His San Diego Sweetheart

by Yahrah St. John

  “It does.”

  “I thought we agreed that this marriage would be in name only. Are you changing the rules, Vaughn?”

  “Of course not. I respect your wishes. This is my room and you’re free to join me here at any time.”

  Color stained her cheeks.

  “But for the time being feel free to use any of the bedrooms downstairs. Since we’re going to be husband and wife for a while, you might as well make yourself feel at home. So if you want to select different bedding or change the decor, just let me know. I can put you in touch with my interior designer. She’ll work wonders for you.”

  “You’d do that? Even though our marriage will only be one year?”

  He frowned. “You don’t have to keep reminding me of our expiration date. I’m well aware of that fact.”

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just nervous. This all is happening so fast. Meeting you. The wedding. And now moving in together. I feel like I can’t catch my breath.”

  Vaughn walked toward. “Then I suggest holding on to me.” Because he was not going to stop romancing her and getting Miranda to see that he was exactly the type of man she could let go and be herself with.

  Chapter 8

  Miranda was nervous about what to expect living with Vaughn, but she needn’t have been. Once Vaughn had given her the grand tour of his house, he disappeared to work until later that evening while she unpacked. Her suitcases had already been waiting for her in one of the spare bedrooms on the second floor. It may not be as grand as the master suite, but it held a large bedroom, private bath and balcony which was a large as some people’s yards. She made quick time of unpacking her meager belongings.

  She’d never thought about where she would stay after they’d gotten married. If she’d thought they’d live separately, she’d been delusional. Vaughn seemed intent on keeping her close by. Miranda had to admit she liked the attention and was a bit forlorn when she found a few hours had passed without any sign of Vaughn. So she went in search of him.

  She’d hadn’t realized he was so driven. She’d thought he worked occasionally when the mood suited him, but she couldn’t have been further from the truth. Vaughn was dedicated to his company and his employees.

  She found him in his office with a view of the sun setting over the ocean. He was on speakerphone and advising Kindra to ensure everyone in the office got a bonus due to a contract Elite just landed.

  She’d known that he cared about the people who worked for him because he’d told her about the healthy program he offered at work with the fitness center, organic lunch delivery and standing work stations, but to hear him in his own words was astounding. She also was shocked to find his office neat and tidy. She’d never imagined him to be so rigid. Perhaps it came from all his time in the Navy. There wasn’t a stitch of paper on his modern circular desk that was similar to the house’s design. It held two monitors and a wireless keyboard.

  She was wondering how he managed to work without paper when Vaughn turned around and caught her checking out his office. He smiled.

  “I’m going to have to let you go,” he said into the mouthpiece. “My wife has arrived.” Seconds later, he clicked the headpiece on his ear and whipped it off, setting in on the desk. “Don’t stand in the doorway. Come in.”

  Slowly, Miranda walked inside and came forward. She stroked the side of his desk. “This is nice. Was it intentional?”

  “You mean the shape?” At her nod, he said, “Yes, it was. As soon as I saw this house, I fell in love. It fit my personality since I love the sea so much.”

  She leaned against the side of the desk, facing him. “Yes, it does. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Do you always reward your employees so grandly?”

  He shrugged. “When I can. Business is good and if I reward hard work, I’ll have loyal employees.”

  “Good tactic.”

  “I find that the slow and steady approach in life usually works best.” Vaughn regarded her intensely.

  Miranda wasn’t sure she liked his steady gaze boring into hers. It made her uncomfortable. She shifted from foot to foot. “Well, uh, I was just wondering if you were getting hungry.” At the mention of food, her stomach growled, letting her know that it had been hours since she’d eaten. They’d pretty much gone from the reenlistment ceremony into touring the aircraft carrier without breaking for lunch. She’d been so enthralled, food hadn’t occurred to her until now.

  Vaughn chuckled. “It appears I’ve been remiss in my duties as a husband. Come.” He took her hand. “Let’s get you fed.”

  They stopped in their rooms to change clothes, and then Vaughn uncorked a delicious red wine for Miranda to drink before laying steaks on the grill on the terrace. In yoga pants and a tank top, Miranda curled her legs underneath her on a chaise and sipped on the excellent vintage as she watched a master at work. Miranda couldn’t recall ever being treated so divinely.

  “Who taught you how to cook?” she inquired after he’d turned the seasoned steaks on the grill. She couldn’t picture his father, the Commander, in the kitchen. “Was it your mother? Or maybe your granny?”

  With tongs in hand, he turned to face her. “Neither. I taught myself.”

  “You did?”

  “Don’t sound so shocked. When you’re on a Navy ship, there’s not much else to do with your time off. I used to go in the kitchen and watch the cooks. And I asked a lot of questions.”

  Miranda liked how down-to-earth and approachable Vaughn was. Even though he was a wealthy man, he seemed really in tune with himself and others around him. She envied him that. Sometimes she wondered if she ever really knew herself. It wasn’t until recently when she’d begun to dream of her bed-and-breakfast that she realized she wasn’t just a rich man’s granddaughter.

  “So what are you making to accompany that divine piece of meat?” The aromas wafting from the grill were tempting her tummy.

