“I am fine,” she replied.
“I am almost afraid to ask this but are we still on for dinner tonight? I realize you might be tired after your tour but you are scheduled to fly out tomorrow! I would still love to see you!” he said.
“I want us to talk too, I have a lot to tell you!” she said quietly.
“Okay, well I decided to go home tonight instead of staying at the hotel. I need to take back some of my life’s balance and mom’s advice, about finally getting some rest before she arranges to have me kidnapped and sent on a forced vacation,” he laughed still searching her eyes for more clues to her decision. “Will you let me take you to our home?”
Candasee sensed a rush of joy in her body that further confirmed what she had come to discover even using Dave’s energetic tool, that when she called Darius’ name it was so light for her that she almost felt dizzy! Right now just standing here with him was making her dizzy and it was as though the rest of the activities around them no longer existed. She’d stopped pretending and stopped hiding from this man. He had the courage to open up to her and ask for her forgiveness and now it was her turn to make things right finally.
Darius observed the play of emotions across Candasee’s face and wondered how in touch she was with how she actually felt about him leaving the hotel. She’d missed him, it was written all over her face and she admitted as much too. Seeing this though would mean nothing unless Candasee had the courage to act on how she really felt.
“You missed me, I can see it all over your face,” he teased hoping to draw her out.
Seeing the mischief playing in the depths of his expression Candasee decided to play along. “You obviously didn’t miss me as much seeing that you are the one that left here for three days.”
“Candasee, to say that you must be either totally blind or unwilling to face the truth,” he countered. “Why do you think I left in the first place?”
“You went for business?”
“Business I could easily conduct over the phone. That night in Krispin I wanted to make love to you and remind you of why we fit together so perfectly but all you could think about was not disappointing your boyfriend and I can’t tell you how much that nearly destroyed me. I went away to preserve my sanity and to give you the space to find yours. And if you are going to continue pushing me away, I think it is best that I leave here now before I allow you to get any deeper under my skin.”
“Darius, I know and I’m sorry. But these three days have been really good for me because I was able to allow myself to feel more than think and I’ve discovered something about myself and about us!” she whispered.
Darius held his breath as he waited for her to continue.
“I have been so afraid about how I felt about you for years and when I was forced to face my feelings this week I realized that it’s true, I still love you.” Goodness why did she have to start this conversation right here in the lobby, she thought but she sensed that for once she did not care who saw them together. “I guess I am saying that I want to work out this relationship with you! I am not going to leave with the group tomorrow; I am home already here with you, Marianne and now Francis. I’m not afraid anymore.”
“Darius bent his head and silenced anything else that she was going to say right there on the hotel steps by claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss which she returned almost immediately.”
Nothing further needed to be said between them, at least not here. “Come let’s go home!” he finally said as the emotion roughened his voice.
“But my suitcases are in my room?” protested Candasee.
“Forget them for now; I am sure we can find something for you at the house. Just come with me, I need to show you something before it gets any darker,” he replied urgently.
Darius took her hand and raised it to his mouth and kissed her palm before pulling her along to walk beside him.
“No limousine today?”
“No, I have my ‘blend in’ car today!” he joked.
“As if a Mercedes could ever be a ‘blend in’ car!” said Candasee elbowing Darius in the ribs gently. That was a longstanding joke between them and she was surprised he remembered his ‘blend in’ line.
Darius pulled out of the parking lot and drove for fifteen minutes before pulling into a newly constructed complex.
“Where are we?”
“I wanted to tell you what I was up to and how much I was sorry for a long time now. You asked me while we were on Krispin why I never told you that I was sorry. Well it was because I preferred to show you. Mere words or an apology would never have been enough to make up for the abuse I laid on you so I went ahead and I got copies of the plans you’d made for your dance school and I had it constructed. This is your dance school!” he said beaming from ear to ear.
Candasee sat in stunned surprise and watched as Darius got out and opened her door for her to come outside and stand with him.”
“This is not a surprise Darius, this is unclassifiable!” said Candasee as tears flowed from her eyes. How long ago did you start this?”
“The building has been finished now for about four months but I got the idea to begin it more than a year ago now. Like I said I wanted to be able to show you rather than tell you how much I had changed and that I wanted you back and I would give you the world if I you would let me!”
“But you knew I was angry with you and you had no idea I would even talk to you, so why did you do this?” stammered Candasee still reeling from the shock and the implication of Darius’ admission to her.
“That’s simple, I loved you and I wanted you to know it beyond the shadow of a doubt!” he replied simply before looking across at her and the love in his expression nearly floored her. “It is crazy, but there is nothing rational about how I feel about you Candee.”
“Darius, I don’t know what to say to this! Oh thank you! Thank you!”
Candasee felt as though she would burst as she turned toward Darius and wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into the warmth and strength of his chest as she cried. He’d loved her all along too even across the distance he was working at rebuilding their relationship even when hope no longer seemed to exist.
