Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (novels for beginners txt) 📕

‘Right, close your eyes.’

Malie grinned up at him, her pot with its swirling, whirling yellow creaminess poised mid-air in one hand, her spoon in the other.

‘Close my eyes…?’ Todd looked from the ice cream to her, his hands deep inside his pockets. ‘Why?’

‘Because it’ll taste even better – I promise.’

His eyes flitted over the swarm of tourists surrounding them. ‘Are you crazy?’

‘No, I just want to make your first time the best.’

Laughter sparkled in his gaze, his closed-mouth grin trapping the sound inside. ‘You seriously are crazy.’

She shrugged. ‘And you need to trust people more.’

He cocked his head to the side, frowning slightly. Had her choice of words hit a chord? But then his expression lifted, and he was straightening up, rounding his shoulders.

‘OK.’ He gave a nod. ‘Ready.’

He closed his eyes, his lashes fanning his cheeks and Malie was transported back to that first night on the beach when she’d been struck still by his appeal. She felt it even more now, with all that she knew of him and his Good Samaritan act. Only it wasn’t an act, it was all him.

Could he be any more perfect for her? Was she a fool to keep putting distance between them? What if it didn’t jeopardize her work at the surf school at all? What if she could find happiness without guilt, without fear—

‘Err, Malie, I’m starting to feel a little foolish.’

She refocused on his face, his eyes still obediently closed, adorably so, and gave a soft laugh. ‘You’re too impatient.’

‘We just queued half an hour for this thing, I’m practically saint-like.’

She shook her head, her body warming through as she scooped up a generous portion and licked her own lips.

‘Open up,’ she commanded, her eyes lifting to watch his lips dutifully part and the warmth combusted, an excited ripple swelling into a throbbing ache low in her belly. She wanted to kiss him, so much she had to hold herself rigid, forcing her fingers to lift instead and slip the spoon inside his mouth, watching as he closed his lips around it.

Slowly she pulled it away clean, his low hum filling her ears, the sight of his perfectly kissable mouth moving it around inside, the gentle bob of his clean-shaven throat as he swallowed it down… oh, God, she was in heaven just watching.

‘Nice?’ It came out high-pitched, her elevated state shining through and she scooped up another healthy spoonful, stuffing it in her own mouth and chilling her body down before he could open his eyes and see it all.

‘Delicious.’ His lashes lifted, his eyes locked with hers, soft and lazy. ‘You’re right, that is heaven.’

Her lips parted on a nod, her eyes wide, her brain still screaming: You can’t kiss him. Not after everything you’ve said, your good intentions. You’re friend-zoned for good reason.

Someone knocked her bag behind her as they brushed past and she turned with them, feeling Todd’s arm snake around her middle to bring her closer. Oh, God. She could smell his cologne, the heat of his arm against her bare midriff, his breath caressing her hair.

‘What do you say we find somewhere to sit with this before we get run over?’

‘I have a better idea…’ No way could she sit still without doing something stupid. ‘Fancy getting lost with me?’

‘Lost?’

‘Yup,’ she blurted, eager to enact her plan. ‘The world’s biggest maze is here, or at least it used to be the biggest, it’s probably not anymore, but still…’

He was about to answer when his phone piped up. He gave a grimace and released her to reach in his pocket and take it out. She eyed the device and did a mental recap of the number of calls he’d taken already and the likelihood of it continuing. He cut the call and looked back to her. ‘Let’s do it.’

‘On one condition…’

He chuckled. ‘OK.’

‘Take this off me a sec…’ She gave him the ice cream to hold and then before she could chicken out, she held his eye and slid her hand inside his pocket. She didn’t miss how his entire body tensed and the way his eyes flared, his breath caught, but nothing would deter her from this. She located the offending device and pulled it out. ‘This, goes off…’

His brow creased but she held her ground, her finger hovering over the off button.

‘You are the boss, right?’

He nodded.

‘Well, you need to trust your employees to survive without you. The world won’t end if you turn this off and relax, just for a few hours.’

His lip quirked to one side. ‘A few hours, that’s how long you’re planning on getting us lost for?’

‘Maybe…’

He laughed. ‘OK, deal, turn it off.’

She felt her entire body lift, happiness at his agreement making her almost dizzy. She turned the phone off and looked back up at him. ‘A few hours won’t cut it, though, Todd, you need to learn to take holidays. Actual, real chill-the-hell-out time.’

‘Like you do?’

She could read the scepticism in his tone. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I saw the schedule at the surf school, by my reckoning you work almost seven days a week.’

‘That’s different.’

‘Is it?’

‘Yes, I love my job, I get to spend it in the sea, doing what I adore and passing that love on to others.’

‘I love what I do too.’

‘In an office, four walls, indoors?’ She shook her head and slid the phone back into his pocket, his arm eased around her again and this time she was convinced it had nothing to do with being run over and everything to do with bringing them close again.

She took the ice cream back off him and scooped some up. ‘I just can’t imagine it.’

‘It’s not all bad, believe me. Take now, for example, I’m in Hawaii with my charity work and—’

‘And your phone hasn’t stopped?’ She stared up at him, offering him the spoonful. ‘No, you won’t convince me.’

‘Right this second…’ He bowed to slip his mouth around the scoop, cleaning it off with a satisfied swallow that