Pure Temptation, page 9
She didn’t answer right away, and the longer she was quiet, the more his heart pounded. Finally, she smiled and looked up into his eyes. “Okay, best day of my life. Just to make sure it doesn’t involve you doing any life-threatening stunts that might injure your calf.”
“Me?” He gave her a mock-innocent look. “Never.”
For the first time in years, that hadn’t even crossed his mind. All he could think about was that he had less than twelve hours to perfect his plans for a day that would blow her away.
He pulled her close again, breathing in the coconut scent of her shampoo, mingling with the scent of her. He liked this woman. All sorts of ideas were running through his head, ways he could impress her, make her laugh, satisfy her, hold her...and make her want him more. Except their clock was ticking. Loudly. In a few days, there wouldn’t be a “more.”
So he focused on tomorrow. There was a location he and Calvin had discussed in a planning meeting, right here on the Big Island, and an idea that may or may not fall under the category of crazy stunts. Kendall would either love it or hate it. But if Daxon was going for the best day of her life, it was time to go big. The philosophy “the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward” had been the guiding principle that had gotten him to where he was today. If it worked for his career, it might work on one particular woman...hopefully.
CHAPTER NINE
KENDALL WATCHED DAXON from across the lobby of the Kalani. He was talking to the woman at the concierge desk. It was too far to hear what she said, but the low, soft tones of her voice drifted on the warm breeze of the open-air lobby. The low-cut dress, the flower behind her ear, the seductive smile...ugh. Daxon wasn’t encouraging her, and still it was painful to watch. Anyone who signed up to be his girlfriend would have to be okay with this kind of ogling.
Plus a lot of other challenges. And a lot of fun. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
This was the point where Kendall had to be very, very careful. She was a worrier, both by nature and by circumstance, and after twenty-eight years, she had been around herself enough to know that wasn’t going to change. After she’d left his cabin the night before, she had had a dream where Daxon was scaling the mountain face with no ropes. When he turned to wave to her, smiling that easy smile of his, he lost his grip and plunged toward earth. She had awoken with a start right before he hit the ground. Morbid and completely on par for her worst-case-scenario brain.
Just one sexy night together poked at her deepest fears. Soon, he would leave the Kalani and go back to putting his life on the line—not just in her nightmares but for real. Which meant the consequences could be real, too. After too many years of watching her father head back to the most dangerous jobs, over and over, she knew that itch to take risks wouldn’t go away. Which meant the days at the Kalani were going to be a true test of her new, adventurous approach to living in the moment, not worrying about the future. She was going to enjoy the hell out of this day with Daxon, no matter what.
Because the more time she spent with him, the more she was sure that if she didn’t try, she’d spend the rest of her life regretting it. There were so many things about Daxon that surprised her. He was much more considerate than she had expected. Not that she thought he would be an asshole, but for a person who did so many reckless stunts, who treated his own life so carelessly, she had expected him to be a little more self-centered. Instead, he was unselfish, particularly in bed. And on his moonlit lanai. And maybe in other places today...wherever they were going.
Daxon finished what he was saying to the concierge and turned around. Kendall could see the moment he caught sight of her. His eyes raked down her body, and then he gave her a slow smile like she was still naked. She glanced down, just to make sure, but she did indeed have clothes on. Of course she did. But that look he gave her... He crossed the room, and when he came close, he reached out, as if he was going to wrap his arms around her. His gaze dipped to her lips, his mouth parted, and she was almost sure he was thinking about kissing her. Right here, in the middle of the lobby. But then his hand fell to his side again.
“Hey,” he said. “I was just arranging a few last-minute things.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Hmm...” He pretended to give that idea some thought. “Nah. But if you guess correctly, I’ll tell you.”
Kendall raised an eyebrow. “Are we climbing Mauna Loa?”
He shook his head. “Not a chance with my calf.”
“Hiking to one of the waterfalls?”
He shook his head again. “Same. I’d rather save it for a time when I don’t have to hold back.”
“Surfing?”
“Sounds fun. Maybe next time.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You’re getting closer.”
Kendall wrinkled her brow. “Boogie boarding?”
Daxon cringed. “Isn’t that the B-level version of surfing?”
“Says the guy who’s never tried it, right?”
He didn’t look convinced. “Fine, you’re right. It sounds like fun. Then maybe we can try water aerobics in the shallow end of the pool?”
“I’m sure I can arrange that if you want,” she said, smiling sweetly. “I’m done guessing. Let’s just go.”
They walked out of the open-air lobby and into the sun. The entranceway to the Kalani was full of palms and bright, blooming flowers, and the driveway was made of large stones, just a little darker than the sand. In the middle of the drive, a red convertible was parked, shiny and inviting.
“You like it?”
She swallowed the thump of excitement in her throat and tried to sound bored. “It’s okay.”
His hands slipped around her waist, and he tickled her until she burst out into laughter.
“All right, it looks like a lot of fun,” she said between gasps.
