“What are we doing?” It was all too unreal.
Chris just smiled as he spread Kaden’s blanket out, tucking it around his seat mate. “We’re going to watch a movie. Which one do you want?”
They picked a movie and Chris pressed play. Bethany arrived with a sectioned plastic plate filled with fishy crackers, apple slices, and cubes of cheese, as well as a juice box. Chris balanced it on the arm of his chair where Kaden could easily reach. Raul’s voice sounded over the speaker system, alerting them that it was time for take off. Oakley barely noticed as the jet moved smoothly into the air and Kaden had no idea, content as he was nestled at Chris’s side.
They’d been in the air for only a few minutes when Chris reached across the barrier between their seats and captured her hand in his.
Leaning over, he whispered in her ear. “This might be the best day ever.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The flight from Denver was just over two hours, long enough for Kaden and Chris to finish the movie and for Oakley to fall asleep on Chris’s shoulder.
“Wake up, sleepy head.” Two little hands patted her cheeks, bringing her awake, but not fully to awareness.
“Be gentle, bud,” a lower voice admonished.
“Okay.” The hands on her cheeks moved softly over her face. “Mommy, wake up,” Kaden whispered, his face close to hers.
Oakley pried her eyes open to find not only Kaden, but Chris too, leaning over her in the seat they shared wearing twin expressions of barely contained excitement. Fighting off sleep, Oakley stretched.
“Are we there already?”
Kaden nodded and Chris chuckled.
“Yes, we’ve landed and it’s time to go. Unless you want to sleep some more?”
Oakley sat up and looked around. They had landed? Sure enough, the plane was still and the door was even open.
“Wow. Sorry. I guess I was tired.” Her cheeks warmed as she tried to get her bearings. She felt guilty for falling asleep and leaving Chris to look after Kaden, but they seemed to have done just fine without her. Kaden jumped from Chris’s lap and was crawling all over the chairs and sofas making sound effects with his voice.
She glanced at Chris who eyed her with amusement. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
He reached out, brushing his fingers against her cheek. “I’m glad you did. We have a big day planned.”
He was so handsome. She couldn’t drag her eyes away from him long enough to look out the window to see where they were. Staring into his blue eyes felt like coming home. It didn’t matter where they were, as long as she was with him.
And then she remembered who he was and that they were on his family’s private jet and her insecurities threatened to drag her down.
“I still can’t believe you’re Chris Bragg.” Her brain refused to merge the two images of the man in front of her, the Chris who ripped apart a house with his bare hands and the one she’d seen last night on her phone when she googled him.
His eyes flared with an intensity she hadn’t seen before. “My last name doesn’t change who I am, Oakley. I’m still just Chris.” He leaned forward. “And I still think you’re beautiful.” His lips touched hers and she melted against him. It was all the encouragement he needed to deepen the exchange. His arms came around her back, drawing her closer to his body.
For several long moments, he kissed her. And for several long moments, she let him.
“Mommy! Is it time to go?” Kaden pounced, breaking them apart.
Oakley cringed, wondering how Chris would react to the interruption, but he just laughed.
“You ready to go somewhere?” He picked Kaden up and tossed him in the air.
Kaden giggled. “Yes!”
Smiling, Chris turned to her and winked. “Well, then let's get out of here.” He stood, holding Kaden securely in his arm, and held out a hand to Oakley.
She took it. “Are you going to tell me where we are going?” She glanced out the window. It was bright and sunny outside. “Or where we are?”
Chris’s smile widened. “Nope. It’s a surprise.” Reaching over, he picked up the bags they’d brought. “Come on. Time’s a wasting. Waking someone up took up precious minutes when we could be out playing. Right, bud?” He directed his question to Kaden, but his grin was all for Oakley.
She shoved his shoulder. “Oh, stop. You could have woken me sooner.”
His expression softened. “You’re right. I could have, but you were tired. I hated to wake you when we did.”
