My Unexpected Serenity: California Billionaires Book 1

by Harlow James

  Once I’m finished applying the white cream to her back, she turns to face me with the biggest smile on her face.

  “I’m so excited right now, I don’t even know what to do with myself.”

  “I’m glad. I brought some snacks and water if you want.” Pointing to the tray, her eyes follow. “I could also get you a glass of wine if you’re in the mood.”

  “Maybe later. Right now I just want to lay down and relax a bit.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  I watch her pluck a grape from the vine, pop it in her mouth, and then situate her gorgeous body on one of the lounge chairs, placing black sunglasses over her eyes and keeping her hat on her head. I take residence in the chair beside her, slide my sunglasses back down from the top of my head, and lean back as well, taking stock of how good the sun feels on my skin—and how peaceful it feels with Shayla by my side.

  She makes me feel calm. At ease. Like the tightness in my chest can take a break and let me breathe for a moment.

  “So you said it’s been a while since you’ve been on this boat. How long exactly?”

  “A little over six years,” I reply.

  “Wow. Why so long?”

  I knew questions would arise today, and I’ve already mentally prepared myself for how to answer. Shayla deserves details, and I think there’s a way I can give her enough to keep her satisfied without revealing my entire life story.

  “This boat was my grandfather’s. He left it to me when he died, which was over six years ago. He lived in Santa Barbara permanently toward the end of his life, and I used to visit him here often. But I haven’t been back since shortly after he died. It was just too painful.”

  She reaches for my hand, stroking the top of it with her thumb. “Is this the same grandfather that took you for ice cream?”

  I smile wistfully. “Yeah. We were very close. When he died, he left his company to me, not my dad, which has been a sore subject between us since then.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m no stranger to tense relationships with a parent, so I feel you on that one.”

  I nod. “Anyway, that’s why it’s been so long.”

  “Is it hard being back here?”

  “Yeah. I’m living in what used to be his house, in a town full of memories everywhere I turn… but there’s been one pleasant thing about being back.”

  “What’s that?” She glances over at me.

  I lower my sunglasses down the bridge of my nose and I return her gaze so she can see my eyes. “You.”

  “Damn. Smooth, Mr. Billionaire.”

  I bark out a laugh and then shove my glasses back up.

  “So, I saw a picture of you and Waverly online the other day,” she says, changing the subject.

  “Yeah. I saw it too. All of that shit is forwarded to me so that I’m aware.”

  “I’m sure that’s not the first time it’s happened to you.”

  “Nope. And it won’t be the last,” I say full of irritation now. It’s fucking ridiculous that I can’t enjoy a meal out with my sister like a normal person, and it only reminds me that now the press knows I’m in Santa Barbara. I’m sure my father is oh so pleased with that detail.

  “I don’t have any siblings, but you two seem close.”

  I smile at the thought of my sister. “We are. It didn’t always used to be that way though.”

  “No?”

  “Nope. We fought like crazy as kids. She’d break my Lego creations and I would shave the hair off of her Barbie dolls.”

  Shayla giggles beside me. “Sounds like a healthy sibling dynamic.”

  “I guess. But now that we’re older, we’re like each other’s confidant. She’s the only other person that gets what it’s like to grow up in our family, in our world.”

  “How do you handle it?”

  I inhale deeply and then let the breath out. “Something like that picture of us eating lunch isn’t as big of a deal as other things,” I offer, knowing that there are far worse details that could be dug up about me.

  “Do I… do I need to be worried about that?”

  My head twists at her words, nerves throttling through my body with the worry I hear in her voice.

  “Come here.” I pull her arm as she stands from her chair and then comes over to my seat. I yank her down onto my lap and her legs straddle my waist on instinct.

  Fuck. Maybe pulling her over here wasn’t such a good idea.

  My thumbs stroke her hips as I remove my sunglasses and she does the same. “Unfortunately, part of growing up with the last name Morgan is people knowing who you are and wanting to know everything about you. There will come a point where people will know you too if this continues to progress. And I want it to, Shayla, more than I want to admit, and it worries me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s going to change your life more than mine. And I can’t protect you from it all.” I can’t protect you from me.

  “I see,” she says, staring off to the side now, looking at the ocean.

  “I know there’s a lot to consider, and I feel like we can cross that bridge when we get to it.” I think I’m telling her this more for myself because there are so many things hitting me at once in regards to this woman, I can only handle one at a time. “But for today, can we just enjoy being out here? Together?”

  She faces me once more and then smiles. “Okay. I think I can do that.”

  I move my hands from her hips to her head, digging my fingers into her thick, dark hair, and then pulling her to me so I can taste her sweet lips again.

  Shayla meets me with every thrust of my tongue in her mouth, every stroke and deeper angle of our necks as we devour one another. Before I realize it’s happening, Shayla starts to circle her hips on my lap, grinding into the steel rod that has taken residence in my pants.

  “Shayla,” I mumble between kisses.

  “Wes. God, you feel good.”

  “You feel incredible, sweetheart.” We continue to kiss and grind on each other as I feel Shayla start to tremble in my arms.

  Holy fuck. Is she about to come?

