Modern Arrangements: Complete Trilogy (Modern Arrangements #1-3)

by Sadie Grubor

  "Spit it out, Liam. I have arrangements to take care of." I groaned out impatiently.

  "Regalie is concerned with the well-being of AIS...due to the 'conditions'."

  "What? I just got married for God’s sake! How can they..?"

  "Not the marriage, the heir. The link that secures AIS to the Iverson family. Regalie only wants this venture if they can be sure they will be dealing with the family, not the board." Liam sighed heavily.

  "Jesus, am I supposed to just produce a child immediately?" Taking a deep breath, I counted silently to ten. We were going to lose a large venture I’d worked long and hard to secure. It ticked me off that this would sway them.

  "I understand that. You know I do, we all do. However, that’s their reasoning."

  "I don’t mean to take it out on you. I’m sorry. How the hell did they get the details of my inheritance anyway?" No one in the family would hand over that information, create such a risk.

  "I’m not sure. But, they know a lot, son."

  "I'll call you back. Thank you, Liam." Softening my tone, I closed the phone.

  "Should I start packing? What do you want me to do first?" Looking up, Lilli was leaning against the wall across from me. I’d been too distracted to notice her entrance.

  "What did you hear?" Concern filled me. Would she run now, knowing the pressure we were under to reproduce?

  "Enough. What do you want me to do?"

  Running my hand through my hair, I released a frustrated sigh. What the hell was 'enough' supposed to mean?

  "Nothing."

  She looked at me confused while I started calling Jeremy, the pilot for the jet. Listening to the ringing, I tried to ease her confusion.

  "I'm leaving, but I’ll be back in a couple of days. There’s no reason for you to leave too, unless you want to?" Part of me hoped she would stay and wait for me to come back. I wasn't ready for our time on the island to be over.

  "Oh...ummm...okay. What do you need me to help you with?" She walked over and sat on the couch.

  When the click of an answer sounded, I motioned for her to give me one minute.

  "Yes, Mr. Iverson?"

  "Jeremy, I need the jet to pick me up. I am taking a boat in a few hours to the mainland and will need to get back to New York immediately. Can you get it taken care of?"

  "Yes, sir. I’ll call you with the details in a half hour." We hung up and I dialed my receptionist, Amy.

  "Lilli, you don't have to do anything, just go get some sleep. I'll take care of this." She rolled her eyes at me and sat back on the couch.

  "Mr. Iverson?" Amy sounded confused and groggy.

  "I'm sorry to wake you, Amy, but I need to make sure you are ready for the day ahead of us..." I quickly explained part of the situation to her and what to be ready for before I hung up and called for the boat.

  Once all the arrangements were made for my departure, I stood and went to pack my things. Lilli followed me into the bedroom and climbed onto the bed, stretching out.

  Having to leave with her stretched out on the bed was completely unfair. I just wanted to stretch out over top of her. Shaking the thoughts off, I threw some clothes into a duffel bag.

  I showered, shaved and got dressed. Coming out of the bathroom, I noticed that Lilli was no longer in bed. I grabbed my bag and laptop, picked up my cell and dialed Liam.

  "Aidan?" Liam answered quickly.

  "I'm preparing to leave now. I’ll call you from the boat to discuss the issue." We both said goodbye. Looking up, I saw Lilli had made eggs, toast and coffee.

  "Eat up," she said walking by me towards the bedroom.

  Reaching out, I grabbed her arm, stopping her. I cupped her face and looked into her shocked eyes.

  "Thank you," I kissed her forehead.

  "Uh..." She swallowed her surprise, "you're welcome." She gave me a small smile and started to move away.

  Reluctantly pulling away, I took in her stained red cheeks. She moved away from me, making an attempt to collect herself.

  "You better eat before it gets any colder." She nodded towards the food before making her way to the bedroom.

  While eating, I heard the boat reach the dock. I went to the bedroom to tell her goodbye. Lilli wasn’t in bed. The shower was running.

  I knocked.

  "You leaving?"

  Taking a chance, I turned the knob and pushed the door open. Leaning in, I lost the ability to speak. There she was, completely naked, the outline of her body showing through the steamed up glass. I cast my eyes to the floor.

