by Ali Parker
I smiled. “Challenge accepted. What do you want? Another unicorn? Teddy bear? One of those silly mirror things?” I asked, scanning the area.
I was ready to get to work. I was going to get that kiss.
“I’d like one of those cute puppies,” she said, pointing a few booths down.
I nodded my head, more determined than ever. “Let’s do this.”
I got to the booth and groaned when I realized the difficulty level of the game. It was not going to be easy. I looked at her, then the young man operating the game. I debated offering to pay him directly for the damn stuffed puppy but had a feeling she would not approve.
“Are you worried?” she teased.
I shrugged a shoulder. “Not in the least.”
I paid the kid for three of the stupid rings, took a deep breath and threw them at the empty Coke bottles in an attempt to get the ring around the neck of the bottle.
I missed every damn time.
“Uh-oh,” Hailey joked.
I shook my head. “I’m not giving up. When I want something, I do whatever it takes.”
She giggled softly as I took another three rings, drew in a deep breath and focused on the task at hand. When the first ring landed on the neck of the bottle, I turned to look at her, raised an eyebrow and grinned.
“Pucker up,” I told her.
She burst into laughter. “You’re a long way from that puppy.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll get it.”
My words had a double meaning. I saw her face flush and knew she picked up on it. It took a few more tries, but when the last ring dropped around the bottleneck, I felt like the king of the world at that moment.
I turned to look at her standing beside me. I was going to get my kiss, but not here with an audience. The carny handed me the dog, I tucked it under my arm, my gaze on hers.
“A puppy for a kiss?” I whispered as we moved to a quieter area.
Her free hand moved to my chest, searing me with the touch as her eyes held mine. I knew it was going to be the best kiss I had ever had.
Chapter 14
Hailey
He leaned down, hovering above my face as his green eyes bore into mine. It was a silent ask. My eyes fluttered closed, giving him the answer, he sought. His lips barely touched mine at first. It was a fluttering over my mouth before he pressed closer, his body touching mine. I pushed against him, wanting more of him. His lips were as soft as I suspected. I parted my lips, just a fraction, giving him the go-ahead to take more. His tongue lazily swooped in, sending a spiral of heat throughout my body. I felt myself pushing against him, my hand still on his chest, gripping his shirt as the kiss intensified.
He pulled back, his forehead resting against mine. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. Neither of us spoke for several long seconds. My heart was beating so hard against my chest wall I was sure he could hear it.
“Want to take a walk down to the beach?” he asked in a soft voice.
I nodded, his forehead rubbing against mine with the movement. “Can we ditch our fuzzy companions?”
He grinned, pulled away and grabbed my hand in his. “Yes. We’ll put them in the car and walk further down the beach where it’s quieter.”
With our carnival wins stowed away, we walked down the beach to a somewhat secluded spot that no other couples had taken over and had a seat on the sand. Listening to the ocean gently roll in and out was soothing. The moment was absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
“So, the unicorn, you said you knew a little girl who would like it. Is she a niece?” he asked.
I smiled in the dark, the moonlight appearing brighter now that we were away from the bright lights of the carnival. He was probably wondering if I had a secret daughter. It was laughable, but I understood his desire to know.
“Not a niece. I don’t have any siblings. She’s a little girl at the orphanage where my friend works,” I explained.
“Really? I didn’t know those things were around anymore. I thought the kids were put into foster care,” he said, his voice full of shock.
I sighed. “Unfortunately, there are not enough foster homes, and some of the kids can’t be placed. Those kids go to the orphanage or a group home that specializes in certain areas.”
“Wow. Your friend works there?”
I smiled. “Mandy. She’s the activities coordinator.”
“What’s that mean?”
“She keeps the kids busy, especially during the summertime when they don’t have school. These kids have nothing, nowhere to go, no one to take them to the park or the zoo or any of the other places other kids go.”
“That’s terrible. Not what she does, but I guess I never really thought much about the lives of the kids who lived in those places. It’s sad,” he said, his voice low.
I smiled, appreciating the fact he could see and understand how heartbreaking it really was.
“It is sad, but Mandy works hard to bring joy into their lives.”
He was quiet for a while. “Do you go there? Is that how you know the little girl?”
“I do. I like to stop by and visit when I can. I’ve passed all the background checks, and the staff know me. I get to hang out, and I sometimes act as a chaperone on some of their outings.”
“That’s amazing. I’m impressed.”
I laughed. “Don’t be impressed. I don’t do anything but show up and hang out.”
He reached out and touched my hand. “Giving them your time is generous. Most people in your position would have cameras following them in there, exploiting the kids while making themselves look good. I’m not ashamed to admit I did a bit of background research on you. I didn’t know about the orphanage.”
“You did background research on me?” I asked, alarmed at his admittance of essentially stalking me.
