25

Christian

The night air was warmer than the air-conditioned restaurant. My father drew out two cigars from a pouch he had strapped to his waist.

"Where did you get those? Are they Cuban?"

He shrugged. "I still have some contacts there."

With a flick of his wrist, the match burned to life. He lit the end of his cigar and took a couple of puffs. Then he passed the matchbox to me and I did the same.

I hadn't smoked in several years. Thinking back, not since the night we all set foot on American soil again. That was a good night. So was tonight, if not for my father's earlier comments.

"What were you trying to prove back there, giving Hailey a hard time? I'm still upset about that."

He pulled a deep drag out of his cigar and opened his mouth wide, expelling the smoke. "I wasn't giving her a hard time. I was trying to make you realize what you're giving up while she's sacrificing nothing."

"I've never asked her to."

My father narrowed his eyes. "Marriage isn't easy, son. But if you're going to give in to every one of her demands now, it's going to be even harder for you."

I refrained from rolling my eyes by taking a small puff of the cigar. "I'm not giving in."

"But you are, Christian. Your dream was to build this successful business after your tour. You didn't want to continue with a military career, which I understood, but we talked about business ventures and investments. Now you're just going to be some pop star's lackey?"

The smoke caught in my throat, and I coughed. "Her lackey? Is that what you think of me?"

"Well, how else am I supposed to see it?"

"You're supposed to see how much we care for each other. You're supposed to see how happy she makes me. And you're supposed to see that I'm a grown man, able to make my own decisions and you need to respect them."

"Well, I don't agree."

"You don't have to agree with me, Dad. You don't even have to like my decisions. But you have to respect them and Hailey. You can't keep making snide remarks and making her feel uncomfortable. I won't allow it."

"You won't allow it?"

"No." I put my cigar down. The taste was bitter in my mouth.

"See. You never spoke to me like this before you met her. She is sinking her claws into you already and you'll be whipped before the end of the month."

I crushed the cigar underneath my shoe and turned to face him. "I will forgive you this once," I said, holding up a finger, "because you are my father. But if you ever speak about her like that again or make her feel anything less than welcomed in this family, you and I are done."

He scrunched up his face. "You can't quit your family."

"I can and I will. Hailey hasn't changed me. This is who I am, Dad. I just always followed orders, whether I agreed with them or not. But I'm not a soldier anymore and I don't have to listen to you. I want to have a relationship with you, but it must be based on mutual love and respect. And that includes Hailey. She's a part of my life now, and I insist you treat her well."

My father brought the cigar to his mouth and inhaled. The end lit up his face under the moonlight and I watched as he considered his next words.

After a few minutes of standing there in silence, I crossed my arms and asked, "So?"

"So, what?"

"So, what's your decision?"

"You haven't given me much choice. I'm going to keep my mouth shut and see how it goes. If she truly loves you, I'll see it. And I'll respect her for it. But only time will tell."

It wasn't much of a concession, but for my father, who was a very proud man, it was all I would get for now. I could live with that.

"Let's get back inside."

"Afraid she might whip you if you don't?"

"Dad," I warned.

He threw out his cigar. "All right, all right. It was the last joke. I had to get it out of the way." He clapped my shoulder, and we walked back into the restaurant.

Hailey sat with her back to me, talking to Jager. Will smiled when he saw us walking side by side. He knew if we hadn't settled our differences, one of us would still be outside.

"Are we ready to take this night to the next level?" asked Jager when he noticed us.

Hailey turned and stared at me, looking for some sign that I was upset. She must have been satisfied because the line between her brows disappeared.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I teased Jager.

"There's no moon tonight. It'll be perfect. Did you bring swimsuits?"

"Of course."

Hailey looked at the two of us, probably wondering what the heck we were talking about.

"Then let's go."

My brothers all stood up to leave, but Hailey pulled me aside. "What's going on?"

I pulled her close. "I promise you'll love it."

She smiled, clearly intrigued by my enthusiasm. "All right. But Christian, how did the talk with your dad go?"

"Great. Nothing to worry about."

She groaned. I wanted to ease her anxiety.

Cupping her face, I added, "I'm serious, Hailey. I love you and everything is fine."

I dropped my head and kissed her. Her body relaxed in my arms. When I pulled away, she smiled and asked, "What are you guys up to?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "You'll see."

Hailey

I didn't want to pepper Christian with my questions about his talk with his father or whether he was ready to move to California with me. That would have to wait.

Instead, I stood on a beach in Puerto Rico in my black bikini, the sand beneath my toes, the wind in my hair while a neon blue wave crashed before me.

Yes. Neon blue.

"I… I don't know what to say. What is this? What exactly am I looking at?" I marveled at the midnight black water that glowed neon blue wherever the water rippled.

