Hyde handed a young guy in a uniform some cash and his keys, and the kid loaded their bags onto a sleek white jet, then drove off in Hyde’s Lexus.
As they strode across the tarmac, Lily grew more and more intimidated, like she hadn’t been around Hyde for the past three weeks and was all star-struck again. The man had his own plane, and it wasn’t some six-seater prop plane. She’d seen women stepping down from jets like this in heels and silky gowns. She hadn’t even put on makeup this morning. Hyde was so out of her league, it wasn’t even funny.
The pilot waited outside the jet, and he shook Hyde’s hand and then Lily’s as Hyde introduced her. Hyde gestured for her to walk up the steps, and her jaw unhinged when she entered the small cabin. The interior was tan and trimmed in wood. There were cream-colored leather captain chairs and a rich brown leather couch. Tables and a buffet had been placed along one side. She’d never felt so awkward and intimidated.
The pilot spoke with Hyde briefly, then went through the door to the cockpit. Hyde opened his hands to her. “Where would you like to sit?”
Lily sank into one of the leather chairs and fastened her seat belt.
Hyde sat next to her. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I hope you like your day.”
“I’m feeling a little …” What to admit? “Overwhelmed at the moment.” She was miles past overwhelmed but didn’t want him to know.
“Why?”
“I’ve never been on an airplane, Hyde.”
“Well, this is going to ruin you forever to flying commercial.” He laughed easily, but she didn’t join in.
“Is this your plane?”
He shifted in the seat. “Yes.”
“And the pilot. Is he yours too?”
“I use a service. When I need a pilot, they send down someone who’s qualified to fly my jet. They also have stewardesses, but it’s such a short flight I didn’t hire one. The Rocket referred me to the company.”
“The Rocket?” She drew in a shaky breath.
“You know, Rigby Breeland.”
Lily leaned her head against the headrest. She was feeling queasy, and the plane hadn’t even started moving. “Hyde, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
“What?” He clung to her hand a little tighter.
Lily opened her eyes and focused in on him. He was so handsome and so famous and why was this happening to her? Hyde Metcalf, famous Georgia Patriots’ wide receiver, and his famous friend, Rigby Breeland, the quarterback … These weren’t her people. She wasn’t going to mix and mingle with the rich and the famous wearing a Nike T-shirt she’d found on clearance five years ago with her hair in a ponytail.
Lily was from a simple world. Her dad was a forest ranger, for crying out loud. Her family was in need of charity from the organizations Hyde supported, but would never take it.
“What’s wrong?” Hyde asked again.
“Us.” Lily mustered the strength to say it. “All of this. This isn’t me.”
“I just wanted to give you a special day.” Hyde’s eyes filled with concern. “Please, don’t let this bother you. We could fly commercially, but it takes a lot longer to get through security and then wait for your plane and I wanted to have you back home tonight.”
The plane started to move and Lily grabbed for the armrest, but her hand connected with Hyde’s muscular forearm. He took her fingers between his own and rubbed them.
“It’s just taxiing out to the runway,” he said.
“Where are we going?”
“Can’t it be a surprise?” Hyde asked gently. “Can I please spoil you for one day, and then we’ll go back to Golden and you killing me at the gym and hanging out with Josh and Caleb? I know this is a little different from what you’ve done on other dates, but it doesn’t have to be weird. It’s still me, Lil.” He stared into her eyes like only Hyde could do. She loved his dark eyes framed by darker lashes.
Taking a few slow breaths, she squeezed his hand. “I guess I don’t have much choice, since the plane is about to take off.”
She’d no sooner stopped talking than the motor revved and the plane surged forward, quickly picking up speed. The floor rumbled underneath her feet and Lily clutched her hands together, muttering a quick prayer.
