Time After Time

by Melody Foster

“What do you mean? What did my mother have to do with anything?”

  What did the Goddamned woman have to do with it, Rebecca?

  “I was not good enough for you. She told my grandfather to keep me away from you. She told him that you had been drafted by the WU football team and she could not let me to get in the way of your bright future.”

  “She was the main reason I left the city, Rebecca! She was a manipulative woman!” he barked barely restraining his rage. “After I got back the following year, she told me you were dating a guy, and that she knew you were happy. I believed her until other things started to happen and I doubted her sanity. All kinds of shit happened to me before she died.”

  “I am really sorry about her, Austin! I wasn’t dating anyone then. I was waiting for you to come for me. But you never did… I did not blame you for being you. I did love you though—more than anything or anybody in my life. There is no need to pretend that I didn’t.”

  “Rebecca, stop! You are talking about me as if I am a dead man.”

  Her words hurt him. He did not expect that kind of reaction. But, he knew all too well that he deserved it. He wanted to tell her the stupid reason why he had left. She wanted to show him how strong she was, by not being hung up on the negative side of the things. That was how he remembered her: all passionate, always positive, never angry, or even bitter. He missed all that tremendously. Life had thrown all the wrong people at him: weak, meek, negative, nothing like she was.

  He wanted to hold her in his arms the way he used to when she was cradled on his lap, her small body so fragile. He could smell that old-fashioned honeysuckle shampoo scent in her hair. He wanted to feel her feminine heat. It was pulling him like a magnet, closer and closer. He wanted to make up for all the time they had lost.

  There was no escape. His gaze dropped to her slightly opened mouth and he could not restrain himself any longer. Her last words stuck in his head like a bullet.

  I did love you.

  Her words were pounding like hammer making his blood rush, boiling in his veins.

  “Yeah… I lost you, Austin. And I am not too sure if you are the same guy I knew.” Rebecca sounded defeated.

  Even though her mouth was producing those words, her body was giving her real feelings away. Her cheeks were pinker and her head tilted slightly forward. Her emotional arousal was getting more obvious to his trained eye.

  It’s not too late!

  “Hmm…that is so easy to fix,” he growled and gave her something she desperately needed. He covered her parted lips with his, kissing her with the passion of a new lover. “We can get to know each other again, starting right now,” he murmured. After a long, thorough kiss, he continued to explore her elegant neck down to her collar bone, pressing into her, pushing her gently but urgently down to the bed. She did not protest. He continued talking to her in a low voice, almost hypnotizing her, poking into her very private space with hot, quick kisses. “In fact,” he murmured, “I already started yesterday…” Austin was breathless, inhaling her sweet scent, probing her body for response with his hands. “Same gorgeousness, same smartness, same finesse… Everything matches the Rebecca I remember.”

  There is no way back!

  His senses were awakened by flooding memories. He lost himself in her willing and receptive body, in her eyes, carefully following his gaze, clinging to him, not willing to let him go: “You are even more beautiful than I’ve ever dreamed of,” he groaned.

  “You are not going to win me over by giving me compliments, even though I am flattered.” She was in self-denial. She was already his. Once again.

  “We need more than that, sweetheart?” His voice rose a beat with pretend surprise. “ I can tell you that I am not the gentle lover you were with before.” His moves got rough as he extended the warning, watching carefully for her reaction.

  She played along: “You are not going to scare me away with that. Try harder!”

  “What is on your mind, in your heart? Who was there? What happened? I want to know all those things about you, Becca! But right now,” he paused with a playful laugh, “All I want is you!”

  In an instant, his muscular, lean body full of energy and unspent desire for her, was hovering over her small frame. She was trapped underneath this powerful man whom she had ached for for ages. “The way you are, unknown to me, I want you too,” she whispered, sprawled on the soft bed, her body aching for his touch.

  He needed all his strength not to rip her filmy dress off her delicious body and throw himself on her like a wild beast, hungry for his prey.

