Aloha, page 99
“I haven’t fed you any.”
My grin falls, and I say, “I think we made a mistake with having each other’s phone numbers.”
His eyes widen, and I hear him swallowing. “Why?”
“One-night stands are…one night. Not even a full night, right? I’m asking because I don’t know. But I guess neither do you.”
Kaz’s eyebrows pull together, causing lines on his forehead. He bows his head toward the mattress and mutters, “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
He sighs and raises his head but doesn’t look at me. “I need to go.” The smile on his face no longer shines, and a glower storms into its place.
“You don’t want to stay for dinner? Room service. Remember?”
Kaz tosses the sheet back and gets out of bed. “Uh, no. I forgot I have somewhere to be.”
My chest tightens as I watch him get dressed. I didn’t think this would be weird. Simone made it sound like one-night stands are a fuck-and-duck event. I’m not a fan.
Keeping his back to me, Kaz picks up his shirt from the chair. I’m desperate to end this on good terms without having to end this at all. “Do you work tomorrow?”
He sits on the bed to put on his shoes. “I’m not sure. I haven’t looked at my schedule.”
“Oh. I’ll probably see you before Simone and I go home. If I don’t…”
“I don’t know if you will. Maybe.” He stands but looks everywhere but at me.
I need to be an adult about this. No sprouting feelings for a guy I just met. And fucked. Teddy flipped my life upside down. I need to get a grip and not fall for the first guy who looks my way or lures me into bed. Though, I did the luring. Or Simone did.
I don’t even know what to say to Kaz. “You don’t have to rush off. I’m not chasing you away. We can watch TV, rejoin Simone, or…” I glance at the bed, and when I turn back to him, he drags his gaze from me and shakes his head. His curls are now messy but in such a sexy way.
“I wish I could, but…” Kaz doesn’t move, but I feel his buzz to leave.
What do I say to a temporary sexual partner? Tell him it was fun? Ask him for a sequel? Confess that I might have a crush on him? Being with him felt like more, but that’s how messed up I am. I’m vulnerable after the breakup. Someone needs to remind my heart to slow the hell down.
“I’ll text you?” I ask, hoping he’ll smile.
“Um, sure.” He growls a little like he’s annoyed with me. But then Kaz steps over to me and kisses my cheek.
I grab his jaw. “Why is this weird now?”
He purses his lips, and his eyes don't stay there when he looks at my face. “I’m late. That’s all.”
I nod, but unable to resist his lips, I kiss him. Kaz doesn’t hesitate and kisses me back. He growls again but pulls away from me, and without another word, he leaves the room.
Chapter 5
“Ho, you’d better tell me what happened with you and Kaz right now.”
Stirring my straw, I mope and look around our table every five seconds. “We kissed a little, Simone. It wasn’t a big deal.” And every second that passes, I miss him more. Sex with Teddy never came close to what Kaz and I had days ago. How could that happen? I’ve known Teddy for years and Kaz for mere days. Or hours since I haven’t seen him since our one night. “Where are all your new friends?”
“They left. We leave tomorrow morning, Sharla, and he’s not been at work. Something’s not right.”
I grip the table's edge and glare at my phone. “He won’t answer my texts. Or yours since you stole his number from me.”
“Damn right, I did. I even threatened to kick his ass, but he won’t answer. I thought he was my friend, but it looks like he’s another asshole.”
I shake my head. “He was so nice, but we wouldn’t have spent time together if you hadn't pushed us. Do my standards suck that much?”
“Like a black hole. Did Kaz fuck you as instructed? Yes or no?”
I sigh. “Only if you tell me if you’re still sleeping with Greg.”
She sighs back at me and shoves her empty coconut. “God, yes. We’re obsessed with fucking each other. After everything we’ve been through together, it doesn’t matter that he’s seeing another woman or that I’m his ex-wife who ended our sham marriage.”
“Besides marrying him because of your father, what all have you been through with Greg?”
Simone shakes her head and glares at the table. “I don’t want to go there right now. I’m not drunk enough. Maybe later.”
I nod. “I’m sorry. Okay. Yes. Kaz and I had sex.”
