Love Me Forever

Love Me Forever

Ari Thatcher

Love Me Forever

Copyright © 2011, 2015 Ari Thatcher

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from Ari Thatcher.

Published by Aspendawn Press

United States of America

Electronic Edition: March 2015

This is a revised version of the story
Maui Rekindled
published by Ellora’s Cave.

This book is a work of fiction and all characters exist solely in the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any references to places, events or locales are used in a fictitious manner.

Chapter One

Jennifer Pearson sipped from her pink mai tai and toyed with the paper umbrella as she scanned the beach. The late April sun made her muscles melt into the sand, it felt so heavenly. How many inches of snow had they gotten back home in Missouri from the storm that blew in just as she flew out? She didn’t even care.

Home was not what she’d come to Maui to think about. In fact, thinking was also not on the agenda. Sun, silence, relaxation…that’s why she was here
.

The sound of waves lapping against the sand was like a massage to the stress-out parts of her brain. Settling back against the sand chair, she released a slow, steady sigh. She should have done this years ago.

A few young men rode their boards in the surf, maneuvering the small waves for the longest ride possible. A pair of girls, teenage or a few years older, splashed closer to shore. At some point, Jen planned to go in the water, but not today.

She slid lower in the chair, with only her shoulders propped up above the sand. A nap would be so heavenly. Her eyelids were heavy. Letting them drop, she stuck the base of her glass in the sand so it wouldn’t spill.

The waves continued their lullaby, only an occasional voice in the distance breaking the peace. She lifted her face to the sun, the heat purifying her soul.

Just before she dozed, a strange inkling made her open her eyes. A tanned god rose from the water, a board tucked under his arm. She sat spellbound, watching his approach. Water rolled off him, sprayed off his longish brown hair when he shook his head
.

Jen licked her lips at the sight. His wet shorts clung like a second skin, riding low on his narrow hips. A bare
,
flat abdomen begged to be explored
.
He had swimmer’s shoulders, broad, strong, defined.
Damn, picture that arched above me in bed
…

That was another thing she hadn’t come here for. Sex. Men in general. She’d had enough of one man in particular to last this lifetime and the next few. Still, just once, it would be so tempting to have a man like the surfer between her legs again.

The water god smiled, his teeth bright against his bronzed complexion.

He looked familiar…Her heart stopped. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t still be here after, what, ten years? No, he’d gone back to college when that summer ended. Just as she had.

Gone back to college and had never called her like he’d promised
.

Closing her eyes, she forced the image of Matt Brashiers out of her head. Maybe she should have picked a different resort. One without so many memories.

Focusing again on the beach, she saw the man in question walking toward her. As he grew closer, his features became clear. Dear God, it was him
.
There was no denying it.

Her heart jumped. “Matt?”

That familiar smile of his grew. “Jen? I thought it was you. I thought I was imagining it. It’s good to see you.”

“Yeah, you too.” He looked good enough to eat. What she wouldn’t give to nibble on those pecs one more time.

Stop it.

He planted the end of his board in the sand a few feet away and sat down beside her. Just as she remembered, his essence filled the space around him, a wild, carefree energy that warmed her and sent goose bumps across her skin at the same time.
 

Pushing his hair off his forehead, he asked, “Are you here with friends?”

“No. I, uh, came alone.”

“Ah, well. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to catch up while you’re here. How long are you staying?”

“A week.” Maybe she’d be lucky and he’d be leaving soon. Taking that tempting body with him.

“Great.” He rolled to his feet showing if anything, he was even more athletic now than he’d been in college. Not really beefy, not in the steroid sense. But enough definition to tell her he worked at it.

She glanced down at the wedge of pale, soft thigh peering from the opening of her sarong. She looked pasty after a Missouri winter. Heck, she looked pasty year round. At least she went to yoga classes regularly enough that she could still wear the bikini she’d worn ten years ago when she met him.

Matt’s smile was friendly. “I have to run, but I’ll call your room later and see if we can hook up.”

“Sounds like fun.” Biting back a small groan, she watched his tight ass as he walked away
.

Hook up? Was he kidding? Like she would consider hooking up after what he’d done. More directly, what he hadn’t done. Or did
I’ll call
mean something different in California
-
speak than in Missouri?

Had she come here hoping to run into him? No, she always figured he’d stayed in San Francisco or gone to New York. Followed the money. He’d been studying finance in college. As far as she knew, no one traded stocks or whatever from the beach in Maui.

She would never have figured him for the beach bum type. He was too young for a midlife crisis. Her curiosity grew the more she pondered. He had a lot of story to tell.

~*~

Canned Hawaiian music filtered through the speakers above the dining patio as Matt walked toward where Jen sat at a small table. In her hand she held a computer tablet
.
With amazing coordination, or much practice, she managed to eat her salad without looking away from the gadget.

