Standing before him, she trembled. The whole day had been surreal. She felt like an imposter. An invader in someone else’s life.
Warm, rough fingers slid down her arms from shoulder to wrist, stopping only when they entangled with her own.
“Oakley,” he said her name softly, reverently.
Caramel eyes met blue across the distance between two people who were so entirely different, who’d come from worlds that were miles and miles apart. It didn’t matter she’d found him in the house next door. He didn’t belong there.
“Chris,” she breathed, her eyes filling with moisture that would have gotten her a stern talking to from Summer if it hadn’t been waterproof.
His brow furrowed as his blue, blue eyes searched her face. “Baby, why are you crying? You look amazing. Aren’t you happy with your dress? Didn’t you like the spa?”
She nodded, feeling foolish. “Yes. Yes. It was wonderful. All of it.” Her voice sounded thick even to her own ears. “Thank you. I love the dress.”
His shoulders sagged with relief. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You work so hard, you deserve to be pampered. And you have to know-” he took a step closer. “You look stunning.”
Her heart expanded at his words. Not just the compliment, but the rest, too. She felt deep down he meant every word.
His gaze turned intense, desire burned in his eyes. Oakley’s lips trembled. She wanted to feel his kiss upon them, needed the reassurance his touch offered. He was only a breath away when a knock sounded on the door.
His shoulders dropped and a short laugh burst out. “I can’t catch a break,” he teased with a wink. “That must be Laney.” He started to move away, then stopped, taking her face in his hands. “We don’t have to go out. I won’t be upset if we need to stay with Kaden. Please, don’t worry about that. Okay?”
She nodded. He was too good to be true. Wes used to become angry anytime Kaden got in the way of their plans, making Oakley feel guilty if her parents weren’t available to watch him and she was uncomfortable leaving him with someone else. Chris had never even shown annoyance when Kaden interrupted them. Was this the real Chris? Or was he just like Wes, being who she needed him to be until he got what he wanted from her and only then would his true colors show?
She hoped not.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chris mentally crossed his fingers as he moved to open the door. He desperately hoped Oakley would fall instantly in love with Laney and they’d be able to go on their date. Oakley looked incredible and he was looking forward to spending the evening with her on his arm. She was always beautiful, but she’d taken his breath away when she walked into his bedroom earlier.
It was probably a good thing Kaden had interrupted them, no matter how awkwardly, or Chris might have been tempted to take advantage of the situation. And however attracted he was to his gorgeous neighbor, he promised himself he would never do anything to hurt her again if he could help it.
Still, it was hard to turn away from her.
Chris pulled open the door to find a petite Asian woman who looked to be in her early twenties. Her black hair was pulled back into a messy bun with two orange pencils sticking out of it. She wore a pair of black pants and a polo with the hotel logo embroidered on one side. At her side, she carried a cloth bag overflowing with toys and kids craft items.
Best of all, she wore a cheerful smile and her dark eyes sparkled with fun. Immediately, he could see what Danny had been talking about when he recommended the woman. She was perfect.
“Hi, Mr. Bragg.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Laney.”
Chris took her hand and offered her a grateful smile. “Nice to meet you, Laney. And please, call me Chris. Come in.” He opened the door wide and stepped back.
Laney nodded and stepped confidently into the room, her gaze zeroing in on Kaden first and then on his nervous mom. She walked right up to Oakley and held out her hand. “Hi, Ms. Abbott. I’m Laney.”
Oakley, obviously unable to resist Laney’s cheerful face, smiled and took the other woman’s hand. “Hi, Laney. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry, I’m a little nervous. I’ve never left Kaden with anyone other than family.”
Chris was proud of her for immediately addressing her concerns and relieved at the graceful and kind way Laney responded.
“I understand. You can never be too careful when it comes to your child. It’s one of the reasons I decided on child care when choosing my career. My mother worked when we were young. I come from a big family. Sometimes our babysitters were fun, attentive, and completely trustworthy. But there were others who weren’t. I never forgot the feeling I had when Mom and Dad would leave us with one of the bad ones. When I graduated from high school, I went to school for my Child Development Associate and I’m in school now to finish my bachelor’s degree. I’ve been working here at the resort since I was sixteen and now, I am in charge of the child care program the hotel offers. I don’t usually do child care like this anymore, but Mr. DeSoto is a good friend. I’ve been caring for his kids for years whenever they come here and he asked a favor of me to take care of your son. And I’m so happy he did.”
Chris watched Oakley the entire time Laney was talking. With each word, the strain of making the decision to leave Kaden in a stranger’s care lessoned a little more. Even he was impressed with all the things Laney said and her overall aura was one of love and care. He had no doubt Kaden would be fine with this young woman for the evening.
“I’ve brought some fun things for us to do while you enjoy your evening. Mr. Bragg filled out a form,” Oakley’s eyes darted to his with surprise at that, “with cell numbers for the both of you, allergies, and anything else I need to know about Kaden and what he needs from me.”
Chris stepped to Oakley’s side, placing his arm around her waist. “We’ll just be downstairs in the hotel restaurant, but it’s up to you. Whatever you decide.”
