Beginning with Forever (31 page)

“I beg to differ
, Carson. You were cleverly trying to seal a deal with me in my moment of weakness.” My expression is full of doubt. He knows he’s guilty and offers me a pleading smile.

“You can’t blame a desperate man for trying.
Didn’t you call me an opportunist?”

“
Yes I did, and I can’t blame you. I’m sorry I’m being difficult, but please try to understand where I’m coming from.”

He
slides his hand along the side of my neck while supporting his body with the other and lowers his lips gently over mine. “I do and this is why I want you more than you can possibly imagine.”

“Thanks for understanding
.”

“You’re welcome
, babe. Now let’s feed you. I’ve taken more calories from you than you’ve had today.” We quickly put ourselves back together. He of course, looks ravishingly perfect after a couple of minutes while I’m still trying to tame my wild hair and button my white chiffon blouse. He tips my chin up and gives me a tender kiss on my lips. “Here, let me help you since I’m the one responsible for undressing you.” He buttons the last remaining ones as I pull my hair back into a ponytail. I bend down to grab my jacket off the floor and
whack
! I feel Carson’s hand smack my ass. “Don’t bend like that when I’m not around. No man should have this privilege, but me,” he half-teasingly demands.

I
bend even lower and shake my bottom a few more times to taunt him, “You mean like this?” and then bite my index finger at the corner of my mouth.

He
gives out a contagious laugh. “What am I going to do with you, Lily? Are you ready to go?” He shakes his head with an amused grin pasted on his face.

As we leave his office, I
observe Evelyn’s subtle facial expressions which are suggestive of shock and disbelief. Only a woman can detect such subtleties. I can only imagine what crazy conclusions are going through her mind. Her eyes grew double in size when Carson places his arms around my waist again. I’m wondering if she’s in awe because of me or because of Carson’s laid back demeanor. She finally regains her composure and bids us farewell.

“It was nice to meet you, Miss
Ly, and good to have you back Mr. Bradley.”

“Likewise,
Evelyn,” I politely respond.

“And I will see you early next Monday
, Evelyn,” Carson bids her as he pulls me into the elevator and kisses me without reservation. Evelyn’s expression goes from subtle to obvious and then it disappears as the elevator doors close in front of us.

____________________

Carson takes me to Marietta Italian Trattoria for lunch, one of his local favorites. I love the atmosphere, old-world and inviting. There’s a special VIP section for Carson. I presume he must be a frequent patron here. Our waiter introduces himself as Preston before guiding us to our seats. The table is elegantly dressed with beige linen, fancy silverware and a beautiful orange Mokara orchid arrangement.

“Mr.
Bradley, would you like your usual Marietta cocktail?” the waiter familiarly suggests.

“Yes, that’
ll be fine, but make it on the lighter side, please.”

“And you, Miss
? What would you like to drink?” I sense his inquiring eyes on me. He’s probably wondering who the new girl is in Mr. Bradley’s arms. I can’t help, but think jealous thoughts of Bianca. Argh, I need to get her out of my head. She’s done enough damage to my brittle confidence.

“I’
d like any kind of fruity iced tea with lemon, please.”

“Our raspberry-peach infused tea is a favorite choice for many of our customers
,” he suggests.

“Sounds
great. I’ll have one of those.” He walks away with our drink orders, and my eyes curiously follow him. As I predict, I catch him whispering to another employee as she looks over to our table. I’m confident they’re talking about me, and it’s probably nothing nice either. Again, I let it roll off my chest. I just can’t let every little thing bother me.

The aroma
of Italian food permeates throughout the restaurant, making me hungry for every item on the menu. I’m starving, so I hope the food will taste as delicious as it smells. Preston brings our drinks and gives us a rundown of today’s specials. Carson knows exactly what he wants. I choose insalata caprese and linguini with clam sauce.

