“You said you wanted to start from the beginning and what better way than with what should have been the start of our marriage,” Connor said. Lilly was still unconvinced.
“But a honeymoon?”
“We never actually got to have one the first time around and I think that if we had then maybe things would have been different. We would have connected both physically and emotionally. Think about it. Just the two of us on a beautiful island of paradise,” Connor said persuasively and Lilly could picture it perfectly.
“I’m in!”
Connor already had everything packed and it barely took any time at all for them to get to the airport and on to his private jet. The island was a good ten hours away but it seemed to fly by. Connor immersed himself in work as he cleared the last of his workload while Lilly distracted herself with a good book she’d been meaning to read and several movies.
It seemed barely any time at all before the captain announced that they were landing. Lilly stared out the window as the ocean came in to view and she gasped aloud at the sight of the cool crystal waters below them. It was the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen and she could have sworn that she even saw dolphins gliding through the clear water. A moment later an island appeared and Lilly was equally impressed with that. It was a lot bigger than she’d expected but twice as beautiful as her imagination had conjured up. Beautiful white sand stretched for miles and palm trees towered over it like sentinels guarding the masterpiece. It was an impressive sight from above but even more amazing when Lilly stepped off the plane.
The heat hit her first and for those first few moments it felt stifling but then it seemed to settle around her like a warm cloak and scents assailed her. It seemed incredible that the very air around her could smell so sweet. Given that she had nothing to compare it to she wondered if the very atmosphere of a place felt different in every country or if it was just this paradise of an island.
Connor ushered her to a waiting jeep and it gave Lilly a strange thrill to see her husband looking more like the laid back man that she remembered. He’d insisted that they change before they landed and Lilly was glad of it now. The cool summer dress she wore offered at least some protection from the surrounding heat. It seemed strange to see Connor dressed so casually in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt that should have looked ridiculous but somehow made him look even sexier.
Connor drove and he apparently took the long way round. Lilly couldn’t help but be mesmerised by everything the island had to offer. It’s beauty and peacefulness was the main selling point for her. She didn’t think that she’d ever felt so relaxed in her life. It was as though all her stress and worries had just melted away. It was just her and Connor and the idyllic paradise around them.
‘It’s so beautiful,” she breathed in wonder and Connor slanted a glance her way. He smiled at the look of bliss on her face. He’d known that she would love the place and was glad that he’d decided to do this. When he’d first thought up the idea of taking her on a honeymoon he’d almost rejected it as a stupid plan doomed to failure. But the more he’d thought about it the more some time alone together appealed to him. This was exactly what the two of them needed, some time away from everything where there was just the two of them and al the time in the world to get to know each other all over again. Maybe this was what their marriage had needed from the start but at the time they had been so wrapped up in their own lives and each other that they’d never even thought about going somewhere for a honeymoon. They’d figured they had their whole lives for things like that.
“You’ll love the beach near our lodge. The fish swim about the shallows and if we’re lucky we might see the dolphins,” Connor said and felt a kick in his gut when Lilly turned to him with a wide grin. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her so happy. Actually that was a lie. He could remember all too clearly but he normally chose to forget the memory of their last morning together when they’d still been happy and everything had still been perfect.
“This place is a amazing. Where did you find it?” she asked. She recalled the brochures he had given her but they hadn’t done this place justice at all. She’d assumed from the brochures that it was a popular holiday destination but the place seemed deserted and it seemed to have an untouched quality to it.
“A friend of mine owns it,” Connor said and Lilly stared at him in disbelief.
“He owns a whole island?” she asked. She had almost forgotten how disgustingly rich he was. She should have been more surprised that he wasn’t the one who owned the island.
“He saw an investment opportunity and he took it. He hires out the island to people who want a bit of privacy in an unspoilt setting,” he said.
“How long are we staying for?” Lilly asked. It was the one question that she hadn’t bothered with. At the time it hadn’t seemed to matter yet now she wondered just how much time she had to enjoy the place and explore.
“As long as we want,” Connor said and Lilly couldn’t help herself from sending him a look of doubt.
“Really? As long as we want?”
“Well within reason,” he countered. She laughed at that. She couldn’t imagine that his family and employees would be very happy if she decided they should stay on the island forever, tempting though that may be.
“You’ve stayed here before,” Lilly noted as he expertly avoided a particularly rough piece of terrain.
“Once or twice,” he agreed. She had a moment of jealousy when she wondered who had accompanied him on these trips to paradise. She wondered if the exotically beautiful Alexa had ever been with him. She wished she hadn’t thought of that when it ruined the place for her. As though realising where her thoughts had gone he reached out and squeezed her knee as though to offer some comfort.
