Their Hot Hawaiian Fling / Unlocking The Ex-Army Doc's Heart

He shrugged. “So, what are you rushing off to this morning? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Her first response was a snarky one that yeah, she did mind. But then she caught a hint of that lonely sadness and wariness in his eyes again and she bit back those words. She didn’t want to get friendlier with Holden Ross, but darn if there wasn’t something about him that kept her in her seat and coming back for more. She could lie and make up a story, but what was the point? So she went with the truth instead. “I was going to do my daily workout.”

“Oh?” Holden perked up a little at that. “I’ve been meaning to try the hotel gym, but with my crazy schedule at work, haven’t made it there yet. Mind if I tag along, just to see where it is? Then I’ll leave you alone, I promise.”

Alarm bells went off in Leilani’s head. She already felt way more interested in this guy than was wise. Spending more time with him would only put her at risk of that interest boiling over into actually liking him and the last thing Leilani wanted was to open herself up to getting hurt again. Even the possibility of letting someone close to her heart, to be that vulnerable again, honestly filled her with abject terror.

“Let the man go with you, keiki,” her father said from where he was helping clean up a nearby table, and Leilani tensed. Jeez, they were really on snooping patrol today. “Show our guest the gym.”

She glanced over at her father and gave him a look. Her dad just shook his head and moved on to another section of tables to clean. They thought she was being ridiculous and maybe she was, but she needed to do things on her terms. Stay in control. Control was everything these days.

Holden chuckled and gulped more coffee. “Kiki?”

“Keiki,” she corrected him. “It means child in Hawaiian.”

Ever since they’d adopted her, the Kims had always called her that. First, because that’s what she’d been. A scared fourteen-year-old kid with an uncertain future. Now it was more of a pet name than anything.

Leilani exhaled slowly before pushing to her feet again, her good manners too ingrained to refuse. “Fine. If you want to come with me, you can. Get changed and meet me in the lobby in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late, Dr. Ross.”

Holden’s smile widened, his grateful tone chasing her from the restaurant. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Dr. Kim.”

The workout facilities at Malu Huna were much like the rest of the resort—clean, spacious and well-appointed—even if the decor was a bit much for his Midwestern sensibilities. More golden palm trees decorated the tile floor here and large murals of the famous Hawaiian sunsets bedecked the walls. There were neat rows of treadmills and stair-climbers, weight machines, stationary bikes and even a boxing area, complete with punching bags and thick mats on the floor.

Holden followed Leilani as she headed for those workout mats, her snug workout clothes clinging to her curves in all the right places. Not that he noticed. He was here to release some tension, not to ogle his colleague. No matter how pretty she was. It had been too long since he’d been with a woman, that was all. The slip of paper with the phone number the waitress had given him flashed in his mind. He hadn’t lied to Leilani earlier, but he hadn’t been entirely truthful either. He had spoken to the waitress a few days prior about her sick kid and offered to see him, but then the waitress had also asked him out. At the time, he’d declined because he’d been tired and busy and not up for company. But now, with loneliness gnawing at his gut again, maybe he should give the server’s invitation second thoughts.

Leilani strapped on a pair of boxing gloves, then turned to face him once more.

Holden stopped short. “Are you going to hit me?”

“Not unless you provoke me.” She raised a dark brow at him.

He snorted. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

“Don’t worry. I will.” She grinned, then turned to face the heavy bag. “Well, this is the gym. Enjoy your workout.”

Looking around, he considered his options. Treadmill was out, with his leg. So were the stair-climbers as they put too much pressure on his still-healing muscles. Stationary bike it was then. He hobbled over and climbed onto one, setting his course to the most difficult one, and began to pedal. Soon his heart was pumping fast, and sweat slicked his face and chest, and he felt the glorious rush of endorphins that always came with a hard workout. Near the end of his course, Holden glanced over to where he’d left Leilani on the mats and found her working through what looked like kickboxing moves with the punching bag.

Her long hair was piled up in a messy bun atop her head now and her face was flushed from exertion. Her toned arms and back glistened with perspiration beneath the overhead lights as she walloped the heavy bag over and over again. Jab, hook, cross, uppercut. Sweep, cross, kick. Jab, cross, slip. Front kick, back kick. Roundhouse kick. Repeat. Holden found himself entranced.

