by Joyner, GP
“Now that’s out of the way. Tell me truthfully, how would you feel about a relationship with me.”
“Frankly, I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never had a relationship last more than two months. I always move on, hoping that my father never catches up with me or harms the people that I have made friends with.”
“Without sounding eccentric, I love you.”
“Two things… Why would you love me—technically you just met me—and secondly, why aren’t freaked out by what I’ve told you?”
“First, I didn’t just meet you. I met you and have known you all semester long, which leads me to another question. Are you going back to class next week? I’m not freaked out, because if you would have met my grandmother on my father’s side, she was a shaman… or is that shawoman?”
“Shaman regardless if it’s a woman or a man,” Betty interrupted.
He pinched the tip of her nose. “Smart ass. Anyhow, she was a driving force in how we lived, and she always said your eyes did not always provide sight for everything. Let’s go get some breakfast. I am starving.”
She placed a hand on Javier’s chest. “I just want to share one thing with you.”
“What is it is, sweetheart?”
“I want to say thank you for not just pushing me aside. You didn’t have to.”
Opening the door, they headed out to the kitchen area, where everyone had been sitting around the table. Looking up, they all were smiling. Javier knew something was up.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning, you two. I hope that you slept well,” Mr. Romero offered.
“I slept like always.”
“I slept well. I haven’t slept like that in a while. By the way, I would like to thank you for your hospitality.”
“You leaving or something?” Lola asked around a mouth full of food.
“First off, Lola, it’s not polite to talk with your mouth full. Secondly, I have to find some place to live. I don’t want this house to be in jeopardy.”
A ruckus erupted around the table until Mr. Romero whistled, gaining everyone’s attention.
“Both of you, take a seat. I have something to say.” He waited patiently as Javier sat in the chair and pulled Betty into his lap. She felt awkward showing this display of open emotion. “You, my dear,” he said, taking Betty’s hand into his, “will always be welcome in our home. Your enemy is now our enemy. It’s evident that Javier is heads over heels for you and you feel the same way. We will deal with your father if and when the time comes, but until then, you are welcome to the bungalow that is built in the back for as long as you wish. Here, you will be safe.”
Javier hugged her close and whispered to her, “We’ve got some work to do later on us.” She smiled down at him and kissed his nose.
THE END
An Excuse
Contemporary Billionaire Romance
By: G.P. Joyner
WARNING: This ebook contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. It may be considered offensive to some readers. This ebook is for sale to adults ONLY
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Copyright 2015 by G.P. Joyner - All rights reserved.
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Clare Wilkins stared out her cabin window at the fierce autumn squall blowing in from the ocean. It was a terrible night to be out on the water, and she was glad she was safely inside tonight. Not the night to be taking a swim, that was for certain. Regretfully, she brushed her hand over the deep brown silk skin and carefully put it back into the sea chest by her bed. No human with half a brain would go swimming in the rolling ocean waters or battle the ruthless Alaskan wind tonight, unless they absolutely had too. With the storm, her television reception would be spotty as well. There wasn’t much else to do in her little cabin on Adak Island.
Why am I up here again?, she complained to herself. After breaking up with her boyfriend, Tom, because she was “sick of his cheating habit”, she thought an escape to the wilderness would make for a nice change. When Auntie Vivienne volunteered her small cabin, near a harbor seal colony, Clare jumped at the chance. She’d had a great summer, swimming with the local harbor visitors, communing with nature, getting back to her roots. Now it was September, and the mating cries of the local dolphins made her want to walk into town and throw herself at the first good looking man she could find. She was going stir crazy in the small cabin.
A light from the direction of the beach caught her eye. Peering back out the window, she saw a local fishing boat trying to escape the worst of the storm by heading to the leeward side of the island. She wished them luck. It was a smart strategy, but the rocks on this part of the shore were particularly brutal, and had sunk vessels making the attempt before. Checking on the position of the ship again, she saw they were getting blown dangerously close to shore. She decided she had better warn them not to stray any closer.
Flicking on her aunt’s VHF radio, she tuned in channel 16, the radio channel used for emergency communications and warnings to vessels. As soon as she flicked the radio on, a man’s voice, sounding panicked came through the receiver. “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is the fishing vessel Undine. We are on the western shore of Adak Island. We have lost our main engine and are taking on water. Three crewman aboard, the captain is injured.” The fisherman began to repeat his distress call. The coastguard answered, indicating they were responding, but would not arrive for at least 45 minutes.
“That’s too late!” she cried. The sound of her own voice echoed in the empty cabin and oddly, almost startled her. That boat was headed towards the rocks fast, if they were taking on water now, they’d be sunk in minutes. Stripping off her clothes, she ran to her bedroom, throwing open the sea chest. Snatching her swimming costume, and then ran outside, barely feeling the pouring rain as she dashed towards the beach. As her toes hit the water, she pulled on her fins and goggles and dived into the water. As she swam towards the distressed boat, she could hear the sickening crunch of steel hitting stone. Wincing, she picked up speed. She wasn’t sure what she could do to help, but there had to be something.
