Safe Harbor (The Lake Trilogy, Book 3)

by Grant, AnnaLisa

  “Good evening, Mr. and Mr. Meyer. We hope you had a pleasant flight,” the girl checking us in says. “Congratulations on your marriage. We’re so pleased you’ve chosen to celebrate part of your honeymoon with us here at the Four Seasons New York. We’ve got you all set in a premium park-view executive suite on the 48th floor. And, per your request, I’ve made a dining reservation for you at Per Se for 7:00 pm tomorrow evening. Is there anything else I can assist you with? Perhaps some theater tickets?”

  “No, thank you. It sounds like everything is just right, and I’ve got the tickets taken care of.” Will takes our room keys from the marble counter and leads me to the elevator.

  “You have theater tickets already?” I ask, excitement stirring in me.

  “My father had season tickets. He had a lot of business here in the city,” Will tells me.

  “What kind of business? Lawyer business or…” I begin.

  “Honey.”

  “Right. Sorry,” I say as I scold myself for bringing up the last topic on earth that should be discussed on one’s honeymoon.

  “You seem to know your way around the hotel,” I say noticing that Will has walked us directly to the elevators without seeming to look for them or ask where they are.

  “Yeah…sometimes when my dad had business here he’d bring Mom and me with him. Does it bother you that I’ve been here before?” he asks as we enter the elevator. I push 48 and wait for the elevator to jolt us upward.

  “No, of course not. I’ve never been anywhere so everyone I know is well travelled compared to me. You may have been here before, but you’ve never been here with me.” I wrap my arms around Will’s waist and savor this first of many first experiences with my husband. “Will, where are our bags?” I’m just realizing that we haven’t seen our bags since Will tipped the driver as he was taking them out of the car.

  “They’re in our room,” he says. I furrow my brow in curiosity and Will fills in the blanks. “Our room was ready when the hotel sent the driver. So, when we arrived he had the bell service take them directly to our room while we checked in.” A satisfied smile spreads across Will’s face.

  “Oh, well, that makes sense,” I say. “Can you tell me what play we’re going to see?”

  “I thought you wanted to be surprised,” he says with a tickled pinch to my waist.

  “I’ll be surprised right now when you tell me!” I bat my eyes at Will and he just laughs at my cuteness.

  “You’re too much, you know that! We’re going to see Wicked. Is that ok?”

  “Oh, my gosh! Yes! Yes! That’s totally great! Thank you, Will!” I hug him tightly and kiss him only briefly, afraid that if I get carried away we’ll end up very embarrassed should the doors open to awaiting strangers.

  We exit the elevator and this time Will does look for some direction to see which way our room is. We find our room at the end of the hall and the nervous butterflies that had once migrated have reappeared. I’m about to walk into a hotel room…with my husband.

  Oh. Em. Gee.

  Will opens the door to our room and looks at me. “So, Mrs. Meyer. Are you ready to officially start our honeymoon?”

  “Definitely.”

  With that Will bends down and scoops me into his arms. “What are you doing?” I squeal in a loud whisper.

  “Did you expect me to be any less traditional?” he says with a knowing smile.

  “No…I should have fully expected you to do this,” I say with a contented sigh. “Ok, Mr. Meyer. Carry your wife over the threshold. Wait. Are you going to do this at every hotel and when we get home?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good.”

  We glide over the threshold and the door shuts behind us as Will sets me down in the entryway of our suite. Will turns the lights on, takes my hand, and guides me into the living area. The furniture is beautifully simple, elegant, and warm with neutral colors. The huge windows of this corner suite give the most spectacular view of the city and Central Park. The buildings are lit up in an explosion of colors, inviting me to step closer to the window for a better look.

  “I can’t wait to see this view in the morning,” I say to Will. “It’s amazing. Thank you.” I turn to him and rest my head against his chest, letting his arms cover me. I look to the other side of the suite and see the bed, the big, king-size bed, and my heart starts to race.