He beamed at her. “I thought so, too.”
Was there a hint of pride in his voice? She was getting the feeling that he really did want to please her. A lot. Which was probably just his competitive spirit at work. But a convertible sports car did look like a fun way to drive around the island.
“You know how to get where we’re going?” she asked.
“Of course I do,” he said. “Do you really think I’d go into an adventure unprepared?”
“Probably not.”
He winked at her. “The right answer is hell, no.”
Daxon slipped on his sunglasses, walked over to the passenger-side door and opened it for her. She had never really seen the point of this chivalrous gesture, since she could easily open a door for herself. But with Daxon watching as she hesitated, his smile faltering a little, she was starting to understand his message: I’m paying attention to every detail. Which she was not going to overthink. Not even a little bit.
The seat was warm from the morning sun, shining down, filling the air with the kind of sultry heat that made everything nicer...and sexier. It was one of the things she loved most about living here. Back in Northern California, it was as if the thermostat never was cranked quite right. Foggy and cool in the summer, winter alternating between warm sun and rain, and just when the spring seemed to get it perfect, the fog would roll in again, cutting through the bliss of warmth. But here in Hawaii, even the rain didn’t interfere with the lazy heat. Maybe someday she’d get tired of the perpetual good weather, but that day wasn’t coming anytime soon.
Daxon climbed into the driver’s seat, his long, muscular legs on display. If she wasn’t careful, she’d spend the whole day gawking at him.
“Did you bring your bathing suit?” he asked, catching her mid-ogle.
Kendall pulled the collar of her T-shirt over to reveal a strap. “That was my only clue about our destination.”
“Unless you can think of a way to coax more hints out of me.” He lifted his sunglasses, his gray-green eyes sparkling. “Ready for the best day of your life?”
She laughed. “Impress me, Daxon.”
“I will.” He lowered his sunglasses and started the car.
The resort’s long driveway wound through more palms and bushes before they came to the main road and turned, heading south. The landscape of the north end of the island was drier, and when left alone, without fancy resort plantings, a lot of it was barren, with long stretches of grassy fields that barely covered the lava beds. But they were headed south, toward the greener, rainier side, with the kind of tropical hillsides she had expected when she first came.
From the moment they turned onto the highway, Daxon peppered her with questions. He wanted to know everything about her—growing up just outside San Francisco, her adventures as a physical therapist, and all her memories from when her father would disappear for weeks into wildfire territory.
“How did your mother feel about it?” he asked as he turned off the main road, heading for what was supposed to be the best smoothie place on the island, according to the hand-painted signs on the side of the road.
“It was really hard on her. But complicated. She was a hotshot, too, before they had me, so she understood why he wanted to be there, on the front lines of the fires.”
Her mother’s experience also gave her mother a well-honed sense of when to worry. There were days of silence, where her father’s absence took up all the air in the house, all the space at the dinner table, suffocating them both. Then, when he finally called, the relief came first. Meals were filled with bright bursts of a week’s worth of conversation, finally freed, now that her father was safe. But there were nights, not long after, when that relief turned to anger, usually when she caught sight of her mother’s expression, worn and weary. Why did her father keep going back when he knew how much they worried?
Kendall didn’t reveal all these details, but she could tell she had said enough that Daxon understood. When they pulled over by the smoothie place, under the shade of the palm trees that lined the parking lot, he turned off the engine but stayed in his seat.
“You didn’t tell me all of this when we were in Costa Rica,” he said.
She shrugged. “It’s not a secret. But we were talking in general terms, not about my situation. I didn’t think it was relevant.”
He was quiet for a moment, and then he nodded. “But it’s relevant to me.”
The little smoothie shack was on the edge of a farm, with a grove of banana trees where guests could wander and spiky pineapple bushes sprouting out of the ground. They walked around the grounds, sipping smoothies, as he asked more questions about San Francisco State University, about her traveling physical therapy job, about boyfriends and friends. Then they climbed back into the car, and as they headed back to the main road, she thought it was fair to turn the inquiry tables on Daxon.
She knew the basics about his past—just about everyone did: growing up with only his mother, adventurous from a young age, never much for school. He entertained her with stories about his travels while filming, trying local foods and local activities all over the world, and she got the sense that he played down the more dangerous parts of these stories.
“How many people would you say do what you do, climbing the faces of mountains without ropes?” she asked.
“Expert-level free soloists? Not sure. Probably under fifty.”
“How many died this year?”
There was a long pause. “One.”
“How about last year?”
“One.”
And he was going to follow up his Moonlight Buttress ascent with El Capitan, the most dangerous climb of them all. Didn’t he see that these crazy stunts would probably lead to his death? One glance at him told her he knew exactly what she was thinking, and he didn’t agree. Kendall opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. Not her battle. And she wasn’t going to let it ruin her day, either.
