Bare All

by L M Allen

  I can’t even begin to formulate a response to that. Fortunately, I don’t have to just yet, because there are two giggling little girls skipping our way.

  “What about work?”

  “You have an office full of staff to take care of things for you, Eva. They know we got married yesterday, and are fully aware you’ll be totally unavailable for the next few weeks. And so am I.” Oh, yes. I do, don’t I? “Good morning, angels.” Will greets the girls and stands to pull out a chair each.

  “Hewow, Daddy.” Mae grins. Her eyes flick to mine as her dad pushes her chair in.

  “Morning.” I can feel my face is pure radiance as I look from small girl to small girl. “Did you both sleep well?”

  “Yep.” Summer swipes her hair from her face, looking around the room as Will pushes her chair in too. “I’m hungwy.”

  “Really? That’s never happened before.” Summer huffs.

  “Nanny Mawy said I’ve got a hell-fy happy-tite.”

  “Did she?” I chuckle, and then nod seriously at Summer’s affronted expression. “You do, sweet pea.”

  “Girls?” Will begins, and already has their full attention. “Do you remember that Mum and I are going to Mexico today?” I glance over the table at them. I was expecting a bit more pouting, but they both nod eagerly. My eyes narrow suspiciously as they move back to Will. “So, you two will be spending some time with Nanny Joyce and Mary...”

  When the giggling starts, my suspicions are heightened. They’re up to something. Or looking forward to getting spoiled rotten for two weeks with their grandmother and nanny. Sweets and more sweets. Will smiles at their giggling and drops his eyes to his coffee cup, trying to hide his smirk.

  Hmm. I wonder what they’ve been promised? But all thoughts are pushed aside as breakfast arrives. I’m famished.

  Chapter 14

  I can’t stop staring. This is all too much to take in. Palms of varying sizes line a long, limestone-like pathway, swaying in a warm Mexican breeze and bright red flowers fill the hundreds of planters. Will squeezes my hand as the car glides to a smooth stop outside an elegant, thatched reception, that looks like it’s set right in the middle of the jungle. There’s so much green! Even the water looks a green-blue.

  “The lagoon,” Will says softly, following my sightline.

  “Right. The lagoon.” I have no idea why, but I was expecting... less... luxury. Escape fills my mind, and I don’t know why I’m surprised. I suppose I’ve never really noticed how classy it is.

  “We’ll let Marina know we’re here, and I’ll show you our villa. She’s the hotel’s manager.” I swallow hard and nod. “Eva...?” My wide eyes hit Will’s. His are full of...concern?

  “Yes?” I squeak.

  “Do you like it? So far?”

  “It’s...breathtaking.” His face lights up, and he slips out from the back of the car when the driver opens his door. Will says something to him, smiling and slapping the man’s shoulder. Will walks around to my side and opens my door. I slide out of the cool, airconditioned car into a balmy breeze and bright sunshine. Will takes my hand.

  “Marina is dying to meet you. Fair warning, you’re likely to get squeezed to bits.”

  “Right. Marina. Manager. Squeezed. Aha.” I barely register Will’s chuckle as he leads me inside.

  All of the immaculately presented staff greet Will as we enter, even a few of the guests. I feel like a kid who’s just landed at the North Pole on Christmas Eve. I can’t quite believe I’m here. I’m still trying to convince my brain that it’s real. This is Will’s hotel? This? Holy crap!

  I hear her before I see her. A motherly looking Hispanic woman screeches my name and runs, a lot faster than she seems capable of, right for us. Me. She’s running for me. Her arms open as wide as her smile, and I don’t get the chance to draw breath before she squeezes me stupid.

  “Woah! Steady, Marina. Eva’s pregnant, remember?”

  She doesn’t let up. She’s babbling. “I can’t believe it...! My boy got married...! But who can blame him? Look at you, you beautiful girl. You’ve made me so happy... Thank you for making him so happy. I’ve never seen... Oh! English. I need to say it all again in English.”

  “No. I got every word.” She gasps and holds me at arm’s length, smiling into my face.

  “You speak Spanish?”

