Chasing Paige (Falling for Words Book 1) Read online

  Good Lord, I’m in heaven.

  Standing, staring at all the lovely things around me, and the massive home, which makes me feel like a Barbie Doll, a tiny, petite, older woman steps out from the doubled door, front entrance. She’s holding a Lei in her hands, and is walking toward me.

  “Aloha, I’m Kala. I’m Mr. Parker’s housekeeper.” She places the beautiful array of purple flowers around my neck.

  “Thank you, it’s very nice to meet you too. I’m Paige.”

  “Yes. Mr. Parker told me. And he wasn’t wrong. You are lovely.” She smiles.

  I can feel myself blushing. “Oh…thank you.”

  “Please, come. I’ll lead you up to your room.”

  I turn around and say goodbye to Kaimana, and thank him for driving me. He was so kind. I hope to meet him again.

  As if the outside wasn’t amazing enough, the inside is ultra-spectacular. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself standing in such a glorious home like I am now. James has money. I mean, there is some serious gravy happening here! Dollar signs are basically dangling from the high beamed ceilings, ceilings that have to be at least five stories tall. It’s almost ridiculous. Although I should feel uncomfortable with the layout of this place, I’m not. It’s all so…James. How could I expect anything less? I had a feeling he was the type who lived in luxury, yet never was cocky about it. He did mention he loved nice things, and loved handmade furniture. The place is filled with craftsmanship. No doubt bought from around the world, or from the island natives themselves.

  The deeper I walk inside the mansion-house, the more I see the extremeness of it. Firstly, the flooring is to die for. Dark, cherry wooden floors cascade throughout the entire house. The light beaming from outside gives the floor a shiny reddish appeal. I love it. To the right of me is the biggest kitchen of all kitchens ever installed. It’s like any chef’s dream to have a kitchen this exaggerated. To the left of me is the sunken living room or great room, something like that, with potted tropical plants displayed all around. Beyond the room is a gigantic window…door? I think it’s a door that opens up like a garage door and stays open without a screen. It brings in the ocean breeze, which is truly amazing. I gaze a long time taking in the enormous space and notice a pool out back, and beyond that the ocean. It feels like I’m on top of the world in my own secluded hideaway. It’s overwhelming to say the least, yet I can’t contain from smiling.

  Eventually, I follow Kala up the winding, wooden staircase and into the guest bedroom. The room is anything but dreary. It’s magnificent. A king size, canopy bed, handmade no doubt, sits against the left side of the room. More potted plants, beautiful, dark wood furniture and the biggest flat screened TV I have ever seen is mounted on the other wall. I doubt I’ll be watching any TV, because the view is enough to keep me entertained. There is a deck with chairs and a table outside the room, with yet another door, type window. It’s open as well and allows the breeze to fly through and blow right through my hair. It’s way windier up here than down stairs, and I can hear the ocean waves. I definitely won’t have any problems going to sleep. The sound of the waves crashing onto the shore is heaven sent.

  “Wow. This is unbelievable!” I exclaim.

  “Yes. Besides the master suite, this room has the best view,” Kala mentions.

  “It’s absolutely breathtaking.” I place my luggage next to the bed and walk outside onto the deck. Far out in the distance, I see another island. “What’s that island over there?”

  “Lanái. The one you see when driving toward Hana is Molokái.” Oh, I’ve heard wonderful things about the road to Hana. I wonder if James will take me up there. “You rest up, while I prepare dinner.”

  “Oh, uh…thank you.” I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until Kala mentioned dinner. I’ve been so excited and nervous, the thought of food never registered.

  Once Kala leaves, I get myself settled. First, I decide to take a shower. To my surprise, the shower has four showerheads and is big enough to fit four or five people. Who needs this much room? I’m not complaining though. It’s one heck of a shower, I could have stayed in it all night. After the long awaited shower, I get dressed in my only sundress, pull my wet hair up in a ponytail, and go out on my deck. I lean against the railing and take in the beautiful scenery. Bringing my phone with me, I take a couple snapshots of the view and send them to Lynn. She immediately responds back with lots of squeals and happy emoji’s. I laugh at her excitement. Due to a day of interviewing a few applicants, she’s too busy to talk, so instead I send a message to James.

