She shakes her head. “That’s where you are wrong. When I met you, I was so lost in my own head and my life. I didn’t let anyone in. It took Miranda forever to convince me to go to Christmas Eve dinner. Then you walked into my life. Suddenly, there was sunlight. I wanted to be a part of someone’s life, other than my brother and sister’s. I actually look forward to getting up in the morning. You opened my heart when it was completely closed to the outside world. I fought it but you won. You opened my life up to so many possibilities and, for that, I can never repay you.”
He embraces me tight. “I love you so much. You did the same for me. My life has been so happy since you walked into it.” He kisses me so passionately. When he pulls away, it takes me a moment to catch my breath. “On that note, I have something for you.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s your birthday gift.”
“My birthday gift? My birthday isn’t for another two weeks.”
“I know.” He says and pulls a box out of his briefcase. It is a long box wrapped with a big bow on it. He hands it to me. “Open it.”
I do as he says. I lift the lid off the box and gasp. I look up at him and he smiles. I pull out two plane tickets. “You’re taking me to Jamaica for my birthday?”
“I am.”
“I can’t go. I just started this new job and I won’t be able to take time off so soon.”
“John called me before he hired you to tell me that he was going to do so. He said he was very impressed and wanted to thank me for recommending you. I told him that I was taking you to Jamaica for your birthday for a week. He agreed to give you the week off paid but you won’t be eligible for another week off for six months.”
“Seriously? He’s willing to do that for me?” I am dumbfounded by the generosity that I have seen in the last few months.
“Yes. Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. Yes, I am super happy and thank you for my gift. I am so excited. I have never been on a vacation or a plane for that matter. Wait. Do I need a passport? There is no way we are going to get one in two weeks.”
He laughs. “Got that too.” He reaches into his briefcase again and hands it to me.
“How in the hell did you get that?”
“Mia helped me. She is so excited about it.”
“Is there anything you don’t think of?”
“Very little.” He smirks. “When I thought of Jamaica, I spoke to Mia and we worked on getting the passport first. Once I had it in hand, I booked the trip. Honestly, I am praying that you aren’t mad at me for doing all this behind your back. I wasn’t comfortable but it had to be done. Please forgive me.”
“I’m not mad. I’m shocked that you went through all the trouble. I am also honored that you wanted to go through all the trouble for me. Thank you so much.” I say and go to kiss him when he stops me and hands me the box again.
“I want you to go shopping and not at thrift stores. I want you to go to the mall and splurge a little.” He points to something underneath the tickets and there is a bunch of mall gift cards. I look through them and see that they total five hundred dollars.
“Dylan, this is way too much. You are spending enough on the trip.”
He put a finger to my lips. “I love splurging on you. Please have fun and enjoy it.” He kisses me and we get lost in that kiss.
Chapter 22
Airplane Ride
Dylan
The last couple of weeks have been crazy but we are finally sitting on the plane waiting to take off. Amber is nervous about her first plane ride. I look over at her and she has her hands in her lap and her eyes closed. I watch her for a moment. She’s so beautiful. I love all of her perfect imperfections. She is my everything. I place my hand over hers and she opens her eyes.
“I’m right here.” I whisper and she nods her understanding.
“You probably think I’m some sort of freak because I have never been on a plane.”
“No I don’t. I completely understand it. I will hold your hand the whole time if you need it.”
She slips her fingers through mine and grips tightly. I put my finger under her chin and bring her eyes to mine. I kiss her nose.
“I’m very excited about this week. How about you?”
“Oh yes. I have only been to the beach once as a little girl so I am looking forward to seeing it again.”
“Gorgeous, I am so sorry that you missed out on so much. It isn’t fair.”
“I had to live that way and so did Mia and Evan but my children will not. I want to show my children the world.”
“I agree with you. I think that kids should grow seeing the world if their parents can provide them with those experiences. I was lucky. My parents were able to and I have experienced many places in the states. I’ve never been to Europe and I’m dying to go but I was fortunate to be able to see most of the US.” She flashes me a big smile.
“Where in Europe do you want to go?” She asks.
“Italy, England, France. The list can go on and on. How about you?”
“Same as you. Italy would be a dream but just being able to go to Europe would be a dream come true.”
The plane began to move backwards as it makes its way to the runway. She grips my hand tighter. I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her fingers. The captain comes on and announces that we are ready to take off. The plane picks up speed and Amber looks like she’s going to jump out of her skin.
“Hey, look at me.” I say to her and she looks at me. I lean in and capture her lips. We are the only two in this row so we have some privacy. I kiss her passionately and she responds to me. We kiss for a few minutes. When we break apart, the plane is in the air and all is well.
She smiles at me. “That was a great takeoff.”