  “Layla,” Will says breathlessly, pulling me from him so our eyes meet. It’s the most intense moment I’ve ever experienced with Will. The heat of anticipation has risen to whatever the kelvin measurement is for the Sun and I don’t think either of us can stand it much longer.

  “Kiss me, Will. Kiss your wife,” I demand.

  Will’s lips are immediately pressed to mine in a rush of explosive passion. His hands are around my waist, grabbing and pulling me closer to him, touching me places he’s never touched me before. My fingers twist through his hair, pulling him closer to me with just as much anticipation.

  “Will,” I say, managing to pull myself away from him. “I…I want to change…freshen up.”

  “Yes, of course,” he says catching his breath. He runs his fingers through his hair to straighten what I’m mussed.

  I kiss him quickly on the lips, grab my overnight bag, and find the bathroom. After a few deep breaths to catch mine I sit on the side of the huge tub and let the gravity of the situation sink in. This is it, Layla, I tell myself. The moment you’ve been waiting for.

  I open my bag and find the piece of lingerie I planned on for tonight. It’s simple, classic, white and flowing, and falls several inches above my knee. I put it on, and as I fold the clothes I just took off I realize I’m taking way too long in here for a girl whose super-hot husband is waiting just outside the door. I leave my hair as it has been all day since I have no idea how long it will take to get it all undone. One last look in the mirror and decide that it’s now or never.

  When I open the door, Will is seated on the bench at the end of the bed. He’s changed, too and is wearing only a pair of black linen pajama pants that hang in the most unbelievably sexy way low on his hips.

  “Wow,” he says, standing to meet me next to the bed.

  “Do you like it?” I ask quietly, a little shy.

  “Like is an understatement. You look so beautiful, Layla.”

  “You were so right, Will,” I say.

  “I have a feeling I should write this moment down for posterity,” he chuckles. “What was I so right about?”

  “This moment, right now…there is no way that letting ourselves get carried away before would have felt nearly as magical as this. Standing here with you like this is the definition of perfection.”

  Will takes his fingers and runs them down the length of my arms, letting his blue eyes become one with mine. He reaches behind my ear and begins to pull the bobby pins out of my hair. One by one, he places them on the table next to the bed, his eyes never leaving mine. The bun begins to loosen and my hair starts to fall. Once all the pins are out Will undoes the braid and runs his fingers through my hair, letting the locks cascade over my shoulders.

  Will wraps his arms around my waist and I intuitively lift my hands up his arms to his shoulders, and in one flawless, fluid motion, Will presses his lips to mine. As Will kisses me with unbridled passion, I know that my understanding of perfection is about to be redefined.

  Chapter 29

  It’s late when our plane touches down in Charlotte and I can’t believe how fast the last two weeks have gone by. We had the most amazing time in New York, doing everything we could pack into two days. We walked through Central Park, which was vibrant with fall colors, saw a Broadway show, ate at one of the best restaurants in the city, and went to a real New York deli. Of course, that was all in between perfecting our perfection.

  There are no human words to describe how beautiful Ireland is. The people were kind, the culture was incredible and the castles where we stayed were unbelievable. Our time in Ireland was laid back, filled w
ith our own self-guided tours in our rental car, getting lost not knowing how to read a map because neither of us thought to download an international map app. And since the legal age to drink alcohol in Ireland is 18, I had my first drink. We promised Tyler we’d visit the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, so it seemed only fitting that I have my first drink there. Truth be told, I didn’t like it all that much. It was pretty strong. Will said that I’m probably just a lightweight and I’ve got a few months before I can try something else at home.

  Our week in Bali left us both undeniably more relaxed that we ever have been. After the journey we took to get here, we both agreed that closing out our honeymoon with a week of nothing but lying on the beach was just what the doctor ordered. I feel a little bad about not doing more. I’m sure there were some lovely tours of the island we could have taken, but between sunning ourselves and all the other married things we just didn’t make time for anything else.

  “Don’t be mad,” Will says as he puts me down after his fifth time carrying me over the threshold.

  “What?” I ask him warily.

