Page 16

Chapter 15

As we crossed onto the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys, Eden sat up straighter, her eyes roaming the dark-blue water and beyond. It really was an awe-inspiring sight.

“There’s a swing span on this bridge that allows boats to go through,” Eden told me. “In 1977, it got stuck open, causing a delay in traffic for more than three hours. Want to guess who was on the bridge at the time?”

“Santa Claus.”

“Nooo,” she lamented. “It was a musician.”

“Britney Spears.”

Eden shook her head. “She wasn’t even alive yet in 1977. She was born in 1981.”

“Ah, well. Excuse me for not knowing that. Why don’t you tell me?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned knowingly. “Jimmy Buffett. He apparently was on the way to Key West when the bridge mishap occurred, and he sat on the hood of his car and wrote ‘Margaritaville’ to pass the time.”

“No freaking way,” I uttered, amazed at the wealth of knowledge this woman possessed.

“Yes freaking way. And he asked Elvis Presley to record the song, but Elvis died that year.”

I shook my head. “Nope, I couldn’t imagine The King singing ‘Margaritaville.’ It just wouldn’t be the same without Jimmy’s iconic voice.”

“Agreed,” she said, turning her face to look out the side window.

We rode in comfortable silence until I pulled up in front of a one-story stucco home painted in a pretty blue color with clean, white trim. “I think this is it,” I said, double checking the number on the mailbox.

“Wow. It’s nice,” Eden said, peering out with wide eyes. “I was picturing more of a small cottage.”

We climbed out of the charcoal-gray Toyota 4Runner onto a concrete driveway. Robert had taken Guido’s car to a chop shop, so it was no more. I’d purchased this one in cash yesterday at a used car lot near Jacksonville.

“Let’s go inside and then I’ll come out and get the bags.” Leading the way across the paved walkway that cut through the perfectly manicured grass, I stepped onto the low porch, which was bordered by a white wooden rail. Two padded rocking chairs sat off to one side, looking cozy and inviting.

Using the key Robert gave me, I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Stepping inside and out of the balmy Florida weather, we were met with an instant draft of cool air. Our hosts had obviously left the air conditioning on for us.

Eden closed the door behind us and walked across the honey wood floor, drifting a hand over a plush couch upholstered in an earthy sage green. A matching love seat sat perpendicular with a glass-topped coffee table in the center of the room.

“This is pretty,” Eden declared, bending to look at the base of the table. It was formed by a piece of what looked like beach driftwood, bleached from the sun. I followed her into the kitchen with my hands in the pockets of my khaki shorts, watching as she explored. “Fully stocked,” she announced after pulling open the fridge.

“Of course,” I said with a half-smile.

“We really owe them so much.” Eden leaned back against the counter, her hands resting beside her hips.

“I already took care of them.”

Her brows lifted. “Monetarily?”

I leaned against the kitchen island, facing her. “Yes. I know I should have asked you first, but—”

“You don’t have to ask me,” she interrupted. “I’ve told you that money isn’t mine.”

“The bank account says differently.”

Eden sighed. “Okay, fine. It’s both of ours while we’re in this situation. The point still remains. You don’t have to ask me.”

“Married people should talk about big purchases,” I said sagely with a smirk because I knew it would aggravate her.

She leveled me with a glare but didn’t otherwise comment on that. “How did Robert get all that money deposited in a bank account without questions anyway?”

“We probably don’t want to know. I’m sure he used his skills as a… what did he call it?”

“Covert computer and technology guru,” she replied with a giggle.

I pointed a finger at her. “Yeah, that.” Pushing away from the counter, I said, “Why don’t we check out the rest of the house?”

We took the hallway off the living room, finding a full-sized bathroom, one bedroom decorated in black and white at the end of the hall, and a slightly larger bedroom with an en suite down a short hallway to the left.

“You can have this one,” I told her, gazing around at the soothing purple decor.

“I can take the smaller one,” she insisted.