“You say the word and I’ll tell him to take us back. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
Lily stared at him. The plane lifted off the ground and her stomach elevated with it. She wanted to be with Hyde, and it wasn’t his fault that she was having a come-apart. Lily was just having a hard time wrapping her mind around the money. Gas from this one plane ride would probably cover her brothers’ sports fees for life. “I want to be with you, Hyde,” she said.
He grinned and traced his thumb along the back of her hand.
“You’ll just have to calm me down when I flip out a little bit at you throwing your money around, mega-stud.”
Hyde smiled at her attempt to be funny. “I’ll try not to throw my money around, but what’s the best method for calming you down?”
Lily tilted her head to the side as the plane soared higher into the blue sky and the wheels thumped into the undercarriage beneath them. “I think a kiss would do the trick.”
Hyde framed her face with his large palms and kissed her. They gained altitude quickly, but that had little to do with the way her heart soared.
* * *
Hyde drummed his fingers against the steering wheel of the rented Porsche as they drove toward his home on Strand Beach in Dana Point, California. If Lily had an almost panic attack about his Gulfstream G650, how was she going to deal with his house? His mom’s house in Golden was a beautiful home and he’d spared no expense updating or maintaining it, but it definitely paled in comparison to his twenty-two-million-dollar purchase of a year ago. His accountant said he needed all of this real estate for retirement purposes and to help keep the taxes under control. Hyde didn’t love the debt, but his contracts were locked in for five more years and he could easily pay for many multimillion-dollar homes.
He reached the gate, rolled down his window, and used the fingerprint scan and the code. The gate slid quietly open. He glanced over at Lily; her mouth was falling slightly open. He shook his head. He probably should’ve just taken her to the public beach, but it was so much more comfortable to have a spot to eat, play in the pool after swimming in the ocean, and have a nice shower before they flew back home. Plus, he didn’t want to deal with people recognizing him.
He pulled out the garage door opener he’d brought with him and clicked it. The wooden door rose quietly. Parking the red Porsche, he rushed around to get Lily’s door, then grabbed both of their bags. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
“Guess this is why nobody teases you about living with Momma? When your second house is a multimillion-dollar mansion.”
“Do you need another kiss?”
“I’m doing okay, but I’ll still take that kiss.”
Hyde dropped their bags in the large laundry room off the garage and gathered her into his arms. Her soft lips parted under his, and he had no problem offering her comfort to deal with his “throwing his money around.” She was strange, but in such a great way.
She broke the kiss and grinned up at him. “So, why did you fly me to sunny California?”
“Heard about a sad little girl who’d never dipped her tootsies in the sea.”
“Pathetic, eh?”
“No, she’s pretty cute, and I like being the guy to fulfill all her fantasies.”
“Whoa. Let’s stick with dreams, mega-stud. Fantasies implies an arena we aren’t dipping into anytime soon.”
“Well, dang. That’s disappointing.”
She laughed and broke from his arms. “The beach?”
The few times he’d brought a date to one of his houses, he’d usually give them a tour, but he didn’t think Lily needed to be overwhelmed with that. He directed her through the kitchen and living areas. He could tell she was getting panicky again by the way her hea
d kept swiveling to take everything in. The stainless steel kitchen boasted modern flat cabinets of walnut, quartz countertops and backsplashes, and a huge dining room overlooking the ocean. The different living spaces were filled with leather couches, flat-screens, and gorgeous landscape paintings and sculptures for decorations. They all had retractable patio doors that led onto the huge patio and infinity pool with the ocean below.
Hyde escorted her into the master suite. It was massive with a wood four-poster bed, two sitting areas next to the windows and retractable wall, and his and her closets and bathrooms, each with its own jetted tub and walk-in shower. He’d purchased the house from a previous owner rather than deal with construction time and decisions, so had no choice in the design. He loved most everything, but the separate bathrooms were weird. When he got married, he wanted to share a bathroom with his wife.
“You can change in here,” he told her.
“Okay,” she murmured. “Where will you change?”
