by Robin Huber
Go to the bedroom.
I smile and hurry to the bedroom where I find a large black box in the middle of the giant bed. It says Barneys New York on the top and is wrapped in black silk ribbon that’s adorned with the same Barneys lettering. Next to it, a smaller Barneys box is wrapped in the same ribbon. I pick up another white envelope that’s lying on the bed beside it.
I bought this for you today.
Get dressed and meet me at the
bar downstairs.
I can’t stop the giant smile that spreads across my face as I grab the large box and untie the ribbon. I shimmy the top off and peel back the tissue paper to find a black, lacey dress inside. I pull it out and hurry to the bathroom where I hold it up against myself in front of the mirror. It’s a black lace cocktail dress and I love it. I hurry out of my clothes and step into it, zipping it up the side. It fits perfectly, pushing my boobs together and hugging my hips just right. It falls mid-way down my thighs.
I hurry back into the bedroom to see what’s inside the other box. I untie the ribbon and remove the lid, and my eyes widen when I see the glittery heels inside. They’re encrusted with tiny crystals that look silver next to my dress. I step into them and look down at my manicured toes through the peep-toe of the shoes. Once again, they fit perfectly, and I wonder if Callie tipped him off.
She must have.
I hurry back to the bathroom and the skinny heels tap against the stone floor as I make my way in front of the mirror again. I’m at least three inches taller with them on. I look at my reflection. My shiny gold hair is styled over my shoulder and my makeup looks flawless, but natural. My skin smells fantastic from the spa and my nails are meticulously manicured.
I can’t wait to see Kellan.
I hurry to the living room and glance at the clock. It’s seven. I’m not one hundred percent sure where the bar is exactly, so I pick up the phone and dial the concierge.
“Ms. Evans, are you ready for your escort downstairs?” he asks, before I can say anything.
“Oh, um. Yes, thank you. I’m supposed to go to the bar, but I’m not entirely sure where that is.”
“Not to worry. Someone should be arriving at your door momentarily.”
“Okay, thank you,” I say, hanging up the phone, and less than a minute later, someone knocks on the door. I peer through the peephole and open it when I see our young bellman at my service once again.
He stares at me for a moment. “M-Ms. Evans, you look lovely. Are you ready to go down?”
I nod and follow him to the elevator.
He escorts me downstairs and leads me through the lobby to the bar, which I realize I probably could have found on my own. “Would you like me to take you inside?”
“No, thank you. I’ve got it from here.”
He smiles and tips his hat, leaving me at the entrance of the swanky bar. It must be happy hour, because there is a sea of suits and dresses between me and what must be the actual bar. I can see the illuminated shelves of liquor bottles going up the wall behind them.
I walk in and I’m immediately greeted by the eyes of the people standing in front of me. Some of them are smiling, some are staring, some are paying no attention to me at all. I wish they’d get out of the way so I can find Kellan. I step around them and make my way closer to the bar, but I’m stopped in my tracks when I see a tall, dark, handsome man leaning against the bar, holding a glass of amber-colored liquor in his hands. He’s wearing a black suit with a crisp white shirt that’s unbuttoned at the collar. And he’s staring at me.
He puts his drink down on the bar and walks toward me, and I have to remind myself to breathe. I don’t feel my feet moving, but I think I’m walking too. He stands in front of me and pulls his dark eyebrows together over his piercing blue eyes. “You are absolutely stunning,” he says softly.
I gaze up at him and say breathlessly, “Ditto,” unable to think of anything better to say.
He shows me his dazzling white smile and takes my hand. “Come have a drink with me.”
“Okay.”
He pulls me over to the bar and I can feel the eyes of the women that we pass following us. I guess I’m going to have to get used to women ogling Kellan. I can’t blame them, I would be staring too. But being with Kellan in the real world is going to be a lot different than having him all to myself on the island. The jury is still out on how I feel about that.
“What do you want to drink?” he asks, helping me balance as I climb up onto a black leather bar stool.
