The perfume of love (rain-bi)

chapter 20

in her cabin she discovered he had asked Kristin Zambucka to autograph the book. as she prepared for bed, she knew that it wasn't only because it was a signed copy of a book she had coveted that she would value it. there was another reason. but she chose to close her mind to that. as soon as she was in bed, she immersed herself in the life story of Princess Kaiulani and continued reading until she couldn't keep her eyes open and was far too sleepy to lie awake thinking about the donor of the biography.

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Early next day, going ashore togother, neither of them spoke after exchanging good mornings.

they would talk on the way back to the yacht, and today jihoon would ask her to breakfast with him and she would accept, she thought happily.

at the harbour, he gave her his hand to climb out of the launch.

"thanks. see you" she started to walk away while he was still shedding his track top.

she had taken only half a dozen paces when the ground shuddered under her feet. what she felt at first was bewilderment. what could be causing such a peculiar sensation? then she knew what it was. An earth tremor. perhaps the beginning of an earthquake.

"jihoon!" instinctively she turned to him.

he was only a yard behind her. an instant later she was locked in his arms, her cheek pressed against the warm bare skin of his chest, while under her feet the strange shaking motion continued.

but she was no longer alarmed. it wasn't the unsteady earth which made her blood churn in her veins and her heart beat with rapid thumps. it was being held tightly against him, feeling his strong arms round her and, most of all, knowing that she loved him.

she didn't know how long it lasted. when it stopped neither of them moved.

at length jihoon said, over her head, "i think that was probably Mauna Loa, the volcano over on the big Island. it certainly wasn't Haleakala here on Maui. if we'd landed a few minutes later, you wouldn't have known it had happened."

jenna stayed very still, not wanting him to release her.

"are you okay?" he relaxed his hold and felt for her chin, tilting her face up to his.

"I'm f-fine" she murmured unsteadily.

"if you've never felt one before, a tremor can be pretty scary" he said, looking down, smiling at her.

"i should have been scared on my own. but not with you" she answered softly, her heart in her eyes.

she felt him tense and heard his sharp intake of breath. the arm round her tightened again. the fingers under her chin slid round the side of her neck and into the hair at her nape. as his palm and his outspread fingers cupped the back of her head, she knew he was going to kiss her.

it was more than two years since the brother of a school friend had driven her home from a party and kissed her good night. that one half-forgotten experience was no preparation for jihoon's experienced embrace.

it was like being caught in the surge of a powerful wave. she felt herself swept by a torrent of strong sensual feelings over which she had no control.

instinctively she resisted, pushing away from his chest, trying to free her mouth from the passionate demand of his warm searching lips.

he let her go almost at once and they confronted each other, both disturbed by what had occurred. he was breathing hard, through his nostrils, the lips which had fused with hers already compressed in a grim line, although the light in his eyes was still hot and desirous.

it was the first time in her life she had been exposed to the almost tangible blaze of a man's desire to possess her.

part of her quivered with longing to yield to the dynamic force she had felt while she was in his arms and could now see burning in his eyes. part of her was afraid. she knew she had fallen in love with him. but a week ago she hadn't met him. she wasn't ready for this yet.

the long fraught silence which followed their breaking apart was not unlike another earth tremor.

she felt a tension between them which might ease off or explode.

jihoon ended it when he said harshly, "a sample of what you'll have to put up with if you follow in your sister's footsteps. perhaps it will make you think twice about taking up her way of life"

he brushed past her and strode away, soon breaking into a run and disappearing from view.