“I’m already in my suit.” He winked, hoping to lessen her culture shock. “I’ll use one of the upstairs suites to shower after.”
She nodded weakly.
He closed the door as he went out, then walked through the living spaces, opening the retractable walls and savoring the salty tang of the ocean air. Lily came out only a few moments later, wearing the same blue-and-pink-swirled suit she’d worn to go down the river with him. The river experience had been great fun, but it felt like a lot longer than two weeks had passed.
He and Lily had grown close emotionally, and he wanted to keep developing a relationship with her, but this awestruck Lily was bothering him. Yes, she’d talked about how enamored she was with him and his stats, but she’d always treated him like he was a person. Right now he felt like someone displaced from her, and he didn’t like it. A lot of women would be enamored or at least impressed by the money, but it might drive a wedge between him and Lily. What would he do then?
Chapter 13
Lily walked out of the unreal master suite and her jaw dropped again. Hyde stood by the infinity pool, which overlooked the ocean. The walls of the living area had retracted, leaving it open to the outside air. The house was impressive, but it was nothing compared to the sculpted muscles of the football superstar that she was falling for. She worked around and with fit people every day, but Hyde’s body was definitely something special. The definition in his back and shoulders? Wowzers. She let out a low whistle.
When he turned and saw her, his handsome face lit up with a smile. He strode back into the house and held out his hand. “Everything okay?”
She shrugged, feeling self-conscious in this unreal setting and house. This wasn’t her life. “Sorry I keep freaking out. It just seems surreal.”
He nodded as if he understood, but he couldn’t possibly.
She gestured out at the ocean. “This is so big, more than anything I’d dare dream about. I’ve worked hard to be successful, and I don’t want to forget how that feels—the reality my family faces every day.”
He squeezed her hand. “Do you send money to your family?” He was staring at her like she was something special.
“I give them what they need, but it’s no big deal.”
“Yes, it is. You are impressive and a big deal, and what you do every day is amazing, providing for yourself and your family.”
Lily couldn’t hold his intense gaze. She looked out at the ocean.
“The thing I like about you the most,” he continued, “is that you don’t realize how special you are. I deal with people every day who give to charity—to brag about it at dinner parties. And they don’t give until it hurts like you, but you don’t brag and you don’t even think it hurts.”
“It doesn’t hurt.” She thought of her little brothers’ and sisters’ faces. “I want to.”
He gently gathered her to him. “I know. You tease me about throwing my money around. You were right: I do. I do without even realizing it. You reminded me what it felt like to look at kids—like your siblings—and realize I can give them more than money—I can give them hope. I saw it in their eyes when I gave them those simple T-shirts and bought them cinnamon rolls at Cake, and it makes me want to be better, give more.”
Lily loved that he was sharing this with her and that her family had touched him.
“But I don’t feel bad about bringing you here and enjoying this with you. I want to give to you. I want to be with you.”
Lily caught a breath and tingled more from his words than his touch. She wished she had some amazing response.
“You ready to feel the ocean for the first time?”
“Ocean?” Oh yeah, that was why they were here. Because she was enamored with the beach and had always wanted to come, but didn’t really dare dream of it happening. Hyde had made it happen and then some, but staring into his dark eyes and smelling his manly musky smell, she didn’t really care if she got to the beach after they kissed for … at least an hour or two.
She couldn’t restrain herself as she threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you! You made Josh’s dreams come true, and now you’re making mine.”
Hyde chuckled and wrapped his arms around her bare back. Lily should’ve been worried about being held by this irresistible man while neither of them wore much clothing in a huge house all alone, but she knew Hyde wouldn’t push things too far. That just wasn’t in his makeup. He was a man of honor.
He kissed her gently and then said, “You make my dreams come true every time I see you.”
“Oh, Hyde.” She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his again. The surge of warmth, passion, and joy merged perfectly as Hyde’s large hands massaged her back, and she savored each moment of their connection.
