soon, we’re both smiling too much to continue smooching.
“It really is a crazy thing for me to do,” I tease.
“Absolutely bonkers,” he agrees.
“Seriously, my family is going to worry about me. They’ll think I’ve rebounded way too fast. They’ll tell me I’m jumping in too deep, too fast. And they’ll probably be right.”
“My family will think the same thing. And maybe they’ll be right, too. But what if they’re all wrong? What if this is meant to be, Julia? We owe it to ourselves to find out, don’t you think?”
“I do. We’ll continue having fun, just like this, till the end of summer. And if it’s not working out by then, we’ll call it quits and thank each other for the memories.”
“Exactly. And if it’s still going this well, we’ll figure out what to do about it then.”
“Right? We don’t have to have all the answers right now. It’s not like we’re making any promises to each other.”
“Of course, we’re not. Why would we do that after two weeks?”
“Two weeks in paradise.”
“After two broken engagements.”
“Exactly. It’s a perfect storm for making bad romantic decisions.”
“And we know that. Which is why we’re not making any long-term commitments here. We’re simply having fun.”
“Yep.”
Mateo gnaws on his lower lip. “Except I’d like to introduce you to my new teammates and coaches as my girlfriend, if that’s okay with you. I don’t want them thinking you’re just some chick I’m dating. I don’t want anyone thinking you’re fair game to hit on. Because you’re not.”
My heart is hammering. “I’d love to be introduced as your girlfriend, Mateo.”
Mateo pauses. “Well, to be clear, you actually would be my girlfriend. For real. I wouldn’t simply be introducing you that way.”
I chuckle. “Even better.”
“Starting right now,” he whispers, right before leaning in and pressing his soft lips to mine. This time, neither of us laughs or giggles. This time, our kiss is passionate. Full of heat. This time, we’re sealing something real with a kiss. I’m moving to LA to be with my hot boyfriend, and anyone who thinks I’m making a huge mistake because I’m brokenhearted and not thinking clearly can kiss my ass cheek. You know, the one that’s got bite marks on it from where Mateo’s been nibbling on me for the past two weeks.
Part Seven
“Fated Mates”
I’m trembling as Mateo looks into my eyes, preparing to deliver his wedding vows to me. My heart is pounding like a drum against my chest. The soft sounds of the nearby ocean waves are drowned out by the rush of joy coursing through me. I’ve found my soul mate and I don’t have a single doubt about that. We’re meant to be, Mateo and me. And I can’t wait to become his wife.
“Julia,” Mateo says. “I feel like I’ve waited a lifetime to call you my wife. Mere days after meeting you, someone on a yacht mistakenly called you Mrs. Ribaldi, and in that moment, I knew it was only a matter of time before we’d be standing here, just like this, pledging forever to each other on a beach in Hawaii. Call me crazy, but I swear I knew it, right then.”
Mateo’s never told me that before, and the revelation brings tears to my eyes.
Mateo gently squeezes my hands and smiles. “Julia, I promise to be the best husband, friend, protector, lover, and father to our baby I can possibly be. I’ll love you forever, and you’ll never have to wonder about my loyalty or faithfulness. You’ll wake up knowing you’re the center of my universe, and fall asleep knowing it, too. My love, you’re my fate. My destiny. I’d take every sling and arrow and heartbreak that brought us together, all over again, in a thousand lifetimes, if it meant I’d get to wind up here with you, again and again and again.” To cap off his beautiful speech, Mateo leans in to kiss me, and I burst into tears of joy as his lips meet mine. Chuckling, Mateo pulls out a hanky and wipes my tears and kisses my cheeks. And of course, everyone sitting in the audience laughs and swoons along with me.
I turn to look at my bridesmaids to see their reactions, and my eyes meet Delilah’s—the young woman who would have been my sister-in-law right now, if she hadn’t helped me uncover the truth a year and a half ago. My guardian angel. It was a pity when Brayden was shot and killed by the enraged husband who’d caught Brayden fucking his wife. Well, a pity for Delilah, anyway. She’s always loved her big brother, despite his flaws. Personally, I didn’t care about Brayden’s demise. It seemed a fitting end for him, to be honest. But I did and still do care very much about Delilah, so I felt sorry about her heartache. The good news, however, is that Brayden’s untimely death only brought Delilah and me, even closer. She’s now, one hundred percent, the little sister I never had.
“Julia?” the wedding officiant says.
I wink at Delilah and return to Mateo, my soon-to-be-husband. The father of the baby boy growing inside me. I considered typing out my vows and reading them to Mateo today. But upon reflection, I realized my words don’t need to be perfect. They only need to be honest and true. I realized that whatever I felt when looking into Mateo’s gorgeous brown eyes would be perfect in that moment. That’s how it always is with Mateo. Natural. Easy. Right. The old Julia never would never have winged it like this; but the new Julia knows, as long as she’s got Mateo by her side, every moment will be perfect.
