by Aurora, Lexi
Only after he was gone did she wonder if she would see him again. She was sad she hadn’t asked him. She missed him already.
Kim could hear someone knocking at the front door of the store. She went out to check, and there was Debra.
“Sorry I took so long,” she said after Kim let her in. “Some small thing with Robert’s hotel in Tokyo. But it’s all sorted.” She looked at the blue dress Kim was wearing. “Well, that certainly suits you.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course, you must take it. You look stunning.”
“Okay, let me go back in and change and we can be off.”
Kim put her top and shorts back on. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips red from kissing and Robert sucking them. Her hair was mussed, and her eyes were sparkling. She looked like a changed woman, but then how could she not be after what she’d just done? She was embarrassed to think Debra had noticed. She wondered what she was thinking.
She sheepishly came out of the fitting room, and Debra was waiting. She took the dress from Kim’s hands and packed it tidily in a box and slipped it into a shopping bag.
“So how much is it?” Kim asked.
“Oh no, it’s part of the trip, remember? All expenses paid,” Debra said.
Kim smiled. Robert again, she thought. Always Robert.
They left the store and headed back to the mansion. They were silent for quite some time. Kim was still embarrassed Debra saw her so flushed and happy.
“I think,” Debra said, trying to break the awkwardness between them, “people often see the wrong side of Mr. Miller. He’s really not the person he pretends to be. I think sometimes even he’s not aware of that. You know, I’ve known him since he was a young boy.”
“Really?” Kim asked, suddenly very intrigued. “What was he like?”
“He was such a good child. His mother often said how lucky they were to have him. He was brilliant in school, always well behaved and so loving. He adored his parents as much as they adored him. Even in those awkward teen years, he was never embarrassed to kiss his mother and father when they arrived for a visit at his boarding school, even in front of his friends. Love was more important than anything else, even his ego.”
“He must have been devastated when his parents died if they were so close,” Kim said.
“He still is. It knocked him so off track; it’s hard for him to find his way anymore. This is why he does all of the things that he does. All of his wild parties for days, even weeks, on end. His drinking and casual relationships with women. He’s been so lost, and he’s been in so much pain. It’s been difficult for me to watch. I care about him quite a bit.”
Kim could see how much Debra cared about Robert. She felt horrible hearing all of this, and she began to cry. She could feel the pain young Robert must have felt when he was told the two people he loved most in the world were gone in an instant. That he was now all alone in the world.
“You know, it’s easy to judge people,” Kim said. “A person could look at Robert and see him for this superficial rich kid. He told me how he wasn’t happy, and I thought he was being selfish or making fun of me and my scrimping, always-having-to-work life. He made me angry when he said all of that. Now I feel bad when you’re telling me this, Debra. I kept pushing him away, sure we were just too different, that we could never be together. ”
“All of us judge others by what we see, by what we know from our own lives. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re only human,” Debra said.
Kim smiled. “Despite how I’ve been behaving, I do care about Robert.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Kim. I need to confide in you. Him meeting you has been the only thing in these last three years that has given me any hope that Robert can be saved before it’s too late. Despite what you think, you have been good for him, and I’m happy about that.”
“But, Debra, even you can see we’re so different from each other. How could it ever work?”
“Don’t be deceived by what Robert shows the world. Robert’s parents came from a similar background as yours. They were working-class people who were very successful. Robert always respected that about them, immensely. You’re not some odd anomaly that he’s toying with to waste some time. You’re the sort of person he respects the most. And I can assure you, his feelings are real. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Kim, Robert is in love with you, desperately in love with you. You should not doubt that. I knew it as soon as he met you. I could see the change in him. He might not have known for some time, but I knew.”
Kim looked out at the passing scenery, the ocean in the distance, the banana trees in long lines. She felt bad for what she had put Robert through, how she had judged his behavior and used that to push him away. But did we always behave as our hearts and our real honest spirit wanted us to? Of course not—she knew that as well as anyone. She had been running away from the best man she had ever met when her heart told her she should be running to him.
They pulled up at the mansion. Kim could see her mother and Derek attempting to play tennis with the butler, Jorell, and Garon, who had developed an attachment to her son. It looked more a game of chasing after the ball than one of proper tennis, but even from this distance Kim could see all of them were laughing.
“I like you, Kim,” Debra said. “I think your mother is great, and Derek, well, I think everyone in this house has fallen in love with your adorable son.” Debra watched the tennis court with Kim. “Maybe this time, with Robert, I mean, you can risk it a bit. You can let him into your heart. I know your ex-husband has made you frightened of men, but I’m telling you honestly, Robert is one of the good guys. Give him a chance.”
Chapter 19
It was their last day on the island, and Kim felt quite sad about that. Going back to her normal life in Chicago seemed like such drudgery after the magical vacation they’d had. She lay in bed thinking about the week, but mostly about Robert. There was a knock at the door.
“Come in!” she said.