Brightening, Simone dances in her seat and twists, searching the crowded patio. “We need more drinks, damn it!”
“No. This is my limit. And why would I celebrate a one-night stand?”
She frowns and pulls the coconut back to her. “I thought it wouldn’t be one.”
I gasp and lean over the table. “What the hell?”
“Yeah. I thought you two would fall madly in love, and you’d hatch his babies.” I thought I’d have that with Teddy.
“He lives in Maui, Simone. I’m not doing a long-distance thing that far. And Kaz didn’t seem into me once he was out of me. Now, he’s not even responding or showing up here.”
“Maybe he gave you a fake number.”
“No. It was real.” But who am I to say since everything else that night wasn’t?
A bearded waiter in a greenish-blue polo shirt walks past our table, and Simone leans in her chair to stop him. “Excuse me…Miguel. Where is Kaz tonight?”
Miguel glances at me and then back to Simone. “I thought I saw him earlier. Maybe check the bar. He might be there again.”
I ask, “Again? He can do that?”
Miguel laughs. Stupid tourists. “Yeah. He’s been there most of the week. Can I refill your drinks?”
I shake my head, and Simone whines when he walks away. “Why did you tell him no? Mama needs another drink.”
“That dick,” I mutter and turn toward the bar with the brown grass roof, but I don’t see him.
“Yep. By the way, how was his dick?”
“Come on. It was fine.” More than fine.
She clicks her tongue. “I bet he’s hung like the goddamn moon. Greg is. I’ll tell anyone that.” Teddy was bigger than Kaz, but he didn’t know how to use it. That’s for damn sure. Simone frowns as if she’s remembering something. “Just get me another Coco-Loco. Tell Kaz extra coconutty, and I might not curse his existence.”
I get off my bar-height chair and walk over to the crowded bar. I dodge around people, trying to see who’s working the bar. When I peer over the shoulder of the woman in front of me, I see brown curls bouncing as he slides a drink over the counter. Kaz smiles somewhat, but his hooded eyes don’t twinkle like they did at the beach or in the hotel room.
I shuffle to the crowd's edge and see three bartenders and many waiters gathering their orders on the other side of the bar. Between customers, Kaz cranes his neck to look past them but frowns.
Taking a deep breath, I approach the building and say, “Excuse me. I’m feeling a little faint. Can I have some water?”
Kaz does a double take, first with a smile and then dropping it as guilt colors his face. “Sharla… Hey.”
“Hey,” I drone, crossing my arms. “Can we talk when you have a chance?”
The woman bartender next to him checks me out and asks, “Is that her?”
Kaz throws her a look. “Don’t worry about it. I’m taking a break.”
He nods toward the rear of the small building. “Meet me at the back door.”
Anxious, I adjust the spaghetti strap of my mint-green tankini and smooth my black sarong. Regardless, I’m not here for a fashion show, but I feel like an exhibition.
I turn the corner as Kaz exits the shack. We stare at each other silently until I ask, “Why are you avoiding me?”
The guilt remains on his face and voice while he watches people walking past us. “I’m not. I’ve been working.”
“Working? I’ve been here every day, about every hour, and haven’t seen you.”
He shrugs, but his shifty eyes don’t match that nonchalance. “Why does it matter if you see me? It was one night.”
I nod. “I know, but…” I cross my arms and look at the shack and the hotel behind us. The warm air soothes my skin, being near Kaz’s chilliness. “What did I do? You got into my pants, so you’re done with me? Am I another gullible tourist? Another flower in your lei?”
Kaz chuckles darkly, still unable to face me. “Sharla, that’s the way these things go. Right?” Kaz sighs, and I hate staring at his strong profile. Around us, vacationers enjoy themselves in a tropical paradise while I grasp the harsh reality of a night I fought to avoid. But I didn’t and used Kaz for a one-time fuck to forget my heartbreak. Only, I didn’t know he would fuck me over and add to it.
I mutter, “Okay. I’m glad we had this illuminating chat.” Before I crumble in front of him, I search for a break in the crowd, but Kaz grabs my hand. He hauls me to a side entrance, scans his employee card, and holds the door open. I don’t know where Kaz wants me to go, but I enter and wait for him. Bright light fills the hallway, but he opens another door, nodding for me to go first.
