Cover Me

Chapter Three

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They do not belong to me. Can I just I feel a little possessive anyway?

Author Notes: Time to meet their target and things start to warm up between our couple. It's not just a cover anymore.

Steve stood watching Kono sleep. It was midmorning, but they had sat up late the night before talking about the dive and the assignment. The conversation had then drifted to more personal topics and he had managed to ask her about Charlie and whether or not they were dating. She assured him it was a childhood relationship and although she dated, there wasn't anyone she was serious about. Steve knew he had smiled just a bit too much and she had asked him why he was asking. He told her he just felt protective of her. As he watched her now he couldn't resist crossing to her bed. Besides, he had news and he needed her to wake up if they were going to be able to participate.

She was sleeping on her side and he reached across her waist to lean on the bed and hover over her a bit. He couldn't resist temptation and leaned down to brush her hair out of her face.

"Hey, Sleepy Head. Wake up."

"Kono turned and rolled on her back causing his arm to be flush against her side over the blankets.

"Hmm?"

She looked so adorable when she woke up in the morning. Her eyelids fluttered open and he smiled down at her. He loved the way they suddenly went wide in surprise at his presence on her bed. He was glad he had an excuse to be there. The fancy envelope now dangled in front of her face.

"Guess what we got?"

"Tree mail?"

"Sort of. I went out on the deck this morning to work out. I didn't want to wake you up. It was laying right in front of our door."

"What is it?"

"An invitation to have brunch with one Sal Vitoni."

"For today?"

"For in an hour, so get up and make yourself beautiful. We get to really sell ourselves as a couple and maybe get more info on who all is on the boat and what they are up to. Are you game?"

Kono's dimples emerged to form a full on smile.

"Are you kidding? I live for this stuff."

"Okay then Lani. Get that cute butt out of bed and put on something guaranteed to distract the whole bunch of them."

Kono blushed.

"I may be good, but I'm not that good Steve."

"You let me be the judge of that. We need to get our stories straight about the basics of our relationship and how we met and…

He hesitated for a second.

"…fell in love. You know it will come up."

"Okay. Keep talking to me while I jump in the shower."

Steve swallowed and his voice squeaked out.

"What?"

"I'm saying we only have an hour and if I leave the door open we can talk back and forth. It's not like I'm letting you in there with me."

"Right."

Steve sat back then and she swung out of bed grabbing her robe and some fresh underwear. Steve watched in fascination as she opened her drawer and took some out. Now he would be forever ruined with thoughts of what she wore under her clothes. Blue lace would be burned in his brain. He ran his hand through his hair and looked away in embarrassment.

Kono caught his shift and smiled to herself. It looked like he had a reaction of some sort, so she knew she was having an affect on him.

Steve listened to her turn on the shower as they talked. He had a hard time focusing on the conversation, but by the time she came back into her room wearing the silk robe they had a good story to tell. His eyes went to her standing in the thin robe and his mouth went dry. His eyes were roving a little too much when she cleared her throat and they instantly went up to meet hers.

"I need to get dressed now, so go and tell Danny and Chin what we are doing. They need to listen in on everything today."

Steve leaped off the bed.

"Right. Okay then. See you in a few minutes."

He could hear her giggle as she closed the door behind him. It took a few minutes of pacing around the living area to calm down before he switched on the computer. He skyped Danny and Chin. Chin appeared on camera first.

"Hey Steve, what's going on?"

"We've been invited to brunch."

Danny's face emerged.

"With Vitoni?"

"Yep."

"Wow! You two work fast."

"No man. It's all Kono. He couldn't take his eyes off her the other day."

"Watch her back Steve. If anything happened to her…"

"You don't have to worry Chin. I won't let her out of my sight with that guy."

Just then the door to Kono's room opened and she stepped out. Steve's head whipped to the side and Danny and Chin tried to see where he was looking, but it was futile.

Steve's heart literally stopped in his chest. Kono was wearing an amazing turquoise halter dress and had put her hair up. She had curled it and a few ringlets dangled down against her long neck. She was in a word, breathtaking.

"You like?"

"I definitely like. Kono you look beautiful. Every man on that boat is going to swallow his tongue when you come on board."

Danny piped in.

"Including Steve."

Steve flashed him a warning look. Danny just shrugged.

"I'm just saying."

Steve let out a long low whistle as Kono twirled around for him.

"Just remember you're the only man for me."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. We're supposed to be married silly."

"Oh, right, you meant the op, not for…"

He cleared his throat and looked away from her nervously. Danny and Chin were chuckling on the other end. That is until Kono appeared on the screen and they both went silent.

"Hi boys. I'd say wish you were her, but I know you'd just have some stupid remark to make. By the way, Danny, you need to close your mouth. You're drooling a little."

She turned to Steve then. Kono knew not to press him as to what he meant before. She gave him a huge dimply smile.

"Ready?"

"Absolutely Mrs. Foster."

After signing off with the guys, he took the stairs first afraid of what following her with her in that dress would do to him. Once on deck, Kono walked to the side and watched as a boat left the yacht heading their way. Steve saw the dress had almost no back at all. Her soft shoulders and bare back made him want to walk over to her and wrap his arms around her from behind. He wanted to nestle his lips on her neck right next to one of those enticing ringlets. He knew he shouldn't, but he could claim it was part of their cover if she didn't respond to him. He was behind her in two quick strides. His arms slipped around her tiny waist and when he felt her lean back into him, he bent his head to place a soft barely there kiss on her pulse point.

