“Give me some credit, Phoe, I know who he is. I asked what you were doing with him.” Howie ran a hand through his hair. “Ever since your dad first started bringing you around, you never brought a guy with you.”
“Things change.”
Howie stuck his hand out toward Hunter. “As long as you take good care of her, you and I will have no problems.”
The nerves winding tightly in the pit of Hunter’s stomach slowly started to uncoil and he took the man’s hand and shook it. “That sounds like a plan I can get behind.”
“Well, you two take a seat. I will have some food out to you shortly.”
“Thanks, Uncle.”
He smiled and disappeared into the truck.
“He doesn’t look like your dad.”
Phoenix smiled. “He’s a good friend of the family. Not blood related.”
They walked toward the nearest picnic table. “This good?”
“Yeah. We won’t be eating here.” She sat on the bench. “We’ll take it down the path a bit. There’s a great spot over there.”
“I thought I was running this excursion.” He nudged her playfully. “I will defer to your native knowledge, but just this once.” “Good choice. Hope you like fish tacos. Howie makes a lot of amazing dishes, but his tacos are worth seeking him out.” She stood as Howie headed their way with a bag. “Thanks, Uncle.”
“Welcome. Enjoy.” He winked at her and handed the bag to Hunter. “I put a little something extra in there to wet your whistle.”
“You’re the best.” She kissed his cheek. “Tell Malina hi.”
They watched Howie scurry back to the truck. The smell of grilled fish and cilantro reached Hunter’s nose and made his mouth water. “So where are we headed now?”
“Follow me.” Phoenix headed toward the line of palm trees with a small path worn between the trunks. “It’s just a little walk.”
He took in the scenery and the view of the woman walking in front of him. How had it taken him so long to realize that this was what he was missing? Little moments in between the chaos that was his life. Memories made with someone that filled in the gaps and made life better.
“Here we are.” Phoenix pushed through some of the underbrush and stepped out onto a cliff made of volcanic rock that over looked the ocean and a black sand beach. She stepped toward the edge of the rock and looked out over the ocean, the breeze causing strands of her hair to flutter around her head.
His breath caught as he took in the scene. Yes. This was how life was supposed to be spent—with people you cared about. And he cared about the woman in front of him more than he’d thought he was capable of. She was his game changer. The one thing he needed in his life and had, until this moment, swore he would keep at a distance.
Chapter Seven
The sound of the surf crashing against the beach soothed his soul. He could understand the appeal of living so close to the ocean. He’d always been stuck on the road going ninety miles an hour with no slowing down in sight. Once his mother died, there’d been no other life for him. Just travelling with his father and brother while the infamous Blake Sullivan geared up for the next show. Sitting on the bus with the nanny, going through their school lessons, waiting for the chaos of life on the road to slow down enough so he and Aiden could get a few moments of their father’s time. But music was the only thing his father ever shared with them. The only life his dad knew. And it was the life his father groomed them for. He’d known nothing else. Aiden bought into it hook, line, and sinker. Hunter didn’t. He wanted something more and he’d been searching for it ever since. But the nomadic lifestyle he’d grown up with was embedded into his very psyche and he’d never felt like he had roots anywhere. Maybe that is what he was missing.
In this moment, with Phoenix in his life and the surf stretched out before him, and he realized his career no longer held the same priority it once had. This was as close as he’d ever been to finding inner peace and his own little slice of heaven.
Phoenix sat up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she rested her chin on his shoulder. “What are you thinking about?”
“Life. Happiness. The future.”
“Deep topics considering the beautiful view and the company you have.” She nibbled on his ear.
“Sorry.” He tugged lightly on her arm, wanting to see her face.
She moved around and straddled his legs, her hands resting on his chest. “Talk to me.”
“I’m giving it all up.”
“What?”
It came down to this moment. The big decision that would change the course of his life. And as he stared into her eyes, he knew what he said in the next few moments would matter to both of them. “I’m not surfing in the classic.”
“Hunter, you dream of being ranked among the likes of the surfing greats. The legends others look up to and admire. You can’t do that by sitting on the sidelines.”
“No doubt, that would be amazing.” He smiled. “But none of that matters. All my life I’ve been searching for some little bit of happiness. Something that made sense in my life and made everything I did mean something. Something I could call my own. In the beginning, it was all about the titles. Becoming the next name to be counted among the surfing gods of our past. My goals changed, though.”
“I don’t understand.”
This was it. The moment to lay it all on the line, bare his heart to her and hope she didn’t run the other way.
“You know what drove me? When I first started, it had been the promise of getting on the next wave, capturing the perfect ride, not being trapped on a bus with my dad and his mates. Being something more than what my dad thought I could be. That hasn’t been at the forefront for a long time.” Hunter took a deep breath. “You know when you paddle out, and you’re sitting in the lineup, waiting for a wave? There’s this moment when everything stills for me. My mind quiets as I study the waves, and in that moment, the very last thing I think about is that this ride gets me one wave closer to seeing you again.”
