Inner Core: (Stark, #2) (23 page)

“What’s that?” I ask through a chuckle. I tip my chin toward the grill, desperately hoping that the wind won't blow it away. Or god forbid, turn it over on one of us. Though a trip to E.R would definitely make this birthday memorable.

“Your birthday bonfire by the sea,” Josh elucidates, his perfect set of pearl whites shining in the reflection of the flames. “Hotel policy and all… this was the best we could come up with.” They chuckle in unison.

“Well guys, I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday bonfire celebration. This totally rocks.” I kiss Ian’s cheek and bend down to gift Josh the same treatment.

Yes, boss-employee boundaries are being breached, for sure. Note to self, something to immediately rectify when back to labor reality.

Ian hugs me with one arm then raises his other hand with a full glass, not before he hands me one too.
Which would already be my second in a very short time.
In my defense, I can honestly say that these are tiny glasses.

“To lots of amazing birthdays to come, to you being my soul mate, my confidante, my adopted little sister.”

“Little? We have less than two months between us…”

“Shhh, let me continue,” he says, grinning.

“To the best birthday ever and to all sexual fantasies coming true.” He winks at me and I slap his thigh in a friendly way. “And you know what they say…”

“No, I don’t.” I smirk at him.

“If you can dream it, you can role play it.”

“Are the wishes for me or you?”

“Both,” he chuckles and Josh’s pointed telling smile at him doesn’t escape me, unfortunately. An involuntary shudder runs through me.

“So, Hayley, how do you plan to celebrate with your other half when we're back home?’ Josh asks.

“I’m not so sure. And he's not my other half. We're just two individuals who are in a relationship. But we are definitely not each other’s halves.” And anyway, right now, I’m not so sure it’ll be a celebration when I see him.

Josh sends me a somewhat apologetic and very uneasy glance and nods.

Perhaps I should’ve been just a tad less aggressive with my response, but any mention of Daniel gets on my nerves, and besides, there’s something about calling someone another person's “other half” that just rubs me the wrong way.

Ian twirls his finger next to his temple, mouths “C-r-a-z-y,” then points at me, nodding his head, immediately bringing back the cheerful energy.

Too much greasy junk food and a few more glasses later, the three of us are snuggled next to the questionable fire laughing at everything that comes out of our mouths.

“How long have you known each other? How did you guys meet?” Josh asks while Ian looks quickly at his watch. I tilt my head questioningly, which he dismisses with a brief headshake and murmurs, “Since forever and a day.” We exchange fond smiles, and I turn to answer Josh’s question about how Ian became a triplet with Tasha and me.

“It was early in our sophomore year at USF, when Tasha and I were queuing at the cafeteria line, having an insignificant conversation. We heard someone behind us mumble something along the lines of ‘some people just shouldn’t be’. We both looked back at a very focused and stylish hottie scrutinizing a poor fashion victim.”

Josh smiles and Ian rolls his eyes, brushing off some sand from his hands before burrowing them in the front pocket of his hoodie.

“When he noticed us staring he looked back at us and grumped, ‘Seriously, some compassion for the rest of humanity’.”

Josh’s smile stretches as I continue with my story.

“We both obviously burst into eye-tearing laughter with the annoyed critic, which led to him joining our table.” I peck Ian’s cheek.

“Soon, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he signed on as the third most welcomed wheel to our duo, and the rest is history.”

“And those two witches became my non-biological family,” Ian adds, and squeezes me further into his embrace. His expression fleetingly takes on a hint of nostalgia.

All too abruptly, with a small pat from Josh on Ian’s shoulder and an enigmatic stare between them, they both stand up. I gape at them, confused as they nonchalantly brush off the sand from their jeans and start walking back toward the hotel.
Uh… hello? Is this some kind of a birthday prank?

“You guys?” I say, staggering. Ian turns his head over his shoulder, blows me a kiss and calls, “Happy birthday. I love you.” As I start up to follow them, Ian points to somewhere in the dark behind me then sinks his hand into Josh’s back pocket. When I turn my head in that direction, tears immediately screen my eyes while my heart leaps to my throat. I jump to my feet so fast I’m pretty sure I break all the laws of physics on the way, and sprint toward Daniel, who’s walking my way with what looks like a cupcake sporting a single lit candle on top. Daniel holds the cake to one side with one hand and absorbs my collision into him with the other arm, pulling me into an embrace that quickly turns tighter.

