Page 33 of Forbidden Hawaiian Nights
‘An early night.’ He shrugged. ‘Unless you would rather go to the restaurant?’
And just like that Mia knew that he had ordered bar food to spare her having to go to the Michelin-starred restaurant in clothes she’d admitted she felt uncomfortable wearing, and he’d done it without making a fuss.
Something inside her swooped and, when she smiled, it was with genuine warmth and just the merest hint of gratitude.
Nothing was said but their eyes met for a few seconds, and for one moment they were perfectly attuned and on the same page.
It was an effort to remain neutral and professional for the remainder of the evening. The drinks came, the bar food arrived and they talked about the forthcoming agenda.
Maui and Kauai. One stunning and luxurious, the other equally stunning and perfect for nature-lovers. Lack of time dictated that exploring the rest of the islands would have to be put on the back burner.
‘I never knew my sister was a nature lover,’ he mused as the plates were taken away with a flourish.
After having drunk two glasses of wine, Mia returned honestly, ‘It’s not that hard to think you know someone only to find that you don’t know them nearly as well as you thought you did.’
‘By which, I take it, you’re referring to your ex-husband?’
Where that would normally have sent her rapidly into reverse, drawing up the bridges to avoid an awkward conversation, the wine had relaxed her, along with that fleeting moment when she had warmed to the streak of empathy and understanding she had glimpsed in him.
There was only the vaguest recognition, somewhere on the periphery of her brain, that he really had an excellent memory. Also…just how much had she been lulled into confiding? And how had he managed to wriggle underneath her barriers, considering they had nothing in common and most of the time she didn’t even like him?
She thought of that kiss when he had wanted to distract her…and her skin heated up at speed and she was lost for words for a few seconds.
How had they ended up talking about Kai? Where did her failed marriage fit into a conversation about the islands they intended to visit?
‘That’s the problem with marriage,’ Max murmured into the lengthening silence. ‘It ends up throwing up all sorts of problems that you never thought could possibly exist and, before you know it, what started off as the perfect fail-safe relationship degenerates into a train crash.’
‘Not always. My parents have been happily married for nearly thirty-five years.’
‘Which makes it all the more surprising.’
‘Surprising? What’s surprising?’ When she looked at her glass, it was to find that it was empty. Her brain felt foggy and she was so alert to his presence that the rush of blood in her veins was an unwelcome reminder of the dramatic effect he had on her, against all odds.
‘That you haven’t sought to move on.’
‘Who says I haven’t?’
‘Have you?’
‘I’ve had other things on my mind.’
‘So no one has come along to relieve you of those “other things”?’
‘I’ve been on a couple of dates, but I’m not interested in jumping back into the water.’
‘Maybe you just haven’t met anyone compelling enough to encourage you to test the temperature.’
Mia looked away. Her pulse was racing, and for the life of her she couldn’t work out how this guy could get her to say stuff she would normally never reveal.
To go deeper into this conversation would open up all sorts of confusing avenues. He didn’t belong in any of those avenues. He didn’t belong anywhere in her life except on a professional basis as her boss.
And yet, the atmosphere sizzled between them, fragmenting her thoughts and turning the ground beneath her feet into quicksand.
‘Tomorrow…’ she said, and he looked at her for a few seconds in silence before nodding.
‘Tomorrow, work begins!’
‘So I should head up now, if that’s all right with you?’ She began to stand so that he would get the message loud and clear and he waved his hand in easy dismissal.
