[Invitation to Eden 15.0] Return to Sender (8 page)

She needed to get a hold of herself and stop reacting when what she should do is live. Live in the moment. Trust her heart, herself. This wasn’t like her and if Melanie were here, she’d probably get a stern talking-to and the chocolate back in her room would be hijacked.

She made her way past all the groups that stood there and tried to hide her smile as she saw the obvious triplets in the crowds. For the umpteenth time, she wished her sisters were here with her. She needed to remember to get the info for this triplet group from Tyler before she left.

Ahead of her was a small cabana-like building where there were. Back at home, she’d never have a drink until at least mid-afternoon, but here, she honestly couldn’t care less. Maybe it would help her calm down, soothe her soul.

Maybe.

She couldn’t stop her smile as she read over the list on the chalkboard. Jamaican Me Crazy? She needed to get that for Marc. Then she spotted it—Eden’s Miracle Cure. That’s exactly what she needed—a miracle. And it came with chocolate!

Lauren stood next to a woman who looked at the list as well.

“A chocolate drink?” Lauren said beneath her breath.

“I know.” The woman laughed. “I just ordered it. I mean, how can it be bad?”

Lauren liked how this woman thought. “I know, right?”

She watched as the woman beside her raised her hand to the bartender and asked him to make a second before she turned to Lauren.

“I’m Carissa.”

“Lauren.”

The two women shook hands, and then grinned gleefully when the bartender set their drinks down in front of them. Tapping glasses in unspoken cheers, they each took a sip.

Lauren sighed. The tension left her body as the smooth, sweet chocolate slid down her throat with a trail of delicious heat in its wake.

“Oh my...” she managed to say while at the same time Carissa muttered, “Thank God.”

“That bad?” Lauren set her drink down on the counter.

Carissa shrugged. “I’m here on a platonic vacation with my best friend. Problem is he wants to delete the platonic part and turn this week into forever.”

“Wow.” At least she wasn’t the only one here not finding Eden to be the promised land of paradise right now.

“Yeah.”

“And I gather you’re not interested in him romantically?”

Carissa took another sip of her drink. “Truthfully, I...well...I mean...”

“Ah. So you are.” She took back her earlier thought.

Carissa nodded. “I think I am. But he’s never glanced my way once back home in the six years we’ve been friends. I’m afraid it’s the romantic atmosphere of this island that’s got him all hot and bothered. What if I give in, then we go home and he realizes I’m not the woman of his dreams after all?”

“Do you really think that’s what will happen?”

“No,” Carissa admitted, “I don’t.”

The thought of love, romance, and going home forced Lauren to reach for her glass and take a gulp of her drink.

“Looks like I’m not the only one freaking out,” Carissa said softly.

Lauren gave her a rueful grin. “You’re not. Do you believe in soul mates?”

Without giving Carissa a chance to respond, Lauren took another gulp of her drink, and then set it down.

“I do. Or did. Or do.”

“Which is it?” Carissa asked.

“I do.” Lauren shrugged. She could be honest here. What did it matter? “I’m here because the guy who I believe is my soul mate wants to reconnect.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“No, well...maybe?” Lauren shook her head. “I don’t know. Honestly, I’m so confused at this point. I mean, I’ve been in love with this guy for six years, but what if I’ve only been pining after a memory? Is that even possible? He seems to be too good to be real.”

“Is it possible that it is real?”

Lauren quirked her lips and glanced behind her.

“That’s what scares me,” she admitted. “I came here to say goodbye but I find myself falling head over heels again, just like before.” She finished the last of her drink and pushed the glass forward.

“If my sisters were here, you know what they’d tell me?”

Carissa shook her head but Lauren could tell she was interested.

“They’d tell me to take a chance. To trust in love.”

“Sounds like good advice.”

Lauren turned around and rested her elbows on the back of the bar while she looked up into the clear blue sky. She wished they were here, to help her, to give her confidence.

“Tell you what. Pretend I’m one of your sisters. But instead of telling you to trust in love, I’m going to tell you to trust your heart.”

Lauren turned her head and smiled at Carissa. She liked her.

“Then I’m going to do the same. Trust your own heart and see what happens.” Lauren pushed herself away from the bar. “Hopefully we’ll run into each other again,” she said before she walked back to where she’d left Marc.

Trust her heart. Nothing scared her more while excited her at the same time.

What was her heart telling her?

She thought back to how comfortable she felt in his presence, how all she could think about was Marc’s arms around her, how light her heart felt when she’d made the decision late last night to give their love a second chance.