“Mateo,” I begin, holding his hands in mine. “You’re the fantasy who became a reality. And the reality is better than any fantasy. I promise to always love, respect, support, and adore you, as long as I’m lucky enough to walk this earth alongside you, as your devoted wife. Thank you for being my destiny. My Fated Mate-e-o.” As everyone laughs at my silly play on words, I lean in and seal my words with a tender kiss. Rings are exchanged. A prayer said. And a mere minutes later, I’m officially Mrs. Ribaldi.
“By the power vested in me by the State of Hawaii, it is my pleasure and honor to introduce to you, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Mateo and Julia Ribaldi!”
Mateo takes my hand and holds it up and whoops, and we bound excitedly down the aisle toward our happily ever after.
Thanks for reading. Check out the rest of my books at www.laurenrowebooks.com.
Maui Dream Girl
Lex Martin
Chapter 1
Cam
Leaning forward to shoot the intruder on my flatscreen, I yell into my headset, “Head around the back and cut off his partner!”
“Already on it,” a husky female voice murmurs in my ear.
NerdyNinjaGrl’s handle flashes on the corner of the screen as she confirms the kill.
“So bloodthirsty,” I tease.
Her sexy laugh in my ear has me debating this situation for the hundredth time.
If you meet up, you’ll ruin a good thing, I remind myself.
There’s no denying this any longer. I want to meet her. We’ve been playing together for the last year, and somehow, she’s become more interesting than all of the party girls downstairs.
Look, I’m not an asshole. I don’t buy my own hype. I know full well that the women who want to climb in my bed are all here for the same thing. They want to fuck a football player. It’s practically a full-contact sport around here, if the headboard thumping against my wall is any indication.
Feminine laughter echoes down the hall before Jinxy opens my door so hard, it slams against the wall. “Bro, that chick Denise is asking for you. She said she wants to tag team you this time instead of the other way around.”
Jesus Christ.
I wince, hoping NerdyNinjaGrl didn’t hear. Because I’m not sure she would believe that’s all in my past.
The truth? Yeah, I might’ve shared my dates with my best friend Billy a few times, but after one of our sexcapades landed in a gossip blog last year, complete with photos the blogger herself took, he and I decided we were playing with fire and called our hedonistic days over.
I point at my headset, but my housemate doesn’t seem to understand.
NerdyNinjaGrl clears her throat. “Sounds like you’re busy. We can play another time.”
I scowl at Jinxy, who holds up a hand as he leaves, while I try to explain. “The guys are celebrating the win.” When she doesn’t respond, I clarify. “You know, the national championship.”
Silence.
I chuckle. “Are you sure you’re a student here?”
“I warned you that I don’t watch football, Mr. Super Fan.” She thinks I’m a fan. That’s adorable. “You do know it’s a Tuesday, right?”
“The celebration of football has no boundaries.”
I toss the bag of ice I had wrapped to my shoulder into a giant bowl at my feet. It’s tempting to tell her I scored the final touchdown of yesterday’s game, but then she could easily identify me. It’s also possible she’d think I’m full of shit.
Of course, if she really wanted to figure it out, my screen name, BackfieldBlzr23, isn’t exactly creative. Backfield because I’m a running back. Blazer because I’m fast, and 23 is my jersey number.
But Ninja has never asked me the significance of my handle, so I figure she doesn’t get it or doesn’t care.
I’m not crazy about either of those options. I’ve been talking to this woman for a while, and the fact that she’s never inquired about it bugs me a little. While I don’t want a football fangirl, it would be nice to share an appreciation for the sport I’ve been obsessed with since I was four.
It’s been the one thing that’s kept me from taking this further.
Sighing, I stare up at Miss Maui, who decorates my wall. Kelani Kekoa smiles back at me. Her thick mermaid hair blows in the wind as she stands on a golden, tropical beach. My older brother sent that poster to me to be a dick because he went to Maui on vacation last year while I was stuck here for football practice. He gave me some bullshit line about Kelani attending college here, but that makes no sense. Why would she attend school in the Texas Hill Country?
Now, I love women of all shapes and sizes, but if I had to pick an ideal woman, it’s Kelani. There’s something mysterious about her smile that I love.
Plus, she’s hot as fuck.
Too bad she probably lives thirty-five hundred miles away.
It’s a sad state of affairs that I have hardcore crushes on two women I’ve never met. I guess it’s easier this way since real-life entanglements are messy. My parents’ divorce was so volatile, so full of hatred, that I swore I’d never subject myself to a serious relationship.
Maybe that’s why I fucked around for the first few years of college. I’d probably still be that guy were it not for that gossip blog calling me out, which made me realize how hollow I felt in the aftermath of those nights. It didn’t help that several of my teammates have serious girlfriends. They make relationships look almost appealing.
So yeah, I’m over wild sexcapades and casual hookups.
I’m thinking it’s time I move on to a friends with benefits situation. That way no one catches feelings. I already know I won’t. I’m not wired that way. Wouldn’t I have experienced it before now, my junior year of college? But it would be nice to get to know a woman better. To know exactly what to do to make her fall apart and not have to guess.
Then again, if she’s into my sport, would that make a situationship messier?
Maybe it’s better if Nerdy doesn’t give a shit about football.
