Her heart thudded in response. Was she? Holding her breath, she waited.
“Ready for… I mean, are you hungry?”
“Oh, my gosh.” She fell against him, giggling with relief.
“What’s so funny about that?” he asked, laughing along with her.
“Nothing,” she replied. “But yes, yes I am.”
Sailor ran a hand through his hair. “I know a good sushi place nearby. Want to go there?”
Maileah nodded, still laughing. “But first, I have an idea. Would you mind filming a quick video clip for me?”
Sailor raised an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”
“Just a short message asking people to listen to your dad’s new song. If we add it to the recording, it might help it gain traction online. You can sit on that same rock.”
“Sounds great.” Sailor ran a hair through his hair, leaving it sort of spiked—a good look for him. “Ready when you are.”
Maileah lifted her phone and started recording.
“Hi, I’m Sailor,” he began easily. “My dad wrote an awesome song to support a charity for injured surfers and athletes on Crown Island. He’s pretty good, even though he runs a bike shop and only plays locally. I’ve always thought he missed his true calling. Anyway, if you like it, please give it a thumbs-up and share it. Your support means a lot to the folks we’re trying to help, and it would surprise my dad, too. Take it easy, andmahalo.”
Extending his thumb and little finger and folding the rest of his fingers, he wagged his hand in the friendly shaka sign rooted in a Hawaiian sugar mill accident a century ago. Surfers adopted the sign, too; it meant hang loose, gratitude, and goodwill.
“That’s a wrap,” Maileah said. “Natural and heartfelt.”
She sat next to him on the rock to show him the playback. The clip captured what she’d hoped—his genuine enthusiasm and sincere call to action.
“Oh, Sailor, it’s perfect.” She hugged him again, the movement feeling more natural each time.
Yet, tension had been building between them, and their embrace felt different this time. With her desire for him crystallizing, she leaned in, drawn by an irresistible force.
This time, she didn’t hesitate or second-guess. Her lips met Sailor’s in a kiss that thrilled her to her toes.
She hoped he felt the same.
22
Slowly, Sailor pulled back just enough to meet Maileah’s gaze in the half-light of the cave.
Her shimmering green eyes held such genuine emotion his heart raced like he was riding the most enormous wave ever.
In a very real way, he was.
With time suspended, Sailor slid his hand around her neck, deepening their kiss. He lost himself in the softness of her lips until he finally had to catch his breath.
That was saying a lot for a man who had trained himself to hold his breath underwater.
He rested her forehead against hers, marveling at the feeling between them and longing to tell her how he felt about her. “That was worth waiting for.”
She laughed softly. “You just stole my line.”
Sailor traced the line of her jaw, still amazed this was finally happening between them. He had to take a chance. “Ever since you arrived on the island, I’ve been attracted to you. But it’s more than that now.”
“I feel the same way,” Maileah said, her voice barely above a whisper. “There’s something between us, isn’t there?”
A powerful force spread through his chest. Lifting a corner of his mouth, he said, “It’s real. If you’re willing, let’s see where it leads.”
