Chapter 16

Samantha set her bags down and closed the door behind her.

Now that she was here in Waikiki, she was frightened and not at all confident of her decision to leave Alex. There was one thing she was absolutely certain of now, though.

She was staying in Hawaii.

Alex could send her away, but he couldn’t make her go home in disgrace. Nothing in the world would induce her to return home defeated.

Mrs. Kujiroaka, in an unprecedented move, dialed the Chicago number for Alex’s mom. And though she’d only met Mrs. Shannon once, on a brief visit she made to Hawaii, Mrs. K. felt hopeful that his mother would listen to her,

“Yes?” Trudy Shannon said, answering the phone.

“Hello, Mrs. Shannon. I don’t know if you remember me, but this is Mrs. Kujiroaka, Alex’s housekeeper. I think you need to have long talk with him before he makes big mistake, ruins his life.”

Samantha glanced around the living room, feeling paranoid and self-conscious, half-expecting to find Alex lurking around every corner.

Of course, there was no one else in the condo, so she calmed herself and put away her luggage, trying to make herself at home.

She found the stillness of the room oppressive, so she switched on the radio, and just as quickly switched it off again. Next, she went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of wine, which she opened for herself.

She noticed the sun was beginning to set, so she carried both glass and bottle outside to the lanai.

The beach below was deserted, except for a few tourists. The sunset was spectacular, as always, but she was in no mood to enjoy it. She sat out there with her wine and tried to form a plan for the future.

Marianne had once called her a born manager. Well, she’d manage this, too, somehow. For tonight, though, she was going to allow herself the luxury of a little self-pity.

She wondered what Alex was thinking, wondered if he was missing her. She knew she wouldn’t have wanted to face going back to that ranch alone. In fact, she could barely even tolerate the condo. The place seemed so hollow and empty without him.

So many fine memories, gone now for good.

This certainly was nothing like her first night in Waikiki, that very first night when they came over from the mainland and everything was still so exciting and new. Alex was so charismatic, his manners so perfect, always a gentleman. He’d known quite well she was attracted to him and could easily have taken advantage of her, but he’d kept himself in line for her sake.

Samantha began to find she wasn’t very proud of herself, wasn’t very proud of her own behavior. For one fleeting moment, she even convinced herself this whole mess was all her own fault, from beginning to end, and felt a powerful urge to call Alex up and beg his forgiveness.

Taking a sip of wine, she resisted this urge. She needed to put all thoughts of Alex P. Shannon aside and concentrate on her future. She remained outside until the moon came up, and then she went inside.

Nothing would be solved tonight, she decided, so she opened a can of cheap beef stew for her dinner, as there wasn’t much else in the place to eat and she wasn’t about to waste any of her cash calling room service. While she ate it, she polished off the bottle of wine, not feeling guilty about it in the least, as he’d always encouraged her to use whatever she wanted at both the house and the condo.

At last, she fell into bed, tired and too intoxicated to worry about her life any longer.

She awoke in the morning with a clear knowledge of what she must do. She dressed hurriedly and went downstairs for a newspaper. When she returned, she set to work finding herself an apartment and a new job.

By late afternoon, she had herself a dumpy little one-room apartment and a job interview at a local bookstore.

Rent was shockingly high, especially in Waikiki, so the bookstore job would have to be temporary until she found something that paid better. The apartment was rented month-to-month, though, so she was free to trade up whenever she could afford to.

She was due to move in the following day, so true to her word, Samantha packed away the few belongings she had with her. Excited at the prospect of her new life, she began cleaning away all traces of herself.

She could’ve called the service, she knew. Alex wouldn’t have minded a bit, would never in a million years have expected anything less. But, just like her qualms at calling room service the night before, she felt incapable of doing so. She somehow just wanted to prove she wasn’t in it for the money and leisure and all the rest of it, wasn’t afraid to work hard and brave the way for herself.

