Aloha, page 98
My cover-up flutters, and my hair whips around my face. I sigh and turn back to the ocean.
“You left.”
I see a man wearing khaki shorts and a gray shirt walking toward me, carrying shoes. I squint in the sun, unsure if he’s talking to me. When his body blocks the sunlight, blinding me, I blink to see Kaz. “Oh!” I’m shocked but then smile.
Kaz stops next to me. “I saw Simone, and she said you probably went to the beach. She also told me not to blow you off. Like I ever could.”
I scrape the hair from my face. Kaz is more than a good-looking man. His straight nose, sharp cheekbones, and rugged jaw make him beautiful. “You don’t have to stick around for me. Simone should focus on her own guy problems.”
With his hair waving in the sea breeze, Kaz smirks out at the water, but his wrinkled forehead reveals his confusion when he looks back at me. “I’m a guy problem for you?”
I cover my laugh with my fingertips. “No. I just… I’m not some horny tourist looking for a good time.”
He nods and appears maybe disappointed as he glances at the surf and then up to my face. “Well, I’m not some horny local looking for a good time with a tourist. Believe me. I get enough propositions I don’t want.” He shrugs, and his smile is almost shy. “But I’m willing to make an exception.”
I lick my salty lips and stare at his. “Why?”
“At the risk of sounding cheddar, you do something to me. Being around you feels different.”
Before I stop myself, I say, “I feel the same way about you. But we don’t know each other, and I don’t know how to do any of this.”
Kaz drops his tennis shoes and raises his hands. “I have no expectations, regardless of what Simone said. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing, either.” I nod with a smile, and his crooked grin makes my heart stutter. “You don’t know me? Let’s fix that. I’m Kaz Cervenka—my dad is Czech. I’m twenty-five. Your turn.”
“I’m Sharla Hertzler. My parents are primarily German and English. I’m twenty-four.”
He grins. “There. Now we know each other.” Kaz holds out his hand. “Let’s walk.” When he sees me hesitate, he shakes his head. “I swear I’m not a serial killer.”
“That’s good. Because I am.”
Kaz bends to pick up his shoes with a laugh. “I’ll take my chances.”
I take his hand, and a thrill zips through me. “Do you live far from here?” He looks at me with a smirk, and I nudge his arm with mine. “Not that I’m interested in going there.”
“About three miles from here. I left my car with my parents, so I bus it. Do you live with Simone?”
“No. She’s in Richmond, Virginia now. I’m not sure what she plans to do. She was planning to go to graduate school in Dover, but after she dropped a bomb at her college graduation, I don’t know.”
“What did she do? Please tell me it wasn’t an actual bomb.”
My feet sink into the wet sand, and I love the feel of it and holding Kaz’s hand. “No. You’ll need to ask her. She tells the story so much better.”
“Okay. I will. How long will you be here?”
“Seven days. Six now. This trip was supposed to be my honeymoon.”
“Damn. I’m sorry. He wasn’t the one for you.”
“Oh, yeah?” I squeeze his hand, and my heart hammers against my ribs. But when he squeezes mine back, my heart squeals to a stop before soaring high. “I want to find the one who is.”
Kaz shrugs. “I don’t think you’ll have to look very hard.”
“I’m a romantic dreamer. I need my person.”
“I’m the same way. I wish Melody hadn’t waited until I was here to dump me, but I’m glad she let me go. I wasn’t hers to keep.”
“No, you weren’t.”
He slows us to a stop and points to the water. “Dolphins.”
“Sweet!” I watch their fins dipping through the water near the colorful horizon. “I’ll never tire of seeing dolphins.”
We watch them until they’re harder to see. Kaz puts his arm around my shoulders and tugs me as he resumes walking. At first, I don’t know where to put my arm until I roll my eyes at myself and slide it around his waist. “So, how long have you lived here?”
“Six months, but I’m ready to go back. I have a graphic design degree and miss seeing my family.”
“I want to be a fashion designer and move to New York.”
“That’d be a great place to go.”
I nod, thinking of more things to ask to keep him talking. “Do you have any siblings? I’m an only child.”