  A minute later, he calls me. “I see you’ve made it. What do you think?”

  “There are no words. It’s gorgeous, and beyond anything I have ever dreamed about.”

  “Good. You deserve some paradise.”

  My heart is pounding just from the sound of his voice. He seems to make me weak in the knees at any given moment. Even though I’m all gooey for him, my mind goes back to that one place, once again. Turning my back on the lovely view, I tell him, “This is crazy, James. We barely know one another, and here I am at your home, in Maui.”

  “Like I said, you deserve it.”

  “How would you know that?”

  “Look, you’ve been through a lot. You deserve a mini vacation away from reality. And please, don’t talk about us barely knowing one another. I think we know a lot about the other. Plus, that’s why this getaway is so important. It’s a good chance, without any interruptions, to get to that place. To get to know each other better.”

  I almost want to sink to my knees. He always says the most perfect things to me. Maui, though, is a crazy place to get to know a person better. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I reply with, “Normal people go out on dates.”

  “My life is not a normal one.”

  “You can say that again.” I chuckle.

  “Paige…relax, enjoy your evening.”

  “Don’t worry, I will.” This trip is a dream and I intend to take full advantage of it.

  “Thank you for coming out earlier than planned. It means everything to me.”

  I turn back around to gaze at the gorgeous start of the sunset and smile. “You’re welcome. And thank you for flying me out. You’re a man of many talents.”

  “Remember when I said I wanted to have many firsts with you?”

  “I do, yes,” I almost whisper.

  “Well, this is just another first, of many firsts for us, Paige. I have so much more in store for you, just wait.”

  Weak. In. The. Knees.

  I couldn’t get to the airport fast enough. The second my last signing of the evening was over, I hightailed it and got the hell out of town. My brother knew I was going to Maui, but I didn’t believe he knew I invited Paige to meet me there. I haven’t wanted to tell him anything. He would try to talk me out of it, even though I have clearly told him to stay out of my personal life. Nothing will keep me from seeing Paige. She’s all I think about, crave for. Finally, I’m done with promotions and marketing. Time to wind down and spend it with the woman who has taken over my entire life.

  My driver, Kaimana, picked me up after I landed. At any given hour of any day, Kaimana is there for me. He’s been part of my family since I was a little boy, and would always drive us around whenever we came for a visit. That’s why I feel Maui is my other home. We would come twice a year, at Christmas and summer. It’s a part of who I am. I love it here, and would love to bring my future wife and children here someday.

  It’s around two in the morning when I finally arrive at my home. The house is closed up and quiet when I step inside. I know Paige is in the guest bedroom. Just in case she needed to have her own space, I asked Kala to put her in there. I didn’t want her feeling uncomfortable if we shared a room. I didn’t want to scare her off.

  However, the closer I get to her room, the more I want to be in that bed with her, to hold her all night long. Good God if she doesn’t look ravishing the second I open her bedroom door. The
light from the moon has lit up the room and shines onto her beautiful face. She’s laying on her right side, facing me; closed eyes, one hand underneath her pillow and the other one gripping the blanket above her. Her hair is cascading all over the place, like a blanket of gold. I’m itching to take hold of her hair, wrap it around my hand and take her from behind. It’s unlikely I’ll be doing such a thing, but I can’t help the ache that is eager to explode if I don’t get some relief.

  As I inch my way closer to her, I see not only her bare shoulder, but I see her breasts slowly rising up and down with every breath she’s taking. And with every fiber of my being, I try to gain some self-control, but it’s no use. Paige is my drug. My poison. My rush. I need to have her.

  Pulling my shirt up and off over my head, I watch her every move. She’s sound asleep. Next, I slowly take off my shoes, socks and pants, but keep my boxer briefs intact. Quietly, I slip inside the sheets and gently lie behind her. I place my hand on the lower part of her belly and kiss her lightly on that bare shoulder I was dying to touch with my lips. So soft and cool. Then I move the hair away from the back of her neck and lay another kiss there. She starts to stir.

