Rolling in the Deep: Hawaiian Heroes, Book 2 (17 page)

“Race you out to the reef,” Daniel offered, a challenge in his voice.

“You’re on,” she shot back. She was grinning as she dashed across the strip of hot sand. She executed a low, racing dive into the surf, and let herself glide forward underwater before coming up into a fast crawl. Rolling for a breath on the third stroke, she noted that Daniel was nowhere in sight. Yes! All those laps at the YMCA were paying off.

Then, midway across the bay, a large sleek body surged past her, leaving her awash in wavelets. She battled her way to the first outcropping of the reef and let her legs swing down, her toes resting on the lava. She swiped water from her eyes with her hands and squinted in disbelief at the man dripping on the flat rock before her.

“H-how did you…?” She peered over her shoulder at the distance to the beach and then up at Daniel again. It just wasn’t possible for anyone to swim that fast, but there was no way for him to have cheated, either.

He grinned at her, white teeth flashing in his glistening face.

“Oooh!” She smacked her hands on the surface in irritation and then splashed him with a handful of water for good measure.

He didn’t even bother to duck, just closed his eyes as the water hit him, and then chuckled, that deep
huh-huh
in his chest that she’d heard on the boat. “Poor loser, wahine?”

Speechless, she made a face at him. With a sudden move that made her gasp, he slid into the water before her, only a few inches away, and sank until his head and shoulders were level with hers.

“Want me to show you how it’s done?” His low, rough murmur licked through her like a curl of hot liquid, and the matching heat in his eyes drew her in. Claire’s insides clenched with sheer desire. She wanted him, right now, just the way he was, sleek and powerful and wet, a wild creature in his element.

She shook her head, taking a step back, off the lava onto the sandy bottom. She curled her toes into the soft sand. This island was getting to her—the wild dreams she was having every night, and now this. He was a huge, hot, tattooed native, yes, but still obnoxious. He’d kissed her, but apparently only to make a point.

“Maybe.” She shrugged.
Yes, say yes
, her libido clamored.

“
’A’ole paha
,” he answered.

“What does that mean?”

He shook his head, drawing the corners of his wide mouth down beneath his mustache in mock sympathy. She watched in reluctant fascination. “Means ‘maybe not’.”

“Why not?” Now she was confused. Were they still talking about swimming?

“Here, I’ll show you.” He took one of her hands in his and drew her arm out to the side. Letting her hand go, he stretched his arm past hers, his knotted forearm sliding along the sensitive skin of her palm. “There, you see?”

She turned her head, looking at their arms lying together in the water. With their shoulders even, the tips of her fingers did not reach the base of his palm, and his arms were easily twice as big around as hers, maybe three times. He had what swimmers called “wingspan”.

Claire realized her mouth was open and pressed her lips together, sucking the lower one between her teeth. “Um…I see what you mean,” she managed huskily.

“Yeah?” he watched her lips.

She nodded, her arm relaxing against his, her hand curving naturally over the top of his wrist. His skin was warm and smooth over the knotted muscle and tendon beneath. She could feel his pulse against her fingertips, beating slow and perfect time.

Her breathing slowed to match, and she gazed into his eyes, mesmerized as they narrowed with intent. The water swirled between them as he moved closer yet.

A loud yell from the beach jolted her out of her sensual spell. Claire kicked backward in the water as Zane and Bella dashed into the water, laughing. They both struck out for the dock.

Claire shaded her eyes with one hand, watching as they splashed vigorously across the bay. Darn their timing, she thought, and then blinked as Daniel moved again, diving under the water. He swam away, a sleek shape gliding out toward the break in the reef.

“Those two must run on batteries,” Jack called from the beach. Claire nodded, looking surreptitiously for Daniel. He was gone. She swam back toward the beach.

Zane popped up by the dock first. Frank was working by his boat, but he paused to smile down at them.

“Aue,” Zane crowed, standing in the hip-deep water. “I won. I hike faster, I swim faster. Yeah, let’s hear it for da
kāne
,
the man.”

“I beat you up to the overlook,” Bella said indignantly, standing up beside him to flip her wet hair back.

“Sounds to me like you got a tie,” Frank said, deadpan. “Maybe you should arm wrestle.”

“Yeah.” Zane flexed his biceps teasingly at Bella. “Let’s go, wahine.”

