Page 34

It’s true, it’s hard moving around all the time.

But until she moved in and spent time here, this place hadn’t ever felt like home.

She’s brought life and laughter into the previously cold and lonely space.

Now I wake up to the sounds of her laughing in the kitchen with Hannah (who has declared she wants to adopt her).

I get to spend afternoons with her watching movies on the couch or playing board games on the deck.

I get to actually spend time like this, using a swimming pool I designed but never have time to enjoy.

These past few days with this woman have brought my house and my soul back to life.

“You should stay here,” I blurt out, getting several thousand steps ahead of myself. “I mean, in between races…if you want.”

Slowly, she turns over onto her back to look at me properly and my eyes fly over all the skin she has on display.

“Do you mean it? You want me to move in?”

Yes! Now. Or yesterday!

I lift a shoulder, feigning a casualness I’m not feeling. “I mean, that’s what your brother did.”

Her eyes cloud over with disappointment. “Um, sure. I’ll think about it.”

We sink into a heavy silence and I kick myself for not just saying how I feel. That I want her here with me. For always .

“So, do you get your bikinis from the same place you get your pyjamas?” I joke, attempting to lighten the mood. I will tell Cherry how I feel; how much I want to be with her. When I think we’re both ready for her to hear it.

She blinks at me. “I don’t even know how to answer that.”

“Your bikini.” I wave my hand up and down her body, clenching it into a fist to stop from reaching for her. “It’s also lacking material.”

Her laughter is like a tinkling fairy sound I want to bottle up.

“If you think this is skimpy,” she arches one perfect eyebrow at me, “you should see what they wear on Love Island .”

My eyes burn a pathway all over her body and I shove my sunglasses over them to hide what I’m thinking. “What’s Love Island ?”

She bolts upright and gasps. “Um, it’s the like best reality show on TV. How have you never seen it?”

I shrug. “I don’t really watch TV. Don’t really have the time.”

“But, but…you have all these massive TVs scattered around your house! It’s set up perfectly for binge-watching all the shows.” Her lovely face is animated and I lean over, running a finger over her flushed cheek.

“Hmm, okay. What should I watch first?”

Her forehead wrinkles in concentration, like I’ve given her a very important task, and she stares off into the distance, tapping her lip before turning back to me with a happy grin.

“I’ve got it! The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills .”

“Sounds…good?” Sounds terrible.

Her smile grows. “You’re going to love it. You may even catch a glimpse of your private plane on there.” She’s still convinced I’m sharing a plane with someone named Kyle Richards and her rich husband .

I huff out a laugh as inspiration hits me. “Let’s watch it now.”

Shifting back in my lounger, I pat the spot between my legs, my eyes glued for her reaction. Myriad emotions flicker over her face—shock, hesitation, joy—before she scrambles off her chair and bounces over to mine, detouring only to pick up her tablet.

“Really?” she squeaks.

“Sure.” I’m going for ‘no big deal’, but my wavering voice gives me away. I want her to sit here with me. So that I have an excuse to wrap my arms around her.

She hesitates for a micro-moment before gingerly sitting between my legs, holding her body still and stiff as a board.

“Relax,” I whisper into her ear, drawing her warm body back to lean against me, feeling a shudder run through her to match my own.

“Are you sure I won’t hurt you?”

Even if she was hurting me, feeling her close to me was like a balm for all my pain. Nothing feels better than this.

“I’m good.”

Breathing out a sigh, she sinks into me. Thrilled to have her here, I put one arm around her waist to hold her in place and reach over to pull a table out in front of us. She angles her tablet so we can both see the screen and presses play.

“I can’t believe I’m watching this,” I drawl, my lips brushing my ear. Her slight gasp is almost a moan, and my arm tightens further around her.

“Shh, it’s quality viewing.”

I bite my lip hard to keep my hands from exploring her body the way they desperately want to and focus on watching the ladies of 90210 light up the screen in front of us.

