It Started in Paradise

by Nicki Night

  Wow! Between losing the contract and this history, Chloe thought she’d never be able to bring Donovan home.

  Chapter 24

  We need to talk. Donovan tapped out another text. Chloe had been ignoring most of them. When she did respond, her answer was concise. I’m busy.

  Donovan needed to speak with her about her accusations and share the information that he’d learned from his mother. It seemed like one big misunderstanding compounded by hurt feelings. He was convinced that sharing what he’d learned with Chloe could make a difference.

  Donovan also felt a need to clear the air. He didn’t want the end of what seemed like the start of a promising relationship to be so abrupt. They should be able to talk this out and make a decision on whether or not to move forward without arguing. Even if they decided to part ways, he needed it to be a civil parting. His thinking was more rational now that he’d had time to calm down and think. Despite how distraught he felt when he left her house the other evening, he missed her terribly.

  Putting his cell phone down, Donovan sat in the driver’s seat and stared into the nothingness. Though he’d left a while ago, he hadn’t pulled out of his parents’ driveway.

  He still hadn’t processed the information his mother shared with him. His heart lurched even now as he recalled the tears streaming down her face. It seemed that going through the details freshened the hurt and anger she’d felt all those years before. He was almost sorry he’d asked her to tell him what happened.

  Mr. Rivers comforted Joliet before she went back upstairs to freshen up her makeup. When she finally did leave, her mood had been somber. Donovan hoped getting together with her fellow organizational members would lift her spirits.

  Donovan turned the key in the ignition and slowly pulled out. He knew Chloe was just being stubborn by not responding to his texts. He headed toward her house to make another attempt to communicate with her.

  Along the way, he thought about the fact that, had this been a normal Friday evening, they would have been in Manhattan. Donovan would be swaying under the sound of Chloe’s beautiful voice as she sang the club into a trance. Then she’d come down off the stage and run right into his arms—arms that ached to hold her—arms that missed the feel of her between them at night as they curled into one another in bed.

  Instinctively, Donovan frowned. He didn’t like feeling torn. Being upset by her accusations and aloofness didn’t change the fact that he still wanted her. Her saving grace was the fact Donovan could understand her perspective. Had he seen her in that restaurant with another man crawling over her, he would have been furious.

  Donovan had wanted Chloe for years but kept his distance. Having her in his arms was next level. He hadn’t imagined enjoying her company so much. He hadn’t known she was fun and talented and sensual and adventurous and uninhibited in bed.

  Donovan closed his eyes, relishing the memory of how their bodies mingled so perfectly as if they were made to fit one another. He opened his eyes and grunted. Had this been some other woman, he would have decidedly walked away days ago and never looked back. With Chloe, he simply couldn’t.

  When Donovan pulled up in front of her house, he spotted her car. Halfway up the walkway, he noticed there weren’t any lights on except the dim living room light that she left on when she wasn’t at home. He stopped walking, peered at the window, climbed the front steps, knocked and rang the bell several times. She wasn’t there. Already he sensed that it was empty. Chloe’s presence filled the space with energy.

  At first, Donovan wondered if she’d gone into Manhattan without him but doubted it. Being upset with him, she probably wouldn’t venture to a place they frequented together.

  Donovan trudged back to his car, slightly annoyed. Despite how things had turned out between them, he wanted to get this conversation over with. If he had to move on without her, he would. Either way, he needed to know what the future held. He needed to have this conversation with Chloe soon.

  Donovan got his brother Dayton on the phone.

  “What’s up, man?” Dayton’s voice was cheerful.

  “Not much. Are you busy? Want to hit The Reserve?” Donovan mentioned Chris Chandler’s new wine and jazz bar, almost hoping he’d run into Chloe. If not, it was the perfect setting for a leisurely night out with his brother.

  “Sure. I was just hanging out here at the house.”

  “Good. I’m glad I caught you before you found something or someone to get into. Ha!”

  “You’re right!” Dayton laughed right along with Donovan. “What time?”

  Donovan looked at his watch. “I’m heading over there now.”

  “Cool. See you there!” Dayton said.

  Donovan drove through the starry night until he reached the half-mile stretch where restaurants lined the sidewalk alongside coffee houses, a Pilates studio, a painting bar and trendy high-end boutiques. The Reserve was nestled right in the center of the block. He circled a few times before finally finding a parking spot around the corner.

  Inside, the elegant establishment boasted a romantic yet jazzy theme. The monochromatic décor reflected varying shades of gray from the high-backed leather seating to the silk drapes and contemporary lighting fixtures. Black-and-white pictures of jazz greats hung on three walls. The fourth wall, behind the bar, held countless wine bottles behind impeccably clear glass casings.

  Donovan knew that Chris had opened the wine bar with friends but didn’t doubt that a woman had lots to do with the decor. He wondered if Chloe had input.

  The place was bustling. Waitresses hastened to and from tables dressed in all black. Donovan recognized the melody of one of Miles Davis’s songs being played by the three-piece band.

  A waif-thin redhead greeted him with a smile as he stepped further inside. “Good evening.”

  “Evening.” Donovan nodded. “I’m waiting for one person.”

