Legal Legacy 2 (Surrendering Charlotte Chronicles Book 10) (11 page)

“I’m not expected for debriefing since this wasn’t official military business, the helo will drop me off in Gulfport, Mississippi at the Naval Battalion Center. I can put you on a jet from there to Washington, you really should go home to your sister,” Atticus said and the look of disappointment in her eyes wasn’t lost on him.

“I’ll get off in in Gulfport as well and I’ll be fine from there. I grew up in Bay Saint Louis so
I’m familiar with the area, I can rent a car and drive home. It’s not much but Lucy and I kept the little house our parents left us and I go back now and then. I have my reasons for not wanting to see Lucy and she knows what they are. I spoke to her from the ship and I thanked her for sending you… for sending your team to get me out of that hell hole in Honduras. What was I thinking, right? To go to a country that’s a virtual war zone with a man I met at a soccer game, don’t even ask,” she said and forced her eyes away from him and rested her head against her seat.

“
You grew up on the coast of Mississippi? That’s incredible, I spent every summer of my life in Pass Christian, that’s like, ten minutes from my family’s vacation home.”

“You’re kidding, which house is yours? Everyone knows everyone
else in that part of the country. My high school friends and I used to drive to the Beach Club in Pass Christian to watch the cute boys and try and pretend we were rich kids too,” she said and laughed wondering if he was the boy she always picked out of that rarefied crowd.

“The McCall house, my mother inherited it from her family. It used to be a bed and breakfast but at a certain point my parents decided to keep it for our family’s use year round. Eventually my mother’s new husband bought the houses and acreage on either side… of course he wasn’t my mother’s husband then. Now that is a story that I don’t want to talk about and you don’t want to hear, so we’re even. I’ll give
you a ride to Bay Saint Louis since I’m going to stay in Pass Christian for a couple of weeks. You don’t have to say a word about your sister and my lips are sealed where my family is concerned.”

“Agreed!” Ivy said and relaxed for the first time since her ordeal in Honduras had begun, she relaxed and delighted in the knowledge that she would have a bit more time to spend with Atticus Hale.

*

“I hate that
you have to go out of your way to take me home,” Ivy said as they drove west on IH10 and the signs for Pass Christian and then Bay Saint Louis came into view.

“It’s no problem, just ten or eleven miles down the road. Are you hungry? There ar
e a couple of good places for oysters or Po’boys in Pass Christian if you have time we can stop and get a bite to eat.”

“I have plenty of time and that sounds great, Gulf shrimp and oysters are the ultimate comfort food for me. My dad worked on a shrimp boat
, so at our house it was kind of like the scene in Forrest Gump where Bubba rattles off all the different shrimp dishes! But I never got tired of fresh seafood and my dad didn’t have his own boat, he wasn’t even a captain, just a hired laborer. To say we were poor doesn’t begin to cover it, but no talk of families, we promised,” Ivy said and she hoped to God he hadn’t noticed her glancing at the outline of his cock in his jeans. Dear Lord, if that was the size of him soft she was absolutely determined to get her hands on him when he was aroused, literally.

“Here we go, you said you used to dream about the boys at the Beach Club, well maybe you might meet one tonight,” Atticus held the door open for her and again she was at eye level with his
penis. A swift greedy volcano of need erupted in the deepest part of her body and it was so primal and demanding it blotted out her ordeal in Honduras and the laughable desire she had felt for any man before Atticus.

When they were settled at a table inside the Beach Club they both noticed signs for New Year’s Eve and realized they had no idea what day it was. The server brou
ght two bottles of Dos Equis with slices of lime and complimentary tequila shots.

“The shots are from the bartender, he says he missed seeing you last summer. We all missed you, Atti, how come you weren’t down here at the beach for your birthday? Your mom usually does your birthday up big time and it was your twenty-first and all,” the server said setting her tray down and standing with her hand on her hip.

