Second Chances

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  “Everything,” Isabella said with a sigh, then seeing the shocked look on his face she added, “Let me rephrase that. Everything, but that.”

  Pretending to be slightly deflated, Gabriel began, “Well, let me tell you about some of your options.”

  The list of possibilities appeared endless. Apparently Aruba and the Charmants had it all. They could go out on the boat, go out on the wave runners, go snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, shopping, sight seeing, clubbing, and on and on.

  Laughing, Isabella suggested, “Why don’t you surprise me? I’m game for just about anything. I just have to make sure to call home a few times, okay?” She attempted to make the comment sound insignificant, but her eyes looked as though she feared he might actually refuse her.

  “No, my Bella,” Gabriel began solemnly, “You won’t be calling home a few times.” Isabella sucked in a breath. He reached out to her. “I insist you call home every night. Rebecca and Kyle need you to tuck them in.”

  For several minutes Isabella laid back and marveled at the man she was with. He had no children, yet he was incredibly sensitive to both their needs and hers. She sighed blissfully. He was someone she could definitely fall in love with. But the moment she allowed that thought to appear, she shook her head as though to empty it from her mind. She was done with hopeless relationships.

  It wasn’t until after their intimate candlelit dinner and their moonlit walk on the beach that Isabella and Gabriel sat down to talk seriously. “You surprise me, Gabriel,” she began, sinking onto their balcony love seat as they wound down before bed.

  “What? Because of that?” He asked, reaching out and touching the silk gown that she wore. “That is nothing. I saw what you seem to be comfortable in and I wanted to give you some nightclothes that would be cooler for Aruba. You don’t have to wear them all, but I wanted you to have a variety of options available.”

  “Well, thank you,” Isabella said, kissing his cheek, and feeling a bit relieved. She had found the drawer full of pajamas earlier and noted that some of them were pretty skimpy. “But I meant about the insisting that I call the kids every night part. You’re not used to these kinds of responsibilities. It surprises me that you would be so sensitive to my needs, the kids’ needs.” She sat rubbing lotion all over her exposed parts as they spoke.

  Gabriel grasped her hand for a moment, turned it over, and sniffed her wrist appreciatively. “I just want you to be happy. And I know how much I would have liked to have heard from my parents when they were on trips; and from my mother after she left...” He looked out at the ocean, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  Isabella recognized his remark for what it truly was. He might try to behave as though it was a simple comment, but she saw beneath it to the hurt he had suffered. She found a kindred spirit in him. It was reassuring. It made him seem so much more human, so real, so tangible. With his money and influence, his incomparable looks, and his background, Gabriel seemed like an impossible dream. Many a night lately, she had wondered what she had done to catch his eye. How could she ever hope to keep his interest? She knew she was nothing like the women from his past. He had alluded to as much early on in their relationship. Merely thinking that word shocked her. She was in a relationship!

  Slowly, so that it might not be so obvious, she leaned closer to Gabriel. Already, she loved the way it felt to be near him, like nothing could ever go wrong with him close by. She loved the warmth he emanated. Her eyes closed as she allowed feelings she had hoped were dormant washed over her. They sat in silence until Gabriel gently slid her onto his lap and then, when he had received no objections, verbal or physical, he carried her to bed.

  While coming out of her hazy sleep, Isabella stretched slightly and felt an arm tighten around her mid section. She happily reached down to touch him and slowly opened her eyes to find Gabriel staring at her, propped on his side. “How long have you been awake?” She asked self-consciously.

  “I don’t know. I’ve just been lying here studying you,” he said with a lazy smile that caused her to blush then leaned down to graze her cheek with his lips, sending a ripple down her spine. She looked away, giving him the perfect opportunity to run his fingers down her neck. She shivered again.

  Covering herself with the sheet, she hastily sat up. “So, what shall we do today?” She tried to change the subject in order to pull herself back together. It had been so long since she had been touched, cherished. And it wasn’t as though she wasn’t attracted to him, but she felt anxious over the prospect of intimacy with someone new. More than that, she had never taken sex or any of the acts leading up to it lightly. For her to share her body with someone also meant she was sharing her heart. Unfortunately, her body definitely wanted him, but her heart and mind told her to postpone giving in to these urges. As perfect as he seemed, he also seemed temporary, fleeting. Giving her heart to him was unwise.

  “Well,” he began, interrupting her thoughts, “what if we go out and about every day after breakfast, then as the day grows hotter we can come back and do water time?” The suggestion not only appealed to her but made perfect sense as well.

  From that moment on they developed a routine. Isabella would barricade herself in the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. When she emerged, alert and fresh as a daisy, with her hair in a towel turban, she would find Gabriel on their balcony with a breakfast tray. Every morning she discovered a tray with fresh fruits, and some mornings she found crepes, or croissants, or even egg dishes to accompany it. Always a steaming mug helped awaken her senses, whether it was tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or cappuccino. It seemed as if the staff had been dying to have something to do to earn their pay.

