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“Looks like we're going to have to wait out the storm," Raymond said, his voice low and husky.
I felt my heart race as I looked at him and buttoned up my blouse. He lit up another set of candles. I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in the flickering glow.
"Can I ask you something?" I said, breaking the silence.
He nodded.
"Why do you always seem so angry?"
Raymond's expression softened as he looked at me. "I'm not angry, just… frustrated. I have a lot going on, and it's hard to deal with sometimes."
I nodded too, in understanding. The flickering candle cast black shadows to the wall, I wonder what it would feel like to be under him.
"I know what you mean. Being a marine biologist isn't easy either. People don't always take us seriously."
His eyes lit up in surprise. "You’re a marine biologist?"
"Yes, I am." I responded with a small laugh.
"That's one of the reasons I'm in Malibu. My friend Kaitlyn, gave me the house I'm occupying so I could have time to research on the local sea turtle population and discover how to stop them from going extinct.”
"Interesting," he murmured.
“So, you like sea turtles, huh?”
"My first best friend was a sea turtle." I exclaim delightfully, my face lighting up in animation. "I called her Shonda, and she lived in an aquarium in our backyard. Every day, once I returned from school I would run excitedly to the backyard to tell her about my day."
His eyes shifted slightly from the floor to mine. "She sounds like a great listener."
"Oh she was," I murmured sadly. "Till she was killed by a group of teenage boys who scaled our fence acting out a dare."
His forehead creased in concern instantly. "I'm really sorry about that. It must have been pretty devastating for you."
"It was," I smiled sadly remembering the pain I'd felt for weeks. The overwhelming loneliness and the feeling like something had broken in me beyond repair.
"But hey, enough about me. I noticed you had a baseball bat on your living room wall when I came in, you used to play in high school?”
He laughed heartily, "More like get my ass kicked."
I giggled. The atmosphere had gotten lighter.
We talked for hours, sharing stories and laughter as the storm raged on outside. As the night wore on, I felt a growing attraction to Raymond, and I could tell that he felt the same way.
As the storm continued, I found myself getting more and more comfortable around him. The forced proximity had brought down some of the walls between us, and I couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. No, scratch that - The man was drop dead gorgeous.
As we sat on the couch, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be with him. I imagined him unclothed, and the thought sent a shiver down my spine. What would it be like to feel his strong arms around me? To feel his lips on mine some more . The vivid image of Raymond naked on his bed and taking control spread a warm heat through my body. I'd never felt this way for a man before, and the realization shocked the living daylight out of me.
As we continued to talk, I realized that Raymond was not as closed off as I had originally thought. He revealed that he had enjoyed going places with his dad from the time he was a toddler. One time, they were running across a field, hand in hand, he said he looked down to see the grass blurring by under his feet. He said it felt like he was flying. He described feeling so safe and close with him. But by the time he was seven, his father gave him up. Just dumped him off at a monastery. Being abandoned like that has felt like a rock in his chest when thoughts of his father creep in. He hates him. I suppose this must be difficult to let go of. I would be crushed if my father was the only parent I had left, and then he walked away from me during my childhood, only to reappear years later when I was wealthy. It sounds like his father only reaches out to ask for money.
The stories about his childhood he shared with a longing in his eyes. It shown clearly when he talked about his parents. However after a few lines meant to close the subject, he deftly changes the conversation. I felt a sharp pang of sympathy for him suddenly. He must not know what it felt like to be loved unconditionally. His gruffness and aloofness suddenly made sense, rumors about his non-committal relationships that he says tabloids and peers gossip about, and a horrible temper.
They were all shields he hid behind. I started to see him in a new light and I wanted to help him, but I didn’t know how.
As we hunkered down for the night, I couldn't help but wonder if there was something beginning between us. The thought made me nervous, but also excited. The storm may have kept us trapped in the villa, but it was also bringing us closer together. And I couldn’t tell if it was terrifying or exciting. The growing attraction between us was like a wild fire and wild fires were unpredictable.
Can I get involved with a man like him without getting burned?
CHAPTER 4
