Chapter Eleven
Hayden marveled at the natural beauty around them.
And beside him.
It’s been years since he’d driven across the island, and though he’d thought he’d be consumed by memories of his visits here with Sophia, instead he was filled with delight at being able to share the sights with Avery.
They’d just started down the winding rainforest road, and already her eyes were bright with wonder. He bit back a smile, knowing how breathtaking this journey could be.
He shifted by her side, grimacing at his clothing. True to his word, Keon had stopped at little shop before starting their adventure. He’d insisted Avery accompanied him into the store to ensure she didn’t leave him stranded in the parking lot. Twenty minutes later, he’d left with a bag of bargain priced clothing. Honestly, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d purchased anything for under a hundred dollars, let alone a full wardrobe.
Avery had stared at him for a long, silent moment when he’d emerged from the changing room transformed. She’d walked away without speaking, which left him wondering if the shift had been approved or not.
But even he could understand that Gucci had no place on the weekend they were embarking on.
Glancing over at her, he saw Avery had her camera out snapping shots as they bounced in the back of the truck.
“Look at that,” she said, pointing at the contrast between the brilliant green of the rainforest and the cerulean blue of the sea crashing below them. Throw in the jagged black lava rocks and their view was just about as picture-perfect as it was possible to get.
“Lovely,” he said, staring at her.
She turned toward him, her camera poised in her hand and a happy smile on her face. It seemed the stunning setting around them had made her forget his unwelcome presence, at least for the moment.
Yes, he shouldn’t have pushed his way into this trip, but she’d become adept in avoiding him this past week.
And being close to her without being with her was starting to drive him mad.
Maybe being on their own, away from the bustle of the hotel, would help him peel away a few more of her protective layers.
“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” she asked.
“No,” he said, not bothering to glance at the scenery around them. With the wind blowing in her dark hair and her eyes alive with joy, she took his breath away without even trying.
“I’ve been around the world,” she said, “but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this. Everyone should move here immediately.”
“The island might get a little overcrowded, don’t you think?”
“I don’t care. This is paradise.”
He caught her hand, running his lips across her knuckles. “Thank you for letting me come with you.”
Her eyes snapped to his, torn from the trees around them. “You’re the boss,” she said, her voice a touch more breathless than it had been a moment before.
“Still,” he said, “seeing this road again will help banish a few ghosts.”
Her fingers tightened on his. “Sophia?”
He nodded, kicking himself for bringing her up.
“Did she like this side of the island? From what you’ve said she doesn’t strike me as a camping sort of girl.”
He laughed at that, imagining his first love in the rustic cabin Avery had rented. “She wasn’t,” he replied. “There’s an expensive hotel in this area, tucked away from the world.”
“Did you ever think about building a second location out here?”
He nodded. “But I decided against it.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t convinced the traffic would be steady enough to justify even a smaller version of one of my hotels. Plus, I didn’t want to be responsible for drawing more and more tourists out here where everything seems so pristine and untouched.”
“A billionaire hotel mogul with a social conscience?” she teased. “I promise to keep your secret.”
He smiled. “Every now and then I can be decent.”
“I’m beginning to get that,” she said, looking away from him.
He studied her averted profile.
“If I were you, I’d do this drive every time I came to the island.”
“I never wanted to see it after my time with Sophia. Whenever I had to personally come here, I spent my time in the hotel and left as soon as I could.”
“It’s a shame,” she said, turning back to him. “Something this amazing shouldn’t be marred by bad memories. The only person who’s missing out is you.”
He reached out, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m beginning to get that,” he said, repeating her own words.
Her wide eyes met his, so many questions swirling in their chocolate depths. How had he ever thought that piercing gaze was plain? Now it featured in his fantasies. He wanted to see her eyes fill with pleasure when he thrust into her.
“You’re making me do things I never thought I would again,” he murmured, his thumb brushing along her jaw.
“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.
“I haven’t decided,” he said honestly. His life had been more comfortable before the gala, of that there was no doubt. But being with Avery was relighting a spark inside him he hadn’t even known was out.
“How do you do it?” he said.
“Do what?” Her gaze was locked on him, ignoring the natural splendor around them.
“Make me forget about everything but you.”
Her lips parted on a surprised gasp. “You’re exaggerating.”
His thumb brushed down her throat, gliding over the soft skin. “I wish I was.”
She watched him, those big eyes wide enough for a man to drown in.
“Why did you run?” he whispered.
She swallowed hard. For a long moment, silence stretched, and he wondered if she would refuse to answer.
“Protection,” she finally said.
He blinked. “What?”
She pulled out of his grasp. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
When she tried to move away from him, he wrapped an arm around her middle to catch her. In the blink of an eye, he had her sitting between his legs, her back pressed to his chest as he wound his arms around her.
