by Maida Malby
Will she go back to wearing her conservative outfits and hiding her physical assets? Or will she live up to her new motto of carpe diem? He didn’t have any answers at the moment, and that bothered him.
“She is special. Krista is beautiful and sexy, but more than that, she’s exceptionally intelligent—maybe smarter than me.” Another raised brow. That brow was getting a lot of exercise this morning.
“That’s high praise, coming from you. You’re no slouch in the brains department.”
Neither was Aidan. All the Ryan children had high IQs, especially Darcy, who was in the genius level. “Is there anything wrong with this paragon? Are you sure she’s not only after your money to get her family out of poverty?”
Blake didn’t like his brother’s insinuation. His jaw tightened. “Bro, be careful what you say about my woman. Krista is not a gold-digger.”
Aidan held up his hands. “Hey, I don’t know her, okay. I just want to make sure you do.”
Blake’s expression relaxed. “I can’t say I know her very well already.” She hadn’t talked about her family much, except to say she was close to them. He knew more about her friends than her parents or siblings. “What I know, I like. It’s odd, really. She has plenty of insecurities, but she also has a lot of pride. She’s incredibly independent; she looks at my gifts with suspicion.” Blake smiled fondly as he recalled the various instances when she demonstrated his next complaint. “And, she’s always scolding me when I’m being arrogant.”
Even knowing it would make him sound too sensitive, he continued. “But, I don’t know exactly how she feels about me. She hasn’t had a lot of experience with men. I’m her first lover.”
He didn’t realize how much he would appreciate having his brother here to talk with, regarding this new development in his life. They were close growing up, but their respective jobs—especially Aidan’s highly classified one—brought some distance in the past few years.
“And you want yourself to be her last, as well.”
Since when did my brother become so understanding? They really needed to get together more often. Craig, too. “Yeah. She’s The One, bro.” There, I said it. His brother just nodded his head.
“What are your plans? Are you staying in this country indefinitely?”
His brother’s overly casual tone alerted Blake to a possible hidden meaning in his question. Is that why Aidan is in the Philippines? Is something about to go down in the country that I should be cautious about? The new administration had been making waves in both domestic and international affairs, but things couldn’t be that bad, could they?
“I’ll probably go back to the US, eventually. Why? Should I be making any?”
Because of his performance in the Philippine office, Blake could have a plum job anywhere in the world he wanted. He’d considered transferring earlier this year, perhaps to take on a developing market or a regional job, but then Krista came along and he decided to stay. He had seven months to decide whether to ask for another extension or go elsewhere.
“All I can say is that you should always have an exit strategy,” Aidan replied cryptically.
Blake sighed in frustration. It was so hard to talk to his brother when he was in his “top secret” mode, but he could always count on Aidan if anything serious happened.
“It could be tricky, since it looks like you’re putting down roots in this country. Partnership in an island resort ... the girl …” Subtle, bro.
“The resort is an investment. I could live anywhere, and it will still yield profits for me. The woman …” Blake stressed the word. Krista wasn’t a young innocent Miss anymore. “… is strong and feisty. The Filipinos are tough and resilient. They survived a dictatorship and two People Power Revolutions; they’ll handle whatever comes next.”
He intended to check out his work options this coming Monday, but whatever he did, wherever he went next, he’d take Krista with him.
Aidan straightened and clapped his hand on Blake’s shoulder. “She seems to have her hooks dug deep into you, little brother. Be careful she doesn’t break your heart.”
Blake looked Aidan in the eye. “There’s always a first time for everything. Maybe I’ll let her.” He saw understanding and perhaps a little sympathy there, before his brother’s gaze became hooded again.
“Maybe you should. For what it’s worth, I like her.” Adrian grinned. “She’s got great legs.”
Blake let out a jealous growl and Aidan roared with laughter. Big brothers are a huge pain in the ass. He decided to do a little needling himself. “So, what happened with Maddie?”
Aidan turned away to wash his mug. “Nothing happened. She arrived late and delayed the flight by fifteen minutes.”
