She heard him. His words filled her heart almost to overflowing. But he didn’t mean it. He couldn’t mean it. She was just her. Just Oakley Abbott, the girl who married too young and got pregnant by a man who didn’t even love her enough to stick around. She wasn’t amazing. She was barely keeping her head above water in a world that felt bigger and more intimidating than the ocean at her back.
Chris smiled. “You don’t believe me. That’s okay.” He laced his fingers through hers. “Come on. Let’s go eat and then we’ll change and come back down to play.”
Oakley nodded.
Chris released her hand to grab hold of Kaden and pick up his shoes and socks. “You hungry?” Kaden nodded. “All right, then. Let’s get some food.”
They walked back into the hotel with Kaden between them. Anyone looking would think they were a family. Chris chatted with Kaden, pointing out different things and answering all of his excited questions. Earlier she’d agreed to just enjoy the day and here she was, letting her insecurities sabotage this really amazing experience Chris had planned for them. And it truly was incredible. She was determined to try harder, to let everything else go.
Chris showed Kaden which buttons to push for the elevator and gave him a high five when he finished. Oakley had to smile. Kaden was having the time of his life. And it was all because of Chris.
He caught her looking at him. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, slipping her arm around his waist and letting her head fall against his chest. Chris didn’t hesitate to reciprocate, holding her close. Too soon the elevator door opened and Kaden went racing out.
Chris laughed. “The other way, dude.” Kaden changed course, running down the hall at full speed.
“Kaden! Stop running,” Oakley admonished, embarrassed.
Chris stopped in front of a door and waved the key card in front of the sensor to unlock it.
“Kaden! Come here!” Of course, he didn’t listen and kept running down the hall like a maniac…or a really excited three-year-old.
“Kade!” Chris said, his voice more firm than she’d ever heard it. Obviously, Kaden thought the same thing because he stopped immediately and turned to stare. “Listen to your mom, bud. She asked you to come back.”
To say she was floored would be an understatement. No one had ever backed her up the way Chris just did. It made her emotional. She’d been raising Kaden on her own for so long. Her parents helped and her brother, too. But there was something different about the way Chris stood beside her, tall and strong and firm, supporting her like a husband.
Oakley inhaled a shaky breath. A husband?
It was crazy, but she could totally picture the three of them together forever. It was scary. Thrilling. And darn it, it just felt so right!
Solemnly, Kaden walked back to where they stood, his little eyes never leaving Chris. As soon as he was close, Chris knelt on one knee and gently took Kaden’s tiny shoulders in his big hands. “Kaden, you have to listen to your mom. She loves you and wants to keep you safe. Okay?”
Kaden nodded slowly, his eyes darting to meet hers before focusing back on Chris.
“Good man.” Chris smiled and held out one of his hands.
Kaden grinned and smacked a five onto Chris’s palm.
Chris rose to his full height. Oakley couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was magnificent. In every way imaginable, he fulfilled every one of her dreams for the man she’d fall in love with one day.
He caught her watching him. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Hmm. Well, let’s check out our rooms, huh?” He held the door wide revealing the most exquisite room she’d ever seen.
“Oh, wow,” she breathed, stepping inside and turning in a full circle. It really was breathtaking. Decorated white with teal accents, it said ‘beach’ but in a subdued and cozy way. Fluffy pillows and throw blankets gave the room a homey feel that was nothing like the hotel rooms Oakley had been in before. Instead, it had an overstuffed sofa and two arm chairs situated around a low table made of driftwood. Two doors opened to reveal separate bedrooms. But the most spectacular aspect of the room was the floor to ceiling windows that made up the outer wall and overlooked the ocean.
“Look, Kade.” Taking his hand, she led him to the windows. “You can see the water. Isn’t it pretty?” She’d never seen anything like it.
He nodded, but quickly ran off to explore the rest of the suite.
Chris approached, slipping his arms around her waist from behind.
