Love Me Forever Read online

  Love Me Forever

  Ari Thatcher

  Love Me Forever

  Copyright © 2011, 2015 Ari Thatcher

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from Ari Thatcher.

  Published by Aspendawn Press

  United States of America

  Electronic Edition: March 2015

  This is a revised version of the story Maui Rekindled published by Ellora’s Cave.

  This book is a work of fiction and all characters exist solely in the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any references to places, events or locales are used in a fictitious manner.

  Chapter One

  Jennifer Pearson sipped from her pink mai tai and toyed with the paper umbrella as she scanned the beach. The late April sun made her muscles melt into the sand, it felt so heavenly. How many inches of snow had they gotten back home in Missouri from the storm that blew in just as she flew out? She didn’t even care.

  Home was not what she’d come to Maui to think about. In fact, thinking was also not on the agenda. Sun, silence, relaxation…that’s why she was here.

  The sound of waves lapping against the sand was like a massage to the stress-out parts of her brain. Settling back against the sand chair, she released a slow, steady sigh. She should have done this years ago.

  A few young men rode their boards in the surf, maneuvering the small waves for the longest ride possible. A pair of girls, teenage or a few years older, splashed closer to shore. At some point, Jen planned to go in the water, but not today.

  She slid lower in the chair, with only her shoulders propped up above the sand. A nap would be so heavenly. Her eyelids were heavy. Letting them drop, she stuck the base of her glass in the sand so it wouldn’t spill.

  The waves continued their lullaby, only an occasional voice in the distance breaking the peace. She lifted her face to the sun, the heat purifying her soul.

  Just before she dozed, a strange inkling made her open her eyes. A tanned god rose from the water, a board tucked under his arm. She sat spellbound, watching his approach. Water rolled off him, sprayed off his longish brown hair when he shook his head.

  Jen licked her lips at the sight. His wet shorts clung like a second skin, riding low on his narrow hips. A bare, flat abdomen begged to be explored. He had swimmer’s shoulders, broad, strong, defined. Damn, picture that arched above me in bed…

  That was another thing she hadn’t come here for. Sex. Men in general. She’d had enough of one man in particular to last this lifetime and the next few. Still, just once, it would be so tempting to have a man like the surfer between her legs again.

  The water god smiled, his teeth bright against his bronzed complexion.

  He looked familiar…Her heart stopped. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t still be here after, what, ten years? No, he’d gone back to college when that summer ended. Just as she had.

  Gone back to college and had never called her like he’d promised.

  Closing her eyes, she forced the image of Matt Brashiers out of her head. Maybe she should have picked a different resort. One without so many memories.

  Focusing again on the beach, she saw the man in question walking toward her. As he grew closer, his features became clear. Dear God, it was him. There was no denying it.

  Her heart jumped. “Matt?”

  That familiar smile of his grew. “Jen? I thought it was you. I thought I was imagining it. It’s good to see you.”

  “Yeah, you too.” He looked good enough to eat. What she wouldn’t give to nibble on those pecs one more time.

  Stop it.

  He planted the end of his board in the sand a few feet away and sat down beside her. Just as she remembered, his essence filled the space around him, a wild, carefree energy that warmed her and sent goose bumps across her skin at the same time.

  Pushing his hair off his forehead, he asked, “Are you here with friends?”

  “No. I, uh, came alone.”

  “Ah, well. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to catch up while you’re here. How long are you staying?”

  “A week.” Maybe she’d be lucky and he’d be leaving soon. Taking that tempting body with him.

  “Great.” He rolled to his feet showing if anything, he was even more athletic now than he’d been in college. Not really beefy, not in the steroid sense. But enough definition to tell her he worked at it.

  She glanced down at the wedge of pale, soft thigh peering from the opening of her sarong. She looked pasty after a Missouri winter. Heck, she looked pasty year round. At least she went to yoga classes regularly enough that she could still wear the bikini she’d worn ten years ago when she met him.

  Matt’s smile was friendly. “I have to run, but I’ll call your room later and see if we can hook up.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Biting back a small groan, she watched his tight ass as he walked away.

  Hook up? Was he kidding? Like she would consider hooking up after what he’d done. More directly, what he hadn’t done. Or did I’ll call mean something different in California-speak than in Missouri?

  Had she come here hoping to run into him? No, she always figured he’d stayed in San Francisco or gone to New York. Followed the money. He’d been studying finance in college. As far as she knew, no one traded stocks or whatever from the beach in Maui.

  She would never have figured him for the beach bum type. He was too young for a midlife crisis. Her curiosity grew the more she pondered. He had a lot of story to tell.

  ~*~

  Canned Hawaiian music filtered through the speakers above the dining patio as Matt walked toward where Jen sat at a small table. In her hand she held a computer tablet. With amazing coordination, or much practice, she managed to eat her salad without looking away from the gadget.

  With her thick, curly brown hair loose past her shoulders, she looked like she hadn’t aged since he saw her last. She was even more beautiful, though. Memories stirred and he glanced past the tables at the edge of the clearing. His groin tightened remembering her lying beneath him, the two of them hidden in the trees that night, just beyond the clearing. Just a pair of horny college students intent on sharing a moment of bliss.

