"Why?" she asked starkly.

"Well, for one thing, you have the most kissable mouth of anyone I've ever known."He looked down at their clasped hands. With his other hand, he stroked the back ofher hand with his finger. "And you fit into my arms as though you were made justfor me."

He felt her hand tremble and she turned a charming shade of red, which nicelyreplaced her ashen color.

The plane started moving. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm, histongue lightly touching her. She stiffened when they took off. He wasn't certainwhether it was the kiss or the flight. So he leaned toward her and kissed her onthe mouth.

Her lips trembled, and he took his time caressing her mouth with his lips andtongue. Slowly she responded and he forgot his reason for starting this in thefirst place.

An amused feminine voice spoke near his shoulder. "I'm sorry to interrupt you,sir, but I'd like to offer the two of you something to drink, if you like. We'll only be in the air for another twenty minutes."

Jodie pulled away from him and stared at her. "We're in the air?"

"Yes, ma'am." The flight attendant grinned. "I can understand your distraction."

Jodie looked at Dean. "You did that on purpose!"

Dean told the attendant to bring them some orange juice before he looked at Jodie.

"I suppose I did. I've never accidentally kissed anyone."

She glanced out the window and blanched.

"From now on you'll sit in the aisle seat," he said briskly. We're doing fine."

She turned and looked at him. "You know what I mean! You deliberately distracted

me."

Once again he lifted her hand and kissed her palm. "Did it work?"

"I know I'm being ridiculous about flying."

"You just need to do it more often so you can get used to it."

"That's your prescription, Dr. Logan?"

"Absolutely. And here in the islands is a perfect place to practice. We'll make

certain to visit each and every one of them."

"Oh, joy," she muttered.

Their drinks arrived and he let go of her hand.

The landing was as abrupt as the takeoff. Jodie squeezed his hand so hard she must

have been cutting off circulation. But he didn't mind. She was adorable when shewas vulnerable.

Once on the ground, Jodie felt giddy with relief despite her embarrassment. Whenshe had finally let go of Dean's hand, it still had the imprints of her fingers onit.

They took a cab to the address Dean had. Once they arrived, Jodie asked, "Is thishis office?"

"No. This is a private club for local businessmen. He said to give his name at thedoor."

Jodie waited while Dean spoke to the man who met them at the front door. The manlooked at a list he carried on a clipboard, found Dean's name and nodded. Heescorted them to a double door that was ornately engraved.

When Jodie walked in, she looked around her. There was a large bar made of teak tothe right of the entrance. A maitre d' met them at the top of the steps.

"We're here to meet Mr. Furukawa," Dean said.

"Right this way, sir," the man replied.

The place was meticulously designed and elegantly decorated. The only sounds werethe murmured voices of other diners, their voices muted by the thick carpetingunderfoot. Pristine white tablecloths covered each table and they looked likeislands floating on the deep red carpet.

The maitre d' continued through the room until he reached an alcove thatoverlooked the water. Once they were seated, he poured ice water into glasses andsaid, "Your waiter will be with you shortly."

Once Jodie was certain he was out of earshot, she said, "The scent of money iseverywhere."

Dean grinned. "I noticed."

She gazed at his mouth. Jodie discovered she had a little trouble breathingwhenever he smiled at her. She couldn't forget the touch of his lips on hers.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a newcomer said from behind her.

Dean stood and extended his hand. "Perfectly all right, Mr. Furukawa," he said.

"Please, call me Steve."

Steve wore a custom-made suit that showed off his trim figure and tanned face. Hishair gleamed like polished pewter.

"Steve, I'd like you to meet Jodie Cameron, one of the employees with our firm."

Steve took her hand and bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure."

While they ordered and their meal was served, Jodie watched and listened as themen discussed several topics, none of which had anything to do with a possiblesecurity installation. She couldn't help but wonder why he'd brought her, unlessthe business meeting was to take place after their meal.

Dean included her in the conversation, and when Steve asked how she was enjoyingHawaii, she responded readily enough.

Once their plates were removed and they were left with fresh cups of coffee, Steve

said, "I've been reading up on you, Dean."

"And?"

"You and your company have an excellent reputation in the security field. What

kind of security do you offer?"

"We make certain that no unauthorized person can enter your place of businesswithout a silent alarm going off, alerting the staff. We offer hidden surveillancecameras that record everyone who goes in or out. Security codes are installed andupdated regularly. In addition, we install special software on each computer inyour office that will also alert you should anyone attempt to gain illegal accessto the company's computers."

"I see." Steve glanced at his watch. "I'd like you to see my setup and give me

some idea of what your systems would cost to install and run."

Dean nodded. "Of course."

Steve signed for their meal and the three of them returned through the restaurant.

Several people spoke to Steve while they made their way to the entrance.

By the time they reached the street, valet parking had his car waiting.

The men continued to chat during the drive. Jodie, in the backseat, made notes ofthe conversation that pertained to business, finally feeling as though she could beuseful.

By the time they left Steve Furukawa that afternoon, he'd agreed to become one ofthe company's clients. On the way to the airport Dean called the office and left avoice-mail message for the legal department that he had a new client.

Once on the plane, Jodie-determined to ignore the butterflies in her stomach-said,"Your trip has been a success, hasn't it?"

Dean nodded. "Definitely. Thank you for taking such extensive notes. I'll fax themto the office so Lawrence Kendall will have the information he needs to prepare thecontract." He studied her for a moment and then asked, "You doing okay?"