With her thick, curly brown hair loose past her shoulders, she looked like she hadn’t aged since he saw her last. She was even more beautiful, though. Memories stirred and he glanced past the tables at the edge of the clearing. His groin tightened remembering her lying beneath him, the two of them hidden in the trees that night, just beyond the clearing
.
Just a pair of horny college students intent on sharing a moment of bliss.

And what a moment it had been. The way she’d touched him had fed his fantasies for years afterward. Her firm, ripe breasts. Those slender legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper inside. Her cries as her passion grew. Damn, he could still hear the sound in his head. Shaking off the erotic vision, he stopped at Jen’s table. “Is this seat taken?”

Jen jumped, flipping her tablet into her salad. Glancing up, she smiled. “Um, no, it’s not,” she said as she wiped dressing off the device
.

Matt signaled the server and ordered a light meal of fish and vegetables. His eyes swept over her as he sipped from his glass of water. “I still can’t get over seeing you.”

Pushing aside her salad plate, she took a deep breath. “I’m a bit surprised, too. How long are you here?”

Tipping his head slightly, he said, “I live here now.”

“Still doing the water sports thing?”

“Yeah. I discovered I couldn’t stay out of the ocean.”

She studied him silently, her lips turned up just at the corners. He saw nothing in her expression to tell him her true feelings about seeing him after so long. If she was free to renew their passion or if she had a man waiting for her back on the mainland
.

Leaning back so the server could set down his salad, he asked, “Are you still in Missouri?”

“Yes, still living in the county I was born in, isn’t that sad?”

“No.” He waited until she picked her fork up again, then lifted his own. “You always had a strong sense of family. I’m guessing you’ve got a houseful of kids, a dog and a position in the Parent Teacher Association.”

“No. Not yet. Maybe not ever.” Her eyes welled and she looked up at the thatched roof over the patio. Blinking, drawing in a breath, she continued. “I’m newly divorced.”

She sipped her drink and turned her head toward the beach. Her pain was obvious in the tension lines on her forehead.

“I’m sorry. That’s hard to go through no matter what the situation is
.
” He dug into his meal, grateful for the distraction, hoping he hadn’t shut her down completely.

“The resort hasn’t changed much in ten years.” Her tone was light, polite, not giving her emotions away.

“No, although the staff has either been promoted or they moved on to other jobs.”

They continued the conversation of strangers, like classmates at a reunion. In his mind she was the lover he’d kissed goodbye just hours ago. But reality had taken them down separate paths.

How do I bring those paths back together?

When their server asked, Jen turned down dessert, and the young man brought their checks, which Matt quickly picked up. “My treat.”

Nothing in her smile said this was anything more than a business meal. To him the time meant so much more. It was a beginning. Whether she knew it or not, she came here for a reason. “Would you like to walk down on the beach with me?”

Her eyelids fluttered and she reached for her purse, tucking the tablet safely inside. “I hate to be rude, but I think the flight and the sun have worn me down. I wish I could stay and catch up on life, but I’m going to go lie down. Perhaps we’ll run into each other tomorrow.”

I’ll make sure of it
. He watched the gentle sway of Jen’s skirt as she walked away. The lightweight fabric draped off her heart-shaped ass. Her tank top hugged a waist that didn’t appear to have gained an inch since college.

Grinning like an idiot, he signed the meal tickets and handed them to the hostess as he left. Jen was single. Single, and even more beautiful than the memories he’d clung to even after he knew he’d lost his chance at her.

How often does a guy get a second chance at his first love?

A week. He had a week to remind her of what they shared. A week to convince her they belonged together.

There was no way on this earth he was letting her leave without a promise of coming back. And unlike that summer they shared, he wasn’t waiting until the last night to make his move.

~*~

Shortly after she woke the next morning, Jen answered a knock at the door. The hotel porter handed her a delicate glass vase with an orchid, a small card dangling from a pink ribbon tied just below the lip of the vase. She set the flower on the small table near the door, dug out her wallet and tipped the man.

Turning back to the orchid, she didn’t need to read the card to know who sent the vase. Who else knew she was there? Who else even knew she existed?

With a loud snort she berated herself for sounding so pitiful. She’d been on her own for just over six months. If no one knew she existed, it might be due to her being holed up in her house all that time.

She slipped the card out of its envelope.
Good morning, beautiful! Call me when you get this
.

He’d signed simply with his name and phone number. Hardly the romantic overture she’d been hoping for. But what did she think he’d say?
I’m an ass for never calling you. I realize my mistake and never want to let you out of my sight
.

Yeah, right. Only in her romance novels. Still, he’d sent a flower when he could have just called her room. She picked up her cell phone and dialed.

His voice held a smile as he answered. “Did you sleep well?”

Jen’s throat suddenly went thick, like she’d just wakened next to him. “Yes, surprisingly well. I needed it.”

“That’s good. I’m not sure what your plans are for the day, but I thought you might like to hike the trail to the waterfall. The short hike, if you prefer.”

She sighed. That’s what she got for scheduling activities over the Internet when she booked the hotel. “I’m going on a helicopter tour. I booked a few tourist-type activities that I never got around to doing while I worked here.”