My body continues to convulse and come, and I whimper and screech at the uncontrolled onslaught. I come all over the bed, and my body is racked with one orgasm after another. The roller coaster is unable to stop, and I wonder if I am going to die like this. Kalin thrusts into me one last time before exploding hot warmth inside of me. The feeling of his warmth mixed with my juices is the most primal and savage and wonderful feeling that has ever come over me. My pillow is drenched with sweat from the ravage, and I close my eyes and let my body come back down from the orgasms, while my breathing slowly returns to normal.
Kalin presses off of me and lies next to me. I turn to him, and he cradles me over his chest. I stare at him wide eyed, wondering what exactly he is doing to me. Part of me wonders what he did to my body to make me feel like I never have before. Part of me wonders if he is playing me like a musical instrument only to be set aside after the show, and part of me wonders if being used by this virtuoso would really be that bad. But most of me hopes this is only the beginning of something more.
“I’m speechless. I have no idea what that even was. I have never come like that. My body has never responded to anyone like that.”
Kalin caresses my shoulder with his fingers. “You have no idea how good you are for me either, Annabelle.”
I kiss his chest and fall asleep. I’m awoken by a kiss on my forehead and a gentle, deep voice. “Wake up. We have a fun day on the beach planned today.”
Kalin tosses the lavender bikini on the bed. “I cannot wait to see you in this. I’m glad this is a private beach. I may just be walking around with a hard-on all afternoon, seeing you in this.”
“You have a thing for purple?” I smile.
“I have a thing for you. Now get dressed before you tempt me again.”
“That’s no incentive.” I simper at him.
“Such a bad girl,” he growls. “I’m going to make us some lunch.”
Kalin makes us some sandwiches while I change. My summer tan is already in full bloom thanks to not having a job to go to. I have spent many days sending resumes by the pool. Now it seems I will never need to send another resume again. I would trade it all just to have Lia out of harm’s way. I still worry about her. If it was their plan to just get to me through her, it certainly worked. But Kalin said we can never let them win, and Lia agreed. I push the thoughts out of my mind and make an attempt to enjoy the day.
I slip on the lavender bikini and spin around in the full-length mirror. Better than expected. Apparently skipping meals has been good for my figure. I ate just enough to not go hungry over the past several months, but Lia usually made us a home-cooked dinner without saying a word about who paid for it. During those meals I made the most of it.
Kalin is at the bar, having a cup of coffee, waiting for me. I prance toward him with my hand on my hip and smile suggestively. He turns toward me and sets his coffee down. “Holy shit, Annabelle. You look like a million dollars.”
“In your world, that’s not much,” I tease.
“In my world, having one look at you is a greater joy than anything else.” Kalin stalks toward me. His hands glide down my curves and land on my waist with his fingers pressing into my ass. “You’re so beautiful,” he says in a hoarse whisper. “I’m the one who lucked out and found you, Annabelle. Please don’t ever forget that.”
The words wrap around me like a warm sunny day. My body responds to him again in a rush of warmth, but my mind remains guarded. I still don’t know if I’m dreaming. I bounce my small fists against his hard chest. He clenches his strong hands around my wrists, bends his head toward mine, and pulls me in. Pressing his lips against mine, he devours my mouth with a hunger evident in every caress of his lips and each stroke of his tongue. Our tongues tangle and dance together, causing my body to ache with need again. He tugs at my lower lip with his mouth before pulling away, licking his lips as if enjoying the taste. I press my lips in and smother a grin, savoring the sweetness of his lips.
“C’mon, I have some clothes for you in the closet, Shorts, shirts, whatever you want. I hope you don’t mind. Coffee is on the bar with brunch.”
A few minutes later, Kalin returns, wearing his swim gear and carrying a bag slung across his bronze, bunched shoulder. Two mounds of strong, hard flesh shape his full chest over the tight muscles of his abdomen. His navy blue trunks hang loosely from his hips to show off the rich layers of his pelvic muscles, which taper to his groin into a delicious V-shape. I allow my gaze to drift down to his trunks, which already show a visible bulge. I giggle, and he shrugs. “I told you I can’t help it. You have such a sweet body.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, but you can’t walk around like that.”
“There’s only one cure.”
“Kalin, it’s almost one o’clock and we haven’t even been to the beach.”
“I’ll try to think about something else besides you. Put some loose clothes on and try not to look so stunning. Never mind. It’s not possible.”
I shake my head at him and rummage through the closet. I slip into a pair of baggy shorts and a long-sleeved sweatshirt. I step out with my hands on my hips, and strut around in my new wardrobe like a model on a catwalk. “How’s this?”
“Oh, so much better.” We both burst out laughing. Kalin tugs at my sweatshirt with a lustful look in his eye. I slap his hand away and we finally grab a bite before heading outside.
Kalin grabs my hand and walks me out the back toward the beach. His house is enclosed by a lush lawn and a manicured tree line that separates the main property from the beach. A wooden walkway surrounded by sand and beach grass winds from the tree line to the beach.