  “Shayla, wait.” I release my grip on her hair as she sits back with wide eyes, almost as if she can’t believe how fast that escalated too.

  “I’m sorry,” she says, trying to get off of my lap, but I hold her still, trembling from the lust running through me, but knowing that we needed to stop.

  “Don’t fucking apologize. You did nothing wrong. I just don’t want to move too fast, especially if that’s not what you want.”

  “Uh, I was just grinding on your dick, Wes. I’m pretty sure that’s what I want.”

  I chuckle and then give her a chaste kiss. “Believe me, I want that too. But not now. Let’s have fun.”

  “Fun? I’m pretty sure orgasms are a lot of fun.”

  I help her stand and then do the same, adjusting myself in my board shorts as Shayla’s eyes focus on my crotch. “Fuck. Stop looking at me like that.”

  “Kinda hard not to stare at that anaconda you have there, Wes.” She smirks and then laughs.

  Jesus Christ. I’d better get a god damn medal for resisting pinning her down and fucking that smile off of her face right now.

  “You think you’re funny?” I turn to her and lift my brow.

  “I’m pretty hilarious, if I do say so myself,” she jokes and then flips her hair over her shoulder dramatically.

  “Well, I can be funny too.”

  “Really? How so?”

  I rush toward her, flipping her hat off of her head, tossing her glasses on the couch, and then scooping her up in my arms as I make my way toward the edge of the deck.

  “Wes!” she screams as I stand on the edge, preparing to jump.

  “Plug your nose!” I warn her before leaping with her in my arms and hitting the water just a few seconds later.

  The crash of us hitting the surface rings in my ears before I pop my head above the water and Shayla does the same a few feet away from me.

  �
��That was not funny!” she shouts through her laughter.

  “Then why are you laughing?” I chuckle back at her.

  She swims to me and wraps her legs around my waist as I fight to tread water. But my hands move to her ass on instinct so I pump my legs as hard and fast as I can to keep us afloat.

  “You surprise me,” she says seriously now, her eyes bouncing back and forth between mine. “And I’m not a big fan of surprises.”

  “No. You are definitely the surprise, Shayla,” I reply before smashing my mouth to hers and drowning in her lips once more.

  ***

  “What’s the most obnoxious thing you’ve ever purchased for yourself with your piles of gold?” Shayla chews through a bite of her cracker as she stares at me with a gleam in her eye.

  We’re lying on our stomachs on two loungers, facing each other as we snack. After jumping in the water a few more times and several hungry kisses, we came back on the deck to dry off in the sun.

  “There are no piles of gold.”

  “What? You mean when I walk into your house, it’s not going to look like the Treasure Room from National Treasure?”

  I grant her a perplexed stare as she grins back at me. “No. Sorry to disappoint you.”

  “You’re just one big disappointment after another,” she teases, but something about those words sting. Something tells me I will end up disappointing Shayla, just like I did the last woman I was with.

  “To answer your question, I’d have to say it was a collector’s item.”

  “Huh. Wouldn’t have guessed that. I was thinking some ridiculous car that would make your dick feel big. Although from what I’ve seen, apparently you don’t need help with that.” She winks at me and all I can do is shake my head at her. God, the woman has very little filter—but I still think Chloe is worse.

  “Your assessment would be correct,” I reply with a lift of my brow. “But despite your cliché thought, I have a love all things superheroes and there was a rare comic that I spent a pretty penny on. But I have no regrets.”

  Shayla adjusts herself on her chair, sitting up to face me as she crosses her legs. All I can think about is how I could glance down and get a peek at the sweet spot between her thighs, but I refrain.

  “Okay, serious question before we continue then. And this could be a deal breaker.” She takes a dramatic deep breath. “Marvel or DC?”

  “Marvel, hands down.”

  She mocks wiping sweat off of her forehead. “Whew. Okay, we’re good. So what comic was it?”

  I smirk in her direction. “Amazing Fantasy #15.”

  She stares at me blankly. “Sorry. I feel like I should be more excited for you, but I don’t even know what that is. I mean, I know who The Avengers are and stuff, but beyond that, comic book worlds kind of fly right over my head.”

  I laugh at her honesty. “It’s okay. I’ll try not to nerd out around you too much about it then. But it’s just another thing my grandfather got me hooked on, and I never grew out of it.”

  “I feel like there’s a lot of things men never grow out of.”

  “The rumors are true. So what’s something you’re obsessed with that would be similar to my love of comic books?”

  She grins and then leans back in her chair. “You’re probably going to think I’m weird, but… I have a slight obsession with Ariel.”

  “The mermaid?”

  She nods. “Yup.”

  The thought of Shayla with some seashell and gizmo collection hoarded in her room makes me smile. “Given your love of the ocean, that doesn’t surprise me.”

  “And that’s exactly where it came from. I watched the movie on repeat when I was younger and used to pretend I was a mermaid every chance I got. I’d find random things and pretend they were part of my collection. I pretended that Prince Eric would rescue me from my lackluster childhood and I’d be able to live in the ocean for all eternity. And I actually died my hair bright red in my early twenties to see if I could pull it off. I don’t think I looked bad, but I got sick of it pretty quickly.”

