She raised herself from the kiss and stared into Troy’s eyes. “Come for me, Troy. I want to see it in your eyes. I want the connection to link us … forever.”
The words hadn’t left her mouth when an underground eruption rumbled to the surface, igniting her from the top of her head to her curling toes. Her eyes remained locked on his as they were transported into a wondrous reality—where only the two of them existed, together, connected, and sharing the exquisite release of a thunderous climax that promised a lifetime of love and commitment.
He wrapped her in an embrace as they came off the heights together, panting and trembling through the deep ripples of pleasure.
This was a new level of intimacy for her, and it left her open, vulnerable, and strangely enough, safe.
“I want you to know everything about me,” Candi muttered when she was able to catch her breath.
“I like everything I know already.” He plastered her with a kiss and stroked her face lovingly. “What more surprises do you have?”
She stared into his gorgeous blue eyes. “Some good, and some bad. I came here to tell you about myself, but on second thought, I think I’ll show you. Pack an overnight bag and get some sleep.”
“Sleep?” He flashed her a crooked, languid grin. “I thought we would try more positions. Besides, I have yet to feast on you, or use any of the gifts I got tonight.”
“Those can wait. We have a plane to catch tomorrow morning, er, actually, in a few hours.” She cuddled against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “Trust me. We’ll be back in time for the wedding.”
“Good,” he replied. “Then we’ll have time for a snack between your legs. Hold that thought while I get the jumbo candy cane.”
* * *
There were surprises and there were SURPRISES.
Troy leaned over the orange-red railing of the Golden Gate Bridge and marveled at the skyline of San Francisco. Beside him, Candi cuddled up to him and pointed out landmarks.
After their night of wild and crazy sex, they’d slept, snuggled together until both their cell phone alarms went off like crazy.
When Candi had suggested the trip, he’d thought she was nuts. But how could he pass it up? It was important to her to show him her home turf, and that was more than good enough for him.
They’d landed an hour ago in San Francisco, and now he was here, in her hometown stomping grounds.
“There’s so much about San Francisco that I want to show you.” She took his hand as they walked across the span of the bridge. “It’s all the neighborhoods, the fast pace, the cultures and diversity, the scent of the ocean, and the sounds of many languages, the aroma of cuisines from all over the world.”
“So different from white bread Nebraska.” He pulled her closer as his heart clenched. He’d been so head-over-heels with her, he hadn’t much thought about what he’d do after the New Year. Somehow, he’d assumed she would move to Sapphire Falls, as if a marriage proposal from a social worker at a county hospital was worth uprooting herself from the city she so clearly loved.
She smiled up at him, her white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. “From the bridge it all looks clean and majestic. Beautiful and glittering, but when you’re in the middle of all the madness, it can be quite different.”
“Then let’s enjoy the view from here.” He kissed the top of her head and inhaled her sweet and alluring fragrance. “I can see why you’d never want to leave.”
“Did I say that?” She took his hand and they walked back toward the city side of the bridge. “I’ve lived here all my life. Had my ups and downs. I love this city, but it’s not everything in the world.”
They spent the rest of the day hitting all the sights, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Union Square. They posed at the Heart of San Francisco, and had oysters from the shell at the Ferry Building.
Dinner was at a swank restaurant in the Mission District, and they stayed at the historic Fairmount Hotel. Troy’s head was swimming from all the sights, sounds, and details, but through it all, he didn’t feel as if he’d truly gotten behind Candi’s mask. What he saw was what every tourist saw, and she was a great tour guide, showing him the best parts of the city.
After spending a night of fireworks in bed together, he woke the next day, determined to get to the heart of Candi—not the heart of San Francisco.
Candi stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, applying her makeup. She positively glowed after the night they’d had together, and he could still feel the lingering effects of their lovemaking making him want to hold her in his arms, maybe even have another go at it.
He put his arms around her and kissed behind her ear.
“Did you have fun yesterday?” she asked. “What do you want to see today?”
“I want to see your San Francisco. The house you lived in growing up, the school you went to, the places you hung out at. The things most important to you.”
“I guess we can swing by my mother’s place.” The sides of her lips turned down. She capped her lipstick and put it in her makeup bag. “Our neighborhood isn’t quite as attractive as the ones you’ve visited.”
“Hey, it’s where you grew up, and it’s important to me.” He curled a tendril of her silvery blond hair behind her ear. “You’ve told me a lot about yourself yesterday, but I want to see and get a feel for your past.”
“Some of it is painful.” She swallowed and nodded. “But I promised to open up to you.”
“Hey, I don’t care if you were bullied or you got cut from the cheerleading squad.”
“Right, as if those were the extent of my traumas.” She shrugged and picked up her purse. “Let’s catch a cab.”
* * *
Candi’s stomach roiled and tightened the closer they came to the house she shared with her mother south of the Mission District in Bernal Heights. She was sure Troy had noticed the dwellings getting shabbier as they moved away from the city center.
