Chapter 8

Chapter 8 (Monday, February 9^th, 9:30pm)

Annie felt the heat rush from her cheeks straight down to her toes, and the butterflies in her stomach were now apparently flying in formations. But she had to get away from Stone’s intense gaze, so she quickly excused herself to go to the bathroom. He graciously stood and held her chair for her, and when Annie had stepped away from the table, Stone went to take care of the bill.

In the bathroom, Annie closed the stall door and pressed her head against the cool metal door. What on earth am I going to do now? I had two of those Lava Flows and now I can’t even think straight. I knew it would be dangerous to be around a man as intense and gorgeous as Stone, thought Annie. She hung her beach bag on the hook on the back of the door and took a deep breath. She had to figure out a few things, and while she had a few minutes, she took care of more natural needs.

Yeah – natural needs. I’ll show you what kind of natural needs I’ve got, with a guy like Stone gazing at me in that hungry way of his. Annie needed to collect herself. She wanted to see where this would go with Stone. She wanted to pursue it, or she’d later regret not taking the leap when she had the chance. She stepped out of the stall and washed her hands at the sink. For good measure, she wet her face and got some of the trail dirt off. She straightened her braid, even tried tucking in a few loose strands. But she quickly gave up when she saw how tangled it had gotten, driving the Jeep with the top down.

She’d have to put the top back up on the Jeep before she left for the hotel. The hotel… Luke should be at the hotel… when? Annie took a quick glance at her cell phone. Half past nine. Luke’s flight was due to land in about an hour. By the time he got his luggage and car, and drove to Poipu from Lihue… she figured it’d be at least another hour after that.

Okay, I guess I have some time, she thought as she dug in her bag for her lip gloss. It couldn’t hurt to flirt a bit more with Stone, could it? She was attracted to him. And he’d made it more than clear that her feelings were reciprocated. She usually liked to get to know a guy before getting more intimate with him. She wasn’t against sex on the first date, but was this their first date? It didn’t feel like it. She’d gotten to know him quite a bit during the hike this afternoon. This felt more like… the third date. The third date, usually the date after which ‘things’ would progress to a more intimate level, if she was both attracted to and comfortable with the man. So the question now was… If this felt like the third date, should she just follow her feelings and continue the evening… as if this were the third date?

Annie took one last look in the mirror. Her lip gloss definitely brightened up her look, but she was still dirty from the trail. There was no way to hide that, short of taking a sponge bath in the restroom sink. Hmph, tempting… But Annie saw the time on her cell phone again, and decided that five minutes in the restroom was long enough. She didn’t even know if Stone was waiting for her, or if he’d just gone back to his hotel.

Annie walked out of the restroom and didn’t see Stone anywhere. Guess he’s gone, she thought. With a little pang of regret, she headed down the stairs and stepped outside. The sun had set hours ago, and the previously painted sky was now coal black with thousands of bright, twinkling stars. The sight was captivating, and Annie stood there a moment, her eyes scanning the sky for constellations she knew.

A hand on the small of her back made her jump. “Oh, Stone – you scared me to death!” she panted, pressing her hand to her chest. “I thought you’d gone back to your hotel already.”

“I guess I had the same reaction to the night sky here as you. The beach at Brennecke’s here was made for star-gazing, but seeing as how I’m not quite in the mood for sitting in the dark alone, I think maybe I’ll save that activity for another night. Besides, later in my stay, the half moon that’s in the sky behind us now will be nothing but a mere sliver, and I’ll have that much more to see.”

“Oh, yeah – I know what you mean. You’d never see this many stars in Chicago, even on a moonless night.” Annie looked to her left as she saw a shooting star out of the corner of her eye.

They stood in silence and awe, gazing up at the night sky a few minutes more. Then Luke spoke, just barely turning his head in her direction. “So, I can leave copies of the prints for you at the front desk, if that’s okay with you. You’re staying at the Poipu Sheraton?”

AJ nodded her head, her eyes too filled with disappointment to look at him. Luke shuffled his feet, and wondered what exactly he was supposed to do or say next. Oh – he’d need her room number or her name, to leave the photos for her.

“I need- -” he started, as he turned to face AJ..

