Waterfall Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (Saltwater Kisses Book 8) Page 7

  “Okay.” I sighed. If Leo thought I could do it, then I could do it. I still felt guilty for taking him away from his evening out. “You don't have to do this, Leo. I know you have a hot date tonight.”

  “This is more important, Charlotte,” Leo assured me. “You are my friend and you need help. I'm here until you can recite that book backwards and forwards. The date can wait.”

  I stared at the energy drink in my hand. This test felt hopeless, but Leo wasn't giving up on me. He never gave up on anyone, come to think of it. He wouldn't give up on me.

  Leo stood up and walked around the table, putting his hands on my shoulders. It was a simple gesture. It wasn't romantic or sexy, yet it filled my heart. Even if Leo never felt the way I did about him, he still cared about me. He didn't have to stay here and help me study- he was choosing to. He was just that awesome of a guy. I loved him, even if I couldn't have him as my own. He was my friend, and if that's all that I could get, I would take it. Having Leo in my life as a friend was better than not having him.

  Besides, he'd given up his date night to come help me. That had to count for something.

  He squeezed my shoulders, making my heart ache for more. I knew that a shoulder squeeze was as much as I was ever going to get from him. “Okay, then. Let's start at the beginning...”

  Chapter Eleven

  “And that concludes our auction. Thank you to all of our bidders and to Mr. Sebastian Belrose.”

  I leaned against the back wall and let out a huge sigh of relief. The auction was over. My work here was done. Everything was now in the hands of the auction house and Realtor, so I could go back to my normal job and not be doing double duty. For the first time in weeks, I was free. After the gala last night, and the auction all day today, I was beat. But, with everything finally finished, I could finally relax.

  My sigh turned into a yawn, which I quickly stifled. I'd been up since before dawn making sure that everyone and everything was ready for the auction today. Luckily, the auction house run by Ava's aunt had their act together. Even my least favorite auctioneer in the world managed to show up on time and do a good job.

  My stomach rumbled, reminding me that the last meal I ate was coffee and a granola bar sometime around sunrise. I needed to eat soon or I'd be chewing on the curtains. I was half surprised my stomach growls hadn't accidentally made bids during the auction they were so loud.

  I turned and hurried down the hall to the kitchen. The warm, yellow space was quiet after the hustle and bustle of the auction floor. I grabbed a glass of milk along with some cheese and crackers left over from the gala the night before. I had hoped there would be leftover chicken, but everyone had eaten all of it.

  Thinking of the gala made me think of Leo. Really, everything made me think of Leo, but pretending it was the gala made me feel a little less obsessed. I hadn't been able to talk to him all day, despite my best efforts. Either we were in too public a place or someone had been calling my name all day.

  My hand rose to my lips, remembering the kiss. The way his lips pressed firm against mine. The heat and the desire. I needed to find him. I needed another kiss.

  But only after I got a little bit of food in me.

  I let out a happy little moan as I bit down on the cheese. It was good cheese, some sort of cheddar with a delicious saltiness, but hunger really was the best spice. It took all my willpower not to stuff the entire plate into my mouth.

  “There you are,” Bastian said, entering the kitchen. He watched as I stuffed another slice of cheese and cracker into my mouth and barely chewed it before swallowing. “We're done!”

  “Thank heaven,” I replied, stuffing another slice of cheese down my gullet. I was starving.

  Bastian leaned against the counter, watching me for a moment before pushing the quickly emptying plate a little closer to me. “Will you do me a favor?”

  “That's how you got me to help you with this auction...” I narrowed my eyes a little and paused. “What do you want?”

  Bastian chuckled and grinned. “This one's easy. Can you arrange for Ava's father and his girlfriend to come to the island tomorrow?”

  That was an easy request. Besides, I liked Ava's father. I grinned at him. “Sure. It shouldn't be a problem.”

  I looked down at the plate. The cheese was almost gone but I was still hungry. At least the raw edge of starvation was no longer gnawing on my belly, but I knew I needed to a real meal soon.