  And what a moment it had been. The way she’d touched him had fed his fantasies for years afterward. Her firm, ripe breasts. Those slender legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper inside. Her cries as her passion grew. Damn, he could still hear the sound in his head. Shaking off the erotic vision, he stopped at Jen’s table. “Is this seat taken?”

  Jen jumped, flipping her tablet into her salad. Glancing up, she smiled. “Um, no, it’s not,” she said as she wiped dressing off the device.

  Matt signaled the server and ordered a light meal of fish and vegetables. His eyes swept over her as he sipped from his glass of water. “I still can’t get over seeing you.”

  Pushing aside her salad plate, she took a deep breath. “I’m a bit surprised, too. How long are you here?”

  Tipping his head slightly, he said, “I live here now.”

  “Still doing the water sports thing?”

  “Yeah. I discovered I couldn’t stay out of the ocean.”

  She studied him silently, her lips turned up just at the corners. He saw nothing in her expression to tell him her true feelings about seeing him after so long. If she was free to renew their passion or if she had a man waiting for her back on the mainland.

  Leaning back so the server could set down his salad, he asked, “Are you still in Missouri?”

  “Yes, still living in the county I was born in, isn’t that sad?”

  “No.” He waite
d until she picked her fork up again, then lifted his own. “You always had a strong sense of family. I’m guessing you’ve got a houseful of kids, a dog and a position in the Parent Teacher Association.”

  “No. Not yet. Maybe not ever.” Her eyes welled and she looked up at the thatched roof over the patio. Blinking, drawing in a breath, she continued. “I’m newly divorced.”

  She sipped her drink and turned her head toward the beach. Her pain was obvious in the tension lines on her forehead.

  “I’m sorry. That’s hard to go through no matter what the situation is.” He dug into his meal, grateful for the distraction, hoping he hadn’t shut her down completely.

  “The resort hasn’t changed much in ten years.” Her tone was light, polite, not giving her emotions away.

  “No, although the staff has either been promoted or they moved on to other jobs.”

  They continued the conversation of strangers, like classmates at a reunion. In his mind she was the lover he’d kissed goodbye just hours ago. But reality had taken them down separate paths.

  How do I bring those paths back together?

  When their server asked, Jen turned down dessert, and the young man brought their checks, which Matt quickly picked up. “My treat.”

  Nothing in her smile said this was anything more than a business meal. To him the time meant so much more. It was a beginning. Whether she knew it or not, she came here for a reason. “Would you like to walk down on the beach with me?”

  Her eyelids fluttered and she reached for her purse, tucking the tablet safely inside. “I hate to be rude, but I think the flight and the sun have worn me down. I wish I could stay and catch up on life, but I’m going to go lie down. Perhaps we’ll run into each other tomorrow.”

  I’ll make sure of it. He watched the gentle sway of Jen’s skirt as she walked away. The lightweight fabric draped off her heart-shaped ass. Her tank top hugged a waist that didn’t appear to have gained an inch since college.

  Grinning like an idiot, he signed the meal tickets and handed them to the hostess as he left. Jen was single. Single, and even more beautiful than the memories he’d clung to even after he knew he’d lost his chance at her.

  How often does a guy get a second chance at his first love?

  A week. He had a week to remind her of what they shared. A week to convince her they belonged together.

  There was no way on this earth he was letting her leave without a promise of coming back. And unlike that summer they shared, he wasn’t waiting until the last night to make his move.

  ~*~

  Shortly after she woke the next morning, Jen answered a knock at the door. The hotel porter handed her a delicate glass vase with an orchid, a small card dangling from a pink ribbon tied just below the lip of the vase. She set the flower on the small table near the door, dug out her wallet and tipped the man.

  Turning back to the orchid, she didn’t need to read the card to know who sent the vase. Who else knew she was there? Who else even knew she existed?

  With a loud snort she berated herself for sounding so pitiful. She’d been on her own for just over six months. If no one knew she existed, it might be due to her being holed up in her house all that time.

  She slipped the card out of its envelope. Good morning, beautiful! Call me when you get this.

  He’d signed simply with his name and phone number. Hardly the romantic overture she’d been hoping for. But what did she think he’d say? I’m an ass for never calling you. I realize my mistake and never want to let you out of my sight.

  Yeah, right. Only in her romance novels. Still, he’d sent a flower when he could have just called her room. She picked up her cell phone and dialed.

  His voice held a smile as he answered. “Did you sleep well?”

  Jen’s throat suddenly went thick, like she’d just wakened next to him. “Yes, surprisingly well. I needed it.”

  “That’s good. I’m not sure what your plans are for the day, but I thought you might like to hike the trail to the waterfall. The short hike, if you prefer.”

  She sighed. That’s what she got for scheduling activities over the Internet when she booked the hotel. “I’m going on a helicopter tour. I booked a few tourist-type activities that I never got around to doing while I worked here.”

