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  “Dinner…” he murmured, leaning in, though food was the furthest thing from his mind.

  Hailey leaned too, and her eyes dropped to his lips. “Stars,” she whispered.

  A whisper that melted into silence when his lips closed over hers in a soft kiss.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hailey closed her eyes, tuning out everything except the soft touch of Tim’s kiss. A kiss that was a lot like the sunset forming on the horizon — full of light and promise, like the best was yet to come.

  Tim’s lips moved in a silent whisper, and she cupped his cheek to stay close. Her thumb stroked his skin. Baby-soft was hardly the word for Tim — not even for his freshly shaved chin — but that’s what she sensed. Soft skin, a gentle touch, and his leather-and-pine scent.

  She couldn’t care less about dinner, and stars were already shooting through her mind. So really, she could have spent the rest of the evening kissing on that scrap of cardboard in that oceanside park. But Tim gently pulled back and stopped a hair away from her lips. His eyes were closed, his jaw suddenly tense.

  “Hey,” she whispered in protest. “I liked that.”

  His lips curled into a faint smile. “I liked that too.”

  So why did he stop? She went on stroking his cheek, keeping him close. Feeling greedy because everything about him made her want more. Of course, he’d been the one telling her to run with it before, right?

  She licked her lips, tipped her hat back, and leaned in. Their shoulders bumped as they kissed a second time, and this time, she hung on, sensing his inner battle. The push-pull that had him holding her close, then going stiff, and relaxing all over again.

  Yes, she wanted to say. Like that. Relax. Trust. Whatever you do, just please don’t shut down.

  She tilted her head, getting closer, ignoring the outside world. Her heart pounded and her blood rushed.

  Love. This had to be love, didn’t it? Not confusion. Not anger, nor fear. Just a feeling of rightness, of coming home.

  When she opened her mouth, Tim did the same, and their lips did a slow, sultry dance. His chest rose and fell as hers did, until he finally pulled away. She kept her eyes closed, relishing the sweep of his thumb over her lips.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered.

  When she peeked, his eyes were closed, and she smiled. She’d heard beautiful a thousand times in her life — photographers murmuring behind their lenses, ad execs gloating over designs, hairdressers leaning back to admire their handiwork. But Tim was talking about the moment, not her.

  “Beautiful,” she echoed, leaning her forehead against his. Then she smiled and tapped the cardboard beneath them. “Even this.”

  The air moved with Tim’s chuckle. “Fancy, huh?”

  She opened her eyes and took him in. “Perfect.” Like you.

  He took a deep breath and opened his eyes then motioned around with his smoothie cup. “To cardboard, parks, and sunsets.”

  “To smoothies,” she added. “And kisses.”

  He looked at her, chagrined. “Those kind of snuck up on me. Sorry.”

  “I’m not,” she said. She nearly said more, too, before the moment passed. Something like, I meant that I’m not the least bit sorry. Can I kiss you some more?

  But Tim spoke before she could, standing and offering his hand. “Come on.”

  “What about the sunset?”

  He grinned. “It will be even better where we’re going.”

  Well, that certainly piqued her curiosity, and she stood. They left the cardboard beside the trash can and walked back the way they’d come, making one stop along the way.

  “The Lucky Devil?” she asked as he slowed.

  Chase was at the door, checking IDs, but when he saw Tim, he handed over a takeout bag and said, “Have fun.”

  “So we’re not eating there, I guess?” Hailey asked as Tim tugged her on.

  He held up the bag. “Nope. Got takeout. I hope that’s okay.”

  Anything was okay with her — especially things that stretched out a lovely night. So she looked on while he wiggled the package into the saddlebags. When he was done, she hopped on behind him, and a minute later, they were cruising through town. They passed another few blocks of shops and eateries and a huge tree hung with party lights.

  “Where exactly are we going?”

  He pointed ahead. “Up there.”

  She stared over his shoulder and gaped. “All the way up there?”

  He nodded. “Yep.”

