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Two weeks later…
Steam swirled around Hailey as she lifted her arm from the hot tub’s bubbling water to accept the glass of red wine I held out to her. She took it, and I climbed in. We sat next to one another, facing the sea. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. The silky slide of her skin against mine almost derailed me from telling her the news I’d learned a few minutes ago.
After Hailey had settled into our place in Chicago, we’d decided a vacation was in order. The family home at Grand Cayman Island was out—Nico was there. My sister had suggested we go to Italy and stay at her and Enzo’s place. By the way she pushed the idea, I could tell she was hoping we’d fall in love with it as she had and would buy property as well.
I toyed with a strand of hair that’d escaped Hailey’s messy bun, which she’d fashioned on the top of her head. It was chilly at that time of year in Italy but mild compared to the subarctic temperatures back home.
“How does it feel to have more flexibility at the hospital?” Hailey tangled her leg with mine and pulled me from my thoughts.
“Good, it was the right decision.” I brushed a few more loose strands behind her ear, captivated by her stunning eyes framed in spikey lashes and the sensual curve of her lips far more than the view spread out before us. “You and my family are what’s important to me.” Our days weren’t guaranteed but a gift. “The flexible schedule suits me better. It gives me the best of both worlds.”
“Sofia wants us to find a house here, close to her and Enzo’s.”
She grinned. “Really? Are you going to?”
“We. As for buying a house here, it’s probably a good idea. But I thought you might prefer another location.”
“The Caymans?” Her palm rested over my heart, and pink colored her cheeks. “I like it here in Modella but not as much as there. That place means more because of our time there.” She shrugged. “I’ll probably fall in love with it here when it’s warmer and we can hit the beach.”
I laughed. Her excitement was palpable, and my decision was made solely on her reaction. She’d loved it there, and I was very fond of the island as well. “Let’s look at a few properties while we’re here, and then we can fly to the Caymans and get one picked out there too. Or build. That might be a better option.”
“Do we have time? I thought Marco said we needed to be back in a few days.”
Things were heating up with the New York Mafia syndicate. I needed to be nearby in case anything happened. Marco and I had talked that morning while Hailey lounged in the hot tub. “We have a week. Plenty of time to get started on finding property here and making a call to a realtor in the Caymans.”
A shiver ran through Hailey, and she shifted so that she was straddling me, her wine left on the edge of the whirlpool. My hands settled on her waist, and I guided her closer. My resolve was weakening. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to resist her. It was always like that with Hailey—one touch, one look, and I was sunk. She’d become my world.
But I had something to say that she deserved to know. “I learned the details of Allen’s will this morning.”
Her smile, so filled with joy and anticipation, died a swift death. “Why are you telling me this? Allen doesn’t have anything to do with me anymore.”
That wasn’t quite the case. He still tainted her life from beyond the grave. “A life insurance policy was taken out on him a few weeks ago.”
“Okay.” Wariness flitted across her features.
“His beneficiary was Justine Banks.”
Her shoulders physically went down an inch as her body relaxed. “I’m sure Mom isn’t happy, but I hardly see how that matters to me.”
I ran my hands along her back, enjoying how her skin felt beneath my fingers. Water churned all around us from the jets, and a few drops splashed onto her chest. My gaze trailed their descent, and I longed to follow them with my tongue. I forced myself to focus. “You know why it matters to you.”
She sighed, and her eyes drifted shut as she rested her forehead against mine. “Justin or Justine. I get what you’re insinuating.”
“I know where Justin is.”
A tremor ran through her body, and I hugged her to me as she visibly fought the anger at the way her friend was handling things.
“We could go to him.” I had to offer, even if I didn’t think it was a good idea.
“No.” She tangled her hand in my hair. “He needs to get his life figured out.” Her lips brushed over mine, sending jolts of desire through me in their wake. “This is our time.”
My hands settled lightly on Hailey’s hips. I took in her tempting body and got hung up on her full lips before our gazes met and held. Desire swirled in her green depths, and I glimpsed heaven, exactly where I wanted to spend the remainder of my days. It was the moment I’d waited for, which I thought I’d never have. “The first time we met, I knew you were special. We connected on a deeper level than I’d ever felt before.”
Her hands rested flat on my chest, and I knew she felt how fast my heart beat against her palm.
“But the timing wasn’t right. It was too soon.”
She winked. “It seems fate intervened.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Because it had—orchestrated by her and impossible for me to ignore. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I was prepared to spend a lifetime showing her how much she meant to me. “I knew you were the woman for me when you entered that ballroom months ago. I let you slip through my grasp. I won’t make that mistake again.”
She held still, a quick intake of breath the only sound above the churning water. Wisps of steam rose around us, highlighting her ethereal beauty. “That goes both ways.”
Her fierce possessiveness warmed my heart. “I love you, Hailey. Every day with you is a gift. Marry me.”
Her lower lip trembled, and raw emotion blazed in her eyes. “I love you, Trey. I think I have since you first spoke to me at the fundraiser. Of course I’ll marry you.”
I slid my hand up until I cupped the back of her head then slanted my mouth over hers, taking control of the kiss. She melted against me, and I stood in the whirlpool, needing to take her inside so that I could have access to every inch of her body. We had a little less than a week. I planned to give her the world—she certainly had become mine.
The End