  “I do. My best friend is Spanish. It’s necessary for understanding her when she’s past the halfway point on the tequila bottle.”

  “I love her!” Marina beams at Will, takes his face in her hands, and smothers him in kisses. I’m a little bit surprised he’s allowed it. They must be close.

  “So do I.” Will smiles back at her. He is so...what’s the word? Happy? Relaxed? I like it. Marina says something in his ear. He turns to me.

  “Do you want to look around first or get settled in?”

  “Let’s unpack. Then I need food.”

  “Baby. You won’t be able to eat another bite when Marina is done with you.”

  “Bring it on, Marina. Bring it on.” I laugh as she rushes off, clapping her hands and calling out something I don’t quite catch.

  “Come. We’ll take a walk down to the villa.”

  “We need to grab our bags.” Will smiles indulgently and grabs my hand.

  “Already taken care of. Five stars. And, y’know, I own the place. It has it’s perks.”

  “Oh.” Yes. He’s the owner.

  Will leads me out of air-conditioned comfort, into the heat and along a winding path, lined with lush palms and plants, and I’m pretty sure orchids. We turn down a road marked ‘private’ and the ocean comes into view. “Wow.” I’m mesmerised. The ocean is tropical turquoise and swathed in diamonds under the afternoon sun. As we walk further, I can see the white sand and tall swaying palms that fringe it. And then we approach the sprawling, raised villa, standing alone like a scene straight out of paradise.

  We follow the path down to the front door, and Will pulls out a set of keys from his pocket.

  “If you don’t like it, we can change it.” I glance at Will, unable to find words. He steps aside and allows me to walk in ahead of him. It’s incredible. The back of the villa looks to be entirely glass and surrounded by decking. The floors are terracotta, and the walls are plain cream, but brought to life with the vivid colours of tropical murals and local art.

  “Do you want a tour?” I can only nod. Will leads me through the living areas, the kitchen, the luxurious bathroom I could lose a few hours in, and the bedrooms.

  “And this is the master.” Will pushes open a heavy pine door and my breath catches. The patio-style doors are thrown open to reveal the balcony, bedecked in scented blooms with the ocean beyond, the sheer white curtains fluttering in the gentle sea breeze. Rose petals cover the bed and our luggage has been discreetly placed in a corner. “Say something.” I look up into Will’s anxious face.

  “Wow,” I breathe again, and all his tension melts away. I tiptoe, press a kiss to his lips, and move over to the open balcony doors. I step through and out onto the decking. I kick my sandals off and walk over to the railing. I hear Will’s sharp inhale and turn to look at him over my shoulder. “Will...it’s...stunningly beautiful.”

  “It certainly is.” I direct my attention back to the view, the sea breeze whipping strands of my hair back and cooling my body.

  “Eva...”

  “Hmm?”

  “This...you...being here...I never knew I wanted any of this until quite recently...but now, I don’t know how I lived without it. Without you.”

  “You’re not regretting marrying me yet, then?” I tease and glance at Will’s face. He clearly didn’t think it was funny. “You’re so sweet.” I sigh and press my body to his. “I didn’t know this was possible. I didn’t know it was possible to...” I let out a big breath and my eyes climb to Will’s. I wrap my arms around his waist and prepare to tell him a truth I have denied my whole life. “I didn’t know it was possible to love someone so much. To want s
omeone so much. To need them, and not be terrified of the consequences. To not feel like it’s a weakness. To find strength in it.”

  “I didn’t know it was possible either. To fall in love with someone...with the most beautiful woman ever, and have her love me back.” Will frowns and takes a big breath. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why did you say yes?” I tilt my head, confused by his question.

  “Because I love you.” His face softens and lights up.

  “And that’s why I fell for you. Eva, you have never even asked about my businesses or hotels. You must have at least suspected that I’m a millionaire. You have never made me feel like a...” He scowls and presses his lips together. I cock an eyebrow, waiting. His eyes are on mine for a second. “Like a living sex toy or a ticket to easy street.” I gasp, and he continues, “Other people...other women...I know they want me...or not me, they want my body, my face or my money...You...you have never...”

  “Will,” I breathe, tears welling in my eyes. “I. Love. You.”