“I’m not messing with you,” Bella said, her nose in the air as she waded up onto the beach. “But Claire could take you.”

Zane followed her back to the lounge area. He cast a look of disbelief at Claire, who had waded out of the water and stood in the sun. “Uh, no offense, but she’s a wahine too, yeah?”

Claire and Bella looked at him. He raised his hands defensively. “Hey, just stating facts here.”

“You didn’t see her in our self-defense class,” Bella grinned. “She threw the instructor the second week.”

He nodded. “Self-defense, yeah? That’s good for wahines to know.”

Claire smirked at him, sleeking water from her hair. “Twenty bucks says I can take you, even if I am a wahine.” These Ho’omalu men were so full of themselves. She was ready to show at least one of them that women could beat them at something.

He snorted. “Yeah, that’d be the day.”

She waggled her eyebrows tauntingly. “Oh yeah? You wanna piece of me, local boy? Not arm wrestling. Full body.”

He laughed, his face even redder. “Okay, yeah. You’re on.”

She beckoned to him. “C’mon. We’ll go in the water so no one gets hurt.”

Jack watched from his lounger in the shade, shaking his head. “You’re both crazy.”

Claire and Zane waded into the water, and Claire turned to him. The two of them circled each other, both laughing, eyeing each other. Then the young Hawaiian darted at her, arms spread.

Adrenaline spiked, her heart pounding. He was fast, but she was ready. She let him grab her, and then twisted smoothly, sliding her forward foot past his and using her turn to shift her weight out from under him, letting his forward momentum flip him over her hip.

He landed in the water with a huge splash. Claire stood there, panting, glee tinged with guilt. Her arm hurt, but the move had worked—just like in class. Zane came up coughing water, swiping his face, his golden skin glistening.

“Wow,” he said, eyeing her with respect. “How’d you do that?”

She allowed herself a small smile, setting her hands on her hips. “Self-defense training.”

Bella was hopping up and down on the beach. “Woo-hoo! Wahine rule.”

“Evidently they do,” Jack agreed, saluting her with his beer bottle. “Go, wahine.”

“No wahine,” said a deep voice behind Claire. “Da kine tita.”

Her heart gave another great thump, but Claire made sure her smile was proudly intact as she turned to face Daniel, hands on her hips. “And just what does that mean?”

He waded up out of the bay, water streaming from him. His cheeks creased as his gaze ran down her body and back up again. She wanted to slap that smirk off his face—or kiss it off. That irritated her even more.

“It means you’re plenty tough island girl,” Zane said cheerfully. “One I want on my side in a beef, yeah?”

“Mahalo,” Claire said to him, ignoring Daniel.

“You gotta show me how to do that move.” Zane slicked his wet hair back from his forehead.

“I’ll show you,” Daniel said. He waded past Claire to face Zane.

He cast a taunting look over his shoulder. “
E maliu mai, e ku’u ipo.
Pay attention, sweetheart. You might learn something.”

She gave a huff of displeasure and turned to splash back up onto the beach beside Bella. Her friend widened her eyes at her and then turned back to watch. Claire watched as well, unwillingly fascinated as Daniel coached his young cousin, showing him the move Claire had used on him.

The two men grappled, Zane grunting with effort. Claire could see that Daniel was being careful with his cousin. Daniel had at least seventy or eighty pounds on him.

After a couple of failed attempts, Zane managed to take Daniel down. He threw his head back, letting loose a hoot of triumph. Bella cheered enthusiastically, jumping up and down in a scissor kick Claire remembered from high school cheerleading.

Daniel emerged from the water like a sea creature breaching, not even bothering to wipe the water from his face. If only he weren’t so darn gorgeous. As for his flirting today, was that just because he thought she was easily available?

“Nice job, Zane,” she called, joining Bella’s clapping. “But you should’ve held him under longer.”

Turning, she sauntered back to her lounge chair and her cold beer.

“You wanna piece o’ me?” Zane offered Jack, beckoning with a wide grin.

Jack laughed. “Mahalo, kanaka. I’ll pass. I’m here to relax, not throw my back out.”

To her displeasure, Daniel decided to join them on the lanai. He accepted a beer from Zane and sat in the sun, right in the middle of Claire’s sea view. Water sparkled in his jet hair, and ran from his broad shoulders in little rivulets, glittering against his golden skin. One drop followed the line of tattoos down his massive pectoral, and over the brown coin of his nipple. Her mouth watering, Claire looked away.

