by Krista Lakes
“I just can't imagine life without him.” My breath caught. “I mean, I know I'll have to eventually, but I always imagined it when I'm old and my own children are grown.”
I suddenly remembered that he had already lost his parents. He had already lived this nightmare and here I was complaining when I still had my dad. He didn't have anyone. “I'm sorry,” I stammered, trying to pull back. “I didn't mean...”
“No, you're right,” he said softly, keeping me pressed up against him. “We're supposed to lose them when they're old and sick, not when they're young and vibrant. If anything, I understand more than anyone why you don't want to lose him.”
“Thank you,” I said softly, returning to my nook within his arms. “Thank you for taking care of us. I promise I'll repay you.” I stopped and thought about how I would ever afford such a thing. “You don't have to pay us for this appraisal.”
“No,” he said firmly. “You will get paid.”
“But...”
“I have Dr. Verner on retainer,” he explained. “I've already paid for his services.”
“But...” I still felt like we were taking advantage.
“And as you are so fond of pointing out, I am a billionaire after all,” he reminded me. He moved so that he could look me in the face, his gray eyes bright and the moonlight frosting the tips of his hair. The corners of my mouth twitched upwards. “There, I knew there was a smile in there.”
I smiled a little bigger. He was serious. And so wonderful that I wanted to cry again.
“Now, tell me about the painting you were looking at yesterday,” he commanded, pulling me back to his chest. “Tell me about your Paris plans.”
I knew he was just trying to take my mind of my worries and I loved him for it. I felt warm and gooey inside because he had remembered our conversion. Like it had mattered to him. Chad had never asked me about it, and my Dad had heard it all so many times that he had long ago stopped asking. I relaxed into him, pressing my cheek against his chest and feeling the rise and fall of his lungs, and then I began to tell him my dreams.
Chapter 15
Water splashed at my feet, waking me from the most amazing dream. I had dreamt that I had fallen asleep in Bastian's arms, telling him all my dreams. It had been wonderful.
And then I realized it wasn't a dream. I was out on the beach, wrapped up in Bastian's arms with our back against a big rock and the ocean rolling towards us. I shifted slightly, feeling the grit of the sand beneath my calves. The water was cool and made me shiver a little, but Bastian was warm beside me.
“Morning, sleepy-head,” he said softly. His voice was gravelly, as if he too had talked too much before falling asleep. I loved the idea of sleeping with him, the both of us wandering the world of dreams together.
Pre-dawn light filled the sky with gray promise. Soon the pinks and golds of sunrise would peek up over the horizon and banish the remaining stars from the sky. I couldn't remember when I had fallen asleep, but I knew I hadn't slept for very long. The two of us had talked for hours, and my sore, overused throat attested to not enough rest.
“You're going to miss your paddle-board session,” I murmured, looking up at the sky. Pink was now the dominant color.
“This makes it worth missing,” he whispered, nuzzling my hair and breathing in the scent of my shampoo.
I took in a deep contented breath. Bastian was warm and strong behind me and the waves were soothing. This was a perfect moment.
I turned to smile at Bastian, wanting to share in the morning's perfection. He was so beautiful that I couldn't help but stare. His eyes matched the sky behind him, a gray with just enough blue to make it soft. Even the scar along his cheek was softened in the morning light.
“Do you always go out at the dawn?” I asked, memorizing his face.
“I like seeing the world come up new.” He nodded, his eyes going to the horizon and waiting there for something to happen. “The light washes everything and gives a fresh start. It's the end of the dark.” He dropped his eyes back from the horizon to look at me. “It's the one time of day that I feel like anything is possible.”
I smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek. He had a light stubble, but I didn't mind. I wondered how he didn't see how much he made possible every day. He had accomplished so much. He had come from a bad situation and made the impossible happen. It made my heart ache that he still felt he needed the sunrise to banish the dark.
