Hawaiian Holiday: Destination Desire, Book 2 Read Free Page B

a dozen erotic possibilities paraded through his mind. His cock began to harden and he forced himself to shut down that line of thought before he embarrassed himself in public.
    A faint flush rose to her cheeks, and she licked her lips. “I didn’t mean that in a sexual way.”
    “That’s a shame.” Winking at her, he strolled on to the next serving station. Settle down, Lukas. He swerved in and out of other diners to fill his plate and then wandered back to the table to find Julie was already there, sipping her lemonade.
    When he sat down, she leaned back in her chair and studied him for a moment. He arched an eyebrow. “What? I haven’t eaten anything yet, so there’s no food on my face.”
    She tilted her head, and the smooth bell of her hair brushed against her shoulder. “No, but you have a slight accent and I can’t figure out where you’re from originally.”
    He stabbed a bite of ham from his plate. “Berlin, though I went to university in Heidelberg.”
    “That’s where you became Dr. Klein?” She set down her drink and popped a cherry tomato from her salad into her mouth.
    It took him a moment to answer because his gaze locked on the slow movement of her lips, the way her tongue darted out to catch a drop of dressing that had been on the tomato. The innocent gesture became sensual, and lust tightened his insides. He’d like her lips and tongue sliding over his skin in a far more intimate setting. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to her question. “ Nein , that’s where I got what you’d call a Master’s degree in the U.S. My doctorate is from Harvard.”
    Her eyebrows winged upward. “Impressive.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Is that where you work now? Harvard?”
    “Stanford, actually. So, like you, I’m not that far from San Francisco. Though the Bay Area covers quite a bit of territory.” Which meant they might not live that close to each other, but they could also be next-door neighbors. The last prospect sounded far better than the first, and he knew it shouldn’t. He’d been burned too badly in his last relationship to wish for another. Ever.
    “I’m in Half Moon Bay, so it’s—what—a half an hour drive to Palo Alto?” Something flashed in her gaze, and he had a feeling she was wondering if they might end up making that drive in the future. He refused to admit that he might have considered the possibility for a split second himself. Too soon to be thinking that way. Too soon and too dangerous for his peace of mind. A short tropical affair was all he’d be willing to pursue.
    They both reached for the salt shaker at the same time and their fingers tangled. Neither of them pulled back, their gazes locking. Just that quickly, hot chemistry sizzled between them. He drew her hand slowly to his mouth, turned it over to brush his lips over her palm and bit down lightly on the base of her thumb. Raw want flashed across her expressive face. Answering need fisted in his gut, sent lava boiling through his veins. His cock went rigid, chafing against his fly. And that was when he knew without any doubts that this week was going to end with some serious mattress time. Bam. No more just hoping. He knew . The attraction was too powerful to resist.
    “I want you.” He said it bluntly, but pitched his voice low enough so that no one could overhear. “I have since the minute I saw you. I’m telling you to make sure we’re on the same page. If this is just a little harmless flirtation, that’s fine, but I’d like more. The naked, sweaty kind of more. If you’re not interested in that, let me know now.”
    She drew in a sharp breath that lifted her breasts against the front of her blouse. His gaze zeroed in on them, and he noticed that her nipples were hard points. He wanted to suck them. She tugged her hand from his grip and crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes. “Clearly, I’m interested. Not…right this second, since we just met a few hours ago, but…I’d be