“Do you eat here
often?” I probe as I struggle with my possessiveness. I’m not a jealous person, normally. What’s wrong with me?

“Whenever I crave Italian
,” he casually replies. Dang it! That’s not the answer I’m looking for.

“By yourself?”
I pry. Crap, there goes my attempt at subtleness.

“Sometimes with Owen or my parents.”

“No Bianca?” I ask while my eyes follow the swirling ice cubes in my glass as I stir them with my straw.

“No, she hates Italian foo
d because it’s full of carbs,” Carson answers dryly.

“She can’t stay as beautiful as she is by eating whatever she wants, right?”
I add.

“I haven’t noticed
since the first day I saw your mesmerizing face. Besides, I love a woman who isn’t afraid to eat whatever she wants.” All along, he was on to my insecurity and trumps it with just the perfect Carson charm.

Preston serves our entrees, and t
he aroma is heavenly, but for some odd reason, I feel queasy after my first bite of linguini. The seafood smell is much more intense for me today, but I can’t think about it. I have to suppress this sick feeling in my gut. The last thing I need is for Carson to overreact. By some miracle, I’m able to consume part of my meal, but it wasn’t easy. I wonder what’s happening to my body. Crossing my fingers and toes, I hope I haven’t caught whatever the kids back on the island are suffering from. It’ll be my luck.

____________________

W
e aren’t expected to be at Carson’s parent’s place for a few more hours, but I have no desire to do anything else, but crawl into his bed and sleep.

“I must
be wearing you out.” He gives me a pitiful look.

“Yes, you are
,” I reply while holding back a yawn. I can sense disappointment in his tone. I’m sure he doesn’t want to spend our few remaining hours sleeping, but it’s obvious that I physically need it. He wanted to show me several other special places, but I just couldn’t do it even if I forced myself.

“Car
son, I’m sorry to be a downer. I can’t explain this exhaustion,” I apologize with a big yawn, the same one I’ve been holding back.

“
It’s okay, Lil. Close your eyes and sleep. You’ll need your energy for later tonight.” He tucks me into his bed, and I’m out like a light in minutes.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been out, but I could
’ve handled a few more hours. Carson sits by my side and lightly taps my shoulder to awake me. “Lil, it’s almost dinner time. Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

“
Crap, how long have I been sleeping?” I panic as my heart races uncontrollably.

“Three hours, fourteen minutes and thirty seconds.”
He gives me the exact time, and it makes me laugh. It’s so like him to be calculated, but this time, it’s for an endearing reason. He’s counting down the valuable hours we have remaining here together.

I still feel really groggy
, but I force my eyes open and slowly roll out of bed. The second my feet hit the floor, my body immediately feels more alert. I seriously need to make a better second impression with Carson’s mom. I brush my teeth and freshen up my disheveled-bed look with a little makeup. Remee gave me some valuable pointers for my face, and I’m using them today.

“What should I wear to your parents for dinner?”
I yell out to him from the bathroom. This is so unlike me to worry about clothes, but I’m super nervous about proving myself to them.

“It’s
casual. Wear whatever makes you comfortable,” he yells back.

I
stick my head out to the bedroom to see Carson dressed in dark blue jeans and an ivory cable knit sweater over a collared shirt. I fashion myself similar to him. My choice is a pair of dark skinny denims with Belle’s hand-me down belted lacey black top. I finish my look with a silver and black scarf and the same heels from this afternoon. My hair is straightened and parted on the right. I check myself in the mirror and agree that I look decent enough for Carson’s parents. I prance out of the bathroom to find Carson’s eyes staring in my direction. He whistles and ogles at me.

“Carson, is this okay?”
I ask for reassurance.

“Yes
baby, you’re ravishing. Damn, your legs look amazingly long in those jeans and heels. I can’t wait to rip them off of you. Now let’s go see my parents. The sooner we get there the sooner we’ll be back, so I can have you all to myself.”