When she arrived at the ship, she saw to her dismay that the ship was sinking fast. A yellow life raft was floating in the water, two people obviously aboard. She swam closer, and could hear an older man, holding a broken arm calling desperately towards the boat. “Charlie! Charlie!”. The other man was holding the injured man back, as he looked likely to throw himself into the water to try to climb back aboard. Clearly there was someone still aboard the sinking ship, but Clare could see no sign of him. Trying to communicate with the fisherman was pointless- they wouldn’t understand her because of the storm.
She dove deep under water, and saw a hole in the ship’s hull that she could squeeze through. Slipping into the ship she swam through the rising waters, searching for the missing crewman. Finally, she saw a bright orange clad shoulder lying in a doorway. From what she could tell, the man had managed to put on his floating survival suit, but had hit his head when the ship had run aground on the rocks. She could hear the man groaning, but clearly, he wasn’t conscious enough to move. Grabbing the man’s coat by the neck, she began to drag him down the hall and out the door to the deck. She could see the water rising all around them. She needed to get the man off the boat and away before the ship sank and drew them both under with it.
She continued pulling on the man until she had both of them in the water. She began looking around for the yellow life raft. If she could get him to it, then his companions could pull him aboard. When she saw the raft however, she i
nstantly realized it was too far away. The current had already swept the little raft several hundred feet away towards the leeward side of the island. She needed to get the injured man out of the water as quickly as possible. Instead of attempting to catch up with the raft, she swam back the way she had come, headed towards her beach. She could get him warm and dry in her cabin, and let the coast guard med-evac him out when they got here. As she swam away, back towards the beach, she could just see the raft come ashore on the island’s south side.
She managed to haul the injured man with her back to the beach. The time in the water had been hard on him- although his suit had kept him buoyant. The cool autumn water temperatures were pushing him close to hypothermia. Stripping off her swimming costume, she dragged the man back towards the waiting warmth of her home. Once he was inside she pulled off his suit and wet clothes, then grabbed every blanket she could find. Piling them on him she checked his temperature. He was still cool and shivering. There was only one thing to do. Still nude, she slipped under the blankets, and held the shivering man to her, allowing her own body heat to warm him.
Now that she had managed to pull the man out of the worst danger, she could finally take the time to see whom her naked body was pressed up against. The sailor was a younger man, perhaps late thirties. His occupation had left him well musculated, and his face… she sighed. Here was a man she wouldn’t mind losing her skin to. Gently she pushed his wet hair out of his face, and looked into a gorgeous set of blue eyes.
“Are you with me…” what had the older man called him, “Charlie? Do you understand me?” The man slowly nodded, as his eyes focused on her face. “Ok, good, how many fingers am I holding up?” she held two fingers up in front of the young man’s face. “Tuhhh…uhh…. two?” The man stuttered, still shivering. She smiled encouragingly, and then pressed against him closer as she used her hands to rub his arms briskly, trying to get his circulation going. “Can you tell me your name?” She asked him. “Charlie Mackenzie” the man told her, sounding a bit more cognizant. “Good Charlie. I’m Clare, do you understand?” Charlie nodded, and then murmured her name back to her “Clare…” After a few minutes his shivering began to stop, and Clare felt Charlie’s arms circle around her. “You feel so good, warm.” His embrace tightened, as he buried his face into Clare’s warm neck. “You smell good too.”
Clare blushed. “You think I smell good, not like fish, or something?” Charlie murmured a negative, and then to her surprise he began nibbling the base of her neck. When she shifted a bit to evade him, he pulled her close again. She could feel his body warming, and becoming obviously aroused.
“Do you think you can grant me the chance?” she smiled and started walking away. He pulled her to his chest. She sensed his gaze. Lingering, burning her. Those eyes reached her to fill her emptiness. She's never felt like this before.
“I have to go.” she trembled.
“Not until you give me an answer.”
“My goodness” her voice hit him hard on his gut, something primal pounded through him. An urge to grab her by the back of her head and kiss her with such force she would run. He looked down to her and was drowning in those round beautiful eyes.
“Say something,”
“I don't know what to say,” she said in a bedchamber tone.
He exhaled her name, and cupped her face. The sensation was pure and the texture of her skin was soft. She closed her eyes and lifted her head, she was not sure he moved still, she felt his mouth under hers. She mourned as she opened her mouth, all wet, hot and sweet against her tongue.
He moved his hands against her body, pulling her more closely. Her taste was extremely toxic. He worked her mouth without mercy. She returned his caresses measure by measure until they were forced to stop.
“Ok, enough body heat for you, I think.” she said flushing as she wiggled out of the blankets. “I think you will be ok. Don’t move out of those blankets, I need to go get something.” She went back outside to collect her now soaked clothing, and more importantly, her panty. Luckily, everything was where she had left it.
