by Kahlen Aymes
I hesitated and bit my lip, then turned toward her in the front seat of her car and looked down as I felt myself blush.
“When we make love, it’s so incredible. Just beautiful, you know?” Jeanne smirked at me. “He knows just how to touch me, and he makes love to me with his words as well. He cares about how it is for me. It’s so amazing… it’s brought us both to tears before.” I sighed, emotion welling up in my chest and making my eyes burn and my throat tight. “I sometimes think he’s a dream, and it feels so good, it hurts. Now I sound like a romance novel!” I tried to laugh, but only managed to blink and swallow.
“Brook, on the way to LAX, Cade made a similar statement. He told me that you’re his whole world, that he can’t believe you love him in return, and that you do, is a miracle that must be a dream.” She beamed at me.
I looked at my hands as tears filled my eyes. “He asked me to marry him,” I said softly. “And, I just have to.” I shrugged and wrung my hands. “There is no other choice but to be with him forever.” I smiled through my tears. “I just love him so much I can’t even put it into words.”
“Save me a seat in the front of the church, okay?” Her eyes were glistening with tears, too.
I let out a small laugh as I wiped the happy tears from my face, and nodded. “Yeah, I promise,” I replied.
When I got home, I began packing my bags, and even though I knew I needed to sleep, I was aching to talk to Cade. As if he read my mind, my phone started playing his song. I couldn’t get to my phone fast enough.
“Hey!” I breathed into the phone.
“What are you doing?” he murmured his voice low.
“Um, I’m packing,” I laughed.
“Don’t pack too many clothes, love.” I could hear the lazy smile in his voice even though I couldn’t see his face.
“Well, okay, I won’t. Mmmm, I miss you,” I said softly as I snuggled into my bed.
“Me, too. It was hell not being able to touch you and kiss you tonight. I wanted to all day. It’s been worse than being in New York.”
“You managed under the table a little, which felt amazing. Just to be in the same room with you calms me down… and makes me very excited.” I laughed shortly.
“Oh, love. God, I bloody hate being this close and not being able to hold you. More, when you say that type of thing,” he groaned.
“Caden Michael Carlisle,” I teased him. “I’m going to make you come so hard tomorrow night; you won’t ever want to leave me.” I heard his sharp intake of breath and I smiled gently.
“Brook.” He sighed deeply. “I love you so much,” he said so softly I could barely hear him, but there were tremors in his voice. “I dream of making love to you, of holding you, and just talking to you. I love your voice, the velvet suppleness of your skin beneath my hands and lips, the scent of your arousal. Mmmm. Then, to feel your body move in response to mine… Christ,” he groaned “And when you make those little sounds in your throat when I’m making love to you, when you moan my name, you drive me insane.”
His words left me breathless. “Stop. You have to stop. I’ll never get used to this longing, Cade.” I sighed; my heart beating faster.
“Yeah, isn’t it brilliant? I can’t believe I’m going to have you to myself for three whole days. It will be heaven,” he said softly. “It will fly by in a flash. It can never be enough, love. Never enough.” His voice was velvet smooth. I pictured him running his hand through his hair, and his muscled chest and abs bare above the sheet at his waist while he lay in his bed.
“I’ll take what I can get, and be thankful for every second.” My voice was trembling. “You should. Um, you have an early flight, and you’ll need to be rested tomorrow night, I promise.” I gave a throaty laugh.
“Witch…” he said, but I knew he was smiling. “I can’t wait to be with you. You’ve got me hard just talking like this on the phone.” He let out his breath.
“That’s because you love me,” I breathed. I lay down on my bed and curled up in a ball under the covers.
“It is Brooklyn.” Longing filled his words. “You’re so beautiful. You were gorgeous today. Even after the rain, sopping wet.”
“I do know. I feel the same way,” I promised him.
“Just don’t forget how to say that.” His voice was low and throaty.
“How to say what?” I didn’t understand his meaning.