“Hayden,” she protested, squirming in his hold.
“Hush,” he whispered in her ear, leaning close enough to let his hot breath tickle her skin. A gratifying shiver shook her body.
“If you won’t talk to me, give me this at least.”
She was stiff in his arms but slowly yielded. “This can’t be comfortable for you,” she said.
He smiled against her hair, breathing in the faint lavender of her shampoo. “Trust me. Having you in my arms is perfection.”
His words weren’t just empty flattery. They were a simple truth that was getting increasingly difficult to ignore.
For the first time, he wondered if his pursuit of Avery would have a higher cost than he’d anticipated.
But even if it did, there was no way he could walk away from her now.
…
Breathe.
She forced herself to focus on the air flowing into her lungs and not the feeling of Hayden’s arms around her.
Hadn’t she been wishing for this her first night here? To watch something amazing while wrapped up in her partner’s arms?
With the dense rainforest around them, this view certainly qualified. But she’d never thought to experience such contentment with Hayden Wexton. Hot sex, sure. Inappropriate innuendos and stolen kisses, absolutely.
But this was something more.
This was something that made her think of a future she’d never have. At least, not with him. A future where she had someone who could be both the man who rocked her world in bed and the one who enjoyed the simple moments of life with her.
Even if Hayden one day decided to settle down, it would never be with me. The harsh thought shr
edded her pleasure, but she refused to shy away from it. Hayden was from a different world. One with Porsches and private jets. If he ever fell in love again, it would be with some socialite or supermodel. It would be with a woman as extraordinary as he was.
Not with someone who like to solve puzzles and lived in a dust-coated apartment.
She felt him press a kiss against her hair and closed her eyes. Even if he didn’t only want her as a temporary fling, they’d never work. It was wrong to delight in his company.
Even if it felt disastrously right.
“There’s a waterfall,” he said, pointing to the left.
“Wow,” she breathed. Water gushed over moss-covered stone to run beneath the bridge they’d just driven over. Grabbing her camera, she angled it up to snap a picture.
“You’ll have more chances,” he said over her shoulder, staring at the miniature shot on her camera’s screen. “If I remember correctly, there are many waterfalls along this road. It’s famous for them.”
“I thought you didn’t know this area well.”
She felt his shrug behind her. “It’s coming back. Really, I shouldn’t have stayed away this long.”
With the lush greenery passing them by, she couldn’t imagine coming to this island and not partaking in all the wonder it had to offer.
“You’ll have remember that in the future,” she said. “Maybe there will be happier memories to overlay the bad.”
He stiffened behind her before letting out a brittle laugh. “What a good idea.” His arms tightened around her. “Going to help me banish my past? I’ve got a few suggestions about where we can start.”
Instead of getting annoyed, she chuckled at his teasing. “I’m sure they’re scandalous.”
“All my best ideas are,” he whispered in her ear.
She leaned her head back against his shoulder, his breath playing across her throat. “Not that I’d ever agree, but if I did, do you really think it’d help?”
He nuzzled her neck. “I don’t know. You’re more an expert in heartbreak than I am. What helped you move on from your ex-husband?”
You.
A damning truth she could never speak aloud.
“It took a long time,” she said. “At first it was like living in a dream. Not a good one. A piece of me was missing, and nothing I did would fill that hole.”
He hissed softly against her hair. “But you’d try. Hoping that you’d find the right ingredient, the right experience to make you whole again.”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes. “There’s no timeline to heal a hurt like that. Some people take years. Others, decades.”
Like he had.
“Some, lifetimes.” His voice was serious, no hint of his usual teasing self.
“It won’t take that long for you,” she said, her voice soft.
“How do you know?”
Because you have so much to give. When you find the right woman, you’ll make her the center of your world.
“I just know,” she said. “Trust me.”
His lips caressed the shell of her ear. “That request is mutual.”
Trust him.
She wanted to. Their foreplay in his suite had accomplished exactly what he’d wanted it to. He’d proven he was more than player bent on one goal. He wanted more from her. Wanted her to trust him. Believe in him.
And God help her, she was starting to think she did.
“I can be what you need, Avery,” he said into her ear. “You know I can.”
For a finite number of days and no more.
“Enjoy the view,” she said instead of answering.
His chuckles caressed her skin. “All right. But you and I both know as incredible as the forest is, it’s not the sight I most want to see.”
She bit her lip. No. Nor was it the image that haunted her dreams.
Temptation is hard to resist for a reason.
This weekend was going to be one long test of her willpower.
Chapter Twelve
“This isn’t quite what I expected,” Avery said, taking in the old wooden cabin nestled in the national park. A string of them lined the cliff’s edge, surrounded by enough forest to provide privacy from their neighbors.