“Come, it will soon be dark and I know you want to get a peek inside before we leave.
The building was a beautifully designed two story structure which featured a blend of cement walls and dark stained wood panelling on the outside with a quaint cobbled pathway lined by short palms and other colourful botanicals. It was perfect! They went inside together and she was able to see the six individual dance studios, the built in sound recording studio, the polished floors, and even a small performance amphitheatre for rehearsals and small concerts. There was a spacious office space for herself and her staff, and a grassy area in the back with a gazebo for relaxing which boasted a breathtaking view overlooking the sea. It was like walking through her drawing. He didn’t change a thing and everything was done just as she had always envisioned it to be.
He could have told her this in the beginning to influence her decision but he didn’t. He allowed her to find him in her heart again and did not resort to trying to manipulate her with what they both knew she wanted. Finally outside at the back of the property, Candasee was utterly speechless at what she was seeing. This was her dream literally standing before her eyes.
Darius hung back and leaned against the rail of the gazebo while Candasee wordlessly walked back and forth pausing ever so often to look back at him with a look of wonder in her eyes. It was that look that he wanted her to have for the rest of her life. This was the gaze he never wanted to diminish again because whatever she needed, and whatever support was necessary, he would be her biggest fan and the one to give it to her first.
Just when she thought she understood this man, he always went and rewrote the script. All within the last year while she was busy thinking he just didn’t care he was actually re-crafting an entrance into her life that would try to at least make right all that had gone before. It wasn’t ev
en the fact that this facility was wildly expensive because she could have built her own if she wanted to as well, but it showed her that he had really changed. It was a statement that he wanted to be the one who supported her like no one else could.
This was what Marianne was saying to her, it was his unique contribution that always got her motivated to be her very best and she motivated him to balance and experience more of life. She saw that clearly now as he stood in the midst of this beautiful garden watching her intently.
Candasee walked quickly back to Darius and stood before him completely humbled by this.
“Thank you for being you and for doing this for me! I don’t even know where to start! I don’t deserve this after how I treated you,” she whispered as her voice became thick with emotion.
“Of course you deserve it, you always did. It just took me a while to make it happen for you! Your being here with me and loving it is thanks enough. I swear to you that if you give us another chance, you won’t regret it!” he said taking her hands in his, his slate grey eyes focused upon hers without wavering. “I want all of whom and what you are and I couldn’t be more proud of what you are doing with your life. I watched you those few days with your students and how much they just loved you and your approach to them and I knew that you were meant to impact lives in this way. I am with you one hundred percent,” he said.
There was finally peace between them and it felt better than anything he’d experienced in his life. She’d wrapped her arms around his waist and she was crying quietly against his chest. She did not seem to mind that her clothes were still slightly damp. But when he felt her shiver and heard her sneeze lightly due to the air becoming cooler, he knew it was time to go.
“Come we can always come back here another time, I want to take you home!”
Chapter 15
When they arrived at their two- storey palatial home in Willercrest Heights, the lights were already on in the driveway as well as within the house. Candasee always loved this house even though she always said it was a bit too large for just two people.
“I asked the caretaker to ready the house when I left for L.A. and also to prepare some dinner for us tonight. I guess she left on the lights for us as well,” said Darius about their housekeeper, Mrs. Meyer.
“How is she by the way?” asked Candasee.
“She is well and she sends you her love. She said that she would come by in the morning to fix breakfast, so perhaps you will see her then,” replied Darius.
“How were you so sure I would be with you tonight to plan all of this?” asked Candasee.
“It was just a matter of faith that you would finally believe that I was telling you the truth and that you could trust me again. Actually, I wasn’t very confident at all after our trip to Krispin that you would have been honest with yourself. I really don’t know what I would have done if you’d said no to me tonight,” he replied honestly. “Maybe I would have had you kidnapped, who knows?” he said in an even tone while his eyes reflected pure mischief!
“You wouldn’t have dared to do that?” challenged Candasee.
“I guess you’ll never have to find out,” he replied, his lips twitching with concealed humour. “Anyway, let’s go inside, I asked her to prepare some chicken masala and chapattis with vegetables and yogurt, I hope that is still one of your favourite meals?”
“You know it is!” she replied, climbing out of the car. It felt so good to be back home again.
Darius came around to her side and before she could register his intent, he’d swept her off her feet and kissed her softly on the lips. He walked with her to the front door and pressed the button in his key chain which switched the locks to automatic and the door opened before them. I guess this was one time his love for high tech came in pretty handy.
“Welcome home, Candasee!” he said as he carried her over the threshold and into their home. It was still as breathtaking as she remembered it to be.
“Darius, if you keep doing things like this I won’t be able to stop crying,” said Candasee as a long tear slid out of her eye. She never expected to be this emotional about being here with Darius again but as she’d come to realize, this was all she’d wanted for the past two years.
