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hollie
It’s unseasonably warm for this time of year in Santa Cruz. The waves are crashing against the sand and the gentle breeze swirls my skirt around my thighs. I send a smile to my boyfriend, who’s standing on the beach in front of a crowd of locals, thanking them for joining us for today’s groundbreaking.
I reach down and grab my sister’s hand, giving it a squeeze. I’m glad she’s here with me. With us. It’s been a long three months getting here. When I told Paige that she was moving to Seattle to live with Archer and I, she was less than pleased. Actually, she threw a fit that would rival even the moodiest of teenagers.
I knew she didn’t want to move and leave behind her school and friends. I really did understand. But this was the best move for her. Especially since Mom checked herself out of rehab after only three weeks and we haven’t heard from her since. It took a while, but she’s finally adjusting.
It doesn’t help that she has my boyfriend wrapped around her little finger. Archer is the protective older brother she never had, but if push comes to shove, he folds like a house of cards for her. Plus, he gifted her a Mercedes for her birthday. I had a few choice words for him in private about that one. He calmly explained to me it was the safest car on the market and then handed me the keys for my own. The man is incorrigible.
The crowd claps around me, pulling me out of my daydreams. Throngs of people in front of me part as Archer wades through them in my direction. Once he reaches me, he snakes an arm around my back and pulls me close before taking my lips in a kiss that sets all of my nerve endings on fire.
It’s always like this with him. I thought after we had been together a few times, the desire I had for him would dim a bit. I was wrong. It seems to grow each day like a wild flower seeking the sun. Thankfully, he seems to be in the same boat as me.
“Hi, angel.” He pulls back and smiles at the watching crowd with me firmly tucked into his side.
“Hey,” I answer in a breathy whisper.
“You know this is all because of you, don’t you?”
A blush stains my cheeks. “Please, this was all you. I might have helped a tiny bit.” I hold up my hand, my index finger and thumb spaced maybe an inch apart, showing to him how little I know I’ve done.
Of course, when I found out that Caroline DuPont had agreed to sell to him even though he missed the deadline, I was thrilled. This was all he ever wanted.
When he told me it was because I had called her and asked about hotel memorabilia, I was stunned. Who would have thought that such a little thing would have had such a far-reaching effect? She had wanted someone to buy the land that would respect the city and the history of the place. I guess wanting that hotel key showed her I, and by extension Archer, were the best people for the job. She wasn’t wrong.
Archer and I walk hand in hand across the sand towards our friends gathered near the new mockup for The Clarke, Santa Cruz.
The image doesn’t much resemble the one I first saw in the office. Even though he couldn’t preserve them all, Archer saved six bungalows from demolition. They’ll be renovated to give occupants a private luxury experience. Subsequently, the main hotel has shrunk, but he doesn’t care. Some of the board members had a minor conniption that they couldn’t pack more guests in, but after Archer exposed Gilbert Clarke’s misdeeds to the board and booted him, they weren’t in the mood to make waves.
“Nice job, billionaire.” Bianca gives him a playful punch in the arm once we reach our group of friends. Archer flew out everyone for today’s groundbreaking, including Bianca, Violet, and Dante Moreno. Looking around me, my heart’s filled with love like it never has been before. I’m here with my friends, my sister, and the love of my life. I honestly never thought that I would have so much.
“Thanks, Bianca,” he says with a grin.
There’s a band that’s started playing and hors d’oeuvre are being passed around by well-dressed waiters. Now that the ceremony is over, it’s time for the party to begin.
Richard Osman and his wife Flora approach. He shakes Archer’s hand while Flora gives him a hug.
“I never doubted you, kid.”
“Of course not. All those times you stormed into my office, pacing and complaining, really showed me the faith you had.” He laughs good-naturedly.
Since we got back from Milford and Paige and I moved in with Archer, things have been less stressful at the office. Archer has taken a step back, and while he’s still as serious about the business as ever, he also delegated things that weren’t essential for him to handle. The lower stress has extended to Richard and Flora’s mentioned several times how grateful she is for the new, less stressful pace.
Archer’s told me many times that I don’t have to work but we both knew that wouldn’t happen. I wouldn’t be some kept woman. Besides, I enjoyed going into the office every day, seeing the friends I’d made and being productive. Because of the no fraternization rule, I moved down to the marketing department. After working for the CEO, it was a change, and I found that only focusing on marketing was a bit boring for me. I was used to having my fingers in so many pies and all different aspects of the business that it was too slow paced.
Besides, Archer was calling me up to his office so often that I wasn’t very productive. It seems he didn’t like me working on another floor, and I couldn’t say that I blamed him. After about two weeks, he went to the board, had the policy changed, and rehired me as his personal assistant. Now, I get to work with my sexy boyfriend every day and I truly enjoy what I’m doing.
As the afternoon wears on, there’s a chill in the air and I guess I should be at least thankful that it was warmer for part of the day. Archer is chatting with an investor but is maintaining his firm grip on my hand.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he leans down and whispers into my ear as the other man wanders to another group of attendees.
I eye him skeptically. “What kind of surprise?”
“A good one.” The devilish grin he gives me makes my knees weak and my panties wet as he pulls me away from the crowd towards the rows of empty bungalows. Before I know it, we’re standing in front of the building where we first made love all those months ago.
Today, the porch isn’t dark and dilapidated. It’s overflowing with flowers of every kind and color. The porch railing is dotted with candles that are flickering in the late afternoon breeze. I don’t even notice that I’ve stopped in my tracks until Archer gives my hand a little tug to get me moving again. I obediently follow along, stunned at the sight. He guides me up the short steps and it’s then that I see a table with a bottle of champagne.
“What’s going on?” I ask, turning in a full circle so I can take it all in. There are even flowers hanging from the rafters overhead. “How did you do this?”
