Freedom_A Captivating and consuming contemporary romance

by J Grayland

  Within the hour I was dressed in shorts and a light long sleeved shirt and sitting in his SUV. We had been driving for about an hour and I was busy taking in the different scenery until he broke the silence. “You’re very quiet.”

  “Sorry, I guess I prefer to concentrate on the view more than having a heart attack watching you driving on the wrong side of the road.” I smiled at him and he chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it would seem weird to you.”

  “Weird is an understatement,” I said shaking my head.

  “You know you should do that more often,” he said softly.

  “What?”

  “Smile.”

  I felt a slight flush of heat across my cheeks. “I'm trying,” I said thoughtfully.

  “Do you like the beach?” he asked glancing quickly from the road to me.

  “I love it; I was in the little nippers growing up.” He gave me a puzzled look.

  “What the hell are little nippers?”

  “It's surf lifeguard training for kids, It teaches children water safety and confidence, and educates them I guess, on how to read the unpredictability of the ocean.”

  “And what about you?” Nate asks.

  “I used to live close to the beach so I did it until I was maybe eleven or so.”

  “Then you will love where we're going, the beach there is phenomenal.” I smiled again at him, then leaned my head back against the headrest and went back to watching the scenery outside.

  When we pulled off the main road onto a series of winding roads, I could smell the salty ocean on the breeze that was now drifting through the window. We turned into what looked like a driveway that wound its way along until a beautiful two-storey white house came into view, and behind it sat a backdrop of the wide expanse of the ocean. It looked like something out of a photo journal. I let out a small gasp. “ Wow! This is beyond words,” I said looking at Nate.

  “I told you it was.” He said smiling and pulling up in front of the house, turned off the engine and got out. Coming around, he opened my door and I slid out onto the gravel path, then he reached into the back seat and pulled out our bags. With his hand gently touching my lower back, he guided me towards the front door where, as soon as we put a foot on the bottom step, it opened wide and there stood Paxton dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. “Hey,” he said ushering us inside and closing the door. “How was the drive?” he asked looking at me.

  “Great, your home is beautiful Paxton.”

  “Well thank you, come on in and make yourself at home, Lynda's just in the kitchen getting us some lunch.” Once again I felt Nate's hand, warm on my lower back, as he guided me down a long hallway into a huge kitchen where at the bench cutting up lettuce was a petite slim woman with dark blonde hair cut into a pixie style. When she looked up, her green eyes sparkled, and she broke into a huge warm smile. “Hi guys,” she said, leaving the knife she was using on the bench and wiping her hands on a towel.

  When she came from behind the kitchen bench she was wearing a light yellow summer dress that flowed over her bulging belly. She came over and gave Nate a hug. “How's that baby cooking?” he said patting her belly.

  “Oh, it’s still got a bit longer to spend in the oven yet,” she said rubbing her belly. Turning towards me Nate said. “Lynda this is Casey,” I held out my hand and she took it in a warm embrace placing her other hand on top. “It's so lovely to meet you, Casey.”

  “You too, and thank you for inviting me to your home,” I said smiling at her.

  “Oh, my what a beautiful accent Paxton told me you're from Australia?”

  “Yes, Sydney.”

  “How exciting. I hope you’re not going to mind me talking your ear off and asking lots of questions?”

  “Not at all.” I smiled at her enthusiasm.

  Paxton stood at the fridge. “Wanna beer?” he asked Nate and at his nod, he grabbed a couple of bottles out. “Casey?” He held up a bottle towards me, but before I could decline, Nate said: “Better not Paxton, the Doc is a bit of a lightweight where alcohol is concerned.” I just looked at him and shook my head with a smile, then said to Paxton, “No thank you, as your brother has so nicely pointed out I'm not much of a drinker.” The two brothers opened their beers and walked out onto the back porch, looking at Lynda I asked.

  “Do you need any help with lunch?” I asked Lynda.