There were so many obstacles, so many reasons this couldn’t work, why it wouldn’t...but was she willing to go through another year, two, or even another six, wondering what if? What if she’d given it a try? What if it had worked?

She made her way back down the beach and couldn’t believe that Marc was still there, where she’d left him.

He must have noticed her approach because by the time she was even remotely close to him, he was waiting for her.

“Are you done running, love?”

“How long would you have waited for me?” Her heart pounded in her chest and she wasn’t sure whether she could wait for his answer.

“However long you needed.” He reached for her hands and pulled her close until there was barely any space left between them.

“I shouldn’t have run, again.”

He only smiled at her, but his eyes were a brilliant green and the message in them told her everything she needed to know.

“You live on the other side of the ocean.” There were so many obstacles between them.

“I do.” He nodded.

“And I don’t travel much with my job, so it’s not like I could just take off to come and see you.”

“I understand. Paul also likes to keep me chained to my desk, running his company for him.”

“Long-distance relationships don’t always work...” Her voice drifted off as she realized how futile her arguments really were.

“Did you say that to Lexi when she gave you the same arguments between her and Paul?” Marc had a teasing glint in his gaze.

She shook her head. “You know I didn’t.”

“Then give us a chance. That’s all I ask. Just a chance.” His grip tightened against hers.

“And if it doesn’t work?” That was her biggest fear.

He pulled her close. “It will. I haven’t waited six years for it not to work.”

She gazed into his eyes and knew, in that moment, that she could not only trust her heart, but she could trust him with it.

“Okay,” she said.

“Okay?” He sounded surprised.

“I’m willing if you are.”

A huge grin spread across his face at her words and he pulled her in tight and held her close.

“I have a surprise for you,” he whispered into her ear.

“I like surprises,” she said.

“I know.” He let go of her and started to walk, pulling her along with him.

“Where are we going?” She almost had to run, which was difficult to do in the sand.

“If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

“Can you give me a hint at least?”

Marc stopped suddenly and she ran into him. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded.

He turned and waved his arm at one of the brothers who sat in a golf cart up on the path. The brother waved back and Marc turned to her.

“Let’s go.” He had a huge smile on his face.

She followed along, unsure of what the plan was, but once they reached the cart, Trevor hopped out so there was room for both her and Marc in the front.

“Everything is set up,” Trevor said.

“Thanks. Any special requests?”

Trevor shook his head. “Any will do.”

Lauren sat there, confused but before she could ask any questions, Marc started the golf cart and drove.

He reached across and held her hand and that’s how they sat, for the next ten minutes, until they drove up to the main door of the castle. The whole trip, as the building loomed ahead, Lauren’s mouth dropped and she couldn’t believe what she saw.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Marc helped her out of the cart and they walked up the stone steps that led to the main door.

“Breathtaking,” she replied. She couldn’t get over the expansive size of the building.

The massive wood door to the castle opened up as they climbed to the top of the stairs and Marc led her inside. She smiled at a staff member who stood there as they passed by.

“Where are we going?”

“Just wait and see.”

Lauren barely had time to see all the wondrous sights around her, from the marbled floor to the vases that overflowed with fresh flowers. They stopped in front of a set of elevator doors and Marc pushed the button.

“I need you to close your eyes.”

“I’m sorry?”

The boyish grin on Marc’s face grew. “Will you close your eyes, please?”

Lauren slowly closed her eyes and heard the ding of doors as they opened. He led her inside and put his arms around her so that she could lean back against him.

“I hope you like my surprise,” he whispered in her ear.

“Can I open my eyes now?”

“No.” He chuckled.

They stood there and listened to the soft elevator music. Lauren couldn’t help but wonder where they were going.

At last the elevator doors opened and Marc led her out and then they walked, and walked. Marc was gentle as he instructed her to climb a few stairs, to watch out for a table or two but the whole time he wouldn’t let her open her eyes.

Finally they stopped. A soft breeze billowed around her and caressed her skin.

“Okay, you can open them now.”

When she did, she was breathless. They stood high up on a balcony and overlooked the island below. Soft white clouds floated in the distance over the ocean and the trees swayed in the wind.

And Marc stood at her side, taking it all in.

“The heights—are you okay?” She knew he was afraid of heights and couldn’t believe he stood there, at the edge of the balcony, with her.

He squeezed her hand and leaned forward, until his elbows rested on the railing. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It’s amazing. But...”

He turned and looked at her. “You had wanted to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower so badly but didn’t because I was too afraid to. After you left, I made myself a promise to never to do that to you again...so I faced my fear. It took me awhile, but the next time you come to Paris, I’ll climb those stairs with you.”