I chuckle. She pulls out her book and I do the same. She’s still grips my hand and it was a great flight.
****
We land in Jamaica at eleven in the morning. I made sure to have a car waiting for us to take us to the resort. We go to baggage claim and grab our bags and I see the car with my last name on it. We walk to the car and the chauffeur gets out, putting our bags in the trunk. We climb into the backseat and are off.
Twenty minutes later, he pulls into the resort and opens our door. We climb out while he removes our bags. I tip him and we walk into the lobby. Amber sits in one of the chairs while I check in. A few minutes later, I am walking toward her.
“Are you ready?” I ask her and she jumps out of her chair.
“Yes.” We grab our luggage and head outside. A staff member drives up with a golf cart and jumps out. He hands me the keys and helps me put the luggage into the cart. I jump into the driver’s seat and Amber is just standing there watching me.
“Jump in gorgeous?”
“Why are we going in a golf cart? We aren’t staying in this hotel?”
“Come on. I’ll show you.”
She gets in and I drive us to a separate little bungalow. I picked this resort because it has a main hotel and about fifteen bungalows. It’s completely all-inclusive and we have some privacy. I requested a bungalow closest to the beach. I find our bungalow and park the golf cart in its little parking spot. A golf cart is included with every bungalow rental. I jump out and grab the bags. I let Amber take in her surroundings. I open the bungalow door and set the bags inside. She comes in behind me and looks around. The bungalow has a tiny living room with a love seat and a television. There is a small kitchenette with a table. I head straight to the sliding glass door and open it. There is a small table and two chairs sitting on the little porch with an incredible view of the beach plus a small private pool for the two of us. We don’t have any neighbors and the pool is completely surrounded by bushes. She comes behind me and I hear her take a deep breath.
“That ocean air is so refreshing.” She says. “Holy shit! Is that a pool?”
I laugh. “It is. What do you think of the bungalow?”
“It’s perfect.” She says but doesn’t l
ook at me. “Are we sharing a bed?”
“This is a two bedroom bungalow but we have to share a bathroom.”
“Oh.” She says and steps inside. She seems disappointed. I follow her and grab the bags.
“Which room do you want?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She says and walks into the bathroom. I walk into one of the bedrooms and place her bags on the bed. I put my bags in the other room and go back to the bathroom door. “This bathroom is amazing. You must have spent a fortune on this vacation.”
“Look at me.” When she looks back at me, I continue. “I don’t want you thinking about that. I want you to have fun and have the time of your life.”
Chapter 23
Dinner
Amber
I finish getting ready while Dylan is in the shower and decide to go out to wait on the beach. This place is so beautiful and the ocean is so cleansing. I left my sandals on the porch and I have my toes in the sand. I look out at the water and watch the waves hit the shore. Dylan has gone above and beyond with this trip. The bungalow is so cozy but I’ll admit that I was disappointed to learn that is has two bedrooms. I know he noticed that I was disappointed but he decided not to say anything. I assumed that we would be sharing a room. I want to make love to him more than anything in the world but I am so scared that I will suck. I don’t really have any experience. I’m not a virgin but it only happened twice and there was no experimentation. Since I met him, I’ve dreamed of falling asleep in the safety of his arms. On the other hand, I am so touched that he thought of getting a separate room so that I wouldn’t feel pressured. I was lucky enough to have found him and I’m not letting him go. I love him and I need to be able to talk to him about my feelings. I am comfortable with him and I know there is no judgment but I find it difficult to talk about this subject.
I watch as the sun sets behind the ocean. The colors are spectacular. I feel strong arms wrap around my waist and I smile. I lean back into him. We stand and watch in silence for a minute.
“Are you okay? You have been lost in thought all afternoon.”
“Yes but I have been thinking a lot.” I turn to face him. “I was disappointed that the bungalow has two bedrooms. I looked forward to sharing a bed with you.”
“Sweetheart, I’m sorry I disappointed you. I didn’t mean to do that. In fact, I was trying to make you more comfortable. I have no expectations. I want nothing more than to be with you but I told you that you would have to make the move. There is never any pressure with me.”
“I know that. I’m so sorry.” I am so frustrated with myself.
“No apologies necessary love. Let’s go eat.”
****
Dinner was so good. I’ve never had Jamaican food so it was a real treat for me. We just finished our meal and the waitress comes by to gather our plates. A local band just started playing and the dance floor is open to dancing. The band is excellent and I want to dance. I look over to Dylan who was watching the band.
“Let’s dance.” I say.
“You don’t dance.” He says with a grin.
“I know but no one knows me here.”