  “Nooo, I'm almost done, you go follow the guys and have a look around and please make your self right at home,” smiling at her I went out to where Nate and Paxton sat in two easy chairs enjoying their beers. There was a long wooden deck that ran the full length of the house, with chairs scattered along it and right in front of where I stood was the best sight I have seen for months, four wooden stairs led down onto the huge expanse of white sand, and out towards the crystal blue ocean. The swell wasn't big, but the white foamy waves crashing into the shore made me feel like I was home.

  Chapter Twenty

  Nate

  Watching Casey completely at ease while we shared lunch with my family had me mesmerized; from her infectious laugh and wide smile to her easy flowing conversation. As we sat out on the back porch enjoying the beautiful ocean view, she looked more relaxed than she had done in days. Looks like my little brother was on the right road when he suggested this weekend. I will have to make sure to thank him later.

  Lynda bombarded Casey with questions about Australia all through the meal and Casey looked like she was enjoying talking about her home country, between nibbling on her lunch and occasionally taking time to gaze out into the ocean. When we finished eating she insisted on helping Lynda with the dishes and I could still hear them talking away in the kitchen while us men were politely told to sit and relax. Taking a pull of my beer, I nodded to the kitchen, “Looks like they’re getting along well.”

  “Yeah, I know, see I told you this was a good idea.” Paxton grinned.

  “I know, I know, smart ass,” I said and Paxton snorted.

  “Told you I was the brains in the family.”

  “Yep, you’re a legend in your own mind.” I smiled back at him.

  After several minutes pause, Paxton spoke again “Nate?”

  “Hmm” I hummed swallowing the rest of my beer.

  “If I ask you something, will you keep your cool?” Giving him a curious look, I gave him a nod to continue. “She's more to you than a job isn't she?” Leaning forward in my chair, I ran my hand down my face.

  “Honestly? I'm torn, there's definitely some kind of chemistry there.”

  “Well she is living in your Penthouse, and she's certainly a beautiful smart woman.”

  “You know what I'm like with women Paxton, I'm lucky if I have the same woman in my bed twice, it's always been just sex, but with her...” I shake my head, not knowing what the hell I’m feeling.

  “Remember Nate, you do like to protect, it's in your nature.” Paxton shrugged.

  “I know but this is beyond just protecting her I can't seem to get her out of my head and the thoughts are so consuming.”

  “So do you think she has any idea about how you’re feeling?” Paxton asked. Shaking my head, with a grunt, I said, “Not exactly, she's not an easy person to talk to, although saying that we did manage to have a conversation last night without it getting out of hand.”

  “What do you mean?” he asks, brows furrowed.

  “I don't know, sometimes we can talk and she seems like she's opening up and relaxing, joking around then Boom! all of a sudden it's like the shutters come down on the conversation and she closes off.”

  “There must be some reason behind it though Nate I mean we don’t know much about her but what we do know doesn’t look great.”

  “She has nightmares as well, bad ones,” I tell him.

  “Shit Nate.”

  “I know, someone or something hurt her Paxton, and I want to know who and why?” I say absently peeling the label off my beer.

  “Well hopefully we'll get some more insight this week and as soon as P
eterson steps one foot back in the U.S we'll know.”

  “Good, I want a piece of that prick first,” I growled.

  “Don't worry you will, served on a platter” he grinned.

  Coming out of Paxton's home office later that afternoon after finalizing the club contract, Lynda was relaxing on the couch with her feet up. “How are you doing?” I ask her.

  “I'm good, I just get tired quickly.” She sighed.

  “Well you are carrying a whole new person in there,” I nodded towards her belly.

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Where's Casey?” I said looking around.

  “Oh, she changed and went down to the beach. She is so fascinating to talk to Nate”

  “Yes, she is, and I'm sure the topic for the day was babies?.” I quirked an eyebrow at Lynda.

  “Some, but not much I got the feeling it was an uncomfortable subject for her to talk about.”

  “What makes you think that?” I said curiously.

  “I don't know, just a feeling I guess.”

