“Hmmm.” She tapped her finger on her chin. “Does it involve food?”
He smiled. “Are you hungry?” The snow cones he’d purchased an hour ago must not have been enough.
“Did Kaden love burying you in the sand?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.
“Yes. Yes, he did.” And Chris couldn’t wait to get in the shower to remove the sand from parts unknown.
She nudged his foot with hers. “So, this surprise does involve food?”
He nodded. “Absolutely, I will feed you. But that’s not the first thing.”
“I have no idea, then.” She rolled onto her back, throwing her forearm over her face. “I’m too comfortable to think about it.”
Chris tapped his finger on her elbow. “You, Ms. Abbott, give up too easily.” He rolled to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. “But that’s okay. We have to get going if we’re going to make it.”
Feigning reluctance, Oakley allowed him to pull her to her feet and together they packed up the toys and towels. Chris returned the chairs and umbrella. Oakley was just about to reach down to pick up Kaden, who’d fallen asleep, but Chris got to him first.
“I’ll carry him. Can you get the bag?”
Oakley nodded, shouldering the bag as she watched him pick up her little son, towel and all. The boy hardly weighed anything, but he knew Oakley would struggle with him on the walk back to their suite.
“It’s really beautiful here.” She looped her arm around his waist as they went.
“I love it, too.” It had been a long time since he’d taken a vacation. Today reminded him just how much he needed a break. Everyone did.
It didn’t take them long to reach the suite. Kaden still slept, so Chris set him down on the sofa in the living room. He’d need a bath when he woke, but Chris didn’t have the heart to wake him up to take care of it just then and it seemed Oakley felt the same.
“He had so much fun today.” She trailed her hand gently through Kaden’s hair.
“It was a fun day.” Chris moved to stand in front of her and set his hands on her hips. “As for me, I don’t want it to end just yet. But it’s completely up to you. We can head back to Colorado if that’s what you want.”
Indecision clouded her face and she bit her lip, a sure sign she struggled with herself. “And if we don’t go home now?”
Chris smiled. “If we don’t go home now, then we keep having fun. I call Raul and tell him we will leave sometime tomorrow.”
Oakley narrowed her eyes. “Fun doing what?”
Chris shook his head and laughed. Typical. “Well, first of all, you are going to go enjoy a couple of hours at the spa downstairs.”
Her eyes widened, but Chris didn’t stop there.
“While Kaden and I hang out here until you’re finished. Then, once you get back, a lady from the hotel who comes highly recommended by my good friend, Danny DeSoto, is going to come stay with Kaden while we go to dinner.”
Chris watched her reaction carefully. He figured the spa was as good as done. Her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning when he mentioned it. But the babysitter part had her brows pulling together again and he knew it was going to be a hard sell.
“Listen, Danny and his wife have a bunch of kids. They come to this place every chance they get. Danny’s from California and he hates Colorado. They fly to the beach all the time. In fact, he recommended this place to me. He and his wife enjoy going to dinner when they’re here, but they don’t usually bring a nanny, so when they found Laney, it was perfect. She’s twenty years old and comes from a big family. She works here at the resort in the activities room they have for kids during the day. Since she works here already, she’s been through a thorough background check and comes highly recommended.”
She chewed her lip again and Chris knew he would have to trust her judgement on this. The last thing he wanted to do was talk her into it and then have her be anxious all evening, worrying about Kaden.
“Tell you what, you go. Enjoy the spa. I’ll stay here with Kaden and when you get back, we’ll meet Laney and if you feel at all uncomfortable leaving Kaden with her, then we stay in. Room service and a movie. What do you think?” He tried not to hold his breath as he waited for her to respond.
Her pretty lips, the ones he loved to kiss, were going to be mangled if she didn’t stop gnawing on them. Maybe he better kiss her now just to save them. So, he did.
“That isn’t fair,” she murmured a few moments later.