He eventually released her from the kiss. “Daylight’s a-wasting. You’ve got to boogie board, swim in the ocean, get buried in the sand. The list is endless.”
Lily giggled, slipping her hand into his and walking out onto the patio. The infinity pool was unreal cool with a hot tub next to it. “Can we swim in the pool after?”
“With strawberry daiquiris,” he said.
“Wow. You are more impressive than your house.”
He arched an eyebrow. “That’s saying a lot. I love this house.”
She smiled. “Are your other houses this unreal?”
“Different, but really nice. I don’t spend much time at any of them—not sure when that’s going to change.” His lips turned down as they walked down the steps and onto a lower cement patio with an outdoor shower and more patio furniture.
“Because of your mom being sick.”
“Yeah.” He sighed, then shook his head. “No talking about sad stuff right now. Take off your flip-flops.”
“Okay, bossy.” She slipped them off, and then they plunged into the sand. She’d played in sand piles as a child, but the sand hadn’t been as warm and soft as the fleece blanket her mom had made for her when she’d left for college. Lily liked it squishing between her toes. She took off running, squealing like a little girl, and was glad when Hyde laughed and kept pace with her. She ran straight into the water. It was cold, but she didn’t care. Hyde sprinted alongside her, and it got harder to run as the water deepened. Waves rolled up and soaked her to her chest.
“Dive into the next one,” Hyde instructed.
She did and came up sputtering and laughing, her mouth and eyes filled with the salty water. She wiped her face clean, but it still felt sticky from the salt water, so different from swimming in the lake. Especially with the waves constantly rolling in.
“Let’s bodysurf first.” Hyde grabbed her hand and tugged her a little deeper. “When I tell you to, swim as fast as you can.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t an experienced swimmer. Her dad had taught her as a child in the lake, but she’d only learned the proper strokes a couple years ago from a college swim instructor.
“Swim!” Hyde yelled.
She gave it all she had, and her body rose on top of the wave. She rode
it almost to the beach.
“Whoo-hoo!” she screamed. “Again!”
They rode the waves for a while before Hyde gestured her up onto the beach. “Do you like this?”
“I love it!” Her body had adjusted to the cool water, and the sun shining down, the thrill of riding the waves, and doing it all with Hyde made everything about perfect.
“Okay. You’ve got to try boogie boarding now.”
“I’m game.”
“Wait here while I get the boards.”
Lily sat in the sand, trailing her fingers through it and letting the sun just shine on her face. This was more fun and relaxing than anything she’d done. She’d spent most of her life working hard. Her parents had tried to give them fun experiences in the mountains and she’d loved that time with them, but nothing compared to the ocean. She wished she could bring all of her family here. Josh would be almost as happy as he was with Hyde. She glanced back at Hyde, who was opening a shed door underneath his patio and pulling out two boards. Hyde and the beach. Josh would be in heaven. She was in heaven.
She looked over the monstrous house. It was just so mind-boggling that this was Hyde’s reality. Could it ever be hers? She wasn’t so sure, but she wanted to be with Hyde. There were worse sacrifices than dealing with insane wealth and fame. She could do so much for her family and others who were struggling with Hyde’s money.
Her face reddened. She was getting way ahead of herself, thinking that they were a serious couple. Hyde was an amazing guy, but the money just floored her. Her ten-thousand-dollar bonus couldn’t mean anything to him, but it was the opportunity to help her sister, Sariah, and Lily needed to do that more than anything. She didn’t think Hyde would dump her as a trainer now, but she’d been in relationships that flared quickly and died even faster. She needed to somehow get him to promise to keep training with her, even if he tired of being with her as her boyfriend. The thought of not being with Hyde ripped the smile from her face.
Hyde returned with the boards and a huge grin. Lily couldn’t keep stewing when he looked at her like that. Soon she’d ask him about staying committed to her as a trainer, but right now she just wanted to be with him.
Cami’s Georgia Patriots Romance Collection Page 10