“The perpetual planner didn’t do her due diligence?” Hayden teased, jumping from the back of the truck.
She followed him down, walking up the small porch as he and Keon began unloading their supplies.
Typing her code into the keypad lock, she stepped inside her weekend home.
A basic kitchen with a sink and fridge greeted her. Two twin beds filled the living room space, both stripped of any bedding. Further inspection revealed another room with bunk beds and a bathroom with a simple shower she wasn’t sure she’d trust enough to use.
At least there are two rooms to sleep in. I’ll take a bunk bed and leave him the outer space.
That was the safest course.
Hearing the men in the kitchen, she left the secondary rooms and went to help them bring in the food and bedding equipment.
“I think that’s everything,” Keon said when they’d unloaded the last cooler from the truck. “Is there anything else you need?”
“We’re good,” Hayden said. “Where are you staying for the night?”
“I’ve got some family to visit nearby,” he replied. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Excellent.” Hayden handed over some money for a tip. “Enjoy your evening.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow to drive you to the hotel,” Keon promised. “You’ve got my number if you need anything.”
“We’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Thank you for the scenic drive.”
With a last nod, Keon got back into the truck and backed out of the small drive.
Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she watched him go.
“So,” she said, turning to her only companion. “What now?”
There was no ignoring the heat that flared in his eyes. “How about we push those twin beds together and I spent the next two days making you scream my name?”
Her mouth went dry. “Is there a second option?”
“You make me scream your name?”
“How about a third option?”
He released a dramatic sigh. “Well then, I suppose we could use what’s left of the sunlight to hike over to the cliffs and see the waves.”
“Great,” she said. “Let me change into running shoes.”
Hayden waited patiently as she changed into appropriate hiking gear and tied her hair back in a ponytail.
“Lead on,” she said, emerging from the cabin.
“The ocean is that way,” he said, pointing to a section of the forest. “Let’s go.”
He caught her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world and tugged her forward.
She followed, dried palm branches crunching under their feet. Jon had never been a fan of hand-holding. Or of any PDA, now that she thought about it. But having Hayden’s fingers wrapped around hers wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. Instead she traipsed along, enjoying the contact as they wandered toward the increasingly loud sound of crashing waves.
They broke free of the tree line to emerge on the top of a black lava cliff.
“Wow,” she said, breathing in the salty sea air.
Waves thundered against the cliff face as the rays of the setting sun stained the sky. Even Hayden was silenced by the sight. Without a word, he led her forward to the edge of the rocks to get a better view of the coastline.
Avery stared down at the white churning water, noting danger when she saw it. This would be a very bad place to lose her footing. Her hand tightened on his, and Hayden pulled her closer to his side, sliding an arm around her waist.
“I’ve only seen this once,” he said, staring out to sea.
“Last time?” she asked. There was magic in the air here. She couldn’t imagine not wanting to see it again.
“I came with Sophia to do a day trip. There was no way I’d have ever go
tten her to stay in one of the cabins, but this park had been recommended so I wanted to check it out.” He glanced down the coast. “There’s a black sand beach that way,” he pointed. “She refused to go in the water, of course.”
Avery frowned. “What did you see in her?”
“Nothing real, as it turns out.”
She ran her fingers along the back of his hand. “We all make mistakes.”
“Mm,” he said, pressing his lips against her hair. “Still count me as one of them?”
A half smile tipped her mouth. “I’m undecided.”
“Anything I can do to tip the scales in my favor?” he asked.
“The top of a cliff is not the best place to play around. Just saying.”
“You make me forget myself,” he said smoothly.
She huffed out a laugh. “Just watch the sunset.”
Relaxing back against him, she took in the sweeping panorama. How was she ever going to leave this place?
It’s not just the views you’re going to miss.
Her fingers drifted along Hayden’s sun-warmed skin. Karen would have a fit laughing if she knew Avery had ended up stuck in a remote cabin with the man she was avoiding. But right now she couldn’t summon the energy to worry. For once, they stood together in companionable silence, and she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
Tilting her head back, she glanced up at her partner. He stared at the ocean with a frown, his expression distant.
“You okay?” she asked.
He blinked, looking down at her. “Lost in thought.”
She swallowed, not needing to be a mind reader to guess what he was thinking about. “Do you still miss her?”
“Sophia?” he snorted. “Not anymore.”
“Did you see her after you parted ways?”
He shook his head. “I’d never want to.”
She chewed on her lips. “I haven’t seen Jon since we signed the papers. The first few months of our divorce he used to call whenever he was drinking. Beg me to return. I’m sure you know the drill.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No,” she said, shifting to face forward again. “I was a different person by the time we were over.”
The Billionaire's Paradise (Sexy Billionaires) Page 11