  “Well I'll let you get some rest and I’ll go check on Casey.” As I turned to leave, Lynda spoke “Nate? I like her she’s a good person” I gave her a smile before making my way to the porch and down the stairs onto the sand. Pulling out my sunglasses and slipping them on to block out the glare from the afternoon sun, I scan the beach and see her standing at the water’s edge, looking down at her feet, as the water runs over them. I lower myself into one of the sun lounges that sits just at the bottom of the deck and put my arms behind my head, which brings my head up enough so that I can see her without her knowing. She stands looking out into the horizon. Her hair moves in the gentle ocean breeze, her white peasant shirt hanging low on one side where one shoulder peaks out. She’s wearing a short pair of denim shorts that show off a pair of long, lean, tanned legs. She is exquisite to watch as she slowly walks down the beach a little then stops again, concentrating on making circles in the wet sand with her toes. She looks so deep in thought and I want into those thoughts, I want to know everything about her.

  I see her fiddling with the front of her shorts and she bends slightly and slips them down her legs and tosses them behind her on the sand. She's wearing a one-piece black swimsuit that molds to her perfect ass. Grabbing the bottom of her shirt she lifts it up over her head and it joins her shorts on the sand behind her. Casey adjusts the thin straps of the top of the suit. Its low cut at the front, showing the top of those perfect breasts and cut even lower in the back. And then I see it. Pulling my glasses up to the top of my head, I sit up quickly and squint my eyes to clear my vision. Getting up I start to walk closer to her. I need to see what I think I am seeing. As I get closer to her it comes into clearer view. On the left side of her back, starting down near her hip is a huge tattoo. It's a tree done in black ink, an old weathered looking tree with branches that reach out towards her left shoulder and the leaves at the tips are blowing away on the wind; then the leaves slowly turn into blackbirds that end up on her right shoulder. As she turns to walk into the surf, I can also see some script written along her ribs. “Holy shit Doc, you certainly are an enigma, who would have known it,” I say to myself as I watch her dive into a wave and come up on the other side, wiping her now wet hair away from her face. With long graceful strokes, she starts to swim through the water with ease. I stand and watch her for a while until she looks at me and smiles.

  Going back up into the house, I grab a towel, then walk back to meet her as she walks through the waves and back onto the shore. She stands in front of me and I wrap the towel around her shoulders and briskly rub her back as she shivers from the now cool air. “Thanks.”

  “How's the water?”

  “Exhilarating” she breathes picking up her clothes from the sand. I want to ask her about the ink on her back but at this moment she looks so relaxed and sedate that I don't want to push her. We walk back up to the house and sit on the steps while she dries herself off and slips her shirt back on. “Thank you for bringing me here Nate, the beach, your family, it's been...wonderful.”

  “I'm glad,” I smile as I slide the back of my fingers across her cheek. “I like to see you smile,” I say in a low voice, as I move a lock of wet hair away from her eyes and tuck it behind her ear, letting the pad of my index finger stroke from the lobe down her neck. I see her eyes close and her head tilt to one side as my finger stops at the pulse at her throat and I am hypnotized by the thumping beat under my touch. Slowly I move my hand up and cup one side of her face and she leans into my palm, her own hand moves on top of mine, it's so soft and warm, then her eyes flutter open and look straight into mine. “Nate, we can't,” she whispers.

  “You know there's something between us, you just have to let me in.”

  “It's not that simple....you're a good man Nate and I'm not… good.” She shakes her head and gently removes my hand from her face. “This,” she motions between me and her with a hand, “Can't work...ever, I can't give you what you want Nate. I'm....broken. unfixable.”

  “Nothing is unfixable, you just have to want to fix it baby,” I say.

  “Oh, I've tried, for years Nate... but I don't want to hurt you.” She looks down at her hands now twisting in her lap. I tilt her chin up so she has to give me back those eyes. There is so much pain behind them, it makes my chest ache.

