Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Charlie
Hope went right inside with the women, and letting her hand go was hard. However, the sun was beating on my head as I headed to the hot-tub area of the small party yacht we’d taken out as a group.
I plopped in a lounge chair and faced away from the sun. I had no idea why everyone believed I’d fallen in love this fast, but I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I just needed a minute.
Then my brother with his dark hair and perfect smile that he never showed off came beside me. “Where’s the ring on your fiancée’s finger?”
My heart thundered. Kir was always the serious one who never got me. I smiled at him. “We ordered it. She had her friends help, so it’s been approved, and when we get back, I hope it’s sized.”
He sat back. “How did you do it?”
My mind raced. “Do what?”
He folded his hands in front of him. “Find a girl that seems perfect for you so fast.”
Goosebumps grew on my arm. Perfect was overkill. I tensed. “I wasn’t looking. She was on my last flight.”
He nodded. “So you haven’t had a chance yet to get that scared, and you’re not just doing this to prove something to yourself?”
I tilted my head. We’d had our differences all our lives, but Kir always told me the truth. He was basically a good guy who spent too much time with books. “What do you mean?”
“We’ve been rooming together for years as kids, Charlie. The only woman you’ve ever let near your heart was Maman, because you’ve hated the idea of settling down or stopping to enjoy smelling the roses when there is something new to see.”
That was probably true. I raced away from commitment with the speed of light. I shrugged. “Well, once I had perfection raising me, it was hard to find someone like her.”
“She always had a soft spot for you. I never could make her laugh, not that I tried.”
I would like to see that. Realizing he believed me, I sat back. Everything was on plan. “Look, Kir, just lighten up, okay.”
Near the door to the top, Hope stood waiting for me, and Kir nodded at me. “I don’t know how to do that, but go. You’ll be missed, though I hope you’re not lying to yourself and hurting Hope because she seems to really be into you.””
I stood, then Kir jumped up and walked past her, leaving us alone as Hope joined me. She turned around and waited until the electric door had closed fully. “Everything okay with you?”
My parents were in the command center with the captain. I opened my arms. “Just hug me.”
She did and held me tightly.
Her breasts on me set me on fire. “That’s nice.”
Then I let her go. I walked her to the side of the ship, and we both gazed out. I took a deep breath and decided to let Kir’s words go. If Hope and I broke up, then I would prove once again that I was afraid of commitment.
No one was perfect, and Hope was here to help me win. “Kir thinks you're perfect for me.”
She shrugged. “Well, I hope he saves Avril from her horrible job. If she’s too much at cocktail hour, there is no way your family will like that in my background too.”
I needed to make this real to avoid being the same old flaky Charlie.
Neither of us were nursing some crush. We had great sex, we would have that again, and she was calming to be with.
I wasn’t sure how to describe it yet, but she made me see a better version of myself that I liked. Once I was settled, we were fine.
“Relax," I said. "You’re doing great. Let’s go take a seat with the rest of them.”
She laughed and gave me a pose with her hand on her hip. “So you can show off your hot girlfriend?”
I laughed. “You starting to see your value?”
She took my hand, and a spark raced through me. “No, I’m hot. It’s the tropics. Hurry.”
“Of course.”
I was more than just the flaky brother and son who was good for a laugh, and Hope at my side meant it.