“I came here with my family once and a few times with my friend or on my own. It’s the perfect place to get away and unwind. Though I’ve never bought a girl with me before,” he told her. She wondered for a moment if he was just telling her what she wanted to hear but then realised that she was already trying to ruin their chances at reconciliation. She realised that this was the first test in their second chance. She could either trust him until he gave her a reason not to or she could doubt him now and end up right back where she started. She decided to start things off right and believed that he was telling her the truth. Immediately her heart felt ten times lighter and she felt happy over her decision. Believing that her husband was telling the truth actually made her feel that things would work out this time.
“What’s your plan for this honeymoon? I think a honeymoon is usually spent in the bedroom and requires very few pieces of clothing,” Lilly said and was surprised by how suggestive she sounded. Not that she would take it back. Connor had always excelled in the bedroom department. There had been so much heat between them that Lilly was surprised they hadn’t combusted. The bedroom had been the one area where there had never been any problems.
“This honeymoon can be whatever you want it to be,” he said. Lilly found herself surprisingly disappointed by that answer. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. She loved sex with Connor but she’d also wanted to do something more lasting.
“I thought that this island would give us plenty to do though. We could explore the island and get to know each other again. I want to find out about your life over the last few years,” Connor said and Lilly smiled at him. It was strange how he always seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.
Connor had taken the long way round the island but it still wasn’t long before they arrived at the lodge. There were several of them scattered through the island. They were close enough for guests to be able to meet up but far enough away from each other to provide complete privacy. The lodges looked simple enough on the outside with a frame made of wood and a backdrop of palm trees. It looked nice enough but nothing special. Once you walked inside though that all changed. The inside was huge and was tastefully decorated. It had all the usual amenities plus extra. It
came with a deck and hot tub out back and included an outdoor waterfall shower that was hidden from the view of others. The view from the decking was incredible. The bedroom’s main focus was obviously the giant bed but the doors opened wide to give a view of paradise while you made love.
“What do you think?” Connor asked. Lilly couldn’t help the beaming smile that she sent his way.
“I think that it’s incredible,” she said and he sent her a matching smile.
“You must be tired after that long journey. You didn’t sleep much on the plane,” Connor said and his concern for her was touching. She hadn’t realised how much she’d taken for granted during their marriage.
“I’m not tired at all,” she said. Surprisingly it was true. She felt energised, as though the island was coaxing her in to exploring it.
“You want to go for a walk and explore?” Connor asked and Lilly was quick to agree. It didn’t take long to change in to a pair of shorts and a vest top with her bikini beneath. Slipping her feet in to some sandals and catching up her sunglasses, Lilly declared herself ready.
Connor led the way and he kept stopping to point things out to her, like the lizard that was almost unnoticeable due to its colour as it scurried up a tree. Everything was so beautiful and freeing.
As they walked they chatted, mostly about inconsequential things. They talked about what they had been up to since they’d parted ways. Lilly was embarrassed when she told Connor where she’d been working, not that she should have been. It wasn’t like Connor would care considering that when they’d met she’d been nothing more than a waitress.
Lilly was surprised to hear that Connor had been doing a fair bit of travelling in the last year. It was so out of character for him considering that the hotels had been his life but he explained to her that he hadn’t been travelling for fun but rather in search of his brother.
“You were looking for Cameron?” she asked as she dug through the recesses of her memories for his name. She’d never met his brother because for as long as she’d know Connor his brother had been in the army or something like that. His family had never really talked much about him and she hadn’t wanted to ask questions.
“He left the army and then just disappeared,” Connor said. The harsh way in which he said it was at odds with what he’d said. Lilly would have thought that the disappearance of his brother would have worried him but he sounded more angry than worried.
“He disappeared? Like he was taken or something?” she asked and Connor laughed at that.
“Maybe that would have been a relief to know that there was a reason my dear brother didn’t come home but no he wasn’t taken. He just decided to run away instead,” Connor said and his anger leaked out in to his tone.
“Ran away?”
“He should have come home to his family and his wife but instead the selfish bastard simply took off with no word to any of us. The only reason we knew he’d left the army was because he sent Alexa a letter telling her that she wouldn’t be able to contact him there anymore,” he said furiously.
Despite her personal feelings for Alexa, Lilly couldn’t help but feel some sympathy towards her. She couldn’t imagine being married to Connor and not knowing where she could find him. Even though they’d been separated for all this time she’d always known where he was and that he would be there for her no matter what. She couldn’t imagine the fear Alexa must feel to know that her husband had been in constant danger and then to realise that rather than coming home to her he’d chosen to disappear.
“Did you find him?” Lilly asked. She hoped he had if only for the peace of mind it would have given his family and Alexa. For the first time she realised why nobody talked about him. It must be too difficult to talk about someone when you didn’t even know if they were dead or alive.
“I almost had him in Budapest. But it’s a bit hard to track someone down when they’re better than you at hiding. I swear it was like we were playing a giant game of hide and seek,” Connor said as he shook his head in frustration.