Uh-oh. Tardiness was a cardinal sin in Aidan’s eyes. Maddie had plenty of sterling qualities, but punctuality wasn’t one of them. Her work was excellent, so Blake always forgave her when she came in late for meetings.
But Aidan had no patience for what he considered lack of discipline, even—correct that, especially—in someone as stunningly beautiful as Maddie. “Did she apologize?”
“No,” he bit out. “She sashayed onto the plane and waved to the pilots like she’s Miss Universe. Then she held out her hand to me as if I should be honored she acknowledged my presence at all.”
Blake looked down into his mug to hide his grin. Maddie and Aidan were the only passengers on the flight.
“What did you say to her?” For sure it was something cutting and honest, but unflattering.
“I told her she was late and if she could stop flirting with the pilots, we could take off and finally get on our way.” Aidan walked towards the bedroom, finished with the conversation. “Do you have extra sheets? I want to take a nap. I’ve been up since four.”
Ah. Blake got it now. That explained Maddie’s irritation with his brother. It was rare that the half-French beauty got rebuffed by any man. Sounds like a plot of a romance novel. He sniggered as he followed his brother to show him where they kept the bedding.
Chapter Sixteen
Kaibigan [ka-ee-bee-gan] n. – friend.
They didn’t talk during the short walk to her cottage, but Krista knew the moment they entered that Maddie would be on her like a police interrogator.
Once inside, she turned to her friend and said, “Before you question me, Inspector Javert, I need to shower and change clothes. Can you order some breakfast for us? Please? I’ll tell you everything later. I promise.” She walked to the bedroom before Maddie could respond, knowing that her friend would simmer, but she’d follow Krista’s request.
Krista made quick work of the shower, since she and Blake had spent time at the whirlpool the previous night. Granted, they did more lovemaking than bathing, but she felt clean, nonetheless. After donning a sporty bikini set, then covering it with a tank top and shorts, she went out to look for Maddie.
Whenever she had the opportunity, Maddie spent her time outdoors. It made sense that she was out there right now, probably already in her bikini. Maddie was darker than Krista, even though Maddie was considered a mestiza with her mixed French and Filipino heritage. She thrived in the sun, sea, and sand, and Boracay was her happy place.
Krista confirmed her theory when she saw Maddie’s t-shirt and shorts on the couch, her overnight bag lay open on the floor. Ha. Do I know my best friend, or what?
Quickly grabbing a mug of coffee, she followed her friend to the garden area.
As she suspected, Maddie had moved two chairs to the sunshine; the table and remaining chairs stayed in the shade for Krista. Sitting on one chair, Maddie had her long legs stretched out on the other while munching daintily on her fruit salad. She wore black sunglasses and the tiniest red bikini Krista had ever seen.
Krista was relieved to find bagels and cream cheese on the table, along with a fruit basket containing grapes, mangoes, jackfruit, pomelo, and guava.
Although they were the same height, Maddie looked smaller when they stood side by side; she was s
lim and elegant while Krista was stacked and curvy. Her bestie kept her model-thin body by working out daily at the gym and eating a low-fat, low-sugar, low-carb diet.
In the past, Krista envied Maddie’s body. But after last night, with Blake showing her repeatedly how much he loved her curves, she felt more confident of her own allure.
Reaching for a bagel half, she sat down and prepared herself for the grilling of her life. “So, I finally have a boyfriend.” Saying it still made her giddy. “No more NBSB. Yehey!” She spread cream cheese on the bread and munched happily.
“Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”
Krista raised her eyebrow.
“I am! I can see that you’re glowing. Good thing I’m wearing sunglasses, or I’d have been blinded by the smile on your face.”
Krista laughed at her friend’s exaggeration.
“I take it you’ve done the deed? Your cherry has been popped?”
Color tinted Krista’s cheeks. “Well and truly gone. Ahead of schedule as well. On Monday night. I seduced him.”
