Tell Me Something (The Something Series Book 1)

by Bondurant, Aubrey

“Most of the time,” he retorted.

  I went and put my arms around him and breathed in his scent. “We could start with a little preview.” My hands made their way down to his glorious ass which was wonderfully set off in jeans.

  But his hands came around, taking both of mine and holding them in front of me. “As much as it pains me to turn that offer down, we have a plane to catch. Now throw some shampoo and a toothbrush in a bag, and let’s go.”

  “I need underwear,” I chided, crossing to the drawer.

  He moved to block my way. “Nope, you won’t need it.”

  Hmm, all right. “How about a swimsuit? Or a dress or something?”

  “Nope.”

  “What about workout clothes? I’d like to go running.”

  This at least got some consideration. “Fine, a pair of workout shorts, shoes, and a T-shirt. That’s it.”

  I threw in my sports bra as well as a couple of pairs of underwear since I wasn’t going to run commando. Some hair stuff, makeup, and my hygiene kit—and I had my small duffle bag set to go. “All right, I’m packed.”

  ***

  “Wake up, beautiful, we’re landing soon.”

  We had boarded Josh’s private jet a few hours ago, and I had fallen asleep within minutes of take-off. Stretching, I smiled apologetically. “Sorry I wasn’t much company.”

  “You’re fine. I had some business stuff to do anyhow, and now we can hopefully enjoy some work-free days.”

  That sounded wonderful, and then panic set in. “Wait. I took off, and Nigel is out starting tomorrow with David’s surgery. I’m scheduled to be in the office.”

  He just smiled. “I gave everyone the week off. It costs more to heat the place and turn on the lights than it would be worth. Plus, the boss is taking a real vacation for the first time in years, and if I need something, I know how to find you. I’ve already let Nigel know that you are on call all week. He has nothing to worry about.”

  Well, then, I guess it was good to be the boss. “Sounds like you’ve thought of everything. It makes me feel kind of good that the boss is taking his first real vacation in years with me. Thank you.”

  His hand squeezed mine, and a few minutes later we were on the ground. The sun had set, but I could tell from the balmy temperature and the shadows of palm trees, we were some place tropical. We descended the steps of the plane onto the tarmac. There Josh shook the hand of an older gentleman who loaded our bags into the back of a Jeep Wrangler.

  I still wasn’t sure where we were, but gauging from the palm trees and warm, balmy air, we were on an island. The two men spoke for a few minutes, and then Josh came back with keys in his hand. “Shall we?”

  We drove in the Jeep for about twenty-five minutes. I could tell that on one side was water and looked towards the road signs for any sort of clue.

  “Okay, I give up. Where are we?”

  “Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. You can’t see it now, but the water is beautiful here.”

  “I can’t wait to see it. Are we in a resort?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” he hedged with mischief in his eyes.

  I enjoyed studying his profile from the passenger side as he navigated the winding road. He was the most relaxed I had ever seen him. The thought of having him all to myself was almost too good to be true.

  A short time later we pulled into a driveway with a large iron gate into which Josh punched in a code.

  I had expected someone to come out, but instead it looked as though we were alone as we entered through the front door of an elegant two-story house.

  “Wow.” I stepped inside the foyer and glanced at the beautiful staircase, marble floors, and the gorgeous open room that led out to what looked like a pool.

  “I was hoping you’d like it.”

  “Is this yours?”

  “No, it’s a rental, but the pictures seemed nice online.”

  “And it’s only the two of us, no one else?”

  He took my hand and led me into the gourmet kitchen. “Just the two of us, not even a chef. Hopefully they stocked some food.” He opened the refrigerator, which was completely packed with meats and produce.

  “Um, who is cooking?” A cook I was not.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be the head chef and you can be my sous-chef. Are you hungry now?” He put his arms around me.

  I shook my head. “I would love to see the house.”