  Rolling onto her back, she blinks at me a couple times before she says, “James, you’re here.” Her voice is raspy, soft, and dreamlike. So beautiful.

  I stay leaning on my forearm when I drag my thumb down the side of her cheek. “I’m here,” I whisper with a smile.

  Her brows furrow. “What–”

  “Shh.” I place a finger over her lips. “No more talking.” I can’t wait any longer. Those lips are itching for my lips to ravish. “You’re so beautiful.” I bend my face in, and take care of those lips like they’re silk. They’re so luscious and soft, I’ve got to have more. Our tongues finally connect when our mouths slowly open to each other. We both moan the second we touch. It electrifies everything inside of me. She tightens her hand around the back of my head and deepens our kiss, resulting in my need to get on top of her. Cupping her face with my hands, I tell her, “I need to have you, Paige. Let me have you.” The urgency through my words and voice leads her to nod her head in approval. Thank God, because I’m about ready to explode. She has no idea how much she means to me. She’s worth my future heartache that I know is inevitable. So I’m taking her in like a long flute of champagne, and will relish her as long as I can.

  I wanted to keep our moment together slow and passionate, but the more we touched one another, the more my male instincts took over. We discarded the rest of our clothes and let ourselves get lost. I stared long and hard at her naked body. Exquisite. A masterpiece at its best. The heat coming off her, and the intensity her eyes were giving me, I bent down and took her in. We melted into each other and never looked back.

  When I wake up, it’s still dark out, yet I can’t seem to keep my eyes shut. I’m suddenly realizing what I’ve done. When I look over at Paige, I can’t help but think if I’ve made a terrible mistake with rushing things by sleeping with her. She didn’t ask for me to come to her room. She didn’t ask for me to make love to her. She didn’t ask me of anything. I made that decision for her. I don’t know what I was thinking. God, yes I do. She looked so edible and so gorgeous in that big bed, I couldn’t contain myself. I had longed for her for so long that all rational thoughts left my head, I didn’t think things through.

  Normally women are a no brainer for me. They come to me, I screw them, and then it’s over. It’s quick, easy, therefore no hearts are broken and no strings are attached. It’s a win-win for both parties involved. However, this isn’t the case. I didn’t come to Paige’s room to screw her. I came to her because I needed to see her. I wanted to see that she was really here, in my home, that it actually really wasn’t a dream. There has never been someone like her in my life before. She’s made me feel things that no one has been able to do. She’s not just a good lay, a quick fix. She’s more than that to me. So just thinking how I had woken her up, and took control makes me feel like an ass. But damn, she felt like heaven.

  The sudden feel of Paige’s hands on my shoulders gives me immediate chills, and a twitch down below. I’m now apparently driven to take her again. “Good morning,” she says. Her sweet, hot lips touch my shoulder blade, resulting in more twitching, and now throbbing. But as much as it pains me, I resist the temptation, and continue to stare out into the ocean.

  “Morning.” I smile up at her, but my mouth begins to water when she surprises me by wearing my shirt. Damn, she looks so sexy. Her legs are outstanding, so unbelievably long, and lean. My crotch is beginning to overreact. I need it to stop already.

  I can tell she’s hoping I’d take her hand and plop her down onto my lap. She’s hesitant to do it herself, yet I still don’t make the first move. What the hell is wrong with me?

  Sitting on the opposite lounging chair, she says to me, “I didn’t expect you up quite this early.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” I shrug.

  “Oh,” she replies curtly. “The view is so beautiful.”

  “It is.”

  Still looking ahead, I feel her eyes on me. I’m deliberately being distant with her, she doesn’t deserve it. So much is going through my head. I just don’t want to make the wrong move with her before she’s ready. Too late for that, but I can try to change it.

