White Ginger (2 page)

“Welcome to Kauai,” he said, his eyes lingering on her breasts. “I’m Tom Whitburn.”

Once they’d signed the lease and Amelie had the keys in her hand, he leaned over the counter lessening the gap between them.

“We’re a small but friendly lot here in Kaleialani. There’s a luau at the end of this month, the last Friday, down around the point. Everyone will be there. Perhaps you would join us? I’d be happy to introduce you.”

His hopeful smile put Amelie in mind of a playful puppy. “And if you need a guide or want to find out more about the island, please, feel free to call on me. I’d be happy to show you around. Anytime. You’ve got my phone number on the lease,” he added.

“Thank you,” Amelie smiled at him. “I’ll keep that in mind. Now, can you just point out the route to the cabin for me please?”

“It’s about twenty-five, maybe thirty minutes drive at most.” He highlighted the road she should follow before she made her way to the door.

“Don’t forget–last Friday of the month, at the point!” he called after her.

“Perhaps.” She offered him a friendly smile then walked out into the late afternoon sunshine.

On the way to the cabin she stopped at the minimart for basic supplies. Rounding the end of an aisle stacked high with canned beans she pushed the basket into a man stopped at the end of the aisle.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she gasped, apples spilling from her basket.

“My fault.” His hands on her bare upper arms steadied her. She looked up from the broad white-shirted chest into a pair of the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen. Warm and tempting as dark chocolate, they filled her view and the rest of the world faded away. She caught her breath as the warmth of his touch sent her pulse soaring. Her heart thumped so hard, surely he must hear it?

Then he blinked and gave the smallest shake of his head as though coming out of a trance.

Where did that impression come from?

“Allow me.” He released her and deftly grabbed her runaway produce. “You might need to replace these. They’ll be bruised.”

“Yes, of course.” She tried to speak normally. “Thank you.”

On jelly legs, she walked back to the produce section, aware of his gaze following her until she turned down the far aisle.

Amelie’s heart pounded erratically. Realizing she was still staring at a neatly stacked pyramid of apples, she took herself to task. How foolish was she to respond like that to a pair of brown eyes and strong arms. But, God, he was beautiful. Maybe he worked locally. His tan suggested he was a man who worked out of doors, as did the tiny, crinkly laugh lines around his eyes. And his arms had been strong and capable when he held her. If her luck changed, she might run into him again.

“Don’t be an idiot. Remember why you’re here in the first place,” she muttered.

Great. Now I’m talking to myself.

She checked over her shoulder that no one was in hearing range, closed her eyes and sighed.

Get with the program, Melie! One–avoid Victor by escaping to Hawaii. Okay, that one’s done. Two–avoid entanglements while in Hawaii. Easier said than done when I’m breathless after falling into that guy’s arms.

Her cheeks warmed as she remembered his firm and steady hands. And his gentle eyes–mirrors of the soul her mother had always said. His gaze had looked into hers and–

Focus! The agenda. Okay, three–what’s number three? Oh, yeah–create the best damned portfolio of fabric designs you can and help Madeline win the contract. No daydreaming about Mr. Hunky Muscles.

She packed her groceries into the trunk and rechecked the map. She would find the cabin, settle in and begin work. Concentrate on work. Forget the tall, tanned man, the current coursing between them and the feel of his hands on her body.

But how delicious they would feel holding her close. And his eyes had looked into her very being. Something had shifted in the cosmos and the world had realigned for her.

Lookout Road wound through miles of palm trees and dense bushy foliage with few turn offs. Somewhere to her left, the Pacific Ocean rolled in, a spiritual and physical link to her homeland many hours flight south. The landscape reminded her of the far North Queensland coast where she often holidayed. It would have been a closer and much cheaper alternative to Hawaii, but it was too close to Victor.

Involuntarily her memory called up their first holiday in the north. Victor had just returned from Afghanistan and had conned Madeline into giving Amelie a week off at short notice.