“It’s beautiful.” She let her head fall back against his chest. “It’s too much.”
Dipping his head, Chris kissed her cheek. “Nothing is too much. Come on. Let’s get your things settled into your room. Lunch should be here any second.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get that. You go check out your room. You and Kade can have the one with the view.”
As he went to answer the door, Oakley forced her eyes away from the windows and grabbed her’s and Kaden’s bags. There were two rooms. It was easy to tell which one Chris meant as only one of them had windows like those in the living room area. The bedroom was just as beautiful as the living room with a tall bed covered in a fluffy comforter and a half dozen pillows. She couldn’t help herself as she ran her fingers over the soft fabric. Chris said they could stay or they could go back home tonight. She’d be lying if a part of her wasn’t dying to sleep in that bed. Maybe they could stay. Just this once.
There was a door in the bedroom that led to a large bathroom with an enormous bathtub complete with jets as well as a glass enclosed shower with more spouts and dials than she knew what to do with. Everything sparkled and shined. She was afraid to even use it.
“You hungry?” Chris called from the main room.
Oakley followed her nose. Chris was already at the table with Kaden. Just as she’d imagined, a rolling cart with silver dome covered plates sat just beside them. Chris lifted one and set it in front of Kaden.
“Here you go, bud.” Oakley, curious what he’d ordered for a three-year-old, was surprised to see a peanut butter and jelly sandwich along with sliced grapes, a yogurt cup, and a glass of milk. Not bad.
Chris cut her a look. “You have no faith in me, woman,” he teased.
That made her laugh. “You’re right. But you did good. He should eat all of those things.”
He grunted deep in his throat. “Yeah, but the real question is, will you?” He lifted another lid off another plate and set it in the place beside Kaden.
Oakley breathed deeply. “That smells divine.” It really did. Herbed chicken, steamed vegetables, and fresh rolls.
She looked up to where Chris waited expectantly, a smug smile pulling at his lips.
“I’d pat you on the back but I can’t reach.”
Chris grinned at her sassiness. “Here, I’ll make it easier for you.” He leaned over, pushing his shoulder closer to her.
Oakley laughed. “Oh, such a good boy.” She patted his broad shoulder then scratched. Chris stuck out his tongue and panted like a dog.
“That feels good.”
“You better hurry and eat. Kade and I want to go build a sand castle. Right, baby?” Kaden, his mouth completely filled with peanut butter and jelly, nodded excitedly.
“Alright, alright. I guess, I better hurry and eat.” Chris sat down to his own lunch of steak, mashed potatoes, and the same steamed vegetables he’d ordered for her. As they ate, Oakley’s gaze shifted between her son, who was having the time of his life and they hadn’t even begun to play yet, the man beside them who’d planned all of this just because she’d mentioned one time that she’d never been to the beach, and the ocean view out the window. She wanted to package all three things and keep them close to her heart, especially the man and the child. How had she gotten so lucky?
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was afternoon by the time they’d eaten and changed. Oakley delayed the inevita
ble, even though Chris had probably already seen her in her worn bathing suit in her backyard, by wearing a cover-up. Kaden, of course, had no such qualms, and bounced like a jumping bean in Lightening McQueen swim trunks. Oakley folded their clothes and left them in a pile at the end of the bed. She still hadn’t decided how long they would stay. Chris said it was up to her. The last thing she wanted to do was be inconsiderate, but she also didn’t want to do anything that would make her or Kaden uncomfortable. She just had to believe Chris meant what he said, that she could decide, and trust in her gut to tell her what to do when the time came.
Chris, after emerging from his own bedroom looking like a model from a men’s health magazine, herded them down to the beach loaded with a huge bag filled with beach toys, towels, and sunscreen.
“I rented an umbrella and a couple of chairs, too.” He dumped their gear in the sand once they reached an empty spot. “I’ll be right back.”
