That's Amore! (2 page)

"Nice pick-up line," she said in an attempt to lighten the suddenly serious mood that had settled between them.

"I swear it's not." He couldn't even begin to explain what he was feeling. He just knew that she was unlike any of those other women he'd dated. She was wholesome and real and genuine, her beauty more than just skin-deep. She also had a quiet strength about her that he admired.

She bit her full bottom lip, a hint of reservation in her gaze. "You don't even know me," she whispered, though he got the distinct impression she wished those circumstances were different.

"I want to, though." It was crazy, this attraction of theirs, as well as his fascination with her. But he didn't want to walk away from her. Refused to let her go just yet.

Intent on convincing her just how much he wanted to know
her,
he closed the distance between them, slid an arm around her waist, and drew her up against the front of his body. She came into his embrace willingly, all soft curves and fragrant skin, a natural, sensual fit against him.

He nearly groaned at how perfect she felt in his arms—an intriguing combination of lush, irresistible sensuality and beguiling innocence. He lowered his head toward hers, giving her a moment to protest his kiss. Much to his relief, she issued no objection. Indeed, her lips were already parting in anticipation and her lashes were closing ever-so-slowly.

She sighed as his mouth touched hers in a soft, seeking exploration. Moaned when the tip of his tongue wet her bottom lip. Coaxing. Tasting. Teasing.

Leila's arms crept up around his neck. Taking his cue from her, he slid a hand under her fall of silky hair, gripping her gently by the nape as he settled his lips more aggressively over hers. The kiss deepened, grew hungry, hotter, and more erotic with each slick slide of their lips, as well as the heat she was generating as she moved her hips against his.

Her response to him was honest and real. The passion between them was instantaneous and intense, the gut-deep longing consuming him just as powerful. Everything about her felt inexplicably right, like he'd finally found that emotional link that had been missing in his life.

And that knowledge both scared and thrilled him.

With an effort, he pulled away from her, just enough to break their kiss. They were both having trouble breathing, and she stared up at him with wide eyes filled with awe and wonder. Her lips were kiss-swollen, her face flushed, and her gaze was hazy with desire. She looked shocked and stunned, in a very good way.

She lightly touched her fingers to her damp mouth. "Oh,
wow,
that was…"

"Pretty damned incredible," he finished for her,
then
pressed his advantage while she was still caught up in the foggy after-affects of that mind-blowing kiss. "Spend the rest of the week with me, Leila. I want to get to know you better, and I could use a personal tour guide of the island whenever you're available to spend the time with me."

She shook her head incredulously, and the slow smile turning up the corners of her lips erupted into laughter. "I should say no, because there are a dozen different reasons why getting involved with you isn't a good idea—"

Fearing a rejection, he quickly cut her off. "Don't make me kiss you again and give you a dozen different reasons why you need to give me a chance," he threatened in a low, teasing tone.

She pressed her fingers over his lips to keep him quiet. "I wasn't done yet. I can't even begin to explain or understand what's between us, but I like you, Jason Crofton. More than is probably wise." Her chin lifted a notch, and he watched a rebellious light spark in her eyes, showing him another glimpse of that reckless streak running beneath her good-girl facade. "And because I'm tired of always doing what's right, or what my family feels is appropriate, I'm going to do this for
me.
I would
love
to spend the rest of the week with you."

He kissed her again, sealing the deal.

By the end of his week-long vacation spent with Leila, Jason was a goner—hopelessly, helplessly in love with the Hawaiian beauty. Their affair was wild and crazy and impetuous unlike the cautious, practical relationships Jason had experienced in the past. But that's exactly why he embraced the feelings teeming within him, because he'd been careful for too long.

She admitted to falling hard and fast, too, and in a few short days he'd learned all he needed to know that Leila Malekala was the woman he'd been waiting for all his life. She was wholesome, nurturing, and openly caring, not to mention sexy and bold, with an adventurous spirit that continually intrigued him. She was his equal, and complemented him in so many ways.