  She looked deep into his eyes in search of some kind of confirmation of his words. But, all he gave her was a dark blistering gaze. That gaze was filled with a plea for her to let him into her heart, let him into her body, to give herself to him.

  “Austin,” she said, his name raw desire on her beautiful, full lips.

  Oh, sweet innocence! She was trembling with an anticipation! How profound her naked emotions were. How deep they touched his rough being. She was searching, exploring every inch of his body, every turn of his twisted mind with her warm smart eyes, wide open and loving what she saw.

  He truly felt that her mind was like the vast depth of the ocean. He was a small, lost boat upon it. This woman so overpowered him that he wished he was the best man he could be to her.

  Oh God! How long he had waited for this moment!

  ***

  “You promised to show me the stars,” she murmured into his shoulder, lying exhausted in his arms.

  “YOU ARE THE BRIGHTEST ONE HERE,” he breathed. How sweetly cheesy, but true! “I could never leave this darn dock, because I worried about you, in case I needed to bring you to the emergency room.” Suddenly, he became all serious. She felt his body tense under her touch.

  What a fool she was, even to think that she could possibly be with any other man—least of all Joe. That thought unexpectedly brought her back to last night’s events. She jerked herself up, sat straight and still. Austin looked at her with concern, as if he, too, was searching for an explanation to some questions he hadn’t voiced yet.

  She just could not believe that one moment she had awakened crying in his bed … and the next they were making love like the most passionate lovers in the Universe! Her mind was racing in the aftermath of this passionate sex at such an early hour of the morning. She needed to regain some composure. She must be more responsible for her actions! And, she must be back at the villa before everyone started searching for her.

  “I am sorry, really, for last night! I have nothing to say. I don’t remember coming here. But, you still cared about me…” It was her shame and guilt talking right now. Becca could not comprehend what had happened to her last night. Except, somehow, she had made it to Austin’s yacht.

  “I never stopped caring about you, Rebecca. And now, I care even more…” he traced his palms along her messy hair, smoothing it down and framing her face. “Look at me, beautiful! I know we have a lot of things to sort out. But promise me you will take good care of yourself until I return. Be safe, Rebecca. Watch out for yourself.”

  “You have to leave… so soon?” She wasn’t surprised. Certainly, he had his own life. She hadn’t asked to be taken care of. She could look after herself.

  “Fortunately, not for long,” he said ruefully. “I must take care of some business. My partner got into some trouble and I had to cut short my stay. I couldn’t have known in a thousand years that I’d find you here, Rebecca! Now that I have found you, I have to know more about you. He sounded sincere. “You are so gorgeous in the morning sunlight!”

  She was no longer a naïve girl who looked at him with wide open eyes and poured out her heart carelessly. She was a woman now. He could feel her mature desire for him. But her mind was a mystery, a fresh puzzle he wanted to solve.

  “It’s getting brighter,” she said reluctantly. “I have to be at the villa. It is my job after all. And, it’s going to be a busy day for me. And I am complete mess!�
� she quickly changed the subject. She was nervous all of a sudden.

  “You can take a shower and we can have a breakfast on the deck,” he offered politely, hoping to calm her down.

  “I would love to,” she said. “But I’d better go change before I present myself in front of all the guests.” She got up and started to dress in a hurry.

  “Goodbye, then?” Becca said uncertainly.

  “I’ll be back to get to know you better, beautiful!” he promised. He knew that he was rushing as soon as the words left his mouth.

  And with that, she was gone. As much as he wanted to have her, Austin knew that he shouldn’t. It was even more impossible now than it had been then. He had not become a better man. There were going to be no phone calls, no e-mails, just a promise to be back. Wasn’t it enough that she had already waited for seven years? Would she wait? Could she bear another heartache from him?

  NINE

  TWO WEEKS LATER

  Becca quickly realized how frustrated and unsure she had become.

  Austin was gone for an unknown period of time, leaving her with only memories of the happiness she had experienced with him on his yacht. He obviously had to deal with his business. She refused to think that he might have another woman in his life.