Smiling, Chris dropped one last kiss on her lips. “I’m not trying to manipulate you. We’ll do whatever you want. Say the word and we’ll drive to the airport right now.” He really hoped she didn’t want to do that, but he’d honor his word if she did. “Or we can take another step forward today and see where things go.”
Oakley reached up to touch her hair. “The spa does sound heavenly.”
It took everything in him not to jump up and down cheering.
Instead, he nodded slowly, working desperately to keep his face impassive. “The brochure was impressive.” He’d scoped it out last night on the internet.
“I didn’t bring anything to wear to dinner.”
Like that was a deal breaker.
Chris smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s all included.”
Oakley frowned, shaking her head. “Chris-”
He put a finger to her lips. “No. You are not allowed to stress about this. The spa is all about no stress. Your appointment starts in about two minutes. Go down. Relax. And don’t worry about a thing. Kade and I will be just fine and when you get back, we’ll decide what we’re going to do next.” His finger still covered her lips. “Blink once for yes.”
She laughed softly against his finger, then turned her head to break the connection. “Fine. I’ll go.”
Chris caught her around her middle. “Jeez, don’t let me twist your arm.”
Oakley laughed again, hugging him around his waist. “Thank you. I don’t mean to be ungrateful. It’s just,” she shook her head against his chest. “This is all really, really crazy.”
Chris kissed the top of her head. “I know, but maybe you could get used to it. Starting right now.” Pulling away, he led her to the door. “Now, go have fun and we’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
She bit her lip again, but this time was different. This time he could tell it was a sign she was excited.
“Thank you. Come get me if Kade needs me.”
He opened the door and gave her a little push out into the hall. “We’ll be just fine. Go to the main lobby and follow the signs.”
She stopped, turning to him with vulnerable eyes. “We’re going to talk about everything, right? Today has been amazing and I’m incredibly thankful. But we still need to talk.”
The expression on her face about broke his heart. He couldn’t forget he’d hurt her, she’d been hurt before and as much as he didn’t like it, his deceit put him in the same category as her ex. But all he could do was show her he was different. He was a good man. And if he wasn’t good enough for Oakley, he’d spend the rest of his life trying to be.
Leaning forward, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips, praying all the while that she’d feel the promise in his kiss, a promise that he could and would rise to the occasion. She meant everything to him. Hw wouldn’t let her down.
“I promise. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” He made sure she saw the truth of his words in his eyes.
Oakley nodded. She wasn’t completely convinced, but that was okay. They had plenty of time, he hoped, to work things out.
Chris kept an eye on her until she disappeared in the elevator, then closed the door and decided to wake up Kaden. He knew from talking to Oakley these last few weeks that if he slept too long during the day, especially this late in the day, he’d be up all night. And that wasn’t what he wanted for this trip at all.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
It was decadent. Everything about the spa treatments Chris had chosen for her was delici
ously decadent. Pampering. For two hours she’d been pampered, relaxed, and soothed. Her hair had been styled to perfection, makeup applied flawlessly, and her skin silkier than the satin robe they’d given her to wear.
When it was almost over, she began to panic, thinking she’d have to put her salty bathing suit back on, but Chris had one last surprise up his sleeve, just as he’d said.
One of the attendants, whose name she’d forgotten, led her into a dressing room complete with a three-sided mirror in front of a raised platform. Three walls of the room were lined with racks of dresses in every color and style.
“They should all fit,” the woman told her, Oakley took a second to check for a name tag, her name was Summer. “I say should, but you know how it is, every dress is different. But these should be close. Take a look and see what you’d like to try on.”
It was overwhelming! How would she ever choose? Summer must have noticed the deer-in-the-headlights look on her face, because she smiled and stepped toward one of the racks on the far side.
“I think with the rich color of your hair and that fabulous tan, you would look lovely in some of these jewel tones.” Summer shuffled through the dresses and pulled out a teal number with silver beadwork. The neckline plunged a little deeper than Oakley was used to and she wondered if she would be comfortable wearing it or if she’d be worried about falling out of it all night.
