The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride (The Blushing Brides Series Book 3)

by Elle E Kay

  He’d asked her how she felt, but she didn’t have a straight answer since anything she said would reveal more than she was ready to share. She wondered if she was being unfair to him by not voicing her thoughts and feelings. Then she remembered Nikki and decided she wasn’t. He hadn’t divulged everything, why should she?

  Water crept in under the foyer door and she felt panic bubble up. A loud bang caused her to jump, as something hit the house. She cowered in a corner. A moment later, Zach reappeared. “Addison, where are you?”

  “I’m here.”

  He hurried over and stood in front of her, his gaze filled with compassion. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you.”

  She didn’t speak, but took the hand he offered.

  “Come with me. We’ll go back to the shelter.”

  He opened the shelter, and she descended the stairs ahead of him. When he joined her, he guided her to a seat by the far wall.

  “It was a palm tree. The noise,” he said.

  “Oh?”

  “It broke through the roof in my mother’s room. We‘ll have a full-blown flood now that the water has free entry.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Nothing that money can’t fix.”

  “Are we safe here?”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you. Just stay inside with me.”

  “Why?”

  “I’d think that was obvious.”

  “No. I mean, why did you kiss me and then run off like that? Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. Your response to my kiss told me everything I needed to know. It was just right.”

  “Then why did you leave?”

  “My adrenaline was crazy high from fear of losing you to the storm. I left because you told me you aren’t ready for more than kisses. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I’m giving you the time and space you requested.”

  She lowered her eyes to the ground.

  He lifted her chin gently. “All you have to do is say the word. Tell me when you’re ready for more. I’ll be pleased to oblige.”

  “I’m sorry I panicked when you left. I appreciate your willingness to wait.”

  He shook his head and chuckled. “I don’t understand you.”

  “Few people do.”

  “Have you been frustrating boyfriends your whole life?”

  “You have no idea.”

  He laughed and tucked her close to his side. “For the next few hours, while we wait for the storm to pass, let’s pretend we’re kids. We’ll forget about the rings on our fingers and go back to being buddies until we’re safely in Los Angeles.”

  She let out a shaky laugh. “I think I’d like that.” They both wanted more, but his willingness to acquiesce to her desire to wait meant the world to her. The knots in her stomach tightened as she thought about another night together in the tiny space, and what would ultimately happen when they arrived in California. She couldn’t push him away forever. Eventually, he would insist on consummating their marriage. The idea of disappointing him and having him change his mind, or worse, laugh at her, made her physically ill.

  Zach watched Addison sleep. The storm would be over by now, and they would need to assess the damage the island took. It would break his heart if his tree house was destroyed, but it could be replaced, so he tried not to dwell on it. He admired the curve from Addison’s neck to her shoulder. It was her only exposed skin, and he longed to kiss her bare neck, but he knew it would wake her, and she’d likely panic thinking he was pressuring her. It was hard to understand what was keeping them apart, but he planned to show patience and hope that whatever was keeping her from taking that next step would work itself out shortly.

  When she finally opened her eyes, he smiled. He could get lost in the depths of her dark eyes. She was a beauty. “Good morning, love.”

  “Is the storm over?”

  “I believe it is.” He reached over and ran his index finger along the bare skin from her neck to her shoulder. “I’m going to check out the storm damage.”

  She shivered at his touch. “I’ll come with you.”

  “I’d like that.” He grinned.

  A moment later, she was sitting up and adjusting her clothing, so she was better covered. He let them out of the storm shelter, and she followed him to the garage.

  “Most of my equipment was destroyed, but I’ll try to get something running, so we can take a ride around the island.” He stood with his hands in his pockets and surveyed the damage.

  “I’ll see how much damage the house sustained while you work on that.” Her brows drew together as she frowned.

  “Sounds good. I’ll come find you when I see what I can get running.”

  Zach found a dirt bike that wasn’t water damaged in a raised shed. It needed some work, which was probably why it wasn’t in the garage, but after forty-five minutes of tinkering, he had it running. He went in search of Addison and found her raking out one of the gardens. “Do you want to take a ride with me, darling?”

  Addison narrowed her eyes in opposition to the endearment. “Enough with that.”

  “You will learn to love my nicknames for you.”

  “Unlikely, but I will join you. Let me put this rake away first.”

  “Leave it. We’ll get back to this later.”

  He swiped at a smudge of dirt on her chin. “I’d like to see if the tree house is still standing.”

  When they arrived at the dirt bike, she looked at it skeptically. “I’m supposed to ride on this thing?”

  “It’ll be fun. Hang onto me.”

  After he mounted the bike, she got on behind him and wrapped her delicate arms around his waist evoking feelings he was trying to bury. It was all he could do to start that bike instead of scooping her into his arms.

  When they arrived at the base of the tree that allowed access to the tree house, Addison stared upward. Pulling on the ladder, Zach turned back to her. “Wait here.”

  She put her hands in her back pockets and rocked back and forth on her heels. “Why?”

