He brushed his lips over mine again and again until my knees weakened, and my legs felt like jelly. So much relief and joy filled me that it seemed as if I would burst. His lips softened, and the kiss became slower and more tender until we eventually broke apart. He wrapped his arms around me and held me as if he never wanted to let go.
“Makeup or no makeup, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and that’s not an exaggeration.”
I pulled away, needing to see his eyes when I asked my next question. “You believe that?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
He took both of my hands and smiled. “Don’t say anything. Just spend the day with me. I want more time with you.”
His statement filled me with warmth, and the corners of my mouth lifted. I’d told myself not to invest my heart too much since we were only friends, but that kiss had to mean there was something more between us. “Sure, I’d love to.”
“Good. I have an idea if you’re up for it.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“How about a trip to Monterey in my jet?”
My eyes widened until they were probably bulging. “You have a jet?” It wasn’t surprising, considering he was a billionaire, but I’d never heard Charlotte mention it before.
“Yes. If I have to fly across the country or internationally, I usually charter a larger plane, but I like to use the jet for shorter trips.”
“Cool. Monterey sounds nice.” I glanced at the painting on my wall, suddenly making the connection. “Wait… Did you pick Monterey because…?”
“You said you wanted to go there one day.”
“You remembered that?”
“Of course, I did.” His expression grew more serious. “You’ve been on my mind a lot, Maya.”
“You’ve been on mine too,” I said, trying not to beam like a lighthouse, but my feelings had to be written all over my face.
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
I wanted to ask what that page was exactly, but I kept my mouth shut. I hurried to my room and thought about the situation as I pulled on a pair of shorts and looked through my closet for a top. If we were going to Monterey, that meant we’d probably stop at the beach, and I wanted clothes appropriate for that activity.
I’d been telling myself that relationships were out of the question for me because of my uncertain future, but that seemed almost silly now. Plenty of people with health problems had relationships, so why couldn’t I? When I thought of it that way, it seemed logical. Maybe the desire to be with Easton was finally overpowering my fears. And to think, all it had taken was one kiss.
Maybe all these years I’d used my health as an excuse not to be with a man because none of the men I’d dated felt like the right one.
It was a huge revelation, and I wanted to share it with someone, but there was no way I would bring it up with Easton. At least not at this point. That was a conversation I would have with Charlotte, not the man who’d taken up all my thoughts in the past few weeks.
Plus, we’d just started spending time together, and if I asked him to go into detail about what “page” we were both on, he might think I was pushing for a commitment too soon. Yes, I wanted one if we continued to grow closer. And, yes, I thought it was important we discussed our intentions and motives for hanging out.
But I just wanted one day with him where I didn’t have to worry about all of that.
I found a pink button-down top that had always flattered my figure and threw it on and then headed out to the living room where Easton was waiting. An hour later, we were flying to Monterey, and who would have known that Easton was a pilot? We were up in the air, the sky a deep blue and the clouds white and puffy.
“Charlotte never mentioned you had a jet,” I said, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. “I’m surprised she never said anything.”
“She knows better than to tell people. It’s something I prefer to keep secret. I consider flying my alone time.”
“You’ve taken Charlotte and your mom, though, right?”
“A handful of times. I took my dad as well, but no one else.”
My eyebrows flew up at that admission. “You haven’t taken any friends? Only family?”
“That’s correct, and I don’t take family often. They know they can go anywhere they want and I’ll always help fund their trips, but when I fly the jet, I prefer to be alone.”
“Then I feel honored that you’re allowing me to tag along. Thank you.”
He glanced at me and smiled, and there was a playfulness in the gesture. “It was my idea, remember? I have a small circle of people I trust, and you’re in that circle now.”
Whoa… Did he just say that? Warmth worked its way through my body, filling my gut with a giddy sensation that felt like I was as high as a cloud. And I literally was that high. I smiled back at him but didn’t say anything further because I didn’t trust myself to say the right thing.
How was it that my heart was bursting at the seams for this man I once hated? How had we gotten to this place? It was amazing and scary at the same time.
We touched down at a local airport and then took a rental car to one of the beaches in Monterey. The air was warm but not hot, and the light breeze felt good on my skin. It was perfect weather for a perfect day.
I glanced up at the sky, and it was so blue it seemed as if God had painted the hue just for us. Maybe I was seeing everything through the lens of rose-colored glasses, but I didn’t care. God’s creation was beautiful, and I hadn’t felt this ecstatic since… I couldn’t recall a time. Perhaps that was what love did to people. Made them see the world as perfect and wonderful.
I stopped myself. I could not allow myself to believe I was in love. We hadn’t defined our relationship and only fools rushed in before thinking. Wasn’t there a song about that? Bottom line…I needed to slow down.