The resort had been five-star, and the service, excellent, but Victor was restless. Even his lovemaking was distracted, and she told herself that he had probably seen much that he would rather forget so close to the front lines. Lazy days around the pool and gourmet dinners didn’t interest him, and she’d wondered why he had chosen such a holiday destination.

On the third day of their stay, she was appalled to hear of a shark attack up the coast. Worse, though, was Victor’s reaction. He showed the most excitement she had seen since his return. Anxious to keep him happy, Amelie had gone with him to the site of the attack. Never happy swimming in deep waters, she’d stayed on the boat. Thanks to Victor’s police contacts from his court reporting days, he’d been allowed to join the police divers. She would never forget the look on his face when he resurfaced with the news that they had recovered a body part.

He filed the story from his mobile, and later, back at the hotel, ate a hearty dinner. Afterward, his lovemaking was almost joyful, fierce and demanding. Grabbing her as soon as they returned to their hotel room, his mouth took hers hard, drawing blood. He ripped her dress as he pulled her clothes off. It was as though he needed to dominate her, thrusting hard and fast as he drove into her. In truth, she gained no pleasure from it, but Victor seemed to settle afterward.

With the luxury of hindsight, it occurred to Amelie that Victor needed danger and adrenaline rushes. Perhaps that had been the problem all along; Victor needed a life filled with uncertainty and danger. Life with her was boring, predictable and safe. He was an adrenaline junkie. Well, she could do without that sort of adventure.

A thumping under the bonnet and a sudden spine-jarring dance of the wheels dragged her back to the present. She steered the car carefully onto the verge.

The woman at the rental counter had fobbed her off with whatever they’d had left in the fleet. Now, here was proof she’d been given a substandard vehicle. With little hope, she popped the bonnet and pushed and pulled a few bits.

Whatever do men see to fascinate them in an engine?

Hands on hips, she stepped back and then stamped her foot. “Ugh. Piece of junk.”

She’d only passed two vehicles since she’d left town. Part of the attraction of renting this isolated cabin was the promise of peace and undisturbed time to work. But she hadn’t thought it through; it also meant no one would be around to help if she got into a jam. Not that it would usually concern her, but it was nearing sunset. She’d been awake for almost two days and now this broken down pile of junk was holding her back. Amelie halfheartedly kicked a tire.

It was no use wishing for a fairy godmother to come along and wave her magic wand to fix everything. She would walk to the cabin. Since she’d driven for almost half an hour, it couldn’t be much further.

She trudged to the top of the next crest. There was a turn off a hundred yards further down the road. From the directions, the cabin should be a quarter mile along that dirt track. She walked back and checked the map, before dragging her suitcase and the brown bag containing the fridge groceries out of the trunk. She couldn’t carry more than that.

“Shoulders back, one foot in front of the other,” she told herself. “You can do it, girl.”

She’d walked barely fifty meters when a horn beeped and a vehicle pulled up behind her.

Thank goodness.

She turned, readying a smile for the good Samaritan. The man from the grocery store emerged from the jeep.

“Well, what a pleasant surprise.” He smiled at her. “Need some help?”

Amelie dropped her bags and tried not to grin like an idiot. That she should be rescued in this out of the way place was good, but that her rescuer should be the gorgeous man she had been daydreaming about was unbelievably good luck.

“Yes, please. This piece of rental junk has given up the ghost and I just want to get to my cabin and go to bed. It’s been a very long day.”

He checked over the engine before pronouncing it past hope, and then lifted her suitcase and groceries easily into the back of his jeep. Night fell as he helped her into the passenger seat.

“Anything else you need from the gray beast?” His even white smile set her heart racing again.

“No, thanks, unless you’ve a gun to put it out of its misery?”

He grinned at her levity in a time of frustration. “Did you get it from Hertz at the airport?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Oh, I’d better get the hire brochure out of the glove compartment. It’s got all the details I’ll need to make a claim.”