She looked at him, a tear trailed down her cheek, but she said nothing. Hunter began to panic. Maybe he was wrong to open himself up like that. He reached up and wiped the dampness from her face.
“Angel, don’t cry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just needed you to know that I love—”
Phoenix placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him with such fierce passion he thought he’d never recover. When she pulled away from him, she smiled. “You are the only man I’ve ever broken rules for, but never in a million years did I expect you to say those words to me.”
“You didn’t let me finish. I could’ve been saying I love surfing.”
“Is that really what you were going to say?” She playfully shoved him back to the blanket and began kissing along his jawline, her hand moving along his body and down over the erection that pressed against his swim trunks.
He nodded his head yes, but said, “No.” Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and rolled them, so he was on top of her. “Nothing in this world comes close to how I feel about you, Phoenix. I love you.”
***
“Get the hell out of here!”
The sound of her father’s voice sent Phoenix into a run. She rounded the wall separating the dining room from the rest of the house and saw her dad in the kitchen, untouched coffee in front of him. Her mouth dropped open.
“Dad, what’s going on?”
Neither of the two men in her life seemed to realize she’d made an appearance on the tension heavy scene.
“You want me to leave, I’m gone, but I think you at least owe me an explanation.” Hunter stood, arms crossed, staring down her father. This was not good.
He tossed an envelope onto the counter separating the two men and pictures slid out across the smooth surface. Images of her and Hunter. There was no mistaking what they were doing. Her cheeks flushed.
“Where in the hell did those come from?” In her head, her words sounded angry, but
they’d come out timid. Her hand shook slightly as she reached for them. There were pictures of them from various spots including when they had sex on the beach and in the boat, their trip into town on the motorcycle, and images of them from around the property. “Did Aaron take these?”
She suddenly felt sick. This could not be happening. Her entire life was crumbling down around her and she felt powerless to stop it.
“Does it matter? Did you give any thought to what you were doing to my company? Or to me?”
“Sir, with all due respect, I love your daughter, and nothing was done with intent to harm your company.” Hunter tried to keep his voice even, but Phoenix could see the tightness in his jaw and recognized the restraint he showed.
Her father slammed his hand down and Phoenix jumped. Hunter placed his palm against the small of her back, trying to give her some support. She glanced up at him. He was worried, not for his career, but for them.
“You want to screw around with someone’s daughter, do it somewhere else and leave mine alone! I want you out. Consider your contract voided.”
“Dad, knock it off! He’s not going anywhere until he’s goddamn good and ready. You and I both know you aren’t going to cancel his contract.” Phoenix knew the pictures were bad. What father wanted to see their daughter in such positions with any man? Still, this was her life. Her relationship with Hunter didn’t concern him.
“The hell I won’t. I’ve already contacted my attorney. He will be waiting for us at the office as soon as we get back.” He pointed to the man who’d captured her heart and made her feel so much more than she ever dreamed possible. “You are finished.”
“I’m not in breach of my contract.”
“Not yet, but you’ve been walking a thin line for months now. Pack your shit and get out. Aaron’s waiting to drive you to the airport.”
Hunter’s hand slid from her back, brushing the curve of her ass, and leaving nothing but cold emptiness in the absence of his touch. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”
“Hunter, I will drive you.” She glared at her father. “I have nothing more to say to you. When Hunter leaves, so do I. You can promote Lila to run the stateside offices. I’m done with you running my life.”
“Phoenix Olivia Nash, you remember who you’re speaking to. I’m still your father!”
“Yes you are, but I’m an adult and you can’t control who I fall in love with and who I don’t. If you go through with this, I’m gone.”
Phoenix took a step back and grabbed Hunter’s hand. This was it, the line in the sand.
“You can’t do this.” Her father stared at her, a look of panic and hurt on his face.
“I’m going to pack my things. Leave you to talk.” Hunter kissed her cheek, and whispered against her ear, “Thanks for standing up for me. Guess you really do love me after all. See you in a little bit.”
She nodded and when he left the room, she turned on her father. “What in the hell has gotten into you? Yes, you’re my dad and I love you more than you could possibly know, but this is unbelievable! I’m twenty-two years old. I’m not a baby anymore. I haven’t been for a long time. I was forced to grow up a long time ago. The sooner you realize that, the better we all will be.”
“Phoenix, sweetheart, I need you to stay here with me.”
“Why?” Tears streamed down her face. She was so mad at her father she couldn’t bear looking at him, but she forced herself to wipe away the tears, raise her head, and meet his gaze dead on. A look of fear and utter helplessness set in her father’s eyes. She hadn’t seen that look since she was nine and had hoped to never see it again, but this was her life and nothing he could say would keep her from Hunter.
“As you’ve noticed, I haven’t been feeling well. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure, but you aren’t leaving me much choice and to be honest, keeping this from you is not working out well for either of us. They found a mass. They’ve done a biopsy and are testing it for cancer.”
