Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (15 page)

I kept the hurt growing in my chest inside. Aiden wasn't ready for a serious relationship. I silently chided myself for even thinking for a moment that this relationship would continue the moment we stepped off the island. I was just his latest fling.

I looked up at the stars and blinked away the blurriness. I could handle this. If this thing with Aiden was a fling, it would make it that much easier to go back to real life. I could stop myself from falling in love with him now, before I grew too attached. I wouldn't have to tell him I wasn't a lawyer because this would be over as soon as we left the island.

“Do you want to know what Ben thinks about you?” Aiden asked, his voice clear in the dark.

“Is that your question this turn?” I countered. I was glad my voice didn't shake. “If it's not, then I don't want to answer.”

Aiden shifted on the sand beside me, rolling onto his side so he could look at me. I stared up at the sky. If I looked at him, I knew my face would give me away. This was just a good time to him.

“Ben says you're the real deal.” I could feel him watching me. “He likes you. He says you're good for me.”

I didn't say anything. My heart was so confused I didn't know what
to
say. Aiden didn't do relationships, but his boss thought I was good for him. Apparently, this amazing thing I had going with Aiden was just a fling, but then Ben's words gave me the illusion of hope.

I felt Aiden return to laying on his back beside me. Just our shoulders touched and I ached for more. I wanted him, fling or not. I wasn't sure the true depth of what I felt yet, but I knew I definitely felt something.

I didn't know how this vacation was going to end. I wanted to believe it would be a fairy tale, that Aiden and I would go back to Chicago and live happily ever after. But Aiden wasn't a prince and I wasn't Cinderella. There was a very real chance that we would never see each other again once this dream of a vacation ended.

I tried to tell myself that I was okay with that, but deep down I knew I wasn't. I already felt things for Aiden that I didn't want to give up. I liked the way he made me feel. I like who I was when I was with him. I didn't want to go back to my old life and go back to what I had been.

I took his hand in mine and squeezed, pushing my uneasy thoughts to the side. Tonight, I would share whatever secrets Aiden asked of me. I would accept that this was just a short term thing and do my best to enjoy it.

“It's my turn,” Aiden said, taking the bottle from its spot in the sand. “Tell me about your first kiss.”

“You're going to laugh. It was pretty terrible,” I warned him.

“I sincerely doubt that,” Aiden replied, pulling me to rest on his shoulder. “Kissing you is never terrible.”

I nestled into the hollow of his shoulder, soaking up the feeling of his arm around me and the smell of his skin. If this did have to end at the end of my trip, at least I would have some amazing memories.

“V
acation agrees with you,” Kathryn commented, startling me out of me out of my day dreams.

“What?” I could feel a blush blaze across my cheeks and I wondered if she could read my thoughts. They were certainly blush-worthy.

“You've been staring off at the water with a happy smile plastered on your face for the entire meeting,” she informed me.

“Sorry. Did I miss something important?” I couldn't even remember what the meeting was about. “I wasn't sure if I got the projector set up properly—”

“Everything was fine,” she assured me, with a smile. “I'm just stating that you look very happy. That assistant must be very good for you.”

I relaxed and grinned. “He is.” She had no idea just how good. He was beyond good.

“I'm guessing you have dinner plans tonight, then,” Kathryn said with a knowing smile.

I starting packing up the laptop and notes from the meeting. “Not if you need me. You brought me here, so you have dibs on me.”

Kathryn laughed and shook her head. “I don't need you tonight. I'm just meeting a couple of old school friends and thought I'd invite you to tag along so you wouldn't be bored.”

I stopped and bit my lip. Aiden was taking me out to dinner, but Kathryn might know someone who had some pull with the law school.

“You should go keep adding to your happy glow,” Kathryn told me, seeing my hesitation. “We're going to just be reliving old times. And none of them are on the school board, so unless you are planning on changing firms, they won't get you far. I just didn't want you to spend the whole trip by yourself.”

I smiled gratefully as I put the last few things from the meeting away. It was almost unnerving how easily Kathryn could read me. “Thanks. How'd you know what I was thinking?”