She was everything that had been missing from his life since his parents' death nearly ten years ago. And Jason didn't need any more time with her to know that they were meant to be together—despite her Hawaiian heritage that set them apart, as well as the generations of traditions and customs she was expected to live up to. Not to mention her family's objections to her involvement with a
haole,
a white boy and foreigner to them, when they had such high hopes of her reuniting with her childhood sweetheart, Kalani Pakolu, and doing the
right thing
in marrying the island native.

Those were obstacles Jason hoped they'd overcome together, as well as him winning over her family's support with his relationship with Leila.

On the morning of the last day of his vacation in
Maui
, Jason presented Leila with a gold bracelet he'd had specially made for her, which consisted of a chain of hibiscus flowers adorned with a diamond in the center of each blossom. The significance of what the bracelet implied wasn't lost on Leila. He was claiming her, and making a clear statement that she belonged to him. Now and forever.

As he secured the piece of jewelry around her wrist, Jason asked Leila to marry him and be his wife. With tears of joy in her eyes, she said,
"Yes."

Unfortunately, trying to convince her family that they were meant to be together wasn't as easy.

CHAPTER TWO

Seven months later

Leila glanced
anxiously at the clock on the wall, willing the time to pass more quickly. Another half an hour and she'd once again be reunited with Jason after three long, agonizing weeks apart. After seven months of him commuting back and forth between California and Maui to balance his company's business with their long-distance relationship, and her occasional visits to the Mainland to be with him, their frequent separations were about to become a thing of the past.

With a deep, impatient sigh, Leila continued to pace the cozy living room in the small cottage behind her parents' house, which they'd insisted she move into when she'd made the decision to find a place of her own a year ago. Living within walking distance of her mother and father wasn't what she'd had in mind when she'd decided she needed independence and freedom from familial pressures, but she'd resigned herself to taking one small step at a time toward becoming her own person.

Never would she have guessed just months later she'd meet the man of her dreams and her entire life would change course altogether. And now, in three more days, she was getting married to Jason Crofton, and they'd finally be husband and wife.

The excitement of that thought was eclipsed by other more distressing issues that had cropped up in Jason's absence. With him away settling business matters before taking time off for their marriage and honeymoon, she'd been left to deal with the last of the wedding plans, as well as trying to convince her parents that just because she'd decided to move to California to be with Jason after they married, it didn't mean she was forsaking her family or her Hawaiian roots.

Her parents didn't quite see things that way, and had no qualms telling her so. She was the first of the Malekala clan to ever move away from the
Hawaiian
islands
, and her mother assured her that her ancestors were undoubtedly rolling over in their graves that she was turning her back on her culture and heritage. All for a
haole.

It didn't seem to matter that she loved Jason and he was the one she was meant to spend her life with—
not
Kalani Palolu, the man they'd hoped would become her husband and their son-in-law. Even after a seven-month engagement to Jason, her parents were still holding out hope that she'd come to her senses and realize she'd made a big mistake, that she'd recognize, just as they did, that her future was with Kalani, here in Maui.

It wasn't so much that they disliked Jason as a person. No, their biggest issue stemmed from the fact that he wasn't a native. One of their own. As a man they respected him, along with his ethics and morals and how far he'd come without his parents in his life. They liked him just fine as
her friend,
but not as a husband for their only daughter. Especially when he was responsible for whisking their baby girl away to another state.

It had been an ongoing argument with her mother over the past few weeks, with Leila standing her ground and defending her feelings for Jason, even while knowing what this union might cost her in the end. They had to come to some kind of compromise and understanding over the situation, and soon, especially now that there was more than just her marriage at stake.

Leila placed a hand over her still flat stomach and smiled despite all the stress and upheaval she'd endured lately—including the frequent bouts of nausea she'd been experiencing for the past week and a half, which struck at the most inopportune times. Luckily, her family just thought she had a touch of the flu. She hadn't said anything to correct their assumption.