  He had not made any promises to her before he left. Rather, he had made her promise him to take good care of herself.

  Why had he asked her for that?

  All she knew now was, she could not ever look back at her life the same way as before. That amazing morning of making love with Austin had changed her heart forever. Becca never expected herself be so fast with him. But that morning, he had showed her that she was wanted and loved, and that he needed her so much. She was not compromising any relationships of her own. She was free to give herself to him. But was this what she really wanted? She never had a chance to even consider having Austin back into her life. Everything had happened too fast.

  With time on her hands, Becca pondered the idea of Austin’s having another woman in his life. That was definitely possible.

  What if his passionate lovemaking was just the result of an irresistible lust and nothing more? What if he was gone forever?

  She most definitely needed to talk to Lidia. Lidia knew him better. But Lidia was gone in a flash after they wrapped up the wedding. She excused herself with some urgent things she needed to attend back home in Miami. Becca thought that it was more to do with her pain of letting her son go, and she was trying to cope with it at a distance. She had been pretty kind to Cadence so far, considering her undeniable overprotection of Roman. They had seemed to find a way to deal with each other.

  Lidia must know him better than anyone else. She could give me some insight into Austin’s life!

  In her heart, Becca was almost ready to run on impulse to Austin. But her cold logic kept bringing her back to reality, to the commitment she had made to Roman, and now to Cadence…

  No, she was not about to break her contract with them. She could not go anywhere, especially not now when Cadence had become her ‘official’ boss. However, it was their friendship she valued the most.

  She was so lucky to be able to combine work and pleasure. It was a dream job. Roman wanted to keep her contract intact for the remaining two years, even though her duties were drastically reduced from companion to his aunt to the simple task of overseeing the operation of the villa.

  When Cadence had first visited her here on her summer holidays after school finished, Roman happened to be vacationing at the villa as well.

  It was not hard to fall in love with Cadence. She’d had little chance to resist him. They were like a two pieces of a puzzle together, complete and beautifully matched. His wealth and status complemented Cadence’s beauty and brains. The girl was absolutely gorgeous and charming inside and outside. Becca loved her immensely, like a friend and like a sister.

  A quick and hot romance between them unfolded in front of Becca’s eyes. It was clear that they made up their minds very soon. Roman had proposed with a flair and Cadence had accepted gracefully. Two weeks ago they had become a husband and wife. And, by definition, Cadence assumed the role of Rebecca’s boss.

  On one hand, Rebecca loved her job. She was happy to take care of Cadence now, since the couple had decided to spend their honeymoon at Villa Grande.

  Even though Rom had to leave after just two wonderful happy weeks on the island, he was confident that Becca would take good care of his new wife and help her settle at Villa Grande.

  Cadence was above excited to stay with Becca and not return to Seattle with Rom. She seemed not to mind him being alone in the big city.

  Becca had been surprised at her friend’s contented demeanor toward the possibility of Rom’s putting an eye on another woman, or—even more likely—gold-digging women digging their claws into him. He was very young, dangerously handsome, and obviously rich.

  Was that youthful trust bordering with ignorance? To know that they trusted each other like that was a big pleasure for Becca.

  Becca could not stop thinking about Austin. What could he mean to her future? Truly, they did not share much yet. But, the possibility of them being together was a very exciting thought to mull over.

  Becca could not imagine herself going back to a busy city life after the three serene years she had spent here on the island. She loved everything about island life—even the absence of communication like Internet and cell phones. It was not that they were unavailable. It was just that people on the island showed no need high tech toys.

  The place was a perfect escape from everyday life, from the hustle and bustle and rush of living in a big city.

  ***

  Who knew that this would happen to them? Becca and Cadence were living in paradise now: Two best friends, bound by chance and fate on a small magical island. The women spent all their free time on the beach.

  Cadence was learning a lot about how to be a billionaire’s wife and at the same time not lose her own unique personality. She could never be anyone’s toy.

