Page 38 of Blame It on the Bikini (Ocean Shores #4)

Chapter Nineteen

It was Thursday morning before they got to later . After the second-best night of his life, the first also being with her, he brought Lexie coffee in bed. Then he slid under the covers next to her to fulfill the promise he'd made the night before.

"So, tell me about Josie and your dad," Lexie said as she sipped her coffee. "And by the way, this is really good. This is not my coffee, is it?"

"I went back to my apartment and grabbed mine," he said with a smile as he sipped from the mug he'd brought for himself.

"Did you run into anyone?"

"No."

"I can't wait to tell everyone they don't have to move. I feel a little guilty that I didn't do it last night, but you were just too distracting…"

"I think that was you," he said with a laugh, feeling so relaxed and happy he was almost afraid it was too good to be true.

"It was us," she said. "Okay, tell me the story."

He set his mug on the nightstand. "My dad was here on a business trip thirty-five years ago.

He met Josie on a beach and thought she was beautiful, fiery, and passionate.

She told him she'd just left her husband and her career in Hollywood to find herself, to be who she was supposed to be, no more pretending, no more acting. "

"That's what she told me."

"It made a big impression on my father. He was about to get engaged to the woman who would be my mother, and he was building his business, a business that he would merge with her family's company, and he was feeling stressed and not sure if he was on the right path.

For a few weeks, they played in the ocean, explored the caves?—"

Her eyes widened. "Oh, my God. He gave her the necklace, didn't he?"

"He did. And that heart you photographed with the blurry initials.

They were their initials. It was the last day they were together.

When they stood on the rocks watching the tide come in, he said he felt like the ocean was washing away everything that they'd had.

It was where they shared their last kiss. "

"And where we shared our first," she murmured, meeting his gaze. "That's oddly symmetrical."

"I agree." He paused. "Anyway, at first I thought he'd been the one to leave Josie, but she was the one who told him to go home, that his life was elsewhere. So, he went back to LA and married my mother and merged his company with her family's company, and the rest is history."

"That's a crazy story. Did your father already own this building when he met Josie?"

"No. He bought it for her. He wanted her to be able to always live in the place she'd come to love.

He said she knew he was the owner when she became the manager, and she only agreed if she could deal solely with his representative, which she did.

" He could see the puzzled gleam in her eyes and knew what question was coming.

"You want to know if my father wanted to sell.

He never did. But when he was thinking about retirement, and we were going over all the company holdings, I pushed him to move the building into my control.

We had a lot of arguments about it over the past two years.

I didn't understand why he didn't want to sell, and he wouldn't explain. "

"Maybe because he didn't want to tell you he'd loved someone else besides your mother right before he got engaged."

"That was probably part of it. He definitely got annoyed with me asking to sell, and he kept saying I wasn't looking at the bigger picture.

I didn't know what the hell that meant because I was focused on making money for the company I was going to take over.

Apparently, he decided I was too much like him, and maybe I needed to experience the Ocean Shores magic for myself to see if it would change my mind.

He wanted to force me to take a break, to step outside of my world, my bubble, and see what else was out there.

And he thought meeting Josie would be good for me.

" He paused. "He said he spoke to her the week before I came.

He didn't say what they discussed, but it was the first time they'd communicated in thirty-five years. "

"And that's why Aunt Josie was never as worried as I was about the building being sold. She was convinced that being here would change your mind."

"As you were," he reminded her.

"I wasn't convinced at all," she denied. "I knew it would be nearly impossible to change your mind."

"But you did," he said with a smile. "And being here at Ocean Shores did change my perspective.

I was caught up in a world of money and deals and ruthless ambition.

I didn't have real friends; I had associates.

The women I've dated shared the same sort of ambition in a different way.

They wanted to marry someone like me. They wanted to live in the same world I wanted to live in, but they didn't have their own goals, their own passions.

I never wanted to be with someone who just wanted to be an extension of me. "

"Well, I'm definitely not that."