“I do,” he said.
“Oh, hon…” My eyes flooded with tears and my voice throbbed. “I do, I will, I want, I wish, I love you. All of it, I’ll never forget. I’ll tell you all the time, I promise. I hate hiding it.”
“You make me very happy. Okay, have sweet dreams, and I’ll make them come true tomorrow evening, right?”
“Mmmmm, yes,” I whispered through my phone. “I’m kissing you goodnight, right now. Can you feel it?”
“I can always feel you, Brook. Goodnight, my love.”
“Goodnight.” My body was visibly shaking as I hung up the phone. I lay there for a minute thinking of all he’d said, then started planning how I was going to make good on my promise to give him the orgasm of his life the next night. I smiled, got up and resumed packing my suitcase.
Shorts, tanks and camisoles, as well as lacy underwear, bras, and the skimpy lingerie that I’d ordered online over the past month, and three bikinis. I was determined to rock his world if it was the last thing I did.
I took a bath, shaved my legs and got into my old sweat shorts and wife beater for sleep. As I settled into my bed, my hand lovingly touching the bracelet, now back around my wrist as I tried to relax and drift off to sleep. Easier said than done, my mind and heart were racing as I contemplated the events of the next three days.
Chapter 20
Surprise, Surprise
Cade was flying needlessly to Vancouver to make our charade real. He then would be picked up at the airport by his friend Daniel Mayfield and driven to a private FBO so he could take the chartered plane all the way back down to San Diego. A whole fucking day wasted. I could barely stand it!
We were meeting at the bungalow Jeanne had arranged for us to use for the weekend. All of my friends were being told I was ill, and my mom, dad and Nathan were all covering my tracks, telling anyone who called that I was too sick to talk or see anyone.
I could hardly sit still for the two and a half hour drive from L.A. Jeanne was driving me down and I wanted to get there early so we’d have enough time to get anything I might need before Cade’s arrival around 6 PM.
She was going to pick him up at a private airfield near the west side of the city and bring him to me. She was our only transportation, so she made reservations to stay in a posh hotel while we were here.
Our return plan the coming Monday, would take Cade back to the airstrip where he’d do it all in reverse, back to Vancouver, meet up with Daniel again and have him take him to the airport in full view of the paparazzi. God, it was such a drain.
Jeanne would be driving me home, but I wished Cade could drive back with us. The damn paparazzi stalking our every move made it impossible for his departure from Vancouver to be avoided. Cade’s weekend with Daniel had to be believable, on the back-end as well.
As hard as I tried, I couldn’t get Jeanne to spill what Cade’s other surprise was. It was driving me crazy, but knowing who was behind it, it would probably be mind-blowing.
I was so excited I couldn’t sit still in her leather seats.
I planned on making a nice dinner for the two of us. It would give him enough time to clean up and relax before my plan to seduce him.
There was zero chance I’d fail at that one, I thought with a grin and I bit my lip to stifle a laugh.
“What are you smiling about?” Jeanne asked with a laugh. “As if I couldn’t guess!”
“I’m so happy, Jeanne. I can’t thank you enough for this weekend. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“You don’t have to, Brooklyn. I’m happy to do what I can to help you two lovebirds
.”
I grinned at her. “Well, I’d ask you to thank your parents for me, but you didn’t tell them, did you?”
“No. They believe that I’m using the house with two of my friends. Ken and Denise agree we have to keep this a secret, even from family. The pilot flying Cade down is about sixty-five, and we figure he won’t have a clue he’s a movie star.” She winked at me.
When we got to the house, I was pleasantly surprised by how isolated it was.
It was on the beach, but had its own pool with a high wall and locked gate that ran around the five acres of property that went with it. The tropical climate created lush gardens with pathways, landscaped with fountains and bubbling brook through it. I gasped as I took it all in.
“Wow! Jeanne, this is perfect. We can actually go out for walks and no one will see us?”