“Happy birthday, baby,” he says with a kiss to my head. I hug him forcefully, as if he were about to disappear.

“And even before midnight,” he adds with a trace of humor. After some long moments of melting into him, I release him just to stretch up and press urgent kisses all around his mouth.

“I love you so much,” I say, relaxing a little but still hyper.

“Same here, baby. And I'm happy to see you, too.” He gifts me with his naughty side smile.

“Make a wish.” He hands me the cake, which I can now see is inside a paper cup with an airline name branded across it.

“My wish already came true.”

He kisses me softly on my lips and I take the opportunity to breathe him in, deeply.

“Your runner up then,” he says, and I close my eyes and think, but it doesn’t take me long to realize what I want most and I blow out the candle.

You. Forever D.

“Now, let’s go grab your stuff.”

“Sure! Hold on, what… why? Where are we going?” I ask, studying him, confused.

“Surprise.” He plants another kiss on my mouth, a more determined one this time, then brings the cupcake to my mouth. I take a bite and kiss him with my sugary mouth. I slide my hands around the back of his neck and continue dissolving into our kiss, which slowly gathers intensity. After a short eternity of indulging in the wonderful taste that is his kiss, I lead Daniel to my room and am surprised to find out that all my belongings are neatly packed, waiting. To my furrowed brows, Daniel explains, “Ian.” Smiling, he then draws little circles on my arm with his thumb. “Let’s go.” He rewards me with the sweetest smile and my heart slightly tightens.

When we reach the lobby, Daniel holding my suitcase in one hand and my hand securely in his other, a uniformed concierge approaches us and offers Daniel a set of keys.

“Thank you for arranging this,” Daniel says. He slides his hand into his pocket and gives the man in uniform an impressive amount of bills, then takes the keys.

The guy responds with a content, “Thank
you
!”

“We’ll be there in less than ten,” Daniel says after we're both buckled up in a silver Mercedes coupe.

“Where?” I’m so curious, and excited, and fidgety.

He bends toward me, pulls my hair back so it falls over my shoulder and presses a warm kiss just above my collarbone. Retrieving his lips, he shifts to first and jerks the car forward, beginning our ride.

“Not even a clue?” I ask, resting my jittery hand on his thigh. His mouth quirks into an enigmatic smile, still looking ahead.

“Patience, Hales.”

Which of course leaves me even more restless and attentive to the road, which seems to be void of clues. Not more than fifteen minutes into the drive, we stop at a small harbor accommodating one sole speedboat.

“Good evening,” says an older local wearing a genuine, wide smile in which the two front teeth are missing. He gestures for me to climb on the boat while Daniel brings our bags from the trunk.

“Welcome to paradise,” he says with a charming accent and kind eyes as he starts the engine. It roars, and the water gushes out behind us, moving us into the clear night. I turn to look at Daniel with a peaceful smile, who’s staring at me with the thinnest, most endearing of smiles. I scoot beside him, only to be enveloped into a warm embrace.

“Whatever it is, I love it.” I say, looking at him, and as my eyes trail to his lips he bends slightly for a soft, lengthy kiss.

“Hey, why did you send that text earlier?” I ask, my tone revealing exactly how much I didn’t like it.

A snort of mischief. “To increase the element of surprise? I knew it’d piss you off.” He laughs.

“You’re such a jerk sometimes.”

“Yet another of my many virtues. I’m gifted that way.” He kisses me with an amused mouth.

“This won’t help.” I kiss him back.

“Mmm-hmm.” He deepens the kiss and I am hopelessly sucked right into it. The guy at the wheel, dressed in white linen, glances at us, amicably beams, and speeds up the boat. The machine jumps forward, cutting the water into roaring waves, getting us closer to a slice of serenity inhabited by less than a dozen cottages suspended over the water.

We climb out of the boat, saying good bye to the welcoming local, and start making our way toward what seems to be the lobby at the center of this utopia. I turn to Daniel. “Wow, this looks amazing.”

“Just wait and see,” he responds, lifting my hand to his mouth for a soft kiss. With the key to our “ocean pavilion bungalow”, as the night receptionist calls it, we walk over a wooden deck to a secluded bungalow.

I take in the surroundings, overwhelmed, hardly containing my excitement. It's beyond stunning. The sky is dark but clear, clear enough to accentuate the beauty of the place rather than veil it. The water below us subtly gleaming, whooshing under the floor, and the air so fresh. I’m inside a dream.