  “I’m not really into carbs,” Vaughn said, and patted his flat stomach. “So I thought I’d toss up a salad if that’s alright with you?”

  “Works for me.”

  “Excellent. I’m here to serve you.” Vaughn bowed on his way back into the house toward the kitchen. She would love to have him serve her in a number of different ways and positions. A blush immediately bloomed across Miranda’s cheeks. Where had that come from? And did Vaughn know just how far her thoughts had gone?

  He returned several minutes later carrying a colander with mixed greens and a bottle of vinaigrette dressing and table settings for two.

  “Let me help you.” Miranda began to rise but he shook his head.

  “Absolutely not. Enjoy your wine. And your dinner will be served shortly.”

  He set the table on the patio, returned to the grill and removed the steaks, setting them on a platter to rest. Then he returned to the kitchen and brought back the bottle of red, topping off Miranda’s and pouring himself a glass. “Come on over.” Vaughn motioned her over to the table.

  Miranda inhaled the aroma. “Looks delicious,” she commented as she sat down.

  Soon Vaughn was serving her steak and salad and toasting to them. “To our first night together as husband and wife.”

  She chuckled. “Ummm... I think that was last night.”

  “Our first night in our home then,” he responded, holding up his glass. “Salut.”

  “Salut.” Miranda sipped her wine and looked across the table at Vaughn. He looked devastatingly handsome even though he was wearing drawstring shorts and a wife-beater. But to Miranda he’d never looked sexier, except maybe in that wet suit on the beach.

  “You know I have to eventually go back to Chicago,” Miranda ventured. He’d called this place their home.

  * * *

  Vaughn frowned. Why did she always have to remind them of their arrangement? “This is your home now,” he stated. “
And you will live here with me.”

  She plunked her wineglass down. “Is that an order, because I don’t respond well to being bossed around.”

  “No, it’s merely a fact that I don’t intend on having a long-distance marriage. That’s not part of this deal.”

  “Vaughn, we never discussed living arrangements. And my job is back in Chicago.”

  “So you merely expected to marry a stranger and resume your normal life?”

  “It was going to be a business deal.”

  “It is, but one of the reasons that marrying you appealed to me—” other than the fact she was hotter than sin “—was that I needed a spouse to keep my parents off my back and to keep other women at bay. I can’t do that if you’re in Chicago full-time. And didn’t you say you might want to open up a bed-and-breakfast here?”

  She pursed her lips. “I did.”

  “And now that you’ll have access to your inheritance, you can make that dream a reality. I can help you.”

  “You would?”

  “Of course. You’re my wife.” She stared at him in bewilderment, so he added, “Plus, in case you need a reminder I know a little something about launching a successful business.”

  “Yes, I suppose you do.”

  “So tell me about more about your idea.”

  Vaughn listened as Mariah shared her thoughts on her B and B. They talked well into the night, eventually retiring inside to clean up their dinner dishes and head to bed.

  As he walked Miranda to her bedroom, Vaughn hated that they were sleeping separately especially when it was clear that Miranda wanted to be with him. Patience had never been his virtue. He was a man of action and believed in going after what he wanted, but in this instance his bull-doggedness would not get him in Miranda’s bed. Instead, he would have to show her day in and day out that he was worth taking a risk on.

  It surprised Vaughn how much he wanted to earn Miranda’s respect. He wanted her to trust him while in his other relationships he’d never cared one way or the other. Why? Because they’d never meant as much to him as the long-haired beauty. Somehow, she’d quietly worked her way into a special place in his heart. And that scared him.

  * * *

  The next few days were some of the best Miranda could ever recall spending in the opposite sex’s company. Vaughn was good-natured and easygoing and it made living with him a breeze. Miranda wondered if he was like this with every woman or just her. After their first spat, he’d made sure to include her in his plans or share his schedule. And Vaughn had a busy one. If he wasn’t at the office, at a Prescott George meeting or surfing the waves, he was with Miranda, showing her the city and taking her downtown to the Gaslamp Quarter or to Old Town and Little Italy.

  Other times, even though he had an early morning, he would wake up and have a hot cup of coffee waiting for her or fix her a breakfast of veggie omelet, whole wheat toast and fresh fruit. He was making it hard for Miranda to think about ever leaving. She was scared at how often she thought about Vaughn. He hadn’t so much as made a move toward her in days and it was driving her crazy. By not touching her, kissing her, he was making her want him. Was that his endgame? It had to be. Because inevitably when she couldn’t bear it anymore, she would come to him. But if she did, Miranda was sure she’d lose her heart to Vaughn. If she hadn’t lost it already.

  One day he surprised her and took her sailing and told her they were going to fish. Miranda was a city girl and had never fished a day in her life. “You’re full of surprises. Is there anything you don’t do?”

  Vaughn regarded her. “Not much.”

  “Who taught you how to sail?” Miranda inquired as she watched Vaughn bait a fishing pole and throw his line in the water.

  “The Commander. He loves the sea as much as I do. The only reason he came ashore was because he felt it was time to settle down and start a family.”

  “Is that when he met your mother? Was it love at first sight?” Miranda had always been a romantic at heart.