“That’s the idea.” She smiled. “The best I could do for you.”
“Thank you.” My eyes were pricking and blurring. I blinked away the tears as I hugged her. “I really mean it.”
“Brooklyn, I know we’re new at this, but you’re like my own daughter. I love you and want you to be happy. It’s evident that Cade is the key to that, and vice versa, I might add,” she replied.
When we went into the house, I found the surprise. The house was filled with white flowers, roses, freesia, and others. Light ethereal bouquets scattered all over the house.
“Oh, my God!” I gasped as I walked into the living room.
The bungalow was quaint, with rattan tables, and large, fluffy couches in a light yellow. A fireplace stood on one side of the room, and Italian marble lined the floors and kitchen counter tops. There was a large lanai that ran around the entire house, filled with wicker furniture with plush yellow and white cushions and a small glass table and chairs. It was screened so that we’d be able to enjoy dinner or breakfast outside if we wanted.
“It’s so beautiful!” I gasped in wonder.
There was a trail of white rose petals on the floor leading from the front door down the long hallway to the master suite. No doubt part of Cade’s surprise; a path of flowers to the bedroom. I was slightly in shock at his thoughtfulness. Amazing.
The bedroom had light blue walls and a large four-poster bed with a thick white duvet and lots of pillows strewn on it. A mosquito net draping down from the ceiling covered the entire bed. There were white rose petals all over it, even scattered over the top of the comforter. Wow!
“Did you do this?” I asked her incredulously.
“Nope.” Jeanne shook her head and smiled. “Cade asked Denise to do it, and I helped her, that’s all.”
A hundred candles were strewn throughout the rooms in many different shapes, heights and sizes. I could imagine how elegant the room would be with all of them lit after dark.
Off to the side of the bedroom, there was a big bathroom with a huge whirlpool tub, a double shower with crystal clear glass doors and several multi-level showerheads. More candles and more lush bouquets of white flowers were on the counter and on the bedroom dressers.
“Your parents have a beautiful place. I’m sure we’re going to love being here. Thank you so much, Jeanne,” I said again.
She shrugged. “My pleasure, honey.” She went to the closet and brought out a large white box tied with a ribbon. There was a card on the top.
“This is the surprise.” She smiled as she set it in front of me.
“I thought the flowers were the surprise.” She shook her head.
“Did he want me to open it now or wait for him?” I asked as she handed me the box.
“Now. He knew you’d be here a while before he could get here and he wanted to give you something. If you’d like, I can leave while you open it.”
“No, that’s okay,” I said as I ran a hand lovingly over the card, and went to sit the white sofa in the corner between the full windows on both walls.
My Love, was written on the front of the envelope in Cade’s rough writing. My heart beat faster as my fingers traced over the words.
My hand was shaking as I opened the card and flipped it open.
Brook,
Will you wear this for me tonight,
and make my dreams come true?
I love you more than anything.
Yours forever,
Cade.
I read the words aloud so Jeanne could hear.
My throat constricted, and tears started to well in my eyes. “Would you look at me? It’s like I’m a rain machine. I can’t seem to stop crying.”
“They’re happy tears, honey. I’d be crying, too, if the man I loved wrote those words to me. Especially, if he were that man.”
I looked at her as I brushed a tear off of my cheek and smiled. I started to giggle through the tears. “He makes me so happy! He’s just amazing! Isn’t he?” I asked incredulously.
Jeanne nodded and laughed out loud, taking a seat on the bed next to the box.
I ripped open the ribbon and removed the lid off of the box, and gently lifted the edge of the tissue paper that was around the contents. Inside was a beautiful French lace and silk chiffon negligee that must have cost a fortune.
My hand touched the delicate fabric and lifted it from the box. The purest white, the bodice had sheer chiffon cups that plunged in front to a sparkling lace inset that wrapped around the waist and then the sheer material of the skirt belled and flowed to the floor in translucent shimmers.