That statement brought Maddie’s feet down from the chair. “You did? Oohlala! Way to go! How did it happen?”
Krista reddened even more.
“I didn’t mean how, how. I meant how did you seduce him?” She removed her sunglasses to peer closer at her.
“Well, it was raining that night, so we stayed indoors. After dinner, I suggested we play truth or dare strip poker, and then I cheated so I could dare him.” Her eyes took a faraway look as she remembered their sexy game.
“That’s fantastic! I love it that you took control. And you were the one to decide when and where. Félicitations, m’amie. C’est super. How was it? Did it hurt?”
Krista blushed again. “It stung at first, but Blake was gentle and patient, and he really took good care of me.”
She didn’t need to tell Maddie all the details—she was sure her friend knew how it was done. “You know I’ve been doing splits for dance and yoga, so there wasn’t really much tearing or bleeding.”
“I told you he’s good.” At Krista’s choked laugh, she backtracked and said, “I mean, I heard someone say he was good.”
That sobered up Krista instantly. That was the thing—he wasn’t hers first. Who knew how many lovers he’d had before her? He told her he had never been in love, but …
Softly she told her best friend, “He said he loves me, Maddie.” She put down her half-eaten bagel. She couldn’t take another bite.
“Wow!” There was real surprise on Maddie’s face. “What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything. I cried. I’m not sure how I feel.” She looked at her friend for understanding. “Blake is so generous. He lavished me with so much attention these past few days. He obviously knew you were coming today, so he celebrated my birthday with me all day yesterday. He pampered me with breakfast, a massage, and dinner. He gave me flowers. Not just any flowers, but rare purple calla lilies. And he gave me a pair of Christian Louboutin heels!
“He’s rich, Maddie. Although I’m not poor anymore, I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to just buy a nine-hundred-dollar pair of shoes. Plus, he’s my boss. I know he’s not my direct supervisor, but he’s the CEO. I can’t hope for a promotion; otherwise, people will accuse me of sleeping my way to get it, and accuse Blake of favoritism.”
Maddie was nodding.
“Then, there’s the fact that he’s an expatriate—an American. He can leave anytime. What if the company wants him to move to another country? What am I going to do?”
“You thought all these things in the split second after he told you he loves you?” Maddie’s voice was filled with incredulity. “Did you tell him any of these?”
“No. But I didn’t tell him I love him, either.” Do I?
“Do you?” Maddie always had the knack of reading what was on her mind.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Possibly. I don’t have a frame of reference for this kind of feeling. I’ve only loved my family and you, my friends. I’ve always had difficulty saying it, even to my parents or to my siblings. Blake is my first lover. How do I know that it’s love and not just lust?” It seems so easy in the books. In real life, not so much.
“What do you think of Aidan?” Maddie asked, seemingly out of the blue.
At Krista’s confused look, Maddie explained. “Aidan Ryan, Blake’s brother. You met him thirty minutes ago. He has the same birthday as you. He looks a lot like Blake, except that he’s more handsome, much sexier, and a thousand times more arrogant.”
Krista didn’t notice, but it seemed Maddie had. “Excuse me? I beg to disagree. Blake is better looking and much, much hotter than his brother. I don’t know anything about Aidan being more arrogant than Blake; my boyfriend is pretty sure of himself. It must run in the family.” She smirked at Maddie.
“Aidan just seems to have a stick up his behind with that chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in, posture of his.” She wanted to see how Maddie would respond to that. Her best friend seemed strangely hostile towards Aidan.
“That’s because he’s an officer in the military. It comes naturally to him.” Maddie was defending him now. She shook her head at Krista and started speaking in a big-sister voice. “But that’s not why I mentioned him. My point is there was a good-looking man around who could be Blake’s twin, but you barely noticed him because you didn’t feel anything for him. So, it couldn’t be lust, otherwise you would be attracted to Aidan as well.” The last sentence was uttered with so much relief that it made Krista smile.
“How do you know I don’t find Aidan attractive? I only said he’s super formal.”