“I was there once and remember how desperate I was to follow my dreams.” She held open the conference room door for me. “Just make sure you're ready for the meeting tomorrow. I'll actually need you to take notes next time.”

“Yes, ma'am,” I promised, turning off the light before leaving the room. “I'll be there and ready.”

Kathryn started down the path in the opposite direction of me, but she paused and looked over her shoulder. “Have fun tonight,” she said with a wink. It was very clear she knew exactly what kind of fun she was expecting me to have. I blushed a deep crimson, but she had already turned around and started walking.

I watched her for a moment before turning and heading to my room to put the laptop away for the day. Grinning, I walked faster, already imagining just how good the night was going to be. I clutched the laptop bag to my chest, closing my eyes and feeling the warm sunshine as I thought about Aiden. There was nothing in the world that could ruin this trip.

***

H
appiness. I embodied the word. Aiden's hand was warm in mine, holding me close to him. Golden sunlight glinted off the curls of his hair and glimmered in
the
green and brown depths of his eyes. He walked through the resort as if he owned the place, all calm confidence and charisma. I walked proudly beside him, knowing that every female who saw him wanted to be in my shoes.

He glanced over at me, smiling at what he saw. I blushed, feeling beautiful in his gaze. The way he looked at me made my heart flutter
and the
space between my legs heat. I loved the way his shirt displayed his broad shoulders and tapered to his narrow waist. He managed to look sexy just walking down the street. If there hadn't been people around, I would have pinned him to a palm tree and had my way with him.

He tugged gently on my hand, pulling me away from the restaurant and toward the beach instead. My light skirt caught the gentle breeze off the ocean and fluttered slightly, threatening to expose me, but I followed him willingly. Ben sat at a small table overlooking the beach reading a newspaper. I nodded respectfully as we passed, earning a slight head bob from him. Aiden ignored him completely.

“Where are we going?” I asked as we stepped off the path and onto the stand. I was glad I had chosen sensible but cute flats as shoes. I didn't have to take them off as long as I didn't kick up too much sand. “I thought we were going to dinner.”

“We are,” he promised, grinning with a secret. His eyes caught the warmth of the tropical sun and sparkled. “Dinner is on the beach.

I beamed back at him as we made our way down the beach. I could see a beautiful white gazebo with a table and chairs waiting for us next to the water. Candles flickered on the table and a bottle of wine stood waiting for our arrival. It was like something out of a magazine.

Aiden hurried over to pull out my chair, holding it for me and even handing me my napkin once I was seated. Chivalry wasn't dead, apparently.

“Wine?” he asked, motioning to the bottle waiting in an ice bucket.

“Yes, please,” I replied eagerly. I wondered just what kind of new wine experience he had planned for me this time.

He uncorked it with ease, handing me the cork as he poured a small amount into a glass. He moved so gracefully, I barely registered the feel of the cork or even the smell because I was entranced by him. He caught me watching and smiled. A delightful warmth settled in the pit of my stomach that was better than any wine.

I picked up the glass of wine and swirled, watching the clear liquid inside. It was a white with legs similar to the wine I had the last time. “It smells sweet, like peaches.”

He nodded, pleased with his pupil. “Try it.”

I closed my eyes and took a small sip, letting the flavors coat my tongue. “It's bubbly and sweet like grape juice. There's no bite at the end at all—it's almost like drinking candy.”

“Do you like it?” Even without opening my eyes, I could feel his hopeful gaze upon me. He had chosen this wine specifically for me.

“I love it.” I opened my eyes, smiling as I dove into his. “What is it?”

He smiled wide, proud of choosing something I liked. “It's a moscato from Australia. I thought you might like it. It's sweet like you.”

“You thought right,” I said, taking a second, larger sip before handing him my glass for more. He filled my glass as well as his before sitting. Everything was beautiful. The white gauzy fabric of the gazebo floated lazily on the soft breeze, far from the gentle flicker of the candle flames. The ocean provided the background music, a soft murmur punctuated with cries from seagulls in the distance. “This is amazing, by the way. Thank you.”