“I know the perfect drink for you,” the bartender interrupts, before I can answer. He’s an older gentlemen with a big smile.
“I’m all ears,” I say, smiling back at him.
“Our specialty. We call it heaven’s gate. It’s a berry-infused champagne with cucumber and mint. A beautiful drink for a beautiful lady.”
I smile and bob my head. “Thank you. That sounds delicious.”
Kellan places his hand over mine and glances down at my dress. “You really are breathtaking.”
“Thanks to you. But, Kellan, you didn’t have to do all this.”
“You know, you’re really going to have to stop doing that.”
I nod and smile graciously. “The spa was fantastic. They took really good care of me.”
“Good.”
“You have to get a massage before we leave.”
He rubs his thumb over my knuckles. “The only person I want touching me is you.”
The bartender places the drink in front of me.
“Thank you. It’s beautiful.” I smile at him and take a sip. “And delicious.”
“I’m glad to see the dress and shoes fit,” Kellan says.
“Like a glove.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Either someone helped you or you have really keen taste in women’s fashion.”
He laughs. “You like them?”
“Yes. I love them.”
“Callie gave me your sizes and a couple of the girls at Barneys helped me,” he confesses.
I raise my eyebrows. “I bet they did.”
He laughs and sips his drink.
“Sorry, but it’s going to take some time for me to get used to the way women respond to you.” I look up and see several sets of cat eyes dart away from us.
He raises his hand to my cheek. “Makayla, the only woman I see is you.”
I smile and sip my pretty drink.
“As for these pricks, however”—he glances over my shoulder at the men standing at the bar behind me—“if they don’t stop staring at you, I might have to knock one of them out.”
“Kellan.”
A bright-eyed brunette in a tight blue dress steps beside him. “Mr. James, your reservation is ready now. If you’d care to follow me next door, I’ll show you to your table.”
Kellan takes my hand and helps me off the barstool, and we follow Ms. Tight-blue-dress to the adjacent restaurant. It’s modern and sophisticated, like the rest of the hotel. She leads us to a table in a quiet corner of the plush dining room.
“You’re very tall in those shoes,” Kellan says to me under his breath.
“You won’t have to lean down so far to kiss me now.”
The corners of his mouth turn up and he squeezes my hand.
“Your server, Sarah, will be right with you.” The hostess watches Kellan pull my chair out like a gentlemen and smiles at him. “Is there anything I can bring you while you wait?”
He looks at me.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” I say, smiling up at her.
She nods and walks away.
I glance around the fancy restaurant, which undoubtedly comes with a hefty bill. “Kellan, this is too much,” I whisper across the table, hoping to convey that he doesn’t need to spend his money on me. I’m his free and clear.
“Makayla. I don’t have fancy things. I don’t drive a fancy car. And I’ve lived rent free for the majority of my adult life, with no one to spend my money on. I want to spend it on you. So, let me...okay?”
I nod and swallow down my hesitation. “Okay.”
We enjoy a fabulous dinner of Ahi tuna, sashimi, scallops, steak, and fried cinnamon ice cream for dessert. Everything is melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
“That was fantastic, Kellan. Definitely a memorable dinner for my first night back.” I smile at him happily.
He sits back in his chair. “I forgot how much I love a good steak.”
“So, what did you do all day today? Besides make the girls at Barneys swoon?” I tease.
“I might have a few more surprises up my sleeve.” He narrows his eyes and my heart flutters with renewed excitement.
He pays the bill, without a word from me, and we leave the restaurant.
“Do you want to have another drink at the bar?” I ask him as we pass it. “It would be a pity to waste our nice outfits.”
His hand skims my bottom through my dress and he drops his mouth to my ear. “All I’ve wanted to do since you walked into that bar was get you out of this dress.” His words fall around me like chains, making me his prisoner. I bite my lip and pull him behind me, practically running to the elevator, laughing.