Of course, shabby in San Francisco, was still a king’s ransom elsewhere, but her parents had grown up in a time where their neighborhood consisted of workers at the Naval shipyard and factories in the region. Their family had been part of the original group of Irish settlers who worked at the dairy farms back when the area was full of cattle ranches.
The taxicab dropped them off in front of her elementary school. It consisted of a city block on a hilly street, completely surrounded by a tall reinforced chain-link fence. A large, three story concrete building sat in the center of the fenced off area.
“This is different from what I pictured,” Troy said as he peered at the narrow strip of blacktop between the fence and the building. “Where did you guys run around?”
“Around the building. It used to be painted red, white, and blue, but now, I guess it’s no longer politically correct to be proud of the flag. I bet yours was a one-room schoolhouse in the middle of a green field.”
“Not quite, but we had a lot of play areas and fields to run around in.” He held her hand as they stared at the buildings which were empty for Christmas break. “I noticed there’s not a lot of Christmas lights in the neighborhood.”
She strolled up the hilly street. “Not everyone here celebrates Christmas. We went through this movement where it was impolite to say ‘Merry Christmas.’ They wanted us to say ‘Happy Holidays.’”
“Wow, different.” He noted the bars over some of the windows and security gates. “Did your parents grow up here?”
“They did. My mother still lives here, but my father lives in New York City. Divorced.”
“Oh. Mine, too.” He shrugged and avoided her gaze. “Father left when I was a teen.”
She squeezed his hand, feeling strangely connected since this was the first piece of information he’d volunteered about his father. “I know the feeling.”
“Yep. My mom and I managed.” He turned away from her, and she felt as if he’d left out part of the story.
They walked by a small park, really only
a patch of dried grass and dirt for people to walk their dogs. The area was gentrifying. Construction trucks and materials were piled up on driveways and the houses were a hodgepodge of huge and new.
Troy looped his arm around her and pulled her close. “Is there a place you go to escape all of this?”
“Surprisingly, yes. You ready for a hike?” She pointed upwards. “We have some of the steepest streets in the world here.”
He angled his neck and looked up at the crest of the street. “Another big difference. Sapphire Falls is flat.”
“I’ve noticed. You don’t rightly have a waterfall.”
“And you have no water.” They huffed and puffed up the steep grade. “What’s up there?”
“Where I used to go to think and to be alone.”
The road zigzagged up past houses perched on the steep grade until they were at the foot of a huge dirt hill. She pointed toward the top where a microwave tower stood. “From up there, you can get a three hundred sixty degree view. No matter how noisy life gets, once you climb to the top, it’s peaceful.”
“I’m glad you had this oasis,” he observed. “My favorite place is Klein Hill in the fall and winter, when it’s empty of people making out on blankets.”
“Ah, a hill. You’ll have to show me. Bet it’s nowhere as steep as this one.”
“Nope, but the view is quiet, unless you’ve brought a blanket and a make out partner.”
“I didn’t know people still did that kind of stuff in public.” Candi hiked up the rock along one of the many crisscrossing dirt trails. “My mom says in the seventies, people used to make out at Golden Gate Park.”
“Call us old-fashioned.” Troy chuckled. “But most of us lived with our parents, and we didn’t exactly have a private place to neck and pet.”
“You don’t live your mom now. Is she okay with that?”
“I almost left Sapphire Falls after college, but we made a deal. I’d come back to town, but get my own place.”
“I’m back living with my mom.” Candi sighed. “Everything’s so expensive here, if you didn’t buy a house a hundred years ago.”
They continued to hike up the path, passing people with their dogs, and others taking pictures. Usually, the park was brown and dry as a bone, but the recent rain had brought out a thin coat of green. Candi’s excitement built as she neared the grove of old evergreen trees near the top.
The view on top of Bernal Hill was fabulous, and the breeze fluttered through her hair. They walked around the fenced building and marveled at the panoramic sight, from the Golden Gate Bridge, to Twin Peaks in the west, to the financial district and the bay on the eastern side.
“You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” she asked Troy.
“Not at all. Why?”
She pulled him around to a swing hanging on chains from the branches of one of the ancient trees. “You have to try this. When you kick out, you’ll literally have San Francisco under your feet.”
“This is where you go to think?” He held the swing for her. “How about I push you first?”
“Only if you promise you’ll try it.” She got on and he gave her a push that launched her up over the view below.
“I’m not sure a big man like me should be swinging like a girl.” He chuckled as he pushed her each time she swung back.
“You are afraid of heights.” She teased. “Admit it.”
“Nope, just afraid you’ll take a picture of me and take away my man card.” He stood back and took out his phone and snapped several shots of her.
“Scaredy cat!” She was enjoying this entirely too much. “You have to admit the view is everything.”
“Breathtaking. Something we don’t have back home. We have so many trees that it’s hard to see very far.”
“This is my favorite place on earth.” She leaned back to go higher.
“It’s a wonder there aren’t hordes of tourists here.”
“Best kept secret. The tourists go to Twin Peaks,” she said. “And just so you know, Sapphire Falls doesn’t have a lock on festivals. Every October, we have a big block party, with dancing in the streets, petting zoo, pony rides, pumpkin carving, live bands, and all of our different cultures represented in arts, crafts, and food.”
