Page 21 of His Hawaiian Heart (Stateside Doms #26)
There had been, but it was no longer relevant as far as I was concerned. But, she didn’t need to know that. “You never asked,” I said instead.
Her gaze flicked over me, to the car, then back to me. “Oh, goodie, I do love games. If I can guess your name in the first try, what do I get as a prize?”
I wasn’t some mark who’d never been goaded into playing games only to find out the deck had been stacked. But I’d learned how to avoid a shell game. “Did anyone else tell you?” I asked.
“Nope, that would be unfair. And I might like to play dirty games, but I would never take advantage of anyone.”
Well, she pretty much had me at “dirty games” soooo, what choice did I have but to say, “How about you choose whatever prize you’d like?”
That smile alone had me wanting to lay the world at her boot-clad feet, but when she stepped closer and ran her fingernails up my chest, I knew that whatever name she came up with, I’d gladly claim as my own.
“I’ll do you one better,” she said, her fingers now playing with a button on my shirt. “You’re not a chauffeur, and you’re not employed by my friend, Harriett. In fact, I’m betting the only person you willingly drive around is that same friend who is your grannie?—”
“Grammy,” I corrected automatically.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Blackwell.”
I dropped an arm around her and yanked her closer.
“The pleasure is all mine, Dr. Laughlin.” My other hand moved behind her with the intention of wrapping my fingers around her neck to hold her as I kissed her, but instead of the smooth fabric of her dress or the silkiness of her skin, my hand encountered canvas.
“Strange choice of accessories, babygirl, but I don’t think you’ll be needing this. ”
“That depends,” she said, giving a slight wiggle that had my cock twitch.
“On?”
“Well, I won the game so I’ll be choosing my prize in a bit. But I do believe in sharing the bounty, so it’s your turn to choose.”
“Between?”
She pulled back further and shrugged her backpack off only to hand it to me, not by the strap but by plopping the bag against my chest and stating, “Hold, please.”
“Certainly.”
She unzipped the largest portion of the bag and said, “Oh, and close your eyes.”
Remembering her earlier disclosure, I said, “Is this where you pull out a pair of handcuffs and slap them on me?”
“Now, Samuel, I’m surprised. I’d think you’d have realized by now that isn’t the role I prefer to play.” She smiled and added, “That’s not to say I don’t appreciate a good pair of cuffs, though if expected to wear them too long, I would prefer they have a bit of padding.”
“Duly noted,” I said and meant exactly that.
“Thanks, now, close your eyes.”
I had to chuckle. “For someone who prefers the role of submissive, you are sounding quite a bit bossy.”
“Just add that to my tally. For now, would you please just trust me and close your eyes!”
I didn’t answer. Didn’t tell her that doing so was a far harder task than simply trusting her. I just shut my eyes.
“Thank you. Don’t open them until I say, okay?”
“Okay.”
Other than feeling her rummaging in the backpack, I heard nothing to clue me in on what she was doing.
I didn’t know how long I stood there, but it was long enough to have a far better appreciation of how a sub felt after I’d pulled a blindfold over her eyes.
Another bout of rummaging in the pack was followed by the sound of the zipper being pulled closed.
After that, I felt nothing, heard nothing.
Trust me .
Asking so much yet having no clue of what that was costing me.
The last woman I’d truly trusted had been Candace.
I’d known something was up the night Kekoa sat me down and informed me that not only was Candace lying to me about committing to what I’d believed to be an exclusive relationship, she’d been bragging to other women that she’d be making a lot of changes once she had my ring on her finger.
It was time for the filthy cows to go away and multi-million dollar homes to go up.
When I’d asked her about why she’d lied to me, she’d told me Kekoa was the liar which was all I’d needed to hear.
I’d walked away without a backward glance, and though she attempted to ruin my reputation on the island, I had never been a man ashamed of how I lived my life and merely continued doing so.
Eventually, the rumors stopped, but I’d sworn never to be so blind again.
Yet, for the first time since that trust had been shattered by Candace, I was willing to pay whatever price was required to prove to Samantha that she could trust me to trust her.
“Okay, you can open your eyes.”
I did so and nothing I’d imagined had prepared me for what I saw.
Samantha was no longer standing in front of me.
In fact, she was no longer standing. She was seated on the hood of the Range Rover, leaning back on her elbows, her legs crossed and one foot was swinging.
And that foot, well, it was no longer clad in a boot.
Instead, an emerald-green stiletto encased her toes and her heel.
“Well? What’s your choice?” she asked as she slowly uncrossed her legs only to recross them with her other foot taking its turn to swing, the hiking boot concealing her entire foot and a great portion of her ankle as well.
I walked to the car and slid my hands up her legs and slowly and deliberately uncrossed them. Then, I slid my hands down to take a foot in each one and smiled up at her, lifting first one and then the other. “Mango papaya.”
Her nose crinkled and she tilted her head. “I’d wonder if you were making fun of me, Mr. Blackwell, but I know you’d never do that.”
“Oh?” I said, quirking my brow. “What else do you think you know about me, Doctor Laughlin?”
She sat up only to lean forward and wrap her arms around my neck. “I know you act tough but you’ve got a great heart. I know you’re willing to spend an entire day with me pretending to like bugs, but would far rather be doing something else?—”
“You’re not so smart after all. I actually did enjoy every moment of the time I spent with you yesterday?—”
“Buuutt?” She drew the word out, that sexy smile doing things to my insides not another woman ever had.
“But, there are indeed other things I’m looking forward to doing with you and doing to you.”
“Then I suggest you pick a fruit and let’s get this show on the road. Unless, of course, one of those things on your kink list is exhibitionism?”
“I plead the fifth, until after dinner at the very least.”
“How about we skip dinner and go straight to play?”
I smiled and shook my head. “You know why.”
“You’re worried about Cookie. How is it that we are mature, intelligent adults but the mere thought of disappointing Papa Cookie has us shaking in our boots?”
I chuckled. “Because neither of us is the type of person who makes promises with the intention of breaking them.”
Her deep sigh would have been more believable if it hadn’t been accompanied by an enigmatic smile. “When you’re right, you’re right.”
“Good thing for you to remember.” I ran my hands down her legs again. “And as much as I think you rock those boots, I’d have to be absolutely insane to let you off the hood of this car wearing anything but those amazing flip-flops.”
Her face went blank for a moment and then she started laughing at my reminder of her claim that first night we’d hiked into the camp. Getting herself under control, she smiled and softly said, “Just the flip-flops?”
“God, you’re going to be the death of me, babygirl.”
Laughter filled the air again as I bent in order to untie her boot and slide it off.
Tucking the boot into the backpack, I retrieved the second heel.
As she slipped her toes into it, I ran my nail along the sole of her foot and enjoyed the shiver she couldn’t contain as I finally snugged the heel of the shoe against her own before bending to kiss the top of her foot.
“Now that my choice has been made, how about yours? Do you want to choose where we eat?”
“I don’t care where or what we eat, Sam. I just care that we do it together. As for my choice of prize? I think I’ll keep that to myself for a tad bit longer if that’s okay?”
“Yes, babygirl, that’s perfectly okay.”
With that and her wardrobe taken care of, I picked her off the hood and deposited her in the passenger seat, tossed the backpack into the backseat, climbed behind the wheel and started the car.
I knew that if I did indeed pull into a drive-thru, she’d not bat an eye, but I had other ideas.
I’d asked her to let me show her my island, and I was a man of my word.