Oakley watched him walk away, fully appreciating the play of muscles across his bare back as he moved. And she wasn’t the only one. There wasn’t a single female in the vicinity who didn’t turn to stare as he walked by. She couldn’t blame them, but it was irritating. It should probably make her feel good, knowing a man like him had chosen to be there with her, but instead she felt frumpy. A super model she was not. She was just a mom living in near poverty. Her body bore the marks of motherhood, hence the one piece bathing suit under her coverup, and it was a well known fact she enjoyed carbs on a daily basis. Good grief, she wasn’t even wearing makeup anymore because she’d washed it off knowing they were going to play in the water. And heaven only knew no makeup was better than mascara streaks running down her face.
“You alright?” Chris asked.
He was back already? “I’m fine. That didn’t take long.”
He gave her a funny look then tilted his head toward the rental shack. “The rental place is just right there.”
“Sorry, I guess I was just spacing out. Let me help with the chairs.” While Chris set up the umbrella, Oakley opened the low beach chairs and placed them beneath it. Then she reached into the bag he’d brought and pulled out a can of spray sunscreen. “Kade! Let’s get some of this on you before you get all wet.” And full of sand. He was already sitting in the stuff and digging around with his fingers, but at least he hadn’t rolled around in it yet.
“I don’t want that stuff on me.” He showed her his bottom lip.
Chris, having finished with the umbrella, scooped him out of the sand and threw him into the air. “We have to put on sunscreen, silly. Watch, I’ll put some on, too.” He set Kaden back in the sand at Oakley’s feet and took the can from her hands. Backing away a couple of feet, he proceeded to spray his arms and chest and stomach, and then his face and legs. Once he’d finished, he grinned down at Kaden. “Do you think your mom will spray my back?”
Kaden nodded with a giggle.
Chris’s gaze swept down her body, still covered by the thin fabric of the dress she wore over her swimsuit, before coming up to meet her eyes. His lips quirked up in a half smile. “You got a sun allergy I didn’t know about?”
Her cheeks burned. “No.”
He lifted his brow, challenging her. “Well?”
Now, she just felt stupid. They were at the beach for goodness sakes. She wasn’t going to wear the coverup all day. Why was she being so silly about this? The man had seen her in a bath towel!
Fine.
With one not-as-smooth-as-she’d-have-liked motion, Oakley gripped the hem over cover-up and whipped it over her head. Without looking at Chris, she tossed it over to her chair, then held out her hand.
“Do you want me to spray your back or not?”
She heard him clear his throat before the can of sunscreen filled her palm. “Yes, please.” His voice was thick.
She finally dared to look at him. The blatant desire burning in the blue depths of his eyes took her breath away. Once again, he dragged his gaze down the length of her, missing nothing. She stood still as a statue until he met her eyes once more.
“You-” His voice cracked. He shook his head and began again. “You are so beautiful.”
Oakley shook her head, not believing him. He opened his mouth to say more, but she held up her hand to stop him. “Just turn around.”
He did and it was Oakley’s turn to stare. Again. Before she could stop herself and before his back was all slimy with sunscreen, she reached out her hand. His skin was warm under her fingertips and softer than she imagined as she explored each ridge and dip from his shoulder to his waist. It was more than gratifying, the way his muscles quivered in the wake of her touch. Impulsively, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his shoulder blade.
“Oakley,” he groaned with a hint of warning.
It made her smile, knowing she affected him so deeply. She’d flirted enough. Stepping back, she sprayed his skin, making sure to cover him completely. Once she finished, she turned the can on herself. She had a nice base tan from laying out in her backyard, but the last thing she wanted to do was burn. Once she’d sprayed everything she could reach, she turned to Chris who’d been watching her intently.
Oakley held out the can. “Return the favor?”
His grin was wolfish. “With pleasure.” Spraying sunscreen wasn’t the same sensuous experience as applying it with your hands, but Chris made do, following her example by exploring her back with his fingertips and even dropping a lingering kiss on her shoulder before spraying the cool mist on her overheated skin.