“It’s a good thing I had
a long nap to keep up with your insatiable appetite.” I arch one eyebrow up and grin.

“
Come over here, so I can take a bite out of you.” He throws me down on top of his bed, pins me with his body and grinds his hard erection against my pelvis. “Maybe we should skip dinner and have dessert here instead?” He arches one eyebrow up like I did earlier and gives me his dimpled smile. Jeez, he’s so irresistible, but I can’t let him distract me.

“No
t a chance, I have a mission to accomplish. I need to win your mother’s approval.”

He
hesitantly agrees, “Alright, I guess that’s important, too. Let’s go then.” He lifts me up into his arms.

We
head down to the parking garage, and he leads me towards a gleaming black and silver sports car parked in a private section under ‘Bradley.’ I know nothing about cars, but I can tell how outrageously expensive this one is just by the unique look of it. It’s unnerving to see how much wealth this man has and spends. The exterior of the car appears brand new to me. This is probably another rarely used item. I disapprovingly shake my head without thinking. This is no family car; it’s the ultimate bachelor chick magnet.

“
Owen ordered this Bugatti Veyron for me after I told him how much I enjoyed driving around the island. This will be my first time taking it for a spin,” he explains after reading my disapproving expression. His excitement is clearly visible as I watch him glide his hand along the lustrous car finish. Carson opens the passenger door for me and then smoothly slides into his side. The new scent of leather permeates my nose. This car is built for people who crave maximum velocity. The minute our seatbelts are fastened, he accelerates out of the garage with thrilling pleasure. The piercing roar of the engine and rapid take off is certainly exhilarating, even for me. What is it with men and high speed sports cars? He drives it skillfully like he’s done it a hundred times, weaving in and out of traffic with complete ease. Every grown man becomes a kid again with a new
toy
.

Carson’s
parents live in the suburbs. It’s a decent hour’s drive to get there. I stare casually out the window as we continue speeding down the highway. We’re jamming to his ‘80s music play list. His fingers are tapping to the music on the steering wheel as he hums to it. I’m enjoying our stress-free time together.

As we get closer to Carson’s parent’s home, anxiety
revisits and sets in badly for me. I already have this horrible feeling that Carson’s mother doesn’t like me, and I don’t know how to change her mind. I straighten my posture, making myself look more presentable, and then an awful thought occurs to me as I nervously fiddle with my clothes and hair. Why did I choose this outfit? Belle’s shirt makes me look like a teenager. She likes edgier and trendier styles, meaning I made the wrong choice. My palms start to sweat, and I panic out loud. “I can’t wear this to your parent’s. Your mother already thinks I’m too young. Can we stop somewhere for me to find another outfit to change into?” I rant frantically.

“Lil, don’t be
absurd. You look fine. My mother isn’t going to judge you by the clothes you wear,” he assures me.

Carson
might be right, but I hate to chance it if he’s wrong. I eventually pull myself together and settle in my seat for the rest of the ride until Carson drives up a long private driveway. Oh no, we’re here. What if I can’t make her like me? I can’t think about giving up before I start. I have to do my best to impress her. I know this is important to Carson or else he wouldn’t push me on them so soon. I breathe out a small sigh and meditate briefly with my eyes closed.
I can do this
, I tell myself one last time.

The Bradley home
is a contemporary mansion, contrary to what I envisioned in my mind. I pictured a dark brick colonial style mansion with black wooden shutters and an English garden full of roses and sculpted boxwood bushes. But instead, it’s constructed of steel and glass with clean straight lines and minimal landscaping, making it luxuriously contemporary.

Carson parks
his new sports car in the circle driveway of his parent’s home. His father runs out immediately to greet us briefly and then eagerly inspects his son’s new toy. Why am I not surprised that he’s completely blown away with excitement from the sight of this vehicle? “Son, I’ll have to take this speed contraption for a test spin after dinner.” His excited tone and expression tells me that he’s ready to take off now.