Who was this man? She knew he hob-knobbed with celebrities and had more money in his bank account than she could even fathom and yet here he was, carrying her son and all their bags and worrying about whether or not she got enough sleep. Why did he care? What did he even see in her? In them? Because she was nothing without her son. But Chris never seemed to mind. In fact, she knew he got a kick out of the little stinker and enjoyed having him close.
Bethany met them at the head of the stairs leading out of the plane, her smile plastic as her eyes took in their little group. “Enjoy your day.”
“Thanks, Bethany.” Chris gave her a polite nod.
Oakley followed him down the steps, her eyes taking in the view. Wherever they were, it was someplace with palm trees. It was warm this time of year in Colorado, but it was hot here. The air was fragrant and a light breeze lifted her hair as they walked.
Raul and Rodrigo stood at the bottom of the steps wearing identical smiles. Chris set Kaden on his feet at his side and reached out to shake hands with both men.
“Great flight as usual, man. Thanks.”
Raul nodded. “Let us know when you are prepared to return and we will be ready.”
“Will do, Raul. Thanks again.” Chris slapped a hand down on Raul’s shoulder before taking hold of Kaden again.
Oakley followed close behind as he walked toward a black SUV. A man in a suit, wearing sunglasses, opened the back door.
“Mr. Bragg,” he greeted as soon as they were close enough.
“Hey, Mark. Thanks for meeting us.” Chris extended a hand to the man.
“No problem. It’s nice to finally meet the other Bragg brother.” The two men shook hands. The vehicle was already running. She could feel the cool air drifting from the open door brushing against her warm skin. “Everything you requested is in the back. The vehicle is yours as long as you need it. Just leave it here when you fly out.” Then, with a smile at Oakley, he was gone.
“Awesome.” Chris peeked into the space behind the back seat. After adding their bags to whatever was packed back there, he lifted Kaden into the car seat buckled into the middle space. “Here you go, bud.” Oakley watched in wonder as he expertly locked Kaden into the seat, making sure the straps were tight and the seat secure before turning to smile at Oakley.
“You ready?” He took her hands in his.
“What in the world are we doing?” How was this her life?
Chris just leaned over to brush her lips with his, something she was fast becoming accustomed to, which was likely a mistake. But kissing him was unlike anything she’d ever known. Oakley wasn’t extremely experienced when it came to men, but even so, she recognized a good kiss when she felt one and Chris’s kisses were spectacular.
“Hmmm.” She hummed low in her throat, stepping deeper into his arms. Chris wasn’t complaining and what started as a brush of lips became something more.
A moment later he pulled away. “We’ll get back to that later,” he promised. “But for now, we have someplace we need to be.”
Oakley let him lead her to the other side of the car. He opened her door and held her hand as she climbed into the leather seat. The SUV was pristine and had that new car smell she’d never once experienced with one of her own cars or even her parent’s. The car was just another reminder the two of them were from different worlds.
Chris hopped into the driver’s seat and they were off. He drove with one hand while holding hers with the other. “You’re going to realiz
e once you see the road signs where we are so I’ll just tell you we’re in California. In Santa Monica.”
Her eyes flew to meet his. “Oh, my goodness. What are we doing in California?” Who just flew to California for the day on a whim? Her eyes widened. Was it just for the day? She hadn’t even asked. And he hadn’t offered up the information. “Chris-”
“I know.” He squeezed her hand in his. “I know. It’s crazy. And to be honest, it’s even crazy for me. But,” he glanced at her. “Let’s just have fun. Don’t worry about anything else. I just want today to be you and me and Kaden spending time together and not thinking about all of that other stuff. We’ll talk. I promise, we will. But let’s have some fun first. What do you say?”