  Becca smiled with pleasure as the warm evening wind gently brushed her silky smooth skin. Lying next to Cadence on the beach with miles of pristine white sand while they chatted about all kind of nonsense was her favorite activity. Roman was away from the island taking care of the family’s multi-billion-dollar business headquartered in Seattle. Becca could not be happier for her friend and her new husband. She was absolutely thrilled that they were so in love. She couldn’t wait for them to start a family. She looked forward to spoiling their dozen, cute, little children.

  Becca had always adored kids. When she was a little girl, all she wanted was to become a mother. When other girls were dreaming about being actresses or ballerinas, and even firefighters, she’d dreamed of having kids!

  Right now, Becca was feeling a little bit lonely. Cadence’s joy and laughter reminded her of her own budding worries after Austin had left the island.

  For Becca, mixing friendship and the workplace and balancing the two was a new learning experience. Technically, she was employed now by her friend. Becca had discussed this fact with both Rom and Cadence. They agreed that, if she felt at all uncomfortable, she should bring it up right away and they would figure out things together.

  ***

  “We must celebrate!” Cadence jumped off her beach mat and reached into the lunch basket. “I brought us some sparkling wine.” She beamed at Becca innocently, and poured the wine into plastic cups. “What?” she asked noting Becca’s accusing look. “Girls are not allowed to get drunk on the beach while they are alone? It doesn’t even have any alcohol in it!”

  Becca remembered all too well what had happened the last time they did just that. The two of them had ended up in a local police station for drinking in a public place. The difference, today, was that the whole beach belonged to Cadence!

  “You are such a little fool, Cadence,” Becca responded with a motherly tone in her voice. “What are we celebrating?” Her heart jumped in an antic
ipation. What kind of news was Cadence going to share with her? What if she was pregnant?! That would be so awesome!

  “To Rebecca and Austin!” Cadence pronounced totally out of the blue, surprising Becca

  After a moment of hesitation, Becca huffed, “Don’t change the subject! Just tell me what it is, please. I will explode if you keep me waiting another second.”

  Becca burst into laughter unable to maintain her fake seriousness. They both started to giggle like twelve-year-olds.

  Becca had always loved her friend’s carefree disposition. Cadence could never be blamed for keeping secrets. Their friendship was just so much more than telling each other all their thoughts. It was more like an intellectual meeting of the minds. That’s how they had always enjoyed each other company.

  “I didn’t forget to ask you about him. I was waiting for the right moment,” Cadence said, winking suggestively.

  “I did not plan to keep it a secret from you, either. You guys were so busy! Now tell me that you were really, really busy. I can’t wait to become an auntie!”

  Becca took a sip of the cold, bubbly liquid and smiled in anticipation.

  “So…”

  “You won’t believe it. Put your cup down. Count to three, slowly.”

  Cadence was such a tease sometimes!

  “Okay. One…two…three…” Becca was playing along.

  “Stop! There! Now you know how many little rascals we are going to have!”

  Becca could not help herself. “No way!” she screamed.

  The two of them embraced in a long, happy hug. Then Cadence returned them to reality.

  “Now, girlfriend, it’s your turn to get me excited.”

  “Well, you are right. There is Austin Stevens,” Becca admitted guiltily. “The night of your wedding was awesome. Except, it seems that Roman cannot stand his half-bother. He told me that he despised his father for the secret he’d held all his life. He was so angry. I could not believe that they shared common blood!”

  “It is crazy, sister!” Cadence readily agreed.

  “I was determined to keep Roman calm—for him and for you. That’s why, when Austin asked me to come to his yacht that night, I took a chance. I thought that would be a good compromise to get him to leave earlier. He promised to show me the night sky from the ocean. He said that he needed to get his boat ready.” Becca sighed and looked down at her feet stretched out in the hot sand. She took another sip from her cup. One of her feet bore the proof of that visit. The cut, though healing, was still visible.