Our bellman is at our beck and call once again. “Mr. James, Ms. Evans, can I escort you to your suite?”
“No,” Kellan says without explanation, and the young man quickly disappears.
When the doors open to an empty elevator, Kellan pulls me inside, pinning me against the wall as soon as they close again. He kisses me passionately and my head spins as we’re whisked up to the eighteenth floor. The doors open and I hold onto his suit jacket as he steps back, leaving my lips tingling and yearning for more.
He’s pulling me now, practically running down the hall to our suite, but he pauses outside our door and looks down at me. “I love you, Makayla.”
I reach up and ruffle the hair above the back of his neck, and slide my hands down the front of his chest, smoothing his jacket. “I love you too.”
He smiles and taps the key card on the door handle, opening it for me to go in before him.
I walk inside our suite and my mouth falls open when I see the room glowing with candlelight. There are white candles everywhere. And flowers... So many flowers. Hydrangeas and lilies and roses, and fifty more that I can’t name.
“Kellan.” I spin around, breathless.
He’s kneeling on one knee, holding up a ring.
“Oh my God,” I gasp.
“Makayla, tomorrow will be the beginning of a new challenge. One that’s uncertain and scary. But you won’t be alone. I want to face it with you. I want to be by your side when you go up against Marc. Because you’re my life now. You’re everything to me. The air that I breathe and the sun in the sky. You’re all that I’ve ever dreamed about but never knew I could have. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. I want to love you and protect you. And I want you to protect me, because that’s what you do...you save me. You saved me. From a lifetime of emptiness. A life I never want to face again. Not without you. I want you to be mine and I want to be yours...forever. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I cry, pulling him to his feet. “Yes.” I reach for his face and kiss him hard, ignoring the tears streaming down my cheeks. He smiles against my mouth and slides the ring onto my left hand. I hold my hand up and awe at the beautiful ring. The round-cut diamond in the center is surrounded by smaller diamonds that wrap around it and cascade down the sides of the white gold band. I flutter my fingers and it sparkles in the candlelight. “Kellan”—I cry and more tears fill my eyes—“it’s so beautiful.”
He holds my hand and caresses my fingers with his thumb. “When I saw it, I knew the only hand it belonged on was yours.”
I look down at it again, still shocked, and my heart swells. “I’ll never take it off.”
He pulls my face to his and kisses me deeply, and I hope I never forget how I feel in this moment. I slide my hands inside his jacket and push it off his broad shoulders and down his strong arms. He drops his hands to my thighs and runs them up under my dress, raising the skirt over my bare bottom.
“You’re not wearing panties,” he says hoarsely.
“You didn’t buy me any,” I say against his lips.
“Oversight.” He softly bites my bottom lip and scoops me into his arms.
I laugh as he carries me to the bedroom. There are candles and flowers in here too. “Kellan, how did you do all this?”
He smiles and lays me down on the giant bed. “They’re very accommodating here.” He reaches for the zipper on the side of my dress and I lift my hips as he tugs it down my body, leaving me naked. I sit up on the edge of the bed so that my feet are on the floor in front of him, my knees pushed up by the sparkly pumps I’m still wearing. I lean back on my hands and stare up at him. He looks so incredibly sexy in his black suit pants and crisp white shirt. He’s clean shaven and his dark hair is styled over his forehead, framing his handsome face. His tan skin is glowing in the candlelight and his piercing blue eyes are gazing down at me.
“You are so beautiful, Mrs. James.”
“Future Mrs. James,” I correct.
He kneels in front of me and rubs my stomach, from one hip to the other, then he raises his hand to my breasts, gently caressing them and making them swell under his touch. His thumb circles my nipple and my breath leaves me as a rush of goosebumps flash across my skin. He moves his hand to my neck, leaving a blazing trail all the way up to my face.
“How did I get so lucky?” he asks, gazing into my eyes. He stands up, pulls me to my feet, and kisses me slowly.