“Thank you.” She took the can from him and scurried back to their chairs. Kaden played in the sand, completely oblivious to the undertones going on between the adults. Which was good. It was also a good thing he was such a good boy, most of the time, and didn’t run off. She’d never been so distracted in all her life.
“Come on, Kade. Let’s get your sunscreen on and then we can bury Chris in the sand.”
Kaden’s eyes lit as he jumped to his feet. “Yay. Bury Chris!”
Chris rubbed his knuckles on Kaden’s head. “What? Are you sure you’re big enough to bury me?”
Kaden danced on his toes between Chris and Oakley as she covered him from head to toe with sunscreen and then plopped a floppy hat on his head that she’d found in the bag. Whoever packed it for him was thorough. Lastly, she produced two shovels and handed one to her son.
“Let’s get him!”
Two hours later, the three of them lay exhausted on towels in the sand under the umbrella. They’d played their hearts out burying Chris, building sand castles, splashing in the waves, and searching for seashells. Chris was thankful not to have been recognized, not that he was that kind of famous. The only people who usually noticed him were diehard football fans and those who scoured the gossip columns. As much as he hated to admit it, Carter was right, being a bachelor and a billionaire made him a target for some public notice, but thankfully, not much. There had been a few people on the beach who’d given him a double take, like they thought he might be someone they should know, but they couldn’t quite place him. That was just fine with him.
Chris couldn’t remember when he’d had more fun. They’d laughed and played, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he had people. Like he had a family. Not that Carter wasn’t his family, but it was different with Oakley and Kaden. Something about being with them felt like home. He didn’t know what he was going to do if he couldn’t convince Oakley he was in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And with Kaden. That part didn’t bother him at all. Chris loved Kaden completely. The little guy had wormed his way into Chris’s heart from day one.
They laid on their sides, facing each other with Kaden in the middle. Chris reached over to twirl a lock of Oakley’s hair around his finger, debating exactly how to broach the next phase of his plan. Already things were going better than he’d anticipated. Heck, if he was being honest, he didn’t think he’d get her to board the airplane. They’d had a couple of hicc
ups, but for the most part, he couldn’t have asked for a better day.
Her eyes were closed and he studied her face without censure. He could stare at her all day. In fact, he hoped he’d get the chance to do just that, but first he had to prove to her he was serious about them. For years and years, he’d avoided serious relationships, thus gaining a reputation for being somewhat of a playboy. If people weren’t accusing him of playing the field a little too aggressively, they said he was cold, hard. Heartless.
He supposed to some extent they’d been right. It had taken meeting Oakley and Kaden for him to recognize what was missing in his life and how much he wanted someone to love and care for and he wanted to love and care for Oakley and Kaden.
“I have a surprise for you,” he murmured, reaching out with his foot to rub against hers.
With her eyes still closed, Oakley smiled. “Another one?”
Chris laughed softly. “Baby, stick with me. I have an infinite supply of surprises up my sleeve.”
She cracked open one eye. “Sounds scary.”
He shook his head. “Not scary. Amazing.”
She opened her other eye in order to roll both at him. “You are so full of it.”
“Probably. But I really do have something planned for you. You know, if you’re interested.” He tried to sound casual, but he hoped she’d agree. This next part was the one he was most looking forward to, well, the part after the next part, anyway. But first she had to agree.
She narrowed her eyes and rolled a little closer to him. The shade from the umbrella made the soft breeze blowing off the water more than refreshing after the heat of the afternoon sun while they played. He almost didn’t want to move from where they were in order to set things in motion. Almost.
“Are you going to tell me what this surprise is or am I going to have to guess?”
“I’d like to make you guess, but I don’t think you’d get it.” He unraveled the lock of hair from around his finger and let it drop to her shoulder.
Marrying the Football Billionaire Page 16