“I have two younger sisters. My mother moved to the US with her parents as a teen. When she met my dad, she spoke little English, but they still fell in love.”
I smile at the thought of finding love in a new place. “Do you speak any Persian?”
“Yes, but I don’t use it often. Mostly around my grandmother.”
“And she still calls you Kasra.”
He smirks, and his lips are fascinating. “Yes. But I don’t hold it against her.”
“I like your name.”
“Thanks. I don’t hear that often.” His stormy eyes hold mine, and it’s like they cast a spell on me, and I can’t look anywhere else.
“What’s your middle name?”
Kaz swipes his hair, and the damp air slicks it back. If I thought he couldn’t get hotter, I was so wrong. “Delancy. It’s my other grandmother’s maiden name. Yours?”
“Penelope. Like you, my parents also named me after a grandmother.”
He smiles. “Nice.”
We walk until the hotel disappears, and then we turn around. We chat about everything and watch the sunset in all its red, purple, yellow, and pink glory. I feel like we’ve known each other forever by the time the hotel springs into view. I ask, “Would you like to have room service with me? And possibly Simone? I don’t want to banish her from the room all night.”
“I’m up for anything.” His smile wavers, and he licks his lips. I don’t have a witty response like Simone would and smile back at Kaz.
The dry sand is cooler, and the twinkle lights around the hotel’s courtyard sparkle. We put our shoes on and go to the main entrance. Inside, I stop to text Simone. She responds that she’s talking to new friends on the patio. And then asks if we did it yet. I roll my eyes with a sour frown and put my phone back into my beach bag.
Kaz looks at his phone and then arches an eyebrow at me. “Would you like my number?”
At first, I’m dumbfounded. Men have flirted with me and asked for my phone number, but I ignored them since I didn’t give anyone a chance. I’ve never had a man offer his number. I nod with a doubtful grin as if he’ll change his mind. “Absolutely.”
After trading numbers, I feel bold and grab his hand, which he readily takes. We reach the elevators, but before getting into one, I let go of his hand and spin around to face him. “You’re not really going to rob me blind, are you? Or are you scamming me?” I laugh, but it could happen.
Kaz sucks in his top lip like he’s considering it. I wonder what his lips would feel like on mine. “Now that you mention it…” He laughs, and I gasp with a smile. His eyes drift to my lips, but mine aren’t as pillowy as his. “Sharla, I don’t need your money or care. I made good money working with my father’s friend, but just because I’m waiting tables doesn’t mean I’m broke.”
“I didn’t mean that. I’ve never invited a man I’ve known for mere hours to my hotel room.”
“I’ve never been that guy, either.” People bustle around us in the lobby while Kaz and I stare at each other, unsure if we should go further. He sighs and drops his gaze. “I get it. If you don’t want me around tonight, I’ll go.”
I grab his hand and pull Kaz toward an open elevator. We stand on opposite sides of the crowded car, and it’s ridiculous how I miss him. It’s not a feeling I’ve ever felt with Teddy. I didn’t want to be close to him and resented it most of the time. Kaz is not him.
When we stop at the eighth floor, I follow two other people and look behind me for Kaz, but I don’t see him. Maybe I missed him getting off on another floor. Maybe he didn’t want my baggage. Maybe I truly offended him. I’m such a bitch, as Simone calls me.
I turn toward the elevator and see Kaz squeezing between a stroller and an enormous suitcase. Our small smiles feel forced, and I hate that I may have ruined any possibility with him. If so, why is he still here?
We proceed down the hall, and I stop at our door to unlock it with my card. I set my beach bag next to my purse and Simone’s on the dresser. “Have a seat. I’ll be back.” I slip into the bathroom and throw my hands over my face, nervous and horrified I hurt his feelings. I take a deep breath and remember that I’m far from home and have only known Kaz for one day. Still, I need to chillax, like Simone ranted.
I use the bathroom, and when I return, Kaz is sitting on a chair, scrolling through his phone. I say, “It’s yours if you want it.”
He lifts his gaze from the phone and cocks his head. “Uh, okay.”
When he can’t hide his smirk, I say, “The bathroom, Kasra. Simone is already a bad influence on you.”