The light sea breeze feels so refreshing on my skin. The sound of the birds singing and the ocean waves lapping against the beach soothes me to the core and melts away the tension and stress that have been building up in my body over the past few months. I mentally compare the sounds of Kalin’s beach home with the jarring sounds of sirens, horns, and diesel trucks and the smell of the city air, and breathe in deeply at the thought.
“What?”
“It’s just so beautiful. It’s so much more peaceful than the city. And the smell of the salty air and the wildflowers. It’s just so beautiful.”
“It’s nice to get out of the city.” Kalin tosses the bag down and takes my hand as we stroll toward the beach. There are a few families building sandcastles in the distance, and a handful of surfers scattered in the ocean view. Otherwise, Kalin seems to own this beach.
“So you actually have a deed for this beach?”
“Yes, everything from here to there,” he says, pointing to the general area in front of his five-acre property. “If we drift, no one will sue us. We all have a general understanding.”
“An agreement to own the world?”
“Ha. This can be yours too, Annabelle. I told you, none of this means anything without you.” Kalin’s hand slips across my face. “What do I have to do to show you?”
I place my hand over his. “It just seems too good to be true. The lingering doubts, Kalin. The why.”
“There is nothing more real than what I feel for you, Annabelle.”
“I’m going to get wet.” I fling my clothes onto the beach as I sprint toward the water, bouncing and tangling out of my baggy shorts and tossing them aside. Kalin runs after me, and we dive into the water together. “Oh, my God, it’s warm.”
“Yeah, it is in the summer. Not as warm as Florida, but it’s so nice to be able to get away so quickly, and still be so close to everything.” Kalin eyes me while I do the breaststroke over the waves. “Where are you going?” he asks.
“I’m trying to see if you will save me.”
Kalin powers through the waves in freestyle form and circles toward me. Slipping his feet under the choppy waves, he reemerges in back of me.
“Impressive.” I grin.
He presses his large hands to his face and wipes the rivulets of water dripping from the hair pasted over his forehead
. His hands move over my bottom as I glide past him in the water, and he pulls me toward his long body. His powerful kicks keep us both above the surface of the water, and I relax in his arms. “Are you protecting me or your investment?”
A deep laugh escapes him and caresses my ears with the gentle breeze. “My investment? Oh, Annabelle.”
“What?” I pout.
“I have yet to persuade you.”
“I like being here with you, Kalin. I just keep thinking…”
Before I could finish, Kalin’s mouth comes down on mine. His tongue traces my lower lip, and he tastes like salt and summer and cinnamon. I want more of him, and just as soon as the thought appears, he presses his lips to mine. The sensation washes over me like the ocean around me, caught in something bigger than I can fight against. His strong hands push my body against his while his mouth devours me. The friction of his legs kicking in the water with his body wrapped around mine causes a delightful and sensual heat to course through my body. My body is tingling with desire from the warmth of his possessive embrace. When he pulls away from me, my eyes are held captive by the fire in his eyes.
“Annabelle, if I were not falling in love with you, you wouldn’t be here.”
I catch my breath and shake my head. “Oh, c’mon Kalin. How many girls have you had at this playboy hideaway?”
Kalin exhales a laugh and brings me closer to him. “You’re impossible.”
His arms squeeze me close to him so that I can only squirm in his strong, warm embrace. “I can’t move,” I protest.
“Good, now stop talking.” His mouth crashes down on mine again, and all of the resistance that I feel melts away with his kiss. Damnit! The salty water laps at our bodies, and mixes with our kiss. I pull away from his kiss and regain my mental balance. I want to know the truth. No one can do what Kalin can do to a woman without lots of practice. “Kalin, how many?”
His hands move up to the small of my back. “Since Rebecca died, there has only been you, Annabelle.” His arms let me go, and he swims toward the beach. I swim after him and meet him on shore as he grabs our stuff and spreads out two towels.
“I’m sorry, Kalin.”
“No. It’s okay to ask. You just want to know. I understand. It’s just…”
“What?”
“Why is it so hard for you to believe that I’m falling in love with you? Don’t you understand, Annabelle? I know what love is. I’ve been in love. I know that what I feel for you is real. And I know that you feel it for me too. But I also know that you’re scared.”
I feel the warmth from my wet body escape, and I cross my arms over my chest. My mouth suddenly feels dry, and I shiver in the breeze. “I guess I am, Kalin. It’s so many things. You’re not a normal guy. Jesus Christ, you’re worth something like two billion dollars. You have some kind of corporate coup going on, and Lia, my best friend who would do anything for me, was threatened by a band of lowlifes. Because of me.” I feel the tears well up in my eyes. “You’re goddamn right I’m scared. It would be so much easier if you were just a normal guy, taking me out on a date. Instead of all this.” I wave my hand in the air at the wealth that surrounds us.
“I can’t change that, Annabelle. This is who I am. But more importantly, you know who I really am. You can’t tell me that you don’t feel the same for me.”
I stare at the beach and shiver. Kalin steps toward me and wraps a towel around me. “I know you’re scared, Annabelle. I get scared too. But we cannot give up on each other because of that. Somewhere, deep inside, I know you love me. You just see all these changes, and it’s terrifying. It’s overwhelming. But sometimes that’s what love requires.”