Maddie was glowering at her now. Krista continued to taunt her. “Maybe now that I’ve had some sexual experience, I could venture into threesomes. What do you think?”
She laughed out loud at her friend’s stormy expression. “I’m kidding. I’m kidding.” She dodged a bagel that was thrown at her head.
Still laughing, she threw a grape at Maddie’s face and she caught it with her mouth. They laughed uproariously.
Sobering up, Krista said, “Seriously, Mads, I don’t even know what to do with the one I suddenly have. What would I do with two? You can have Aidan, I’ll keep Blake.” She couldn’t help herself. Her friend’s blushing face said it all.
“But you’re right. I don’t just feel lust for Blake. Aidan is not the first handsome man I’ve met and didn’t notice, while I was with him. That movie actor from Thor—the villain—was here at Perlas over the weekend, and he barely made my heart beat faster than normal.” Krista grimaced at the remembered embarrassment with the Hollywood star.
“I truly like and admire Blake. He’s more than my match in terms of intelligence. He makes me laugh. He’s very decisive with everything. He’s not scared of me. Nor does he get mad when I speak out and point out his faults. He takes care of me.” She could talk all day about Blake’s qualities.
Maddie reached out to clasp her hands. “Krista, chérie, I cannot tell you how you feel. Only you can do that. I haven’t fallen in love yet, but what you’re describing to me sounds very much like it.”
She let go of Krista’s hands and leaned back in her chair, looking smug. “I know it’s rude to say it, but I’ll say it anyway—I told you so.” She wagged a finger at her friend. “I warned you last Saturday to be careful and not to fall in love with him, and here you go all fallen.” Her voice held no censure, just pure empathy.
“Yeah, you did. Your warning fell on deaf ears, it seems.” Krista agreed, without much regret.
“I knew it would, even as I spoke it,” Maddie replied. “Your heart is ready.”
A moment later her smile dropped, and she came over to sit beside Krista. “M’amie, have you told Blake about your mom?”
Krista heaved a deep sigh. Her friend had never been afraid of talking about this difficult topic, whereas she would rather not speak of it at all. She had been avoiding any mention of her family to Blake; hadn’t recip
rocated when he spoke about his own with so much love and affection.
“No,” she said, looking away. “This was supposed to be only a weeklong affair while we’re here in Boracay. I’d thought Blake only wanted something temporary and we would break up on Saturday morning. Go back to being CEO and subordinate on Monday. I was trying not to hope too much. It was a total surprise to me when he told me he loves me. That he wants more than one week with me.”
She faced Maddie. “Everything has been happening so fast. It still doesn’t feel real.” Frowning, she asked her friend, “Do I really have to tell him now? It isn’t as if they’ll be meeting anytime soon.”
Maddie regarded her for a moment before she replied, “You’re right, it’s not urgent. But you must make sure to prepare both sides before you spring the news. Otherwise, there’ll be hurt feelings. Your relationship with Blake is too new to be tested so early. And don’t forget, there’s no Drama Mama like a Filipino mom in full guilt-trip mode. You know that.” A grimace and an eyeroll accompanied the last statement.
Krista laughed. Maddie and her mother were the opposite of the Gilmore Girls. Ever since she’d known them, they had fought about anything and everything. That was why, even though she hadn’t known her father until she was eighteen, Maddie still favored him over her mom.
The chime of bells ringing broke through her amusement. “What’s that?”
Maddie was already standing up. “It’s my phone. I set the alarm for eleven so we won’t be late for our lunch with the Ryan brothers. I don’t want to be scolded by Mr. Officer-But-Not-A-Gentleman Ryan twice in one day. Come on, let’s go.”
Chapter Seventeen
Pares [pa-res] n. – pair.
Damn. Blake was happy he didn’t have his brother’s job. To be always on one’s guard must be very exhausting. Even though he told Krista they would meet at eleven thirty, he and Aidan had been at the clubhouse for fifteen minutes already.