It was Jorell. “I have a note for you, madam.”
He brought her the note on a small silver tray.
Kim,
Would you and your family agree to spend the day with me? I would love to get to know them.
Robert.
Jorell stood at attention, apparently waiting for an answer.
“Tell him yes,” Kim said.
“I will, madam. Sir says you should meet him at the pier after breakfast.”
Jorell left and Kim quickly got dressed and explained the plan to her mother and Derek as they ate.
“Great!” Kim’s mother said. “I need to thank this man. I’m really looking forward to meeting him!”
“Does it mean we’re going out on the boat again?” Derek asked.
“I think it does since we’re meant to meet him at the pier, D,” Kim said.
“Yay! I hope the dolphins come out again. When I grow up, I’m going to be a boat driver just like Garon,” Derek said.
“I thought you wanted to be a builder and build tall buildings,” Kim’s mother asked.
“I changed my mind,” Derek said, and they all laughed.
***
At the pier, they found Robert waiting for them. Kim was surprised to see how nervous he was. He was pacing back and forth and wringing his hands.
“Hi, Robert, I’d like to introduce you to my mother, Abigail Davidson,” Kim said.
Robert held out his hand to shake Kim’s mother’s hand, but her mother ignored it and gave him a big hug.
“You call me Abby. All of my friends call me Abby. You’ve given us all something real special with this trip, Robby. Thanks a million! A million times a million.”
Robert was taken aback by her mother’s enthusiasm. Kim could see he was slightly knocked off-kilter. “I… My mother used to call me Robby,” he said.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” Kim’s mother said.
“No,” Rober
t insisted. “No, not at all. It’s nice actually. I miss that.”
“And this handsome young man is my son, Derek,” Kim said, pushing Derek toward Robert.
Robert shook his hand. “I’ve really been looking forward to meeting you, Derek,” Robert said. “Your mother has told me so much about you.”
“Are we going out on the boat?” Derek asked.
“Yes,” Robert said.
“Where’s Garon?”
“I’m going to be the captain today,” Robert said.
“You know how to drive a boat?” Derek asked, suitably impressed.
“Yes, I do. Do you want me to teach you?” Robert asked him.
Derek looked at Kim, not believing his luck. She nodded her head to let him know that yes indeed his wish had just come true.
“Yes! Yes, I would love to learn to drive the boat!” Derek said.
“Then we better get going,” Robert said.
They climbed on board and headed out to sea. Every day in the Caribbean seemed to be more beautiful than the one before. The temperature was perfect with a cool breeze and only a few fluffy cotton clouds in the sky. Kim’s mother made herself comfortable in one of the loungers on the back deck, and Kim and Derek joined Robert on the bridge.
“Okay, hold here, Derek.” Robert had Derek sitting in the captain’s chair. He placed his small hands on each side of the boat wheel. “There you go. You’ve got it! Now you drive. I need to rest.”
Robert sat down next to Kim to the side of Derek. There wasn’t much he could do wrong since they were in open water.
“You’re great with him,” Kim said.
“He’s a great kid. And I think I’ve fallen in love with your mother,” Robert said, smiling.
“She’s your number one fan.” Kim liked the Robert she saw today. He seemed in his element. After his initial nerves about meeting her family, he relaxed and was just a down-to-earth guy. “Thanks for this. Thanks for all of this.”
Robert sneaked a look at Derek to see he was concentrating on the front of the boat and then turned back to Kim and kissed her.
“No, thank you,” he said. “You don’t know how much this day means to me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with people like you and your little family. Genuine, honest people.”
Robert helped Derek steer the boat near the shore of a small island. It was too small for any habitation, but there was a pier. They docked and disembarked. Robert and Kim carried their picnic lunch to the beach, while Kim’s mother brought her lounger, and Derek got the snorkel equipment and his shovel and bucket. He and Robert made plans to build an exact replica of Chicago in the sand.
They ate their lunch on a huge blanket spread out on the beach. Kim’s mother took a nap in the shade, and Derek got to work on his sand Chicago, while Robert and Kim sipped a glass of wine.
“We leave tomorrow,” Kim said. “It’s gonna be hard going back to my ordinary life after all of this. We’ve been spoiled here.”
Robert took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it. “You deserve to be spoiled every day.”
Derek ran up to them. “Look! The dolphins are waiting for us.”
Kim could see a pod of dolphins swimming around the end of the pier. She woke her mother up, and they all collected their snorkeling gear and headed out. They swam with the dolphins until the dolphins swam off to their own life farther out in the sea.
Kim could see Derek was getting tired and it was getting late. The staff at the mansion had told her they wanted to plan a special last night dinner.
“I think we ought to be heading back,” Kim said.
“Okay. I’ve got a few things to take care of before tonight anyway,” Robert said.
“A few things to take care of? You’re being very secretive,” Kim teased.
Robert laughed and kissed her on the nose. “Maybe I am. You’ll see.”
