Austin did not want any part of his biological father’s inheritance. He intended to revoke his rights to any part of his late father’s estate. And that was the reason why he was here at his half-brother’s wedding today.
Austin clearly felt unwelcome. It was hard to ignore all the sceptical glances from people he did not even know. But he couldn’t blame them. So he stayed guarded.
The will his father had left behind had been a total surprise to everyone, including his son, Roman. That one paragraph in a lengthy legal paper made Roman furious and hateful about Austin’s very existence. All of the emotions that came with it made Austin uneasy and somewhat conflicted.
He simply wanted to repair his damaged sense of identity. That was all.
He had no reason for gold digging. He had enough for himself as it was. Austin wanted nothing to do with the inheritance. His father’s funeral had prompted some unexpected feelings. Austin was left with an eerie awareness of some sort of responsibility for his own actions in life and a longing for the unknown family and his newfound half-brother, Roman. It was Lidia who had initiated first contact with Austin. After learning of his existence, she had brought him to visit her dying husband three years ago.
Roman had been just an arrogant teenager then. And now, Austin was here at his wedding, barely knowing anyone from his father’s side of family, barely knowing Roman himself.
As far as Austin was concerned, Roman was a typical rich, spoiled twenty-year-old kid now. He knew nothing about real life. He could not possibly know anything about love, either. But they shared blood, and family roots. He was Rom’s half-brother after all. Austin wanted to show him his respect and maybe, just maybe gain some understanding of the reasons behind his hostility to him.
But, boy, oh boy! Was he ever wrong about people!
Roman had gone ballistic when he’d learned that Austin had been invited by his own mother. Man! Austin could not fathom his real problem..
If anyone, then it was Austin, who should be the one with the issues. There was an apparent irony in that. Austin felt completely the opposite. He had no issues with Roman. At least he none that he’d ever admitted to himself.
Damn this wedding and damn this island!
On top of everything that was wrong, he’d just blown his chance of meaningful conversation with that beautiful woman who had disappeared in a rush inside the house. Actually, house could not possibly describe this place. It was a mansion that could easily host a few dozens of guests.
It wouldn’t be that hard to find her among the guests later on. A woman of her calibre would stand out in a crowd of any size!
How long had he denied himself the simple pleasure of being with a woman? Months? A year? That was insane. He was making himself a promise to end this celibacy as soon as he got out of this old-fashioned formality. The easy catch would be, of course, the bridesmaid. They were always ready for a little adventure, weren’t they? But this was out of the question. He must be content, polite, and utterly boring today.
But something inside of him just could not stop remembering the voice of that woman he was watching earlier, standing in the middle of this tropical garden with the flowers that produced amazing, exotic, almost seductive scents. Some feeling of déjà vu would not let go.
His gut was telling him that his life was missing something, something very important.
Family. This was a family gathering.
The wedding represented the birth of a family and he was desperately alone. At twenty-eight, Austin was in his prime. Physically he was in perfect shape. Financially, he was very stable. He was ready to have someone significant in his life. He was ready to give himself. This was something he had never felt before.
How could Roman do this when he was so young?
It must be the old money, the sense of security, something Austin had had to build wealth on his own. He was proud of it. Preoccupied with his growing businesses and success, he tended to put his private life aside.
Did he even have a life beyond work?
He wanted to become a family man, to tie himself to a wife and a bunch of kids. He had never before felt compelled to care for anyone, except himself. He had little idea how to do that in the first place. He’d never experienced what a family really meant…until today.
Was it realistic to be so much in love that Rom wanted to marry when he was barely twenty? Austin had been twenty not so long ago. He remembered what he’d been like back then vividly. His chest clenched with regret as he remembered the young girl, that innocent soul he cruelly pushed away. How could he possibly have resisted that goddess-like body she’d thrown at him? But he’d been so self-centered and not capable of any kind of relationship at that time, never mind love. For so long, the sweet form of that girl who’d foolishly confessed her love for him had kept appearing in his dreams…
He had not wanted to be responsible for her broken heart. So he had just disappeared from her life and made sure she knew nothing about him anymore. It was better for her. She should have forgotten about him forever.
How arrogant and empty he’d been! She was the last person he wanted to hurt. She was the only one who truly touched something inside of him. She was the only one he could not forget after so many years, no matter how badly he wanted to. She haunted his dreams, torturing his soul for a good reason: to remind him that sooner or later everyone pays for their mistakes.
Who was he fooling, keeping his distance from her all these years? Trying to sink himself into other women? He knew, in retrospect, that a better piece of him was lost to that girl forever.
Austin hated to think that some other guy she’d dated could be an even bigger jerk than he was. She deserved someone better: a man who could give her all his heart, spend his life with her. She deserved a guy who would love her back, not run away from her. Be there for her in good times and bad.
Lately, he had been torn between two impossibly hard choices: One was to get a grip on himself, find her, and face the consequences of his stupidity. The other was to push away all thoughts and memories of her for her good.