“I do on all the people we hire to be the public face of a particular brand. As you know, a scandal can destroy a brand almost overnight. The company wanted to make sure the model we hired wasn’t going to give their gear a bad name by association. We have a team that does the vetting I guess you could call it. You passed with flying colors,” he assured me.
I laughed. “I would hope so. I have never been involved in any scandals and nor do I intend to be. I keep a low profile for a reason. I know it sounds silly, but I don’t actually like the spotlight on me. I like to go to the grocery store without people knowing who I am and then tweeting pictures of my grocery cart, which has happened to me in the past when my career really took off.”
“I know what you mean. I’m sure you know of me. You can admit it. I know the reputation that’s out there, and that’s my fault. I’ve never done much to correct the image, and a lot of what has been printed in the gossip section of the local papers is true. I’m no angel,” he said, turning to look at me.
His hair was falling around his face, framing his eyes. He looked sexy and dangerous all rolled up into one. I could imagine him as an underwear model. The kind that appealed to women’s naughty side. No woman could resist the temptation of taking a walk on the wild side especially with a guy like him.
“I have heard of you, but I’m not one to listen to gossip. I prefer to make my own character judgments based on what I see and hear.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” he said.
We sat in silence a bit longer, listening to the ocean and the murmur of voices from those enjoying a late-night stroll along the beach. Sitting there with him made me feel like we were in our own bubble. Nothing and no one was in our way. It was a comfortable silence with each of us lost in our own thoughts.
“Have you thought any more about signing on to work with us exclusively?” he asked.
I sighed, hoping that wasn’t the reason he was taking me out. I didn’t appreciate the buttering up if that was the case.
“No, I haven’t,” I answered, my tone short.
He turned to look at me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up work.
Please don’t think that’s what this is about. It isn’t. I promise. I was just making conversation about your work and plans in general. I’m not pressuring you in any way.”
I smiled and nodded my head. “Thank you. I haven’t decided. I’m still thinking about it.”
“Okay. We’ll leave it at that.”
There were so many things I wanted to ask him about his life but didn’t want to pry. He was a guarded man. I could appreciate that and didn’t want to scare him off by asking him what his favorite color was. He seemed comfortable with taking things slow. I was definitely okay with that.
“I went hang gliding yesterday,” he said, completely out of the blue.
“You did what?”
He chuckled, the sound warming me to my core. “My friend Zach. He is a bit of a wild man. He showed up at my place and demanded I go with him.”
“Are you one of those adrenaline junkies? The kind that jumps off bridges and airplanes?” I asked, suddenly worried about getting into a relationship with him. That was not my idea of a good time.
“No, I’m not, but Zach is, and he talks me into doing wild things like that quite a bit.”
“Have you jumped out of a plane?”
“A few times.”
My mouth dropped open. “A bridge?”
He turned to look at me, grinning like a young boy. “Bungee jumping—yes.”
I shook my head. “You’re crazy.”
He laughed. “No, Zach is crazy, and I’m just plain stupid for going along with his crazy ideas.”
“I think the most dangerous thing I’ve done is walk on a beach with freshly painted toenails.”
That made him really laugh. “I might have to take you out on a real adventure one of these days.”
I smiled, happy to know he was thinking of the future. That had to be a good sign. He scooted a little closer to me, both of us had our knees bent as we sat side by side, our shoulders barely touching as we stared out at the water.
We got lost in conversation, talking about everything under the moon, but avoiding personal topics. I didn’t like to talk about my family with anyone and was glad he didn’t ask, which made me think he had his own family drama he didn’t want brought up. I was happy to leave that conversation for another day.
We talked and talked into the wee hours of the night.
“Hailey, I’ve had the best time with you, and I don’t want it to end, but the sun is going to be coming up soon. I have an early meeting tomorrow,” he said after another one of our quiet pauses in conversation.
“I’m so sorry!” I said, realizing how late it was.
“It’s not your fault. I didn’t want to leave, but I need to get a couple hours sleep.”
I turned to face him, his eyes staring into mine. I leaned forward and kissed him. He kept his hands to himself, while his mouth moved over mine. There was a moment of intense desire before he reigned it in, slowing the kiss down.
I audibly sighed with contentment. “I want to see you again,” he whispered.
“I’d like that.”
“Can I call you tomorrow?”
“You better,” I said with a grin.
He stood up, holding out a hand to help me to my feet. He kept my hand in his as we lazily walked back to the parking lot where his car stood out against the empty blacktop. We were the only people left. On the ride home, he held my hand as he drove with the other. He walked me to my door, and we kissed once again. It was a chaste goodnight kiss before I went inside, locking the door behind me.
I practically floated to my room. He was dreamy. I felt like a little girl who had met her prince charming. I wasn’t naïve enough to think he was perfect in every way. Of course, he wasn’t. That’s what made him so perfect. I liked the hint of danger I felt when I was around him. He tempted me in the best way possible.