  "Yeah...um...leaving now. I'll call you, okay? The phone is in the study."

  When she didn’t respond, I looked back to the glass shower. She was frozen, her arms draped over her chest.

  "Oh...okay. Travel safe."

  "I'll see you in four days, at the least." She nodded and I reluctantly closed the door.

  I was going back to New York, sexually frustrated, while the only release that I longed for remained on the island.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Lilli

  I kept my arms wrapped around me tightly until the bathroom door closed. Exhaling, I leaned against the shower wall.

  After throwing on a bikini and pulling on a sundress, I went to the kitchen. The sun was just coming up. Deciding on a bagel, fruit, and coffee, I took a tray out to the patio.

  Eating and drinking as the sun rose in the sky was magnificent. I lounged back in a chair, stretched out and closed my eyes, letting the sun cover my skin.

  "Mrs. Iverson?" Groggily, I struggled to open my eyes. What had felt like only moments must have been longer. "Mrs. Iverson?" The voice wasn’t familiar.

  "What?" Jumping, I sighed in relief. "Oh God...Devan. You scared me to death." I giggled.

  "Sorry," he said bashfully "I just...well, my brother and I hadn't seen you move in a while and got worried. I'm really sorry."

  "No, it's fine. I should probably get out of the sun before I fry myself." Standing, I stretched, grabbed all of the dishes and took them inside the house.

  "Where’s Aidan?" Bradley was standing next to Devan now.

  "He got called back to work." I half smiled.

  "On his honeymoon?" Devan groaned and shook his head.

  "He got a call," I shrugged.

  "And he went?" It was Bradley's turn to shake his head.

  I shrugged again.

  "It's really not a big deal."

  "Mrs. Iverson –"

  "Please call me Lilli. I mean you call him Aidan, so please, Lilli." I smiled.

  "Of course, Lilli, I would think he could spare time for a honeymoon and work wouldn't call and bother him." Devan laughed.

  "He was needed. It’s a big deal, so he had to go. He's supposed to be back in a couple of days." After placing the dishes in the dishwasher, I turned around. They were still there.

  "So, what are you going to do?" They both looked at me intently.

  "Um...was going to go down to the beach for a while." It had come out sounding more like a question than a statement.

  "Hmmm...how about we grab the snorkeling gear and go with you? There is a great place about a mile down." I nodded excitedly. "Have you ever snorkeled before?"

  "No, never." I shook my head.

  "Wonderful, this will be great." Bradley waved for me to follow after them. Hell, it was better than being bored and alone.

  Once we got down the beach they helped me get the goggles and the flippers on properly. We waded out a little bit before they showed me what to do with the goggles and the snorkel. After a few mouthfuls of water and some choking, I finally got a handle on it. They led me around some rocks and other areas with coral. It was amazing. After, we all sat on the sand to dry out.

  "That was amazing. Thank you so much!" Leaning back on my hands, I let the sun dry my body.

  "You’re so very welcome. It was fun for us as well" Devan responded.

  "Especially with the way you were taking on water" Bradley laughed.

  I tossed my gogg
les at him and laughed.

  We sat on the beach for about forty-five minutes longer talking about Devan’s fiancée, Gina, and their upcoming wedding. Bradley talked a great deal about the ocean and his plans to attend college this upcoming year. Bradley brought up ocean weather trends and that’s when they mentioned the hurricanes. Nervousness settled in my stomach.

  "Don’t look so panicked, Lilli," Devan laughed.

  "Yeah, the hurricane is way out in the ocean, there isn’t any sign of it heading this way." Bradley patted my shoulder. "The last they mentioned is was headed toward the USA. Florida, I believe." He shrugged.

  A few moments later we decided to part ways. They needed to head back and I wanted out of the sun for a while. After saying goodbye and going into the house, I headed toward the master bathroom to rinse off. My thoughts returning to the hurricane, I decided to try out the phone in the study instead.

