She nodded. “Me too. Maybe I’ll make a donation or something.”
“Good idea.”
Kayla loved that he would care about such a thing. For the first time, she became curious about what he did for a living. “So tell me. What does tomorrow bring for you?”
He groaned. “Not yet. Don’t bring us back to reality quite yet.” He reached for her hand. “This has been an amazing night.”
She ran her thumb along the back of his hand. “I agree. Okay. We don’t have to talk about it.” But she was starting to become very curious about him. And, if she was honest with herself, she was starting to hope that tonight wouldn’t be the end of it. Perhaps when she returned to her hotel room, she would have his phone number.
Once everyone had finished their food and the speeches were made, Tyler and Kayla started to wish they could move on. But, as if summoned by their plan to face fears, Marguerite stood up and announced karaoke.
“No way.” Tyler looked to Kayla. “That is fate if I’ve ever seen it.”
“Does this mean we have to swim in the dark?”
“If we do, we’ll do it together.” He stood, gently tugging her hand. “Will you join me?”
She jumped up. “Of course. Are you really gonna do this?”
His face was pale, his hands sweating. He swallowed a few times. And then cleared his throat. “We have to.”
She followed him, impressed with his courage. “You don’t have to.”
“No, I do. It’s a thing. What are the chances they announce karaoke at the very wedding,” he looked around and then leaned in to whisper, “we sneak into?”
“What are you gonna sing?”
“We.” He turned to her. “I don’t know. What should we sing?”
The announcer at the front called out. “And now we’re looking for our first volunteers.” A spotlight shone through the room, and when it stopped on Tyler and Kayla already making their way to the stage, everyone in the room cheered.
Kayla laughed. “I wonder if they’ll ever realize they don’t know us.”
“Probably not. Just keep smiling.” Sweat beaded on his forehead.
“You okay?”
“No. I’m petrified.”
“We literally don’t have to do this.”
“I told you we do. I need you, Kayla.” He turned to stare into her face, his eyes panicked. “Make me do this.”
“I will.” She rested a hand at the side of his face. “And best part? You’ll never see these people again.”
He gripped her hands.
The announcer shouted into his microphone. “Give it up for our two singers!” He waved them up on stage.
She pulled him along, her arm looped through his as his feet moved more and more slowly the closer they got to the microphone.
“I think I might throw up,” he said between his teeth.
“Don’t you dare.”
“What song, folks?” The guy eyed Tyler. “Is he okay?”
Kayla laughed. “Sure. He always gets like this.” She ran a finger down the list. “How about this one?”
“You got it”
Tyler stopped being able to function. He stared out at the crowd in front of them without seeing anything. She nudged him, handing him a microphone. “The words will be right there.” She pointed to the screen. He nodded in a daze.
“Look, Tyler. Look at me.” She gripped his jaw with one hand. “You have to sing. Or it won’t count, and then you’ve come all the way up here for nothing. I asked for the song “I Don’t Know Much, but I Know I Love You”.” She sang it quietly to him. “Have you heard that one?”
He nodded.
“Good. You with me?” She shook him a little bit, and the audience laughed.
Then the music began.
“We’ll sing the whole thing together, okay?”
He nodded. But when the words began, she was the only one singing. “Sing.” She nudged him.
I don’t know much.
But I know I love you, and that’s all I really need to know.
What an appropriate song for them. She knew nothing about this guy, not really, but she loved to be with him. “This is a great song for us. Just think about our fun date.”
He was in a daze. She shook him again, making the crowd burst into laughter again. She kept singing but took him by the shoulders and turned him so that he faced her. He blinked.
“Sing. You’ve got to do this. You made me promise to make you.”
He swallowed and lifted the microphone. “I don’t know much,” he whispered.
“You gotta be a little louder than that.” She smiled. “You can do this.” She stepped closer, dancing, moving slowly, lifting her hips and then she started a little samba, sensuous and slow and close.
His eyes darkened, and he wrapped a hand around her back. The wedding audience catcalled and cheered. And then he started singing, really singing.
Kayla’s eyes widened. He was great! She softened hers to harmonize with his rich tenor, and they blended beautifully all the way to the end, swaying a slow samba, staring at each other.
When the last note ended, she waited, watching him. His eyes stared down into hers as if she were his lifeline. Then he wrapped his other arm around her back and pulled her close into a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered into her hair.
Three teenage girls ran up on stage next, wanting their turn at the karaoke, and Kayla and Tyler slipped away and out the side door.
As soon as they exited onto the street, he whooped. “Wooohooo!” Then he spun her around. “Thank you, Kayla. I can’t believe I did that! I’ve been wanting to for so many years. Every time friends have one, I sit there and sweat and worry––but you did it! You got me up there.” He pulled her close again into a hug, and she thought the air would never re-enter her lungs. “I owe you. That was incredible.”
She nodded against him, loving the rich smell of him, the solid chest, his pounding heart. Then she pulled away. “You were incredible! What a voice. Who knew you could sing so well!”
“Certainly not me. My shower at home never gives feedback.”