“You deserve it,” he stated, sipping on his wine and looking very pleased with himself. He had certainly outdone every expectation I could have ever had for a romantic dinner, and the food hadn't even come out yet.

“Aiden...” I bit my lip as he looked up at me. I felt terrible complaining about such a wonderful gift like this, but it was too much. This couldn't have been cheap, especially on an assistant's salary. I had to say something. Maybe if we left early he could get a portion of his money back. “You really didn't have to do this. I mean, it's fantastic and beautiful, but it's too much.”

“Is there something wrong with it?” He frowned, glancing at the ornate silverware and candles. “There was an option for an indoor version, but-”

“No, there's nothing wrong with it,” I cut him off. “It's just that this couldn't have been covered by the all-inclusive part of this resort. I don't know what you paid, but it was too much just to impress me. You've already impressed me.”

Aiden stared at me for a moment as if I were speaking a foreign language and then started to laugh. “Lena, you're amazing.”

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't find anything to say. I was certainly not expecting to be called amazing for telling him that he didn't need to spend this much on me. “How in the world does me telling you that make me amazing?”

“Please don't worry about the cost. It's all comped. One of the benefits of working where I do.” He reached out and took my hands in his. I narrowed my eyes, trying to determine if he was telling me the truth. It sounded possible, but this was still way too expensive for the likes of me. “You are amazing because you are concerned about my well being. Most of the girls I've dated would want to know why there weren't roses on the table as well.”

“It's just so much,” I said, looking around at the extravagance. I could only imagine what the resort was going to cook up for us as far as food. “If they don't think this is too much, then you've been dating the wrong kind of girls.”

“I most certainly have,” was all Aiden said. I wanted to ask him more, but he smiled and squeezed my hands. “You deserve this.”

I wasn't sure I did, but he obviously had his mind made up about it. I would just sit back, enjoy it, and order the cheapest thing on the menu. Just because it was going to be comped didn't mean I needed to take advantage.

A waiter cleared his throat gently to gain our attention. With a polite nod of his head, he placed a plate of cheeses on the table. “I hope the two of you are hungry,” he said with a thick island accent. “The chef has prepared his best for the two of you.”

I grinned at Aiden, reaching for a piece of cheese. I had never had the chef prepare me something special, but then I had never had dinner on a beach with candlelight either. The waiter murmured something about getting more wine before hurrying away to leave us alone with the cheese.

I nibbled on a soft white cheese I was pretty sure was the best brie I'd ever tasted. The wine complimented every bite, bringing out new flavors and highlighting the original ones. I felt very rich and spoiled, munching on fancy cheese and sipping wine as the orange sun hung heavy on the edge of the horizon with dark, gray clouds filling the sky for contrast.

Aiden cleared his throat. He fiddled with the stem of his wineglass for a moment in an uncharacteristic display of nerves. “Lena, I was hoping I could ask you a favor.”

“Is that what all this is for?” I asked, indicating the fancy spread before us.

“No, though I hope it helps you decide to say yes.” A quick grin flashed across his face.

“Okay.” I nodded. “I will certainly take it into consideration.”

Aiden took a sip of his wine and carefully set the glass down before speaking. “My brother is getting married in two weeks. I need a date for the wedding.”

I couldn't stop the grin from filling my face, but I managed to keep it under control. “And you need me to introduce you to someone. I think my roommate has a couple of weekends open...”

His hazel eyes opened in surprise when I didn't immediately say yes, then crinkled at the corners as he realized what I was up to. “Lena, I don't want your roommate.”

I knew this was a big deal. It would mean meeting not only his brother, but his father as well. It meant that he thought I was worthy to present to them. My heart was full to bursting that he thought that highly of me, but I wanted him to ask me directly. I needed him to after the conversation we had last night. “Well, I might have a co-worker who I could set you up with.”

“I don't want your roommate, or your co-worker, or even your dog groomer.” He smiled, knowing that I was just messing with him. He stood and came to kneel by my chair. “Would you please be my date to my brother's wedding?”