My fingers touched the scar running down his face, grazing the raised skin. He froze and I tried to pull away, but instead he captured my hand in his and pressed my palm to his cheek.
“You haven't asked about them,” he said quietly, his gray eyes serious and full of shadow.
I looked down, trying to avoid his eyes and instead seeing the lines of past pain hiding under his shirt collar. “I didn't want to be rude,” I mumbled. I figured they were something in his past that he didn't want to talk about, especially not to some random girl.
“Ask,” he commanded. I looked up, unsure if he meant it. The sky was turning a pale violet behind him, but his eyes were clear and he still had my palm pressed to his cheek.
I swallowed hard. “How did you get them? What happened?”
“The car accident that killed my parents—I was in the backseat.” His eyes never wavered from mine, though they did take on a distance. “None of us were wearing our seat belts and we all flew through the windshield.”
His words were even but his voice wasn't, as if he had rehearsed its telling a million times but this was the first time he had ever actually said it aloud. He released my hand, shifting his body so that he could pull his shirt off. Jagged lines marred his smooth skin, highlighting just where the broken glass of the windshield had ripped his small body to pieces.
I stared for a moment, trying to take in the pain. The scars were old now, but they held an ache that would never go away. They were a constant reminder of what had happened. Of his loss. I tentatively touched one, right above his heart. He didn't shy away and I looked up.
His jaw was tight, in fact every muscle in his body was tight. Vulnerability shone in his eyes as he gazed back at me. He was trusting me not to hurt him.
The first glimmer of sunlight burst over the horizon, casting him in a warm golden glow. His skin, scars and perfection, lit up in the most beautiful shades of the sunrise.
My fingers traced the darkened skin of a scar up his chest, up to his cheek. Our eyes met and I knew my world was about to spin out of control in the most amazing way. My chest tightened with anticipation and breathing no longer seemed important.
His hand was on the back of my neck with his fingers tangling in my hair. He pulled me toward him, pausing just a breath away. Our lips hovered apart for an infinity, sharing a breath in the moment, knowing that we could never go back to the way we were after this.
I closed the last centimeter, pressing my lips into his. His lips were so soft against mine that I forgot entirely what I was doing.
He pulled back, a smile crossing his handsome face before pulling me into him. It was a no-holds-barred, rock-my-world kiss that left me unable to do anything but kiss him back. Our tongues tangled and merged, as the tide surged against us.
Our lips parted, our foreheads still pressed together as we panted for air. His heart pounded against my shaking palm, his heartbeat flowing through my fingertips and mingling with my own frantic pulse. He was steady while I trembled, still recovering from his kiss.
The sun finished escaping her watery bed, shining brightly and filling the sky with color and heat. Waves lapped at our feet as he pulled me further into his lap to kiss me again I wanted to kiss him for eternity with just the sun and the waves as the world.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured reverently, taking a strand of hair and tucking it carefully behind my ear.
“So are you,” I replied, blushing. I wished my words were better, but they were still true. His chest was hot and smooth against my bare arms as he pulled me
into yet another mind-shattering kiss.
“Charlotte is going to wonder where we are,” I said with a giggle as the sun continued her climb.
“Let her worry for a moment,” Bastian whispered, his lips going to my throat. I moaned softly as he nipped the delicate flesh. I was turning into a puddle of want in his lap and I wanted so much more than just kisses on my throat.
I then let out the biggest yawn in the history of mankind.
Bastian chuckled. “And now I've kept you out all night.”
“Worth it,” I informed him with a smile. I would have gladly spent a year awake for his kiss. For this moment, I would have done anything.
His face split into that heart-shatteringly beautiful smile. It was even better than the first one. Happiness made his eyes shine in the morning light, sparkling with gray and blue hues of joy. I nearly died a little.
“Let's get you home,” he said softly, disentangling his body from mine. I loved the way he said home. As if it were ours. As if we belonged together there.