  He spoke casually, but he was pointing to Haleakala, the ten-thousand-foot volcano that formed most of Maui. They had circled part of the base the first time they’d driven to Pu’u Pu’eo, but the peak had always been hidden in a crown of clouds. Now, she could see right to the top.

  “Wow,” she murmured, hugging him closer. Not just wow to the view but wow to Tim. He hadn’t just been listening earlier that day, he’d been planning — and planning big.

  To her right, the sea and sky were one wall of red-tinted blue as the sun slowly sank. To her left, the mountains of West Maui reared up into jagged, cloud-kissed peaks.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  She hadn’t expected him to hear, but he surprised her by responding. “You can thank me later if it works out. I might have cut it a little too close.”

  She smiled. Obviously, kissing in the park hadn’t been part of his plan. But, hell. Even if they missed watching the sun set from the top of the volcano, the ride was worth it.

  Tim revved the engine, stretching the speed limit. Not long after, he turned right on a road that began to climb in earnest, first in a long, straight shot, then in a series of tight bends.

  “Silversword,” Tim called over his shoulder as they passed a tall, spiky plant at the side of the road.

  She’d read about them in one of the dusty books at Pu’u Pu’eo. A plant that bloomed once a century, or so she recalled. A little like true love — something a person got one fleeting chance at, once in a lifetime, and then it was gone.

  She tightened her arms around Tim’s waist and closed her eyes.

  Sometime later, he pulled over at a bend in the road — and just in time, too. They both slipped off their helmets and gazed west.

  “Wow,” Hailey breathed, squeezing his hand.

  The rocky outlook wasn’t all the way up the mountain, but the view went on for miles — hundreds of miles, it seemed like — overlooking several other islands and what looked like half the Pacific. Three cars had stopped at the same lookout, and people snapped photos. But not even a wide-angle lens could do that view justice, so Hailey imprinted the moment on her mind. The rich, heavenly red. The warmth of Tim’s hand. The jiggle in her legs after all that time on a humming motorcycle.

  “Beautiful,” she whispered.

  Tim touched her cheek. “Your eyes are closed.”

  She shrugged. “It’s so beautiful, seeing isn’t enough to really take it in.”

  Tim went silent, and when she peeked, his eyes were closed too. Then he opened them, looked straight at her, and opened his mouth, suddenly serious. “Hailey, I really have to tell you—”

  She leaned in, hoping for him to finally pour open his heart and soul. But one car beeped to another, and they both whipped their heads around. When she turned back, Tim was scratching his ear and looking at his feet. Then he looked up, lips tightly pursed, and finally spoke.

  “You want a sweater?”

  She shook her head. No, she didn’t want a sweater. She wanted him to find the words he’d had on the tip of his tongue a few seconds earlier. But Tim kicked the ground, and the moment passed.

  “I’m good,” she whispered, climbing back onto the bike behind him.

  The air grew colder as they climbed, but dusk stretched on and on. The sky seemed to go on forever, as did the last tones of sunset. Eventually, night won, spreading a dark blanket over the island, and Hailey listened to the motorcycle hum, clinging to Tim’s warmth. When he pulled over and turned off the engine at th
e very peak, the silence was striking.

  She pulled off her helmet and sat still for a moment, soaking it all in. Shivering a little. It was that cold, but incredible all the same. The wind whispered over the moonscape that unfolded around her, and crickets chirped.

  “Wow,” she breathed, looking over the crater, the views, and the sky.

  “Hang on,” Tim whispered, opening the saddlebags.

  Hailey hugged herself, watching his every move. The man had promised her dinner and stars, and he meant it, all right. Within five minutes, they were huddled side by side at a picnic table with a blanket tucked over their shoulders. Tim struck a match, lighting a tiny candle lantern, and set it before them. The faint light flickered over the meal he unpacked and shone burgundy through a tiny bottle of wine.

  “Screw top,” he said, showing it to her with an apologetic shrug.

  She laughed, and the sound carried through the night. Like anything could ruin her night now.