Once his bike program was done, he moved back over to where she was still dancing around the bag, her movements as coordinated and graceful as any prima ballerina. Even the hot pink boxing gloves didn’t detract from Leilani’s powerful stance. She looked ready to kick butt and take names. On second thought, just forget the names.

His gaze followed her fists driving hard into the bag. Then he couldn’t help continuing to track down her torso to her waist and hips landing finally on her taut butt in those black leggings.

Whoa, boy.

Yep. Dr. Leilani Kim wasn’t just pretty. She was gorgeous, no doubt about that. He glanced back up to find her staring at him, her expression flat.

Oops. Busted.

“You know how to fight,” he said, for lack of anything better.

She steadied the swinging bag, then punched one glove into the other, blinking at him. “I do. Very well. Years of training, remember? I’m not afraid to use those skills either.”

“I remember you taking down that patient. Don’t worry. Point taken.” Holden stepped back and chuckled. Back before the shooting he’d been into boxing himself, but he hadn’t tried since his injury. He turned to head back to his bike but stopped at the sound of her voice.

“You box?”

“I used to,” Holden said, looking back at her over his shoulder. He gestured to his right leg. “Haven’t since this though.”

“Want to give it a try now?” she asked, tapping the tips of her gloves together. “Be my sparring partner?” Her gaze dipped to his cane then back to his eyes. “I’ll take it easy on you.”

Whether or not she’d meant that as a challenge didn’t matter. He took it as one. The pair of black boxing gloves she tossed in his direction helped too. He caught them one-handed, then narrowed his gaze on her. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to take a chance and burn off a little steam. “Fine.”

He strapped on the gloves, then moved back over, setting his cane aside before climbing atop the mat to stand beside Leilani.

“We can stick to bag work, if it’s easier on your leg.”

“Sparring’s fine.” He finished closing the Velcro straps around his wrists, then punched his fists together. “Unless you’re scared to face off against me?” His tone was teasing. It felt easy to tease her. He didn’t want to think about why.

Leilani snorted. “Right. You think you can take me?”

“I think you talk big, but you look pretty small.”

“Them’s fighting words, mister.” She moved several feet away and faced him before bending her knees and holding her gloves up in front of her face. “All right, Dr. Ross. Show me what you got.”

Holden smiled, a genuine one this time, enjoying himself more than he had in a long, long time. “My pleasure, Dr. Kim.”

They moved in a small circle on the mat, dodging each other and assessing their opponent. Then, fast as lightning, Leilani struck, landing a solid punch to his chest. He gave her a stunned look and she laughed. “Figured you already had a split lip. Didn’t want to damage that handsome face of yours any further.”

That stopped him in his tracks.

She thinks I’m handsome?

The reality of her words must’ve struck Leilani too because the flush in her cheeks grew and she looked away from him. “I mean, I’m taking pity on you. That’s all.”

Pity. If there was one word sure to set Holden off, it was that one.

All thought of keeping away from Leilani Kim went out the window as he went in for the attack. Apparently still distracted by what she’d said, she didn’t react fast enough when he charged toward her and swept his good leg out to knock her feet from under her. Of course, the movement unbalanced him as well, and before Holden knew it, they were both flat on the mat, panting as they tried to catch their breaths in a tangle of limbs.

He managed to recover first, rising on one arm to lean over her. “I don’t need your pity, Dr. Kim.”

She blinked up at him a moment, then gave a curt nod. “Understood.”

“Good.” He pushed away to remove one of his gloves and rake a hand through his sweat-damp hair. “Are you all right?”

“Other than my pride, yes.” She sat up next to him and removed her gloves too, several strands of her long, dark hair loose now and curling around her flushed face. “I didn’t mean to insult you with what I said, by the way. It was just trash-talking.”

“I know.” He released a pent-up breath, then wiped off his forehead with the edge of his gray Ohana Medical T-shirt. “The whole pity thing is still a touchy subject for me though, with my leg and all.”