  “I got an email from Luke and I have to meet him tomorrow morning…to see Holly,” he tells me, clearly concerned for my freak-out level.

  “Really? Tomorrow? We just got home from our honeymoon and the first thing you’re going to do is go see her?” I say, frustrated. I hold back though since I really don’t want to have our first fight now, and I certainly don’t want it to be about Holly.

  “It’s not my idea, Layla. Take it up with Luke. Trust me. My plan for tomorrow included barely leaving the bedroom to eat,” he says with a seductive smile.

  “Don’t do that!” I playfully smack his arm as he pulls me to him. “I reserve the right to be upset that you’re going to see your ex-girlfriend the day after we get home from our honeymoon. Besides, I was going to give you your wedding present tomorrow,” I pout.

  “Honey, you didn’t have to get me anything. In fact, I’m pretty sure I told you not to get me anything.” He’s looking down at me over his nose with slight disapproval.

  “I believe I told you not to get me anything either, but yet here I stand in a completely remodeled house fresh off a flight from my two week honeymoon,” I counter.

  “I only made those things your gift because you wouldn’t let me do anything else.”

  “Well…it’s already done, so you’ll just have to live with it,” I tell him with slight indignation.

  “I guess we both have to get used to the other one taking care of us, huh? So, about tomorrow…I want you to be there, too. Luke has run all the numbers and drawn up the papers for the settlement for each of the exes. I think you’ll enjoy watching Holly and Marlene’s response to what they’ll be receiving,” Will says with a smirk.

  “Another wedding gift!” I mirror Will’s smirk.

  Will scoops me up again in his arms and I squeal. “Now that that’s settled…on to more important things!”

  Will stomps up the stairs with me in his arms and heads straight for our bedroom. When we reach the room, Will drops me with a plop on the bed and jumps on after me. In the last two weeks I’ve learned that having sex with your husband can be sexy, seductive, sweet, and yes, even silly.

  *****

  “I had the best dream ever,” I yawn, discovering that I’m in the same exact place I was when I fell asleep. My head is on Will’s chest and his arm is wrapped around me. “Oh, wait…it wasn’t a dream. We’re really lying in bed together.”

  “This is my favorite place for you to be, you know,’’ he says stroking my arm.

  “I know what you were talking about now…when you said you wanted to wake up with me and no one would come looking for us because we would be exactly where we’re supposed to be. I love this feeling.” I inch myself even closer to Will as his hold on me tightens.

  “I told you it’d be worth it,” he says. “So…we’ve got a couple of hours before we have to be at the court house. How about…”

  “Good grief, Will!” I shout playfully as I stumble out of bed. “We have to get moving or we’ll never get out of here. You get in the shower and I’ll make you a latte!” I throw my robe on and escape Will’s persuasive kisses to coax me into taking a shower with him and send him to bathe alone. I brush my teeth and go down stairs, passing a table in the foyer that is piled with gifts, including a basket with a mound of envelopes. We’ll have to get to those later, too. Claire must have brought them by. I’m a little surprised. I figured she would have kept them at their house so I’d have to come there.

  I pass through the kitchen, tip toe into the Great Room, and look out the window into the back yard. It’s a beautiful fall morning. The trees are almost all barren as the orange and gold leaves scatter and blow around the patio and the pool cover. There doesn’t seem to be any sign that anything happened at all while we were gone, but Luke assures me that everything went exactly as planned.

  Satisfied that Will’s gift won’t be spoiled if he comes down and looks out the back windows, I make us two lattes and head back upstairs. My husband is just emerging from the shower, wearing only a towel. I love being married.

  “Hey! I made us lattes,” I say as I hand him his.

  I take a sip and realize I got them backwards. Will does not like his sweetened and I just took a too-big sip of bitterness. “Oh! How can you drink it like this?” I say swapping out our cups.

  “It’s manlier this way,” he says, flexing.

  “I’m going to take a shower. Can you bring up my bag? I wanted to wear that sweater I got in Dublin today,” I tell him.