Above all, she wanted Alex to realize how very much she truly loved him. She wanted him to know what he’d so callously thrown away. And it was silly, she knew, but she couldn’t help entertaining the idea that one day he’d come back to her, repentant and ready to mend his ways.

But for now, for the first time ever, she was truly on her own. Picking up the mop, Samantha wrung the water out of it, feeling quite grown up, her confidence renewed. She had a life of her own now, was no longer dependent on her parents or anybody else.

The phone rang and Samantha dropped the mop, startled, and ran to answer it.

“Yes?” she said, a little too eagerly.

“Samantha?”

“Marianne?”

“What’s going on?”

Her heart began to thud in her chest and she wondered if Marianne had spoken to Alex.

“Nothing,” she lied, trying to bluff her way out of explaining what a failure she was, especially to her best friend. “I’m just taking my vacation.”

A muffled sound came over the phone, then a rustling.

“Samantha?”

This time it was Paris.

“Listen,” he said, “I know you’ve left Alex.”

“So?”

“So I think you should go back to him. He loves you very much, you know.”

A harsh laugh escaped Samantha’s lips.

“Hah,” she said, indignant. “He fired me. Do you call that love?”

Paris sighed.

“He loves you,” he repeated. “He’s been through a lot, Samantha. You know how he gets.”

“I’m really not interested.”

“Well you should be. When are you ever going to get another chance to meet a man like him?”

She laughed airily.

“I was hoping you could introduce me to someone, Paris. He tells me you know everyone.”

The phone became muffled again and Marianne came back on the line.

“Would you stop being so mean, Samantha? Alex is perfect for you. So what if he can’t say the L-word.”

“Easy for you to say, dear. You’re getting married in a couple of months.”

With that, Samantha rang off and went back to mopping the floor. Before long, though, it rang again.

“What?” she demanded, past all patience.

“Honey, Marianne just called us and told us everything.”

Samantha felt a lump in her throat at the sound of her dad’s voice. She hadn’t wanted her parents to know of her affair with Alex, especially like this, from someone else.

“She did what?”

“She told us everything. Come on, Baby, come home.”

His voice was tender, not sharp, not accusing.

How simple it would be to go home, she thought. But she was on her way to a new life, so she remained strong and adamant.

“No. I’m staying in Hawaii.”

In vain, her father tried to convince her to come home, but before she weakened, she pulled herself straight and cut him off.

“No, Dad. What good would that do? I’m not a child anymore.”

Once she finally coaxed her dad into hanging up, a panic seized her. With so much activity brewing on the sidelines, she felt it was only a matter of time before Alex himself showed up to crumble the rest of her resolve.

And as if on cue, a knock sounded at the door.

Samantha, fearing it really was Alex this time, stared at it in shock for a moment. When she finally opened it, she was confronted by a woman of about Grandma’s age, though less weather-beaten, of course, and much more well-preserved and pretty.

She wondered guiltily if she’d been loud, had disturbed one of the neighbors.

“I hope I wasn’t making too much noise,” she said contritely.

“My name’s Trudy,” the woman said. “Trudy Shannon. I’m Alex’s mother.”

Samantha wasn’t sure what she expected Alex’s mother to look like, but it certainly wasn’t this. The woman standing before her was fashionably dressed and had the look of a career-woman about her.

“I’m sorry, but Alex isn’t here right now.”

“No, I know that. He’s still at the ranch, but he called me and told me all about you, Samantha, so I just had to come and meet you for myself. May I come in?”

Samantha, called to order, swung the door wide, gesturing to her guest.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Shannon. Please come in. Would you like something to drink?”

“I’d love an iced tea, if you have it.”

“Sure.”

Preparing the two glasses gave Samantha some much-needed time to think. She eyed Mrs. Shannon guardedly, wondering if she’d been sent here to harangue her, too, like the others, but the woman merely sat down quietly, crossing her ankles in a lady-like way and waiting until Samantha joined her to speak.

“My son’s really an ass sometimes,” said Trudy, “but he means well.”

Samantha, disarmed by this remark, smiled and sat down right across from her.