  The phone was on a charging station next to a laptop. Sitting down, I turned on the computer and dialed Sarah’s number. As I waited for her to pick up her phone, I browsed the internet for current weather conditions. My mom didn’t answer, so I left her a message. I also logged into my email, sending a quick email to her and my father.

  Taking the phone with me, I finally made it to the bathroom and climbed in the shower. Leaving the bikini on, I rinsed it off too. I slipped back into my sun dress and went to the kitchen for something to eat. The kitchen was well stocked, which was great, but it would be heaven if I could get some chocolate covered potato chips right about now.

  After grabbing some chocolate ice cream, potato chips, and my unfinished book, I went out to the hammock. It was in the shade and looked comfortable. Climbing into the hammock, I ate my snacks and read my book.

  A sudden movement on my cheek pulled me away from the best dream sex I’d ever experienced. Aidan’s fingers were ferociously slipping in and out of me while his tongue worked magic on my nipples.

  Opening my eyes, there was a small lizard stuck over my face. I screamed and shot up in the hammock. The sudden movement caused the hammock to rock back and forth too violently, resulting in me landing on my ass in the sand. Completely stunned, I laid there for a moment before bursting into laughter.

  "Damn lizard," Growling, I looked around for the little wet-dream blocker. Even if it was only a dream, it was amazing.

  After the lizard incident, I went inside to watch a movie. Just as Mystery Inc. unveiled Alicia Silverstone, the satellite phone rang.

  "Everything okay?" Aidan asked with concern.

  "Well, hello to you too." I laughed.

  "Sorry, hello. How are things?"

  "Everything’s good."

  "What did you do today?"

  "Um...Devan and Bradley came today –"

  "Yeah, it’s one of the days they show up. They didn’t bother you did they?"

  "No, they were actually great company for a while." I laughed lightly.

  "Company?" His tone rose.

  "Uh…yeah, they showed me where the snorkeling stuff was and –"

  "You shouldn’t snorkel alone –"

  "I didn’t."

  "Oh?"

  "Yeah, umm…they stuck around and showed me how to snorkel. We went a few miles down the beach." I paused. "Then afterwards we talked about Devan’s fiancée and Bradley’s college plans." I confessed, hoping the topics of discussion would keep him from acting like a caveman.

  He was silent.

  "Aidan?"

  "Yeah," his voice was quiet.

  "You okay?"

  "Yeah," his response clipped.

  "Oh-kay," I took a breath. "Well, I guess I’ll let you get ready for work or whatever." The phone call was just uncomfortable now.

  "Why, got plans with the boys?" he snorted.

  "Excuse me?" My tone rose a few octaves.

  He sighed. "I’m sorry. I just….this was supposed to be us there, not you and the help," he growled.

  "Hey…I offered to pack my stuff –"

  "No. I’m sorry. Really, I am." It sounded like he was sincere. "I’m glad you aren’t bored out of your mind."

  "Thanks," I furrowed my brow.

  We talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie: The sound of rocks smacking off of glass woke me.

  The room had fallen dark, not nighttime dark. It was thunderstorm dark. Looking at the windows, hail like rain beat off the glass. Sighing, I went to get something to eat from the kitchen.

  The rain continued for the entire day, barely easing up. I tried the laptop, but the satellite was out due to the storm. The TV barely got a local news channel. Turns out the hurricane had shifted its route. It wasn’t going to come on land or to the island. However, there would be storms as a result. Great!

  Turning off the fuzzy TV, I started to charge up my IPod and my extra laptop battery. The rain resulted in me watching movies and reading for most of the afternoon. I snuck a nap in too.

  When I woke from my nap the rain wasn’t as rough, so I decided to grab my camera and go down to the beach. After doing a ghetto-wrap-job with plastic wrap on my camera, I walked to the beach. I took some great pictures of the angry ocean as lightening streaked in the horizon. The clouds swirled dramatically as if they were dancing. It was breathtaking.

  The rest of the evening and the next day went pretty much the same, though at the end of the following night I lost all power in the house. The only thing still running was the fridge, since it was connected to a small generator. Lighting candles, I found some battery operated lanterns in the storage/laundry room and set them up in the bedroom.