He rose smoothly to his feet and then helped me to mine. He picked up his fallen shirt and shook the sand out of it before draping it over my shoulders and leaving his own bare. The sun glistened on the scars, but I could only see beauty in them. He was a survivor.
Walking hand in hand, we made our way back along the shore to the giant mansion. The beach was fairly flat, but now that we were moving and not sitting, exhaustion was stealing over me. I grew more tired with every step, my feet turning to lead as what was left of my energy was quickly drained. I couldn't believe how far I had ran last night, and now I was regretting it. I could see the house looming over the cove, but I was so tired I wasn't sure I would make it that far. I stumbled, my feet catching on the sand and exhaustion, but Bastian caught me.
In an easy motion, he saved me from falling and instead swept me off my feet and into his arms. I tried to protest, but I was to tired that I was having a hard time finding the words. He just murmured softly, silencing my objections and carrying me the rest of the way and up into the house.
He paused before the stairs for just a moment and I tried to get out of his arms. “You don't have to carry me...”
He tightened his arms, pinning me in place against him. “Maybe I want to,” he informed me as he shifted my weight and began to climb. He made it feel easy. He wasn't even breathing hard at the top.
I snuggled into his chest, closing my eyes and inhaling the scent of his skin. He smelled of sea salt and a masculine musk that I was quickly falling in love with.
I whimpered when he set me on my bed, disappointed at the loss of his chest against my cheek.
I opened my mouth to ask him to stay, to crawl into bed with me. I wanted more of his touch, but no words came out. The bed was just too soft and my eyelids just too heavy.
He kissed my forehead just as I lost the battle to stay awake, sending me off to dreamland on a kiss.
“Sleep, Ava,” he whispered as I stole into dreams involving him. “I'll be here when you wake.”
Chapter 16
I woke to an empty room. The space was too big for just one person.
At first I thought the whole thing must have been a dream. In what world did a billionaire kiss me on the beach at sunrise and then carry me home? I had to have dreamt it, because things like that didn't happen to me. I was ordinary and that was extraordinary. But then I moved and felt the sand in the bed and I knew it was real.
I glanced at the clock to discover that it was nearly lunch time. I couldn't blame Bastian for not being here. As much fun as I was asleep, I knew he had a business to run and things to do. He couldn't just sit in my room watching me sleep all day. And actually, the idea of him doing just that was rather creepy.
I got up and stretched my arms out over my head. It felt good to be alive today. I ran to the bathroom and quickly freshened up before picking up my phone. All the email updates were good and I let out a relieved breath. I picked up the house phone and dialed my dad's cell phone.
“Mr. Fairchild's phone,” a sweet female voice answered. I frowned, and did a double take. Where was dad?
“Um, I'm Ava Fairchild and I'm looking for my dad...” Panic starting to bubble in my chest. Why was someone else answering his phone?
“Oh, good! He made me promise to carry his phone and answer it in case you called.” The voice was warm and friendly. “My name's Audrey and I'm one of the nurses here. He's in having a test done but he's doing great. He wanted you not to worry and that he can't complain about anything here except for the food.”
I chuckled. That sounded just like a message Dad would leave. “What kind of test?” I asked. I was sure Dr. Verner would have told me if something had happened that necessitated something drastic.
“Nothing serious,” the nurse promised. “I can't give that information out over the phone, but your dad really wanted you to know he's just fine. Jackie is here if you'd like to speak with her about it. I believe she's out in the waiting room. Cell reception is terrible out there, so he asked me to keep his phone.”
“No, that's all right.” I shook my head, realizing that she couldn't see me through the phone. If Jackie was there, then he was fine. Besides, Jackie would talk my ear off about her bowling game instead of telling me about my Dad and my stomach was rumbling. I liked her a lot, but the woman loved to talk. “Will you have him call me this evening?”
“Of course,” the nurse promised. “He actually wanted me to tell you he'd be calling you if you didn't.”