  Then, following breakfast, Gabriel would head into the bathroom. He never locked Isabella out, but seemed to enjoy her sneaking in to blow dry her hair and put on what little makeup she wore. Always he tried to be careful when emerging from the shower so as not to embarrass her with his naked form. Soon after, they would leave the house holding hands and talking excitedly on the way to the jeep.

  They spent several mornings exploring the Arikok caverns and caves. Each one seemed to hold a new mystery for Isabella. Gabriel watched her in delight as she studied the walls of some for fossils; in others the cave drawings caught her eye. They laughed and giggled as they made their way through the labyrinths of the The Tunnel of Love, the largest cave.

  On another day they climbed the Ayo rock formations and sat and talked while looking over the cactus studded landscape. It seemed strange and yet perfectly natural to go from that desert area to the beaches where he taught her to snorkel at Baby Beach Reef. Isabella found the experience so exhilarating that she still chattered on about it even at dinner that evening. All the while, Gabriel sat with his eyes twinkling in awe of her.

  “What?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious.

  “Oh, don’t mind me,” Gabriel said leaning across the table to look her in the eye, “I just can’t help but admire how beautiful you look tonight.” Isabella blushed and looked down. “I’m serious,” he continued, taking her hand in his. “You positively glow tonight. You look so...vivacious. It makes me happy just to be around you.” He kissed her hand affectionately.

  The warmth of his touch wound up her arm and spread throughout her entire body. And if she had glowed before, now she was positively ablaze with wonder and maybe even something else, if only she didn’t fight it so hard. She sighed and wondered what she had done in her life to deserve him.

  On the fifth day they hiked Hooiberg, a mere 541 feet high. “This is nothing compared to the Adirondacks,” Isabella scoffed. “Some day we’ll climb Poco Moonshine. Or better yet, I’ll drive you to Whiteface and we’ll ride the chair lifts. Maybe this fall, when the foliage is stunning?”

  “I’d love to,” Gabriel nodded seriously.

  And then Isabella realized that she had done something she never would have expected. She actually believed that Gabriel would be a relatively permanent fixture in her life,
that he wasn’t someone just passing through. Struck by fear, and yet at the same time pleased, Isabella hid behind her camera and starting snapping pictures of the beauty surrounding her.

  By day six, feeling a little tired, the two agreed to stay closer to home during the day. Instead, they took out one wave runner, as Isabella would rather just ride than be responsible for the expensive piece of machinery. Gabriel didn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, he relished having Isabella holding tightly around his body, laying her head upon his back, and squealing in delight. Most of all, he loved the feel of her straddling the seat behind him and knew that it was best she was behind him because if she were in front, it would be sheer torture.

  That night, he took her out on a dinner cruise. They ate an exquisite meal under the stars, and then danced until they were ready to drop from exhaustion. That didn’t stop them from their customary walk along the beach that night. They had grown to love their quiet moonlit nights together. They always divided their time between the beach and the balcony before bed. This night, feeling a little more daring, and a lot more secure about her body, Isabella dressed much differently before she wandered out to the balcony to sit and talk with Gabriel after getting changed for bed.

  “Aren’t you going to be too warm tonight?” He asked, yanking on her bathrobe tie. “What do you have on under there anyway?” He jokingly tried to peek under the bathrobe.

  In the past, Isabella would have been nervous and scared; tonight she simply giggled, pulled out of reach, and flashed him, exposing for the briefest of moments that she had on a camisole top and matching French cut bikini. “The bathrobe is just until bed,” she explained, wandering over to sit at his side.

  Gabriel, not having been given a thorough look remained intrigued and distracted by her attire. He ran a hand up and down her exposed thigh, each arc rising higher expectantly until he reached what would pass for pajamas this evening. He could tell from the thin cotton strip on her hip that she wore one of the two piece sets he found for her at Victoria’s Secret while planning their getaway. He slowly pulled the robe back, just enough to see a hint of the white camisole with a bralette and matching bikini panties.

  “Wow,” he exclaimed genuinely, pulling her body towards his. Gabriel slipped the robe off her shoulder, just enough to expose bare flesh. He bent to smell her, then moved inward to nuzzle her neck. The warm breath upon her neck made Isabella shiver. Ever so gently, as though he were handling a porcelain doll, he pulled her onto his lap. He hesitated for a moment when he felt her tense up involuntarily, but after cradling her close, he carried her to the bed, while she looked up at him timidly.

  The only light in the room came from the lit candles on the nightstands. He laid her gently on the bed, then climbed on next to her. With one flick of his wrist, her bathrobe fell open, exposing her scantily clad body. Her body shook ever so slightly as he ran a hand down her side and pulled her dangerously close to him. He couldn’t help himself. He had to caress her warm silky skin. He had to inhale her intoxicating scent of vanilla and flowers that she always smelled of and he had grown so used to. In his mind, those aromas would forever be linked with memories of her. And he knew it was right.

  For a moment, she sensed that he couldn’t get her close enough to him, that he wanted to devour her. She didn’t want to upset him, but felt the need to speak well up within her. “Gabriel,” she whispered hesitantly as his hand roamed freely over her skin lighting little fires wherever he touched.