“I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one,” I whisper. I run my fingers down the middle of his shirt, undoing his buttons as I go, lightly touching the tan skin on his chest and stomach. I push his shirt down over his shoulders and he shrugs the rest of the way out of it. I unbuckle his belt and tug his pants down, and he kicks his shoes off. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him, crossing my sparkly pumps behind his bottom. He drops me onto the bed and pushes me up onto the pillows, kissing my neck and jaw.
“Can I take off the pumps now?” I ask, panting up at him.
He smiles and sits back on his heels, taking one of my ankles in his hand. He slips my shoes off, one at a time, and paints my body with soft, warm kisses. “I love”—he kisses my scar slowly and deliberately—“every”—he kisses me lower—“single”—lower—“part”—lower—“of”—lower—“you.”
“Ahh...” I cry softly, clawing at the sheets. I arch my back and rock my hips against his mouth. Every time I moan, he moans, and the feeling is sensational. I clutch the sheets tighter. “Kellan,” I pant when I can’t take it anymore. I cry out as I spiral into blackness and shatter beneath his expert tongue. My legs tremble and splay limply, but he climbs over me and kisses me deeply, sending another white hot flash of desire coursing through me. I moan into his mouth as he pushes my legs apart with his knees and squirm beneath him, anticipating, gripping his bottom to bring him closer. He pushes into me until he’s buried deep inside, like a puzzle piece that was cut perfectly to match. He laces his fingers with mine and begins to move in and out of me.
“I love you,” I whisper, feeling the emotional release that comes with saying those words while he’s inside me.
“I love you too,” he whispers, and as he does, a small pinpoint of fear aches deep inside my chest. I try to ignore it, but it grows more painful as I realize I’m no longer fearful of losing my life—I’m fearful of Kellan losing his.
He makes a low murmur in the back of his throat and kisses me deeply, pressing our hands into the pillows as he moves in and out of me, filling me, satisfying me, and distracting me from my worried thoughts. Our mouths part and we breathe in and out, lips on lips, drawing the oxygen from the same shared breaths, and I try to savor each and every one of them, because as painful as it is to admit, I know that any moment could be our last.
Chapter 21
Makayla
“Ready to go?” Kellan asks me.
“Yep.” I look at the beautiful suite one last time before we leave, reflecting on our short time in San Francisco. The meeting with Michelle was really more of a meet and greet over lunch—prepping me for the real meeting in New York with the rest of the prosecution team, where I’ll give my official statement against Marc. Michele was just interested in getting to know me...and Kellan. He’s going to be a lot more involved in the case than I thought, since he’s the one who found me.
I smile at Kellan over the knot in my stomach, which feels constant now, and follow him to the elevator, and through the lobby to the awaiting SUV outside. It’s a beautiful sunny day, much different than when we arrived a few days ago. The sky is bright blue and there’s a slight chill in the air, but I’m comfortable, wrapped in a new cashmere sweater I purchased, along with a pair of skinny jeans and Chuck Taylors.
When we get to the airport, I immediately spot Adam waiting for us with his bag slung over his shoulder. I look for Mia and when I see her, my heart skips around a little, because I also see a tall, lanky, chocolate-haired friend of mine standing behind her.
I climb down out of the SUV and wrap my arms around his neck. “Jason, you came.”
He pats my back and smiles. “Well, I wasn’t going to let you leave without saying goodbye.”
“I’m so glad. Promise you’ll stay in touch. Okay?”
“I will. Good luck with everything. Keep me posted with what happens, so I don’t worry.”
“I will, I promise.” We exchange numbers and goodbyes, and then I follow the rest of our group inside the airport.
“Promise that you won’t forget about me,” Mia says, and I hear the sadness in her voice.
“Mia”—I hug her tightly and blink back tears that prick my eyes—“I could never do that.” My voice catches in my throat. “We’ll talk all the time. We’ll just be a phone call away.”
She nods and squeaks out, “I’m really going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too. But, you do realize that you’re sort of stuck with me now, right?”