  He looked at her a long time. “No, it wasn’t a love match. My father was a pragmatist. He found a loyal, God-fearing woman with good morals and values from a solid family. And I think my mother was looking to get away from her father’s grasp only to find herself married to the Commander.”

  “If it wasn’t a love match, why do you think your mother stayed?”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I think she’s grown to love him in her own way, but he isn’t an easy man to love.”

  “That sounds grim,” Miranda replied. Even though she’d married Vaughn with no illusions that they were marrying for love, Miranda had always felt that when she married for real, it would be for love. “I hear some animosity toward your father. I thought he’s been a mentor to you. Was I wrong?”

  “He has been a mentor. He lives his life by a strong set of values and code of ethics which I admire and try to adhere to,” Vaughn responded and stared off into the distance.

  “Is your parents’ marriage the reason why you’ve remained single for so long? Have you never found anyone worth getting serious about?”

  “I’ve remained single because the right woman has not come along to pique my interest.”

  “So you’ve attached yourself to me because you think you’ll have peace for the next year?” The more time she spent with Vaughn, the deeper insight she was getting into the type of man he was, and she liked everything she saw.

  “I doubt that,” he mumbled underneath his breath.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing. We’ve arrived at our destination. We should disembark.”

  He anchored the boat close to a small pier and helped lift Miranda up to the dock. It felt good to be in his arms if only for a moment. Once he’d climbed over, they walked hand-in-hand to the beach. Miranda was starting to get comfortable with Vaughn’s insistence that they act like a normal couple and hold hands. She doubted anyone was watching, but she acquiesced.

  When he found a good spot on the beach, he pitched an umbrella in the sand and spread out a blanket. She watched him deftly prepare not only the fish he’d caught, but lay out a feast from a picnic basket he’d procured from the bottom of the boat. “When did you find time to do all this?” she inquired as she pulled off her cover-up and revealed the bikini she’d been wearing underneath.

  He shrugged. “I had a little help.” But when he turned to face her and caught sight of her in her bikini, there was no denying the passion in his eyes.

  Miranda had to admit she felt a warm rush of heat travel up her spine, but she pushed it down. And instead, enjoyed the sunlight, fish, wine and all the accompaniments that Vaughn had brought along, which included a broad selection of sliced meats, cheeses and fruits. When she’d filled her belly, Miranda laid out on a blanket and thought about what a glorious day they’d shared together.

  “You know if you want, you can take full advantage of the seclusion of the beach and sunbathe.”

  “Go topless?” Miranda inquired, pulling down her sunglasses to peer him.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “B-because...”

  “Because of what?” He quirked a brow. “Are you scared to live a little dangerously? C’mon, Miranda. You can’t be afraid to live. No one is here but you and me.”

  She knew that. And that was exactly the problem. Even though he’d seen her naked, she was still self-conscious.

  “Will it help if I turn away?” Vaughn inquired. He turned his back to her and faced the opposite direction. “Now go ahead and lose the top.”

  “Are you daring me?”

  “If the shoe fits.” She heard rather than saw the smile in his voice. He was right. What could it hurt? Reaching behind her, she caught the two strings knotted at her neck and loosened them until her top fell in her lap. Then she lay down on her stomach and said, “You can turn around now.”

 
* * *

  Vaughn spun around to find Miranda lying face down on the blanket with her plump, round bottom directly in his line of vision. Her itty-bitty bikini top was by her side. Had he really convinced her to discard it? He hadn’t actually thought she’d do it, but he was glad she had. It showed him that she was becoming more relaxed in his company. “Would you like me to put some sunblock on your back?”

  She turned her head and gave him a sideward glance. “Please. It’s in my beach bag.”

  Vaughn reached inside her bag and procured the lotion and rubbed some in his palms. Then he scooted over until his knees touched Miranda and placed his palms on her back between her shoulder blades. He loved the feel of her soft and delicate skin in contrast to his roughness. As he rubbed his hands all over her, she warmed under his touch. Was she as turned on by this act as he was? It appeared to be because she began to fidget underneath him.

  “Th-that’s good,” she whispered. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.” But he didn’t mean it. Not if he couldn’t do more than just touch her. He wanted to taste her. Kiss her. Lick her all over. She was driving him crazy with lust. Jumping to his feet, Vaughn tossed his T-shirt over his head, shoved his shorts down until he was in his swim trunks and made a mad dash for the ocean.

  He was in desperate need of cooling off.

  He was an excellent swimmer and took full advantage of the sea to deliver some much-needed relief. He’d been doing his best to make Miranda feel welcome in his home. In the hopes that eventually, she’d make her way to his bed. But she was proving to be a lot more stubborn than he thought. She had to be just as miserable as he was, denying what was so clearly obvious.

  They wanted each other.

  Night after night. They sat talking endlessly, playing chess, and watching television, anything to stave off what they really wanted to do which was to be in each other’s arms. For example, right now he should be stripping off her bikini bottom, discarding his own and taking her right there on the beach in the sun, sand and surf. Instead, he was trying to exhaust himself by swimming furiously in the ocean.