He shrugs as he stands. “She’s entertaining.”
“Everyone loves Simone. She’s gorgeous and bubbly.” I wish Greg felt the same way because, despite her laughter, she’s dying inside.
Kaz starts to say something but walks past me to the bathroom. I sit on the bed, but it may be too forward, so I stand. But then I look too eager, so I sit on the chair. Then I stand because Kaz was sitting there. I grab the desk chair and pull that out, but I don’t want to seem distant.
Heat overwhelms me, and I remove my cover-up and go to my suitcase, but the bathroom door opens. I sigh and turn toward Kaz. “I’m sorry for hurting your feelings in the lobby. I don’t think you’re… Well, I’m sorry.”
His eyes swirl around me before they settle on my face. “You didn’t.” He shakes his head. “A little, but there are people out there who rip off unsuspecting tourists.” Kaz’s gaze again falls to my body, but then he runs a hand over his mouth and looks out the window. “Maybe I should go.”
I’m self-sabotaging and will lose this opportunity if I can call it that anymore. I won’t be leaving here feeling the same. Because of Kaz.
“Don’t leave. Not yet,” I murmur.
He nods with a laugh as he rubs the back of his neck. “Right. Simone ordered me to rock your world.”
I go to him and slide my trembling hands onto his chest. Kaz looks away from the window, and his gray eyes darken. I whisper, “Then rock my world, Kasra.”
Kaz puts his hands on my hips and pulls me closer. “I don’t know how to not fuck this up, Sharla. I’ve never felt like this.”
“Like what?”
“Anxious. Eager. Conflicted. Turned on. All at the same time.”
“You described me.” I move my hands to his jaw and pull him to my lips. His quiet gasp melts me, and our lips are slow and tentative.
Kaz pulls away, looks into my eyes, and then dives back to my lips. His fingers stroke my cheeks, causing my body to tighten and ache everywhere. On an impulse, I drop a hand from his jaw, feel for his crotch between us, and grab a handful of his hard-on.
Our moans fill each other’s mouths, and our kiss intensifies as I stroke his dick through his shorts. We end our kiss to breathe against each other’s lips, but our magnetic attraction is undeniable. I return to his soft lips, and when his tongue enters my mouth, I suck on it. His hands slide over my ribs until he’s cupping my breasts. When he sweeps his thumbs over my nipples, I’m close to begging him to fuck me.
Needing more of him, I move my hands to the button of his fly and pop it open. I grab his shorts and underwear waistbands and shove them until they fall to the floor. I end our breathless kiss to work on his shirt. He yanks it over his head, making his brown curls bounce and stick up.
Kaz stands naked before me. His body is perfect. He tosses his shirt onto the chair and wraps his arms around my waist. His dick rubs against my stomach, and on another whim, I leave his mouth and drop to my knees. I lick the wet tip, and his groan floods the room. I hold on to his shaft as I lap around the tip before taking more into my mouth. My lips and tongue caress him, and he digs his fingers into my hair. “Sharla, your tongue is…” He moans, and I smile around him and suck as I stroke. He thrusts his hips but then slows. “I can’t, or I’ll come. You’re that damn good.”
With a pop, I let him fall out of my mouth, and he offers me his hand. When I’m standing, Kaz kisses me again, and he slides his hands to the back of my bikini top and unhooks the back. He pulls away from my lips to slip the top down my arms. The top falls, and Kaz yanks down the bottom. I step out of them, and he cups my pussy. He kisses my jaw to my ear and whispers, “I want you. I’ve never said that to anyone.” He pushes a finger into me and kisses below my ear. He slips in and out of me. “Your wet pussy is driving me crazy.”
“I need your hard cock inside it.” Kaz kisses me breathless, and I pull him to the bed. I break the kiss to pull down the duvet and get into the bed while he picks up his shorts and removes a condom from his pocket. Kaz then climbs into bed next to me. He hovers over me and kisses my neck. His hot breath blowing against my skin makes me squirm beneath him. He fingers my nipple before moving down to suck it into his mouth.
I moan, “Kaz,” and lift my hips.
