Pleasure in Hawaii (Kimani Romance) (16 page)

“Do you love him more than your job?”
Sloane recalled the direct question Gail had asked her. It was like comparing apples and oranges in many respects, as they were separate aspects of her life. Yet when it came right down to it, there was no doubt in Sloane’s mind that her love for Gene trumped anything else, including working at the Island Shores. She couldn’t deny it. Not the way her heart raced when he kissed her, made love to her, or even looked at her in a certain way.

But did that mean he had the right to ask her to quit her job and its security without any indication he was willing to put a ring on her finger? What if, heaven forbid, things didn’t work out and she was left without the man and employment? The thought of Gene not being in her life made Sloane incredibly sad. Just as the thought of becoming Mrs. Malloy to pamper and spoil her man filled her with glee.

“Are you with us, Sloane?” She heard Alan’s voice cut into her thoughts.

Sloane blinked and realized all eyes were on her. She quickly recovered, having kept up with the gist of the conversation. “Yes, I am,” she said evenly.

“So what’s your opinion?”

“I definitely think we should incorporate tour-guided trips to Hana into our premier guest services, with stops at Wailua Falls and Hamoa Beach a must!”

“I agree,” Alan said. “Let’s do it.”

Sloane offered him a contented smile before again allowing her thoughts to drift off to Gene and what he had come to mean to her above and beyond the rewarding experience of working for the Island Shores.

That afternoon, Sloane had lunch with Kendra at an outdoor café in Kihei for some girl talk about the issues swirling in her head.

“You’re kidding!” Kendra’s eyes grew wide. “Gene actually asked you to quit your job?”

“More or less,” Sloane responded, grabbing an onion ring.

“To move in with him and run the bed-and-breakfast?”

“Yes,” Sloane reiterated.

“Wow.” Kendra picked at steamed king crab legs. “And you turned him down?”

“I really wasn’t sure what to say, since he caught me off guard. I told him it was unfair to ask me to do that.” Sloane sighed. “At the time, I spoke with my head and not my heart.”

“And I think he was speaking with his heart and not his head,” Kendra said. “Which is a good thing, except it wasn’t playing fair, even if he asked you for all the right reasons.”

“I’m happy with my job, but I don’t want to lose Gene because of it.”

Kendra put down her fork. “You won’t. Gene’s smart enough to know a good thing when he has it.”

Sloane rolled her eyes. “Right. Is that why I haven’t heard a peep from him since he walked out of my condo a week ago?”

“I take it that means you haven’t reached out either,” Kendra surmised.

“I’ve wanted to a thousand times,” Sloane confessed. “But I didn’t want to say the wrong thing.”

“I’m sure he feels the same way and that’s why he hasn’t picked up the phone. There is no wrong way to talk things through. But someone has to make the first move.” Kendra met her gaze. “Maybe that someone should be you. Be the bigger person and get what you want—him.”

“I do want him,” Sloane uttered dreamily. She felt like she was suffocating without him around. She missed his touch, his smell, and the captivating sound of his voice.

“Then do something about it, short of giving up your career,” Kendra said firmly. “After all, Gene’s bed-and-breakfast was his vision, not yours. You’re entitled to have your own separate career and still keep the relationship going strong.”

“I want more than just to keep it going,” Sloane said with a catch to her voice. “I’d really like to go the whole nine yards with him for the first time in my life.”

Kendra’s head snapped back. “You mean marriage?”

“Yes, I’m at that stage of my life—or relationship—where I want a ring, and I want him to put it there.” She paused. “I’m just not sure he feels the same way.”

“Maybe he doesn’t think you’re ready for marriage,” Kendra suggested.

“He wouldn’t know for sure unless he asked me,” Sloane said, looking down at her sautéed scallions and tomato salsa. “But he wouldn’t go down that road if marriage wasn’t in the cards for him.”

Kendra’s brow creased. “So he’s been married before. Big deal. Doesn’t mean his mind is closed to ever marrying again. Not if someone like you came into his life and was open to the possibility and he was aware of it.”