"No, you're not. And I'm not the way I was a month ago. I've changed. I've seen another world, one that I would prefer to live in."

"But you're still you, Grayson. It's okay to be driven, to want to build a company, to want to develop real estate. You have a lot of power and money to change lives. You just have to use it for good."

"I never thought I was using it for evil," he said with a laugh. "But I wasn't taking into consideration the fact that there are always people behind the numbers. I hope to be a realistic but also compassionate businessman going forward. And I'm hoping you'll keep me on track."

"I won't need to," she said confidently. "Because you are a good man."

"Thank you."

"Now, getting back to your father's story, did your dad think he made the right choice?"

"Yes."

"But you said your parents barely live together, right?"

"Right. They've been living separately for a long time. Apparently, that's the way they like it. I don't understand their marriage, but I know I don't want that kind of relationship for myself."

"I don't either. When I'm in, I go all in. No half measures for me. And if you ever feel you can't be all in, too, then we call this thing off. We have the hard conversation, because if we can't tell each other the truth, then what are we doing?"

He loved the fervor in her voice, the passion in her gaze. "I'll always tell you the truth, even if it's difficult. I never lied to you about my intentions."

"No, you didn't, and that's why I trust you. Why I love you."

"I love you, too."

She set down her coffee and kissed him.

He loved the sweet taste of her mouth, flavored from the Italian roast she'd just consumed. He also loved the way her hands moved across his body, the way she helped him off with his shirt, the way they made love to each other again, sealing the promise they'd just made to each other.

Four days later, on Sunday night, Lexie finished packing her suitcase under the careful watch of Kaia and Emmalyn.

"I can't believe you're leaving," Kaia said.

"Did you pack the travel sized, plug-in carbon monoxide detector I gave you?" Emmalyn asked.

She smiled at Emmalyn's worried expression. "It's in my carry-on. But I'm staying in a hotel."

"Stop trying to make her nervous, Em," Kaia interrupted. "You'll be fine, Lexie."

"I know, and Emmalyn isn't making me nervous because I'm already nervous."

"I know you'll have a great time," Emmalyn said. "I can't wait to see the photos you bring back."

"I just hope I can live up to everyone's expectations. If I do well, this could be the beginning of my second career."

"You'll do great," Kaia assured her. "You're so talented, Lexie. Now the rest of the world will see it." She paused. "How come Grayson isn't helping you pack? You two have been inseparable since he decided not to sell the building."

"He went with Frank to talk to a potential buyer for the Mustang. He's very invested in Frank and that car."

"Your plan worked. We just had to make him like us," Emmalyn said with a smile. "Then he wouldn't be able to sell our homes."

"I think it's Lexie who made that happen," Kaia said with a teasing smile. "She decided to really make him like her."

"It was a tough job, but someone had to do it," she snapped back with a grin.

"So tough," Kaia said. "Having to fall in love with a smart, successful, attractive man. What a sacrifice."

"I didn't even think I could like him a little when he first got here, but he wasn't who I thought he was.

He was much, much better. And he really pushed me to do more with my life, which is why I'm going to Morocco.

" She zipped her suitcase and put it on the floor.

"Let's go see if we can help with the barbecue. "

"It's not just a barbecue; it's a party," Kaia said. "We're going to say 'Bon Voyage' to you and 'Welcome Home' to Grayson."

"Grayson will appreciate that. He probably still feels a little like an outsider."

"He's not an outsider; he's our hero," Emmalyn said.

"Who's your hero?" Grayson asked from the doorway.

She caught her breath at the sight of him, wondering if it would always be like that when they saw each other after being apart, if only for a few hours. "Em is talking about you."

"You saved the building," Emmalyn said. "We're all really grateful."

"You did save the building, but you were also the one to put it at risk," Kaia interjected, always the one to inject some realism into the conversation. "So, I'm not sure I'd call you a hero, Grayson, but I will say thank you."