  “Best dinner ever,” she said as he poured wine into two paper cups.

  “You haven’t tried it yet.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I just know.”

  Dinner was delicious, as it turned out — fish cakes that were still warm, together with potato salad and French bread that went down perfectly with the wine.

  “I guess it’s supposed to be white, huh?” Tim murmured, looking into his cup.

  She nudged him in the ribs. “Special rules apply to picnic dinners on top of volcanoes. Didn’t you know?” She took another bite. “It’s perfect. Oh! Look!” She pointed as a shooting star streaked across the sky. “Make a wish.”

  But Tim, to her surprise, shook his head. “Mine already came true.”

  His words warmed her, but they scared her, too. Her wishes reached far into the future, but Tim sounded like he was content with what he already had.

  He tipped his face up to the night sky and pointed. “The Milky Way…”

  She leaned against his shoulder and followed his finger across that bright highway in the sky.

  “Big Dipper,” she murmured, finding it close to the horizon.

  “Great Bear,” he corrected.

  “Same thing, right?”

  He shook his head. “Looks more like a bear.”

  “How?”

  He pointed. “See that star? That’s the bear’s back, and over there is the tail.”

  She tilted her head. “Are you sure?”

  He nodded firmly, making her laugh.

  “What makes you such an expert in bears?”

  He scrubbed his chin with one hand for longer than she would have expected. “I guess I’ve seen enough to know.”

  She laughed. “The few bears I’ve seen, I ran from too fast to see much of.”

  Funny, Tim didn’t laugh. He didn’t even chuckle, and she wondered what was wrong.

  “Maybe they’re not so bad,” he said after a thoughtful pause.

  She laughed. “I don’t ever want to get close enough to find out for myself.” She huddled closer to him under the blanket. Why had he gone so stiff? “Are you warm enough?”

  He gave a jerky nod.

  She pointed left, trying to get the conversation started again. “My grandfather used to show me the stars. But it’s been a while. I’m pretty sure that’s Draco over there.”

  He nodded. “Draco. The dragon.”

  She chuckled. “I like that one.”

  “Why?”

  “Fictional creature. Nothing to worry about,” she joked. But then she frowned. “But I guess I thought werewolves were fiction, too.”

  “Wolf shifter,” he said, quietly correcting her.

  Obviously, the man was a stickler for terminology, but she decided to let that go. Lamar was gone, and she was determined to enjoy her first night of freedom in a long time.

  They contemplated the stars in silence, and Hailey’s mind drifted. So much had happened in the past days — enough to make it feel like more time had passed. She felt as though she’d known Tim — well, maybe not for years, but months, at least. Heck, enough had happened in the past twenty-four hours to make her mind reel.

  She held out her cup for a refill, then pulled it back. “Oops. I’m hogging it.”

  Tim shook his head and poured her the rest. “I’m driving.”

  She looked at him. That was Tim in a nutshell. Putting her first. Keeping her safe as he’d done from day one. Would she ever be able to repay him?

  She snuggled closer, closing her eyes. Being on top of the world had a way of making her think big thoughts. Confusing thoughts, like what a contradiction Tim was. The man was like the volcano under her feet — dormant, yet full of power. Mysterious. Utterly reliable yet unpredictable at the same time.

  She sighed. Maybe she ought to try shrinking things down. Tim was a man. She was a woman. The future was one big mystery, and all she knew for certain was that they had this night. So why not use it well?

  She inched closer, yearning for his touch. Inhaling, because he smelled that good. A minute later, she was nuzzling him and humming inside. Or maybe humming out loud, because a sound reached her ears.

  Her eyes had slid shut, and when she opened them, she realized it was Tim humming in satisfaction while rubbing his cheek against hers. Marking her, almost, the way an animal marked its territory.

  “Mmm,” she murmured, shifting toward him. The blanket slipped off her shoulder, but she didn’t feel the least bit cold.

  “Hailey,” he whispered before covering her mouth with his.