  After a couple minutes of keeping silent, Paige speaks up. “Okay, I’m going to put it out there…did I do something wrong? Was last night awful for you, because I know I was out of practice and all–

  “God, no…Come here, baby.” Shit! The last thing I wanted her to think was her feeling like she wasn’t able to fulfill me. I’m such a jerk. Once I have her on my lap, and in my arms, I cup her face. “Don’t ever talk like that, you hear me? Last night was perfect. You were perfect.” Dragging my thumb across her bottom lip. I kiss her and then whisper, “I’m sorry.”

  She takes hold of my wrist and frowns. “I don’t understand then. Why the silent treatment?”

  I curse under my breath for how lousy I’ve handled last night. “Guilt, perhaps?”

  “What do you have to feel guilty about?”

  “I took advantage of you last night. You looked so drop dead gorgeous, and I had missed you so damn much, I couldn’t wait to be with you. But I shouldn’t have rushed things.”

  She looks shell shocked, like I had slapped her. “James…did I push you away? Did I tell you no?”

  “No.”

  Winding her hands behind my head, she continues, “Exactly, so stop feeling like this. If I hadn’t wanted last night, I would’ve told you.”

  “I just don’t want any regrets.”

  Slowly shaking her head, she smiles. “No regrets here.”

  “Thank God.” I exhale. Pulling her lips onto mine, I take in another much needed kiss. She feels so good, how could I have thought any less of our night together? I will not question her actions any longer. I need to trust her, and to stop treating her as if she’s going to break. “None here either,” I murmur against her lips.

  “Good, because I’m ready to get moving.” She leaps off my lap and claps her hands. “Up and at em, tiger!”

  Laughing, I get up from the lounge chair and catch her by the waist, twisting her around until her breasts are smashed up against my chest. I grab her ass, squeezing each cheek. “Whoa, hold on now. Tiger needs a shower first. Care to join me?” I smirk. No questions or hesitation when she nods her head yes. She has just made my day. Shower sex with this beautiful woman - hell yes.

  Once we showered, and had breakfast, we went to Kapalua Bay for some swimming and snorkeling. I almost lost control when I saw Paige in her black and green bikini. Sexy as hell, perfect. I could have easily skipped the beach and thrown her up and over my shoulder, then back in bed to make love to her all day. But Paige was anxiously awaiting some sun and a swim with the fish. Making her happy is all I want. So the bed, among other things, had to wait. And just like I had wanted to, I got to lather her up with sunscreen, and most defini
tely enjoyed every second of every inch of her silky, smooth skin.

  I grew up snorkeling and scuba diving, so getting to experience something I love doing, with Paige, has been one of the best days of my life. The excitement on her face, when we saw a sea turtle hit the surface, was priceless. I kept snorting up water because I couldn’t stop laughing. She was too adorable for words. Taking along my GoPro, I was able to capture a lot of those moments.

  “Having a good time?” I ask once we settled back up on the beach.

  “More than a good time. This is the best vacation of my life!” she exclaims with a huge smile on her face. Her smile is infectious, she’s practically glowing.

  Lying on my side, I grab her by the waist and drag her sexy bikini wet self closer to me. “Good,” I say. “It makes me happy that you’re happy.”

  “Seriously, I haven’t been this happy since…I can’t remember when. Glen never took me to faraway places like this. We did a lot of outdoor stuff, but he was on the go so much he never even took me on a normal honeymoon.” She suddenly gasps. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have brought Glen up. I wasn’t thinking.”

  Whether I despise Glen or not, her telling me about her past and marriage is what I want. Wiping away the water from her face, I tell her, “Paige, it’s okay to talk about your late husband. You had a life before me, so don’t be sorry for sharing. Honestly, I want to know these things. I want to know everything about you. What makes you sad, happy, and angry. And it’s not like Glen is your ex-husband, he was a part of your life. You loved him. I’m glad you want to share this stuff with me. I want us to share our stories with one another without it being awkward. So please, share as much as you want or need.”

  Through her sunglasses, I can tell she’s moving her eyes all over my face, stunned. “How can you be real? You always seem to say what I need to hear. I’m afraid you’re too good to be true, James Parker.”