  We started out on the first floor and then proceeded upstairs. The master bedroom was impressive with its large four-poster king-size bed and the French doors that opened onto a balcony. I stepped outside and could hear, and practically feel, the ocean only steps away. “I can’t wait until morning to see everything.”

  His arms came around me from the back, and I sighed with pure contentment.

  “Tell me something you’re thinking right now,” he queried softly.

  “I’m thinking that I can’t wait to wake up with you tomorrow morning. We haven’t done that, and it’s something I’m looking forward to for the next few days.”

  “I didn’t know it bothered you,” he murmured.

  I shrugged and turned towards him. “Well, of course you wouldn’t. I’ve never mentioned anything until now. And I wouldn’t use the word bother, but I like the idea of waking up with you tomorrow. That’s all.”

  “My refreshingly logical Haylee. You don’t expect me to be a mind reader, and I can’t tell you what an amazing gift that is.”

  I could only laugh and mentally thank my father who once told me, ‘Honey, men are pretty black and white creatures. No matter how obvious the hint a woman gives a man, it would be easier if she simply told him what it is that she wants. Men are not good at guessing, believe me.’

  “It feels good to be here right now. Tell me something,” I requested.

  “I loved my Christmas gift, and I may even start eating cereal again.” It hadn’t been much to get him a bowl that separated the cereal from the milk to avoid soggy cereal, but then what did you get a millionaire who had everything?

  “Well, your gift was beyond generous and very thoughtful. Now I’ll definitely get to go see my family before I start school. Thank you.”

  “I’m pleased to see you happy and not so down.”

  “I wasn’t down, I was merely coping. Yes, it was a weak thing to do, but I needed the easy way out this year. Next year, hopefully, I’ll be stronger.”

  “Haylee, there isn’t a part of you that isn’t strong.” His arms wrapped around me and lifted me up. “Light as a feather.”

  “Are you comparing your strength to Will’s?” I teased.

  He shrugged. “Maybe. So who feels like they can lift you easier?”

  “You can.” Men were so strange with what they felt jealous over.

  His thumb traveled along my bottom lip and then his mouth found mine. It was a different kiss than I’d ever had from Josh. Sweet and tender. He placed me in the center of the four-poster bed and took his time worshipping my body from head to toe. So this was what it felt like to be made love to. It was as if his body was showing all of the emotions he couldn’t form into words.

  ***

  Josh came in with a breakfast tray that included scrambled eggs, toast, and fresh fruit.

  Now this was a way to start a morning. I sat up and crossed my legs, tucking a sheet around me.

  “Feel free to lose the sheet,” he suggested, winking before going back downstairs for his own tray and then taking a seat beside me.

  “This is really good. I was starving, and think I may have to keep you,” I teased.

  “Well, one of us has to cook. Otherwise we’d be eating nothing but cereal.”

  “You say that as if that would be a bad thing. I happen to love cereal.”

  “I know. I saw your stash of Frosted Flakes in your apartment.”

  “Tell me something,” I asked after we’d lapsed into comfortable silence while eating.

  “All right. This is the first time while on a vac
ation, I haven’t wanted to go back to work. Instead I’m thinking about the next opportunity we can manage some time down here. Do you like the house? I was thinking of buying it.”

  I’m pretty sure my smile was the goofy sort that you can’t help when someone has made you gloriously happy. “I love the house. Is it for sale?”

  He looked at me like a man who was used to getting what he wanted. “Everything is.”

  With his money, I imagined most things were.

  “Now tell me something Haylee.”

  “I feel comfortable asking you almost anything. You have a way of never making me feel stupid for asking. I guess it’s nice to feel this relaxed with someone.”

  “Hmm, sounds more like a compliment than a telling me something I don’t know about you.”

  “So did yours. I only returned the favor. So what’s on the agenda today?”

  His face leaned in for a quick kiss. “I thought we could go snorkeling today and maybe tomorrow take out a boat and go to one of the other islands.”

  “That sounds great except I don’t have any clothes.”