“Sorry. I should’ve realized.” She got up and walked over to a small fridge against the wall to pull out two bottles of water, then returned to hand him one. Leilani sat back down on the mat and cracked open her water. “What exactly happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

He gulped down half his bottle of water before answering, hoping to wash away the lump of anxiety that still rose every time someone asked about his injury. He did mind, usually, but today felt different. Maybe because they were the only ones in the gym, and that lent a certain air of intimacy. Through the windows across the room, he could see a bit of the gloom outside had lifted and weak rays of sunshine beamed in. Maybe it was time to let some of his past out of the bag, at least a little. He shrugged and fiddled with his gloves once more. “I got shot. Shattered my femur.”

“Yikes. That’s awful.” Leilani grabbed the white towel she’d tossed on the floor nearby when they’d first arrived and wiped off her face. He glanced sideways at her and did his best not to notice the small bead of sweat tickling down the side of her throat. Tried to stop the sudden thought of how salty that might taste, how warm her skin might be against his tongue.

Wait. What?

He looked away fast as she wrapped the towel around her neck, then faced him once more.

“So,” she said, her clear tone cutting through the roar of blood pounding in his ears, not from anxiety this time, but from unexpected, unwanted lust. “Is that when you took the bullet to your shoulder as well?”

Holden nodded, not trusting his voice at present, then drank more water. He didn’t want Leilani Kim. Not that way. She was his coworker. She was just being nice. She was drinking her water too, drawing his attention to the sleek muscles of her throat as they worked, the pound of the pulse point at the base of her neck, the curve of her breasts in that tight sports bra.

Oh God.

Move. He needed to move. He started to get to his feet, but Leilani stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I know what it’s like to be in a situation where you feel helpless and alone.”

The hint of pain in her tone stunned him into staying put. From what he could see, she’d had a fairy-tale life here in paradise, raised in this wedding cake of a hotel.

“How’s that? And please, call me Holden,” he said, more curious than ever about this enigmatic, beautiful woman. To try to lighten the mood, he cracked a joke. “You get hit by a pineapple on the way to surf the waves?”

Her small smile fell and it felt like the brightening room darkened. She shook her head and looked away. “No. More like hit by a truck and spent six months in the hospital.”

“Oh.” For a second, Holden just took that in, unsure what else to say. Of course, his analytical mind wanted to know more, demanded details, but he didn’t feel comfortable enough to do so. Finally, he managed, “I had no idea.”

“No. Most people don’t.” She sighed and rolled her neck, reaching back to rub her nape again, same as she had the other day in the ER with that combative patient. Then she stood and started gathering her things. “Well, I should go get ready for work.”

Of all people, Holden knew a retreat when he saw one. He got up as well, reaching for his cane to take the weight off his now-aching leg. Doing that foot sweep on Leilani hadn’t been the most genius move ever, even if his whole side now tingled from the feel of her body briefly pressed to his.

He grabbed his water bottle and limped after her toward the exit, pausing to hold the door for her. Before walking out himself, he looked over toward the windows across the gym one last time. “Hey, the sun’s out again.”

Leilani glanced in the same direction, then gave him a tiny grin. “Funny how that works, huh? Wait long enough and it always comes back out. See you around, Holden.”

“Bye, Dr. Kim,” he said, watching her walk away, then stop at the end of the hall and turn back to him.

“Leilani,” she called. “Anyone who leg-sweeps me gets to be on a first-name basis.”

CHAPTER FOUR

THE ER AT Ohana Medical Center was hopping the following Wednesday and Leilani was in her element. She was halfway through a twelve-hour shift, and so far she’d dealt with four broken limbs, one case of appendicitis that she’d passed on to a gastro surgeon for removal, and two box jellyfish stings that had required treatment beyond the normal vinegar rinse and ice. The full moon was Friday and that’s when the jellyfish population tended to increase near the beaches to mate. There weren’t any official warnings posted yet, according to the patient’s husband, but that didn’t mean there weren’t jellyfish present. They were a year-round hazard in Hawaii.

So yeah, a typical day in the neighborhood.