She was wrong. There was something that could keep her at his side and he knew it. His trump card. Right now, she hated him. “Dad, you’re an asshole.”
“I know and selfish to boot. But I wanted to have a definitive diagnosis before saying anything and I wanted to ensure that the company could survive without me at the helm, if for some reason, they found something and it was in advance stages.”
Phoenix took a deep breath, then walked over to him and gave him a hug. When she released him, she held onto his hand and looked up into his eyes. “I’m sorry that you’re not feeling well and that you didn’t feel comfortable enough to share that news with me, so I could be there for you from the start. In the last twenty minutes, you’ve destroyed everything I’ve ever cared about: my relationship with Hunter, my love for your company and what it represents, and the trust once shared between a father and daughter. Honestly, Dad, right now I don’t want to even be in the same room with you.”
***
Hunter heard the front door close. He had very little to pack and he’d grabbed his things and left them by the front door of the main house. All he needed to do was find Phoenix, and talk to her about what she’d told her father. There was nothing he wanted more than to have her at his side, but he knew the relationship with her father would be permanently damaged. He didn’t know if she realized that in the heat of the moment and he needed her to think it through. No matter what, he would stand by her decision. He sought Phoenix out, but when he’d heard her father’s voice, he didn’t want to make the situation worse and opted to take one last walk down to the beach. He picked up a small piece of driftwood.
“Hunter...” Her voice soft. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He dropped the piece of wood and turned to her. “None of this is your fault and our relationship would’ve come out eventually.”
“But you were right; we should’ve told him sooner. Maybe we could’ve avoided all of this.” She crossed her arms over her stomach, a look of distress lining her features. He wished he could erase the last past forty minutes of the day by making love to her. Now nowhere seemed safe to explore their relationship. The pictures proved that.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Wondering where the pictures came from and how violated I feel.”
“Angel, I understand and feel the same way, but those photos...they represent an amazing connection between two people. Yes, those moments were private, and while it was a complete violation of our privacy, I love you and it will take a lot more than what happened in there to change that.” He drew her into his arms. “But your dad...he doesn’t see it the same way. I don’t want to be responsible for taking away the last person that keeps him sane.”
“I’m a grown woman and make my own decisions. Thought you would’ve figured that out by now.”
“I do, and trust me, I’m not going anywhere. Just want you to think about what being with me means for you and the relationship you have with your dad. Considering he’s as stubborn as you are, it could take some time for him to come around.”
“He’ll get over it.”
“He will, eventually.” He had little doubt Colton Nash would do whatever he needed to in order to get his daughter back in his good graces, but until then the emotional damage Phoenix would suffer would be unmeasurable. “My real concern is, will you?”
Chapter Eight
“Phoenix, you’ve had your fun and proven your point. But if you keep this up, Hunter will lose everything. I will pull his contact and Limitless will no longer represent him.” Her father leaned back from the camera.
“He doesn’t care. For once, why can’t you just be happy for me? Believe that love is sometimes more powerful than anything else?”
“If you truly believe that, then you need to say goodbye. Come home. Let him ride on Saturday and do what he’s always dreamed of.”
“You are seriously threatening his career?”
“No. You are by continuing this.” He grimaced as
he shifted in his seat and she felt her chest tighten. Part of her desperately wanted to be cold, but Hunter was right, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she shut her dad out of her life. Especially while they waited for news from the doctor. She was pissed, but she couldn’t walk out on him like her mother had.
Her dad watched her through the camera. “Don’t look at me like that. There’s nothing wrong other than your sudden need to butt heads with me on this. For men like Hunter and I, regret is the one thing that can destroy us.”
“Do you have regrets, Dad?”
“More and more every day. Look, princess, if he doesn’t see his dream through, it will eat at him, and in the end, he will blame you.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because it’s the only way I can secure this company and your financial future.”
“I don’t give a shit about money.”
“You will when I’m gone and that time is coming sooner than either of us would like.” He sighed. “Look, just come home.”
“In a few days.” She knew she would have to go home to see her dad. To be there for him. He only had her. But right now, her head was a mess. She couldn’t think straight and she needed to know what in the hell she was doing with Hunter. Yes, they said they loved each other, but was this thing with them permanent? Her dad would never approve. She could only stand her ground for so long with him. Sooner or later, she would have to decide if she could willingly give up everything for a man who totally gets her and rocks her world. Could she walk out on her dad, the only family she had?
The only place she’d ever been able to find and make peace with her churning emotions was the ocean. It was where she needed to be to sort through the tangled emotions. She grabbed her board and hit the waves. Both Hunter’s and her father’s voices rang through her head, chastising her for surfing alone. Her dad told her that one day, something would happen and he would get notified that his daughter was lost to him. It was why he always had Aaron on standby when she was in Hawaii. This time, though, she was fairly certain it was just her and the ocean.
Riptide (Limitless Book 1) Page 6