The sound of the waves crashing back and forth in a rhythmic motion relaxed the tension in my shoulders, and I breathed in the sea air. We took off our shoes and dipped our feet in the warm sand, the grains sliding over our skin. It wasn’t summer yet so there weren’t many people laying out, but Easton threw down a towel and we placed our shoes on top of it and then ventured out to the water. We walked along the beach and stayed close enough that our ankles got wet when the waves rolled over the sand.
Easton took my hand and laced our fingers together, and the way he did it felt intimate and sweet. As if we were a couple. That urge to define our relationship crept up again, but I pushed it back, not wanting anything to ruin the moment. Relationships took time to build, and there was no need to rush this one. He’d kissed me and said I was on his mind, not to mention he’d taken me on a trip in his jet, and he didn’t do that with anyone other than family. That had to mean something.
He squeezed my hand and glanced at me as we continued to walk. “I love the beach. Love the way it relaxes me.”
“Is Monterey your favorite?”
“One of my favorites. Another is Newport Beach. I have a home there.”
“Oh, right. Charlotte talks about going there sometimes. I bet it’s nice.”
“One day I’ll invite you and Charlotte up to check it out.”
“I’d love that.”
We continued walking as the sun landed on our shoulders and the water lapped around our ankles. Easton appeared lost in thought and then turned to me. “I had the biggest crush on you in high school. Were you aware?”
“What? No.” I halted, shocked at his admission. “That can’t be true.”
He let out a laugh and stared straight ahead, his free hand going to his jaw. “I’m surprised you didn’t know, considering how many times you caught me looking at you.”
“I thought you were looking at me because you despised me, not because you—”
“I was afraid of you.” He chuckled softly, and we resumed walking.
“You were afraid of me? That’s crazy. How am
I frightening?” The wind blew against us, making my hair fly everywhere. Thank goodness it was in a ponytail or it would have been all over the place.
“You had the power to crush me.” He glanced at me for half a second and then stared straight ahead again. “You still hold that power.” Or at least, that was what it sounded like. He’d said it under his breath so I couldn’t be sure.
He bent down and reached for something in the sand that was reflecting the light and then lifted it to the sun so we could both take a look at it. It was a tiny sea shell with a white and brown surface, and it was so adorable I wanted to hold it and feel its smoothness. “Would you like it?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He gave it to me, and I held it in my palm, studying the shell. It was so small it barely took up space, and it was fun picturing the tiny creature that once used it as a home. “This is so cute. I’m going to keep it as a memento of the day my friend, Easton, took me to Monterey.” I slipped it in my pocket and smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
We kept walking and then I cleared my throat. “Wait a minute. You said a few seconds ago that I had the power to crush you. What did you mean by that?”
He didn’t answer for a long time, and I started to wonder if he hadn’t heard me. I was about to ask again when he let out a deep breath. “I always admired your loyalty to Charlotte. She had a lot of friends in high school, but you stood out. You weren’t her friend because she was popular or rich or beautiful. People surrounded her for those reasons, but you stuck by her side because you loved her for who she was. I knew then, just like I know now…” He glanced at me, and that affection returned to his eyes, stronger than ever. “You were special.” His eyes watered, and my mouth dropped open at the emotion there. He stiffened and pressed his lips together as if trying to hold it back. “I envied her. She was lucky. I never had that.”
I squeezed his hand and waited until he looked at me. “But now I’m your friend as well, so you don’t have to envy her anymore.”
He swallowed and looked down, nodding slowly, a slight smile on his face, but when he glanced up at me, his eyes were stormy. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s true.” A flash of pain washed over his features and then disappeared as quickly as it came.
Something was definitely going on inside of him, but I couldn’t put my finger on what was bothering him. He seemed almost sad by my statement, but maybe that was because he was remembering old friendships that didn’t turn out so well. Trying to figure out his feelings was like attempting to count the grains of the sand. It seemed impossible and overwhelming. I would just have to be patient and let that unravel over time.
We continued our walk until we grew tired and then we turned back to collect our shoes. Easton took me to a nearby restaurant for lunch, and we walked along the street afterward. We checked out a few shops and then returned to his jet.
“This has been an amazing day, and I’ll never forget it,” I said as we boarded and buckled our seat belts. “Thank you for taking me along.”
“Thank you for agreeing to come on such short notice.” His eyes flickered with mischief again, and the old Easton was back, playful and fun. For a while, he’d seemed almost moody, but that was probably just my imagination.
“I’m glad it worked out.”
“Me too. What are you doing this evening?” There was a questioning note in his tone that made me think he might suggest another activity, but I had already promised Charlotte we’d have dinner, and I wasn’t the type to ditch a friend just because a man wanted to make plans.
“Charlotte and I are getting together for dinner.”
“Oh, so I have to share you with her? Not sure if I like that.”
A moment passed, and I glanced at him, trying to assess if he was serious or joking. “Since when did you become so possessive?”
He chuckled and stared straight ahead, but he didn’t reply, and I didn’t insist on an answer. We were both content to leave it at that.