“Thanks for- -” she said at the same time, and her eyes locked with his..

Luke put his hands up and gestured to AJ. “Ladies first. Please.”

She felt her cheeks grow warm under his gaze. “Oh. I was just going to thank you again for sharing your pictures. If there’s anything I can…” she stopped short, feeling his hungry gaze burning into her eyes. “I was going to say, that, um…” she fumbled for a coherent thought. Wow, I could gaze into his eyes all night…She shook her head and blinked her eyes. He was still gazing at her in a most sensual and unsettling way.

This can’t be good-bye, thought Luke. Not yet. There’s more to this night than just ‘thanks for the pictures’. If she’s feeling half of what I‘m feeling right now, she’ll be awake for hours tonight with sexual frustration. Is there any way to tell her that I want her so bad I may go crazy tonight, and still sound sane after I say it? No, probably not, but I still gotta say what’s on my mind…

Annie looked up and saw Stone’s gray eyes swirl with emotion, until they had turned a deep slate gray filled with desire. His mouth was just barely parted, and it made Annie just want to step up to him and taste those lips. If he was feeling the way she was… well, let’s just say that her imagination was in overdrive and her sexual frustration was very quickly gaining on her overactive mind.

Stone licked his lips and Annie almost came right there in the parking lot. A frustrated whisper of a groan escaped her mouth, and she closed her eyes. A coherent thought – pull it together and finish your sentence. You were going to say…

The next words Annie blurted out had come straight from her mouth – and her growing frustration, without first being monitored or censored by her brain. “Well, I guess I’ll be heading back now. All I want to do is wash all this trail dirt off me.” She bit her lower lip after she’d heard herself utter the words out loud. Good Lord, sounded suggestive…

Luke wasn’t sure he’d heard her actually say those words, or if it was just what he imagined he wanted to hear. But judging from the mildly shocked look on AJ’s face, he was guessing she’d actually said that out loud. He grinned slowly, and a jolt of longing struck him in his groin at the thought of AJ soaping herself clean.

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” he whispered as he stepped up, nose to nose with AJ. When she looked up into his eyes, his smiled grew. “I’d love to help.”

Her eyes opened wide and her lips formed a most inviting ‘oh’ as a breathy sigh of disbelief escaped her lips.

“After all,” he continued. “If I help scrub you clean, then you can return the favor.” He left his words hanging in the air between them.

Annie’s heart was thudding so hard she thought she might faint. Had he just propositioned her? Or did she do it first? Did she invite him to come shower with her? Heaven help her, that’s exactly what had been on her mind, but she didn’t expect to say it out loud. But she had, and he’d accepted. Her breasts tingled in anticipation of his touch and she grew damp.

Two SUVs full of laughing, shouting teenagers pulled into the parking lot, causing Luke and Annie to step apart as they looked around. Their music boomed from the speakers, and Annie could see surf boards hanging out the open rear window. Luke looked back at Annie – their intimate moment was lost now.

As though the more sensible and logical part of her brain had suddenly started working again, Annie turned to him and told him that she needed to get back to the hotel as she headed back to her Jeep. She started to snap the top back up, and in silence he helped her. Will she give me her room number? he thought. Or maybe her phone number? Anything? He didn’t even know her last… Inspiration struck him. He looked at her around the rear of the Jeep.

“So, you never did tell me what ‘AJ’ stands for.” He’d ask for her full name. Then he could ask the front desk for her room number. And then what? Show up at her room? Oh, yeah, good plan, Luke. Just ask her. But he couldn’t work up his nerve to just ask her… He looked up as he finished snapping the top up on his side of the Jeep. AJ had the most peculiar look on her face, like she was having a debate with herself.

Annie glanced over at Stone and saw he was watching her again. “Well, you never did ask.” she replied to his question.

“So I’m asking now,” he said, his eyes getting dark with desire again.

“And I’m not telling now.” She was being purposely vague again.

“Why not?” he asked in frustration.

“That’s the kind of thing I don’t spill till at least the third or fourth date.” Okay – she’d given him a little to go on with that. She hadn’t turned him down flat out, at least.

“So what number are we on now?” She felt like he could read her thoughts. Hadn’t she been trying to figure that out not ten minutes ago? Stone walked up to her and they stood by the driver’s side door. “Isn’t this our third date?”