  He put a finger over her lips, scorching her mouth, and buried his head in her hair. Moving his mouth near to her ear he responded quietly, “I know. I just want you close.”

  Isabella shivered and her eyelids shut as she savored the experience. Rolling to her side, and pushing one leg between his, Isabella decided to relax, and let him wrap himself around her. He didn’t push her to allow him more liberties. He didn’t maul her. If she considered it, she knew that he didn’t scare her in any way. He just enveloped her all night long.

  The next morning, Gabriel woke remembering the events of the previous night and felt extremely embarrassed. He watched her sleeping tucked against him. And he was all but wrapped around her. Moving ever so slowly so as not to disturb her, he withdrew his arm from under her head and leaned back on the pillows to stare up at the ceiling through the gauzy canopy. How could he lose control like that with Bella? He knew she wasn’t like those other women from his past. He knew she hadn’t been with anyone but her husband for many years, and probably hadn’t even been with him for the last year of her marriage, judging from allusions made in conversation. Her happiness and comfort were his first priority and he had probably scared the hell out of her last night. He saw the look in her eyes and simply decided that he could soothe it away. His need to have her as close as their clothed bodies would allow somehow took over and he forgot how she should be treated. He scowled and chastised himself.

  Some time later, Isabella stretched and gradually woke up. She was immediately struck by Gabriel’s absence. She had quickly grown accustomed to his body snuggled against hers first thing in the morning, had essentially determined that was the best way to commence her day, and now she felt around for him. Alarmed, she rolled over and opened her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” he began slowly when she finally found him on the other side of the bed. “I don’t know why...I sometimes lose control. Here you are showing me that you are beginning to trust me and I attack you.” He rolled onto his side a safe distance away and gazed at her sadly. “Forgive me,” he asked weakly.

  Without hesitation Isabella reached out to pull his face to her, and whispered, “There is nothing to forgive,” into his ear. Then she planted a lingering kiss on his lips. He looked at her, visibly relieved. She smiled at him ever so briefly then sprinted to the bathroom. Flooded by relief and awe that once again she had impacted him with so little effort, Gabriel smiled shyly and stared after her.

  “So what shall we do today?” Isabella queried ritualistically upon joining Gabriel on the balcony for breakfast.

  “Well, we still need to pick up souvenirs for Rebecca and Kyle, right?” He waited while Isabella, mouth full of croissant, nodded. “Today we shop.”

  Gabriel gave Isabella two main options, Royal Plaza, which they decided to simply drive by so Isabella could see the unique architecture of the mall, and Oranjestad’s Main Street. Isabella looked around enthusiastically, intrigued by all of the interesting wares offered here. At last she settled on a traditional colorful mask for Kyle and some amber jewelry for Rebecca, who only recently had begun wearing anklets. Pleased with their choices, they headed home for lunch on the verandah.

  After lounging on the beach and playing in the ocean all of the afternoon, Gabriel announced that the time had come to get ready. “For what?” Isabella asked curiously.

  “Well, I have a surprise. Pick something comfortable. We have to do a little walking on sand and pebbles.” He had an air of mystery about him.

  Opting for a white flowing eyelet sundress and flat sandals, Isabella found Gabriel waiting for her on their balcony. He smiled in approval after she greeted him, then twirled her in his arms and planted a kiss on her throat before they wandered lazily to the jeep. She looked at him quizzically as he drove her toward the northwest shore. That’s when she spotted the California Dunes and lighthouse.

  Gabriel lifted a blanket and a basket from the back seat and winked at her. “So, Bella, let’s enjoy one of Aruba’s hidden treasures together.” He led her through the dunes on a sandy path, then spread out the blanket near the water. The secluded location exuded an amazing peacefulness, as though they were the only two in the universe.

  He beckoned her to have a seat, then joined her as he laid out the contents of the basket for her inspection. They dined on fruit, wine, cheese cubes, and a variety of other finger foods and pastries. Every item in the basket seemed designed precisely for seduction. They took turns teasing and feeding each other maraschino cherries, or chocolate cov
ered strawberries, but their personal favorites were the miniature Bavarian cream puffs. Always the petite pastries would explode, leaving bits of cream for the feeder to lick and kiss off.

  All too quickly their stomachs were satisfied, while their appetite for each other seemed only to grow. Together, they watched as the sun set and the moon rose, tonight but a mere crescent. Stars shone brightly in the blue velvet sky. Reluctantly, they packed up and headed back to their temporary home.

  The entire ride back, Isabella was consumed with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she was overwhelmed by the desire she felt for this man. She longed to be with him, see if the man was anything like the myth she had created. At the same time, she worried over the impermanent relationship, the very real matrimonial ties she still had, and the children waiting for her at home, dependent on her to do what was right. It was far too soon to risk her heart. Now with her mind made up, she slumped disappointedly in the seat.

  On the eighth day, Gabriel took her out in the boat. The wind flew through her bedraggled hair, water splashed up at her, and Gabriel appeared truly at home behind the wheel. At last they returned to enjoy lunch at the beach house. Gabriel reached out as if to run his fingers through her hair.