The light in this room isn’t as bright and appears to be an employee lounge with tables, chairs, a microwave, and an old, green couch, probably from the 70s.
I wipe my eye but don’t worry about smearing my mascara since I didn’t wear makeup today. Kaz moves around, still avoiding being close to me. He pushes in a chair, tosses a paper cup into the trash, and then stands in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips, staring at a wall.
“Did you bring me in here for a reason?”
Kaz doesn’t acknowledge me. Knowing I’m wasting my time, I turn to leave, but he says, “Don’t go. Because I won’t follow you.”
I fold my arms over my chest and spin around. “What?”
He sighs, bows, and mutters things to the floor in Persian. He then switches to English. “I don’t know what you want from me, Sharla. You wanted me to rock your world for one night. Done. Why are you here now?”
At first, I’m speechless. I thought he knew. “Because you rocked my world, Kasra. I thought maybe I had rocked yours.”
Kaz looks up at me. His gray eyes darken like an impending storm despite the light. “Do you know how many women have propositioned me since I moved here?” I shake my head as my throat strangles me. “Over two hundred.”
I clear my throat. “Thanks for using a condom with me. Jesus.”
He shakes his head. “See? You think I lied to you when I said I’ve never had a one-night stand. I didn’t accept any of them. Until you. But you’ll only see me as a casual fuck.”
“No, I don’t, but you don’t care. When I didn’t serve a purpose anymore, you ditched me. Like Teddy did.”
Kaz pivots toward me and raises his voice, bouncing it off the walls. “He had pledged his commitment to you but cheated, and you’re comparing me to him? That fucking sucks.”
I close my eyes to shove that thought away. When I open them, Kaz’s gray eyes slice into me. “Look, I’m sorry that I keep hurting your feelings. That’s never my intention. We both regret our night together for different reasons.”
“You think I regret our night together?” Kaz shakes his head and throws out his hands. “Our night was goddamn amazing, Sharla. The best of my life. You rocked my universe. But whatever we thought we had between us? Our baggage is way too fucking much. There’s nowhere for this to go if that’s what you’re searching for. I’m here because I followed a woman I thought was my future. Now, my life is a question mark. Even if it weren’t, you live thousands of miles away and leave tomorrow morning.”
“And you weren’t going to say goodbye?”
He laughs but covers it with the side of his fist. He drops his hand, and his bitter laughter chills me. “Like I didn’t care? Jesus Christ. I’ve been watching you all week at the bar. I didn’t want to say goodbye because it guts me that I was only a fling for you.”
“You were more than that to me. You said I was different. I felt something for you, Kaz.”
His eyes widen, and he mumbles, “We’ve run out of steam.”
Dazed, I collapse onto the couch. “Why did I listen to Simone? I’m not cut out for a one-night stand. And now I’m here, whining because you did your part but didn’t bid me farewell.”
“Sharla, no,” Kaz argues, his voice hoarse. He sits down next to me as I wipe my cheek. “I’m not good at this, either.” Kaz’s voice cracks, and he clears his throat. “I don’t know what else to say.”
I look at his face and scrounge a smile, but I can’t fake anything. “Since my flight is at 9:00 tomorrow morning, this is the last time I’ll see you. Bye, Kasra. Thank you for…” I laugh as I shrug. “I seriously don’t know what I’m doing.”
Kaz whispers, “Me neither.” When I look up, he kisses me. His lips are soft but commanding, and his tongue is forceful as it plunders my mouth. I slide my arms around his neck, savoring our last kiss. He moves closer to me, and his right hand falls to my knee while his left rests on my back.
Kaz leans into me more as our kiss heats up until he tips us over. He shifts to hover above me and returns to my lips. I slide my hands into his hair and lift my hips. His rigid erection pushes between my legs and against my clit. We groan together, and I leave his hair to work on his shorts while he reaches underneath my skirt and pulls down the bottom of my bikini. Kaz sits up and hurries to remove his wallet from his back pocket. The second condom Simone gave him flashes in front of me as I drop my swimsuit bottom to the floor. This couch smells like burnt popcorn and has years of dirt on it, but I don’t give a fuck. With Teddy, I wouldn’t have done such a thing.