***
That evening, I met Charlotte for dinner at Sabatino’s, an Italian restaurant on the west side of L.A. She ordered gnocchi with a pesto cream sauce, and I ordered Pollo Saltimbocca with prosciutto, mozzarella, and sage. We sat outdoors on the patio per Charlotte’s request so we’d be able to talk privately, and I knew exactly what that meant. She wanted the scoop about Easton and me. I decided to share a little, but to be careful about what I said. I didn’t want her trying to speed things along when it was better to take it slow.
After the waiter brought our meals to the table and left, Charlotte leaned in, a sly smile on her face. “Before you start eating and claim you can’t talk because you have food in your mouth, tell me what you and Easton were up to today. I know for a fact that you spent the day together.”
“How did you…?”
She gave me a knowing smile. “Mom told me.”
“He told your mother we were spending the day together?” I didn’t remember him calling or texting anyone while we were on the plane or at the beach for that matter.
“Yep. She called while he was on his way to your apartment. He said he wanted to take you to Monterey on his jet.”
I lifted both hands in surrender because it was easier to cooperate with Charlotte than it was to resist. “Since you already know, we took a walk on the beach and then had lunch. It was a nice day.”
She stared at me as if she’d asked for a donut and I’d given her a crumb instead. “Details, Maya. I need details.”
I shrugged and picked up my fork, my stomach grumbling with hunger. If she thought we were having a full discussion before I ate anything, she was sorely mistaken. “What do you want to know?”
“Did he kiss you?”
I opened my mouth to deny it but promptly closed it. While it was true he hadn’t kissed me when we were in Monterey, he had kissed me before we left, and if I tried to side step the question, Charlotte would figure it out. She and I were always truthful with each other, and I didn’t want to be dishonest in any way, but I was nervous about sharing the details.
“You did, didn’t you?” Her mouth fell open, and she gasped. “Oh. My. Goodness. He kissed you!” The last part came out in a squeal, and thankfully no one else was eating on the patio or the whole world would have known about my kiss.
I lifted a shoulder, realizing any attempt to subvert her was doomed from the very beginning. “Fine, he kissed me. Are you happy now?” I cut a piece of chicken and then forked it and stuck it in my mouth.
“And…what did you think?”
I finished chewing and then snickered. “Do you really want details about what it was like kissing your brother?”
She wrinkled her nose and leaned back in her chair. “Good point. I can do without those kinds of details, but I still want to know what your reaction was.”
I popped a piece of broccoli into my mouth and chewed, giving myself more time to think. Charlotte crossed her arms and waited, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. I nodded my head from side to side as I continued to chew, knowing the delay was adding more suspense to the discussion.
“Come on,” she said, impatiently, “I thought I was your best friend.” Her eyes flickered with disappointment then, and I hated that she felt that way.
We’d always been upfront with each other, so it must seem like I was trying to keep her out of the loop, and it would have seemed weird to me if the shoe was on the other foot. I put my fork down and leaned in, glancing both ways to make sure the waiter wasn’t on his way out. “It was amazing, Charlotte. Simply amazing. No one has ever kissed me like that before.”
“I knew it.” Her face lit up with so much glee one would have thought she was announcing her engagement instead of discussing her friend and brother’s first kiss. “I knew the two of you would like each other once you gave it a chance.” She held up a finger in the air. “And, look, it finally happened.” She flashed a satisfied grin and then dug into her food.
“You
were right. He does have a heart.”
She lifted a piece of gnocchi into her mouth and chewed for a few seconds. When she finished, her eyes moistened. “Most people don’t see that side of him, but, honestly, Maya, he’s changed since you started working for him. I’ve never seen him this…” She paused as if looking for the right word.
“This…what?”
She paused some more and then leaned her elbows on the table. “Introspective.”
My head jerked back a little because that wasn’t the word I’d been hoping for. “Happy” would have been better or even “lighter.” Introspective could mean anything. Then again, I wanted the truth, and Charlotte knew her brother more than anyone.
“You’re looking at me like I just popped your bubble,” she said with a laugh. “Introspective is good. It means he’s examining his feelings, and he never did that before.”
“I don’t want to rush ahead. He kissed me one time, but I’m sure he’s kissed many women in his lifetime.”
“Yes, but…” She glanced away, her voice breaking, and when she turned back, there were tears in her eyes. “This is you, Maya. We’re going to be sisters. I just know it.” She said the last part in an excited tone, and my heart did a little jolt.
It would be amazing if I could legally call her my sister, but we were taking this way too far. This was exactly why I was afraid to have this discussion with her. Charlotte would have Easton and me married with children before we finished dinner, and I couldn’t let myself count my chickens before they hatched.
“Stop. Just stop right there. We’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
Blind Date with my Billionaire Boss (Blind Date Disasters Book 5) Page 17