"This is called a Bioluminescent bay or bio bay," said Christian. Pointing to the tiny sparkles of light, he added, "There are microscopic organisms inside the water that produce this shimmering effect. There aren't many places in the world where you can see this, besides Puerto Rico."

Jager pulled his shirt and pants off and raced towards the shore. Jake and Will followed, wildly pumping their arms to catch up.

Christian's dad had decided to return to his hotel room, so it was just the two of us left on the beach. I'd told myself I wouldn't ask him any questions until later, but I couldn't help myself.

"Are you sure you're ready to leave New York?" I asked.

He pulled his gaze from the shore to me. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't realize how close you and your brothers are. You'll be leaving them and moving to California with me. You probably won't get many of these weekends or any of them while I'm on tour for the next six to eight months."

My heart hammered in my chest. Fear seized my lungs as I worried he would tell me it wasn't going to work out. And then picturing myself standing in front of thousands of people performing my songs, my knees shook.

"Hey, hey," he said, pulling me into his arms. "I'm going into this with my eyes wide open, Hailey. I know what I'm leaving and what I'm getting into, and I can't wait to be with you. Yes, this wasn't what I had envisioned, but I hadn't imagined you, either. And what a shame that was. You are the brightest light in my life. You are the reason I see a future beyond my work. I see a life with you, Hailey. I see a life filled with excitement, love, and endless adventure with you. I'd follow you anywhere."

My heart overflowed and tears ran down my face. "Are you sure?" I sputtered through sobs.

He ran his fingers through my hair and wiped away my tears. "Surer than anything I've ever done before. This is my decision, Hailey. No one else advised me, commanded me, or guilted me into making it. I've lived a lifetime already and achieved so much. But earning your love has been my greatest accomplishment."

I hiccupped, but smiled. He grinned back at me and lifted me into his arms. "Now, enough talk. It's time to get wet."

He jogged up to the shore, jostling me in his arms. I grasped the back of his neck and covered my face with his shoulder when he splashed into the water.

"Ah!" I shouted when he waded waist-deep and the water hit my thigh. "Plug your nose, Hailey," he warned.

"No. No. Don't you dare," I shouted. But Christian launched me into the air and I immediately plugged my nose before I crashed butt-first into the ocean.

I broke the surface, sputtering and splashing water at him. I was just about to jump on his head and try to drown him when the colors around us caught my attention.

I waved my hand underneath the water and it glowed blue beneath the surface. "Wow. It's incredible. How have I never heard about this?"

"You've been a little busy becoming a pop star," he grinned.

I leaned back and floated in the water, looking up at the black sky and inhaling the salty air. It was cloudy, with hardly any stars above me and no moonlight to guide me. But I felt safe and loved. Somehow, I was certain I never would have experienced this without Christian. My life was so focused on making money, providing for my family, and working until I achieved my goals that I never stopped to realize that life was more than what you did for a living.

How blind was I to the world around me? To a world that didn't care how much money you made, how famous you were, or what clothes you wore. A world where I could truly be myself.

"Thank you," I whispered in the dark. I was grateful that Christian had brought me here. But I was also thanking the guardian angel or whatever forces of the universe that brought him into my life. I never would have swum in an ocean full of blue firelights without him.

I hoped he felt his life had become just as full as mine.

I swam toward him, and he lifted me onto his waist. Looking around for his brothers, I couldn't spot them. "Where did they all go?"

"I saw them leave when we got in. Probably wanting to give us some privacy."

I pulled my body up and pressed myself against him. Tilting my head, I kissed him softly on the lips, pulling on his lower lips, and drawing a sigh from him. I did that again, and again until he cupped the back of my head, frustrated, and kissed me deeply, moaning into my mouth.

As he moved his lips down my neck, waves crashed down below us. It was the only sound for miles. His shoulders were damp and when I ran my tongue underneath his jaw, his skin was salty from the ocean.

My body pulsed from the magic that surrounded us. It felt as though I were in a dream world. A vision of a neon blue haze circling us as we held each other in the water heightened my desire, and I gripped Christian's bulging erection between us.

He didn't hesitate. He pulled my bikini bottoms aside and sunk himself into me. Dropping my head into his neck, I panted as he slowly drove inside and out of me. It was torturously slow, but I loved feeling every ridge on his shaft, drawing out the friction and pleasure. It didn't take long before my body tensed and I wrapped my legs tightly around him.

I threw my head back as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through me.

I'd barely realized that he'd walked us back to the shore before he laid me on the sand. Raising his body over me, I could barely make out his features in the blackness of the night. But I knew it was him. No one had ever made me feel this beautiful… this free… or this alive.

Picking up where he'd left off, Christian moved inside of me as my body melted into the sand. I ran my fingers through the soft powder above my head and closed my eyes. I smelled the ocean, tasted its saltiness in his kiss, and lost myself in the sound of his release.

The magic wasn't just in the water. It was all around me. Somehow, I'd secured a piece of it in my soul.