They continued south, past Hilo, past the active volcanoes. Kendall looked out the window at the lush, green hills that rose up on one side. The dormant volcanos were steep, green and treeless, and the road cut into the side of them, winding around each cone. There was nothing in sight but the sea and the grass and an occasional cow grazing on the mountainside. It was gorgeous, but where were they going? For most of the ride, she had assumed that they’d go to the active volcano, but they had passed that turnoff miles ago. They had also passed the Black Sand Beach, another attraction in the area. What else was there?
“You’re still not going to tell me where we’re going?”
“You haven’t guessed yet?” he said, glancing over at her with a little smile. “We don’t have far to go before we start heading north, up the other side of the island.”
“Exactly. So whatever it is must be coming soon.”
Daxon pointed to a sign in the distance. “That’s where we’re going.”
It read South Point, 12 Miles, with an arrow pointing to a turnoff on the left. The southernmost point in the US?
This was the destination Daxon had chosen for the best day of her life? It was...a little underwhelming.
“You’ve never been there, have you?” he asked, turning down the narrow road.
Kendall shook her head slowly. She hadn’t even considered visiting this spot.
“Good. I checked with Alana,” said Daxon.
Her eyebrows shot up. “You talked to Alana about this?” she asked, motioning between them.
He looked a little guilty, but not nearly guilty enough. “It, um, depends upon what part of this—” he motioned between them like she had “—you’re referring to. I would’ve just asked you but you were busy with a client.”
There was a hint of mocking in his tone.
Kendall let out a breath and steered the conversation back on track. “Well, Alana was right. I’ve never been here.”
The grin was back on his face. “I was hoping so. There’s something here that I thought might be fun to watch.”
Daxon Miles, the man who threw himself out of an airplane with no parachute, thought it would be fun to watch...the southernmost edge the United States, where it met the ocean? Was she missing something?
Daxon reached over and squeezed her leg. “I hope you love it. It’s either that or you hate me for bringing you here, which will make for a very long car ride back.”
Okay, now she was really curious.
They drove for miles, past houses and little stores until finally they reached the ocean. Daxon pulled into a dusty area and parked the car. He took off his sunglasses, and he opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. Shaking his head, he removed her seat belt, then his, shifting in the seat to face her. He leaned forward, putting his hand on her thigh.
He brushed his lips against hers, so achingly slow. Her pulse jumped, and she reached for him, pressing her hands against the soft stubble of his jaw. He opened his mouth and kissed her, his teeth tugging at her bottom lip as his hand slid farther up her thigh. She tilted her head and stroked his tongue with hers. Her whole body ached for this man...and they were in the middle of a parking lot.
He backed up, and she swallowed. “Did we come all this way for a nice make-out spot? It would have been easier just to stay back at the Kalani.”
The corners of his mouth tugged up into a hint of a smile. “It’s not what we came for. But I wanted to kiss you before we get out, just in case you get mad at me for this.”
Kendall threw up her arms in resignation. “What the hell are you taking me to do, Dax?”
“The southernmost point also happens to be a popular cliff diving spot,” he said with a mischievous smile. “I thought it might be fun to watch.”
He pointed to the edge of the cliff. Now that he mentioned it, there were groups of people in bathing suits standing awfully close to the edge. Right around a platform of some kind.
“Or we could jump,” she deadpanned, narrowing her eyes at him.
Daxon just shrugged. “Only if you want, but not on my account. I can always come back another time, but you probably won’t. Not without someone to nudge you a little.”
She stared at him, stunned. He was taking her to watch cliff diving, thinking it might look like enough fun to join in? Jesus.
“What do you think?” he asked, assessing her closely.
“I’m thinking that you’re crazy if you think I might jump off that cliff in the name of adventure.”
Daxon laughed.
“What?”
“I was prepared for much worse.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her again. “I’m not going to pressure you at all. Seriously. I brought drinks and a pad we can sit on. I figured it would be fun to just watch.”
“In our bathing suits?”
“Yep.”
“Okay,” she said slowly.
Daxon grabbed bags out of the trunk of the car, and they headed toward the water. The day was clear, and the blue ocean sparkled in front of her. The coast was different on this side of the island, the water deeper, and the cliffs riding high above it. She walked along the black rock, watching the people near the platform, letting Daxon lead the way. He stopped a little farther down, at a spot where they could watch the others without hanging over the edge, and laid out a large pad to sit on.
“Just out of curiosity, how high up is this spot?” she asked as she plopped down.
“About ten meters.” His voice was casual, but she caught a glimpse of a grin that told her just how carefully he had planned this out.
Her heart stuttered. He hadn’t chosen something truly crazy, a jump that she might barely survive from. Instead, he chose the height of the platform at every Olympic diving well. The height she had contemplated at the age of thirteen—and then backed down from, while all the rest of her friends jumped. Daxon knew this was the height she’d chickened out from before. He had been listening to her, really listening, and he had taken a risk, designing today around a thrill that was just outside of her comfort zone. She wasn’t sure if she loved him or hated him for it—and Daxon probably knew that.