“He’s not so bad,” she admitted, “but he really knows how to hurt a person.”

“I know. And it’s all because of that slut Jennie. Did he ever tell you about her?”

“Not much.”

“Well, she was a waitress. Not that that mattered, because I was one, too, at the time. In fact, Alex only met her because of me, because he came in to eat one afternoon after class and she happened to be there.

“She was pretty,” Trudy admitted, “but also pretty lazy. You could tell right away she’d never amount to anything, and she was content with the way her life was going. She wasn’t looking for too much more than the first sucker she could latch onto who was willing to support her.

“Unfortunately, that sucker turned out to be my son. And, to be honest, they never were right for each other.”

Samantha had to agree with her.

“I guessed as much, Mrs. Shannon, but I’m right for him. I’m right for him, I know I am, and I love him with all my heart, but I can’t live with him anymore, not the way he wants me to.”

Her once-prospective mother-in-law gazed at her for a long time before she spoke again.

“Do you think you can ever go back to him?”

Samantha shook her head.

“No. Not the way things stand right now.”

“I really do believe that, deep down inside, he loves you, too, but he’s made up his mind to be as stubborn as a Missouri mule.”

This reminded Samantha of their mule ride on Molokai and she smiled to herself.

Oh, if only Alex were as biddable as the little pack-mule she rode down that mountain.

“I know,” she admitted at last, her heart breaking all over again. “But if he can’t even admit his feelings to himself, what chance do we have together?”

Trudy nodded, able to acknowledge the justice of this.

“Yes. You’re right. But can he...can he call you some time? Once he gets his head screwed on straight?”

Samantha shook her head

“I don’t think that’s such a hot idea,” Samantha told her. “I mean, I’ve given him tons of chances and he keeps blowing them all off. I really think he’d be better off alone, without any girlfriend around to torture him.”

Mrs. Shannon rose to her feet then and offered her hand.

“Well then, it was very nice meeting you, Samantha. I’m sorry things didn’t work out, but you do seem like a nice girl and just the right sort to keep my boy happy. Here’s my number if you ever want to talk.”

She almost shut the door on Alex’s mother before her better instincts overcame her.

“No, wait,” she said softly, “I don’t know where my manners are. I did want to say something to you. You did an excellent job raising Alex. I mean, even though I’m mad at him, I have to admit, he’s got the best manners of any guy I’ve ever known. And I guess if you want to, you can stay here. I was just getting ready to pack it in myself, and I know for sure Alex wouldn’t like you staying in some random hotel.”

Trudy smiled and came back into the condo.

“All right, Samantha.”

With that, she sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V.

For a moment, Samantha stood at the closed door, feeling miserable. She glanced around at the back of her lover’s mom’s head and resolved then and there that Alex must be taught a lesson.

And though it hurt her heart to be even a little bit cruel, it was time he learned he hadn’t hired some silly little schoolgirl as his assistant.

She knew what she was talking about, and she’d show him by going ahead and writing her own book, just like Paris had suggested those long weeks ago, but her book wouldn’t be about spies or mysteries or intrigue.

Her book would be about art.

She felt an idea gelling in her mind. She recalled watching a documentary about the young Monet a while back, recalled having thought at the time they should cast Jesse Dent to play Monet, as there was a strong resemblance, especially around the eyes.

She quietly finished up the mopping as Alex’s mother sat there on the couch watching television, and then she went into Alex’s bathroom.

Sacrificing her only lipstick, she wrote on his bathroom mirror in big pink letters:

Titian is a Venetian painter!

This small act of rebellion elated her, but it also made her think about Alex with a sharp pang. She knew then she had to get out of his condo before she lost her nerve, before she took the easy way out and knuckled under, submitting to everyone else’s will.

She hurriedly finished getting her things together, and on her way out of the condo, saw that she’d left her newspaper on the counter.

“Can you let him know I cleaned up before I left? I promised I would, and I’m a woman of my word. I have to tell you, though, I did write him a note on the bathroom mirror. I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t erase it. He’ll know what it means.”