I laughed and thanked her before hanging up the phone. I was so glad dad was doing all right. I was glad Jackie was there taking care of him. It made me feel less guilty knowing that someone who loved him was with him. I trusted Jackie enough to entrust my father into her care.
I ran a brush through my hair one last time, smiling into the mirror and deciding that I looked very pretty this morning. It probably had something to do with how happy I felt. Kissing a gorgeous man on the beach had that effect on me. I winked at the mirror and hurried down the stairs to the kitchen to stop the rumbling in my stomach.
I could hear Charlotte's sweetly pitched voice contrasting with Bastian's deeper tones long before I entered the kitchen. I walked in to see him at the stove cooking something while Charlotte sat at the table with her laptop reading off numbers and figures.
“Good morning, sleepy-head,” Bastian greeted me, talking over Charlotte's readings. I beamed at him. “Want some food?”
I nodded and sat at the table next to Charlotte so I could watch him. He moved so smoothly in the kitchen that it was like watching someone dance.
“Rough night?” Charlotte asked, glancing back and forth between the two of us with one eyebrow raised.
“It started out that way,” I said, unable to stop the grin forming on my face. “But it's been a great morning.”
“Oooooookay...” Charlotte shook her head at both of us, and then went back to her computer. Now that I was there, she just mumbled quietly as she input information.
It wasn't long before Bastian brought over three plates of big, beautiful sandwiches with artfully arranged potato chips on the side. Since I didn't see a bag, I had a feeling they were homemade.
Bastian's arm grazed mine as he set the plate down in front of Charlotte, sending a surge of electric desire straight through me. It was like the hours between our kiss and this minute had never passed. All I could think about was kissing him again.
I looked up at him and immediately blushed and looked away. Just looking at his face reminded me of kissing him. And now I wanted to do so, so much more than just kiss him. My fingers ached to touch his skin again and to tangle in his hair.
Charlotte watched me closely for a moment, before swallowing her bite of grilled cheese and looking over at Bastian. “I don't know what put you in such a good mood that you made your Famous Grilled Cheese,” she said, taking another bite and turning to look pointedly at me. “But thank you.”
I blushed and gig
gled nervously, trying not to look up at Bastian. “I didn't do anything...”
“I don't want to know,” Charlotte quickly amended, holding up her hand. She looked back and forth at the not-so-secret gazes between Bastian and me. “So seriously, I do not want to know what the two of you were out doing all night.”
“Who says we were out all night?” Bastian asked, smiling. I had to struggle not to giggle like a school girl at anything he said. It didn't help that my stomach was full of happy butterflies or that I suddenly was finding everything very amusing. I was drunk on happiness just by being around him.
“I don't want to know.” Charlotte shot him a dirty look. “I don't want to know so much that I'm going to take this delicious sandwich to the other room. You two can sit in here making googly eyes without me. I'd like to keep my lunch down.”
She picked up her plate, but left smiling.
“You think she suspects anything?” Bastian asked, taking the last bite of his sandwich.
I giggled, and took another bite of my sandwich. It was definitely the best grilled cheese sandwich I had ever eaten. Three kinds of cheese and the bread was toasted to perfection. I knew that grilled cheese wasn't usually a gourmet event, but Bastian made it one.
“Okay, sister in the room,” Charlotte announced, walking back into the kitchen with one hand covering her eyes as if she were afraid she might see us doing something naughty. As tempted as I was to take Bastian on the kitchen table, she had no reason to cover her eyes.
“I'm seriously just eating a sandwich,” I told her. “And now that sounds dirty.”
Charlotte snorted and dropped her hand. “I'm sorry to interrupt your sandwich,” she said the word slowly and deliberately. “But Leo's here for the conference call.”
Charlotte managed to only blush a little, but her cheeks still told the full story about how she felt about Leo. Bastian sighed and stood up, putting his plate in the sink before standing beside me.
“Dinner?” he asked. His eyes sparkled and I wondered just what he had planned. I hoped it involved him shirtless.