Chris felt her lean into him and wondered at the emotions washing over him. He loved this woman. He was in love with her. And he’d do anything for Oakley and for Kaden.
“What do you think?” He brushed his lips against her hair.
“I think we should go. Kaden will be fine.” She smiled at Laney. “If I were you, I’d start with the play dough.”
Laney grinned. “Awesome.”
Chris and Oakley stayed for a few minutes, introducing Kaden to Laney and making sure the pair were settled in. Chris had the number to the room’s telephone programed in his phone, but he made sure he had Laney’s cell phone number as well. He waited patiently while Oakley kissed Kaden and reassured him she would be back in a while. As he ushered her out the door, she continued to call out tidbits of instructions to Laney who listened with a smile.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked her once the door was closed behind them.
Oakley took a deep breath. “No. He’s going to be fine. You were right. She’s great.”
On the inside, Chris sagged with relief. He so wanted her to enjoy their night together. On the outside, he gave her his most confident smile. “Come on, beautiful. We have a reservation downstairs.”
He held out his arm. Oakley tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and he felt as though he was the luckiest man on the planet.
“You don’t like seafood?” Chris stared, his mouth gaping and Oakley laughed.
“No. Gross.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Not even shrimp? Everyone likes shrimp,” he insisted.
“Ew. No.” Oakley made a little gagging face.
“How did I not know this about you?” He sat back in his chair, appraising her.
Oakley shrugged. “We’ve never gone to dinner before. Usually, I make food for us. And I would never make anything fishy.” She shuddered at the thought.
“That is so crazy.” Chris shook his head. “Salmon is probably my favorite food.”
“I don’t even have a single can of tuna in my house. It smells bad.” She popped a bite of chicken bathe
d in a mushroom sauce into her mouth. The food was wonderful. “And I would have thought steak was your favorite.” She pointed to his plate with her fork. He was eating steak for the second time that day.
“Yeah, you might be right,” he conceded. “But salmon is a close second.”
It had been like this for the last hour. They’d been sharing more of their likes and dislikes, an extension of the ‘favorite’ game they liked to play at night in her backyard.
The restaurant was even more fancy than Saint Ivory’s. Chris told her there were two restaurants at the hotel, this one and another that was more family friendly. He’d planned to take them there if she didn’t want to leave Kaden with Laney.
It had been difficult the first few minutes after leaving her son in the care of someone she didn’t know, but deep down, she knew he would be fine. She had a feeling she needed this time with Chris. There was no telling where their relationship might go, but if they couldn’t spend time alone, it would be difficult to find out.
Plus, the day and evening were proving informative. She’d learned Chris was an attentive date. At least, to her. His gaze hadn’t strayed from her for more than a few seconds. He showed concern for her comfort. Asked about her food and made sure her drink was refreshed. He made her feel like a princess.
But there were still a few things she’d like to know, and as much as it might kill the mood between them, she was determined to learn the answers to her questions.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” There was no sense beating around the bush. They were adults. Chris had flown her hundreds of miles from home just so she could see the ocean for the first time, for goodness sake. Something was going on between them, and if either of them wanted whatever this was to continue, there would have to be some honesty.
Chris set down his fork and leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”
She gave him a look.
He held up his hands. “I mean it. I was never the face of the franchise, but I do get recognized sometimes.” He shrugged. “When you didn’t recognize me, I just kind of liked the idea of anonymity.”
“Why?” Didn’t people like him want to flaunt their fame and wealth? Why wouldn’t he want her to know who he is?
He shrugged again and seemed embarrassed. “I don’t know. Sometimes it’s nice to be just me. Chris. Not Chris Bragg, retired football player and billionaire bachelor.” He made a face when he said that last part.
“Billionaire. Is that really true?” It was probably tactless to ask, but jeez. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
His face colored. “It’s okay. You can ask me anything. But, yeah. I mean, that’s what Carter tells me. It’s not like it’s all just sitting in a bank account. Well, a lot of it is, but,” he ran his fingers through his hair. “Carter’s people manage all of that. I just trust them to tell me how much I can spend. Although, my football money is separate from what I inherited from my parents. I’m a simple guy, though. I haven’t spent much of my salary over the years. I don’t even own a house. I think the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought is my truck.” He grinned. “And tools.”
“You said you don’t get along with your parents. Why is that?” There were so many things they’d talked about and so many they’d just glossed over. She knew he didn’t get along with his parents but she didn’t know why.
“They wanted me to take over the family business.” He picked up his fork again. “I’m the oldest. Heir to the empire kind of thing.”
She knew which business he meant. Martin Bragg was a huge name in real estate in Denver, but his reach extended beyond just Colorado. She knew from searching Bragg Enterprises on the internet, the company had diversified by investing, mostly because of Carter’s influence, in start-ups. Carter’s vision brought growth and wealth to Bragg Enterprises beyond what anyone had expected.
“But you didn’t want that?”
Chris shook his head. “No. I wanted to play football. You can guess how that went over.”
