by Rae, Alicia
My eyes widened fractionally. I’d completely spaced that he had told me a few weeks ago that his birthday was coming up, but he’d never mentioned an actual date.
“Since your eyes nearly bulged out of your head, I take it that he never told you?” Abbey laughed. “I’ll warn you though—he’s not big on celebrating it either.” She sighed, shaking her head.
I raised my brow at her. “He doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday?”
“Nope. He’s just the oddball, I guess,” she chortled.
“Well then, Lily, you’ll have to change that and give him an unforgettable birthday this year. How old is he anyway?” Brooke asked.
“He’s going to be twenty-nine,” I said with a tender smile, remembering that conversation of how he had impishly tried to give me a hard time, lying about his age.
“That’s right,” Abbey said.
“At least he didn’t lie to you about his age. John has been riding the thirty train for three years in a row now.” Brooke snorted as she lifted her beer.
“He did actually,” I admitted.
I laughed softly as Abbey gaped at me, and Brooke burst out into laughter.
“No way! He did?” Brooke finally asked.
“Yep.” I grinned, recalling the way Kyle’s chest had vibrated with laughter when I finally asked him how old he was. My insides swarmed with butterflies at the memory of him gazing into my eyes, running his thumb across my lower lip, and pulling me close against him. “He tried to tell me he was thirty-six.”
It was Abbey’s turn to laugh hysterically. “What gave him away?”
The reminiscence of his sexy dimple that had formed in the corner of his mouth after he said his age flashed through my mind.
“His dimple,” I answered, grinning shyly between Brooke and Abbey.
“Got to love those on a man.” Brooke sighed dreamily.
“Aren’t women the ones who are supposed to lie about their age?” Abbey asked with humor.
“Yep.” I chortled. “But apparently, men do, too.”
“I’ll say,” Brooke said, rolling her eyes playfully. “So, back to Kyle. What are you going to get him for his birthday?” she asked curiously.
“Shit…” I stalled. “I don’t have the slightest clue.”
Brooke and Abbey laughed at me.
“Good luck with that.” Abbey snickered.
In the blink of an eye, my short visit with Brooke was over. I was glad that she had come to visit me. She’d had the chance to be a part of picking out the bridesmaid dresses, and she’d been able to spend time with Abbey before the wedding. The three of us had definitely had some great bonding time over shopping and drinks.
As I lazed on the couch, wrapped in Kyle’s arms, I suddenly wished tomorrow wasn’t Monday already. I wanted to run away and live on an island where neither of us had to work. If only…
“What are you daydreaming about now, beautiful girl?” Kyle asked before leaning forward to kiss the top of my head.
I nuzzled in closer into his chest. “A world where nine-to-five from Monday through Friday doesn’t exist,” I said, voicing my thoughts.
Kyle’s deep chuckle vibrated his chest, and I felt it against my cheek.
“That would be awesome,” he replied, running his hands through my hair that was still damp from our shower. “What would you do with all those extra hours?”
“Spend them like this,” I said softly, reveling in the feel of his warm body beneath mine.
“But then, you’d get bored with me and want to trade me in,” he teased.
I lifted my head, tipping it up, to meet his eyes that were filled with adoration. “Not possible,” I said, shaking my head in disagreement. Then, I grinned, feeling playful. “Unless The Rock or Brad Pitt came along.”
His eyebrows rose with amusement. “Got a thing for older men, do you?” he drawled in a tone full of challenge.
“Oh yeah.” I smirked, wanting to rile him up. “Or—”
Surprising me with his tickling ambush, he cut me off before I could name the rest of my list.
“There’s more?” he asked.
I thrashed around, trying to dodge his efforts but failing miserably. His strength overpowered mine as he flipped me onto my back, and he continued his assault with his body looming over mine.
“Lots!” I squealed loudly, not ready to give up.
“Oh, Lily, you’re asking for it now,” he said in a low and dangerous tone.
He snaked his hands up my side to go for the kill—my armpits.
“No! Okay! You win!” I cried, laughing uncontrollably. “Only you!” I added breathlessly.
He stopped instantly. A wicked grin spread across his features, and I couldn’t help but smile. He was breathtakingly beautiful when he was this carefree.
“That’s more like it,” he breathed heavily. Then, he cupped my face, suddenly turning serious. “When you smile like this,” he added, stroking his thumb over my bottom lip, “and your cheeks flush”—he turned his hand over to caress up my cheek with the backs of his fingers, making my heart stutter in my chest—“your beauty knocks the breath out of me every single time. I’ll never tire of telling you how much I love you.”
It was moments like this—when he left me near speechless with his words—that I knew he loved me as much as I loved him.
“I feel the same way about you,” I whispered, lifting my hands to run them up his shaved face. I could hardly wrap my mind around the fact that he was mine.
Kyle lifted me fluently in his arms, and then he turned toward the direction of our room. He carried me to bed with our lips never breaking contact. His kisses soothed my soul, healing it, and I prayed I was doing the same for his. Deep down inside, I knew that we had more in common than he had yet to tell me.
While making sweet, tender love, I poured all of my strength into him, praying that someday, he would confide in me the way I had in him.
