Coming Home (33 page)

She relaxed, chastising herself for letting jealousy get the best of her for a moment. Her arms slipped into the wide kimono silk sleeves, and she tied the band under her breasts, then helped Lucian tie his since the cast kept getting in his way. He was impatient with his injuries. It was going to be a long few weeks.

He led her to the cabin and pointed to a small window. “Look.”

She hesitated, trying very hard to forget she was in a glorified tin can careening through the clouds. He gave her a stern look, telling her to just do it, and she eased toward the little window.

Between wisps of cotton candy clouds she saw a floor of cerulean blue and gasped. “Is that—”

“The ocean.”

“It’s so . . . blue.”

“The closer to the Caribbean, the more blue it gets. Next time you see it, your toes will be in it.”

Her face split with a genuine smile. She turned and kissed him, hugging him hard enough to make him grunt. “Sorry. I keep forgetting about your ribs.”

***

The landing was a little rough, but Lucian argued it was smooth. Bottom line, she was a terrible air traveler and hoped they wouldn’t be flying too much on their trip.

A limo awaited them, and she suffered a bit of homesickness for Dugan. The chauffeur, a tall man with skin the color of molasses, took their carry-on bags and introduced himself as Clarence.

The air was thick with humidity. Evelyn’s hair curled against her neck in tight little sweaty coils. Luckily, the limo was cooled and there were bottles of water chilled and waiting for them inside.

“Where are we going?” she asked once they were in the limo.

“You’ll see. Here, I want you to put this on.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the black sash from her robe. Fun things always followed whenever Lucian blindfolded her, so she scooted close as he tied the sash over her hair.

“Can you see?”

“Nope.”

“Good.”

The drive took only a few minutes. They were soon exiting the vehicle, and she was again breathing the liquid air of Florida. Lucian carefully guided her steps. Their path changed from pavement to planks.

“I’m going to let go of you for a second. Stay still.”

She heard the tinkling of bells and people talking in the distance. Then there was a strange licking sound. They were by water. She breathed deep, tasting the salt air on her lips. “When can I open my eyes?”

“Not yet. Take my hand and step carefully.”

She had the sense of falling for a split second, but then her feet found purchase. Lucian led her up a somewhat steep and shaky slope, and her body teetered.

Another man greeted them, and Lucian made introductions. She couldn’t see whomever they were talking to, but she imagined him with tanned, sun-kissed skin. Moisture gathered in a slick tear that pooled between her breasts, and the sun heated her shoulders. She could sense each bit of cool shade they walked through.

The man eventually excused himself, and Lucian’s arms wrapped around her. “I can smell it,” she whispered, as the weight of his chin rested on her shoulder.

His voice was gravelly, relaxed, and she imagined him smiling. “What does it smell like?”

Breathing deep, she said, “Nothing I’ve ever smelled before. It’s wide-open, massive. The air tastes crisp, briny.”

His lips pressed to the sensitive curve of her neck. “So does your skin. Tell me what it sounds like.”

Her ears tuned out the distant chatter and soft rocking of boats. They were definitely on a boat, she decided, which was also a new experience. “It sounds . . . like secrets, deep, dark, and whispered.”

His fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt, tracing soft swirls over the skin of her belly. He was arousing her with the slightest caress. His breath alone, as it echoed over the shell of her ear, was erotic. The balmy heat was moist, misting salt water over her sun-heated cheeks. She sighed and tilted her head back.

Strong fingers guided her hands to a railing and held them in place. She jumped at the roar of an engine. She amended her image of a boat to a big boat. “Do you own this boat?”

“I must insist you use the proper nautical terms so as not to offend my manhood. We’re on a yacht and yes, it’s mine.”

“Another toy,” she commented.

He nudged her backside with his hips. “I love my toys.”

The yacht moved and she swayed, her fingers tightening over the rail. “How much further?”

“Only a few minutes longer. Hold on tight.”