  “Will it be just the two of you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wonderful. Just let me know when your other party arrives. I should be able to seat you fairly soon.”

  “Thanks.” Donovan stepped just outside the restaurant, taking in the business of the area as he waited for his brother.

  Dayton arrived soon enough and they were seated, placed orders for a few appetizers and requested a bottle of The Reserve’s choice red wine.

  After several moments of small talk, Donovan began to feel better. Glad that he decided to hang out with his brother instead of mulling over his situation with Chloe, he bobbed to the music.

  “You still pull out your sax or trumpet every now and then?” Dayton asked, swirling the wine the waitress just poured into a glass. He sniffed, sipped and nodded his approval before she filled his glass halfway.

  “Wow! It’s been a long time. I need to dust it off and try it out. What about you?”

  “I haven’t touched that sax in years.” Dayton laughed. “If it wasn’t such great quality, it probably would have rusted by now,” he joked. Another sip. “So what’s up with you and Chloe? I figured that you’d have her over for dinner after your big announcement.”

  Donovan pulled his lips in and took a breath. “Yeah. About that?”

  Concern creased Dayton’s forehead. “What happened?”

  Donovan shared the events of the past week, paying attention to the surprised look on his brother’s face. Normally he would have spoken to him about something like this by now but Donovan hadn’t felt up to talking about it with anyone.

  “Wow. I would be upset about the accusation too but like you said, I can see how she could think that. The history between our parents doesn’t help either. Man!” Dayton shook his head. “What are you going to do?”

  “We’ll talk.” Donovan sounded more confident than he felt.

  “You really care about this girl, huh?”


  “I’m surprised by it, myself,” Donovan admitted. “Initially, I figured Puerto Rico would just be a little fun—two consenting adults sharing in good times and then going our separate ways. We came back home and kept rolling with it until I realized I didn’t want it to end and she didn’t either.”

  “Well then, you’re doing the right thing. Talk to her.” Dayton sat back, allowing the waitress to put the steaming plate with one of their appetizers on the table. “I knew she meant a lot to you when you told the family. That’s not something we normally do.”

  “I know.” Donovan chuckled. “Somehow, she got past my defenses. Chloe’s a solid woman. I can see having a real future with her.”

  “Whoa!” Dayton put his drink down and held his hands up and crossed them like a T. “Time out! Are you talking...like marriage?” He leaned closer to Donovan as if it were possible for him to miss his response in the small space between them.

  “Yeah.” Donovan nodded. “Like, I could see myself marrying her. At least I saw it until this past week.”

  “Wow.” Dayton blinked and took a long sip. “Sounds like she’s worth the effort. Try to make it right, big brother.”

  Donovan intended on doing just that. He just needed to figure out how.

  Chapter 25

  Chloe had a ball with her aunt and sisters. After dinner, they went to a lounge, danced, drank more wine. She actually got on the microphone during karaoke. Her aunt was blown away.

  “Chloe! I didn’t know you could sing like that.” Ava Rae held her hand against her heart. “That was beautiful.” Chloe blushed.

  The next morning, they included El and they all went to breakfast and perused their favorite boutiques for some shopping. It had been so long since Chloe had an outing like this that she forgot how much fun it was to hang with the girls. They shopped until they worked up a second appetite. On their way to a restaurant they’d spotted earlier, Ava Rae spied a stunning handbag in the window of one of the shops.

  Halting in front of the store, Ava Rae said, “Would you look at that?”

  “Look at what?” El asked.

  “That bag.” Ava Rae pointed with one hand and struggled to hold her floppy hat with the other. The shopping bags she held fell against her shoulder. “I have to check it out,” she said, already making her way to the entrance of the store.

  “Ava! I’m hungry.” El nearly whined.

  “Go ahead and get the table. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Chloe, her mother and sisters laughed. Their aunt was a self-proclaimed professional shopper. There was no getting her out of that store.

  “Chloe, go with her so she doesn’t get lost. We’ll get a table. I hope the wait isn’t too long,” El said.

  Laughing, Chloe nodded. “Okay, Mom.”

  “I’ll go, too,” Jewel said.

  “No!” Chloe and El said at the same time. Jewel was as bad as her aunt when it came to shopping.

  “We’ll end up losing both of you. Come with me,” El instructed.

  “Ha! Am I that bad?” Jewel asked.

  El, Chloe and Jade looked at each other and all at once they looked at Jewel.

  Jewel shrugged. “I guess so.” Jewel put her head down bashfully. “Let’s go eat?” They laughed some more.

  Chloe went after her aunt in the store while the others headed to the bistro.

  “Isn’t this one lovely?” Ava Rae held up another bag, admiring it.

  “That is nice, Auntie.” Chloe had to admit the handbag was just as stunning, if not more so, than the one in the window.

  Chloe picked up a dress and looked it over while her aunt debated.

  “I’ll get this one.” Ava Rae finally decided. By the time Chloe turned around, her aunt was already heading to the register. The clerk packaged her purchase and handed it to her over the counter with a big smile. “Okay. Let’s go to that store on the corner before going to the restaurant.”