Leilani liked being busy though. That’s what made emergency medicine such a good fit for her. Kept her out of trouble, as her parents always said.

Trouble like thinking about that gym encounter with Holden Ross the week prior.

She suppressed a shiver that ran through her at the memory of his hard body pressed against hers on that mat, the heat of him going through her like a bolt of lightning, making her imagine things that were completely off-limits as far as her colleague was concerned.

Since that day, they’d passed each other a few times in the halls, both at the hospital and at the hotel, but hadn’t really said more than a friendly greeting. Just as well, since time hadn’t seemed to lessen the tingling that passed through her nerve endings whenever he was near. In fact, if anything, the fact they’d taken a tumble on that mat together only seemed to intensify her awareness of him. Which probably explained why she was still hung up on the whole thing. Leilani tried never to let her guard down but Holden had somehow managed to get around her usual barriers.

Boundaries were key to her maintaining control. And control required no distractions.

Distractions led to accidents and accidents led to...

Shaking off the unwanted stab of sorrow in her heart, she concentrated on the notes she was currently typing into her tablet computer at the nurses’ station. The EMTs had just radioed in with another patient headed their way and she wanted to get caught up as much as possible before taking on another case.

As she documented her treatment for the latest jellyfish sting patient—visible tentacles removed from sting site, antihistamine for mild allergic reaction, hydrocortisone cream for itching and swelling, ice packs as needed—she half listened to the commotion around her for news of the EMTs arrival with her next patient. She’d just closed out the file she’d been working on when the voice of the sister of one of her earlier patients, a guy who’d broken his arm while hiking near the Diamond Head Crater, broke through her thoughts.

“Doctor?” the woman said, coming down the hall. “I need to ask you something.”

Leilani glanced over, ready to answer whatever questions the woman had, then stopped short as the woman headed straight past her and made a beeline for Holden, who’d just come out of an exam room.

He glanced up at the buxom blonde and blinked several times. “How can I help you, ma’am?”

“My brother was in here earlier and I’m concerned he won’t take the prescription they gave him correctly, even after the other doctor explained it to him. She was Hawaiian, I think, and—”

“Dr. Kim is the head of Emergency Medicine. I’m sure the instructions she gave him were clear.” Holden searched the area and locked eyes with Leilani. “But if you still have concerns, let’s go see if she has a few moments to talk to you again, Mrs....?”

“Darla,” the woman said, batting her eyelashes and grinning wide.

Leilani bit back a snicker at her flagrant flirting.

“And it’s Miss. I’m single. Besides, I’m old-fashioned and prefer a male doctor.”

Holden’s expression shifted from confused to cornered in about two seconds flat. Darla didn’t want medical advice. She wanted a date. Leilani would’ve laughed out loud at his obvious discomfort if there wasn’t a strange niggle eating into her core. Not jealousy because that would be stupid. She had no reason to care if anybody flirted with Holden. It was none of her business. And it wasn’t like men hadn’t tried to flirt with Leilani in the ER either. It was another occupational hazard. No, what should have bothered her more was the woman doubting her medical expertise. Shoulders squared, she raised a brow and waited for their approach.

Holden cleared his throat and stepped around Darla to head to the nurses’ station and Leilani. “Dr. Kim is one of the best physicians I’ve worked with. She’s the person to advise you and your brother on his medications, as she’s familiar with his case.” He stopped beside Leilani at the desk, tiny dots of crimson staining his high cheekbones. “Dr. Kim, this lady has more questions about her brother’s prescription.”

Leilani gave him a curt nod, then proceeded to go over the same information she’d given to Darla’s brother an hour prior. Steroids weren’t exactly rocket science, and from the way the woman continued to focus on Holden’s backside and not Leilani, it seemed Darla could have cared less anyway. Finally, Darla went on her way and Leilani exhaled slowly as the EMTs radioed in their ETA of one minute.

Showtime.

Refocusing quickly, she grabbed a fresh gown and mask from the rack nearby and suited up, aware of Holden’s gaze on her as she did so. Her skin prickled under the weight of his stare, but she shook it off. The incoming patient needed her undivided attention, not Dr. Ross.