Lauren blinked away tears she hadn’t realized gathered in her eyes.

“I...I...” She sighed, unable to form words to describe what she felt. Overwhelmed at the beauty before them, amazed at the strength of the man in front of her, honored that he would do something like that for her...and thrilled that he’d done all this for her.

“I wanted this weekend to be about you. A time where you felt spoiled and loved. A time when you could relax and let others take care of you rather than you taking care of others. I wanted...” Marc paused and looked out over the view. “I wanted to show you that you deserve all this and so much more.”

He wiped the tears that fell along her skin and then bent down to kiss her. It was soft, full of promise and love, and it was enough. Enough for her, for her heart.

“I have one more surprise, when you are ready to leave this gorgeous view.”

Lauren laughed. “I’m not sure I’ll ever want to leave this. It’s breathtaking.”

Marc rolled his eyes. “What if I said we could come back and have dinner here, on the balcony, and watch the sun set?”

“That would be perfect.” It sounded amazing and very romantic.

“Good.” He bent down and kissed her again. “We need to go back to our rooms. That box you were given last night—you’re going to need it for my next surprise.”

Chapter Nine

Forget the hammocks and the massages and all the amazing clothes in her closet.

Forget even the fact that this whole weekend was all because of Marc.

This moment was something she would never forget.

Her. Marc. Hands covered in chocolate.

Thank goodness she’d changed before coming. Marc wouldn’t let her open the box from last night until almost the last second.

Inside the box was a brown apron with an adorable chocolate saying embroidered on it.

All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.

She loved it.

He’d arranged a private chocolate making afternoon with the island’s own private chocolatier.

“I still can’t believe Paul gave his best-selling chocolates to this Master dude as exclusives when he’s got his own chocolatier on the island,” Marc grumbled as he poured his chocolate into small molds.

“I can’t believe I’ve got two of those boxes now in my room.”

Marc’s head lifted. “Pardon?”

“I’ve got two boxes of those chocolates in my room,” she repeated.

“Well, that little...” Marc’s lips thinned and he shook his head.

“Let me guess.” Lauren tapped her mold tray to get rid of any little bubbles. “You didn’t get any.”

She smiled and knew she’d need to thank Paul when she got back home.

“Will you share?” There was a hopeful note in Marc’s voice.

“Um, hello? You work for the guy. Can’t you get your own?”

“Trust me, I’ve tried. Paul hand makes each box himself before he seals them and gets me to print a shipping label. I don’t even get the throwaways.”

“Paul Ormand is a master all on his own,” their chocolatier said as he cleaned up the workspace. “I had the opportunity to watch him once...it’s why I am in this profession today.”

Marc took both his and her trays to the fridge section and set them inside. “Any way you can get your hands on one of his gold boxes?”

“Oh, leave him alone, Marc. I happen to have a box that’s meant for the both of us anyways.” She gave him a wink before she headed to the sink to wash her hands. As she watched the chocolate melt away under the hot water, she thought about the box she’d found on her bedside table earlier.

It was the message written on it, specifically, that made her smile.

Share.

After an afternoon of surprises and laughter while they created their own chocolates, Lauren had no problem sharing that box of chocolates with Marc.

Lauren wasn’t sure how much time she had left on the island, but she wasn’t sure she even wanted to leave. This was the perfect place for her and Marc to reconnect, to get to know each other all over again and to build something that could last.

Last a lifetime.

Wouldn’t that be nice? She knew it would take some work—okay, it would take a lot of work—but it would be worth it. She’d rather try to build something with him over spending another month, week, or even day without him in her life.

It was amazing really. They’d met six years ago and over a week, they knew they had something special. Something so special that it was like a seed, fermented in their heart, and waited for the right moment to sprout and bloom.

Arms wrapped around her waist and she smiled.

“So you’ll share, huh?” Marc placed a small kiss on her cheek.

“I might,” she gave a little shrug, “if you’re nice.”

“We made chocolate together, we’re about to have dinner watching the sunset, and we can sit in front of the fire tonight making s’mores with the chocolate bars we made today. Isn’t that nice enough?” Marc nuzzled the side of her neck and tickled her.

“And to think I almost didn’t come.”

“What?”

“When the invitation arrived, I thought it was meant for Jessica. I told Joely that the invitation needed to be returned.”

“Your sister knew, though.”

“I still can’t believe you set this all up.”

“I had some help. We have some great friends who believe in the power of love.”

Lauren smiled. “I’m so happy they’re back together. Their’s is a love meant to last a lifetime.”

“They’re not the only one.” Marc turned her around and kissed her with a passion she knew she’d never forget.