She stared at his profile. She’d never seen a better looking man in all her life and here he was asking her, and her baby boy, to spend the day with him in California after flying them in on his private airplane. How could she possibly say no to that? And it wasn’t just because he was gorgeous. And wealthy. He was also sweet. And tender. And kind and gentle. She’d seen his strength, taking a sledgehammer to walls at the house next door and ripping out cabinets and carpet. She knew he was a beast on the football field. But that wasn’t the Chris who tucked Kaden into bed at night. That wasn’t the Chris who held her against his side as they looked up at the stars and shared their hopes and dreams and their biggest disappointments.
He’d kept something from her and it wasn’t easy to come to grips with that, but it also wasn’t easy to cast aside all the good she knew about him just to color him all in darkness. Chris wasn’t darkness. He wasn’t deceit. He was light. He’d brought so much light into her life and into Kaden’s. Maybe she could cling to that. At least for today.
“Okay. For today.”
Chris’s shoulders relaxed and she realized the effort he’d gone to for them. She only hoped it meant as much to him as it seemed, or she would be crushed. And so would Kaden.
Chris didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath, waiting for her to agree to just enjoying this day with him, until she actually did and it came whooshing out of him. He also realized he owed his brother dinner at his favorite restaurant when they got back to Colorado. Carter had gone above and beyond, organizing a car, all the things he’d asked for packed neatly in the trunk, Kaden’s seat, and rooms for the day and evening. It was everything he wanted and more since Oakley agreed to share it with him.
He followed the directions to the resort where he’d made reservations for them and pulled up to the entrance. Oakley’s eyes widened again as she took in the valet and sparkling glass doors. Chris had already checked into the suite while they were still on the plane, but that wouldn’t be their first stop. Chris couldn’t wait to take Oakley to the place that was the whole reason for this trip. Everything else could wait.
Chris got out of the car and immediately set about helping Kaden from his carseat while the valet opened Oakley’s door. As soon as Kaden was free of his buckles, Chris led him to the sidewalk where Oakley waited her eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and wariness. He hoped she’d lose the wariness soon.
Chris gave his name to the concierge at the booth near the valet and received a key card along with promises to have their belongings delivered to their rooms. He pocketed the card and turned to Oakley with a smile.
“You ready?” he asked.
She laughed nervously. “For what?”
“For this!” He grabbed her hand and scooped Kaden onto his shoulder before pulling her into the hotel. He bypassed the lobby even though Oakley’s eyes struggled to take everything in- she could look to her heart’s content later- and exited through an automatic door on the other side.
“Oh, wow,” she breathed, stopping dead in her tracks once they stepped outside.
Chris watched with satisfaction as Oakley soaked in her first glimpse of the ocean on one of the most beautiful beaches he’d ever been to himself.
For several long moments, she didn’t even move other than to swivel her head side to side as she took it all in. Even Kaden was stunned into uncharacteristic silence.
He gave her a few moments to process, then prodded her forward. “Should we move closer?”
Oakley dragged her gaze from the water. “The beach? You brought me to the beach?” Her eyes glittered with tears.
He hoped they were happy tears. “I did.”
“I-” She shook her head, her gaze catching again on the endless blue waves before returning to him. “I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe you did this.” She set her hand on his arm, but that wasn’t close enough for him.
Drawing her into his side with his arm around her waist, Chris dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Let’s get our feet wet.”
When she met his gaze again, her smile was as happy as he’d ever seen it and her eyes sparkled. “Last one to the water is a rotten egg!” she shouted just before taking off.
Mouth gaping, Chris glanced at Kaden on his shoulder who grinned then laughed at his mother’s antics. “Let’s get her!” Chris yelled. Clamping his arm tight around Kaden, he took off after Oakley who was halfway to the water’s edge. Good thing he’d been a professional athlete and his legs were a foot longer than hers. He reached her side just seconds after she stopped just short of the waves. Chris set Kaden down in the sand.