  “You're the best,” Bastian told me, coming around and giving me a big hug. He held me there for a moment longer than necessary. I wondered what he was contemplating when he asked, “Charlotte, you like Ava right?”

  “Are you crazy?” I asked, giving him a little push. “I love her. You need to marry her, you know that, right?”

  Surprise crossed his face and then happiness. He grinned widely before wrapping me up in a bone-breaking hug. “I'll get right on that,” he promised.

  “You better,” I gasped, finally breaking free. I could see his brain already working on something, and I hoped it had something to do with Ava. And a ring.

  If it didn't, this fairy god-mother was going to have to go to work again.

  “You go shake people's hands,” I told Bastian, waving him off with my hand. “I'll get the tickets set up for Mr. Fairchild.”

  He grinned one last time before heading out of the kitchen and back into the fray.

  I looked down at the counter. All my cheese and crackers were gone, but I was still hungry. I sighed. I would have to figure out something for dinner soon, but first I needed to do my job.

  I pulled out my phone and sent a quick email to Bastian's secretary about getting everything arranged. Private jet, limo pickup- the usual. Then a quick text to tell her to check her email. I grinned, knowing that I had Bastian's staff trained well. It certainly made my job a lot easier.

  I put the cheese dish in the dishwasher and headed back to the auction room. The closer I got, the more crowded it became. I saw Bastian shaking hands with Jack while Emma clutched what looked like a small painting to her chest.

  I turned, thinking I would check with the auction house one last time and ran smack dab into Leo's chest. His masculine strength and scent surrounded me as he chuckled. I put my hand on his chest in an attempt to steady myself, but just touching him made my head spin faster. I could feel the muscles of his chest through his dress shirt.

  “Leo!” I gasped, still spinning on having him near. I loved the way his name felt in my mouth- it was almost like kissing him.

  “Charlotte,” he replied with a smile. Damn, that smile made my heart flutter. How did he make me feel so nervous? I'd known him for ten years, yet he still made my heart flutter and stomach flip like I was still thirteen staring up at the handsome college man.

  “Hi,” I murmured, not taking my hand off him.

  “Congratulations on the successful auction,” he said, looking around the auction. His hand covered mine, keeping it pressed to his chest. “I heard everything sold.”

  “The auction house will have the final numbers for me, but it looks like we surpassed our goals.” I nodded, desperately trying to keep a professional face on since we were still very much in a public place. The heat of his hand was sending my thoughts skittering like marbles, though. “I saw you bid on several items. Thank you.”

  Leo shrugged like bidding on paintings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars was nothing. “I liked them. And it all goes to a good cause. The money isn't just going to kids like Bastian. It's going to kids like you.” His eyes focused on mine and dilated slightly. “I would help you a million times over.”

  Heat flushed in my cheeks and I bit my lip trying to keep myself from spiraling into giddiness. “Thank you, Leo,” I whispered.

  He leaned forward, his hand still pressing mine to his chest, until he could whisper in my ear. “What are you doing right now?”

  “Right now?” I shivered with anticipation of having his lips so close. I wanted another kiss so ba
dly. “I was going to go get something to eat and then open a bottle of wine and watch the sun set. Why?”

  Please, please say you want to do that with me... I silently begged. We can even skip the wine and the sunset...

  “Would you be interested in eating with me? I have reservations for two,” he replied, his breath tickling my cheek.

  “Yes,” I replied immediately, my voice coming out squeaky and far too excited. One of the auction guests looked over weirdly at me and my fevered reply, but I didn't care. The butterflies in my stomach were doing a cheer routine over the fact that we were going to eat together. I cleared my throat, attempting to use my professional voice. “Yes, I would love that.”

  “Good,” he said with a grin that lit up his eyes. “Go change into something comfortable, and meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes.”

  “Okay,” I breathlessly responded. On impulse, I kissed his cheek before darting away to go change.

  When I looked back, his hand was on his cheek and he was smiling.