Trudy assured her she wouldn’t, and promised to relay the message.

“You have the makings of a great lady, Samantha,” she told her.

“You think?” Samantha asked, suddenly pleased. “I do try. My mom was always onto me about acting right. She even made me learn how to walk around with a book on my head.”

“Seriously? Mine did, too. I didn’t think people still did that any more. No wonder Alex is so fond of you. You’re kindred spirits.”

With a wistful smile, Samantha picked up the discarded newspaper and dumped it into the wastebasket before grabbing her suitcases.

“It was a real pleasure meeting you, Trudy,” she told Mrs. Shannon. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out, but I really need to go now. Goodbye.”

“’Bye, Samantha. It was nice meeting you, too.”

With that, Samantha grinned, then turned and left Alex’s condo for the very last time.

Once the girl left, Trudy looked around the place. She checked out every room, and at last, she found the words Samantha scrawled on Alex’s mirror.

She instantly picked up the telephone and dialed her son’s number.

“Alex? This is your mother, and I’m at your precious condo in Waikiki. What I want to know is, who is this ‘Titian’ person, and why did your girlfriend write that on the bathroom mirror?”

She heard a strangled sob come over the phone.

“I see,” she said. “You’re still letting Jennie ruin your life, aren’t you?”

“What can I do, Mom? She wants me to tell her dad, and he’s over-protective as it is. If I tell him this, he’ll probably kill me.”

“Oh, don’t be so chicken-shit, Alex. She seems like the best thing that’s ever happened to you, and if you let her go, you’re a bigger dumb-ass than I ever would’ve guessed.”

The next morning, Samantha unlocked the door to her new place and glanced around in dismay at her tiny new apartment. It really was incredibly small and shabby, especially after living at Alex’s, but she was glad nonetheless to be safely away from the condo. She resolved to get used to this harsh change in her circumstances.

In reality, the apartment wasn’t that much worse than her very first dorm room. In fact, it was much roomier, considering it was only she who’d be living there.

Besides, at least there was no annoying roommate.

Or lover.

Better to become accustomed to making her own way in life, she thought. With that in mind, she threw Trudy Shannon’s business card away. It wasn’t that she hadn’t liked Trudy. It was just that she felt it best to forget Alex P. Shannon altogether, to have no more links with him. She tried to convince herself, in doing so, that she’d washed her hands of him at last, would never again have to hear his name or think about him.

Within a few days, she had her new job pretty well down pat, which sadly left with her with way too much time on her hands, too much time to think, too much time to realize how terribly she missed Alex.

At first she was able to kid herself that she was better off this way - alone - but now she knew it was a lie and could no longer bring herself to believe it, not even a little bit.

There was no doubt Alex loved her, that he was suffering from her absence, but she knew she couldn’t live with him and his brooding, stubborn silence any longer. It was up to him to break free from his past and come clean about his feelings for her.

Of course, the evenings were the very worst of all. After she came home from work every evening, she’d glance around her room and discover how alone she really was. After all, she had no friends here yet, no family, and since she was a little shy by nature, she knew it was unlikely she’d make another close friend very easily.

But she wasn’t quite ready to call her loved ones in California and go another round with them, so she tried very hard to dream up some way to kill all those passing hours. She mercilessly wracked her brain for a way to begin her book, but nothing seemed to come to her.

Finally, one bright, golden Sunday morning, she worked up the nerve to call her parents again. She hadn’t spoken to them in days and hoped they’d be glad to hear from her.

Her mom answered, and Samantha felt a flood of tenderness and homesickness.

“Oh, Samantha,” her mother said, “I’m so glad you called. Where are you, honey?”

She heard her dad’s voice in the background and, in a second, he was on the line.

“Where are you, Baby?”

“Hawaii. Oahu. I got an apartment.”

“Alex was here two days ago looking for you.”

For some reason, this irritated Samantha to no end.

