His Bahamas Affair (The Albury Affairs)

by Christina OW

  Reno could see how Loraine ended up being his beard in high school. They were two peas in a pod. “No, I’m very straight.”

  “You sure?”

  “He said he’s straight!”

  They all turned to the angry yell. It was a short slim girly looking man, with long front blond hair that covered his right eye.

  “Ah hell!” Jake mumbled then as he went after the guy who was briskly walking away he yelled, “Honey, it’s not what you think!”

  Reno shook his head at the two before he turned to Loraine. He quickly choked down the laugh that bubbled up in his throat. “I know I jumped to the wrong conclusions. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not Georgia!” she bit out angrily.

  She turned to walk away but he quickly grabbed her, imprisoning her against his chest.

  “Forgive me. I had no right getting pissed off without knowing all the facts. I wanted to put a fist in his pretty face. But you’ve got to admit, kissing him like that…I had every right to be jealous.”

  He saw how hard she fought to hide her smile and knew he was forgiven.

  “You were jealous?” she mumbled, pressing her hands flat on his chest.

  He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. “Of course I was. Seeing another man with his hands and lips on my woman, how could I not be?”

  “I’m your woman?”

  He wanted to laugh at her little sweet voice but that would only get him a knee to his groin. So instead he said, “Do you doubt it?”

  Two rosy spots filled her cheeks as she shook her head no. “Just don’t do that again. I would never cheat on you.”

  Reno tightened his hold on her, loving her naked skin against his. “I’m sorry. I’ll never do that again.”

  “And you’ll never cheat on me either?” she demanded which made him grin.

  “I’ll never cheat on you,” he echoed.

  She slide her hands up slowly until they were clasped at the back of his neck. “So like, does this mean we’re like, going steady and stuff?” she asked in that nasal annoying teenage girl voice.

  He knew she may be kidding around, she was also quite serious. She wanted to know where she stood in his life and he’d opened that door with his jealous fit. He had no doubt that he wanted her in his life, but the question was how long will she slum it until she decided to go back to her high flying life?

  She was rich and even though La Paraiso was doing remarkably well, he still couldn’t give her the life she was used to. Could he really risk being made a fool of again? But this time he was also risking his heart because he was truly serious when he said he could love her. He’d already started down that slippery slope. If they were serious about ‘going steady’, they couldn’t rush it. They both needed to be a hundred percent sure that they wanted each other till the grim reaper came knocking.

  Listen to him, the self-made playboy thinking about going for the long haul with one dame. N ot just any dame, one that made him dream of playing at the ocean shore with their two kids while she watched from the porch, heavy with number three.

  Yeah, definitely a dream, which he was willing to work on making it come true.

  “If by going steady you mean dating exclusively, then yes, we are going steady.”

  Her smile faltered but she recovered. He realized it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear but after Georgia, he was not rushing into anything. He was going in with his eyes wide open.

  He kissed her forehead. “Be patient. I want us both to be sure that the ‘could’ will turn into a ‘definitely’ with no regrets whatsoever the next time we say the words I, love, and you.”

  She nodded. “I understand. But I would never regret being with you.”

  He believed her, but he also wanted to be sure of his feelings that he wasn’t acting on lust like last time.

  “Oh, here they come. Jake looks like he’s had his ass tanned. Poor guy.” She released him, tucking herself into his side as they watched Jake and his partner walk hand in hand toward them.

  Jake smiled at them, his eyes begging for help. “Gil, honey, this is Loraine and her boyfriend, Reno.”

  Reno stuck out his hand first. “Hi. If you want to feel me up too I’ll let you go as far as Jake did.”

  That stretched Gil’s pout into a smile. “Don’t worry, he’ll be paying for that for a long time.” He gave Reno an appreciative perusal. “Granted, you are irresistible, but he should have restrained himself like I am.” He cut Jake a withering glare before he turned to Loraine. “You, I’ve heard so much about. Thank you for being Jake’s friend when he needed one.”