Atticus wasn’t sure what her name was but he seemed to remember her coming to his house and maybe Vivi Kipling had been there too…

“Yeah, my mom wasn’t into celebrations last year. We all kind of forgot about partying, but thanks for the shots
,” he said and hoped that she wasn’t in the mood to socialize.

“Oh, oh my gosh! That’s right, I was just heartbroken to hear about your daddy passing away. Well, I’ll just let you enjoy your evening,” she said nervously and backed away from the table and left.

“So you’re twenty-one? Wow, it makes me feel old at twenty-three! How long have you been in the Navy?” Ivy asked and wondered how many female employees at the Beach Club had enjoyed his company, because it was patently obvious
that
girl had.

But what did she expect with him looking the way he did and now she remembered that he had some random connection with billionaire Alexande
r Bly. Jordan had mentioned Atticus Hale once now that she thought about it, he knew Jordan’s wife and might have been related to her. But Jordan Sullivan was yesterday’s bad news, he was both the mistake and the reason she had gotten involved with the Honduran soccer player. Damn him anyway, he just wouldn’t let her go, although it was a sure bet she had him to thank for arranging her extraction from Honduras. Oh, she didn’t want to think about that, she wanted to concentrate on the man sitting across from her. She had never been so attracted to a man in her life, she didn’t have time when she was in college and Jordan had provided her with the means to go to Ole Miss. She was a nice girl from a poor Southern Baptist family and it had been a fluke to catch Jordan’s attention and have him act as her benefactor. But then he had wanted more and she had fled with a group of journalists, one of whom had been her college roommate and then things went in a crazy direction.

“To my missed birthday and to you
r freedom!” Atticus said throwing back the shot and then taking a bite from the slice of lime.

“
To my freedom,” Ivy said and shivered when she swallowed the shot and Atticus laughed and ordered two more.

She was a beautiful girl who had just been through quite the ordeal, Atticus was thinking as his eyes swept over the black hair, creamy skin and blue, blue eyes.
He had avoided dark haired women thanks to Matilda’s devious antics and he associated goodness and sincerity with Sky’s blonde, green-eyed beauty.
Where was beautiful Sky, had she fallen in love with another man
?  He had begged her to and he hoped that she had, yet it crushed him to think about it actually happening. They drank the second tequila shots and he finished his beer, and maybe he shouldn’t have on an empty stomach.

Ivy looked
so
sexy as she leaned on the table and rested her chin on her hand and looked at him with such longing in her big beautiful eyes. She had clung to him when he found her in Honduras and something about her told him she was an innocent, whatever the story was there. He didn’t care to know the details, not yet, at least. He had a painfully throbbing erection that was begging to be inside her, to feel her sweet soft lips close around it and hear her shout his name as she flooded his cock with her hot juices.
Did she want that too
, he wondered? Oh, the things he could do to that trim little body of hers, things that would wipe out the past for both of them, maybe only for a night or a week or forever.

“Ivy, I’ve had too much to drink. I’m not sure if I can drive you all the way to… where was I taking you?”

She laughed and reached across the table and curled her fingers around his big calloused hand. “I think I’d better stay with you tonight, Atticus. The bandage on your shoulder needs to be changed and I did tell the doctor on the ship I would be sure it was taken care of. Would it be alright if I drive you to your house and take care of you tonight? I would be glad to.”

“Yes,” he said, the alcohol swirling and c
louding his brain so that he was convinced she was all that he needed. “Yes, please. I would like that, I need that, take care of me. Come with me to my house at the beach and stay there with me for as long as you like.”

*

Cade Townsend hadn’t been happy about Hadley uninviting him to the awards ceremony, she claimed that she and Sky were going together and then they were leaving for a spur-of-the-moment road trip. It didn’t sit well with him, the idea of having the object of his desire so easily discard him. Reef told him to get over it, that Hadley was genuine, the real deal; a nice girl who was not a ‘full of herself’ celebrity by any means.  Besides she had a serious boyfriend, did Cade honestly think he could just sweep her off her feet so easily?