  I turn the shower on and stare at the stall for a moment. It’s pretty spectacular. There are four showerheads protruding from the wall making sure every inch of your body is massaged by the jetting streams of steaming water. I step in and think that maybe I should have taken Will up on his offer.

  I let the water rush over and around me as I consider the day ahead. I hope our meeting with Holly and Marlene doesn’t take too long. I really have no desire to spend a second longer with them than absolutely necessary. I wonder if Claire will be there, too. I’m anxious to see her. It’s funny…I have only been apart from Luke and Claire a few times since I’ve been with them, and those were just for a few nights and not very far. The fact that I haven’t seen them in 16 days feels so strange to me.

  “What do you think about having everyone over for dinner tonight?” I ask Will as I emerge from the bathroom, wrapping my robe around me and tying the belt.

  “Depends. Who is everyone?” he replies. He’s dressed now and my heart sinks just a little that I missed watching him in that process.

  “Just our parents. Luke, Claire, your mom, and Wes…your soon-to-be step-dad!” I giggle. “I can’t wait to hear all about the proposal! And it’ll be fun to open all the gift and envelopes with them, don’t you think?”

  “Ok, ok…let’s bring the step-father thing down a notch.” I can tell he’s partly serious. He’ll never call Wes Dad, even though I know he sees him as a father figure. “Yeah, sure…sounds like fun. We’ll have to go to the store. We’ve got food, but not enough for entertaining.”

  “Going to the store for groceries…how domestic of us!” I open my suitcase and find the sweater I want to wear, and get a pair of jeans from the closet. It’s oddly wonderful how normal it feels to walk around this room and gather my things. When we were on our honeymoon, in hotels, it was different. This…this is permanent.

  It is 10:00 when we walk through the security check point at Jail Central and meet Luke. He sees me and looks so happy and relieved. Claire isn’t here, but that’s ok. I’ll tell Luke that they’re all coming for dinner and gift-opening tonight at seven and she’ll be over joyed.

  “Hi, Dad!” I say throwing my arms around his neck. It feels so good to hug him. I loved every second of my honeymoon, but I don’t think I want to be away from Luke and Claire for that long again anytime soon. “I missed you!”

  “Hey!” he says huggin
g me just as fiercely. “No, you didn’t!”

  “Well…if I hadn’t been having such an incredible time, and actually had a moment to really think about it, I would definitely have missed you and Mom.” Luke hugs Will and Will seems to be a little offset. He doesn’t look Luke in the eyes. He just greets him and smiles weakly as they embrace.

  “Marlene is already here, so we’ll just have them moved to the attorney meeting room,” Luke says, leading the way.

  “What was that about?” I whisper to Will. “Why were you so weird with Luke?”

  “It occurred to me as I was facing him that I, well…I’ve had sex with his daughter. It felt weird to look him in the eyes for some reason,” he says quietly.

  “Honey, everyone in that restaurant two and a half weeks ago knows you had sex with me. Hell, Tyler and Caroline made an anthem of it! We’re married, and Luke knows we waited, so if anything he has mad respect for you. Don’t sweat it, ok?” I think it’s cute that Will is a tad bit nervous facing my father. It makes me wonder if Luke felt awkward, too.

  “Oh, um…I hate to throw something else on you, but…Loretta and Victoria arrived yesterday. Erin and Michael are here, too. They’re anxious to meet you, Will,” Luke tells us with some hesitation. It’s a lot to take in. We’ve been home less than 24 hours and we’re already having to process the possibility of seeing Meyer’s first and second wives, along with their children, Will’s siblings.

  “Let’s have them over,” I say before Will can respond.

  “Layla…I’m not sure I want to do that.” Will says. “Don’t you think it’d be better to meet at Luke’s or even at the court house?”

  “They want to meet you, get to know you. The best place to do that is at our home…the one you redesigned to reflect who we are. I’ll make dinner,” I say with a comforting smile. “It’ll be laid back and wonderful.”

  “Luke?” Will defers to Luke to get an idea of how he thinks Loretta and the others might respond to our invitation.