She laughed and spun in a circle. “This has been the best night I’ve had in a long time. Thank you, Tyler with no last name.”
He stopped. “Oh no. It can’t be over yet. Say it’s not over. We still have to get you to face your fear.”
“Swimming in the dark?” Her heart thumped painfully and then seemed to stop. “I can’t.”
He put his hands on either side of her face. “You can. You don’t have to. But if this is something you want to face, I’ll get you there.”
“What? In our clothes?”
“Whatever it takes. I’m here for you like you were for me.”
She clenched her wrap in her fists. “I don’t know. I don’t know.” Then she started pacing, wringing her hands.
“Whoa, now. Hold on. Let’s not ruin a perfectly great evening. Let’s continue our walk.” He headed away from the ocean, and she felt like that was a great first step. She did want to face her fear but didn’t know if she could.
The one thing she did know was that right now, even though she had a huge day tomorrow, even though she should get to bed, even though she was afraid to face her fear, she didn’t want the night to end.
Chapter 4
Tyler wanted to go find his crazy, spontaneous past-self, standing outside the wedding dress store and thank him. Kiss him beijos on both cheeks and buy him a new Ferrari. What kind of intuitive brilliance had he displayed by sticking around and taking a risk and starting this evening with Kayla? She was something special, and now that he knew, he couldn’t let her out of his life.
But how to go from spontaneous, carefree, no strings attached, to talking about life and real things and last names and phone numbers, he didn’t know yet. All he did know was that staring into her face, singing with her onstage, he felt strong and brave. He knew he could conquer anything while looking into her eyes.
That, and her
lips were begging to be kissed. He lost track of how many times he’d caught himself staring at their fullness, wondering how they would taste. Was he in a position to start some kind of long-distance relationship? He was. He was also in the middle of a major reconstruction of his company, cutting back in areas and investing in new directions. He was insane to be out this late. Tomorrow morning, he had a pitch to a huge potential client, one he hoped to nail before he left the country. But now that he knew he wanted the beautiful Kayla in his life, he couldn’t end the night without a surety there either. And a part of him just didn’t want it to end. Pretending they had all the time in the world had been one of the best evenings he’d had in a long time.
They wandered along, hand in hand, mostly quiet, watching the people around them until he heard familiar sounds. “Bossa nova.” He squeezed her hand. “This up here is something to see.”
They rounded the corner and the Ba Ba Shack came into view. It was a bar, sort of. But the customers hung around outside of it, mostly sprawled out on the sidewalk or standing in groups. They downed the beers they took out of the fridge inside, leaving money in the jar on top.
“What?”
He held a finger up to her mouth. “Listen. I read about this place online.”
They moved closer and joined the groups standing around on the sidewalk. He peered in through the open front door. The place was packed; a group of men at the back played music. “This is classic Brazil.”
The mellow music, the somewhat jazzy traditional beat of bossa nova music filled him with nostalgia. Only he wasn’t longing for something far away, but for what stood right in front of him. “Come here.” He tugged her gently to him, held her hand, and put the other hand around her back. They moved together, and though it was a different beat than the samba, they fell into the same synchrony.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. He loved how perfectly she fit into his arms, as perfectly as she matched his personality. They swayed, a soft wiggle to their steps as they automatically added a bit of samba, their hips in unison. He held her; her hand in his felt like a caress, and the world slowed to a standstill. He didn’t want it to creep forward ever again.
“This is nice.”
“Hmm.”
They swayed, moving around on the sidewalk and the street in front of the Ba Ba Shack, ignoring everyone around them.
The music picked up and so did their feet. She backed away, shaking her hips, coming close again, and then she spun into him. He dipped her low, their faces close, her eyes intense, full of emotion. Then he lifted her, and she spun into him.
People around them cheered. Tyler was surprised to see a small crowd gathered around them. They started clapping to the beat and cheering him and Kayla on. He met her eyes and then shrugged.
A glint lit her eye. “What d’you say we give them a show?”
He threw back his head and laughed. He loved this woman. “You’re on!” The music changed again to a classic samba, so they stepped to it. The band played faster, and Tyler and Kayla moved faster, picking up their pace to the music until their feet flew as they twisted and spun and danced. He needed total concentration, but it was easy to match Kayla, to follow her steps. He swallowed, wanting to place his hands on her hips, stall their motion, and pull her tight up against him.
When the music finally ended, the crowd cheered, calling out, clapping and bouncing in the street. “You are girlfriend, no?” a man shouted to them.
They shared a look, Tyler not wanting to ruin the moment, said, “She’s pretty special, isn’t she?”
“Special, yes! You marry?”
The crowd cheered. Kayla beamed and waved to them.
“Oh, she waved, she happy.” Another one of the men pointed to Kayla and then to him. “You ask her.”
“Agora. Agora. Agora,” they chanted, laughing, cheering, and swaying together in their enthusiastic insistence that he ask her now.
So he turned to her. “Why not?” He got down on one knee. “In the spirit of spontaneity and with the understanding this is all in good fun, nothing binding, I can’t let the crowd down. And so, Kayla of the no last name, would you continue this wonderful fun we’ve had tonight every night for the rest of our lives and agree to be my wife?” A thrill of happiness jolted through him as he imagined what that would truly be like. Kayla. For the rest of his life. Every night as wonderful as this.