  “I know. That’s what I’m saying. I know you do. And I know I love you too. I knew I loved you the first time we met. I knew you were the one for me.”

  “Good thing you married me then, huh?” I grin, trying to lighten the mood. He smiles softly and presses his lips to mine.

  “And um...so am I...technically. A millionaire, I mean.” I suppose he’ll find out eventually.

  “Ahh, yes. What’s mine is yours,” Will says quietly.

  “That’s not what I meant.” He frowns, his head tilting very slightly.

  “So...the sale of Eden?”

  “No. And we should talk about that. Surely you need at least half your money back.” Will’s smile turns to a near scowl, and I rush on. “I meant...that technically... as in, in my bank accounts right now...there’s quite a lot of money.” Money that’s not really mine. Money I don’t bloody want.

  “Can you elaborate?”

  “Well, the last time I looked, I had around seven million.” (7.6—if you want to get picky about it.) Will is watching my face as though he’s waiting for me to crack and laugh. I draw a big breath and lift my eyebrows and shoulders. Yeah. Really.

  “Are you talking about De Luca’s money, Eva?” he asks in a low growl.

  “No. Well, kind of. I suppose.” I take another breath and hold it. “It was my dad’s,” I tell him quickly. Will looks lost. Confusion is etched on his brow, and I know I have to tell him. To explain. “He...um...well...oh, this was a bad idea!” I wail.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “No. I know you don’t.” Christ, why did I say anything at all!

  “Let’s sit. Do you need a drink?”

  “Yeah. A bloody big one.” Will’s eyebrow jumps in a ‘well, you won’t be getting that kind of drink’ way.

  I sit on the sofa on the deck, my eyes on the ocean, my mind far away and a long time ago, as Will holds out a bottle of elderflower pressè to me. It’s ice-cold. I look around, wondering where he got it.

  “So...your dad left you some money?”

  “Yep.” I take a sip.

  “And why do I feel like you think that’s a bad thing?”

  “Because it is.” I take another swig. My eyes screw shut, and I can see it all again. The blood. The terror etched on Dad’s face. The hysteria in my mum’s voice. Davey screaming my name.

  “Why?”

  “It’s not the money. Necessarily. It’s how he got it.”

  “Okay...and how did he get it?”

  “From...he...” I blow out a big breath. “From De Luca...Senior.” Will sits beside me, his eyes glued to mine.

  “How?”

  “Oh, I think we could probably take a pretty educated guess here, Will. My dad. The SAS commander, who could kill a man with his bare hands without breaking a sweat, and De Luca...” A shudder runs through my body, and I’m suddenly freezing-cold in the blazing sun.

  “I don’t know exactly what happened...but I do know that it all went very wrong...Dad and some of his squad...they hid the kids in a safe house, including Gary, me and Davey for a while. Sid and Frankie too. They were still annoying little shits then.” I smile fondly. “But this guy found us. And...” I flinch away from the memory, my words trailing off.

  “What happened, Eva?” Will’s voice is as soft as his touch on my arm.

  “Short version?” Minus the blood. “I heard him...the guy, whoever he was... saying... ‘Where is she?’ I was the only girl there. The boys he found...they refused to tell him where I was hiding, and he shot Sid’s brother in the arm. When he pointed the gun at Davey’s head, I called out. Made sure he saw me... and ran.”

  “Holy. Fuck! You stupid woman!”

  “Oh, don’t you start. It was a long time ago. What was I supposed to do? Let him shoot my brother? In the head?” I huff and throw myself back into the cushions, my arms wrapped around my midsection.

  “No wonder the entire SAS seems to bloody love you.” He snags me and squeezes me, too tight to breathe.

  “Yeah. No wonder.”

  Will eases up a bit and asks, “So? What happened then?” My breath catches, and my lungs turn to concrete as the words form in my head.

  “Um...well, eventually my dad came back. The boys told him what happened... that I ran and the guy came after me...We didn’t know at the time that it was Gary’s father we were hiding from. Dad gave himself up...for me. But what he didn’t know was that they hadn’t found me yet, hiding in the trees. He walked right into De Luca’s house with his hands in the air. He must have known what they’d do to him.”