Robert helped Derek into the boat, and Kim went back to help her mother collect the rest of their things.
“I like him,” she said to Kim. “I like him a lot.”
“Really?” Kim asked. It meant so much to her if her mother liked Robert. She always got it right. Her first impressions were always spot-on. She hated Bruce the first time she met him, but unfortunately Kim had not listened to her. But Kim was old enough now to recognize her mother’s wisdom on such things.
“Yep. He’s a good one, Kimmy. We had a little talk, he and I.”
“About what?” Kim asked, very curious.
“You’ll see,” her mother said and then walked toward the boat.
Chapter 20
Kim took her time getting ready. It was their last dinner on the island, and she wanted it to be a celebration. Many things had changed for her over this amazing week, and she wanted to celebrate that. She wasn’t sure if Robert would be there. He disappeared once they arrived back at the mansion. She guessed it didn’t matter. They had a lovely day. It would still be a celebration even if it was just the three of them.
She got out of the shower and did her hair. She straightened it and then put it up into a complicated chignon. She put on her new dress from Debra’s friend’s store. She looked at herself in the mirror. Was that the same woman who arrived here? She certainly didn’t look the same. The woman in the mirror looked healthy and happy. The woman in the mirror looked like she hadn’t a problem in the world; she looked carefree. And Kim knew she felt carefree as well. And for once she was not afraid of that.
She applied her makeup carefully, using the lipstick she saved for only the most special occasions. The shade of red brought out the shape of her full lips. When she was finished, she realized she might be late because it was already dark. She put everything away, slipped on her strappy sandals, and headed out the door.
She stopped in the doorway, surprised at what lay ahead of her. In front of her was the beginning of a path of red rose petals. She laughed when she saw them. It was like something out of a fairy tale. But then she remembered— was she not Cinderella to Robert’s Prince Charming? She looked down the hallway and saw they turned at the corner. She closed the door and followed where the rose petal path took her.
Off she went through the house, out the back door, and into the garden. The path took her to the left around a corner with a patch of purple bougainvillea. There was a small table with a white tablecloth. In the center of the table was a velvet box. Kim opened it and there was the tanzanite bracelet from the janitor’s closet. She smiled and took it out of the box. She put it on her wrist and was surprised to see how perfectly the blue in the tanzanite matched the blue of her dress.
She went back to her rose petal journey. It took her across the lawn to the edge of the swimming pool. There was yet another small covered table. In the center was another velvet box she thought looked familiar. She opened it and inside was the necklace with the crystal Cinderella slipper pendant. She fastened the necklace around her neck and continued on her journey.
At the edge of the tennis court, she found the tiny broach with her initials in blue sapphires. Again Kim was surprised how well it matched her dress. It was nearly like this had all been planned long ago. She pinned the broach on her dress and stepped back onto her path.
It took her to the end of the beach around a patch of trees. There she found the professional paint set. She opened the wooden box and lovingly touched the tubes of color inside. What sort of man did this for a woman?
She came around the grove of trees carrying the wooden box with her paints inside, still following the rose petals; she could see the dinner table in the distance. Candles in glass lanterns lit the long table. She could see Derek and her mother standing to one side. Debra was there and the staff from the mansion stood at the far end of the beach.
When she got to the table, she saw why they were all standing and looking near the sea—there was Robert walking toward her. He wore a tuxedo, the same as the one he wore that first night she saw him at the gallery. She couldn’t stop herself from crying, te
ars of happiness.
She loved this man. She could say it now with no fear. She loved Robert and knew that she always would.
She set the paint set down and walked toward him. Before she could reach out for him to take him into her arms, he knelt down on the sand. He held out his hand, and on it was a tiny velvet box, much like the others she’d opened on her journey to this spot. It was open and inside was a ring with one large solitaire diamond—an engagement ring.
“Kim Davidson,” Robert said. “You came into my life when I was in a very dark place and showed me the light. You taught me how to love again, how to respect myself and the people around me. You’re the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I love you today and will love you every day until I die. My Cinderella, would you make me the happiest man in the world and become my wife?”
Kim’s tears poured down her face. Could she do this? Could she marry this wonderful man? Did she deserve this much happiness? Kim finally knew the answer.
“Yes! Yes, my incredible Prince Charming, I would be honored to be your wife.”
The End
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Dear Readers,
As a gift to you, I have included three bonus short stories and one bonus novella with this book. I love helping other authors by sharing their work – particularly those that are new and up-and-coming. This gives them a good start and gives you, the reader the chance to discover the hottest new author before others.
As always, I welcome letters from readers, so if you have feedback on the main novella or any of the bonus short stories, I’d love to hear from you---what did you love? What did you not love? What do you want to read more of?
Let me know at [email protected] Enjoy your day and remember: sexy is a state of mind.
Love,
Lexi
Bonus Stories
Contemporary Billionaire Short Stories
Sugar for the Billionaire