  Sitting on the bed, I powered up my laptop and connected the digital camera. While the pictures transferred, I started to feel nauseous. I saved the pictures, shut down the laptop, and decided to lie down.

  Waking the next morning I discovered what was wrong with me. Cramps were consuming my abdomen and back. It was the tell-tale sign of my cycle. My first trip was to the bathroom and to my necessities bag. I pulled out my pill case and became instantly annoyed. I wasn’t supposed to start yet. Resolving to the fact that the change in environment daily activities brought this on, I tossed out my pills and planned to restart them when this was over.

  The rain continued throughout the morning but lightened up by late afternoon. The power was still out. Exploration around the house revealed that a large branch had landed on some lines leading into the house. Assuming these were the power lines from the main generators and solar panels, I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to get the branch moved on my own.

  Humidity began wreaking havoc on the island. Even as the sun set, my body only found rare relief in the ocean or showering with ice cold water.

  That evening, when I stepped out of my fourth cold shower, I looked at the pajamas I’d laid out. My towel was already starting to stick to my back, sweat beads dripping between my breasts. There was no way I was putting pajamas on. Tossing the clothes back into my trunk, I slid on my boy short underwear and a small cami.

  After opening the bedrooms French doors, I could tell there was no relief from the heat. Leaving the doors open and knowing Aidan wasn’t due back for another day, I slipped off my cami and climbed into bed face down, no blankets.

  A light breeze caressed my skin, warmth and a soft caress grazed my right side. Wrenching from sleep and into the less humid, light filled room, I looked to my right and screamed.

  "What?" Aidan jerked up, wide eyed next to me.

  His hand was now flat on my lower back. I didn’t want to admit how good the contact felt. He looked down. I instinctively curled my arms to my sides. Thank God I was still laying stomach down. My body heated in embarrassment and I buried my head in the mattress.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Aidan

  Her being on the island alone ate away at me. I hated it and, even more, hated that she was spending time with other men on our honeymoon. Yes, it was ridiculous. But, hell, I was sexually frustrated and irritated by th
e Regalie Company.

  Once I found out about the storm, I tried to contact her but the call wouldn’t go through. It made me worry even more. Making damn sure the Regalie situation was taken care of the next day, I made arrangements to return to the island, to Lilli.

  There were a few weather delays in my return but I finally got back a day earlier than planned. When I saw all the branches and debris from the storm, I couldn’t help but be concerned.

  Upon entering the house, I called out for Lilli. Realizing she was most likely sleeping, I went to the bedroom.

  Dropping my bag to the floor and wiping the sweat away from my forehead, I turned to the bed. I could barely make out her body in the darkness but could hear her breathing.

  Grabbing a flashlight, I walked out the French doors to the generators. After a couple of attempts, I pulled the large branch off the wires. Luckily, they were simple plug in connectors. I got them back in and flipped the breaker switch. A gentle hum filled the air.

  I made sure everything was working again and went back to the bedroom. My flashlight grazed over Lilli’s form and immediately went back to her. Jesus Christ! Is she trying to kill me? Dear God, give me the strength to not molest my wife.

  Lilli lay before me, stomach down, in nothing but underwear. The sweat on her back was glistening on her skin. My dick went from flaccid to throbbing in a mere second. If I were to lie next to her I wouldn’t be able to control myself. Desperate to contain myself, I showered with cold water.

  Feeling cooled down and calmer, I slid on some boxers and checked the air conditioning. It wasn’t working. At least the fans would now come on. Turning all the ceiling fans on, I climbed into bed.

  Without thinking, I trailed my finger down her spine, stopping just above ass. My breathing hitched and I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from going any further.

  Lilli shifted, moaning in her sleep. It went straight to my groin. I pulled ,y hand away, threw myself back onto the pillow and covered my head with my arms. I’m not sure how long I laid there battling with my erection before falling asleep. Lilli’s scream woke me up.

  "What?" I jerked away and looked down. Then it all came back to me. She was basically naked and didn’t expect me.

  "I thought you weren’t going to back till tomorrow?" Her voice was muffled from the mattress, her arms curled to her sides, hiding herself as much as possible.