"You're welcome," Grayson said. "And you're right, I'm not a hero, but I hope to be a good fellow tenant."

"Don't get carried away with that tenant nonsense; you're still the owner," Kaia said.

He grinned. "That is true. But we all know Josie is in charge, and that's not going to change."

"You did turn out to be a decent guy," Kaia said. "Which I'm happy about. Because I want only the best for my friend."

"I want the best for her, too," he said, his gaze meeting hers.

"Why don't we meet you outside?" Kaia said, urging Emmalyn out of the room.

Grayson walked toward her as they left. "Are you all packed?"

"Yes, and the nerves are getting stronger."

"It's good to be nervous. That means you're doing something exciting."

"I'll try to hang on to that thought. What happened with Frank's car?"

"He sold it for twice the amount he was thinking."

"Was that because of you? Did you negotiate for him?"

"I might have had some input," he conceded. Taking a breath, he said, "I'm already starting to miss you."

"I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning."

"I know. But it's how I feel."

"It's how I feel, too. I can't believe the timing of all this. I fall in love with you, and then my career suddenly catches a tailwind, and I'm flying away from you."

"You're not flying away from me. You're flying toward your future, and I will be here when you come back."

"I like the sound of that. Everyone keeps asking me if you really want to live here. We could get a house nearby, a place with a big home office, maybe a view of the water. Our lives don't have to be here."

"We'll figure it out. Let's not worry about anything now."

"Okay," she said, sliding her arms around his waist. "I love that I can kiss you whenever I want to."

He smiled. "Then what are you waiting for?"

She gave him a kiss, savoring the taste of his mouth, the heat of their embrace, the certainty that he was absolutely the right man for her. But after a minute, she forced herself to pull away.

"We were just getting started," he protested.

"We have a party to get to." She took his hand and led him out of her apartment. Before they could get to the pool area, they ran into Josie, who gave them both a hug.

"It makes my heart so happy to see you two together," she said, her warm gaze encompassing both of them.

"Grayson, you've done a wonderful thing keeping this community intact.

And, Lexie, I don't believe any of this would have happened without you.

So, I want to thank you both. I love this place, but I love the people even more, especially you two. "

"We love you, too," she said.

Josie's gaze moved to Grayson. "I'm very glad your father sent you here."

"He knew what I needed. Just as you knew what he needed when you sent him home thirty-five years ago."

She nodded. "Yes. He needed someone who wasn't me. But I cared about him a great deal, and I was always thankful for him giving me a home all these years. He didn't have to do that." She paused. "Let's join the party. Everyone wants to celebrate both of you."

As they moved into the courtyard, Lexie looked around at all of her friends, feeling blessed to have this incredible support group. They hugged and thanked Grayson, who awkwardly accepted the accolades coming his way. He wasn't a man who liked to be the center of attention, but he was tonight.

As the party went on, they ate, drank, talked, and laughed until it grew late in the evening, and they finally made their way back to her apartment.

Grayson shut the door behind them and gave her a smile. "That was a great night."

She grabbed his hand. "It's going to get even better. I love you, Grayson. It's amazing how we started out as enemies and turned into lovers. I don't know exactly when that happened."

"It happened when I saw you in the hot pink bikini the first night I arrived," he said with a sexy smile.

"No way. You hated me then."

"I hated that I didn't," he corrected. "And I'm blaming that on the bikini."

She smiled. "I had no idea. I thought it was Henry's ball that distracted you and sent you flailing into the pool."

He grinned back at her. "That was part of it. But you were the other part."

"I'm so happy, Grayson. I almost wish I wasn't leaving tomorrow."

He shook his head. "I don't want you to wish that. I'm excited for you, and I can't wait to hear all about it. You're going to be great. This is what you were meant to do, Lexie."

"Thanks for believing in me."

"Thanks for showing me a life I couldn't imagine before I came here."

"A life that's just getting started," she said as she led him into the bedroom.