“We should meet.” My heart pounds like I’m sprinting toward the end zone as I wait for her response. I rub my chest, a little freaked by my body’s response. I’m usually cool under pressure because women don’t send me into a tailspin.
Her laugh is light. “Are you sure, Blazer? What if I’m a troll?”
I snort. “Impossible.” There’s no way this girl is unattractive. It’s impossible for someone with such a beautiful soul.
Christ, that’s cheesy.
Except NerdyNinjaGrl is a sweetheart. Funny. Sarcastic. Smart. Between juggling her own classes, she also babysits her little niece so her older sister can finish her degree. And she volunteers at some old folks’ home. My grandmother would say she has a good heart.
My Nerdy Ninja won’t tell me her major, though. Or where she volunteers.
“You babysitting tonight?” I ask when I realize she hasn’t agreed to meet up, and my pulse finally slows down. I’m disappointed but also relieved. Some part of me doesn’t want to ruin the good thing we have. If we meet and fuck, then that claustrophobic feeling will wrap around me until I can’t breathe, and I’ll need space.
Hm. Maybe I’m not ready for friends with benefits.
It’s better if we don’t meet. I’ll never disappoint her or break her heart or any of that screwed up crap I try to avoid at all costs. We’ll just be buddies.
“No. Her classes haven’t started yet.”
“Does your sister attend Lone Star State too?”
“No. She goes to a local high school that offers night school to get her GED.” She’s quiet a moment. “Do you need to get back to your party?”
She can probably hear the bass through my headset since I can feel it through the floor. “Nah. I had a couple beers with the guys this afternoon. Shit’s starting to get crazy downstairs, and I’m not in the mood.”
Her voice gets quiet. “So… what are you in the mood for?”
Everything in me stills.
Except for one part of my body that gets hard.
I adjust myself and lean back in my chair and pray I’m not reading her wrong. “Tsk. Tsk, Sexy Ninja. I’m not sure you wanna hear what’s going through my head right now.”
We’ve never done this before. We’ve talked about life and politics and our families while gaming. I know her parents passed away a couple years ago, and she knows mine fight like rabid animals. Sometimes, we just hang out in this virtual waiting room and chat. We’ve even talked late into the night about how she loves stargazing and learning the names of the constellations and how that will send her on a wild frenzy to read all of those Greek myths.
Sure, we’ve flirted a little, but things have never gotten sexual.
She hums. “Maybe I’m curious.”
My heart kicks hard in my chest. “Do you really want to know?”
I close my eyes and listen to her throaty purr as she hums again. “Yeah, I think I do.”
Here goes nothing. “I’m wishing you were here.”
“In your room?”
“Yeah. In my room. The lights are low. Except for the TV.” Our game is long over, and neither of us bothered to jump on another session. I stretch out on my comforter and groan. “Fuck, I’m sore.”
“Did you just crawl into bed?”
I chuckle. “Yeah. My ass was falling asleep in my gaming chair.”
“Want to know what I’m really good at?” she asks almost hesitantly.
There’s no helping my erection at this point because her voice is so damn sexy, but it feels wrong to rub one out when I’m not a hundred percent sure that’s where this is headed.
“Tell me.”
“Massages. I give great massages.”
I groan, unable to help it. Reaching down, I give myself a firm tug. “Stop. You’re turning me on.”
“Um… really?”
Did I imagine her breathlessness? “Yes, I’m hard as steel right now.” I close my eyes on a wince. “Sorry if that’s TMI.”
Her voice goes to a whisper. “Have you ever had phone sex?”
Fuck, yes. We’re doing this. “Nope. Never.” I clear my throat. “Full confession, I’ve sexted before, but I’m not a fan. I can’t coordinate texting and jerking off at the same time.” Thank god for hands-free headsets.
She laughs, and it’s full bodied and beautiful. “I can see how that would be difficult.”
I’m dying to cut to the chase. “Are we gonna have phone sex, little Ninja?”
Silence.
As it stretches awkwardly, I debate how to backtrack out of this, but what she says next changes everything. “I’m down if you are.”
I glance at my crotch. “There’s nothing down about what’s happening in my shorts.” Her giggle makes me smile. “I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but your voice is sexy as fuck.”
“Well, if we’re going for honesty, then I have to admit your voice is hot too. It’s deep and kinda gritty. Like you’re a nice guy in the streets but a freak in the sheets.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “I’m definitely a freak in the sheets.” I leap out of bed to lock my door so none of those fuckers downstairs can barge in, and then I’m back in bed. “If we’re going to get off, don’t you think we should share our first names? I’m gonna feel weird later when I’m replaying this in my head and having to call you Ninja or Nerdy.”
“Call me Kelly.”
Kelly. I smile so wide, my face hurts. Fucking finally. “I’m Cam.”
“Hi, Cam.”
“Hi, gorgeous.”
“You don’t know what I look like.”
“True, but I have a great imagination, and you’re a total fox in my head. Hold on.” I strip off my t-shirt, readjust my headset, and sprawl out on my bed again.