  “I don’t yet know if it’s safe, and I don’t want you up there if it isn’t.”

  “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want you putting yourself in danger either?” She glared at him.

  “You’re cute when you’re being bossy.” He released the ladder and kissed her on top of her head. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  Before she knew what was happening, he’d scampered up the ladder away from her. Following him crossed her mind, but she decided against it. She paced back and forth awaiting his return. Debris from the trees and other rain forest plants covered most of the ground. A beautiful red and white flower lay loose near the base of the tree. She picked it up and sniffed it. It had a sweet fragrance that reminded her of her grandmother’s perfume. The usual noisy forest went silent when they arrived on the dirt bike, but the birds were calling again now that the bike was quiet. She reveled in the peace of nature and marveled at how easily the animals seemed to go back to normal after a devastating storm while people felt the effects for months or even years.

  Another five minutes passed before Zach reappeared on the rope ladder. When he joined her on the ground, he shook his head. “I think it remains structurally sound, but it sustained wind damage. I’ll have to get a crew out here to inspect it and make the necessary repairs.

  “Can I go up?”

  “It’s probably better if you don’t until I know for sure that it’s safe.”

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t have been up there either.”

  “You’re correct, but it’s too late to argue about it. Want to check the boat launch and see if we lost any boats?”

  She shrugged.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He hopped onto the dirt bike, and she got on behind him.

  All was well at the boat launch when Zach found his toys safely tied where he’d left them. He grinned like a schoolboy and once again she questioned her own hesitation. She could enjoy her marriage to this
guy she was crazy about, but instead she was hurting them both. There had to be a way to get past her fears. Maybe more time in prayer was the answer. Life had been so hectic, she’d been shutting out God, except when her zealous husband reminded her of His presence. How could she even question his devotion to her, when he was clearly devoted to God? He had his priorities in order, now if only she could get hers back into proper alignment, all might be right with her world, too.

  Zach got back on the bike and drove her back to the main house.

  He walked up the front walkway, and she followed behind. “This house is sturdy. There is water damage, but it should be safe for us to stay upstairs tonight now that the storm is over. It’ll be a few days before mold becomes an issue.”

  “It’ll be nice to sleep in a real bed.”

  “Didn’t enjoy sleeping with your husband on the air-mattress?”

  Her face warmed at the comment. “On the contrary, I might’ve enjoyed it too much.”

  “I’m glad. Although, when you’re married, I’m not sure that’s possible.”

  “It is when we’re taking our time to getting reacquainted.”

  “Ah. Yes. I suppose so.” He grinned. “I’m working on developing an increased level of patience. God enjoys teaching me stuff.”

  She laughed. “My hesitancy is a God lesson for you?”

  “Isn’t everything in life?”

  “I guess so.” She considered his words. It was true. Everything she’d been through had taught her a necessary lesson, so what was she supposed to be learning from this experience?

  Zach took a break from making repairs and watched Addison gathering palm fronds along the beach. The light breeze whipped the golden strands of her hair around her face, and she pushed them back behind her ear. Without the benefit of electricity, she’d been unable to straighten her tresses, so they had a lovely natural wave. The only makeup she wore was a light lip gloss. She was a stunning natural beauty. He chided himself for his train of thought, he’d known her his entire life. There was nothing different about her looks, so why was he suddenly seeing her as some great beauty.

  He went back to work. An hour or so later, the battery on his screw gun died, and he had no way of charging it until the generator was repaired, so he set down the tool and trotted over to Addison. “I’ll carry those back for you.”

  She placed her load of debris into his arms and he hurried to the back of the house where the dumpster resided. The lid had blown off and there was no telling if he’d ever find it, but he tossed the rubbish inside and went back to help his wife.

  He found her sitting on the beach, letting the water lap at her feet. “You will get soaked sitting there.”

  “Maybe it’ll cool me off.”

  He sat beside her. “Hot, are you?”

  “I am.”

  “Yes. You are.” He grinned, but didn’t take his eyes off hers. Reaching out, he ran his fingers down a strand of her hair. “It’s as silky as it looks.”

  “I thought we were buddies until we got to California.”

  His fingers caressed the bare skin on her back, and she sighed in pleasure. His gaze didn’t waver. “Is that what you want, Addison?”

  The minuscule shake of her head was all the encouragement he needed. His lips took hers before traveling down her neck. She gave a sharp intake of breath and within seconds they were lying in the sand entangled in each other’s arms.

  The sound of an engine interrupted the blissful moment. He groaned as she scurried away, and he looked out over the water to see who was disturbing his first chance at a real honeymoon.

  A yacht approached, so he waited for them to come closer. A man yelled. “Is everyone okay here?”

  “Yes. Generator is out, but we’re both fine.”

  “We saw on the radar that Andros got a direct hit, so we went there to help with rescues. We’ve been at it all day, but we’re heading back to Nassau now. Why don’t you two join us? We didn’t sustain much damage.”

  “Will I be able to get a call out from there?”