  At first, his kiss was soft and gentle, but it soon grew faster and harder. Hard enough to make her pulse race. His hands wandered upward from her waist, and she moaned into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, mashing her breasts against his chest. Then she broke away with a gasp.

  “Turn around,” she said, surprised by her own urgency.

  Tim looked up at her with eyes as bright as the stars.

  There was only so much legroom at that picnic table, and she had to fix that, fast. She stood and stepped to the outer side of the bench. “Like this.”

  Tim slid around, still seated with his eyes locked on hers.

  Quickly, before she lost her nerve, Hailey rearranged the blanket over his shoulders then straddled him, tucking herself good and close.

  His eyes went wide, but his hands held her firmly in place. “Hailey…”

  She kissed him hard, delving deep. A fireball rolled through her veins, and she moaned. Tim was a volcano, all right; she could sense the molten lava heaving on the inside. The simmering passion, waiting to explode.

  She’d started out sitting closer to his knees than his groin, but Tim tugged her tighter, and even through two layers of jeans — his and hers — she could feel how hard he was. How hungry for her. Their tongues twisted and dueled, and their chests bumped.

  “Hailey,” he rasped, drawing back.

  She shook her head. No way was she going to let him hit the emergency brake now.

  “I want this. I want you,” she said, locking eyes with him. “And you want it too.”

  He gulped and nodded.

  “So, what’s holding you back?” she demanded, then hurried on without letting him reply. “I’m not talking forever, Tim. So just for now. Just for tonight. Everything else can wait.” She was panting by then, her chest heaving up and down. “Gonna be a long ride down, you know,” she whispered in his ear, grinding over his hips. “It will be torture if we don’t get this out of our systems now.”

  He closed his eyes and rocked under her. “Up here?”

  She giggled. This was freedom, and she liked it. “Why not? We have our blanket. A perfectly good picnic table. No one to see us but the stars.”

  He caught her hands before she could dip into the waistband of his jeans. “I can’t tell you how much I want that.”

  “So, what’s stopping us?”

  His eyes clouded, and she could see that battle all over again. But when she rocked her hips, the fire in his
eyes flared, and he spoke one word in a low, gritty voice before slamming his mouth over hers.

  “Nothing.”

  She moaned, triumphant but still burning for more. Her life had been full of invisible walls before she met Tim. But there, under the stars, she felt totally wild and free. A little reckless but never so sure of anything in her life. Finally, she had her man, and nothing was stopping them.

  Nothing.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tim closed his eyes, relishing the sweet rush of heat. Fighting with his inner beast had been torture, but now, losing control felt good. Ridiculously good, like a dam breaking, and all he could do was go with the flow.

  “Yes…” Hailey groaned, making his inner bear preen.

  Show her, the beast growled. Show her how good we can make her feel.

  Oh, he’d show her, all right. And he had a feeling she’d show him, too.

  He wrapped the blanket tighter around both their shoulders and slid his hands down her rear, tugging her even closer. Hailey whimpered and swept her tongue over his teeth. He let her take the lead, chasing her with his tongue, holding her close. But the need in him grew until holding her wasn’t enough. He had to touch her. Taste her. Possess her.

  Moving slowly — agonizingly slowly — he gauged her reaction to his hands on her ribs…on her belly…on her breasts…

  Hailey moaned, pulling her sweater free of her jeans. “Yes. Please…”

  She went back to kissing him — hard — so he explored her like a blind man, inching his hands upward until he’d found the clasp to her bra. A second later, he released it, letting her soft flesh spill into his hands. He started circling his thumbs, nearly groaning at the sensation. Her breasts were small and delicate, and her nipples were already peaked and hard. He flicked the coarsest part of his thumbs over them, making her moan and thrust her shoulders back.

  “So good…” Hailey mumbled.

  Her hands tangled with his, and a moment later, she helped him pull up her shirt. Not all the way over her head — the mountain air was crisp despite the inferno building between them — but far enough to reveal the lower edge of one pert breast. He popped her pink nipple into his mouth, and she cried out, hitting a high note.