Sloane had to admit that both she and Gene had been vague on their thoughts about marriage. Had she given him the impression that it was totally off the table for her? Or was it the other way around? Did it matter at this point?

“I don’t want to put any pressure on him,” she stated.

Kendra laughed. “Right, like he hasn’t put any pressure on you lately. I think you deserve to know where he stands and vice versa. It’s the only way you can move forward for better or worse…in sickness or in health—”

Sloane couldn’t help but grin at Kendra’s clever words. She was nervous about what Gene might want out of their relationship beyond a live-in lover. Even if marriage was out of the question, maybe living together could work out as a way to remain a couple seriously committed to one another. Keeping her job was still important to Sloane, as Alan had shown faith in hiring her. She needed to honor that by not jumping ship prematurely. Surely Gene would understand that if he was half the man she believed him to be.

What if he wasn’t? She needed to know so her love would not continue to go nowhere instead of to someone truly deserving of it.

G
ene placed plates and silverware in the dishwasher and got the kitchen back in order before stepping out into the rock garden for some fresh air. He realized it had been over a week since he’d seen Sloane. He had been hoping she would call, if only to say she missed him as much as he did her. But the phone was dead silent. Why? Had her love for him disappeared so easily, simply because he’d gone out on a limb and asked her something he now acknowledged was stupid? He should never have put her in a position of essentially choosing him or the job. He was doing just fine operating the bed-and-breakfast all by himself. He didn’t need Sloane to partner up with him professionally or move into his house to make it complete. That wouldn’t make him love her any more than he already did.

Sloane deserved the career she had worked hard for without him making her feel she was being selfish and not taking his needs into consideration. All he needed was her, pure and simple. And not just as his lover and a woman he loved being around.

Gene realized in a moment of clarity that what he wanted most was to make Sloane his wife. He loved her more than he could ever have thought possible. She had all the right ingredients to be his wife: beauty, brains, charm, sex appeal, common interests, humor and, yes, even independence. He was sure they could have a wonderful life together in a marriage built on love, trust and devotion. The onus was on him to do the right thing and convey these feelings to her. Hopefully it wasn’t too late.

Would Sloane agree and be willing to put aside her hesitancy about tying the knot for fear of it interfering with her career aspirations? Would she reject his proposal as just another way for him to control her or try to push her into helping him run the bed-and-breakfast?

I can’t let fear of failure stop me from opening my heart and soul to her. I hope she’ll be able to see the sincerity in my eyes.

Gene took out his cell phone. He considered calling Sloane right then and there, but hesitated for fear that she might not want to talk to him given the difficult position he’d put her in and his childish behavior when they last saw each other. He had a much better idea to put himself out there and try to make amends in the best way he saw possible.

Sloane was a bundle of nerves as she stepped up to the front door of Malloy’s Bed and Breakfast. She had swallowed her pride and was willing to make the first move in showing Gene how much she loved him and that she was more than willing to meet him halfway. Would agreeing to move in with him be enough to keep their relationship going strong?

Sloane stepped inside the house and could feel its warmth and allure all around her. She envisioned how she might put her own stamp on the place to truly become a part of it as Gene’s live-in lover, even if she would have little to no role in the bed-and-breakfast side of things.

“Aloha.” Sloane heard the voice and turned to see Dayna smiling at her.

Sloane smiled back at the woman whom Gene seemed so appreciative of for her contribution in helping to keep the B&B running smoothly. “Aloha, Dayna.”

“You must be looking for Gene.”

Sloane nodded. “Yes. Is he here?”

Dayna shook her head. “Afraid not. He had an errand to run.”

“I see.”
Now what? Do I wait for him to return?

“I’m not sure when he’ll be back,” Dayna said. “But I’ll tell him you dropped by.”

“Mahalo,” Sloane said, hiding her disappointment. She wanted to talk to Gene face to face rather than by phone.

Dayna surprised Sloane by taking her hand. “Gene loves you,” she said gently. “Whatever is causing the strain on your relationship, just know that his heart is pure and his intentions honorable.”