Jason deserved to hear the news that she was expecting his baby first, and she refused to tell him something so important during a long-distance telephone conversation. Seeing that pink strip darken on the home pregnancy test she'd taken two weeks ago had been an unexpected surprise, yes, but not an unwelcome one since they'd both discussed wanting children. They just hadn't planned on starting a family so soon, and she really had no idea how Jason would take the news of his impending fatherhood.

Or how her mother and father would feel about becoming grandparents.

Another tide of emotion swept over her, and she bit her bottom lip to keep it tamped inside. God, this last separation from Jason had been the most difficult, and she couldn't wait for him to get there. She desperately needed to
see
him, touch him in the flesh, and hear his low, sexy voice in person. She needed to look into his eyes and know that despite a surprise neither one of them had anticipated, that everything was going to be okay.

As if her thoughts had conjured him, she heard a car turn into the driveway, drive past her parents' main house, and come to a stop right outside the cottage. She glanced out the window and saw Jason getting out of the black convertible Camaro he'd rented at the airport to use for the rest of the week. He grabbed a duffle bag from the passenger seat and headed toward her place in that confident, long-legged stride of his. God, he filled out a pair of jeans like they'd been made specifically for him—soft and faded, but snug in all the right places. Same for his pale blue T-shirt that showcased his broad
shoulders,
trim torso, and lean hips.

All the chaos of the past few weeks faded away, and there was only Jason filling her vision, tall and gorgeous and so breathtakingly sexy—with his striking blue eyes, tousled sandy-blond hair, and a disarming smile that made her pulse pound hard and fast in her chest.

Giddy with excitement, and with her heart bursting with sheer anticipation, she rushed to the refrigerator and grabbed the plumeria lei she'd made for Jason to welcome him home Hawaiian-style. As soon as he came through the door and saw her, he dropped his duffle to the floor and met her halfway across the living room.

Unable to curb her happiness, she squealed in delight and literally jumped into his arms, nearly knocking him over in her enthusiasm. Her arms went around his neck, and her slender legs, bared by her summer dress, wrapped around his waist as she hugged him tight.

He stumbled back a few steps but managed to catch his footing, as well as secure his hands beneath her bottom as an added anchor. He chuckled at her eager greeting,
then
groaned as she unceremoniously pressed her lips to his and planted a hot, deep, and downright lusty kiss on him.

Minutes later, when she finally let them both up for air, she unwound her legs from his waist and slowly slid her body down the long, hard length of his until her bare feet touched the hardwood floor.

She looked up into his handsome face, seeing him grinning like a besotted fool.

"I take it you missed me, huh?" he asked, his eyes dark with the same desire and need thrumming through her.

"You have no idea." The garland of flowers she'd made for him
were
still draped over her arm, a bit squashed from their embrace, and she slipped the wreath around his neck.
"Aloha, Kuuipo,"
she whispered softly, affectionately, welcoming him home as her
sweetheart.
This time for good.

He fingered the petals of one of the fragrant plumerias and waggled his brows lasciviously at her. "God, you have no idea how much I've looked forward to getting lei'd by you."

She shook her head and laughed at his playful comment, which felt so good after the weeks of family-filled anxiety, drama, and tension she'd endured without him.

Pushing all that from her mind, she caressed her hands down his chest and offered him one of her slow, seductive looks she knew he couldn't resist. "How would you like to get laid for real?"

A sinful smile curved his lips. "Oh, yeah. You give great phone sex, baby," he said huskily, reminding her of the hot, erotic fantasies they'd shared over the wires during their time apart. "But it just doesn't compare to the real thing."

And right now, she needed the real thing, too.

Needed to reaffirm their love and their reason for being together before her family, and reality, interfered in their idyllic moment. Taking his hand, she led him down the short hallway to her bedroom. Once there, she reclined back on the fluffy pillows, and he joined her on the bed. He settled in next to her side, half covering her with his body, and wedged a strong, muscular thigh between hers.