“What’s the new case?” Holden asked, handing his tablet back to the nurse behind the desk. “Need help?”

“Maybe,” Leilani said, tying the mask around her neck. “Stick close by just in case.”

“Will do.” He took a gown and mask for himself, then followed her down the hall to the automatic doors leading in from the ambulance bay. His presence beside her felt oddly reassuring, which only rattled her more. She was used to handling things on her own. Safe, secure, solo. That’s how she liked it.

Isn’t it?

Too late to stew about it now. The doors swished open and the EMTs rushed in with a young man on a gurney. Leilani raced down the hall next to the patient as the EMT in charge gave her a rundown.

“Eighteen-year-old male surfer struck in the neck by his surfboard,” the paramedic said. “Difficulty breathing that’s worsened over time.”

They raced into trauma bay two and Leilani moved in to examine the patient, who was gasping like a fish out of water. “Sir, can you speak? Does it feel like your throat is closing?”

The kid nodded, his eyes wide with panic.

“Okay,” Leilani said, keeping her voice calm. “Is it hard to breathe right now?”

The patient nodded again.

“Are you nodding because it hurts to talk or because you can’t?” Holden asked, moving in on the other side of the bed once the EMTs got the patient moved from the gurney.

“I...” the kid rasped. “C-can’t.”

“No intubation, then,” Holden said, holding up a hand to stop the nurse with the tracheal tube. “Dr. Kim, would you like me to consult?”

Nice. The other trauma surgeons on staff usually just commandeered a case, rarely asking for Leilani’s permission to intercede. Having Holden do so now was refreshing, especially since she’d asked him to stick close by earlier. It showed a level of professional respect that she liked a lot. Plus, it would give her a chance to see firsthand how he handled himself with patients. For weeks now, the nurses had been praising his bedside manner and coolness under pressure. About time Leilani got to see what she was up against if they were both vying for the directorship.

“Yes, please, Dr. Ross.” She grabbed an oxygen tube to insert into the kid’s nose to help his respiration. “Okay, sir. Breathe in through your nose. Good. One more time.”

The kid gasped again. “I c-can’t.”

Leilani placed her hand on his shoulder. “You’re doing fine. I know it hurts.”

Holden finished his exam then stepped back to speak to relay orders to the nurse taking the patient’s vitals. “We need a CTA of his neck and X-rays, please. Depending on what those show, I may need to do a fiber-optic thoracoscopy. Call ENT for a consult as well, please.”

“Where’s my son?” a man’s voice shouted from out in the hall. “Please let me see him!”

After signing off on the orders, Holden moved aside to let the techs roll the patient out of the trauma room, then grabbed Leilani to go speak to the father. “Sir, your son was injured while surfing,” Holden said, after pulling down his mask. “He’s getting the best care possible between myself and Dr. Kim. Can you tell me your son’s name?”

“Tommy,” the man said. “Tommy Schrader. I’m his father, Bill Schrader.”

“Thank you, Mr. Schrader.” Leilani led the man down the hall to a private waiting room while Holden headed off with the team to complete the tests on the patient. “Let’s have a seat in here.”

“Will my boy be all right?” Mr. Schrader asked. “What’s happened to him?”

“From what the EMTs said when they brought your son in, Tommy was surfing and was struck in the throat by his surfboard. He’s got some swelling in his neck and is having trouble breathing.” It was obvious the man cared deeply for his son and it was always hard to give difficult news to loved ones. In her case, they’d had to sedate her after delivering the news about her family’s deaths. At least Tommy was still alive and getting the treatment he needed.

“When I got the call from the police, I panicked. I told Tommy the surf was too rough today, but he didn’t listen.” Mr. Schrader scrubbed his hand over his haggard face. “All kinds of crazy things went through my mind. I’ve never been so scared in all my life.”

“Completely understandable, Mr. Schrader. But please know we’re doing all we can, and we’ll keep you updated on his progress as soon as we know more. They’re doing X-rays and a CT scan on him now to determine the extent of damage and the next steps for treatment.” She patted the man’s shoulder, then stood. “Can I get you anything to drink?”