Joking aside, he wanted that. As he stared into her eyes, the world paused again, and for a moment, he saw the same desire in her, knew she liked the sound of that as much as he did. Perhaps he had a chance.
But all too soon, time sped up again, and she laughed. “Yes! Why not! Yes, I will marry you!”
He knew it was all in fun, but the crowd didn’t, so they went crazy. The owner of the Ba Ba Shack gave out free beers to everyone, and soon the entire street had kissed their cheeks and wished them congratulations.
“You have something.” A woman took one of Tyler’s hands and one of Kayla’s. “Hold onto this. It’s special.” She reached up and pinched Tyler’s cheek. “Be good to her.”
“Ouch. I will, okay.” He winked at Kayla. “Now I feel like we’re doing the annoying part of a wedding receiving line.”
She shook her head. “None of that. This night is about all the fun.”
“You got it.” He held up his hands and bowed to the crowd. “Obrigada.” (thank you.)
“Boa noite.” Kayla waved to everyone.
Then they turned and ran down the street. He led them back toward where they had met. It was getting super late, into the dark hours of night, but he couldn’t let this end, not yet. “Maybe a walk on the beach?”
Her hand squeezed his tightly, and they slowed to a walk. “Yes. That sounds perfect.”
They ran across the busy street and out onto the sand. She slipped off her shoes, “Ooh, the sand feels cool on my toes.”
He joined her, and they made their way closer to the water. The ocean air felt refreshing as it cooled his heated skin, and the sounds of the waves crashing soothed and brought peace. They stood at the edge of the dry sand, where the water creeped up in front of them and raced away over and over again. “Let’s sit.” The beach was empty except for a group further down gathered around a fire.
He pulled her close, put an arm across her back, and they faced the black water. “This has been an incredible day.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “For me too. I should be in bed, preparing for tomorrow, but I don’t want it to end.”
“Shhh. We can’t talk about tomorrow’s responsibilities…” He paused. Should he bring up their possible future? Ask for her number?
She sat up. “You know.” She held out her hands. “Oh gosh. I’m shaking as I think this.”
“Your fear!”
Her nod was slow, hesitant. She turned to look out over the water. “Maybe I’ll just put my feet in.”
He watched her. Did she want to face this? “We’ll be cold.”
She shivered and then turned to him. “How long are you in Rio?”
Yes! He cheered inside. “I was hoping you’d ask that question. I’m here for at least a week, on business.”
Her face lit. “So am I.” She raised an eyebrow. “And the way I see it, you owe me some fear therapy.”
He laughed. “Fear therapy? Is that what we are calling torturing each other with our worst fears?”
“Well, yes. So…” Her eyes held hope and the tiniest flash of insecurity.
“Absolutely. I’m in. I owe you. We will find a time this week to go swimming at night.”
She leaned back into him. “Oh, I’m so relieved. I just couldn’t face that right now.”
His chuckle shook them both. “Let’s talk. When you were little, where did you see your life going?”
As he sat on the beach, listening to her joke about her girlish dreams, a great satisfaction filled him. On its heels, a hope slid into his heart.
This was a woman he wanted more of in his
life.
Chapter 5
They sat and talked and then walked along the water until the sun peeked up over the horizon. As soon as it did, they headed back up toward the Rua de Provencal.
Standing in front of the wedding dress shop window in the early hours of the morning, she laughed. “I feel like I should thank my friend. I never would have met you if I hadn’t been in that window making a spectacle of myself.”
“A stunning spectacle.” His grin was soft, tired, and warm.
“I can’t believe how comfortable I feel around you.”
“Well, consider all we’ve done tonight.”
“True.” Thinking back over their night, she wanted to tuck it away someplace safe so she could relive it sometime. But the brighter the sky became, the more urgent she felt about heading back to the hotel.
He pulled her close and wrapped her in his arms. “Thank you for this amazing night.” He ran his hands up and down her back, and she wanted to melt into him, stay with him. But she had work to do, so she was the first to pull away.
She stared up into his face. He searched her eyes and ran a thumb down the side of her face, cupping her cheek.
They came together in the intimacy of couples long accustomed. No bumbling searching, no fast rushing, or hesitant exploring. It was as if she knew his mouth as well as she had come to know him. He pulled her closer against him. and their kiss deepened immediately, naturally, as her fingers rose up into his soft curls and pulled him closer until her toes were tingling and her head spinning and he had to hold her up. “Mmm. Kayla. You’re something.” Her shook his head, still a hair’s breadth away.
Her taxi pulled up. He groaned. She wanted to wave the car away and press her lips to his again. But duty called, so they moved apart. “Good night,” she whispered.
He held her hand until she slid her fingers out of his and stepped through the opened car door and sat down before closing the door reluctantly. She watched him out of the window until he was out of sight. Sitting back against the seat, she closed her eyes. She’d never felt so connected to another person.
The Bride's Billionaire Page 3