Clare went back into the cabin, carrying her sopping clothes in her hands. As she entered, she saw Charlie, the blankets wrapped around him, watching her carefully. When his eyes landed on the brown panty, she hastily mixed it in with her clothing and sprinted to her bedroom to put on some dry clothes. Coming back out clothed, she watched the man warily. “How are you feeling? Any better?” Charlie nodded at her, and continued watching her as she moved across the living room to the kitchen He noticed how reserved she was with her personal belongings.
“I’m going to make you something hot to drink, alright? Your friends are on the south side of the island. They looked like they were going to be ok. The coast guard should be here soon… Oh drat the coastguard.”
She ran back to the vhf radio and alerted the coast guard to what had happened. The emergency helicopter pilot confirmed their location, and told Clare their eta would be under fifteen minutes. They would pick up the stranded pair first, and then head over to her home to get Charlie. Clare got off the radio and headed back into the kitchen where her tea kettle whistled. Pouring the hot water into a mug, she mixed together some instant cocoa for Charlie.
“Here, this should help keep you warm.” She said, handing him the mug.
“You saved me, didn’t you? You pulled me from the boat.” she nodded suddenly feeling shy.
“Thank you. I owe you my life. Your name is Clare, right?” “You’re welcome, and yes, I’m Clare Wilkins”, she shook the handsome man’s hand. The golden glint of a cross around his neck caught her attention. “Oh- that’s pretty.” “Thank you. My grandma gave it to me.” Charlie said, touching the cross. He looked at her speculatively, until discomfited, she backed away.
“I’m going to see if I can find you anything dry to wear.” After digging through her things, she managed to find an old pair of sweats that had been Tom’s. She had kept them partly for spite- they had been his favorite pair, easy to get into and out of for changes. “Ha, take that Tom. Not everyone thinks I smell like fish!” Strutting out of the bedroom, her confidence in part restored, she presented the sweats to Charlie. “Here, these belonged to my ex boyfriend. I’m sure you will look better in them then he ever did.” Remembering she was talking to a complete stranger, she bit her lower lip. “You can change in my bedroom, if you would like.”
By the time Charlie had finally finished changing she could hear the coast guard helicopter overhead. Smiling Clare watched Charlie as he came out of her room, now fully dressed in Tom’s old clothing. She’d been right he did fill the sweats out quite nicely. “Is that the coast guard I heard overhead?”, Charlie asked her as he walked back into the living room, she nodded. “It looks like you will be heading home pretty soon.” “That’s thanks to you, Clare.” The two could hear the helicopter coming to a landing on the beach. While her attention was briefly focused on the action outside the window, Charlie walked over to her and caught her in an embrace. Surprised but pleased she hugged him back, and let him claim her lips in a sweetly tender kiss. “I should go, but I left my phone number on your desk, if you’d like to call me.” Charlie stumbled a bit over the words then stepped out into the rain. She watched as he got into the helicopter. The medic gave her big thumbs up, while the men inside were reunited with huge hugs. Giving Charlie a last wave as the helicopter rose into the stormy night Clare closed the door and headed into her bedroom to collapse into a dreamless sleep.
Two weeks later Clare was packing up her personal effects to move back to the mainland. A lonely Alaskan winter stuck on an island by herself didn’t have much appeal for her, since she had seen how brutal the weather could be.
Clare adjusted the sound on the TV set. CNN was sticking to it’s round the clock coverage of the teenage murder story, and so were Sky News and BBC. She flicked through the other channels, there were the celebrity News on Lifestyle TV and a return of Becker on channel 5. It was long since Clare wat
ched TV, she no longer had an idea of what she loved watching.
She dropped her head back on the pillow and flipped back to CNN. There was nothing new for them to say. Saturday evening now and the killer has not yet been found. “Shit,” muttered Clare. On the viewers’ poll, CNN was reporting that 80 percent wanted the arrested killer to be jailed for life. Christ, thought Clare to herself. The nation is going nuts. She stood up as she saw the next news segment. She saw Charlie being stormed by reporters.
The news had reported on the fishing boat sinking, including a brief blip about Charlie being saved by a local woman. She never expected to see him on the TV, she wondered why he was so important to the media. She looked closely at the woman next to him. He held her by the waist and the woman was whispering something in his ears. She turned up the volume as she read the headline ‘Billionaire saved from death by a stranger’. She was hurt he knew her name but never bothered to mention. She hated herself for believing him. How could you? She tapped her head with fury.
It seemed like he hadn’t remembered being pulled off the boat and brought to shore by her, which was good for her. She didn’t want any journalists poking around. She had thought about calling him a few times, but in the end, she thought it was best to just let things go.
It seemed that he forgot about her, she always saw him with another blonde during his interviews. She was no match to the blond; it was obvious that he was more into models and actresses, something she was not. She had to admit that the lady was so beautiful. She felt jealous and she wondered why she felt that way. I’m I attracted to that billionaire? She asked herself. She ran her hands through her hair as she cursed herself for ever thinking that she would ever date a billionaire. Charlie looked so ordinary and it was hard to tell whether he was a billionaire, she wouldn’t have kissed him if she knew so. She dialed the phone and it was answered on the third ring.