The back was deep and open, with only slight spaghetti straps coming over the shoulders and straight down to just below the waist. Princess darts in front and back would make it fitted through the waist and hips, before flowing down in soft folds to the floor.
The deep V in back was edged in a continuation of the lace from around the waist. There was a matching lace duster that went over it, also glittering in iridescent sequins, the sleeves sheer silk until below the elbows, and then billowing out in a drape of lace to the wrists.
I blushed as I realized that wearing the gown without the coat, every part of my anatomy would be visible through the sheer material.
“It’s just gorgeous, isn’t it?” I breathed, gently touching the delicate lace. She nodded “Did Cade pick this out?” That would be heart stopping.
“Yes.” I looked at her as my eyes widened in amazement.
“He told Denise what he wanted it to look like and they had it made just for you. He even knew what size you needed, and how long it should be because of your height, Brook!” She shook her head in amazement. “He’s really something.”
She sighed and fanned a hand in front of her face a few times. “It almost makes me fall in love with him.” She laughed. “And the flowers, champagne and candles were all at his request.”
I laughed at her display and then I laid the nightgown gently back in the box and moved it into the bathroom to set it on the chair in there until it was time to put it on later.
“Wow. Just… wow!” I stopped and shook my head. “He doesn’t think he’s romantic, but he just… leaves me breathless.” I ran my hand through my hair, my face glowing and flushed.
It was 3 PM so I wanted to check what was in the fridge that I could use to make dinner but then I wanted to text Cade. My heart felt like it would fly from my chest and my feet barely touched the ground. In a very short time, we’d be together for three whole days.
I found some rib eye steaks, makings for a salad, some French bread and new potatoes and started planning my meal. The bar was stocked as well with several nice wines, Cade’s favorite beer and some champagne.
“Is this all for us?” I asked. “I don’t want to use something that I’m not supposed to.”
“Brook, you’re welcome to everything here. This is all for you guys. I tried to think of everything,” her eyes were sparkling at me, “that Cade didn’t, that is.” She grinned at me. “But, that wasn’t much.”
I took my black duffle bag out of the back of Jeanne’s SUV, then went around to the driver’s side to hug her before she climb
ed back up into the truck. I had been with beautiful women a lot of times, but my heart was pounding a hundred miles per hour as I anticipated Brooklyn waiting for me on the other side of the door.
“Thanks again, Jeanne. You’re a good friend. I’ll never forget this,” I said after I’d hugged her. “Truly.”
“Glad to do it, Cade. See you Monday. Enjoy yourselves.” She smiled brightly then drove off. I turned and walked up the path to the door, I could feel my heart beating in my chest. I could hear some Latin music coming from the house as I opened the door. Setting my bag in the hall, I looked around anxiously for Brook. I was an hour early so she wouldn’t be expecting me yet.
The flowers I’d ordered were strewn around the rooms and sprinkled the carpet down the hall as I’d asked.
I smiled. I was a grown man and I was feeling almost adolescent. Tonight was going to be like a dream, and the next three days; pure heaven.
I would get to finally be with her, uninterrupted, no distractions, no obligations, and no need to hide our feelings because other people were lurking.
I followed the music and found her with her back to me as she chopped something on a cutting board in the kitchen. Dressed in frayed jean shorts and a jade green bikini top, her hips undulating to the music in what looked to me like a samba or salsa step.
She’s so damn sexy, I thought, as I drank in her bare back, shoulders, and firm round buns. My mouth twitched as I leaned against the door jam and crossed my arms. As much as I wanted to go in there and sweep her up in my arms, I was enjoying the view too much.
Her feet were moving in what looked like choreographed steps, her hair swinging across her back as she moved… Hmmm, I thought, when did she learn to do this?
She was singing to a Jennifer Lopez song and then she set down the knife as she continued to dance, really getting into it. I smiled and raised a hand to my mouth to stifle a laugh, leaving the other crossed on my chest as I watched her.