Kono's heart fluttered. What was he doing? Was this part of their cover or something more? She knew what she was feeling. When she felt him pull her closer she had to know what he was thinking.

"Steve I…"

His breath came warmly across her ear as he whispered to her.

"Kono don't say anything. Please? Let's just be you and me for a few minutes until the boat gets here and then it's show on."

She nodded and covered the arms wrapped around her waist with her hands. He kissed her again right behind her ear and then slid his cheek alongside hers. They remained that way until the boat arrived.

When they were delivered to the yacht, Sal himself greeted them. He offered Kono a hand up onto his expansive back deck. There were a few other couples and one family there that had obviously been invited from the other surrounding boats. Steve kept his hand on Kono's very warm and bare back giving some of the oglers the message to back off.

A buffet had been set up along one side and they filled their plates before following Sal's gesture to sit at his table. They made their way over together and sat side by side. Kono's hand immediately slipped over onto Steve's thigh and he covered her hand with his, putting his other arm around the back of her chair possessively. He felt her relax then and let out a breath. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and she smiled softly at him, leaning closer. When Steve looked up he caught Sal studying the two of them.

"So, please introduce yourselves to the group young man."

"Uh, I'm Cal Foster and this is my bride Lani."

"How long have you been married?"

"We're on our honeymoon actually."

"Oh, congratulations! You have a beautiful boat and a beautiful wife. What do you do Mr. Foster?"

"I'm a personal trainer."

"That must pay very well these days to afford such a sweet ride."

"Oh, I'm a trust fund baby."

"I see and what do you do Lani?"

"I run the gym where Cal does his training. That's where we met. One day he was bench pressing and I couldn't take my eyes off him."

"Well, you are a beautiful couple. I have enjoyed watching the two of you. Cal, you're a lucky man."

Steve looked at Kono and his smile was so genuine. She returned it with a squeeze of his thigh under the table.

"Don't I know it?"

The rest of their time was spent in easy conversation. The food was unbelievable and Kono ate with abandon. Steve loved that about her. The girl had an appetite and she wasn't one of those women who pretended otherwise.

They had hoped Sal would give up some information about himself during the meal, but he mostly asked the questions. Steve tried several times to engage him, but the man was cagy. This was not going to be easy. He gave up on learning anything else but the layout of the yacht for this visit.

After the meal, Sal took everyone on a tour of his "boat". They both noticed several rooms on the boat that he avoided and each made a mental note. The man was wealthy. He had paintings and other pieces of art by some very famous artists. The furnishings were over the top. Kono thought how gaudy it all was and knew she preferred the simplicity of Steve's house on the beach.

Steve held her hand as they walked through and his thumb rubbed affectionately across her knuckles. As Sal was describing one particular painting she looked up to find his eyes looking down at her. It was an intimate look and she didn't know what it meant, but she hoped he was thinking the same thing she was. She wished they could bail out right now. When his eyes drifted down to her lips, hers went to his and then they both looked at each other again. His other hand went up to caress her cheek and she leaned into it, looking up at him through her long lashes. The tenderness between them was palpable. It wasn't until Sal cleared his throat that they came back to reality.

"Thank you all for coming. I plan to be here for a few more weeks and I'd like to extend the invitation to Sunday brunch for next week as well."

People began to crowd around then and thank him. It occurred to Steve how innocent these people were to what this man was really capable of. He squeezed Kono's hand a little too hard then. She looked up at him as if knowing what he was thinking and pulled his head down to whisper in his ear.

"I want to get him too Steve."

He chuckled then and it was not lost on Vitoni. He couldn't take his eyes off of them. They had something special. Sal was jealous of that. He had never known that kind of love and it was obvious they were deeply in love. Part of him burned with desire to own Kono himself. He thought of ways he could make that happen.

They two of them stayed until all the others had departed and Kono looked up at Steve just before Sal pulled her into a hug. He held her a little too long for Kono's liking and when he let her go Steve slipped his arm protectively around her waist.

"Take care of this one Mr. Foster. To lose such a beauty would be such a waste. Don't you think?"

"Steve took the obvious challenge.

"I don't plan to ever let her go Mr. Vitoni."

"Please. Call me Sal."

Steve didn't reply as he shook the man's hand firmly. He ushered Kono to their ride with his hand on her bare back. As they waited to board he drew lazy circles on her bare skin near her waist. On the way back to their own boat he put his arm protectively around her shoulder and once again drew lazy circles around the bare skin on the top of her arm.

Kono knew something had shifted between them. She rested her hand on his thigh and he covered it with his free hand. He bent down to whisper in her ear.

"I did not like the way he looked at you."

She whispered back to him.

"I know. I felt like a piece of meat."

"I would never let him hurt you Kono."

"I know."

They were finally dropped off and Steve once again headed down the stairs ahead of Kono. She followed him down facing out and he reached for her hand to help her descend. Once her feet hit the carpet he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. Kono turned her eyes up to meet his.