The Holiday Read Free

twist of her lips.
    Lips he would have given a
bullock to kiss. One of his previous girlfriends had claimed he was a stingy
kisser. Truth of the matter was he loved to kiss—he just hadn't loved to
kiss that woman. She'd had an abiding love of onions that he couldn't work
around.
    However, he firmly believed he
could spend a lifetime kissing Leilani, given the chance.
    But they were leaving—he
glanced at his watch—in three hours. Maui was a bit far for a
long-distance relationship. No point in torturing himself further. "Mel,
we should head to the airport."
    "Leilani, I'll be in
touch." Mel slipped her arm through his and led him outside.
    "That sounded like a
threat," he said as he led her to their waiting car.
    "A promise, and I had to make
up for your stumbling. Really, love." She shook her head as she gracefully
slid through the car door the driver held open. She claimed her grace came from
years of enforced dance lessons, but he knew it was intrinsic to her. Mel was
fabulous all around.
    They'd gone out on all of one
date before she showed up at his apartment with a bottle of champagne in hand,
not to seduce him but to tell him they'd be nothing but the best of friends.
It'd been a relief, really. He loved Mel, but she was a bit much for him.
    Now she faced him, her blue eyes
wide with disbelief. "Whatever were you thinking in there?"
    He raked his hair off his
forehead. "I wasn't. That was the problem. All the blood flowed out of my
brain the moment I saw her."
    "That's unlike you."
    "It is." He usually
approached relationships with the same precision he approached business
transactions: he did his research, interviewed the woman, and then made an
offer that she hopefully couldn't refuse. With Leilani, he'd wanted to throw
caution to the wind and just kiss her.
    "Interesting." Mel
tapped a manicured finger to her bowed lips.
    "Why am I starting to feel
like you're putting together one of your infamous schemes?"
    "Perhaps because I am,
love." She grinned impishly, patting his knee. "Don't worry yourself.
You'll approve."
    "Does it involve
Leilani?" Even her name tasted delicious on his tongue.
    "Of course it does."
Mel studied him. "I'm not mistaken in thinking you were taken with her, am
I?"
    "Taken is such a mild
word."
    She patted his knee again.
"Leave it to me, love. I'll work something out."
    "If she wants it. She may
not find me attractive."
    Mel's husky laugh filled the car.
"I think we can safely say she found you attractive. You two positively
flashed sparks."
    That wasn't an exaggeration.
    "She was definitely
disappointed to find out you were my boyfriend."
    "What?" Frowning, he
faced her.
    Mel nodded, a sly smile on her
face. "You were the one who put your arm around me, love, not the other
way around."
    He groaned, thumping his
forehead.
    "Don't worry." Mel
pulled out her ever-present phone. "This can only work to our
advantage."
    He wasn't sure how that could be,
but if Mel said so then it was true. When Mel set her sights on something, it
was a done deal.
    He shifted in his seat, thinking
about the fall of Leilani's hair and how it'd feel in his hands, and caressing
his body. "Perhaps you can get on that right away," he said mildly to
his best friend.
    She didn't look up from her
phone. "Already on it, love."

     
Chapter Three
     
     
    One foot out of the door, more
than ready to end the long day, Leilani almost didn't answer the phone. Pausing
with the key in the lock, she looked over her shoulder at the desk as it rang
for a second time.
    She should answer it. Hurrying,
she grabbed the receiver before it switched over to voicemail. "Wakida
Gallery, Leilani Wakida speaking."
    "Leilani, this is Mel
King," a British voice purred over the line. "We met several days
ago."
    "Of course." She set
her purse down and reached for a pen and pad. "How was your trip home?"
    "Long. Fortunately the plane
was stocked with plenty of vodka. Poor Colin deserves a medal for putting up
with me."
    At the mention of Colin,