“You sound like you’re trying to compete with Sapphire Falls.” He gave her another push to launch her higher.
“I’m going to miss this, but it’s not like I can’t come visit.” She let the swing slow down almost to a stop.
“What do you mean? Are you moving?” His expression was a mixture of shock and hope. “Where?”
“Sapphire Falls.” She’d lined up an investor and had taken out a loan from Max’s credit union to start a dance studio. She’d even signed up a boatload of students. Living in Sapphire Falls would give her a chance to explore a relationship with Troy without the time pressure of her leaving after Christmas.
“You’re kidding me.” Troy stopped the swing and held onto her. “I mean, I’m happy, but why?”
“Let’s just say I got an offer I couldn’t refuse.” She hopped off the swing. “There’s one more place I have to show you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Troy’s heart did cartwheels at the thought of Candi moving to Sapphire Falls. During the entire cab ride, he pestered her to tell him her reason, but she insisted that he had to see the next sight.
The driver stopped in front of a strip mall, one that had the usual convenience stores, small restaurants and other businesses.
“Okay, here goes,” Candi said as they got out of the car. She led him to an empty storefront that had a large “For Lease” sign pasted over the window.
The sign over the store read “Toe to Toe Dance Studios” and the windows were full of posters of past dance competitions and events.
“This is yours?” Troy pointed to a photo of Candi posing with a male dancer.
“Was mine.” Her eyes seemed devoid of emotion as she stood, shoulders slumped, in front of the locked door. “This was my biggest dream come true and my worst nightmare.”
“What happened? The economy?” He put his arms around her, instinctively comforting her.
“No. The economy was fine. We had students competing in all of the top dance contests in the country, even getting on TV.” She leaned her forehead against the window. “Look inside. Look at those wooden floors and the mirrors. I designed the layout and the sound system.”
“It looks marvelous. Any chance we can go in and give it a spin?”
She shook her head sadly. “Lost my lease.”
“Do you need money? I can lend you—”
“No, there’s nothing you can do. I lost my clients to another dance studio.”
“But why would they leave you if you led them to championships and all that?”
“I taught them what they knew, but he …” She stabbed her fingernail at the photo of the male dancer. “He was their partner in more ways than one.”
“All of the clients left you?” Troy’s jaw dropped. “Are you saying he slept with them?”
“Yes.”
“But, why would you lose your business over that? Did they bring lawsuits?”
“No, but I made some stupid decisions with his contract and trusted him with the money. I wasn’t aware he was siphoning off the business until it was too late. We lost the lease, and he absconded with the clients, telling them they could pay him less for private lessons at his studio.”
“That really bites.” Anger welled from Troy’s gut. “What a weasel. If I get my hands on him …”
“Don’t worry about him.” Candi rubbed Troy’s knuckles. “One door closes, another one opens.”
Troy glared at the smug expression of the man in the photo. “Yeah, but he ripped you off. You should take him to court.”
“Let’s forget about him.” She turned toward him and pressed a kiss on his lips.
It was meant as a light, fluttery kiss, one to end the conversation, but all Troy wanted to do was
to protect her and possess her. He deepened the kiss, sweeping her into his arms and pressed her against the glass.
He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was more to the story. Candi’s voice had gotten really small and her gaze at the photo was wistful.
She’d had feelings for the man. That much he could tell, and immediately, he wished he wasn’t so intuitive—that he wasn’t a trained therapist and that he was blind to her pain.
He kissed her like she was most precious, turning her head and wrapping his fingers in her hair. He wasn’t a rich man, and he could never raise enough money for her to get her studio back, but he could love her like no other, and his heart was big enough to love her even if she still pined for another man.
* * *
“Wow. What was that all about?” Candi panted as she came up for air. They were in front of her old studio inside a strip mall with a karate school on the right and a restaurant on the left.
“My promise never to hurt you.” His voice was rough, and he cleared his throat.
“I know you won’t, Troy. You’re decent. You’re honorable. It’s why I trusted you enough to show this to you.”
“It sickens me what your business partner did to you.” He clenched his fist. “Is there nothing you can do?”
“I’m starting over in Sapphire Falls. I know it’s not as big a venue and far from the competitions, but the people in town want a professional dance studio. I’ve lined up an investor and Max is giving me a loan.”
“That’s awesome.” Troy’s breath hitched. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“If you’d been coming to my ballroom dancing demonstrations, you would have known. I already signed up half the town to take lessons, and the studio will also double as a daycare center.”
Besides, she wanted to see his reaction to her failed studio, and whether he’d be disappointed in her.
“Uh, I stayed away, because you told me you only wanted to be a friend, remember?” He seemed to bristle all indignant, acting like a jealous boyfriend.
She hadn’t meant to hurt him when she’d friend-zoned him. She had only been following Dr. T’s horrible advice about not getting too emotionally attached.
Sapphire Falls: Going Toe to Mistletoe (A Christmas Romance) (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 10