  “Ah, that reminds me.” He handed me a robe and then opened the master bedroom closet. “Take a look.”

  The first thought I had was that he had surprised me by packing my things. So when I glanced inside the closet to find at least twenty-five items of clothing I didn’t recognize, I was momentarily confused.

  “What is this stuff?” I took out one of the hangers. It held a white bikini that still had the tags and appeared to be my exact size. There were a couple pairs of shorts, cover-ups, sandals on the bottom, and even a wetsuit.

  “I called a shop on the island, gave them your sizes, and requested that they bring it by for you.”

  “To borrow?”

  “No, of course not. I bought them for you.”

  I kept my back towards him as I processed this. Finally, I turned around, trying to find the best way to say it without insulting him. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, Josh, but I could have brought my stuff from home. I thought maybe you meant that we were going to be naked the whole time or in robes like this. But I didn’t think it meant you were going to buy me a new beach wardrobe.” He had just given me a first class ticket to Australia and then flew me down to the islands. For some reason this just pushed it over an invisible threshold for me.

  “Haylee, I’m a wealthy man who has not spent any money on you thus far. Can you please accept the gift?”

  Great, he was offended.

  I wished he would understand where I was coming from. “You bought me my iPad, a plane ticket to Australia, and this trip down here. Josh, I don’t want anything from you but you.”

  That appeared to hit home as his features softened. He took my hand. “Haylee, come here. Let me tell you something about me.”

  I followed him over to the bed where he sat me on the edge and then kneeled so that he was eye level with me.

  “I’ve never been overly generous when it comes to giving gifts or making frivolous purchases. I don’t subscribe to trends. I’ve had the same suits for many years, the same furniture for many more, my father’s watches. I’ve gotten my hair cut by the same man for the last ten years who still charges me sixteen dollars. And clearly I have judgement issues regarding those I perceive who do make frivolous purchases.”

  “Oh, I’m well aware of that,” I said, thinking of London.

  “Yes, and I was properly and justifiably put in my place, which leads me to you. Most women— Actually, you know what? I’ve learned my lesson with that. Let me clarify, my ex-wife and even other women I’ve dated before tended to have an expectation about me. They assumed if we went out to dinner, it would always be a four hundred-dollar meal with the most expensive wine. If we went on vacation, it would be lavish. If they hinted that they loved a friend’s purse, then they expected I’d buy them one. Hell, my ex even went so far as to say I was cheap because I didn’t want a million-dollar wedding.”

  “You’re talking to the wrong person if you want to me confirm that spending less than a million dollars on a wedding was being cheap.”

  “Exactly, and that brings me to you. From the very beginning, you didn’t have that expectation. Hell, you took me to In–N-Out burger. And you don’t hint or have an expectation for anything for Christmas, and then you get me an incredibly thoughtful gift.”

  “It was only a cereal bowl, Josh.”

  His eyes regarded me. “Haylee, it meant more to me than a lot of other gifts I’ve ever been given because you remembered something I told you and then thought about it. You didn’t give it with any expectation of receiving anything in return. Giving you that plane ticket felt good because I know how much seeing your family means to you. Your best pair of underwear shouldn’t come from Catherine. And because I know you’d never splurge on yourself, it makes me incredibly happy to do it for you.”

  “Well, when you put it that way, how can I possibly say no?” I took his face between my hands and kissed him thoroughly.

  “Thank you,” he approved, obviously pleased that I was accepting the gifts.

  “More like, thank you. Do you want a fashion show?” I wiggled my brows.

  He laughed, helping me to my feet. “I would love one. But to warn you, it might mean that snorkeling gets postponed because I can’t be responsible for my actions.”

  “Hmm, I like it even more now, then.”

  I proceeded to put on a show with my two new bikinis, one in white and the other one a fun navy-and-white stripe. Then I modeled a couple cute sundresses, two cover-ups that went great with the bikinis, shorts, and T-shirts of the softest material. In addition, he had purchased four sets of bra and panty combinations in various soft-hued colors. My favorite by far, though, were the camisole and short combinations for sleeping, two of them were silk and two of them were cashmere.