“Zane says you have a boat, Daniel,” Bella said. “Where do you keep it?”

“Honok
ō
hau,” he said. “The only marina this side of the island. Our uncle Hilo runs a boat shop there.”

Zane flopped down beside Bella, a cold beer in his hand. “She’s a beauty,” he said enthusiastically. “Thirty-five feet of sheer power.”

Bella cast a mischievous look at Claire. “Claire loves boats.”

“She might not like this one,” Daniel said, casting a look at Claire from under his heavy brows. “A lot of power, even for an Oregon wahine.”

Claire snorted. “Ooh, I’m shaking in my little chair.”

“What kind of boat is it?” Bella asked, biting the inside of her lip in the way she did when she was trying not to giggle.

“Fountain,” Daniel said. “Twin Mercury racing 525s, with Bravo outdrive.”

“Wow. How fast can you go?” Bella was really pouring it on now, but the fool was eating it up.

“Ninety-six miles per hour on a calm sea.”

Claire patted back a delicate yawn, making sure he saw her. Settling back in her lawn chair, she stuck her earbuds in, turned up the Hawaiian music she’d downloaded and closed her eyes, shutting out Daniel Ho’omalu, his wet, glistening body and his damn boat.

Which she would give just about anything to ride in, but she was triple-damned if she would ask.

Chapter Ten

Leilani assured them that people wore anything from swimsuits to dresses for dinner out here, so Claire compromised, choosing new flowered shorts and a blue halter top. She wound her hair high on her head with a clip, leaving two strands to tease the line of her jaw. She looked pretty good, she noted with pleased surprise, her face flushed with sun and fresh air, her skin lightly tanned. She put on the diamond earrings and pendant and slipped her feet into her white flip-flops.

Bella wore red shorts and top, a red hibiscus blossom tucked behind her ear. Grace wore a flowered sundress, her auburn hair in a French roll. The three strolled down to the beach. Evening was fast approaching, the sky overhead already a deeper blue, the clouds on the horizon shaded with bright coral and pink.

And near at hand, the beachside lanai had been transformed. Claire was amazed by the casually elegant outdoor dining area. The tiki torches burned in their slanted holders, leaning over the sand, and a long table covered with a linen cloth was set with brightly colored dishes, an exuberant arrangement of anthurium and bird of paradise spilling over in the center.

Beyond the bay, the waves reflected what was becoming an amazing sunset, with the clouds on the horizon deepening from coral pink to purples.

The other guests stood on the beach, drinks in hand. Jack turned to smile at the three of them, and Claire winced. His face was red with sunburn, his blue eyes startling against his flushed face.

“Ow,” she said in sympathy. “Does your face hurt as much as I think it does?”

He raised his glass. “Leilani’s mai tais take the pain away. My only worry is I can’t keep drinking all night. I should have headed into the shade when you did.”

“I have some aloe lotion,” Grace offered.

Sara nodded. “I remember my first visit here, I got a terrible burn. Aloe does help.”

“Drink, ladies?” Zane offered, gesturing at a small table under the palms. “Leilani’s mai tai’s ono—delicious.”

Claire accepted a cold glass adorned with a tall spear of pineapple and took a sip. “Mm, very ono.”

She heard a boat motor and then voices across the bay, and turned to see the catamaran nosing in to the dock, with Frank, Melia’s parents and the elder Ho’omalus on board. Daniel stood ready on the dock, clad in a dark V-neck and shorts. As Claire watched, he reached out to hand his mother onto the dock and bent to kiss her cheek. Gee, he could be sweet—to his mother.

“Everyone’s here but the bride and groom,” commented Gabe.

“I’m sure they’re having fun wherever they are,” Jack said dryly.

“A borrowed yacht, not such a bad way to spend your honeymoon.” Bella sighed. “And they’ll be back tomorrow—no, the next day.”

Dinner turned out to be an adventure of a different kind. Claire was seated at one end of the long table next to Zane, with Daniel on his far side, so she could visit with Melia’s parents and enjoy the delicious meal of salads, rice, fruit and grilled fish without worrying about catching Daniel’s eye. That was fine with her.

“You’re almost ready to graduate, aren’t you, dear?” Darcy Carson asked her.

“I am,” Claire agreed. “One more month.”