  ***

  Upstairs, I quickly put on a sundress and ran a brush through my hair. It felt good to be out of my work clothes and heels and in something light. I carefully put my glasses in their case on my nightstand. They were just for work and mostly to adjust for screen glare, but they seemed to make my intelligence more believable.

  I glanced one last time at the mirror, making sure I looked ready. The mirror me grinned back, looking happier than I had in years. I let my dark hair stay loose around my shoulders, but put a rubber band around my wrist in case I needed it put up later. I couldn't believe the sparkle that Leo could put in my brown eyes.

  Dinner with Leo meant kissing with Leo. Maybe more than kissing. I did a little happy dance around the room, glad that no one could see me. This was the kind of thing I had dreamed of for years.

  With minutes to spare, I ran downstairs to the kitchen. I wondered if we were going to Adele's restaurant, or someplace else. Leo had said to dress comfortably, so I knew we couldn't be going anywhere fancy. The surprise of it was intoxicating.

  Leo was waiting for me, standing by the kitchen door with a large picnic basket. He wore simple well-worn jean shorts and a clean white t-shirt that made the light blue of his eyes even more prominent. My middle turned to gooey mush at the sight of him.

  “Ready?” he asked, grinning as I came forward. The late afternoon sunlight was already brightening the kitchen and highlighting the golds in Leo's short hair.

  I nodded, too much excitement welling up within me to speak. I was going on a date with Leo. A real date. Not an imaginary one, or a lunch meeting, or accidentally ending up at the same bar- a real, live date.

  “Good,” Leo said, holding out a hand for mine. He held onto the picnic basket with the other and together we stepped out into the hot Caribbean afternoon.

  I was glad I had chosen a sundress. The sun beat down on my dark hair and had me wishing for the delicious air conditioned house again. Working inside had spoiled me. I hoped Leo had picked out a shady spot for us.

  Leo guided me past the walkway down to the beach. I frowned slightly, but kept up. If we weren't having a picnic on the beach, I wasn't quite sure where we were going. He tugged gently, guiding me away from the house and over to the helicopter pad where one of the company helicopters was waiting.

  “Where are we going, Leo?” I asked as he brought me over and helped me inside.

  “It's a surprise,” he answered with a naughty grin. “You'll like it.”

  I settled into the leather seats of the helicopter and put on my headset while the pilot began to power up the engine. Murdoch, Leo's bodyguard, was already seated in the co-pilot's seat looking scary and intimidating as usual. He turned as I settled and gave me a curt nod. I had no idea how old he was, just that he was as big as a mountain and strong as four men. His coal black eyes saw everything, but his stern expression implied he didn't like anything he saw. As far as bodyguards went, Murdoch was definitely the scariest one I had ever met.

  Leo sat next to me, grabbing my hand as we started to lift into the air. My mouth was dry and my heart fluttered in my chest as we rose. I hoped he didn't notice that my hands were clammy with sweat. I'd been on helicopters dozens of times. It was one of the perks of working for billionaires that I never got caught in traffic to important meetings because that's how we always traveled. I'd even been on helicopters with Leo before, but this was different.

  This was a date.

  Chapter Twelve

  The thrum of the engines vibrated the entire helicopter. I loved the feeling flying in a helicopter gave me. It was so easy and free. In a helicopter, I could go anywhere. There were no limits to how high or how fast. I wasn't human anymore, in here, I was a dragonfly.

  Leo squeezed my hand. From the light in his eyes, he was a dragonfly too. There wasn't anyone else that I wanted to be a dragonfly with more.

  The copter skimmed the shore for a while, each wave merging into the next as we sped onward. Dark shapes moved in the water, leviathans of the deep. But we flew past them without a care. Onward, into the island the helicopter flew.

  The only flights I'd been on around the island were just ones for coming and going from the mainland. I'd never really had the chance to explore the island, especially this past trip. I'd been so busy working the auction that I'd barely even had time to leave the mansion, let alone explore.