He releases my nipple and says, “You’re sexy, Sharla. I was so damn nervous around you. But I couldn’t stop thinking about making love to you with my tongue.” Kaz shifts and spreads my legs but bends to lick my thigh before his burning tongue slides over my clit and darts inside me. I hold on to his head as I pant his name over and over. He then glides a finger into me, and I bounce my hips against his mouth.
He groans into my pussy, and I wheeze, “Kaz, I’m coming.” Kaz licks and thrusts faster until an orgasm erupts over his soft lips and into his mouth. His wet licks draw out my orgasm, and he pants against my clit, making me fall apart again.
When my orgasm ends, he crawls up to me while I catch my breath. I grab his face and kiss him, and his hard-on jumps against my stomach. I push him onto his back, and his dick slides close to my soaked entrance. The tip of his dick breeches my pussy, and he groans before pulling back. He slides his hand across the mattress and tears open the condom package. “Are you on birth control?”
I nod. “It’s been months since… But he was kind enough to use a condom when he cheated on me. I’ve been clean, otherwise.”
He moves to put the condom on but then hands it to me. “I never have sex without one, so…”
“Okay.” I frown somewhat, not because of that but because even if it feels like we’ve known each other forever, we haven’t. And he doesn’t trust me, which is fair since I accused him of wanting to mug me.
Kaz shakes his head. “I didn’t mean that I have a problem with you. I don’t want you to get pregnant because I wasn’t careful, Sharla. I want to rock your world, not wreck your life.” His concern for me is sweet and nothing Teddy ever considered.
I straddle him and align the condom over him before rolling it down. “I know.”
I lean down, and my pussy grinds along his shaft. Kaz moans, and I kiss his jaw. He whispers, “I’m close already.”
“That’s okay.” He holds onto my hips as I kiss his neck.
I grind more against him, and he pants, “I can’t take it anymore. Fuck me.”
I swoop my hips up, and he thrusts into me. I moan, “Fuck,” and ride him hard until he stops my hips.
“Not yet. Goddamn, though.”
Smiling, I kiss his lips, and we move slower. I sit up, and his hands move from my hips to my breasts. He looks me in the eye and whispers something in Persian. I don’t know what he said, but the expression on his face shoots shivers up my spine.
“Oh, Kaz.” I move faster while Kaz’s solid thrusts into me spark another orgasm. I yell and moan as this one rolls through, and my body grips his shaft.
“Sharla,” he pants. “I’m going to come.” Kaz bucks into me and freezes as I feel his dick jerking. He sits up some, and his ab muscles crunch.
After Kaz relaxes and lies back down, I move off him, and he rolls to his side and kisses me. I put my hand on his cheek and sit back. “That was… Never in my life… Sex with you is different.”
He swallows with a frown as his eyebrows tighten. “I didn’t know sex could be like that.”
I whisper, “Is that good or bad?” I clench my teeth and purse my lips, ready for the worst.
Kaz grins and rubs his nose over mine. “Very good. That was the fastest I’ve ever finished. Wow.”
“That doesn’t sound very good.”
He laughs but sobers when he sees my anxious expression. “Before, it was something to do. This time, it was something more. I wanted you so much.”
Kaz dips his head to kiss me, but before he does, I ask, “What did you say to me in Persian?”
His crooked smile makes me smile. “That’s a secret.”
“I can keep a secret.”
He kisses my cheek and whispers, “So can I.”
I sigh as Kaz gets out of bed and goes to the bathroom. My phone dings, and I reach over to the nightstand and see Simone’s name, asking if I got laid yet.
I text back no. I’m not discussing that over a text. I then tell her to give me half an hour. She sends a picture of another Coco-Loco and four people I don’t know sitting with her.
“Is Simone asking if I kidnapped you?”
“No. Are you?”
“For now.” Instead of getting dressed, Kaz gets back into bed with me, but I get up and use the bathroom.
When I return, he watches me as I return to bed. I ask, “What?”
“Damn, you’re hot.”
I laugh. “Um, thank you. You’re hot, too. I’ve never seen steel-gray eyes before.”
“I got them from my mother. I’m partial to blue.”
Kaz looks into my eyes, and I giggle. “You already got me into bed. You don’t have to feed me lines.”