  “I feel like all I want to do is pet myself in this.” The feeling against my skin was luxurious.

  “That gives me a whole lot of ideas,” he marveled with his hands roaming over my back, giving me soft caresses.

  “Ha, I guess this is your way of making sure I don’t sleep in my oversized T-shirts and running shorts, huh?”

  “You could wear a plastic bag and still look sexy.”

  I raised a brow. “I could pass for adorable, maybe pretty, but there is nothing sexy about this.” I motioned to my short set.

  “That is where you are so very wrong. You are sexy in the most understated way.”

  My face must have shown that I didn’t think that was much of a compliment because he clarified.

  “What I meant is that I didn’t buy you red or black teddies or lingerie, because you are sexy as yourself. You were much sexier in that light blue corset from the photo shoot that covered the majority of you than you could have been in a thong and nothing else. It’s almost like a hidden treasure trove of sexy underneath the cutest little package.”

  He took my hand and backed me onto the bed, taking his time unwrapping said package and making me feel sexy indeed.

  ***

  It was late afternoon by the time we finally made it down to the beach to snorkel, but the best part about vacation was the luxury of time. I loved my new wetsuit and loved Josh’s ass in his even more. I had never snorkeled before, so he took a few minutes to show me my gear and, just like that, we were in the water.

  The fish were amazing. I had never seen so many colors, and the water was so crystal clear that it was easy to see them all. It was also warm, which was surprising as I had grown up near the Pacific Ocean, which was anything but. After snorkeling for a couple hours and grabbing a quick lunch, we took a nice long walk on the beach. Hand in hand, we talked about everything and nothing. It was comfortable and peaceful to be completely free to show affection and to get to know one another even better.

  After taking a shower in preparation for dinner and donning one of my new dresses, I went downstairs and saw a candlelit table set for two. Josh was in t
he gourmet kitchen with several dishes on top of the stove. I took a seat on the other side of the large counter watching his graceful movements in the kitchen. There was something sexy about a strong man who could cook.

  “I was upstairs only thirty minutes. Did you whip something up or call in some elves?”

  He smiled across the stove and lifted a lid. “Elves, my lady.”

  “I won’t say the R word, but this is lovely. Thank you.”

  “The R word. Ah, romantic. I guess that will be our secret, too.”

  He dished up our plates and crossed over to the bistro table on the other side of the kitchen. The window view was breathtaking with the sun setting off in the distance. He pulled out my chair and we both ate in silence.

  It was nice to see him casual in his linen pants and shirt, barefoot, opening a bottle of wine. He looked relaxed, and with the slight stubble on his newly tanned face, it hit me once again how very handsome he was. The fact that he was mine, at least for now, gave me a great sense of pleasure.

  “Tell me something on your mind right now causing that smile,” he requested, narrowing his eyes across the table.

  I was enjoying the poached salmon and risotto and getting full quickly. “I was thinking about how relaxed you look and how happy I am to get to see this side of you. The stubble and tan are very sexy, Mr. Singer.”

  He gave me a wicked grin that made my stomach do a flip-flop of anticipation.

  “Tell me something, I returned.”

  “Hmm, I was thinking about something a little more kinky I’d like to try later.”

  Lowering my fork slowly, I felt the liquid heat pool in my center.

  “You keep looking at me like that, and we’re not going to finish dinner, Haylee.”

  “Promise?” I challenged, getting to my feet as he did the same.

  Then we were on each other, hot like the very first time, mouths greedy, hands groping for skin contact. Then suddenly I was being lifted and taken downstairs.

  I’d been aware that there was a lower level, but hadn’t yet explored that part of the house. Wondering what was in store, I watched as he turned on the lights. My eyes widened when I realized we were in a large bathroom that had a steam room on the far side and a huge mirror along one entire wall.