Kaz rolls the condom down his shaft, and I moan, watching him. His dusky stare pierces me, and when he crawls back, he says, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. God. I want you,” and then kisses me with a passion I’ve never felt. While our kiss intensifies, he enters me slowly, but when I slant my hips to meet him, he drives into me the rest of the way. His arm goes above my head, and his powerful lunges shake the couch.
Kaz steals his lips from mine, breathless. He pauses, and I clasp his jaw. His piña colada scent marks my soul. Though he doesn’t want to give up his life, following another woman across the country and then some, I kiss his lips and whisper, “I’ve fallen for you.” But I say it in Spanish as a loophole, having confessed my feelings under lock and key. And maybe tit for tat since he said something in Persian but won’t translate.
In response, he closes his eyes and dips his head. His hot breath bathing my skin with the guttural sounds he makes near my ear shoots me into oblivion. Kaz grabs the couch’s arm and resumes ramming into me until less than a minute later. I pant, “I’m coming. Oh, my God.” A tsunami slams me with little warning when an orgasm shreds me. I arch my back. “Fuck! Kaz!” I cry as he fucks me fast. The room disappears. I hear nothing beyond our panting and fall further into an inescapable hell.
Vaguely, I hear Kaz gasping, “Sharla, holy shit,” as his orgasm counters mine. Despite him wearing a condom, I feel his hot cum exploding into me as his shouts and grunts echo off the tile floor.
Though we’ve reached the end, we still move together. I don’t want this to end, but it is. I can’t be casual friends with Kaz, sending occasional and painful texts to check in with him.
I hear knocking on the door, and Kaz yells, “Okay, I heard you! Give me a minute!” Pushing himself up and out of me, he mutters, “Sorry. We need to go.”
When he stands to remove the condom, I can’t help but watch him as I try to get dressed in a rush. Kaz wraps it in a paper towel and throws it away before going to his fly.
I hear people talking outside in the hallway. How damn humiliating, doing the walk of shame in front of an immediate audience. But I’m another vacay cock hopper to them. At least, I think that’s the phrase Simone used.
I inhale a deep breath and glance at Kaz, buttoning his shorts. His deflating hard-on persists, and he frowns with a sigh, appearing to be at a loss for words. “I’ll leave the room first and do crowd control. There are only a few of my coworkers out there, though. They won’t bother you.”
I nod as sorrow squeezes my chest and throat. There’s nothing to say that’ll make this better. “Bye, Kasra. I won’t forget…this. Or you.”
Kaz says, “I’m no longer a one-night stand. If that matters…” He bites his frowning lip and hurdles his gaze to the floor.
Folding my arms so I don’t hug him or make this worse, I walk to the door and wait for him to go first. But when he reaches for the handle, his shaky breath makes me look at him. His gray eyes are thick smoke swirling behind glass, but I don’t see them long because he leans over to kiss me. I keep my arms locked against me and pull away from him. He whispers, “Let me know when you get home.”
Quiet tears stream my face, and I nod without looking at him. He sniffs before opening the door. Kaz talks to them, and I hear them mumbling as I leave.
Before I open the exit door, I hear Kaz say, “No. Leave her alone. Damn it to hell. I can’t fucking do this.”
Outside, the harmonious steel drums and guitars accompany my numb sadness. I head to the side entrance but remember Simone is at the table. I backtrack and stop beside her, and she looks annoyed at me. “Where’s my Coco-Loco, bitch?”
I shake my head and swallow before answering, “You’ll have to get it. I can’t.”
“Sharla?” she asks, angling her head to see my face, partially hiding behind my hair. “What happened? Did you talk to Kaz?”
“Uh, yeah. We said goodbye. I’m heading upstairs.”
Simone looks over her shoulder and then back up at my face. “What did he say?”
“Exactly what I told you.”
Fury ignites her blue eyes, and she mutters, “I’ll kill him.”
I grab her shoulder. “No, you won’t. He did nothing wrong, Simone.” I inhale and brace my hands on the table. “What the fuck did Gregory Rodwell do to you?”