She started to open her door when he put a hand on her arm. The spark of electricity she felt when he touched her was a bolt of heated passion. The lusty hunger in his eyes was hard to miss.

“First date, we met at the pool and I bought you a drink. Our second date, I took you to see the Nualolo Valley on the hike. Third date, I buy you dinner. So tell me now…what’s ‘AJ’ stand for?” He repeated his question.

She smiled coyly, pursed her lips together and shook her head. “Still not telling.”

“Okay. Another time, then.” Luke’s not sure what to do here, not knowing which date they’re on. He can’t figure out if he should shake her hand, hug her, lean in for a kiss or what. Instead he opened her door and gestured for her to get in.

AJ’s smile faltered as she turned and climbed in, unsure of what to do next.

“Good bye.” said Stone as she started the Jeep and buckled her seat belt.

She didn’t want it to be good bye, so she didn’t reply.

Luke stuck his hands in his pockets and fiddled with his cell phone as she drove away. He let out a deep sigh, unaware he’d been holding his breath. Maybe it wasn’t kismet after all, as he stared up at the stars again. He got in his Toyota and drove to the Sheraton. Looks like he was spending the night alone, in his too-expensive room, left to wonder why she didn’t say good bye, among other things. AJ certainly was a mystery. One he wouldn’t be getting off his mind anytime soon.

- - - - -

Luke pulled into the Sheraton parking lot and parked his Toyota. In quick, long strides, he made short work of crossing the entire parking lot. He turned the corner to enter the lobby and was nearly run down - by none other than AJ.

“In a hurry to get someplace? Or just to get away from me?” he asked a bit angrily.

Annie was flustered at seeing him again, so soon, here… here?

“No, I was just going to see if I had any messages waiting at the desk.” She was still wondering what he was doing here. Did he follow her?

“Oh, expecting something, are you?” He sounded disappointed that she wanted to get away from him, when his every thought was consumed by visions of her. Naked. Wet. Soapy. He had to get a grip on himself – he felt like a randy teenager.

“No, not really, just thought my friend might have left me a message,” replied AJ as she turned and walked down the hall leading out of the lobby.

Stone took a deep breath. Ok, maybe one last try, he thought. He’d see if he can maybe talk her into… a midnight stroll? That could work.

AJ interrupted his plan-making. “So? Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you were staying here too?” she asked as she stepped into the elevator.

In order to answer her, Luke has to step in after her. She pressed ‘2’. If I draw out my answer, we’ll be at her floor and I’ll have to follow her out into the hall. This plan looked better than the stroll. Looking at her with a smirk, he mimicked her earlier response to one of his questions. “Well, you didn’t ask earlier.”

“Good point,” she conceded. They had walked to the end of the hall. She pointed to the door. “This is me, 2401.”

“Ah,” he responded. Luke put his left hand in his pocket, not sure what he’d be doing with the right. He watched AJ slide the key card through the slot, turning the handle when the light lit green. She pushed the door open a crack, but didn’t go in. She chewed on her lower lip in a most adorable way, before turning back to look at him.

“Come in,” she nodded her head as she pushed the door open, wanting him to go in first. His eyebrows shot up in surprise at her invitation, but he stepped inside.

“Well, ‘good bye’ and a handshake in the hallway just doesn’t seem the right way to end a date. Doesn’t seem like it’s the right time either,” she said as she walked in and shut the door closed behind her.

Luke stood with his back to the door as AJ walked past him, then she turned to look at him. She smiled coyly. “I didn’t know that this was a date,” he wondered aloud.

AJ leaned up on tiptoe, and reached her hand up his shoulder, then behind his neck. She pulled his head down to hers. It was a slow, tentative brush of her lips over his. She moved her head back a fraction.

“Oh yes, this most definitely was a date.” she whispered as she placed a small kiss on left cheek. “You bought me dinner.” Another soft kiss on right cheek. “You shared with me that spectacular view.” And a kiss on the nose. “You saved me on the vista.” Yet another kiss, this one on his chin. “This was a date.” AJ brushed her tongue across his lips with a featherlight touch. “A date that wasn’t over just yet.”