  Loraine took his offered hand and pulled him into a hug. “No thanks needed. He was there for me when I needed someone too.”

  A look passed between Jake and Loraine that Reno caught and it made him wonder if she meant the stalker situation. That part of the story she hadn’t told him yet. She was shaking when she told him the little that she had, adding on the nightmares he wasn’t willing to push the issue. She’d tell him once she felt comfortable enough.

  “I guess I should thank you, Jake, for being there for her when she truly needed someone.”

  There was a surprised then a questioning look on his face before Jake nodded. He was probably wondering if he knew about the stalker. Reno didn’t give him any inclination that he did.

  “So what are you two up to?” Loraine asked, returning to his side.

  Gil pumped up. “We are going diving! Isn’t it exciting?”

  “You’ll love the reef, it’s so beautiful. I wish I’d had a camera,” Loraine pouted.

  Reno squeezed her to him in a side hug. “I got that covered, babe. We should be collecting our pictures when we get back to the main land. Gil, Jake, why don’t you join us tomorrow when we go diving again. It should be fun.”

  Gil and Loraine both squealed happily as Jake asked him sensible questions about the dive. He wanted to know about the dive company and the areas they would go. The risks, precautions until Gil and Loraine told him to shut up and that he was killing their buzz with scary questions.

  Reno just laughed, readily accepting to share their villa on the island, saving them a trip back to the main land, which Loraine was happy about. She wanted to catch up with her friend, and Reno just wanted to make her happy.

  Weird.

  * * * *

  Loraine and Jake were quietly laughing in the kitchen as they listened to Gil pepper Reno with questions. The inquest had started with safe questions about the resort, and then he very loudly asked Reno’s sexual preference to the current topic of his intentions for Loraine. Reno answered all of them with a laugh in his voice and never once got defensive or irritated. It was amazing how easy going he was. “I’m so glad he’s not a bigot. Not very many straight guys would be comfortable sitting and drinking with Gil, let alone being pawed the way I did,” Jake commented, watching them through the window in the wall that faced the living room.

  “I’m glad too. Except for cheating spouses, he’s very easy with everything else. I kinda love him,” she blushed pouring lemon juice into the chicken souse.

  Jake’s smile grew into a grin. “I’m so glad you said that. I always thought you’d be too traumatized to even consider an intimate relationship. And if you did, it would be with a guy who wasn’t a giant!” He pointed to Reno over his shoulder with his thumb. “Clearly I was wrong about that, too.”

  “When he holds me I feel safe. Like nothing bad could touch me ‘cause he’d always be there to protect me.” She shrugged adding salt and hot pepper to the pot. “It may sound naive but Pierre hasn’t haunted me since the day I first slept in his arms.”

  “I noticed you haven’t broken into a cold sweat after saying his name. So why are you still hiding behind the blonde hair and blue eyes?”

  Loraine purposefully ignored his question and said, “Reno is good for me and I want to be good for him.”

  Jake was quiet for a moment, probably wondering over the snub. She kept he
r eyes averted from him. They’d always been open with each other but she wasn’t ready to go into that just yet.

  “He has nightmares of his own?” he asked in a hush tone, not wanting Reno to hear.

  She was relieved he let the subject drop but she also knew Reno wouldn’t want his business known so all she said was, “Guilt.”

  He nodded catching on, then with a skeptically raised brow. “How do the parents feel about the man in your life? It’s clear he doesn’t come from the right side of the tracks.”

  Loraine rolled her eyes. “They don’t know. They don’t even know where I am and I’m not about to tell them. I don’t want them ruining this for me. If it means living without the Larson millions,” she shrugged, “so be it. It will only mean my freedom.”

  “Wow! You really do mean that.”

  “I’d live in a tent at the beach if it meant being with Reno. What about you? How exactly are you affording a villa? I know Gil isn’t paying.”

  He folded his arms over his chest. “And why not?”