Her body lurched into his broad form, but she didn’t panic as badly as she did on the jet. So long as she was in his arms she was fine. Her hair whipped back as the yacht picked up speed. Moisture tickled her lips, and the temperate breeze went from stagnant to refreshing. Excitement, bottled up inside of her, came rushing out in bubbles of laughter. She was speeding over the ocean.

It was too overwhelming to speak. When the yacht slowed, there was more rocking, jostling, and eventually the motor was cut. A thrill of anticipation spiked up in her belly, tickling her smile with uncontainable joy.

“We’re here,” he whispered, lifting her arms from the rail.

Various voices called to Lucian, but he didn’t stop to talk to anyone for more than a second or two as she was blindly ushered away. His hand repetitively squeezed her fingers and she could tell he was excited too. They walked down a slope and onto another planked surface. It was quieter there than where they’d departed from.

Soft ripples made delicate splashing sounds. Waves sloshed at a soothing pace. She wanted to borrow their rhythm. It was hypnotic. Her and Lucian’s footsteps clanked along the planked path.

Lucian stopped and she halted. “Give me your foot.” He removed her sandal. “And the other one. Now step.”

She gasped as her feet sunk into soft sand. It was hot. Why hadn’t she expected that? Chills raced up her spine, puckering her skin in strange places. Her entire body responded to the unique sensation beneath her feet. Her toes wiggled and she laughed.

“It’s so soft.”

“Come on. There’s more.”

Treading through sand was different than walking over a smooth surface. Her leg muscles tingled with each step. He tugged her arm, cutting off the slack of his lead, and she abruptly stopped.

“Ready?”

She grinned. She could hear how close they were, feel the open breeze. “Ready.”

He took both her hands in his. Her fingers squeezed and brushed over the coarse plaster of his casted wrist. He pulled her forward and she sucked in a deep breath.

Cool water lapped at her toes, engulfing her bare feet, then licked at her ankles. He removed her blindfold, and light seeped through her lashes, causing a white glow. “Open your eyes, Evelyn.”

Her lashes flickered. It was . . . incredible. There was no world on the other side of the horizon, only impressive sea and endless sky. The sun hung like a burning piece of fruit in the clouds. She’d never seen anything so impressive.

“Oh, Lucian . . .” She shook her head. “It’s magnificent.”

“Not nearly as magnificent as your expression right now.”

They stood staring at the ocean for a long while. Eventually, they stripped off their clothes and waded into the surf. Lucian assured her their privacy was secure, as the crew had already departed the island on a smaller craft.

White, salty kisses marked her skin. Tiny urchins raced under the glass surface. Lucian could only wade out so far because of his cast, but he laughed as she dove under the waves. Euphoria surrounded her as much as the weightless water. She was a mermaid, falling through the silky waves and piercing the surface, her body buoyant and free.

Once she was sufficiently waterlogged, they lounged in the sand, the sun drying their skin. Imprints of broken shells and grit beveled her thighs. She leaned into Lucian and kissed him long and slow.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“Of all the things you’ve ever given me, I think this is my favorite.”

He smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and drawing her close. As he looked out to the horizon, his eyes crinkled and she knew he was happy. So was she.

***

The house was amazing. White cotton-covered windows waved gossamer sails rather than screens, and doors were never closed. They spent their days walking the private beach, making love wherever they pleased, and napping in hammocks under the shade of the tall palm trees. Lucian carved a coconut and she sipped the milk right from the fuzzy shell. It was a magical escape, better than the pages of any book read to her before. This fantasy was reality.

On the morning it rained, they remained tucked away in the bungalow, wrapped in their own slice of heaven. She recollected tales of Robinson Crusoe and whispered remembered adventures to Lucian as the soft rain pelted the open sills. His fingers never left her.

Languid days folded into unforgettable nights. The world was far away, and the untouchable sanctuary they’d found was catalogued in her mind as the sweetest fairy tale she’d ever known.

One evening, after making love in the surf as the sun bowed brilliantly behind the horizon, they rested on the cool sand, wrapped only in a blanket of stars. Uncountable white stars winked through the inky canopy of night, and she considered never returning to the city again.