Despite myself, I am quickly absorbed and amused by their shenanigans, so much so that when I feel Cherry slacken against me and find her asleep, I let the next episode run, kinda interested to find out what happens next.

After that episode ends and goes straight to the next one, I shift Cherry in my arms, pulling over a blanket to cover her as the sun disappears behind a cloud. I do this carefully, hoping she won’t wake up and end this embrace.

“What? What’s happening?” she mutters twenty minutes later, yawning as she tips her big blue eyes to look up at me.

“You fell asleep.”

Wordlessly, she looks around. Her previously wet hair has dried into wild, tangled curls around her face. Her cheeks are flushed a light pink and the dusting of freckles along her collarbone has darkened under the morning sun. She’s utterly gorgeous.

“You’re up to episode three?” she gasps with an accusing gaze.

I smother a laugh, and shrug, like it’s no big deal that I’d just watched two episodes without her. “What can I say? The ladies love the drama. And apparently, so do I.”

She giggles, her whole body shaking against me, and I revel in it. I hope I can keep her here, just like this, in my life for always.

“I can’t believe you’re ahead of me.” She wiggles her bum like she wants to sit up and my arms tighten around her.

Not yet.

Sensing my resolve to keep her where she is, she gives in, relaxing back into place.

“So, what’s planned for the rest of the break?” The question’s been plaguing me. It’s not like we’d discussed her spending this time with me; it just sort of happened because of my crash. In the back of my mind, I’m waiting for her to skip off to some pre-planned holiday with Serena.

Or Patrick.

She looks up at me. “What do you mean? ”

I hesitate before taking the plunge. “I wasn’t sure if you’d made plans for the break. Maybe with Serena? Or…”

She twists her body more fully to look at me, torturing me slowly in the process. “No, I’ve made no plans.”

A relieved breath rushes out of me. “Well, then. Do you want to go somewhere with me?”

“Yes.” Her answer flies out of her mouth and I feel it in my chest. She wants to spend her time with me. “Where?”

I pause, deliberating. On the one hand, we’ve been so comfortable here in our little bubble together, so insulated from all the things that can derail us out there, that I’m not sure it’s even a good idea to go anywhere. But on the other hand, Cherry deserves to be treated to something special.

“I was thinking we could spend some time on my boat.” If I move this out of my house, hopefully in the process, I can move our relationship forward as well.

“Your boat?” She huffs. “Don’t you mean your yacht? The one I’ve heard so much about from Matt?”

The excitement radiating off her in waves warms me, and I nod. She’s right, it’s not just a boat, it’s one of the many luxuries I have in my life that I have little time to actually enjoy. Until now.

“It’ll be just like Below Deck Sailing Yacht ,” she breathes.

“I don’t understand any of what you just said.”

“Never mind.” She shakes her head, grinning so wide I can see all her teeth. “Are you sure you’re up for it? Don’t you have other plans you need to keep?”

My arms tighten around her, pulling her back and flush with my chest. Even though I’ve let my guard down somewhat, I must not have been making my feelings for her as clear as I thought. Luckily, I have two weeks to fix this. “There is no other way I’d want to spend my break, Cherie. ”

“When do we leave?” Her eyes sparkle and I lose myself in them. When did her gaze become what I crave most in the world? Other than her lips.

“I’ll make some calls. Do you think you can be ready by the morning?”

She tilts her head, tapping her lip in what I know is her thinking face. “Yes,” she nods at last.

“Great.” Decision made. The buzzing in my chest intensifies and all I can do is grin down at her.

“Yes, great.”

We sink into silence and I shift in place, wondering what she sees in my face as she stares up at me. Now that I’m no longer hiding what she means to me.

“I can’t wait…” she whispers softly, turning to lay her cheek against my chest. Listening to my racing heart.

“So,” I say finally as I rest my chin on her soft hair. “Tell me more about this Below Deck Sailing Yacht .”