“I appreciate that.” Sloane wanted to believe every word, but still needed to hear it from Gene.

“Don’t give up on him,” Dayna said, patting her hand. “After his divorce, Gene was a lost soul when it came to romance and connecting with someone who was truly his match. But you opened his eyes and helped him find love again and the possibilities it could bring to his life and yours. Go home and wait for him. He will make certain you don’t regret it.”

Sloane felt moved to give her a hug as she held back tears. “Thank you,” she whispered. Her thoughts were on Gene and where they might go from here.

When Sloane arrived at her condo, she found Gene standing there. She could barely hide her surprise. He had a serious look on his handsome face and gave her the benefit of a steady gaze with those deep gray-brown eyes.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.” She looked at him, feeling her heart beating rapidly. “I just came from your place.”

“I know. Dayna told me.”

“She never said you were—”

“I didn’t tell her exactly where I was going,” Gene said. He moved his arm from behind his back to reveal a dozen roses. “These are for you.”

Sloane took them and bent down to smell the fragrant flowers. She had been so focused on him that she’d missed what he was hiding behind his back. “They’re lovely. Thank you.”

A smile formed on his lips. “It’s just my way of saying I’m sorry.”

Was he? Could they get past it now and move on? She smiled at him hopefully. “So am I.” More than he knew. She hadn’t wanted anything to come between them.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Gene insisted. “It’s all on me. I was wrong to put that kind of pressure on you, and I don’t want it to hang over us.”

Neither did Sloane. Not when he meant so much to her. She looked at him and felt a sigh of relief. She realized they were still standing outside her door. “Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, I’d love to,” he said eagerly.

Inside, Sloane set the roses down. She loved roses and it meant a lot to get them from Gene. But they still had to deal with the issue that had nearly ruined their relationship. She hoped that her remedy would work for him and everything else would fall back into place.

“Would you like a drink?” she offered.

He stood tall. “Maybe later. Right now, I’d like to talk to you.”

Sloane nodded. “Okay. But first, there’s something I want to say.”

“I’m listening…”

She sucked in a deep breath and forced herself not to avert her eyes. “I’ve been thinking about what you said and, if the offer still stands, I’d like to move in with you. Not as your business partner, but as your woman. I love you, Gene, and want us to have a life together.”

Gene held her gaze in silence, causing Sloane’s pulse to race with uneasiness. Would he balk at her suggestion?

“I want that, too,” he said coolly. “I accept your offer to live with me, but it comes with a caveat—”

She locked eyes with him. “What’s that?”

Gene paused, staring into her beautiful dark eyes. “I want you to marry me,” he said unwaveringly.

Sloane had to digest the words. “You’re proposing…”

A grin lifted his cheeks. He took a box out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Open it.”

She opened the box and saw a glittering three-stone diamond ring. Dazzled by it, Sloane was practically frozen in place as Gene removed the ring from the box. He took her hand, fell to one knee and put the ring on her finger. She gazed down at him, shaking.

“Will you please marry me, Sloane?” he said. “I know I messed up before, but now I know what truly would make me the happiest man on Maui and probably the whole world. That’s you, Sloane. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together discovering different ways to fulfill one another. I don’t give a damn if you work at the Island Shores from now on, and that’s the truth. The bed-and-breakfast can continue to function fine as is. I just want you as my wife, lover and best friend.” He paused, looking up into her eyes. “Say yes…”

Sloane put her quivering hand up to her mouth in absolute bliss. Her dream had come true in a few incredible moments that she would remember for the rest of her life. A life she now had someone to share with as husband and wife.

“Yes, Gene Malloy,” she cried. “I will marry you.”

“Mahalo, darling.” His face brightened. “We’ll be so good for each other.”

“I agree wholeheartedly.” Sloane grinned and her eyes glistened with tears of joy. “You can get up now and kiss me like you mean it.”

Gene rose to his feet. He put his arms around her waist, drawing her oh so near. “I can do that and show you without a shadow of a doubt that I meant every word I said.”

Sloane melted into his arms and absorbed the powerful kiss that took control of her mind, body and, most of all, her heart.