I would never grow to care for Monday mornings, especially ones that involved Kyle leaving for work before I awoke. To top it off, I had awakened early and decided to go for a long run. I tortured my aching muscles as I ran approximately six miles out into the wilderness of Kyle’s backyard.
After not working out in almost a month, I regretted my bright idea about ten minutes in as sweat poured down my face. It was like my body was punishing me for slacking for so long. Harley trotted alongside me, wagging his tail.
Just when I was about to quit and walk back, I played “Scream and Shout” with Will.I.Am’s and Britney Spears, in hopes of bringing my adrenaline up a notch. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt my body kick into gear.
My mind flooded with thoughts as I ate up the miles beneath my feet. I still had no idea what I was going to get Kyle for his birthday. Everything in the house was complete. His garage was fully stocked with toys, and so was his closet.
So, what do I buy for a man who has everything?
This was going to take some serious thought. It was a good thing I had four more days to come up with an excellent plan.
Our wedding was quickly approaching. I felt like we still had so much more to plan, but Brooke had reassured me that everything was set to go. The only things left to check off were finding the perfect wedding ring for Kyle and planning our honeymoon.
There were so many places to choose from. I had no idea where to start. The only part I knew for sure was that our destination was definitely going to include a warm beach.
As a little girl, I had always been fascinated by dreams of traveling the world. I’d spent many hours clipping out pictures of tourist areas, like France and Ireland and Scotland. However, for our honeymoon, Hawaii kept entering my mind at every turn.
I slowed my speed to a jog as the back of the house came into view. My breathing evened out as I made my way to the back door. Once inside, I resisted the urge to sprawl out on the living room floor by striding straight into our bathroom for a shower.
While dressing for the day, I
was quite proud of my early morning accomplishment. After I strode up to the loft, I turned on my laptop and noticed that it was nine o’clock sharp.
My phone beeped next to me, and I glanced down to see a text from Kyle.
Hated leaving you in bed this morning. Makes me want to start our honeymoon early, so I can have you all to myself.
I smiled at my phone, reciprocating his feelings one hundred and ten percent.
Spontaneity is the joy of life. Let’s do it!
I searched for Hawaii tourist information on the Web while I waited for his response.
Don’t tempt me unless you mean it. #neverbackdownfromachallenge
I chuckled at his hashtag. It was an appealing idea, but I knew he had a lot of work to do, and so did I. I typed a quick message.
Two weeks will be here before you know it. In fact, I’m searching Hawaii destinations now. ☺ Any thoughts?
I was nearly drooling over the stunning pictures I found on various sites of beach destinations in Maui, Kauai, and Honolulu. How on earth am I going to choose?
Since Kyle had not texted back, I sent him another message.
Pick one—Maui, Kauai, or Honolulu—or it will take me hours to decide.
I roamed over more images of Kauai, and I found out it had four waterfalls that could be visited.
My phone pinged with Kyle’s reply.
Kauai. Smaller population = I get you to myself. And I heard it’s very tropical = Honeymoonish.
I laughed out loud at his witty text, picturing his expression as if he were in front of me, explaining his reasoning. I quickly wrote him back.
Lily = Sold = Booking now.
I clicked on the third search tab, the Kauai one, and I picked out an all-inclusive package that included airfare, hotel, and a rental car. Breakfast was also provided, so we would only have to worry about lunch and dinner. It even comprised of an hour-long helicopter tour ride of the island.
LOL. Okay. Use the Visa on my office desk.
I raised my brows as I replied.
You paid for the wedding. Honeymoon = My treat.
I had a feeling that he was totally not going to like my response, but I felt like I should pay for something since he had covered all the other costs up to this point. After selling my parents’ house, I was fortunate enough to have extra money to contribute. Convinced, I entered my credit card info and clicked Submit before he could argue.
My phone chimed half a second later.
Use the Visa. End of discussion. Or you’ll be in HEAPS of trouble.
Oh shit…heaps?
And he’d used all caps. That could not be good. I would just have to make him see my reasoning when he came home later.
Thinking now would be a perfect time to get started with work and pretend I’m outrageously busy, I settled in for a full day of writing in my cozy bay window, surrounded by blankets, with the sun shining in.
I set my mind free and wrote a whole chapter by lunch. Shockingly, Kyle had not texted me back. That either meant he was distracted with work, or I was going to be in heaps of trouble. I guessed I would find out in about five hours when he strolled in the door after work tonight.
After lunch, I got back to it, writing almost a whole other chapter. This one was longer than the last because I added in three new characters, and I was also carefully setting up my plot for the climax that would be revealed later in the story. Everything was coming together perfectly, just as I’d envisioned it in my mind.
It was tough sometimes because my mind would want to lay out the story much faster than my fingers could type. I always worried that I would forget something, but I would sigh in relief when the story pulled together at the end.
Without any interruptions, I was able to finish writing by four in the afternoon. Then, I went back to the beginning of my day’s work to read through what I’d written, so I could make sure my story flowed smoothly, and there were no gaps or confusing parts.