  “I want to see a picture,” I demand, the thought of Shayla in bright red hair stirring up thoughts that quickly travel down south.

  “My phone’s inside. I’ll show you later.”

  “So I guess we both have childhood obsessions that followed us into adulthood?”

  “I guess we do.”

  ***

  “So tell me more about your best friend since you’ve met mine now and understand what I put up with.” I’m rubbing more sunscreen on her back since we’ve been on the deck for several hours now.

  “Aw, Hayes Weston. How do I begin to describe Hayes?” The man may be my oldest friend and one of the best people I know, but unfortunately not all people see that. He doesn’t let them.

  “Hayes Weston. I feel like I’ve heard that name before.”

  “Kind of like you heard of mine?” I tickle her ribs as she struggles to get away from me.

  “Sorry I’m not glued to E News and obsess over celebrity’s lives, okay? I’m a student and work two jobs. I have other priorities. Jeez.” She scrambles away from me, but I can sense the mocking tone in her voice.

  We take our seats again while sipping on some lemonade I poured earlier. I fucking love lemonade, but I used to love it more with a shit ton of vodka in it.

  “Well, I’ve known Hayes since we were seven, I believe? His family and my family lived close by each other. We were in the same class at the private school we attended and instantly became friends. Since our parents weren’t really interested in being parents, we got into a lot of trouble together over the years, but Hayes was always the instigator. I more or less just followed along.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you,” she teases.

  I shrug. “Believe what you want, but once you meet the guy, you’ll see what I mean. He’s just an overgrown child. Has no filter whatsoever and is very carefree. Doesn’t know how to be serious sometimes, but he can be in the right circumstances. And he’s brilliant when it comes to managing money. He actually invests in nightclubs all over southern California and Vegas.”

  “God, it’s been years since I’ve been to Vegas. Chloe and I made one trip when we both turned twenty-one. I don’t remember much, but I’m pretty sure we had a good time.” She laughs as the thought of Shayla stumbling around Vegas drunk sends a rush of fury through me, but I shove it back down. “But it sounds like he and Chloe would probably hit it off if they met.”

  “Yeah, they probably would.”

  “Do you think I’ll ever meet him?” she asks, slightly nervous in her tone.

  I shove up off of my chair and lean down to her in hers. I brush my lips to her mouth and then pull back so I can see the heat in her eyes, the same heat running through me that even the cool water of the ocean can’t douse.

  “I’m sure you will,” I answer, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before I introduce them. Hayes is already invested in my relationship with Shayla, although for different reasons than I am. But once he sees us together, he’ll be even more overbearing. He’ll probably scare her off if I don’t do it before then.

  Thinking about tomorrows and what happens next with us sparks a wave of anticipation in me. But it’s quickly followed by fear—fear of what letting someone in means, even though I’m feeling powerless to this woman’s pull on me. And surprisingly, I don’t want to pull back.

  Chapter 13

  Shayla

  Wes and I spend the day on the various decks of the boat, alternating between swimming and sunbathing, and talking about any and everything. It’s easy, fun, and gives me a glimpse of the possible relationship that we could have—a relationship that I’ve been fighting but feel powerless over progressing.

  By the afternoon, we head inside so Wes can cook me dinner, and as he mentioned on our last date, the man can actually cook. He made a pasta dish with chicken and mushrooms and some kind of creamy sauce that made me moan throughout the meal.

  Wes l
ooked like he was about to combust.

  But so am I. I feel such a strong pull to him that all my body wants is his. Seeing him carefree and casual today did more for my libido than seeing him in a suit. Although the man can rock a suit fiercely. And he looks down right sinful in board shorts too.

  And even though I know it’s soon, if I don’t give into what I need soon, I think I might die.

  This is how it starts. It’s always new and exciting in the beginning. But things will change. Don’t let your guard down.

  My mind is trying to sabotage any surge of hope I feel today with heavy doses of reality, pessimism, and flashbacks of my mom being giddy at the start of each new relationship, and then a blubbering mess just a few short months later. And I hear the warnings, acknowledge the experience. But at this point, I just don’t want to listen anymore.

  After Wes cleans up dinner, he pours me a glass of wine and grabs a water for himself before we head up to the top deck to watch the sunset. I was surprised that he didn’t get a drink as well, but he said he just didn’t feel like one, which I understand.

  I’ve seen countless sunsets on the coast, watching the sun shrink lower and lower into the horizon before disappearing completely and lighting up the sky in the most brilliant shades of oranges, pinks, and yellows. But none of those sunsets will ever compare to the one tonight—the one where Wes’s arms are wrapped around me, just the two of us in a little slice of heaven that he created just for me.

  And I want to seal the perfect day with the perfect night.

  “Thank you again for today,” I say, breathing in the scent of the ocean and his scent infiltrating my senses as he tightens his arms wrapped around my shoulders. We both took turns showering earlier after we were done in the water and the sun, and the smell of his body wash is putting me further under his spell.

  “I hope it was perfect.”

  “It was. But I feel like it’s just missing one thing.” I turn in his arms as he rests them on the railing behind me.

  “What is that?”