“Oh, now he has a name, does he? Alex? His name’s Alex now, not ‘that writer guy you’re shacked up with’?”

“Now you look here, little missy. He came to me like a man and confessed everything. You think that little bastard Randy would’ve done that? If you had any sense, you’d go back to him this instant. He’s a nice man and a good provider and he really seems to love you.”

“Daddy, please...”

“Samantha, he’s in love with you.”

She sighed, exasperated.

“You know what? Everybody keeps telling me that except him.”

“He loves you, Samantha. He really does. Go back to him, why don’t you? Or at least come home.”

“No. No, I can’t do that. Bye, Dad.”

Samantha quickly hung up the phone and sat there on her bed, trembling. She’d wanted to call Marianne and Paris as well, but no longer dared to, for she figured Alex had surely rallied the two of them against her, too.

Now she’d never hear the end of all this.

Now she had no one, thanks to him.

Just then, a thought flashed through her mind, and muffling the receiver with her hand, Samantha dialed the number for the condo. Someone picked it up after only two rings.

Alex.

He was here in Waikiki, not six blocks from where she sat.

Samantha quickly hung up, badly shaken. There was only one reason for him to be here.

He was looking for her.

Suddenly Samantha knew there was no force on earth strong enough to keep her from sneaking down to the beach to have a look. For protection, she waited until it was quite dark outside, then she stole over to his building. She wasn’t going to see him face-to-face. She just wanted to see if he was home.

Hiding in the shadows of a small vendor’s shack, she stepped out onto the beach far below his balcony, hoping to catch sight of him, but staying well-hidden herself.

She stifled a gasp.

He was out there. It was Alex, standing out there.

It really was him.

He was leaning against the rail, standing way above her on the lanai. Samantha could make out his figure in the dim moonlight, and though she really couldn’t see his face, something in his demeanor suggested the gloominess he obviously felt.

She kept watching, and in a moment, she saw his mother come out to comfort him, saw the older woman embrace him, saw him melt into his mother’s arms. This went straight to her heart, and she fought hard to keep control of herself, fought an almost irresistible urge to call out to them.

This is enough, she told herself, taking a deep breath of the salt air. Enough just to look at him, to be with him but not with him.

How long will he stay in Waikiki? she asked herself. Will he search for me forever, or will he give up and go home in a few days?

“Oh, Alex,” she whispered, drawing herself deeper into the shadows.

She knew then she’d better go back to her crummy little apartment or she really would lose all her willpower. With a final glance up at his lanai, Samantha reluctantly tore herself away, creeping home with a heavy heart.

On Monday morning, Samantha walked to work, absurdly afraid of running into Alex, or even Trudy. To disguise herself, she wore dark sunglasses and hid all her hair beneath a bandana. In addition, fearing he might recognize her clothes, she even put on a plain white tee shirt and some jeans, stowing her work outfit in a brown paper bag to carry along with her.

Kim, her new co-worker, laughed when Samantha showed up to work in this extraordinary manner. Samantha laughed, too, realizing she was being a little paranoid. Feeling better, she shared with Kim the situation that prompted her to adopt such a disguise.

In the rest room, Samantha pulled on her pantyhose and slid on her pumps. By the time she fastened her skirt, her fear of meeting Alex was slipping away.

The two girls worked quietly all morning. There were few customers, so they had a chance to get better acquainted. For the first time in days, Samantha started to feel less lonely, and besides, it was better to try to make a new friend than to spend all her idle time thinking about Alex.

“I’ll go to lunch first, yeah?” said Kim, glancing at the clock. She told Samantha she’d be back at noon and she strolled out the door. Samantha started toward the back of the store, but just then the phone rang.

She answered it, but the caller hung up instantly.

She went to the storeroom to haul out a carton of books that needed pricing and shelving. She hoped to get this task out of the way by the time Kim returned, and she pushed the cart out to the front.

While she was shelving them near the rear of the store, the electric eye buzzed to signal a customer. She peeped around the bookshelf to see who was there and then, quite abruptly, ducked back behind the shelf.