He loathed himself for being afraid to find her just to discover that she had forgotten all about him. He was afraid she’d laugh at him after she learned that he had harboured feelings for her for all these years.
Get a life! Damn it.
Austin knocked his fist hard on a nearby wall, inducing physical pain in order to shove away the images of the girl he’d tried so desperately to ignore.
Just then, a group of well-groomed, young men stepped out into the garden. One of them called Austin’s name. He recognized him as the bride’s older brother. He’d been introduced to Austin when he arrived the night earlier. Even though the man’s name had slipped his mind, Austin was happy to know someone besides his father’s relatives.
The wedding event had started to gain momentum. A lot of guests had arrived already and prepared themselves for the actual ceremony. Roman had plenty of close relatives and friends to be given the honor of standing next to him as groomsmen.
Austin had mixed feelings about this small island. He liked the beauty of the tropical water. But, he felt that, besides snorkelling and scuba diving, there wasn’t much of anything else to do here. He had taken time off work. This was unusual for him. He wanted to spend his precious time off well.
His business was always in need of his personal direction. He wanted it that way. It had taken him a few days on his small luxury yacht to reach this destination. He was amazed to discover how self-sufficient people living on the island must be. There was no airport. Boats and yachts were the only connection to the bigger sister island nearby.
His mobile phone did not pick up even the slightest signal.
Austin approached the men. Everyone, including Craig—whose name suddenly popped into his head—introduced himself. A flock of very young girls, all dressed in snow-white, flew by them, giggling and pushing each other in excitement.
“You should see the quality of the bride
smaids! Man! I wish I was single,” complained one of the guys.
“How about you, Austin?” Craig asked, smiling at him.
“I’ll try my best, man,” he grinned back. “Although, I did not have my usual luck this morning…”
“Is there anyone in particular you are into today?” one of the men asked curiously.
“She was standing right here just a while ago,” explained Austin. “But, she ran away from me as soon as I opened my mouth.”
“That must have been Becca. She is hot-hot-hot—in a do-not-touch-me-hot special way. Can’t blame you,” said Craig. “No one has yet succeeded—or so I’ve heard!”
“Who is she?” Austin almost forgot to breathe, hearing the name of the woman he had tried to flirt with earlier.
“Rebecca Lawson. She is my sister’s best friend and her maid of honor. You are going to see her a lot today! Also, she keeps this villa in order. She works as a live-in housekeeper,” Craig supplied.” I know from Cadence, Rom will kill anyone who disrespects her in any way. Just saying, man, just saying…”
Shit! I am royally screwed!
Somehow this wedding was going to be even more disastrous than expected. Was fate playing tricks on him? He definitely deserved the treatment! Had she recognized him? Was that the reason she had run away from him?
Well, it wouldn’t be long until they faced each other again. Feeling the uncontrollable urge to run and find Rebecca, Austin tried hard to stop himself, to allow his fire within to calm.
Re-bec-ca…her name rolled off his tongue, painfully pleasant.
He was not prepared for this–at all! Austin found himself walking along the stretch of the warm sandy shore, away from busy beehive that Villa Grande had become. He was still unable to think clearly. How many years had he told himself to get over Rebecca Lawson, that she was just a child, that he did not deserve her? She saw him as someone he was not. Her perception of him was the result of her youthful fantasy. She saw the man she wanted. He knew better. He was not that kind of man.
Austin had always been good with women. He was always generous, always showing them his respect—no matter the circumstances. He tried to be a gentleman even in very short encounters. But, sometimes, he could not help but bring them pain. He hated to promise anything. Most of the time, his women found that what he was prepared to give was not enough. Austin had never been good at commitments. So, he steered clear of even the slightest hint of a relationship.
He played it safe and made quick exits. He had no regrets—except for one: Rebecca Lawson. She had stolen his heart, without him realizing it. And he had screwed up, big time. He must be never remembered or forgiven. He must stay away from her, especially today.
No way was he going to put her in an awkward situation—especially now, at her best friend’s wedding. And especially, when his self-control was slipping away from him with every step he took.
Oh God!
He wondered if she would taste just as sweet against his mouth as she had back then. He started to realize how meaningful his life would be if she were a part of it. He quivered with delight as a tiny hope kindled in his mind.
What if she still loved him the way she had then? That was not humanly possible.
He felt a newly reawakened desire for her. Now that he knew that she was beautiful and hotter than ever, it seemed to him that he was craving her body, her mind, and her love even more.
Was she still willing to give those to him?
THREE
Becca was in desperate need of fresh air. Her perfectly tanned body was not afraid of the hot afternoon sun. Water always calmed her nerves.
She started walking barefooted toward the nearby beach. Everything was prepared and ready for the ceremony at Villa Grande. Roman had been so thoughtful and kind. He’d insisted on hiring some local help for the wedding. He said that he did not want Becca to run around all the time without enjoying herself and being there for Cadence. He was truly crazy about his future wife. Becca appreciated his generosity and friendship.