“Nah, this one has its own bathroom so you’ll have more privacy.” I didn’t tell her, but I also wanted to be in the room closest to the front in case someone ever found us. “And look, you have your own veranda,” I said, walking over to the sliding glass door and feeling better when I saw the safety bar that kept it wedged closed. Sliding door locks were notorious for being easy to jiggle open.

Eden followed me out onto the flagstone surface when I opened the door, and her shoulders instantly relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh when she took in the view. “This is stunning.” She drew out the last word, her eyes raking over the blue water beyond a pristine beach that was visible in the distance.

Her lips formed a serene smile, and my gaze dropped to her pretty mouth, remembering the feel of those lips beneath mine when I’d kissed her during our “wedding” photo shoot. It had been chaste as far as kisses went, but I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. To stop thinking about more.

My feelings about Eden’s age had… shifted. She wasn’t a typical nineteen-year-old. She had more moxie in her pinky finger than most girls her age had in their entire body.

Needing to distract myself from staring at her mouth, I forced my eyes away and wandered around the wide patio. Two black, iron chairs covered with thick turquoise padding sat on either side of a matching black table.

“What’s this door?” I asked, peering through the glass, but the drapes were drawn on the other side. Mentally going through the house’s floor plan in my head, I wandered back inside and backtracked to my bedroom. When I opened the floor-length gray drapes, my suspicions were confirmed.

“Looks like we’re sharing,” I told her when I unlocked my door, slid it open, and walked out.

“Mmhmmm.” Eden was sitting on one of the chairs, her feet propped up on the concrete balustrade that made up the perimeter of the area, eyes closed.

I took the opportunity to watch her. The veranda had a half roof, so her face was in the shade while the sun glistened off her bare legs and arms.

Quietly taking the chair beside her and mimicking her position, I folded my hands across my middle and relaxed into the moment, tilting my head to allow my gaze to rake over her. I fixated for a moment on the thin gold band on her left hand, which matched the thicker one I wore on my own. Jamie had taken us to a jewelry store in Jacksonville to pick them out. If we weren’t going out in public, Eden always removed hers and kept it in a small dish in the bathroom. For some reason, I kept mine on all the time.

Not wanting to think about the reasoning behind that, I continued watching Eden. She had a nice tan, probably from being at the beach in Mexico for her Spring Break vacation that had ended so badly.

I didn’t realize until that moment how much tension she’d been carrying, not until I saw her in a completely relaxed state. Her posture was loose, and even the curves of her face seemed softer.

“Why are you staring at me, Draco?” she asked without opening her eyes, and I chuckled.

“I was just thinking we need to get some more clothes.”

She peeped one eye open and directed it at me. “Are you saying you’re tired of seeing me in the same few outfits?”

Today Eden was wearing the denim shorts she seemed to favor and a red tank top. “No, but I thought we might need swimsuits since we’re going to be beach bums for the foreseeable future.”

Her shoulders tensed, and I wanted to kick myself for bringing up our self-imposed exile. Then she smiled that teasing smile she reserved only for me. “You definitely need some new things since you would look goofy walking around in a black suit like the dark lord of the beach.”

“Hey, I can be casual,” I told her, sweeping a hand down my body to encompass my khaki shorts, black T-shirt, and brown sandals. To be honest, I was pretty sure I’d never owned a pair of sandals before in my life. But I could embrace this new look. After all, Eden was handling all the changes being thrown at her like a champ.

Probably a little too well, if I really thought about it.

“You can talk to me, if you want to,” I said softly.

“I am talking to you,” she replied, closing her eyes again.

“I mean… about what happened. You can talk to me, Eden.”

Her only reply was the pinch of her lips and a curt nod of her head. That response worried me, and I prayed she wasn’t suppressing her emotions in an effort to appear unaffected.

She was one tough fucking woman, but I needed her to know she didn’t have to be strong all the time. I needed her to know she could be vulnerable with me.

But first, she had to trust me, and I wasn’t sure if she was fully there yet.