  “You won't hurt me and I promise I will not hurt you; just..don't shut me out okay?” Her eyes search mine as she chews on her bottom lip, and then she gives me a nod. I lean in and give her a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, then stand up pulling her with me. “Now let's get you inside and dry”.

  That night I lay in my bed knowing that she is laying in a bed just on the other side of the wall next to me. Images invade my mind of her walking along the beach, her beautiful blonde hair moving in the breeze and that moment when she looks up and notices that I’m watching her. My heart shifts into overdrive and starts pounding out of my chest as I take in her beautiful smile. "Holy fuck, what am I doing? Why the hell am I pursuing this woman? She has me so tangled up she’s invading my sleep now. I keep trying to keep the relationship straight in my head, trying to win her trust, to protect her but its bull- shit. That will never be enough, she’s got under my skin and I want to touch her, taste her, I want to be inside of her." “Fuck,” I let out a low curse into the night and try to adjust the painful ache between my legs enough so I can get some sleep.

  Coming down to the kitchen the next morning I grab myself a cup of coffee and join Paxton in his office. “Morning,” I said, flopping on to the leather couch in the corner of the room. “Hey,” Paxton continued looking through some papers in his hand. “Where are the women?” I asked him.

  “They went for a walk along the beach before you leave.” He said briefly looking up.

  “They've gotten along really well this weekend.”

  “Yeah, Lynda has loved the company and it looks like Casey enjoyed it too.” He said with a smile.

  “Yeah, she did relax a lot more being here.”

  “So, did you manage to talk to her about... you know her history?”

  Shaking my head I said, “Nothing much different than what we already know.”

  “Well, I did get a call from my contact early this morning. He's following a lead and thinks he should have something soon.”

  “Great, because I don't think Casey is going to give us any more than what she already has, whatever she's hiding I think she's been doing it for so long she's become an expert.”

  “Do you have any ideas?” Paxton asks.

  “Some, but I'm hoping I'm fucking wrong Paxton,” I said shaking my head.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “With her body language, nightmares, the defensiveness, and Paxton, she has a big ass tattoo on her back and it spells out pain and lots of it.”

  “Fuck Nate.” Paxton’s eyes narrow at my words.

  “I know, let's not go there until we have more information ok?”

  “Sure thing�
� he nodded.

  The drive back to the city was a quiet one. Casey didn't say much at all, just concentrated on looking out the window until she fell into a light sleep, her head pressed against the headrest, her lips slightly parted. I could hear her softly breathing, and while I drove I couldn't help but keep taking glances at her perfect sleeping form and thought to myself that I will be bringing her to the beach more often if it makes her this relaxed and peaceful.

  Its late by the time we get back and as soon as we hit the Penthouse Casey, walks up to her room and I hear the shower turn on. Grabbing myself a glass from the bar, I fill it with two fingers of scotch and take it into my office to check my emails and messages when my phone pings with a text. Looking at the screen, it's from Paxton. Sliding my thumb across the screen to open it, I read, "A little bird just informed me that Peterson will be back in his office tomorrow around 10 am." I type back to him, "He's mine." My phone pings again with "be careful bro." "Always." Throwing back the remains of scotch, I take the stairs two at a time up to my room. Looking over I see the guest room door slightly open and Casey in bed.

  I'm up early and leave before Casey even wakes. I need to pick up some paperwork from my office, then I plan on heading over to Petersons. I want this fucker before he disappears again. I sit in my SUV, sipping on my coffee, while I watch the front of his building, scanning who goes in and who comes out for what turned out to be a good couple of hours. Then I see him exiting a cab, short balding little bastard in his Navy Armani, and now at least I have some idea of how he can afford such an expensive suit. I wait until he enters the building, then I follow. Checking the board, I see his name and floor number and take the elevator up. The doors open out into an office, with modern furnishings. One wall to the right has IMA in huge red letters on a white background with a desk in front of it, and an older looking petite woman sitting behind it. I look at her, then turn my head and look at the double wooden doors to the left-hand side, that I presume is Peterson's office. I look back at the secretary. “Can I help you sir?” she asks.