Alex.

She knew he’d seen her, for they’d made eye contact. Plus, she saw his shadow advancing on the floor. When she sensed he’d come up beside her, she shut her eyes, wishing she were anywhere else but here.

“Samantha, I want you to come home with me.”

She forced herself to speak.

“Can I help you make a selection, sir?” she asked brightly. She moved briskly away, propelling herself toward a nearby shelf to straighten its contents, but Alex was not to be fobbed off so easily.

He followed her. She refused to meet his gaze, but she knew he expected her to at least acknowledge him.

“All right, Alex, don’t get me fired from this job, too, okay? Not all of us are rich. Some of us need every penny we can get.”

“Would you stop this foolishness and come home with me?”

“I am home,” she told him, indicating her surroundings with a sweep of the hand. “I have a new home now. A new job, a new life...a new man.”

Suddenly he grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him, an expression of shock and hurt on his face. But she was no good at lying, which he perceived at once.

“I do have a new home, though, Alex,” she told him. “And the rent’s very high, so I desperately need this job. Please don’t get me fired, okay? Please don’t ruin everything for me.”

He eased his grip on her arm.

“How did you find me, anyhow?” she demanded. “I didn’t even tell my parents where I am.”

“You threw the want ads into the trash and forgot to dump it. I was desperate, so I looked at them. I’ve been calling every place you circled trying to find you.”

“Yeah? What for?”

Without a word, he flung his arms around her and pressed his mouth to hers. At first, she moved to resist, but found herself helplessly pinned against his chest. The heat of his body so close to hers unnerved her, and Samantha threw her head back to let him kiss her throat.

He tightened his grip on her, forcing her onto her tiptoes, his rough cheek brushing hers. She heard his breath in her ear, eager and rapid.

At last, she recalled herself and struggled away, stunned and out of breath.

“Please, Alex, I’ll get fired.”

“So? Who gives a damn?” he asked, lunging at her. She managed to move away, and just then the door buzzed again. Samantha’s eyes darted toward the entrance with relief. Kim was back and now she could go to lunch and leave Alex behind.

“Be back at one,” she announced, diving behind the counter to get her purse, and then shooting past Kim.

Alex didn’t seem at all inclined to let her escape, though, so Samantha ran out the door and onto the crowded sidewalk.

“Look, everybody. Look, it’s Jesse Dent,” she shouted, hoping to lose him in the crowd. But for once, no one seemed to care and Alex sped after her.

“Samantha,” he called.

She pressed her palms to her ears to drown out his voice. She knew she had to get away, had to get home to be alone and sort out her feelings.

This was all happening so quickly, so unexpectedly.

“Samantha? Damn it, would you stop?”

She stopped dead in her tracks, but refused to turn to look at him.

“Oh, God. What do you want?”

“Titian is a Venetian painter.”

She whirled around, furious, and rushed toward him, seizing his lapels.

“Oh, you’d better shut your mouth. If you say that to me one more time, Alex, I swear to God. Titian is a Vene - ”

Her voice faltered as she realized what he said. Alex smiled softly as she eased her grasp on his lapels, and he drew her to him.

“And Alex P. Shannon is a total ass.”

She nodded in agreement, smiling, as his lips brushed her cheek.

“And I changed the manuscript, Samantha, because you were right all along and because...I love you, is all. More than anything else in the world, I love you. And my mother tells me I’m being a total jerk-wad, and I’ve always known her to have a lot of sense, so please...please marry me and take me in hand.”

A broad grin swept her face. She glanced up at him.

“Oh, I will, but first you have to take me home, Alex. I want to leave for Molokai tonight.”

“Wait,” he said. “Can’t we just go back to the condo?”

Samantha looked at him through narrowed eyes and shook her head.

“What, with your mom there? Hell no. We’re going to need a little more privacy than that. I want you to take me home tonight, Alex, and take me to bed, and...and...and make me your woman.