Becca spent most of her walk thinking about Austin. Why had Austin been attracted to her? She was just a regular eighteen-year-old, a little screwed up. But, nothing major. He was two years her senior, a talented athlete, a football player with a big future in any sport he’d choose. What did he see in her then? What did he see in her now? Just an attractive body she was thankful to God to have? Did the attraction have anything to do with her as a person? Maybe. That would definitely explain his easy exit. It was normal for a horny young man just looking for conquests. She bobbed her head and smiled, reminding herself that Austin was a very attractive young man. If she could, she would repeat that sweet summer week with him all over again.
Oh God! It’s been a while! she thought.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she had had sex. Most of the time, she was exhausted after her day at work and went to bed too tired to even feel amorous. It had probably been around six months now. With every passing week, she felt more and more concerned about her future prospects. Despite getting wolf whistles directed clearly at her from the nearby construction site, she knew the island was really small. It was not possible to have an affair with anyone without being judged or even misjudged. She did not want to ruin her reputation. Besides, she was pretty sure six months was not that long. Not if she’d not dreamed about having her own family and children almost every night. She was so happy for Cadence. That girl would make an excellent mother. The kind she had not had herself.
Rebecca hurried over to the villa. She had just enough time for a quick shower and changing into her dress. Becca always took extra care to make sure her shoulder-length, naturally wavy hair was washed and air dried every morning. She hated to use a hairdryer. It always left her hair in a fluffy mess she could not stand. She was happy that at least her hair was prepared in advance for today. Normally Becca would wear her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Today, she had let it hang loose. Usually, she didn’t wear a lot of makeup or jewelry or long painted fingernails. She would not change that even for today.
The light breeze felt so good on her skin that she forgot for a moment about what had brought her here in the first place. She wanted to cool herself down, to get over her concerns and put Cadence and Rom ahead of everything else today. This was their perfect day, at such a perfect place. Their special day must be memorable and filled with happiness. That was why she had worked so hard preparing the event. She wanted Cadence to remember her wedding day. No one had a right to ruin that!
Just go through the day as planned and worry about the rest later, she tried to convince herself.
She admired, in others, a winning attitude toward the life. She tried hard to emulate it. Despite being thrown around a lot in her twenty-five years, she had always managed to rebound, collect all the broken pieces, and put herself back together again. Sometimes, though, she found that her new self was totally different from her old self. The attitude stuck. She was proud of being capable of fixing things on her own. She’d even managed to pick up some other broken souls and help them along the way. One of them was the little girl, Cadence. She had grown up under Becca’s wing into a very attractive and smart woman. Roman was about to call her his wife…
After half an hour to herself, walking with in the warm, salty, turquoise water, Becca was ready to go and check on Cadence.
She could not stop smiling when she finally saw her in her wedding gown. They had spent so much time together shopping for the perfect dress. The soft shimmering satin top with the sweetheart neckline would make Rom cry when he saw his bride walking down the aisle. Becca stood clutching her hands to her chest in adoration.
“Cadence, you are so absolutely stunning!” she exclaimed. Tears were building in Becca’s eyes. “My girl will be the most beautiful bride this island has ever seen! Come,” she said, holding out her arms. “Give me a hug before I totally melt.”
Cadence flew into her arms without hesitation. She still felt like a teenage gi
rl, ready to burst with laughter, trying to cover her nervousness. The airy shimmer of the gown’s long skirt gracefully trailed across the marble floor.
Oh, how happy this moment felt!
The two of them hadn’t seen much of each other over the past year. Becca loved watching Cadence letting this amazing man, Roman Blackstone, into her best friend’s heart and forgetting the jerk who had almost broken Cadence for every other man two years ago.
Becca herself had known what heartbreak was and how hard it could be to get over it. Maybe she just did not want to let go of the past. Everyone was different. Some looked foolish, clinging to their first love as if it was the only one. She’d just have to learn to hide her emotions better.
Becca knew that, in spite of everything that had happened to her seven years ago, she still loved Austin. She was secretly hoping that he would find her somehow. How could he not? He’d broken her heart!
What if he just laughed at her for being so naïve when they finally met? She would not let herself fall apart and ruin this perfect wedding.
“Thank God you came back here, Becca! I almost freaked out when no one seemed to be able to find you. You know, Craig told me that you are becoming more popular by the minute. All the men’s eyes are on you, girl! And now, with you dressed like this, like you are going in for the kill. I only wish that some mysterious stranger would whisk you away tonight!”
Becca’s heart almost stopped beating. Her eyes grew larger with a surprise. “What are you talking about, Cadence? It is not my day, or night, to bask in popularity. It’s your wedding! You look like a princess, so elegant and classy!” Becca had to shut her brain down in order to stop thinking that everyone around her knew about Austin Stevens and his effect on her.
“Oh, no, no! It just excites me: The idea that we might become relatives at last if you find yourself a man among Rom’s handsome cousins. Wasn’t that something we always wanted?” Cadence whispered in her most secretive voice.
Time After Time Page 2