“It’s really beautiful.” She didn’t want to offend Summer. “But a little too low for me.”
Summer swiftly turned back to the dresses. “No worries. And don’t worry about hurting my feelings. The most important thing is finding a dress you feel beautiful wearing. And comfortable. Or as comfortable as you can be in scratchy fabric.” She laughed at her own joke and Oakley wondered what alternate universe she’d been dropped into.
She tried on five different dresses and none of them seemed right. But then a splash of color from across the room caught her eye, a beautiful rose pink, perfect for a summer evening. Oakley walked straight to the dress, praying it wouldn’t have a neckline that plunged to her belly button. She pulled it from the rack. It was a halter. The chiffon gathered from the halter top to a cinched waist. From the waist it flared into an A-line skirt that seemed to float on air.
“Oh, that color is gorgeous against your skin!” Summer gushed. “You have to try it on.”
Oakley agreed. Quickly she slipped out of the dressing gown she’d been wearing and into the rose dress. The fabric slid across her skin feather soft. She’d never felt anything more luxurious. Summer helped her secure the halter behind her neck and Oakley became aware of the completely bare back. She pulled her hair up, exposing the back strap of her bra.
“Don’t worry. We have anything you need to go under that dress,” Summer reassured her, wide-eyed as she circled Oakley on the pedestal. “Oh, that’s it. That’s the one. You have to take that dress.”
Oakley couldn’t agree more. It exposed more skin than she was used to, but at least her skin looked better than it had in the last decade thanks to the spa treatments she’d just indulged in. Her cheeks blushed almost as pink as the dress when she thought of Chris seeing her in this dress.
Oh. But was she even sure they should go out tonight? It made her sick to think of leaving Kaden with a stranger. No one had ever watched him except family, Cam, and now Chris. Could she leave him and still enjoy being away?
Would Chris be disappointed?
Of course, he would be. But that was the price of being with a mom. Her first priority was her son. At three years old he was still so little. As much as Oakley hated the thought of Chris with another woman, maybe she would be doing him a favor to push him away? Sure, he seemed to like Kaden well enough, but he’d already interrupted their time together several times. That would never go away. Kaden would always need her and his needs would always come before her own or even Chris’s. Could he handle it if they were to continue seeing each other?
She was being silly. It was a date. Albeit an incredibly expensive and thoughtful date. It was still just one day out of many. No one was making life altering decisions tonight. She’d just keep reminding herself of that and everything would be fine.
Oakley turned to Summer with a smile. “I think this is the one.”
“An excellent choice. Let’s get everything else you need.” Summer helped her pick out shoes, accessories, and undergarments. Once she was dressed, Summer handed her a tube of lipstick and gloss to keep in a jeweled clutch.
“Don’t worry, it won’t smudge,” she said with a wink that had Oakley blushing again.
“Thank you.” She pulled Summer in to a quick hug. “This has been so fun.”
“Oh, honey. I think the fun is just beginning,” Summer said with a wink as she led Oakley out of the salon and spa. “Have a wonderful evening, Ms. Abbott.”
Oakley waved goodbye, then headed toward the elevator and attempted to control her breathing. She was running the risk of hyperventilating and that just wouldn’t do, because it might ruin her dress if she fainted.
Finally the elevator doors opened. A young couple, dressed for dinner in a cocktail dress and suit, stepped out. Oakley offered them a small smile which quickly turned to a frown when the young man’s neck stretched as he attempted to keep his eyes on her. Thank goodness the doors closed in his face. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take his date long to realize what a jerk she was with.
The ride in the elevator was too long, yet when the door opened to her floor, she was sure it was too short.