  Chloe shook her head and laughed but obliged. Ava Rae made a few more purchases and gifted Chloe with a dress for her patience.

  As they headed out of that second store, Chloe noticed a car sitting at the light that resembled Donovan’s. Narrowing her focus, she peered into the driver’s side. The light changed and the driver looked both ways before stepping on the gas. Gliding by, he twisted his head in Chloe’s direction. She and Donovan locked eyes as she walked. A jolt shot through her but she kept in step with her aunt, trying not to alert her.

  Donovan waved. With a half smile and heavy sigh, she waved back. Her aunt seemed oblivious to the entire interaction. Trying to pry her heart away from him was much easier when she didn’t have to see his face.

  Confusion flooded her brain. She wanted to be done with him, yet missed him more than she could ever remember missing anyone. Finally, she looked away and Donovan picked up his speed in response to the car honking behind him.

  Aunt Ava Rae continued speaking, still seemingly unaware that Chloe hadn’t been paying attention.

  Chloe remembered her words from the night before at dinner. “I know you are a woman now and I would recommend you follow your heart but know that bringing Donovan home would practically kill your mother.” She’d laughed after she’d said that but Chloe couldn’t seem to find any humor in her words.

  For the remainder of her afternoon, Chloe fought off thoughts of how much she missed Donovan. What good would any of that do if she could never seriously consider being with him? Then she thought, was any of this fair to her? What about what she wanted? But what about the sacrifice?

  She was right back where she’d started and she was still unsure about Donovan’s intentions when it came to Jacqueline. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but didn’t want her feelings for him to make a fool of her.

  Chloe tried her best to engage with her family. She enjoyed their outing but remained distracted well into the evening.

  At home, she sunk into a hot tub bubbling with lavender-scented foam and sipped one more Pinot Noir. Chloe thought it would ease her body and mind but suspected that she’d thwarted those efforts with too much wine throughout the day. Her sleep was restless.

  The sound of the doorbell reverberated in Chloe’s head as if it were inside of her brain. She pried her eyes open one by one. The sunlight assailed them. Squeezing her eyes shut, she groaned and put her pillow over her head. She drank too much wine the past two days hanging out with her aunt, mother and sisters. It was much better than sulking and fighting with her urges for Donovan alone.

  There was that sound again. Chloe moved the pillow and looked at the clock. It wasn’t even eight in the morning on a Sunday. Who could this have been?

  Suddenly she jumped up. It was probably El. Her mother had been known to show up unexpected at the brink of dawn. Chloe trudged to her window and looked out. Donovan’s car sat at the curb.

  She froze for a moment and then sighed. Chloe wasn’t ready to deal with him even though she’d held back a strong hankering to call his cell phone late last night and invite him over for a nightcap. The wine had given her relationship amnesia. She’d forgotten that they weren’t on good terms—or on any terms for that matter. Or did she? The wine could have been a great excuse.

  Chloe laughed at herself as she grabbed a robe and headed for the door.

  “Who is it?” she said as if she didn’t know.

  “Donovan.”

  Chloe didn’t expect the rich deep timbre of Donovan’s voice to reach through the door and embrace her, provoking a gang of butterflies into flight. He’d done just that with one word. Bracing herself, Chloe put her hand on the doorknob and paused to gather her nerves before easing it open.

  “This is unexpected.” Pulling her robe tighter, she stepped back to allow him in.

  “Good morning.” Donovan stared at her.
/>   After a while, she looked away. “What brings you here so early?”

  “I figured it was the best way to catch you.” He held up a tray with two cups of coffee. She tilted her head toward the kitchen and he followed her. “We need to talk.”

  Chloe hoped her sigh didn’t make her seem rude. She just wasn’t ready for this—especially this early while a dull thump repeated at her temple. It was the direct result of too much wine and not enough sleep. “What better time than the present?” Her tone came across more sarcastic than she intended. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not a problem.” Donovan sat and handed one of the cups to Chloe as she joined him at the table.

  Chloe felt a charge as their hands touched. She averted her eyes, not wanting to see if Donovan sensed it. This was hard. Chloe sniffed, delighting in the strong aroma of the coffee and hazelnut creamer. It was her favorite.

  “I need you to know that I didn’t do anything unscrupulous to get that contract.”

  Forget the small talk. Donovan was getting right to the point, Chloe thought.

  “Jacqueline called that meeting at the last minute. She was really interested in the golf course next to us and wanted to know if we could work with the owner and present her with some kind of package deal. She saw it when she visited and decided to add a golf tournament the Saturday after the gala. She’s also interested in having her gala at Chandlers next year and offering some kind of sailing event or renting one of those yachts by the marina.” Donovan took a breath. “Your accusations angered me but I felt compelled to make sure you understood the truth. I thought it would be best for both of us to calm down so we could speak civilly. I still wonder how you could think I would do something like that. I thought you knew me well enough.”

  Chloe avoided his eyes. Finally looking up, she was taken by his gorgeous brown orbs. “I’m sorry to have insulted you but I didn’t know what to think. I still don’t know what to think.” Her apology was sincere but she knew that was all she could offer him. She’d convinced herself that a relationship was no longer possible. She was willing to at least be friends and she expressed that.