  “Oh, I see. Maybe we’ll run into each other during the day, then.”

  “Yes, I’m sure I’ll see you at some point.” The old Jen might have skipped the tour just to be with him, but she wasn’t that girl anymore. Not that she wouldn’t prefer spending time with him. Her life was planned out now, centered on her goals. Not a man.

  No matter how amazingly, heart-stoppingly hot he was.

  He seemed in a hurry to get off the phone after that, rushing through trite polite-isms before hanging up. She set the phone down with a shrug and headed for the shower.

  A few hours later, Jen got out of the shuttle van and checked in with the helicopter tour desk. She was directed toward a copter where a couple of men stood talking. A friendly, pimple-faced young man helped her into the rear seating area and demonstrated how to buckle herself in.

  As she adjusted her seat belt, she was aware of someone slipping into the seat beside her. A familiar, whiskey-smooth voice spoke. “Beautiful morning for a flight over the island, isn’t it?”

  She snapped her gaze up to meet Matt’s. “What are you doing here?”

  Ducking his head, he gazed past her out the window toward the center of the island. “I haven’t seen the mountains from above in a few years.”

  “I was asleep when I flew in so I missed seeing them from the plane.”

  The pilot and a young man climbed in front, while someone handed headsets to Matt through the door. He showed her how adjust the volume as she placed the earpieces over her ears.

  Jen clutched her purse as the rotors began spinning. Matt placed his hand on her forearm. “Ready for liftoff. Did you bring your camera?”

  “Oh, I forgot.” She opened her bag and dug out the flat digital camera she’d bought just for the trip, and pushed the power button. Grateful for the distraction, she pointed it out the window and took some test photos.

  Lowering the camera, she leaned toward the glass, her lips parting in a silent gasp. The ground dropped away beneath them, her stomach briefly following. She felt Matt’s warmth before she saw his arm reach past her to brace against the base of the window. He brushed her shoulder and she fought the urge to rest her arm on his biceps.

  She continued to watch the scenery, pretending not to notice the tingling in her veins brought on by his nearness. Only in her mind had years gone past since their summer together. Her body recognized and remembered him and craved his touch.

  Below them, the green valley came to a sharp point, where a narrow waterfall spilled into a pool at the base. Jen gasped at the beauty.

  As the helicopter leveled, Matt didn’t shift away after the turn pushed him against her. “An incredible view, isn’t it?”

  “It’s…breathtaking.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I was going to say awesome. Funny, I come back to Maui and lose my grown-up vocabulary.”

  “Hey, that’s a good thing, going back to a more innocent time.”

  Immediately pain stabbed her stomach. Damn, how long must she suffer before the ache faded? Before she quit picturing her husband’s arm around his pregnant girlfriend. She closed her eyes and prayed for peace of mind.

  Matt’s hand came to rest on her knee and gently squeezed. “Look, there’s the Iao Needle. Remember when a bunch of us took a road trip tour?”

  “I do.” She met his gaze. “That was the first time I was in the mountains. Surprising, huh? Not just these mountains—any mountains. We didn’t travel much when I was a kid.”

  “We can come back to this spot by car and hike. The trail is pretty easy and it’s not to be missed.”

  Those were fighting words. She grinned. “Pretty easy? Do I look like I can’t get my fat ass up a hill?” Sure, she wasn�
�t anywhere as fit as he was, but she was a long way from being out of shape.

  “I wasn’t sure if you came to relax or get a workout.” He put his hand over the microphone on his headset and spoke directly in her ear, his voice a seductive invitation. “I’d be happy to help with either.”

  Warmth pooled low inside her. Jen bit her lip before turning back to the scenery. The pilot continued to point out items of interest. Swinging out over the ocean, he said, “Shall we see if there are whales or dolphins around?”

  She nudged Matt’s arm. “You know, that summer I spent here, I never saw a whale.”

  “I don’t think whales were high on our priority list back then.”

  Remembering where her head was much of that summer, her face grew hot. The other girls seemed to be sampling each of the guys, bouncing from bed to bed. Or dick to dick, since they usually had sex out under the trees or in the back of a car. Her eyes had been on one man—the one beside her now.

  He’d been her best friend, with the emphasis on friend for so long she’d decided he wasn’t interested in her as anything more. At the party on their last night on the island, she’d sought him out, practically demanding he make love to her. What had he thought of her after that night?

  She’d believed him the next day when he said he wanted to get together over the holidays. Hinted that they had a future, or a chance at one. He’d kissed her goodbye as she left for the airport.

  And then not a word. Ten years of no phone calls. No texts. No looking her up on social media. Months passed before she was able to write him off as a vacation romance. But she’d never been able to erase the spot where he’d etched his name on her heart.

  After the helicopter landed and they disembarked, Jen searched for the man from the shuttle van, her ride to the hotel.

  Matt’s arm pressed against her back just before he spoke. “Would you like to join me at the luau tonight?”

  Visions flashed through her mind of him dancing in tropical-print shorts beside the other young men they had worked with. But this time he’d join her in the audience. What was Hawaii without a luau? “That sounds like fun.”