Oakley bent in front of her son. “Take off your shoes, bud. Let’s feel the sand between our toes!” Kaden giggled as she helped him remove his little socks and tennis shoes before slipping out of her own sandals. Once their feet were bare, she took his hand and led him toward the surf, both of them grinning from ear to ear. His heart full, Chris took his time removing his shoes before joining them, wondering if he’d ever been as happy as he was right at that moment.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Oakley had never seen anything more beautiful than the ocean. It was impossible to comprehend the vastness of the all that water unless you’ve actually seen it with your own eyes. She could hardly look away long enough to help Kaden out of his shoes so they could feel the warm sand between their toes. All she wanted to do was stare until she’d had her fill of the amazing view, if that was even possible. She felt like she could watch the waves roll into shore for the rest of her days.
But Kaden had other plans, plans that included getting soaked and playing in the sand. She looked to Chris who watched Kaden with a small smile.
“We should have put him in his suit.”
Chris glanced over. “Well, let’s go get changed. Our stuff should be in our room by now.”
Oakley blinked. “Our room?” Singular? And who did he think he was, kidnapping them overnight without even asking? She was about to blow her top but Chris stopped her.
“Wait. Sorry. Rooms.” He emphasized the ’s’ at the end of ‘rooms’. “And we don’t have to stay. We can leave whenever you want. But I wanted to make sure we had a place to change and rest and clean up. And eat.” He looked at the time on his phone. “Food will be arriving in just a few minutes, actually.”
Food? In their rooms? As in room service? As far as she was concerned food service only happened in movies. She imagined carts filled with plates covered with silver domes hiding expensive food she didn’t know how to pronounce.
She glanced at Kaden. What could possibly be under one of those domes a three-year-old would like?
“Hey.” Chris touched her elbow. “Don’t worry. I think by now I know what you two like to eat.”
“Frozen pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches?” She pulled her arm out of his grasp.
If he was perturbed by her attitude he didn’t show it. Instead, he gave her an easy smile. “You’ll see. Come on. Let’s go up. We can eat and then change into our swimsuits. I think we have some toys, too, for sand castles. We’ll come back down and play as long as you want.”
“And then we just fly back home?” This was the craziest experience of her life. She felt bad that she kept questioning what was happening
, but this kind of thing just didn’t happen to her. She didn’t get swept off her feet and flown to the beach by a wealthy bachelor.
Chris took a tentative step toward her. Kaden played in the sand at their feet. “I know I sprung this on you, so we can do whatever you want to do. I got us here, but the rest is all up to you. Stay. Go. Whenever you want, just say the word and we’ll fly back to Colorado.” He paused, holding her gaze steady with his. “But we don’t have to be in a hurry. We can stay here the rest of the day and tonight, in separate rooms, of course. And fly home tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next. It’s up to you.”
Oakley chewed her lip. He’d gone to all this trouble and didn’t seem to be asking for anything in return. Could she trust what he was saying? Only time would tell. The real question she had to ask herself, was she willing to take a risk on Chris? On them?
“I hate that you keep having to talk me around to things. I’m not usually this needy. It’s making me feel like one of those girls I can’t stand. Like I need constant reassurance. I’m not like that.” She wasn’t a weak woman, but the last twenty-four hours had really thrown her for a loop.
Chris studied her for a long moment, then chuckled under his breath. “You really have no idea how amazing you are, do you?” He framed her face with his hands.
Oakley rolled her eyes, shaking his hands from her cheeks. How did one respond to a question like that? Especially to him. “Stop it.”
His eyes lit with amusement. “No. I won’t. I don’t care how long it takes, I’m going to convince you that you deserve this. You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. Everyday you blow my mind with what you are capable of. You take care of Kaden and not just by making sure he’s safe and fed and clean, but you love him. He knows he has you in his corner supporting him, even if he can’t articulate it. He knows. And you work harder than anyone. Day after day. On your feet. You deal with crabby, disrespectful people all day long and never complain.” Gently, he tucked her hair behind her ear. “You. Amaze. Me.”
Marrying the Football Billionaire Page 15