  She pointed at him with the cooking spoon. “You may be batting for the other team but its clear who’s the wife in your relationship. Now spill!”

  He cleared his throat before he spoke. “Naturally, my parents cut me off when I decided to stop hiding in the closet. Well, they were holding the money hostage hoping I’d come back from my stint in military school straight. Instead, I used the one hour internet time allocated in a week, withdrew ten thousand dollars every month for the ten months I was there and went home with Gil who’d also been sent away for liking the wrong gender. That’s when they cut me off but I already had one hundred thousand safely tucked away and when I turned twenty-one, I got my inheritance from my dead aunt, to my father’s chagrin. It couldn’t have come at a better time. The hundred thousand was depleted after paying for college and we were working fast food just to pay the rent at our one bedroom apartment in Miami. Then we moved to Canada and I opened my software company.”

  Loraine hugged him, wishing he didn’t have to go through so much pain just to be happy. “I’m not going to say sorry. Instead I’m going to congratulate you for taking your life into your own hands and being happy.”

  He pulled away, tweaking her nose with his forefinger. “I hope you stay strong Loraine, ‘cause that’s a man you don’t want to lose.”

  She knew that already and she was doing her utmost best to make sure they stayed together. Loraine stared out at Reno with a smile. He was attempting to help Gil choose an outfit. That was one man who was very sure of his sexuality, himself and what he wanted. She just had to make sure not to give him any doubts about wanting her.

  “Gil, that man can’t help you choose a good outfit. He lives in shorts and t-shirts and he can only dress a woman.”

  Hands on his hips, Gil said, “If he can dress a woman he can help me.”

  Reno chuckled. “What Lori means is I like my women with very little on, preferably naked.”

  “Oh,” he sighed dramatically. “Well, we can’t all be perfect.” They all laughed, watching Gil sashay out of the room.

  “He makes you happy, doesn’t he?” she asked Jake.

  “Yes he does. What about you?”

  She nodded. “Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

  “Well, I say it’s about time. We both deserve some happiness in our lives after all the shit we’ve been through.”

  The upbeat tempo carried into the next day when they went diving and Loraine fell even more in love with the aquatic life. They took numerous pictures under and above water and on the catamaran. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on the pictures and show them to Melody. She planned to buy an album and fill it with memories of the happiest moments of her life.

  They took the catamaran back to Nassau after a teary goodbye and promises to visit La Paraiso before Gil and Jake went back to Canada. When they got back to their apartment, she was happy to finally relax and maybe talk Reno into going out for a real date that may hopefully end with them tangled in the sheets, when he got the phone call that made his face so pale it frightened her.

  “Pack your bags, we’re going back to the resort immediately!” he ordered hoarsely, running out of the apartment and leaving her alone panicking. She prayed it wasn’t something completely terrible.

  Chapter Seven

  Loraine wasn’t exactly sure what to say as she stood there, staring down at the little person sitting on the couch partially hidden by Melody’s body. She hadn’t believed it when Reno told her about his phone conversation with Ruiz that had visibly rattled him on their way back to the resort. But now as she stared at him at his beautiful little face that was the miniature version of his father, there was no doubt that this was Reno’s son.

  A whirlwind of emotions bombarded her but one stood out prominently—jealousy. Not of the boy but of his mother. She’d actually dreamed of giving him his first kid, his first son.

  The past few days with Reno had made her want a number of things, hope for many more as she excitedly planned for a future that at the moment looked bleak. Had Georgia come back? Was she hoping for reconciliation with Reno? Why else would she bring their son to him?

  Is this where I lose Reno?

  Just the thought of the possibility made her stomach plummet.

  She turned to the heavy footsteps to see Reno walking away, his brother at his heels. He hadn’t said a word since they entered the house.

  What is he thinking and what does it mean for us? Loraine wondered watching them disappear around the corner to his home office.

  “Loraine?”

  She turned to face Melody who was now standing next to her. She looked as confused as Loraine felt. Out of everything that could happen to their lives, this was the last thing she expected.