“Deep breaths,” she coached herself as she stepped out onto the plush carpet in the hall. Jeepers, she hadn’t been this nervous on her wedding day! She supposed that should tell her something. After digging through the clutch for her key card, Oakley held it to the sensor and opened the door.
The main room was empty. Frowning, she wondered if they’d gone somewhere, but then she heard voices coming from the room Chris was using. Walking slowly, she approached the open door.
“Dude, are you almost finished? Your mom’s going to be back any second.” Long-suffering, Chris’s voice was filled with long-suffering.
A smile started to form once she realized what was going on. Leaning against the bathroom door frame, dressed to kill in a suit that hugged every bulging muscle just perfectly, was Chris. His arms were folded across his chest and she could tell from the tick in his jaw he’d been waiting awhile. Tip-toeing across the carpet, Oakley’s smile grew. Once she was just a few feet away, she cleared her throat to get his attention.
Chris jerked away from the door frame, his eyes wide. “Hey. Wow.” His gaze swept over her from head to toe. “Holy smokes, baby. Look at you.”
He took one step, then another toward her, his gaze never wavering.
With the look he was giving her, Oakley was certain Summer’s claim about the lipstick was about to be put to the test. And she couldn’t wait. Her whole body blushed under his gaze.
Just as he was about to reach for her, Kaden screeched from inside the bathroom. “Chris! Wipe my butt!”
Chris froze and as one they both glanced to his hand which held a rather generous portion of toilet paper.
Oakley giggled.
Chris chuckled.
Soon, they were both laughing uncontrollably. Kaden continued to call out from the bathroom, but neither of them could stop.
After a few moments, Oakley reached out for the tissue. “Here, let me take care of that.”
Chris pulled his hand back with a frown. “No way. Not dressed like that you won’t.”
Still chuckling, he headed back toward the bathroom. “Let us men take care of things. You go back into the living room. We’ll be right out.” And then he shut the door in her face.
She should have done as he said and gone back out to the living room, but instead, she stood beside the door and listened as ‘the men’ took care of business.
“Don’t forget to pull up my pants. Mom always pulls up my pants,” Kaden said.
&n
bsp; “You can get on YouTube by yourself but you can’t pull up your own pants?” Chris asked.
She had to bite her knuckle to keep from laughing out loud.
It was quiet inside the bathroom for a moment.
“Okay, bud, let’s wash our hands,” she heard Chris say. He was being so sweet and it melted her heart a little. Sure, Kaden had wonderful role models in her dad and brother, but she knew having a father, someone full-time in his life would be different. What would it be like to have Chris be a part of their lives all the time?
“You have to lift me up.” Kaden’s little voice echoed in the tiled room. “Mom sits me on her knee.”
“She does? How about you step on my foot?” The water turned on and Oakley walked softly out of the bedroom. She didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping.
Just a few seconds later, she heard a door open and the two of them came walking out of the bedroom. Kaden flew to her as soon as he saw her standing there and wrapped his arms around her knees. “Mom!”
“Hey, bud.” She hugged him to her. “Were you a good boy for Chris?”
Kaden nodded his head enthusiastically. “We played games on his phone and watched videos of him playing football.”
Oakley smiled, darting a glance at Chris who looked a little chagrinned.
“I thought he’d get a kick out of watching one little clip, not get obsessed with them.” He swiped a hand over his face, embarrassed. “I swear I’m not that full of myself.”
“Uh-huh. Sure,” she teased, then asked Kaden if he ate anything.
Kaden nodded. “Chicken nuggets.”
Oakley widened her eyes playfully. “Ooh, sounds good.”
“I ordered room service for him so he wouldn’t be hungry if we go to dinner.” Chris stood near the sofa in the living room, leaning against the arm with the side of his leg. He was so handsome. It was hard for her to look away. Thankfully, Kaden was done talking with them and went to entertain himself with a pile of Legos on the coffee table.
Pushing away from the sofa, he took a step toward her.
Marrying the Football Billionaire Page 17
