Legally Bound (10 page)

Chapter Sixteen

B
obby and the rest of the guys made their way into the living room when they arrived back from sailing. Bobby just wanted to go to his room but his father was in such a great mood from having spent the day with his boys. James had asked them all to join him for a drink while they caught up with the women.

Bobby’s stomach sank the moment his father made the request. He knew Paige would be there and he had been trying to avoid her as much as possible. They had only been on the island three days and it felt like a year as he walked through the agony of seeing her everyday but not being able to be with her.

As soon as they all entered the room his eyes landed on Paige as if they had a mind of their own. Her head was thrown back and she was cooing up at Jessica who was in her arms. Bobby’s heart aches at the simple beauty of the image. He imagined that being their little girl in Paige’s arms. Paige’s face was glowing and he noticed that for the first time since they’d arrived here she was wearing makeup.

Her eyes were shimming with golden sparkles, her skin looked kissed by the sun and her lips were a glossy peach tint that shimmered like her eyelids. Her hair was different from anything he had seen her with before. There were large waves of curls circling her face and shoulders. Minnie reached for the baby and Paige’s eyes met Bobby’s but he missed the way they lit up at the sight of him because he tore his eyes away to look out the window.

“Wow, that is a really nice dress,” Marcus crooned as Paige stood from her seat.

“Thank you,” she said with a coy smile.

Bobby turned back toward her and his breath hatched. She was wearing a bright yellow strapless dress that hugged her in the bodice and flowed into soft flowing skirts that played around her knees in the back and at mid-calf in the front.

The high heeled sandals on her feet sent his eyes on a never ending journey up her legs. Bobby’s eyes traveled up her body to her collarbone and then her neck, where he had spent hours planting kisses and drawing pleasure from her, and he stopped.

He couldn’t look at her face, to look at her face would be to take this slow death and make it a swift execution. It dawned on him that she must have had plans with Nathan. They had spent a lot of time together the last two days. Nathan was friend enough to stop by his room every night so that Bobby could see he was going to bed alone and wouldn’t stay up wondering.

With a heavy heart and great regret Bobby dropped his head and turned to leave the room. He didn’t have it in him to do this. He couldn’t watch her leave in the arms of another man, even if it was his best friend that would never betray him. The way she looked tonight was enough to tempt any man to forget his loyalties and morals.

“Bobby,” Paige said in almost a whisper as her face crumbled when he turned to leave.

Bobby stopped in his track and pinched his eyes shut. Even her voice had the power to tear him apart. Hearing his name on her lips was pure anguish. Bobby could hear her heels cross the soft rug to the hard wood floors under her feet. She stopped a foot away and murmured his name again.

This time he turned, promising himself he wouldn’t look at her but his eye’s thirst for the sight of her over powered his will. One look at her face and he ached to reach out to her. Only he didn’t understand the look he in her eyes.

“Will you take a walk with me,” Paige said suddenly unsure of herself.

“Would it be okay if I go shower first,” Bobby asked pointing over his shoulder toward his room and looking down at his white pool shirt and black cargo shorts. He knew he smelled of sweat and the sea.

Paige shook her head and reached for his hand hesitantly. Bobby relished in the feel of her hand in his and instinctively wrapped his fingers around hers. “You’re fine the way you are,” Paige murmured with a weak smile.

Bobby nodded and followed her out as she started to the side doors in the living room. Bobby looked around at everyone as they started to leave and they all tried to act as if they weren’t paying attention, busying themselves with some task or another. Bobby had a feeling that they were all in on this. When they exited the house Paige stopped at the top of the stairs and released his hand.

She placed her hand on his chest and slid it up to his shoulder causing his groin to tighten from her simple touch. When her hand rested on his shoulder she looked up. “May I,” she breathed asking for permission to lean on him so she could remove her sandals.

Bobby’s throat was too dry to answer, so he nodded his head and covered her hand on his shoulder to steady her. Paige made quick work of removing her sandals and held them in one hand. She turned her hand on his shoulder to take a hold of his hand again and began walking toward the beach.

They walked in silence. Bobby wasn’t sure he would ever know the right thing to say to her so he decided to remain quiet until she revealed what all of this was about. Paige wiggled her small hand in his until she had her finger entwined with his. Bobby looked down at their joined hand and smiled at Paige.

Paige beamed back at him and his heart skipped a beat. She leaned into his side and Bobby took the lead and wrapped their joined hands around her waist. Paige snuggled in closer and sighed, peeking up at Bobby to find him giving her his amused grin and a raised brow. Paige stopped, stood on her toes, and softly kissed him on the lips. Bobby was taken by surprise but recovered quickly cupping her face and moving to deepen the kiss.

He felt like a starved man for her kisses. She tasted even sweeter than the last time he’d kissed her. Paige moaned at his salty masculine taste. It was Bobby with a hint of sea and a day of musk from sailing.

Paige pulled away from the kiss before they got too carried away and she forgot her plans. Just a few more steps and they would be there just on the other side of the rocks. Bobby searched her face with his eyes. Paige grabbed him by the front of his shirt smiling and walking backwards.

“Come on,” she chirped.

“Where are we going,” he laughed and placed his arms around her waist.

Paige turned in his arms and pressed her back to his front. They had just cleared the rocks when she craned her neck to look up at him and point to their destination “I thought we could have dinner and after sit and watch the ocean and the stars,” Paige said shyly and bit her lip as she watched his face for a reaction.

Set before them was a table with a white tablecloth draped over it and a glassed candle in the center of the table. The table had been set for two. Next to the table a bottle of champagne was chilling. A blanket was set by the table as well with a basket set on it.