  “Oh, baby. I can’t imagine...but I’d have done the same thing if it were Mae or Summer.”

  “I know. I get that now. But at the time, I was so bloody angry. That he thought I was that weak. That he thought he needed to save me and sacrifice himself. Of course, now I know that at barely twelve years old, I wasn’t as tough as I thought I was. And if it had been our girls...” I wince at the thought. “I’d have wrapped a bow around my middle and skipped into the lion’s den.” My mind sprints backwards fifteen years. Screams fill my ears.

  “So...?” Will asks, bringing me here, to Mexico.

  “So...I had already turned around and gone back to the safe house. I needed to find Davey. I knew he’d be going out of his mind. And the rest of the squad made a plan. It was a stupid fucking plan. So we made our own. You stay hidden, kids. We’ve got this. Yeah. Like that was gonna happen.

  “Of course, we followed, after Tom and Ted left to rescue Dad. Mum went with them too.” Will’s grip tightens on my trembling knee, and I continue.

  “I knew it was me they wanted, Will. I’d do it again.”

  “You...?” Will’s terrified eyes search mine for the joke.

  “Yep. I heard them. That’s what they said. One favourite child for another. I crept away from the boys and walked right into De Luca’s office. Me, for Dad. That was the deal. It got messy very quickly. Ted was badly hurt. My godfather. He still uses a stick today. Dad was shot three times, but he saved Tom’s life. And I got used to people trying to kill me.” I half smile. Will scowls.

  “Not funny.”

  “It is a little bit.” Will shakes his head firmly. His face softens, and he pulls me close.

  “But it does explain a lot. Your aversion to money for a start. Not wanting anyone to take care of you.”

  “Yeah. I suppose it does.” I’ve never really thought about it.

  “I assumed it was all something to do with De Luca. Dan De Luca.” I shake my head against his chest.

  “I had no idea about Gary’s family, not really. I knew they were bad people, but it wasn’t for a long time after that I found out who Gary’s father really was. After Dan...” A giggle bubbles in my belly, and I press myself closer to Will. “Our girls haven’t done very well with the biological grandparents’ thing, have they?” I feel Will’s breathing pause and I pull back to see his face.

  W
hy the hell did I say that!

  “I...should tell you something... about that.” I sit still and wait for him to continue. “Mary...I swear I didn’t know.”

  “You didn’t know what?”

  “Mary... isn’t just Mae’s nanny... She is her grandmother.”

  “She’s...? Her grandmother? As in...?” My brain is sluggish, but I’m pretty sure he’s telling me that Mary is his ex’s mother. Or his, Will’s mum?

  “As in Mae’s maternal grandmother. I didn’t know until a few months ago. She didn’t tell me who she was. That’s what I meant when I said I’d found out someone was lying to me, and you told me to get the full story, remember?” I nod as the past conversation stirs in my memory banks.

  “And how do you feel about that now?”

  “Now...” He looks up at me, unsure. “I think I’m glad our girls have two grandmothers,” he says, his eyes back on his knees. He sounds almost guilty.

  “Me too.” I smile, and Will’s face flies to mine.

  “Seriously?” he breathes, clasping both of my hands.

  “Yeah. Seriously.” I give him a wide grin, and he gasps before his mouth clashes with mine.

  “I bloody love you, Mrs Hunter.” When my stomach rumbles like there’s an earthquake approaching, Will laughs and pushes to his feet. “I think I need to feed my girls.”

  “It might be a boy, you know,” I tease as I take Will’s offered hand and allow him to help me up.

  “It might. But I don’t think so. I think she’s going to be just like her mummy.”

  “You’d better hope not, Daddy.” Especially after what I just told him.

  “Hmm. Maybe you’re right,” he teases me back. “She could be trouble.”

  “You love me.” He tugs on my hand, pulling me closer.

  “More and more every day.”

  Chapter 15

  “Marina. I think I love you,” I tell her seriously, pushing away my empty plate, less than an hour later as we sit on the casual dining terrace.

  “You want more?” Marina asks, her eyes hopeful and her feet inching back towards the kitchen.