  The helicopter flew toward the middle of the island. Key Island was the playground of the rich and famous. Billionaires, movie stars, CEO's, and rock stars all came to stay on this island. The edges of the coast were lined with beach front homes and white sandy beaches.

  However, the interior of the island was different. The locals lived more inland, and the further from the beaches we went, the more the tropical jungle took hold. I'd never had a reason to go to the center of the island, but that was where it looked like the helicopter was taking us. I wondered just what Leo had planned for us. This was far more than just a simple picnic.

  I peered out at the lush greenery and steep mountains that made up the center of the island. As we came around a cliff, a beautiful waterfall emerged. It was huge and picture perfect. I looked over at Leo and he grinned, nodding back to the window.

  The pilot took the helicopter to the base of the waterfall and then rose up alongside it. The water rushing past combined with the heady sensation of rising made me dizzy. Leo laughed as I shook my head to clear the vertigo, and then told the pilot to land.

  The pilot took the helicopter up as high as possible, letting us see the whole island spread out before us like a map. The green of the forests gave way to a white ring that led to pale blue waters that turned dark as they reached for the horizon. It was absolutely breathtaking.

  Slowly, the pilot brought us down to a small field just a stone's throw from the rushing waterfall. We landed with a soft thud, and Leo took off his headset and opened the door. He grabbed the picnic basket and jumped out, turning to offer me his hand once he landed. I reached for him, trying to stay graceful even though my movements were clumsy with excitement.

  Leo helped me out, holding me close as the helicopter blades whirred above our heads. The wind of the blades whipped my hair into my eyes and plastered my dress to my legs as the pilot rose once more into the air.

  “Is Murdoch not coming?” I asked Leo, noticing that his ever-present shadow hadn't gotten off the helicopter. The two of us were very much alone.

  “This place is only accessible by helicopter,” Leo explained, taking my hand and leading me away from our landing spot. “Murdoch felt it was safe enough, but they'll come back and get us whenever I call.”

  I watched as the helicopter rose and dipped, disappearing behind the crags of the mountain holding the waterfall. It was so quiet now that I could hear the gentle roar of the waterfall in the distance. It took me a moment, but I realized that I was finally alone with Leo. I was glad we weren't on the beach or out at a restaurant, because then I would have to sha
re him with the crowd. Here, we were in our own secret little world where no one could interrupt or bother us.

  I turned to find him opening the picnic basket and spreading out a blanket. From where he was, we would have the perfect view of the waterfall without the sound of water drowning out our words.

  “I've never been here before,” I said, picking at a blade of long grass and listening to the serenity of nature. The sound of the water filled was in the background, birds sung out, and the gentle hum of a bumblebee surrounded me. It was incredibly peaceful, especially after the hustle and bustle of the auction. It was exactly what I needed.

  “I found it by accident,” Leo explained. “I don't think even the locals know about this place.”

  “It's beautiful.” I looked up at him and he smiled. He was beautiful.

  “Would you like to see the falls?” Leo offered, pausing in setting out dinner. “They're kind of the reason I brought you here. I thought you'd like them.”

  “Yes!” I eagerly agreed. I was so glad I had eaten the cheese and crackers. I wanted to see the falls, especially with sunset coming soon. I could only imagine the rainbows that would form as the light hit the splashing water. Besides, I wasn't so hungry I couldn't wait anymore. If Leo wanted to show them to me, then I wanted to see them.

  Leo laughed at my enthusiasm and took my hand. We followed the meadow to the edge of the water. The sound of water filled my ears. The waterfall plummeted from a hundred feet up, crashing into a pond of blue water that sparkled and shimmered in the sun. It looked like something out of a fairy tale it was so perfect.

  The roar and power of the water was intense and breathtaking. I knew I could stare at it all day and never grow tired of watching the water dance and fly from the cliffs. I wished I could soar along with it, flying like a bird down its silver beauty and drown without dying in the depths of the pond. I imagined it would feel like falling in love.