Reef was bummed that Sky was taking off for who knew how long but he was resolved to wait for her. She had separation issues anyway and it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park to make her forget Hadley’s brother, but he knew he could do it with persistence and the fact that he was already half in love with her.
Cade had mentioned that he was going to that damned awards ceremony and he would convince Hadley that time spent with him was more important than some girls-only getaway.

“Ready to go Sky? Hurry up, I am the guest of honor tonight!” Hadley called from the living room of the suite and Sky came rushing in and rolled her eyes and motioned for Hadley to turn around so she could finish zipping the dress she had slipped into.

“Wow, I like this dress even better, good thing the first ones were the victims of our crying jag!” Sky said just as the there was a light tap at the door.

“Oh who in last minute hell
would dare to knock on this door?” Hadley shouted and stormed to the door and jerked it open with a flourish.

“These are for the magnificent Hadley Hale from the man who loves her more than she will ever know.”

The bouquet of red roses was so big and so fragrant that for a minute Hadley forgot to be mad, plus they were hiding the face of the delivery boy who was obviously trying to disguise his voice.

“Too little too late,”
Hadley said regaining her fury as she swung the door closed but his foot blocked the door and he lowered the bouquet and smiled.

“You!” Hadley said and jumped into Holden’s arms.

He held her with one arm and handed the roses to Sky with his free hand and then he carried Hadley into the suite and dumped her onto the nearest bed and laid down beside her.

“Uh, the event we are all dressed up for… the Entertainment Channel… the Women in Film… THE WORLD!” Sky said and they all laughed as she plopped down on the bed next to them.
“At least you thought to wear a tux, Holden. Now come on, this is important and I’ll lock my door when we get back and you two can do the nasty all over the damn suite and even on the balcony if that does it for you. By the way…” she said getting up off the bed and as her face grew serious. “Since you’re back here in L.A. and you are happy and smiling I’m assuming that…”

“Atticus is fine, nothing to worry about, it’s all good,” Holden said and he didn’t see any good reason to mention that Atti had taken two bullets and he’d nearly bled to death so he was on leave until further notice. “As for me, I have this one night and one night only to spend with the person of my choice and for some strange reason I found myself standing at the door of Hadley Hale’s hotel suite…”

“Oh Bly, the things I’m gonna do to you later tonight. I am seriously gonna rock your world!”

“I’m holding you to that Ms. Hale, now let’s put in a quick appearance at that fucking premiere so we can get back and get down to business,” Holden said and the three of them smiled all the way to the limo and up the
red carpet until the shit hit the fan.

Cade Townsend was, like most incalculably wealthy men, capable of pulling string
s, manipulating people and making things go his way. He watched from inside the Nokia Theater as Holden Bly escorted Hadley and Skyler and they all took their seats. It infuriated him to see her with Holden Bly and it made him sad that she hadn’t told him she had plans with her boyfriend. Most of all it made him heartsick and jealous. He’d had plenty of women in his lifetime and they were all too willing to be his, but Hadley was different. What had started out as an infatuation had grown and begun to change and he felt himself falling hard for her. The worst part was he had the distinct feeling she was one of those women a man never got out of his system. He listened from backstage as she accepted her award and thanked her fans and numerous people who had believed in her. Then she gave a tearful speech dedicating the award to her beloved father for showing her how a man with integrity lived his life putting the needs and welfare of others ahead of his own. She said there was no better gift than to be raised by a man who was a rough and tough member of the United States military who valued women, who believed in and honored them with his love and support and who didn’t have to tell her about a make-believe hero because he showed her a hero in action every day of his life.

“That was an amazing speech, honey!” Charlotte gushed. Holden and Sky had moved from their seats and were waiting backstage for Hadley
. Holden hugged her to him and handed her the cell phone so she could take the call from her mother first thing.