I blink my marvel away as Daniel opens a door to unearthly, breathtaking, pampered luxury. My jaw drops as I gape at the space. The villa has a vast open plan master bedroom, an infinity edge pool that starts in the middle of the great room and ends at the balcony. The living room has a glass floor just above the ocean, and there's an amazing deck which has a small wooden ladder leading directly into the water. Words that form in my head can’t seem to come out of my awe-stricken mouth.

“Amazing, eh baby?” Daniel says, sidling behind, wrapping his arms around me, resting them over mine, which are folded on my stomach. He leaves gentle kisses next to my temple, then crouches slightly, resting his cheek on mine. Our fingers brush lightly.

“This is just overwhelming.” I finally manage to let out the words that were stuck in my throat.

It's beyond overwhelming. You are beyond overwhelming.

“It is,” he says, and bends some more for a kiss below my ear. His arms enfold me tighter for a long beat.

“Happy birthday,” he says huskily, yet softly. I turn and kiss him slow, hard and long, then help his shirt out of his pants and slide my hands underneath to feel his warm skin. Relishing in our connection, I take in his delectable scent to the very depth of me.

“Thank you, I love it. I love you,” I say, as I pull back slightly to smile at him tenderly.

Our bags arrive and we are forced to let go of each other. We take a joint tour of the villa, which Daniel explains will only be an overnight stay. He also adds that he'll have to fly back to SF tomorrow evening at the latest, and then to Thailand soon after, thus the very short duration of our getaway. He further elaborates that he managed to squeeze in a whole day to celebrate my birthday despite the hectic schedule of the Thai deal, which I disappointedly learn hasn't been signed yet. The momentary agitated annoyance he tries to conceal while “praising” the obstacles of bureaucracy that prevent the deal from closing, erupts clearly through his placid poise.

“This place is... It's the most amazing place I’ve ever been to,” I say, looking at the room after we conclude our short tour.

“Phew, glad you like it,” he says exaggeratedly. Amused, I giggle and lift a lock of hair toward my nose.
I need a shower. I smell of BBQ.

I mention that I should take a quick shower to remove the residues of smoke and sand from my recent bonfire, and Daniel says he’ll check up on work in the meantime. When I step out of the purely indulgent hydro spa body shower I dry myself and goofily smile at my reflection looking back at me through the steam-covered mirror. My strong emotions are risking to rip through the tender skin around my heart.

I dry my hair with a towel and button the last few buttons of Daniel’s white shirt that he abandoned on the bed when we arrived. I leave the three upper ones undone. Just before going back into the room I pull on my red thong, his favorite.

“Daniel?” I call, looking for him.

“Outside, Hales.” Daniel’s voice echoes from the deck. I find him lounging on one of the recliners, a low table by his side holding a bottle of champagne that chills in a sweating silver bucket beside two tall flutes. I sink into the recliner at the other side of the table and pivot my head to look at my sexy, bare-chested boyfriend. “A Thousand Years” singing low in the background brings this moment to simple perfection. Daniel admires me with gleaming eyes as he presses a button to shut off his phone, tossing it aside.

“I am in heaven,” I say happily, and close my eyes, leaning my head back. When I open them Daniel sits sideways on his recliner, and pours champagne into the waiting glasses.

“To you, baby, to fulfilling your dreams, or at least having a great time while trying to,” Daniel says, handing me a glass. He then stands up and I shamelessly drink in his bare, toned body with my fervent stare. I halt, gaping, at the erotic trail of soft, golden hair on his bronze skin, framed by a carved V that leads to the hem of his loose jeans. Noticing my focused stare he directs a lustful gaze my way and sits next to me on my lounger.

He takes my glass and sets it aside. I watch him closely as he brings the chilled bottle to my lips and lets me drink. With my mouth full I tilt my head back, signaling that I'm done, but Daniel leaves the bottle in the same position and lets some of the chilled liquid drip down my chin. The champagne flows over my throat and descends further down in cool trails. I let out a short giggle that fades when Daniel reaches to unbutton the rest of my shirt, shifting it sideways. I swallow hard, gazing at him. Then he sensually and ever so slowly moves the bottle from one side of my collarbone to the other, watching the cool champagne with rapt intensity as it trails slowly over my exposed breasts. I watch him watching me, enthralled. A vision of passion personified. My lip quivers with want and I bite it to make it stop. Daniel licks his lips and I gasp, feeling how slowly my skin starts to warm all over, while a deep heat burns under my navel.