He wasted no time in getting down to the sweet, decadent business of kissing her—slow, deep, bone-melting kisses that made her hot and restless and aching to feel that incredible mouth of his elsewhere. Which she knew he'd get around to, eventually.

Ahhh,
this is exactly what she craved, she thought with a silent, blissful sigh—to feel cherished and special and loved, which Jason did so exceptionally well. This is exactly what they both needed—time alone, just the two of them, without any worries or concerns except for the pleasure they were about to give one another.

His deft fingers went to work unfastening the buttons down the front of her dress,
then
pushed the sides apart. Between lush, provocative kisses he unsnapped the front hook of her bra, and she moaned her gratitude as he filled his warm palm with her breast and kneaded the full mound of flesh with his fingers. When he dragged his thumb across a taut, sensitive nipple, then lightly pinched the tip, she sucked in a breath and let out a whimper that caught even her by surprise.

Seemingly startled by her reaction, he lifted his head, frowning slightly as his gaze took in her breasts—possibly half a size larger than the last time he'd seen them—and watched the finger he skimmed across the swollen, engorged nipple. She wondered if he could see the changes her pregnancy was already wreaking on her body. Wondered how he'd react to the news when she told him.

"These past three weeks without you have been the longest of my life," he murmured, his adoration for her plain on his face, reassuring her as if knowing exactly what she needed to hear from him. "I've missed you so much, and I can't wait to marry you and make you mine for good."

Overwhelmed by his words and the past few weeks without him, a huge lump of emotion lodged in her throat. To her horror, tears filled her eyes, which she knew was partially due to her topsy-turvy hormones, but they came rushing forth just the same before she could stop them.

"Hey," he said softly, brushing his fingers along her smooth cheek, his gentle touch a calming affect on her frazzled nerves. "Is everything okay?"

She swallowed hard and managed a smile. "It's been a crazy three weeks, but I'm fine now that you're here. I promise."

Before he could question her further, she knotted her hands in his soft, thick hair and pulled his mouth back down to hers, letting all the built-up passion and desire within her spill forth in a deep, carnal kiss. And that's all it took to redirect his attention to more important matters … like making love to her. There would be time enough later to talk about her family problems, wedding plans, and the fact that he was going to be a daddy in seven and a half months.

The scent of plumerias from the lei he still wore surrounded them, drugging her senses. The soft, velvety petals drifted across her breasts as he moved more fully over her, settling between her spread thighs. Desperate to get him naked so she could touch his hot, bare skin, she pulled his shirt from the waistband of his jeans, yanked it over his head, and skimmed her palms over his solid chest. He groaned as her fingers drifted down to the waistband of his jeans and fumbled with the button fly, even as his hand slipped beneath the hem of her dress and lightly stroked that sensitive, arousing spot at the back of her knee that never failed to make her melt for him.

Just that easily, liquid heat flowed from the depths of her core, and her soft moan of impatient need vibrated against the soft, warm lips devouring hers. He grasped the back of her thigh and draped it over his hip, entwining their half-clothed bodies so intimately that when he pressed his erection against her in a slow, sinuous rhythm, she arched into him and nearly came right then and there.

Lost in the haze of passion, and stunned by her instantaneous response to him, she barely registered the loud clap of the cottage's screen door closing shut, but there was no mistaking her mother's voice calling out her name. "Leila?"

Realization hit like a dose of cold water. Leila stiffened beneath Jason in complete and utter shock, and it took him a moment longer to realize that someone else was in the house. Before he had the chance to move or react, she was shoving him off her in a panic. He landed on the other side of the bed
with an "
oomph," and she sat up and quickly began buttoning up the front of her dress to get herself decently covered again.

"Leila?" her mother said again, her terse voice drifting down the hall from the kitchen.