“Does love require that others get hurt?” I move the towel around my body.
Kalin presses his front teeth to his bottom lip, and brings his eyes to mine. “When you know you’re doing what’s right, yes, you have to accept that others may get hurt.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“Annabelle, do you really think Lia would want you to break it off because of what they did?”
“No, I know she wouldn’t. She would want me to do what’s best for me.”
Kalin takes my hand and walks me down the beach.
“The only thing that kept my head on straight when I was a kid was family. Not wealth, or fame, or all the glitz and glamor we saw in the city. Just family. My dad made enough to always keep food on the table, and my mom only worked when she wanted to, not because she had to. She worked only after I made it safely to high school,” he smirks. “Call me old fashioned, but I think raising a family is one of the greatest accomplishments in life. I want our employees to be able to spend time with their kids, and to make enough to buy a house, and actually spend time in it.
“When Rebecca died, I just figured I would give the company up. It didn’t matter to me.” He shrugs. “I wouldn’t have a family to pass the company to, who would honor the concept of taking care of the employees like that.”
“What changed?”
“The very reason I never wanted this company to leave the family. It became something different. Employees became expendable. Management gained control to enrich themselves. It’s the same story that plays over and over again in the corporate world. I’ve been on enough board meetings to know how they think.” Kalin squeezes my hand and points to a seashell. “Try that one.”
I hold it to my ear and listen. “The ocean.” I place it up to his ear, and he smiles at me.
“That’s nice, but not quite what I’m looking for. Try that one,” he says, pointing to a larger one.
I hold it up to my ear. “It sounds the same.”
“Does it look the same?”
“I guess. I mean, it’s a little bigger.”
“Check inside. Maybe there’s a pearl.”
“Those are oyster shells, silly.” I chuckle.
“Oh, okay. Try that one.” Kalin places his chin on the top of my head, and traces his hand over my wrist, pointing my finger to the exact shell.
“Geesh, Kalin. Could you be more specific?” I grab the shell and hold it to my ear. “The ocean.” I smile.
“Check inside.” His eyes glitter with anticipation.
I reach inside and feel the hard angles of a circular stone. I empty the shell in my hand, and the most brilliant diamond solitaire ring that I have ever seen falls into my hand.
Chapter Thirteen
My hand flies to my chest, and I audibly gasp. “Kalin, you’re crazy.”
“I was hoping for a shorter, three-letter answer.”
“Let me guess. After I say the answer, you want me to sign the contract.”
“No. After you marry me, I want you to sign the contract.”
“Again, very romantic, Kalin.”
“Timing is not always suspicious, Annabelle. It could be serendipitous. There were greater forces at work when we met.” He smiles at me.
“Yeah, your team of lawyers.”
“Admit that you’re in love with me, Annabelle.”
“No.”
“No, you don’t love me, or no you won’t admit it?”
“I don’t like the contract. I don’t like this setup. And I don’t like people trying to intimidate us. This is way more complex than I envisioned for my wedding. Instead of bridesmaids and flowers, I see legal contracts and thugs in black vans stalking us.” I pinch my lips together as conflicting thoughts race through my mind. “And I don’t even understand what I’m going to be doing on this job. I mean, you’re going to marry me, and then we work together? Isn’t that the opposite of what you just described?”
Kalin pulls his shoulders back and gazes down at me. “Not when it’s our company. That’s the whole point. I want you to know enough to delegate. The rest of your time is yours. And if anything ever happens to me, the company will still be in good hands. It won’t fall into the hands of these vultures.”
I grimace at him. “So you chose me for that reason?”
&nbs
p; “Yes. I told you, Annabelle. I never thought I would meet someone like you. I was ready to give this company up.”
Kalin walks along the shore so the water laps over his feet. He stares out into the ocean. “I’ll still have all of this, Annabelle. I can sell all my shares and never think about it again. It wasn’t the dream for the company. But some dreams die. I’m willing to accept that. I would live the rest of my days wealthy and be perfectly fine.”
I suddenly feel the weight that Kalin carries around in his heart every day. “You wanted a family. With Rebecca. That’s why this company is so important to you. You wanted them to be taken care of. You wanted it to continue for them.”
Kalin stares at his feet under the foamy water, and scrapes his toes into the sand. “That was the dream. When Rebecca died, the dream died.”
My heart sinks at his words. Kalin lifts his eyes toward me. “I’m not trying to resurrect the dream through you, Annabelle. I’m not trying to pretend that you’re going to fill her shoes. I just want to start my life over again. It took a long time to get to this point. So maybe I came on a little too strong. But it wasn’t just her dying. It was that when I was down, the vultures swooped in. I could give this company up. I was ready to give it up. But I don’t know if I’m ready to leave the company in their hands now after what I saw. If you want me to, I will.”
“Kalin, this whole thing sounds way over my head. These guys would eat me alive. You have to be a shark to swim with the sharks, and I’m more of a guppy.” I quirk my mouth and fold my hands in front of me at the admission.
Undeniably His Page 12