She hurried back to the little car and fumbled in the glove box before carefully locking the doors. “Now why would I bother to lock it? Anyone is welcome to it.” She grinned ruefully.

He grinned back at her. “I know the Hertz owner, Jimi. If you like, I’ll contact him tomorrow. He’ll sort it out double time for you. By the way, I’m Arne, Arne Keloki.” He held out his hand. She shook it, unprepared for the little shock that ran through her body at the contact, yet enjoying the feel of him.

“Amelie McKenzie.”

“Scottish name, Australian accent?” He raised an eyebrow.

“And a French grandmother thrown into the mix,” she added. “I’m a bitsa.”

“A what?” His right eyebrow rose again.

“You know, bits of this and bits of that. A bitsa.” She chuckled. “I guess it’s an Australian saying. It’s a colorful language at times.”

“So, where to?”

He turned off the bitumen at the spot she had decided was her road.

Amazing. My
sense of direction is still intact
.

The jeep bounced along a dirt track lined with close-growing palms whose fronds all but blocked out the stars. Arne eased the jeep to a standstill in a clearing and the view opened up. Amelie’s heart hammered with joy. A nearly full moon hung low in the sky, lighting a path across the water to the cliff where they now sat, silently appreciative of the beauty of the scene spread out before them. Could this really be hers for the next three months?

She drew in a long, slow breath. “What a beautiful sight.”

“Indeed it is.”

She turned from the beautiful vista to meet his gaze. Arms crossed atop the steering wheel, his attention was squarely on her. Heat crept up her cheeks. She looked around for something, anything, to divert his attention from her obvious embarrassment. Moonlight cast a glow over a cabin to their left.

“Is this my cabin? How wonderful.” Fascinated, she looked over the small wooden structure as she climbed out of Arne’s jeep.

A miniature plantation style building with verandas around two sides faced the south overlooking the sea. Three shallow wooden steps gave access to the middle of the veranda. And to the left of the steps, almost aglow in the full moonlight, was a Hawaiian white ginger bush.

“Oh, my favorite.” She leaned into the gleaming white bloom, savoring the heady perfume. “I think I’m going to love being here.”

Behind her, Arne unloaded her gear from the jeep. Using a flashlight from the glove compartment, he located the electricity box and switched the power on. Light blazed out across the strip of lawn, revealing a small grassed parking area amidst lush tropical vegetation. A few meters further on, the land dropped away.

“We must overlook the beach.” Lured by the thrill of the unknown, she wandered toward the cliff edge. Dune grasses waved in the sea breeze and the clean scent of the sea carried on the night air.

Arne joined her, directing her attention with his torch to a break in the dune grass. “There’s a path to the beach down here. Do you want to have a look now?”

Amelie stifled a yawn. “Much as I’d love to, I think I’ll wait till morning. Would you like a cuppa?”

“Cuppa? As in…”

“Hot drink?” Amelie rubbed her gritty eyes.

Great time to meet such a nice guy. Looking like something the cat dragged in and all but asleep on my feet.

Arne held the screen door open for her. “Thanks. Come on in. I’ll help you get set up.”

“You know this place well?”

“Yep. Friends of mine lived here until they moved to Honolulu.” Arne led the way to the kitchen and put the grocery bags on the counter.

She pulled out several items, searching for the jar of coffee and held it up. “Would you like a drink?”

“Yes, please. There should be a coffee pot here somewhere.” He rummaged in a cupboard below the counter and then stood, flourishing a silver hot pot.

“Thank you, Arne. You’ve certainly been my white knight today.”

“At your service, ma’am.” He doffed a pretend cap in her direction. “If you’d care to drive in with me, I’m going to the airport to pick up some equipment on Saturday after next. We could pick up your replacement car then. I’d suggest a four-wheel drive vehicle next time though.”