Page 72 of Just My Luck

They stepped out from the hala grove to find a towering pile of square-ish lava rocks. Even if Lincoln hadn’t known it was a sacred site, he would have been struck by the effort that had gone into creating it. It had an otherworldly quality to it, as if it was communicating with the sky and stars above, and perhaps the ocean below. They were maybe thirty yards above sea level, with nothing but sparkling sea spread before them, and rocky promontories and crashing waves to their right and left. The rumble of the surf nearly made the ground shake.

A billion-dollar view, he thought, enraptured by the sight. Then he wondered—why assign a dollar value to it? This view wasn’t for sale. It belonged to itself, and he was just lucky to be here.

“Wow.” Zara whistled as she soaked in the panorama before them. “This is absolutely incredible.”

“Come on,” said Robert. “Let me show you around. This is where I do most of my research. I discovered this heiau, did you know that? I’m working on a theory that the ancient Hawaiians used them in a celestial navigation technique. I’m an archeoastrologist, bet you never met anyone like me before.” He thumped himself on the chest. “Tour guide supreme.”

As he led her toward the lava rock structure, Zara’s expression was so eager that Lincoln put his jealousy aside. If a tour with a handsome tattooed scientist made her happy, so be it.

But later he’d get her alone and remind her of a few things, like how good they were together.

35

Until you’ve slept under the stars in a Hawaiian jungle to the sound of surf crashing on the rocks, have you really lived? Zara asked herself that question as she snuggled into the tent that the scientists had kindly lent them. They’d all set up their tents on the edge of the forest, on the grassy margin between hala trees and bare rocks. The ground was far from level, and she’d spent some time brushing away loose lava rocks and dead leaves to make it more comfortable. Now she stretched out on a thin foam mat and listened to the sounds of the jungle.

Lincoln was still talking with Rory over the remains of their campfire, their low voices barely audible, but somehow reassuring. The nighttime mating calls of the coqui frogs created a melodic, constant murmur, which melded beautifully with the thunder of waves pummeling the rocks.

According to Robert, those waves traveled all the way across the Pacific with no interruption until they reached this coastline. At that point, they unleashed all their energy in an explosion of spray. Over centuries, that relentless force had carved deep cuts into the flanks of the now-extinct Kohala volcano, creating the legendary seven valleys. Hawaiian lore described the process as an eternal battle between Pele, the volcano goddess, and her sister Nāmaka, goddess of the ocean.

She’d listened, rapt, because she loved learning new things. She loved experiencing new things. This was life, right here, the life she’d always craved, one of adventure and discovery.

Minus the private militia currently pursuing them, of course. They’d kept the campfire small, even though Robert had done some calculations and determined that it would be impossible for anyone to spot it except from the ocean.

Even though they were on the same island, Kona felt so far away right now. She didn’t want to think about what it would be like to go back to her actual life. Struggling to pay bills, worrying about Mia and Eddie, trying to be a good surrogate parent, taking the long boat to a law degree, happy to squeeze in an hour of surfing here and there.

Lincoln unzipped the tent and crawled in next to her. She shoved all thoughts of the future aside and scooted over for him. “Thanks for bringing me with you,” she whispered. “This is like a dream.”

“It’s a dream to sleep on a barely-there mat in a pup tent meant for one?”

She smiled in the darkness. “Absolutely. The stars, the ocean, the jungle. It’s magical. Look up.”

He stretched out next to her and gazed up above them. Their tent had a zippered flap that could be opened for stargazing purposes. Even through the netting, the brilliance of the starry night was breathtaking.

“I could take you anywhere in the world. Luxury villas, five-star resorts, private islands, not the gross kind,” he added quickly. “But you’d prefer this?”

“Did I say that?” A luxury villa sounded pretty nice to her. “I’m saying, this is beautiful. It’s the real deal, you know? It’s…” she gazed past the netting, up at the stars, “like touching the infinite. It’s everything I love. It’s magic. Adventure. It’s life.”

She felt his hand touch her hair. “Come here,” he said, a rough burr in his voice. She snuggled down next to him. The filtered light from the netting made shadows under his cheekbones and gave his eyes a hooded look. He looked intense, almost dangerous.

Her insides turned to molten heat.

He bent over her and brushed his lips against hers. The light contact went straight to her head. It felt like an unspoken promise, of a future so bright and filled with magic that she could practically taste it.

At her sigh, he took the kiss deeper, claiming her mouth in a bossy way that brought out her own feistiness. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her. She ran her hands down his chest, feeling nothing but bare skin. He must have undressed before he got into the tent. He still wore his briefs, she realized as she reached that part of his body. The fabric was already tented by the beginnings of his erection.

“Hang on,” he growled as he moved over her. “I have to do something first.”

“Condom?” Did they even have condoms? She hadn’t thought to bring any.

“No. This.” He pinned her arms to the sides and lowered his head to her breasts. He swirled his tongue across her left nipple. “It’s very quiet out there, except for the coquis,” he murmured. “And one thing I already know about you is you like to express yourself during sex. Do you accept the challenge of not making noise?”

“Do you?” She laughed up at him. “I know what you sound like when you come. Unh …oh God … yes…unh unh unh …” She mimicked the sounds he’d made during his orgasm in the hotel.

His laugh made his eyes gleam in the starlight. “You caught me off guard then. Now I know how sexy you are and what it feels like to be inside you. I can be quiet.”

“Now that feels like a challenge. Whoever gives in and makes the first sound has to…uh…” she cast around for a proper prize, “carry the backpacks tomorrow.”

“I’m going to carry the backpacks no matter what. Just lie back and let me do what I’ve been wanting to do all day.”