“But first, know this. I really am hard-headed, just like you said, and I expect you to do right by me. I expect you to be the very best man and husband you can possibly be, and if you’re not ready for that, then I think you’d better just stay gone from me.”

“No, no,” he told her. “You’re right, sweetie. I agree with everything you’re saying, and like your dad says, you deserve the best.”

Samantha placed her hands on her hips and eyed him skeptically.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Why would I lie now? I’ve never been false with you before. If anything, I’ve tried to restrain myself so I wouldn’t mislead you.”

She nodded then.

“That’s true.”

“Then come on home with me, already.”

“Okay, but we have to pick up my stuff first. All my best clothes are still at my apartment, and I’m not about to go home looking all raggedy.”

“What about my mom?” he asked. “She’s still at the condo.”

“I know that, and I like your mom, Alex. She’s cool. She’s for real. She didn’t sit there and tell me how awesome you are, or blah blah blah, how I hurt her poor innocent little son. In fact, she told me sometimes you’re a complete jackass.”

“So, should I call her, then?”

“Yeah, you’d better. But do you think she’ll get mad if we have a few hours’ head start?”

“No. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’ll like that.”

He sat down on the futon where she slept, while she hurriedly packed up her clothes. It was a cheap and appalling place to live and she was glad she was getting out.

“So, how hideous was it to talk to my dad?” she asked casually.

Alex grinned, and though she saw he hadn’t relished the experience, he seemed glad he’d faced the ordeal.

“I hate to say this, but that man scares the living crap out of me,” he admitted at last. “His face just kept getting redder and redder the whole time I talked. I thought he was going to blow a gasket on me, but in the end, he actually stood up and shook my hand. Hard.”

She smiled, but darted a quick glance at the lone alarm clock gracing her tiny apartment.

“Holy crap. I need to call work and let them know I’m not coming back.”

Samantha hung up the phone with a huge grin on her face.

“Kim, the girl I work with, says congratulations,” she told Alex. “She says it was nice meeting you and she’ll tell the boss I quit.”

He smiled and dialed his condo, and then he spoke for a few minutes to his mother. When he hung up, he faced Samantha.

“My mother says if I don’t win you back now, I’m the biggest dumb-ass ever born, and she’s going to wash her hands of me.”

“Really? I knew she was a smart lady.”

“She says she’ll give us until eight tonight, and then she’ll meet us on Molokai.”

Samantha nodded, and later on the plane, Alex leaned across his seat and spoke in her ear.

“You know something, Samantha? I’d love to ravish you right here on this damned airplane.”

“Don’t you think you’d upset the other passengers?”

“Yep. And believe me, that’s about the only thing stopping me. That and the fact that there’d be a picture of us in the tabloids tomorrow, with a big headline about Jesse Dent being arrested for a sex crime. I couldn’t do that to the poor guy. He tries so hard to keep us out of the papers.”

He smiled that fabulous smile of his that caused her to go weak in the knees. Samantha couldn’t wait to get him back to the ranch, and looked forward with longing to that huge, luxurious bed of his.

“When will we be married?” she asked.

“As soon as I can get it all organized. I’m not taking any chances on you escaping again.”

“Escaping? Why would I ever want to leave you now? I already know all your secrets.”

Just then, the plane touched down, so her question went unanswered. Alex had phoned ahead, so Albert was waiting for them with the Jeep. When he saw them coming across the tarmac, his huge grin showed Samantha just how glad he was to see her back.

Alex was unnaturally quiet as they drove to the ranch, but once they were on the road leading up to the house, Samantha turned to him.

“I swear, Alex, you have got to do something with this road.”

“Better do as she says, Bruddah. She da boss now.”

“Oh, he will,” Samantha answered tartly, shooting Alex a mischievous grin.

Albert, laughing, dropped them at the door. The pair of them went up the wooden steps together, but Samantha stopped him on the porch to have a good look around. She realized then just how much she’d missed the ranch, especially during the brief time when she thought she’d never see it again.

“I love this place,” she told him. “I never want you to sell it.”