  “Absolutely. If you want, we can radio from my boat and have someone make a call for you.”

  “That would be fabulous.” He looked back toward the house. “Let me get my wife. She ran off when she heard the engine.”

  “Not the friendly sort?”

  “A tad bit shy.”

  “My wife’s down below. I’ll have her come up. Maybe seeing another woman will put your wife at ease.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll get the dinghy out, so I don’t ground the boat.”

  “Much obliged.”

  Zach went off in search of his bride. He found her in the master bedroom. “Why did you run off?”

  “We shouldn’t… it was a mistake.”

  “Addison, we’re married. We kissed a little. There is nothing wrong with married people kissing.”

  “How do you feel about me, Zach?”

  “Where is this coming from?”

  “Do you care for me?”

  “You know I do.” He took her hands in his. “Do you think I would’ve married a woman for whom I didn’t feel a deep affection?”

  “I’m not sure.” She took a deep breath. “Did you love Nikki?”

  “I thought I did.” He locked his gaze with hers. “I could ask you the same thing, Addy. How do you feel about me?”

  She looked away from him. “I care for you.”

  She wouldn’t even look at him when she said she cared for him, but in time she might grow to love him. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take another twenty-nine years. “Pack a bag, okay? We’re going to Nassau with the couple on that boat. From there, I’ll have my people come fetch us.”

  “Won’t they be searching for us here?”

  “Not if we radio ahead and let them know where we’ll be.”

  “Okay.”

  “I thought you’d like a hot shower and safe place to spend the night. Am I wrong? I can send them away.”

  “No. You’re right. A shower sounds heavenly. I’m covered in sand.”

  “In that case, we’ll take advantage of the kindness of these nice people who are out doing rescues.”

  “We’re being rescued?”

  “Sort of. We’re safe here, but you’ll be much more comfortable when we get to Nassau.”

  “Thanks, Zach.”

  “For what?”

  “I know you’re doing this for me. You’d stay here if I weren’t with you.”

  “Possibly.”

  Chapter 9

  A ddison washed her hair and enjoyed the scent of the luxurious shampoo. They’d been brought to the fancy resort that their rescuers owned. She didn’t think they knew who Zach was, but she wasn’t sure they’d care. They seemed to be genuinely decent people.

  After towel drying her mane and slipping on a sundress, she made her way to where Zach was seated with Benjamin Rees. His wife, Helena, hadn’t arrived in the dining room yet. Both men stood when they noticed her.

  “Gentlemen.”

  “You look stunning, darling.”

  Her jaw tightened at the ‘darling,’ but she let it slip. It would be rude to correct him in front of others. “Thank you.” He looked fabulous himself. She admired the way his polo shirt pulled taut over the muscles in his chest and back.

  “Would you care for a drink?” Mr. Rees asked.

  “Just water, thank you.”

  He nodded to a waiter who filled her water glass.

  “It seems the storm spared your resort.”

  “A little wind damage, but nothing compared to what happened over on Andros.”

  “Did everyone survive?”

  “No. Unfortunately, with the island not expecting a direct hit until the final hours before the storm, the proper preparations weren’t made. There have been two reported deaths, but several others remain missing.”

  “That’s tragic.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger.

  “Yes.
It is.”

  Mrs. Rees came in and her husband stood and pulled a chair out for her. “I’m so glad you could join us for dinner.” She said.

  “We appreciate the offer of a place to stay and a hot meal.”

  “Nonsense. It’s the least we can do.” She smiled warmly. “What will you do next?”

  “My assistant is sending a jet to fetch us tomorrow morning. It’ll take us home to California,” Zach answered.

  “Do you spend much time out this way?” she asked.

  “Quite a bit, yes. I own the island you rescued us from.”

  “Wow. Your own island. Nice.”

  He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “It’s beautiful. You should come visit us there once we get the place cleaned up.”

  “We’d like that,” Mr. Rees said.

  Zach sat up straight and put an arm around Addison’s chair. “I was able to get through to the cruise ship. Your mother and the rest of the passengers are having a wonderful time. Their only concern was that we were safe. Once I assured them we were, they went back to their fun.”

  “Thank you for checking on them.”

  “Anything for you, love.”

  Her stomach somersaulted. Was he trying to annoy her? He didn’t love her, but he insisted on calling her those silly names, knowing how much it bothered her. She reminded herself that he’d said he cared for her, and that she’d told him the same. She was pretty sure she loved him, so maybe that was why the term bothered her so much. She only wanted to hear that word if he was sincere. If, perchance, he was, she might revel in the endearment.

  They said their goodbyes to Benjamin and Helena Rees on the airstrip before boarding the plane. So much had changed since they’d been on the jet a few days earlier. Zach didn’t wait for Addison to sit. Instead, he steered her to a seat near the front of the plane. “We will make a stop and pick up some passengers who couldn’t get flights out.”

  “Okay.”

  “It was the pilot’s idea, but I thought it was a good one. He’d heard about the trouble they were having getting home.”