breathtaking.”
She had no idea. Another thing he found so appealing about her. “No, dork. I meant
you.”
“Me?” She looked down at herself, then back at him. “Nothing to look at here except
a grumbling stomach. Let’s go eat. If I don’t get some coffee soon, you’re going to
have to carry me to the restaurant.”
Ella wanted to eat at the coffee shop downstairs. Clay wanted to take her someplace
special, somewhere she could enjoy the view and have a good breakfast. She’d balked,
but he’d insisted, leading her instead out the front door, where his car was waiting.
“Where are we going?” she asked as the valet opened the door on the passenger side
of Clay’s rental car.
Clay slid into the driver’s side and buckled his seat belt. “Not far.”
“Good. You did hear me say I was starving, right?”
The drive was only a few miles up the coast, but the view would be worth it. The restaurant
was set on a cliff. He parked and they walked the steep hill from the parking lot
to the restaurant.
“Great. Making me burn what few calories I have left before you feed me.”
He glanced down at Ella, who grinned up at him.
“If you faint before we get there, I’ll carry you to the table.”
She laughed and slipped her hand in his.
The restaurant was crowded, as he knew it would be. It was a popular spot, a lot for
the great food and made even more so by the view. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered
a spectacular show of the sea crashing against the rocks that made up the foundation
for the restaurant, which seemed to balance precariously on the craggy cliff. If you
sat at one of the front tables, which they did, it would almost seem as if you were
hovering over the ocean.
“Wow,” Ella said as she took her seat. “This is definitely worth waiting for.”
“I thought you might like it here.”
“Who wouldn’t? The ocean, the breeze…It’s breathtaking, Clay, especially to someone
who’s landlocked like me.” She turned her gaze to him. “And you, too, of course. This
is amazing.”
“Yeah, I found this place on my last trip here and came back every morning for breakfast.”
“I can see why. And I’m sure whoever you brought was very appreciative.”
He laughed. “I didn’t bring anyone with me, Ella.”
She poured cream into the coffee the waitress had brought. “No? I would have thought
Hawaii was a romantic destination, that you’d bring a woman.”
“I come here to go fishing, not for romance.”
She arched a brow. “Could have fooled me.”
He laughed and leaned in, took her hand in his. “Well, not usually anyway.”
“So I’m an exception.”
“Definitely an exception.”
“Then again, what we’re doing together isn’t really romance, is it?”
“What were doing together can’t be labeled.”
She slid her hand away and grabbed her cup, leaned back in the booth. “Sure, it can.
It’s just sex, right?”
“Yeah. Right. Just sex.”
Why did it feel like more than that? He of all people knew that he wasn’t capable
of anything more than that with a woman, and especially someone like Ella, who was
all about emotion and permanence and marriage. That wasn’t where his life went. They’d
agreed it would be sex with no strings. She seemed happy with the arrangement.
So what was irritating him?
After breakfast, they headed down to the beach, where Clay chartered a boat.
Ella stepped aboard, helped out by one of the crew. She turned to Clay. “How many
others will there be?”
“Others?”
“Yes. Other people in this group excursion.”
His lips lifted. “Oh. None. This trip is private. Just you, me and the crew. I thought
we’d tour the island, maybe stop somewhere and snorkel.”
“Really?”
He loved when she was excited and happy. Her eyes lit up like a child’s. And she hadn’t
been pumped up about anything in a long time. He was happy to give this to her. “Yeah,
really.”
They sailed out
She had no idea. Another thing he found so appealing about her. “No, dork. I meant
you.”
“Me?” She looked down at herself, then back at him. “Nothing to look at here except
a grumbling stomach. Let’s go eat. If I don’t get some coffee soon, you’re going to
have to carry me to the restaurant.”
Ella wanted to eat at the coffee shop downstairs. Clay wanted to take her someplace
special, somewhere she could enjoy the view and have a good breakfast. She’d balked,
but he’d insisted, leading her instead out the front door, where his car was waiting.
“Where are we going?” she asked as the valet opened the door on the passenger side
of Clay’s rental car.
Clay slid into the driver’s side and buckled his seat belt. “Not far.”
“Good. You did hear me say I was starving, right?”
The drive was only a few miles up the coast, but the view would be worth it. The restaurant
was set on a cliff. He parked and they walked the steep hill from the parking lot
to the restaurant.
“Great. Making me burn what few calories I have left before you feed me.”
He glanced down at Ella, who grinned up at him.
“If you faint before we get there, I’ll carry you to the table.”
She laughed and slipped her hand in his.
The restaurant was crowded, as he knew it would be. It was a popular spot, a lot for
the great food and made even more so by the view. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered
a spectacular show of the sea crashing against the rocks that made up the foundation
for the restaurant, which seemed to balance precariously on the craggy cliff. If you
sat at one of the front tables, which they did, it would almost seem as if you were
hovering over the ocean.
“Wow,” Ella said as she took her seat. “This is definitely worth waiting for.”
“I thought you might like it here.”
“Who wouldn’t? The ocean, the breeze…It’s breathtaking, Clay, especially to someone
who’s landlocked like me.” She turned her gaze to him. “And you, too, of course. This
is amazing.”
“Yeah, I found this place on my last trip here and came back every morning for breakfast.”
“I can see why. And I’m sure whoever you brought was very appreciative.”
He laughed. “I didn’t bring anyone with me, Ella.”
She poured cream into the coffee the waitress had brought. “No? I would have thought
Hawaii was a romantic destination, that you’d bring a woman.”
“I come here to go fishing, not for romance.”
She arched a brow. “Could have fooled me.”
He laughed and leaned in, took her hand in his. “Well, not usually anyway.”
“So I’m an exception.”
“Definitely an exception.”
“Then again, what we’re doing together isn’t really romance, is it?”
“What were doing together can’t be labeled.”
She slid her hand away and grabbed her cup, leaned back in the booth. “Sure, it can.
It’s just sex, right?”
“Yeah. Right. Just sex.”
Why did it feel like more than that? He of all people knew that he wasn’t capable
of anything more than that with a woman, and especially someone like Ella, who was
all about emotion and permanence and marriage. That wasn’t where his life went. They’d
agreed it would be sex with no strings. She seemed happy with the arrangement.
So what was irritating him?
After breakfast, they headed down to the beach, where Clay chartered a boat.
Ella stepped aboard, helped out by one of the crew. She turned to Clay. “How many
others will there be?”
“Others?”
“Yes. Other people in this group excursion.”
His lips lifted. “Oh. None. This trip is private. Just you, me and the crew. I thought
we’d tour the island, maybe stop somewhere and snorkel.”
“Really?”
He loved when she was excited and happy. Her eyes lit up like a child’s. And she hadn’t
been pumped up about anything in a long time. He was happy to give this to her. “Yeah,
really.”
They sailed out
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