Oakley frowned. “But you made it, played professionally for eight seasons.”
A small smile played at his lips. “You know my career?”
“I Googled you,” she blurted.
He laughed. “You Googled me?” Just as quick as he’d laughed, his face sobered. “Just remember, you can’t believe everything you see or read on the internet.”
Oakley thought about the articles she’d read about Chris and the pictures she’d seen. Especially, the ones with him posing with models and actresses. She gave herself a shake. Thinking about that wouldn’t do anybody any good. Plus, she still wanted to know about his family.
“You parents, they didn’t like that you played professional football?”
He shrugged a little. “Only when it benefitted them, impressed their friends or furthered their connections. Personally, though, they were frustrated by my lack of interest in business. They’ve always thought football was a waste of time and wanted me to give it up once I graduated high school. But the truth is, I wouldn’t have even gotten into college if it wasn’t for football.” He smiled crookedly. “Carter was the academic between the two of us. I’ve always just been the dumb jock.”
“There’s no way I believe that.” Chris wasn’t dumb. Maybe he wasn’t a brilliant businessman, but he knew what he was doing when it came to the things he was passionate about. She’d learned that by watching him work on the house.
Chris shrugged, but she could tell he believed what he said and that made her sad. This bigger than life amazing man shouldn’t be insecure about the fact he didn’t want to spend his life in an office. Truth was Oakley felt the same.
They finished their dinner. Chris sent a text to Laney, checking on Kaden. She replied saying they were having fun building with some blocks she’d brought in her bag. Oakley was relieved things seemed to be going well.
Chris settled their ticket and took her hand. It was late, the sun was just setting over the water outside and Oakley found herself straining to get a look out of the hotel windows.
“Is it okay if we don’t head back right away?” he asked, leading her toward the automatic doors.
Oakley glanced at him with a smile. “You have more surprises?”
Chris cocked a brow. “Maybe. What do you say?”
“Hmm.” She pretended to think about it as they walked outside, but she was beginning to believe she would agree to just about anything he suggested at this point. “I guess.”
Chris pulled her to him playfully. “You guess?”
Oakley laughed. “I mean, you’ve gone to all this trouble.”
His eyes darkened. “No trouble. Today has been the most fun I’ve had in, well, I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.”
“I’ve had fun, too. It’s been wonderful. Thank you.”
Chris brushed her cheek with his fingers. “You don’t have to thank me.” He pressed his lips to hers in a brief kiss. But Oakley didn’t want a brief kiss. Taking hold of his lapels, she hauled him closer.
He groaned against her lips. “If you’re going to do that, I have to take this jacket off before I combust.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” She laid her hands on his chest, then slowly moved them up over his shoulders, helping him out of his jacket.
“Not if we’re going to walk the beach in the moonlight together,” he grinned.
Oakley gasped, hugging his jacket to her chest. “That’s what we’re doing next?”
Chris nodded. “But only if you’ll let me shed another layer. It’s hotter than blue blazes out here.”
She laughed. “You won’t hear any complaints from me if you want to take that shirt off.”
His eyes widened and he paused unbuttoning his white shirt, which had a plain white t-shirt under it. Unfortunately. “Why, Ms. Abbott! Are you flirting with me?”
“Maybe.” She smiled over her shoulder as she began to walk away. “Better hurry, Mr. Bragg or I’m going to wa
lk this beach without you.”
A strong arm hooked around her waist. “No way.” He nuzzled her neck with his nose. “I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.”
Oakley paused, turning her face toward his over her shoulder. “Weeks?”
“Of course. Ever since you told me your dream date.”
Oakley’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve been planning this for weeks?”
His lips twisted. “No. Full disclosure, I came up with this last night after I left your house. But I never had any doubt I’d be the one bringing you to the beach.” He dropped a kiss to her lips. “At least, as long as you agreed to come with me.”
Oakley hesitated in his arms. “Chris. I don’t know what to think about all of this. I’ve hardly had two seconds to process everything since last night.” She shifted against him and he dropped his arms. Oakley hated the expression on his face after hearing her words, but she had to say them. It was the truth. The day with him had been amazing. She’d enjoyed every moment of it, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d lied to her, hidden important things about his past from her. How could she trust him when she suddenly felt as though she barely knew him?
The muscle in his jaw worked. She could see in his eyes he wasn’t upset with her because of how she felt. No, he was frustrated with himself. Reaching to take his jacket and shirt from her, he removed his phone from the inside pocket and put it in his pants pocket. Then he set them both in the sand.
“I’m gonna take my shoes off. You want to?” He didn’t wait for her to answer before kicking off his black dress shoes and removing his socks.
Feeling even more confused, but deciding it was worth it to her to find out more about this man, Oakley reached down, slipping her finger under the heel strap of her shoes. She didn’t feel like carrying around the clutch, either. Opening it, she took out her phone and key card and held them out to Chris. He put them in his other pocket while she stuffed the clutch between the folds of his jacket. If anyone wanted to steal it, all they would get was a couple of tubes of lip gloss.
Marrying the Football Billionaire Page 18