“You gave up searching?” Lilly asked. That didn’t sound like the Connor she knew at all. He’d never really given up on her so she couldn’t see him abandoning his brother.
“I had to. He left a note in Budapest for me. He basically said that if I carried on searching for him then he would disappear and not contact any of us but that if I stopped then he would make sure he made regular contact. In the end I decided that would have to be enough. Knowing that my brother’s alive and safe is more important than giving him the ass kicking he deserves,” Connor said.
Lilly couldn’t help but sympathise with his whole family. It must be awful to know that Cameron didn’t want anything to do with them. It must be ten times worse for Alexa knowing that her husband didn’t want to return home to her. Lilly understood why Alexa would turn to Connor but she didn’t forgive her for trying to take him away from her.
“On a lighter note, we’ve found the beach.”
Lilly smiled up at Connor as he dragged her on to the pure white sand. It was the most beautiful beach she’d ever seen and she didn’t hesitate to slip off her sandals and scrunch her toes in to the luxurious sand. It felt so warm and soft and she laughed as she walked along and felt her feet sinking in to the sand.
“You look just like I remember,” he said softly. Lilly’s smile faded slightly as she turned to face him. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her husband looking just how she remembered him too. She remembered when they had been so happy and full of love for each other. It had been a time when they had been filled with hopes and dreams for the future. It was almost like they were back there again when they had been at their happiest and when they had actually envisioned forever being their future.
“I wish we could go back to the people we were,” Lilly said. It took both of them by surprise. She hadn’t thought about those happy times in ages, hadn’t allowed herself to think on something that she didn’t think she would ever experience again.
“We’re still those people. We just have to give ourselves a chance to rebuild what we had,” Connor said. Lilly wished it were as easy as he made it sound. Maybe given time they could create something better.
CHAPTER TEN
Lilly would always remember that day as one of those simple yet perfect days that made all the crappy days bearable. It had been so perfect from the moment that they’d landed on the island. It wasn’t just the beautiful surroundings or the hot weather but rather the fact that she had finally started to reconnect with Connor. There’d been no pressure to go back to how things were and yet it was almost like it used to be. They’d connected just like they always had and conversation had been easy between them. They’d caught each other up on what had been going on in their lives over the past few years without touching on any of the awkward subjects that would have spoilt it.
Lilly had been enjoying wandering along the beach and dipping her feet in to the sea, it was Connor who insisted that they go back before she started to burn. Their light conversation continued all the way back to the lodge and for once Lilly didn’t find herself overthinking things but instead simply enjoyed herself.
When they arrived back at the lodge Connor insisted that she go and sit out on the deck and she readily complied. The view was magnificent from there and she smiled as she sat quietly listening to the sound of the ocean breeze. When Connor returned she was surprised to find that he came bearing cocktails and she accepted one with a smile.
“Cocktails?” she asked for she hadn’t thought Connor would be the type to drink them. When they’d been together he had preferred stronger spirits or the occasional wine.
“You can’t have a holiday without there being cocktails,” he insisted and her smile widened. It was just like Connor to think of every detail. It was why they had always worked so well together. She could be quite scatter-brained and focused on the things in life that inspired her while he had always been the one who organised those scattered thoughts in to
a reality.
“I wouldn’t know since I’ve never had a holiday before,” Lilly said. Connor stared at her in mock horror as he put a hand to his chest and acted with great dramatic flare.
“Never had a holiday? You know what they saw about all work and no play,” he said and Lilly rolled her eyes. She’d forgotten how he could make her laugh while playing an absolute fool.
“I hear it makes people dull,” she said as she sipped at her drink. Connor frowned at that as he took a sip of his own drink.
“The way I hear it all work and no play means that you end up with the world on your shoulders and no way to relieve the stress,” Connor said. Lilly concentrated on her drink. She didn’t want to let him know how close he’d come with that assessment. She’d felt like the world had been on her shoulders for too many years and had been too proud to let anyone help her ease the load.
“Maybe that just applies to men with billion pound businesses and high powered clients,” she suggested. Connor gave a noncommittal shrug at that as he observed her. Lilly could tell that she hadn’t fooled him at all and she thought it was odd how well he knew her even after all this time apart.
“I haven’t heard you mention your dad. How’s he doing?” Connor asked, eager to change the subject. He’d thought that discussing her father would have given her something else to focus on but wasn’t prepared for the way that she tensed and shot him a wary look.
“I haven’t seen much of dad recently,” she said evasively and it made Connor wonder what it was that she wasn’t saying. It frustrated him that they seemed to have so many secrets and every conversation was a battlefield covered in those untold secrets. No matter how careful he was he always managed to step on one and make things awkward between them again.
“I thought you made a point of seeing him regularly,” Connor said. It had been a bone of contention between them when they had gotten married because her father hadn’t approved of him and had tried to create problems between them. Lilly had always stuck up for her father and had ignored the fact that they didn’t get along.
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