I did not look at the clock again until I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I turned my head to see Kyle breeze into the room, looking mighty fine in his work clothes. Today, he was dressed in a black dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up. I was now starting to realize that cuffed shirtsleeves were a recurring theme for him, and I had no complaints about it. He had on light khakis that hugged his hips and black leather dress shoes.
After my eyes slowly made their way up to meet his eyes, I took in his heated stare. Oh my, this could go good or bad very quickly. My pulse started to thrum harder in my veins. Trying to gauge his mood, I smiled nervously as I watched him walk over to the chair positioned across from the bay window. He wordlessly sat back and crossed his right leg over his left knee.
“Hello,” I said in a quiet voice. I set my laptop down next to me, making sure it was balanced on the large brown throw pillow underneath it.
“Hello,” he purred back while thoughtfully running his fingers across his thumb. His tone was unreadable as his gaze burned into mine.
“How was your day?” I asked sweetly, wanting to make him forget our little misunderstanding that I now knew he was pissed about.
I inwardly debated if I had done the right thing by paying for the honeymoon. Surely, he could not be mad at me for wanting to help pay for a portion of our expenses.
“It started out fine,” he said in a thick tone, “until my very stubborn future wife decided not to text me back…which makes me assume she is insisting on arguing with me over who pays for what.”
Part of me wanted to chuckle. I’m stubborn? The other part wanted to shiver, thrilled by the throaty tone of his voice.
“I-I…” I stumbled over my words and then closed my mouth, only to open it again. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to share the costs.”
“Lily, we’ve been over this in the past. It’s a man’s responsibility to pay the way for his family,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s how I was raised.”
“And you do. You pay for this house, the utilities, our food.” I shrugged. “Is wanting to contribute to our honeymoon all that bad?”
“Yes…I mean, no.” Kyle sighed in exasperation. “I want to take care of you, yet you insist on keeping your independence. I can’t help but feel that there’s a hidden reason behind it.”
So, that’s the underlying root of the problem? Is he still scared that I will leave him?
I stood and walked over to him. His eyes watched my every move, and then his gaze softened as I sat on his lap.
“I’m not going anywhere, if that’s why you’re worried about me wanting my independence,” I said reassuringly, trying to make him understand.
“Then, why won’t you let me take care of you?” he countered.
I could see the pain underneath the angered exterior of his expression.
“I do let you care for me,” I retorted. Then, I realized he would never understand my reasoning until I opened up to him. I let out a troubled sigh. “My father was a very traditional man. He would have wanted to help pay for his daughter’s wedding.” I ignored the heartache that I felt from bringing up the sensitive topic because I needed Kyle to see it from my point of view. “This way, by using a small amount of the money I received from selling my parents’ house, a part of me feels like he will be.”
Kyle’s eyes filled with understanding and compassion. “They are with you, Lily.” His tone was gentle and sincere. “Your mom, dad, and Annie—they will be with you on your wedding day, you know, watching us say our vows from above.”
My eyes moistened, filling with tears of love and sorrow. “I know,” I said, lowering my head against his shoulder. “Sometimes, I just wish things could have been different. It’s hard to accept that I can never change that.” I didn’t want to rehash my past, but at the same time, the words had just slipped out of me, needing to be set free.
He was quiet for a brief moment as he caressed my back, soothing me. “Do you remember me telling you about my friend Colton?” he asked quietly.
&nb
sp; “Yes,” I replied, thinking back to everything he had told me about their time together in the Army. My hand started to make small circles on his chest.
“He died…and it was my fault,” he whispered in a small voice overflowing with anguish.
I inhaled swiftly and then held my breath as the pain in his expression seized my heart.
“It was two and a half years ago. We were on a high-profile mission. It was supposed to be one of Colton’s last before his contract was up. He made the decision not to re-enlist since he had married his high school sweetheart while he was on leave the year before. She was six months pregnant with their first child,” he said in a broken voice, choking off on the last part.
I desperately wanted to look up at him, but I feared he would stop talking, so I continued to caress his chest with my fingertips.
He cleared his throat before continuing. “I had two targets to take out, back-to-back, and so did Colton. Our position only allowed for two men. We had no room for error, or our superiors had told us there was no chance of us both walking out alive,” he said numbly.
“We both successfully hit our first targets. After hitting my second, I noticed instantly that Colton had missed his. I immediately went after his, or he would have been killed on the spot before he had time to reload his ammunition. Since we had different types of weapons, I was able to fire another round faster than Colton. I effectively hit Colton’s target, taking him down, but before I could do a sweep of the area, an unaccounted for fifth enemy appeared out of fucking nowhere.”
Kyle lifted the arm that I was resting on, and he pointed to his side. I knew right away that he was referencing the scar I had asked him about in the past.
“He struck me right here. The bullet went in my bicep and out the other side. I pushed the intense pain out of my mind, knowing we had to stay alive to wait for backup. Colton and I put our backsides together, and with the little surrounding coverage we had, we took out as many of those fuckers as we could. For the next three minutes, Colton and I were under heavy fire until the rest of our men came in by truck with heavy firearms. Air support arrived another eight minutes after that… And by some miracle, we survived.