I crawled between the satin sheets on my bed and closed my eyes, savoring every detail of the kisses we had shared. His hard chest underneath my hand had felt so right. I longed to run my hands through his hair. Would it be as silky as it looked? Every date, every kiss, took me one step closer to wanting him in a way I had never wanted a man before.
Was he the one?
My stomach flip-flopped at the idea of his hard body pressing into mine, taking the one thing I had held so dear for so long. Mandy would discourage me if she knew what I was thinking. I wasn’t going to tell her. Not yet. I wanted to mull it over, test the waters and see if that ember I felt burning in my belly was the real thing. Was it love? I didn’t know. I had never been in love, but when I was with him, everything felt so right. That had to be one of the first signs of love.
Chapter 15
Terran
Two Weeks Later
I glanced at the little clock on the corner of my laptop screen. It was almost five. I could pack it up. I hit send on the email, happy to be done with work. I wasn’t usually one to walk out the door right at five, but lately, work had taken a back seat to my personal life. I didn’t want to put in the extra hours. I’d rather spend my time with Hailey doing absolutely nothing. I wasn’t jumping out of planes or surfing every day like Zach, but I had found a different way to feel alive and excited about each new day.
I heard my phone ringing and smiled. It was probably Hailey now wanting to know if we could hang out tonight. I had been expecting her call. I picked up the phone and was slightly disappointed to see it was my attorney’s number on the screen.
“This is Terran,” I answered in my standard business voice.
“Terran, it’s Jim. Do you have a minute?”
“I do. What’s going on? Did you find the loophole I needed to void those demands?”
He sighed. “No, unfortunately, I didn’t. It isn’t good news.”
I groaned, closed my laptop and leaned back in my ergonomic chair. “What now?”
“I cannot find any loopholes or mistakes that would invalidate the documents. Your father was a smart man. He has a solid paper trail and legally binding documents that uphold the demands in his will. It is exactly what the other lawyer said. If you fail to meet the conditions of the will, your company will be dissolved.”
“How is that legally possible? It’s my damn company!”
“Your signature is on several documents that state quite clearly that it isn’t yours. Your father put up the seed money, and you signed an agreement at that time stating the company would be dissolved if you failed to turn a profit after two years along with the clause he dubbed a moral standard. He also had a lot of other reasons that would allow him to pull the plug,” Jim explained.
I shook my head, running a hand through my hair, feeling the crunchy gel break apart with the action, releasing my hair from the bonds of the stiff product. “I don’t remember signing anything like that.”
“Did you read every document?” he asked.
I sighed. “No. I thought it was all just the standard stuff. I signed all that stuff a long time ago trusting my father to have my best interest in mind. His attorney drew up the paperwork. I didn’t know my dad was plotting against me.”
“I’m sorry. We’ll keep digging, but I don’t see a way out of this. Everything appears to be legal and locked down tight. I admire whoever it was that drew those papers up.”
I scoffed. “Good to know. Keep digging. I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I want everything doublechecked again.”
I hung up the phone, pissed and wanting to throw something at the wall. My dad thought he was helping me. He wasn’t. I had finally met a woman I was truly interested in, and now I could risk ruining it by trying to push her into a hasty engagement or asking her to go along with a lie, which I knew she would never agree to. Hailey wasn’t the kind of women to do anything in a hurry. She liked to take her sweet time.
I stomped out of my office in a shit mood. Zach was just coming around the corner, his usual goofy grin on his face.
“Ready?” he asked.
“For?” I snapped.
I almost told him not to bother, but then decided a stiff drink or four was precisely what I needed. “Fine,” I grumbled.
We headed to the lobby to wait for the car. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“That damn paperwork. Turns out my dad had me signing all kinds of shit that I had no idea sealed my fate. He conned me.”
“That doesn’t sound like your dad.”
I shot him a glare. “Obviously I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did.”
“I’m sorry.”
His phone beeped, announcing the arrival of our car. We climbed in the back and had him take us to our favorite hangout where I could get a good steak and an even better drink, although, I was really only interested in the drink.
We settled into a table. I took a drink from the stiff scotch, letting it burn down my throat and into my belly.
“How’s it going with the model?” he asked.
I found myself smiling. I was in a terrible mood, but the mere thought of her made me smile. “Good. Really good.”
“Have you decided if you’re going to ask her to be your wife, real or fake?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Dude, you’ve been seeing her for two weeks. You don’t have a lot of time here,” he reminded me.
“I know, but I don’t want to rush it.”
He eyed me carefully. “Please tell you’ve at least gotten her in bed.”
I shook my head. “Actually, no, I haven’t. It’s different with her.”
He slapped his palm to his forehead. “You’re a disappointment.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know what to say. When I’m with her, we get to talking, and before I know it, the sun is rising, and it’s time to go to work.”
He curled his lip in disgust. “Talking? Like actual talking? With your mouth? Please tell me you are joking.”