He released her legs to allow her to stand and she encircled her arms around his neck and tip-toed so that her lips could meet his again. He clicked the remote so that the doors closed behind him and this time took the time to taste her slowly as if he wanted to imprint the flavour of her lips on his soul. Threading his fingers behind her neck he ran them along the sensitive skin there lightly making slow, soft strokes that matched the way his tongue swirled and mated hungrily with hers. Candasee was finally home and he wasn’t dreaming. He could taste her, feel her and smell her and it was intoxicating to all his senses. Her tongue felt silky and smooth as she twined it longingly with his in this moment of reconnection.
A gurgling sound coming from her stomach caused them to stop and then to burst out laughing with each other. Yes, she was starving and not just for Darius but also for Mrs. Meyers delicious chicken masala.
“I guess I’m hungrier than I realized!” smiled Candasee.
“Apparently so! Well, this is what we can do. I’ll go and warm up the food while you go and take a quick shower and change these damp clothes,” Darius suggested.
“I think that is a great idea.”
Candasee took a brief walk through the ground floor of the home she had not seen in two years and each room was just as she remembered it. Thankfully she had a change of clothes in her bag from the tour so she showered quickly and changed in a bathroom on the first floor.
When she re-emerged from the bathroom, the scent of the spicy chicken was wafting temptingly through the house. Darius had dimmed the lights in the great room and a low table which they sometimes used for eating was set up with their plates and candles with thick cushions spread on the floor.
The double doors to the deck beyond were open and a light breeze blew in causing the wispy curtains to billow slightly. Sensing that Darius was outside, she walked out through the curtains and saw him standing on the other side of the deck beyond the pool looking out over the landscape.
Candasee walked behind him and encircled his waist with her arms and leaned her head against his back.
“Darius, it is as though everything here stopped in time. This place is the same as it was then, how come you didn’t change anything?”
Darius enclosed her arms within his own and pulled her around his body so that she was now leaning against the wall.
Tipping up her chin he studied how the lights caused her eyes to sparkle like diamonds. God he loved this woman. He came out here so full of gratitude that he could have this second chance with his wife that he found himself wanting to tell the world. Standing out here and speaking his heart out into the wind seemed to be just as effective at the moment.
“Candasee, the thought of changing anything here felt like I would have been erasing you from my life and I couldn’t do that. Actually staying here without you was too painful, so I took to staying at the hotel and travelling so I wouldn’t notice how empty and meaningless all of this was without you.
“Darius, I missed you so much and I love you!” she said tip-toeing a little to connect their lips in the slightest of brushes.
“Candasee, I am so glad that you are here again,” he confessed now even more consumed with a desire to have all of her once again. “I know that you are hungry right now but there is something that I need to do before we eat,” said Darius looking serious all of a sudden.
“What is it?” asked Candasee.
Falling slowly to one knee before her, Darius reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box and opened it. Inside was a glittering solitaire diamond ring. Candasee gasped in surprise! How long had he been carrying that around?
“I know, it might seem too soon for this but I don’t believe in wasting any more time. We’ve been apart long enough and I need to kn
ow that you are mine again in every sense of the word. Will you honour me by marrying me again?”
“Yes Darius, I will,” breathed Candasee with elation as Darius slipped the ring onto her finger. He stood again and captured her mouth in a kiss that made her tremble with need.
“Is this week too soon for us to get married?” he asked between kisses to her lips and along her neck.
“I would marry you tonight, if I could Darius!” responded Candasee fervently as she threaded her fingers through the soft curls of his hair as she arched into his warm embrace. The line of kisses he was trailing along her neck felt like liquid fire in her veins. She wanted him and she’d wanted this for so long. Even in the coolness of the night breeze blowing against her skin her temperature had already risen by a whole degree.
“I don’t want to ever be away from you again, I don’t want to know what that feels like ever again!” she confessed gasping as his hands traced the outline of her breasts through the thin material of the sundress she was wearing. She did not bother to put on a bra again after her bath and her nipples were hard and prominently displayed against the material.
“I’m never letting you go again Candasee, you can believe that. This time we will end whenever life ends and even then I’ll love you from beyond,” he said rolling her nipples gently under the pads of his thumbs as he looked deeply into her eyes. She saw his need there and it matched all that she felt in her heart. Her entire being thrummed in response to his touch and she felt herself grow more and more aroused.
“So, did I say that I was hungry for food earlier because, there is something else I think I would prefer first!” she confessed breathlessly. She traced his lips with the tip of her index finger seductively. “Do you know what I want?”
“Do you even need to ask me that?” he responded, pushing her dress off her shoulders so that it pooled at her feet. In the moonlight her dark skin looked radiant and smooth and the cool breeze caused her nipples to pebble even more.
“Are you cold?” he asked noticing her shiver.
Hidden Love (Derrien Island Trilogy) Page 22