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“I … I don’t know … I mean, I’m tired of secrets,” I mumbled.
“Secrets?” He frowned, then as if a penny had dropped his eyes grew wide. “You mean Erin?” He shrugged. “There’s nothing to hide. You have a grown-up daughter.”
“No, I have an adult daughter I know little about because she went up for adoption when I was a sixteen-year-old girl, but we’ve recently been reunited … today.”
“Our parents aren’t the judgmental type,” Sawyer interjected. “All they’ll care about is you two are good together and you make my brother happy,” he added, his eyes darting between all of us.
“It’s true, Tricia. Look how their family accepted me. You have a head start, you’re both the same age,” she said, wagging her finger between James and me. “I was claiming their baby boy. Me, a divorcee, eleven years older. I’ve walked in your shoes, Tricia, and believe me they showed me more compassion in that first meeting than I could ever have dreamed of.”
“You’d also have your family there, so you won’t be on your own,” James prompted.
“My family?” I almost shrieked. “I’m not vacationing with my mother. I’d never get a minute’s rest.” I replied. knew I sounded obstructive when they had been trying to do something nice, but trying to take on all those new relationships was something I just couldn’t face.
James immediately calmed me by sliding his hands in mine. He held them firmly and looked into my eyes. “No one said you have to.” He sighed and turned toward his brother.
“Maybe this isn’t the best time to discuss this, Sawyer,” James decided. “We still have a while before then, and we can still give people plenty of notice. Tricia has a few more minefields to negotiate in her near future. Include us in the numbers, and don’t tell the others we’re confirmed. Tricia still needs some breathing space,” James concluded, taking charge of the conversation.
Sawyer nodded slowly like he’d considered what his brother had said. “You’re right, there’s plenty of time, just let me know what you decide.”
When Sawyer wasn’t insistent, I felt relieved.
A vacation would have been wonderful, there was no way I had felt ready to stand in judgment before his family. Before that could happen, I had to sort out in my mind, how and when to approach my family about Erin. My stomach ached as I contemplated how to do that, and once again my mind felt swamped in a mixture of mortification, guilt, and dread about dredging up my past.
Chapter Five
Two weeks later, I came home from an early breakfast with Erin—our third meeting, and found James waiting for me with two suitcases and my vanity case piled just inside his apartment door.
“Do you have to go somewhere?” I asked, wondering if there had been some sudden crisis at his work that had required him to go away. I eyed my vanity case again and felt more confused.
“We’re going somewhere,” he corrected. “I’m taking you away for a few days.” His tone was unusually demanding and when I opened my mouth to protest, he stepped closer and closed my mouth by gently tipping his index finger under my chin. He frowned and shook his head. “Don’t argue. We need time together. You’ve had so much going on in that pretty head of yours, I think you need time to recuperate… and I need you to myself for a while.”
My chest tightened at his confession and my heart swelled because despite everything, he had been there for me. “Where are we going?”
“Mexico, Four Seasons Los Cabos, Costa Palma,” he said in a perfect Spanish accent that sounded so sexy it had made my knees weak. My eyes widened in surprise and he grinned at my reaction. “You didn’t know I spoke Spanish?” he teased. “Babe, I promise to show you a good time, I’m going to seduce you until the only word on your lips is my nombre,” he added seductively into my ear in broken English.
“Wow, goosebumps, that was very hot, Mr. Wild,” I replied, flashing him a sinful smile, and was rewarded with a devilish smirk.
“So … I’ve booked us into the Presidential Villa. Imagine this …” he said, holding his arm up and sweeping his arm to the side with each selling point. “… ocean view—seductive nights—hot sweaty sex … and quiet minds for a change. I’m going to wine and dine you—dance with you under a tropical moon—in short, I’m going to treat you like the princess you are to me.”
“Do you think this is the right time …” He pressed his fingers to my lips, effectively silencing me.
“I do. All we’ve both done this past year is work and deal with all kinds of heavy shit. We deserve this. So … I think for the next four nights we’re going to push everything to one side and enjoy some fun. Besides, we can consider it a birthday treat to us.”
There was no way I could have argued with his demand, it had sounded fabulous and I’d figured he was absolutely spot-on. James had had a birthday already and mine had been approaching; yet we hadn’t even considered celebrating those. It struck me we were in danger of losing ourselves in my family drama. James deserved my time, he’d been amazingly patient and supportive, and in a way, I had felt relieved he had taken measures to put us back on course with our lives together.
“Give me ten minutes to change and then I’ll be all yours,” I agreed. Stepping forward, I pressed my hand on his T-shirt and drew it down his front, taking note of the hard lines of his abs, and slid my hand into the waistband of his jeans. Pulling him closer, I pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and turned to walk away, but James grabbed my wrist and swung me back into his chest.
“You’re already all mine,” he corrected. “But I love the sound of those words on your lips,” he mumbled so quietly with his breath close to mine. I felt the piercing stare he gave me within my soul and it sent a small shiver of desire straight down my spine.
“Hold that thought or we won’t leave this apartment,” I warned, with a stare of equal intensity that pinned him right where he stood in response. James drew in a long breath like he was debating my words, held it for a beat, and reluctantly dropped his hold on my wrist and let out a breath.
“Don’t be long,” he rasped gruffly. His Adam’s apple rose and fell in his neck as he swallowed thickly. I turned, moving quickly away from him before he threw our arrangement in favor of taking me to bed.
* * *
Cool waves lapped around my waist as I stood grinning at James riding a multicolored surfboard toward me. Athletic and toned, the sun had already kissed his skin after just an hour of being there.
James was right, the warmth from the sun, the smell of the ocean, and the brilliant soft white sand beneath my feet had an instant healing effect. Watching James in his element, I realized how agile and youthful he was, and considered there was far more to the man I had thought I knew.