  “Do you know how he got here?” she whispered discreetly to Melody, watching as the boy fearfully shy behind his stuffed elephant. He had it raised to cover his face, exposing just his round brown eyes as they darted around the room.

  “A woman, his nanny brought him. She was told by his mother to take him to an orphanage because Georgia didn’t want him anymore, but she brought him to his father instead. She hoped he would be loved and cared for here.”

  Loraine felt her heart break for the kid. “What kind of mother does that to her child? He’s just a baby!”

  Melody sighed. “So what are you going to do?”

  That wasn’t her question to answer. Last night she just became his girlfriend, hoping that Reno would soon let go of his apprehensions and be a hundred percent sure that she was what he wanted. Yes she hoped, but now as she stared at Junior she was sending prayers to the heavens that this wouldn’t derail them.

  “The only thing I can do is support Reno.”

  Loraine watched the boy as he began to quietly sob, his eyes wet with tears. He looked so scared and alone. Couldn’t his nanny have stayed with him until he got used to Reno? She sat down next to him and he quickly backed away to the corner of the couch, his knees brought up to his chest as he folded into himself as he clutched the stuffed elephant to him for dear life. His eyes grew wider as he stared at her as if he was waiting for her to hurt him.

  Why is he so scared? What did that witch do to him?

  Loraine smiled reassuringly at him as she moved to the other end of the couch. “Hi, I’m Lori what’s your name?”

  He just stared at her with his big brown round eyes, not uttering a word.

  “Don’t worry, we aren’t going to hurt you. Your daddy is going to take great care of you.”

  “My daddy?” his soft whisper was muffled by his elephant but it was clear she caught his attention.

  “Yup. The man I just came in with, that’s your daddy. His name is Reno. The other man is your uncle Ruiz.” She pointed at Melody. “Her name is Melody but you can call her Yody.”

  He perked up, lowering the elephant to expose his lips as he chuckled. “Yody! That’s funny.”

  Loraine’s heart warme
d at the sweet sound of his laugh. She loved the sound of children’s laughter. There was something very special about it, like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

  Melody squatted next to Loraine. “Now it’s your turn to tell us your name.”

  He shifted his gaze between them with apprehension before he whispered, “Tyler.”

  “That’s a wonderful name!” Melody exclaimed animatedly. “A wonderful name for a very handsome little boy.”

  He chuckled again, his eyes glittering with delight, as he lowered his elephant to his chest.

  “How old are you sweetheart?”

  He raised his hand and studied his fingers for a moment, his brows furrowed together and the tip of his tongue sticking out at the side of his mouth in concentration. He freed his other hand and tucked his thumb into his palm and lowered his little finger. Then with a bright smile, holding his fingers proudly up for Loraine and Melody, he excitedly announced, “I’m three years old!”

  “Good job, buddy,” Loraine said, sharing in his pride. She exchanged a look with Melody, both noticing that his elephant was now laying on his lap no longer a shield.

  “Tyler, why don’t you come sit next to me?” Loraine asked, patting the spot beside her. Loraine felt it was better if he came to her, giving him the choice and not crowd him by moving closer herself.

  His smile disappeared as he stared at Loraine with trepidation for a moment. He held his elephant to his chest then he slowly scooted closer. “Can Nosey sit closer too?”

  Loraine nodded biting the insides of her cheeks to keep her smile casual. Nosey was pretty original for a stuffed elephant. “Sure, Nosey can sit closer and Melody will sit next to him.”

  “I would love that.” Melody waited until Tyler had propped Nosey up with a cushion before she sat next to him.

  “Nosey, that’s Melody, but you can call her Yody because she’s our new friend,” he addressed his elephant seriously, which made Loraine want to laugh. She loved his innocence.

  Loraine had seen Aurora speak to her dolls a few times but she never thought boys were the same. From how attached he was to the stuffed animal, she had a feeling Nosey was his best, maybe only friend.