“We could live here?” she whispered in his ear, her fingers slowly combing through his sea-scented hair.

“We could,” he agreed on a contented sigh.

“Would you miss the city?”

“So long as I was with you, there isn’t much I could miss.”

She smiled softly. “Sweet talker.”

They curled closer as the breeze chilled their skin. Soft ripples of the never-ending waves whispered over the sand beneath the hushed motion of the palms.

“Lucian?”

“Yes.”

“What’s going to happen with your deal? With Parker?”

He sighed and she waited as his eyes took in the fathomless sky. “When life announces its fleeting presence, things are sometimes thrown into perspective.” His hand coasted over her shoulder, its weight a comforting presence. “I spoke to Parker the day after we found Pearl. He said, when you lost it after I fell, he realized the way you loved me would never equal anything he could make you feel for him. It was never about force with us, Evelyn. It was always about surrender.

“There’s an old saying, that if you love something, you must let it go. He said he could never let you go completely, but he cares for you enough to let you be happy.”

“You make me happy,” she whispered.

His lips pressed into her temple. “I’m glad, because, for as much as I love you, I don’t believe I could ever let you go. My only choice is to keep you happy for the rest of your life so you never want to leave.”

She remembered that horrible afternoon when she’d thought she lost it all. “He made me go with you. He said you needed me and I was so afraid, but he made me go.”

“As brave as I pretend to be, Evelyn, I’m glad he did. Seeing you in that house before all hell broke loose, knowing your mother was gone, I was terrified. All I’ve ever known is how to lead. I’ve always protected those I loved, because my father never did. But when I fell, I was helpless. My last thought was you. Being helpless to protect you is my greatest fear. I can only protect you when you’re safely by my side. Not having you there is the worst torture I’ve ever known.

“In my mind, when he insisted you go to me, he surrendered. Men are made of pride. That wasn’t easy for him, but it was the right thing to do and in doing so, he earned my respect. That’s something Parker Hughes never had before.”

“But what about what he’s doing with the company you want?”

He chuckled. “I have a hundred companies, Evelyn. There’s only one of you. He can have them all if that’s what it takes.”

She sat up, her hair pooling over his chest as she looked into his eyes. “But you put a year into that deal.”

“And it will be a great boon to your friend. He’ll get the security he’s been searching for, the confidence he never had, and I’ll get the rest of my life with you. Sometimes victory is won by surrendering something great. And in surrender, we unburden ourselves so clarity can come through. We’re all just men hiding behind curtains and impressive toys, Evelyn. He can have whatever trinket validates his struggles, but he’ll never have your heart. That’s mine. I’ll surrender everything, except for you.”

She kissed him. Her heart overflowed with emotions there were no words for. As the chill of night subsided and their skin heated, he carried her to the bungalow and they made slow, sweet love. His proclamation that he’d sacrifice all in order to hold on to her heart was the most selfless vow she’d ever been given.

Every doubt she’d ever harbored, every condition she’d ever entertained, it all fell away as he showed her how much she truly meant to him. She had no riches to give, no companies to sacrifice or grand gestures to measure how much he meant to her. All she ever had, the one coveted part of her soul she protected above all else, was her heart. But it no longer felt like hers. She’d given it to him long ago and she knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he would protect it above all else. Always.

They stayed on the island for seven days and seven nights. By the time they left they were both a warm shade of brown, toasted and freckled in a way she’d never been before. Her body and mind was so relaxed, the anxiety she suffered on the flight there was absent as she boarded the plane.

“I’m sad to leave,” she said staring out at the runway just before takeoff.

“We can come back whenever you’d like.”

“Tomorrow?”

He laughed. “Tomorrow I suspect you’ll be in love with our next destination.”

Her mouth pulled into a smile. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Their second flight was much longer than the first. When they exited the plane, she had no idea where they were. It was chilly and the air smelled of fresh rain and wood; gone was the briny trace of ocean. When their new chauffeur greeted them, Evelyn couldn’t understand him. He spoke to her several times before she realized he was speaking a very heavily accented English, interspersed with expressions she’d never heard before.