He smiles and stands. He puts his hand out and he leads me to the dance floor. It’s a reggae song and we move to the beat. Our bodies move together in perfect rhythm. We dance through the next three songs and then go back to the table for dessert. I have cheesecake and Dylan has a lemon tart. We eat our desserts and are back onto the dance floor within a few minutes. We dance to every song the band played. The last song is a slow song. They are playing ‘Lady in Red’ by Chris de Burgh. It’s such a beautiful song. Dylan holds me so close and I am enjoying every minute in his arms. Why in the hell am I holding myself back from this man? He came into my life by accident and has shown me how much he loves me in everything he has done for me and my siblings. He didn’t run when he found out my story. He didn’t feel burdened by my responsibilities. Instead, he proceeded to try to help me. He has respected my boundaries and has done what he can to put a smile on my face. He’s caring, loving, generous and incredibly smart. I need to stop letting my fears control my actions. I want to be with this man and I will be doing it during this trip.
The dance ends, we grab our stuff and head back to the bungalow. A few minutes later, Dylan is unlocking it and we step inside. I head straight for my bedroom and change into my pajamas. Once changed, I go back into the living room and Dylan is watching some television. I sit next to him and we settle in to watch a movie.
Chapter 24
The Night
Dylan
I am sitting here holding Amber while we are watching a movie. I have no idea what we are watching because I just keep thinking about her earlier confession. I was disappointed that the bungalow has two bedrooms. I looked forward to sharing a bed with you. Did she mean just sharing a bed with me or sex? I want her so bad but she has to make the move. The last thing I want to do is pressure her into doing something that she’s not ready for. I love Amber more than anything in the world and I just want her happy. I will do my best to always see her happy. There is no one I would rather live this life with. I’m ready to marry her but I know it’s too soon for her. I feel her shift in my arms and I look down at her. She is pure perfection.
“I’m exhausted.” She says.
“It’s been a long day. If you want to go to bed, I understand. Don’t feel like you have to stay up.”
“Will you come with me? I want to sleep in your arms tonight.” She asks nervously.
“Of course I will.” She stands and I turn off the television. I follow her and she goes into the bathroom.
“I’m going to brush my teeth. I’ll be out in a minute.” I nod and head into her bedroom. I turn down the bed and smile. I’ll finally have her next to me when I wake up in the morning. I walk back into my bedroom and remove my clothes and put on a pair of shorts to sleep in. As I’m walking back to her room, Amber steps out of the bathroom.
“My turn.” I say and I step into the bathroom. A few minutes later, I walk into the bedroom and she’s sitting in bed. I climb in next to her and lay down. “Come here baby.” She lies next to me and rests her head on my chest. I feel her sigh as I wrap my arms around her tightly.
I can feel her drifting into sleep and I kiss the top of her head. “I love you.”
****
The next morning, I wake to find Amber’s beautiful blue eyes. She’s been watching me sleep. I smile and stretch a little.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. I hope you slept well.”
“It was the best sleep that I’ve gotten in months. Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby.” She says and smiles.
I quickly turn us over so that I am lying on top of her. She stares up at me wide-eyed. I kiss her forehead, then her eyes, then her nose, both of her cheeks and finally I take her mouth. The kiss is long and drawn out. I pull away and look down at her. “I always want to wake up to you in my arms.”
I move off of her and get up. “I’ll get coffee.” She nods and I walk out to the kitchenette. I put the coffee maker on and call for breakfast. Five minutes later, I’m carrying two cups of coffee into the bedroom. She sits up and I hand her a cup. She takes a sip.
“So good.” She says.
“This Jamaican blend is amazing.”
Before I have a chance to sit, a knock comes from the front door. I smile at her and go answer the door. Moments later, I roll a cart into the bedroom.
“What’s that?” She asks.
“Breakfast.” I undercover everything and grab a plate. “What would you like?”
“Pancakes, eggs and bacon please.” I load her plate and hand it to her with utensils. I plate some up for me and sit next to her.
“What do you want to do today?” I ask her between pieces of bacon.
“I don’t know. What do you suggest?”
“We can go to the aquarium, do some hiking, go snorkeling or just relax on the beach.”
&nbs
p; “The aquarium sounds fun. We can do that and then hit the beach this afternoon.”
We finish breakfast, get ourselves ready and out we went.
Chapter 25
A Swim
Amber
The aquarium was so much fun. I was like a little kid in a candy store. I wanted to see everything and do everything. Dylan was his normal easygoing self and let me do and see everything I wanted. I had never been to an aquarium so it was all new to me. Dylan made me go on all the rides and I had a blast. We spent all morning and most of the afternoon there. We just got back to our bungalow and it’s almost five. I am changing into my new bathing suit and am meeting Dylan on the beach. We are going to go for a swim.
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