Minnie had the staff from the house set up everything and told Paige not to worry about it when they were done. Minnie said she would have the basket packed with the perfect dinner for two. It all looked so perfect and romantic.

“So you’re finally having dinner with me,” Bobby asked with his brows furrow and his eyes still searching her face. “What changed your mind?”

“Let say there are a lot of people on this island that love you and want to see you happy,” Paige beamed.

“Are you one of them,” Bobby asked brushing a lock of hair from her face.

“Don’t run me off Bobby,” Paige teased.

“Okay, dinner. I won’t push my luck.” Bobby chuckled. Paige was happy to see the sparkle return back into his grey eyes.

“You said you wanted me to get to know the man. Well, here is your shot, teach me who you are,” Paige said looking up into his eyes.

“Thank you, Paige,” Bobby breathed and kissed her lips softly.

Bobby walked her over to the table and Paige bent to pick up the basket before opening it and pulling out their meal. Paige found two tightly wrapped plates inside. One with a fresh strip steak salad and another with a fresh chicken salad, everything was perfect as if it had arrived moments before they had. Paige wouldn’t doubt it. Minnie was all over this.

Bobby pulled Paige’s chair after she had the plates in place and the plastics removed. Paige placed a basket of bread down in between them. Bobby opened the champagne and poured them both a glass.

“This looks great,” Bobby smiled as he took his seat.

“I hope you like it. This was all a bit last minute,” Paige gave a nervous laugh then looked down at her plate.

“It is so adorable to see you nervous. You’re always so in control of everything,” Bobby said with a sexy smile.

“Well I’m happy I can amuse you,” Paige rolled her eyes.

“You know I don’t mean it like that, Princess,” Bobby chuckled.

“So I hear that all the Mairettie boys have a habit of calling me that behind my back,” Paige feign insult.

Bobby started to choke on his salad. He cleared his throat and looked at Paige not knowing what to say or if she was really offended. When Paige threw her head back and laughed Bobby sighed in relief then picked an olive out of his salad and playful tossed it at her.

“Did you really just throw an olive at me,” Paige giggled.

“Yes Princess, I did. I’d start a food fight if I wasn’t so hungry. We do call you princess but it’s more of rib on dad,” Bobby said and shrugged, “although, it does mean something else to me when I say it to you.”

Paige felt her cheeks warm as she looked up at him through her lashes. “What does it mean when you say it to me,” Paige breathed.

“That’s what you are to me, my princess. I want to give you the world Paige,” Bobby said laying his cards on the table.

“Why me?”

“Why not you, I can have the worse day in court and I deliberately take the long way around the office to pass your door hoping to get a view of you and that smile. It always lifts my mood.

“I love working a case with you because you teach me to see everything. From the way the courtroom moves during the case, to the things that aren’t said or seen by anyone else, to the loop holes that always give us the ace in the hole,” Bobby stared Paige in the eyes watching his words sink in.

“But those are the things that make us work great together at work. What makes you think we’ll work in a relationship,” Paige asked.

“Because every time I’m near you my body is on fire for you, when you enter a room my entire being knows before I even lay eyes on you. I know because I can’t sleep at night without dreaming about you.

“I think about you constantly. Wondering who you’re with, what you’re doing, are you happy. And this didn’t start after we slept together, Paige. You consumed me way before that.”

Paige sucked in a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair. This was more intense then she was expecting. Hearing Bobby’s true feelings for her was overwhelming yet somehow comforting. She
was
seeing that she was not alone in falling, because she was falling and hard.

“Bobby, I’m sorry I have been such a bitch. I just didn’t think your feelings were genuine and well, mine are. I don’t want to be hurt,” Paige said as she looked out at the water not able to look at him.

Bobby reached across the table and placed his fingers under her chin to turn her face to him. He looked into her eyes. “Baby, I can be stubborn, controlling and arrogant at times, but I’m also caring, protective, and attentive. I will always put you first and I will never hurt you,” Bobby said with a fierce promise in his voice.

Paige nodded and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before they could spill over. “Just be patient with me, Bobby. I’ll try not to shut you out. I really want to know what it will be like to give my all and I think I want that with you so just give me time.”

“Anything you want, Paige. I’m here for as long as you want me and as long as you’ll let me be.” Bobby pulled his hand back and lifted his champagne glass. “To finally opening our hearts, cheers.”

“Cheers,” Paige clinks her glass with his before taking a sip.

The rest of dinner was a little less intense as Paige grilled Bobby on his likes and dislikes, old relationships, and places he has been. Bobby took his turns asking the same questions and surprising Paige with knowing parts of the answers to many of the questions already. Paige realized how long Bobby had really been interested in her.

They finished dinner and shared one of the apple pastries that were packed in the basket while sitting on the blanket. Paige found she was falling more with the time that she spent with him. He was so open with her and so gentle like she was so precious to him.

Bobby bushed her hair from her face as the wind blow around them. He slid his hand down her cheek to her neck and down her back, wrapping his arm around her waist. Paige snuggled in close to his side. She loved that they had been sitting for what seemed like hours now and he hadn’t tried to kiss her, he was just content being with her.

“I’ve met your dad once, but I don’t know much about him. I know he and my dad hit it off,” Bobby said as he nuzzled the top of her head.

“Yeah, they met the summer I interned. My dad is a college dean. He and James started talking about fishing and they have been buddies ever since,” Paige laughed. “Dad felt more comfortable with me working for such a large firm with your dad looking after me. I think they’ve fished together a few times.”

“I think it has been more than a few times. Those two sneak out often. Sam has met your dad a number of times,” Bobby gave her a mischievous grin.