His fingers brushed her cheek and Samantha felt her eyes well with tears of joy. She turned to Alex and gazed up into those gorgeous brown eyes of his.

“Let’s go in,” she said.

Alex whisked her off her feet and carried her into the house without even removing his shoes first.

Ignoring Mrs. Kujiroaka’s stare of patent disapproval, he brought her into his room and carefully set her on the suede-covered bed.

Locking the door with a smile on his face, his glance sought hers. He looked at her for a long, lingering moment, and then he spoke.

“You’re the only woman I’ve loved in almost twenty years, Samantha.”

She tugged at his sleeve and he sank down beside her on the bed.

“Don’t be afraid of me, Alex. I swear, I’d never knowingly hurt you.”

He leaned his head against her breast.

“I’ve wasted so much of my life, Samantha. Will you please promise two things?”

“Okay, what?”

“First of all, I’d like to build another cottage for my mother to retire in.”

“Fair enough. What’s next?”

“Secondly, I want you to promise you’ll have my children.”

Samantha raised herself up onto one elbow in delighted surprise.

“You mean it, Alex? We can have babies?”

He covered her mouth with his in response, but she put him off for a second.

“First you need to fix that road,” she told him. “I’m not going into labor just to be jolted over that mess.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll fix it. Now you’d better hurry up and kiss me before I take it all back.”

She happily obeyed him and they kissed for a long time. At last, Samantha broke free and sat up.

“Alex, what the hell is your middle name?”

“Parnell,” he chuckled. “My father was Irish. But forget all that for now and get back down here, will you?”

He reached up and hauled her back down for another kiss.

“Promise you won’t refuse me again, Alex?”

“Never,” he answered in a hoarse whisper.

As if to demonstrate his sincerity, he started working at the buttons of her blouse. She tossed her head back as he bared her breasts. His lips brushed her smooth skin as he slipped the blouse down over her shoulders and discarded it on the floor. Next, he pulled her skirt down over her hips, and Samantha’s nerves came alive once again under the expert pressure of his touch.

She shuddered and sank to her back, a slight moan escaping her lips. Alex ran his fingers under the elastic of her panties, and just as she knew he would, he ripped them off her and flung them aside.

Samantha’s own hands finally went into action then, and she tugged his jacket and shirt off. She allowed him to remove her lacy bra, and his lips grazed her breasts, sending chills through her entire body.

Tension welled up inside her and she strained toward him, praying he’d hurry up and fill her flesh with his, fill the empty place in her soul with his love.

“Alex,” she whispered, her voice becoming urgent, knowing she had to have him soon or go mad.

Her hands flew into action once more, eager for his nakedness. Samantha peeled away the rest of his clothes, leaving only bare flesh behind. With no more barriers to stand in their way, Alex moved over her and poised himself above her.

At last, she thought. At last.

A second later, he became an instrument for her pleasure. Samantha arched her back to receive him, pressing ever nearer, taking his love without hesitation. He breathed her name into her ear, then into her mouth as his velvety lips claimed her.

He drove into her faster now, steadily, as Samantha’s release came to her, giving her the satisfaction she’d craved for so long. Seconds later, she felt him tense, crying out her name in the still air of the bedroom. She clung to him, never wanting to let go.

In time, he lay still, dropping his forehead onto her shoulder. They lay together in the darkening bedroom, neither of them speaking at first.

Later, when they regained their strength, Alex got up and put on his robe.

“Where do you want to spend your honeymoon, sweetheart?”

Sitting up, she rewarded him with a shy smile.

“Right here in your arms would be fine, my love.”

He approached her again and drew from her a long kiss.

“Too bad. I was hoping we could make a baby in Europe.”

“Europe?” she asked, sitting up all of a sudden, her mind working quickly. “Hey, that’s a good idea. We can get the road fixed while we’re gone.”

“Enough with that road,” he told her, leaning toward her and pretending to be exasperated. “Jeez, Samantha. Get over here and kiss me or the deal’s off.”