Only Love (The Atonement Series) (15 page)

We looked like the perfect wealthy couple though I wondered why it was necessary for us to seem so distinguished if this was a casual day outing. He hadn’t bothered to take his Hummer and instead surprised me when he pulled a black Mercedes two-seater, hard-top convertible out of his garage.

“Um, where did this car come from?” I’d inquired as he pulled up in front of the condo.

I’d decided to change handbags at the last minute—opting for a simple yet sleek cream Chanel clutch purse instead of the usual bucket bags I preferred by Louis Vuitton or the least expensive and bling-less line of the very plain and original style of the Hermès Birkin bag—and made a dash to my condo before telling him I would meet him downstairs.

“I have two vehicles and in Mexico, you can never be too careful. It’s better if we look like we are extremely wealthy. They usually go for the tourists they think won’t be missed and with all the violence the country has seen recently, you never know when something could happen,” he’d explained casually as we’d taken off.

Everything Drake had said to me on the way up seemed to disappear as soon as we reached the enchanted city and I looked around at the cerulean sky, the tourists and the hive of activity.

“So, what do you plan to do with me today?” I suddenly asked as we walked along a busy stretch of the coastal boulevard.

The Pacific Ocean was miraculously clear and calm and there were several large boats docked at the port.

“There is so much to do and see here I thought I would leave it up to you. They have gorgeous historical sights and there is the wine country located not too far away. But first I want to show you something that will take your breath away.”

I walked along, hand in hand with Drake and secretly was quite glad I’d worn my most comfortable high heels. There was so much to take in and see, I didn’t realize we were going back toward the car.

“We can’t walk there?” I inquired as he unlocked the doors with the remote and opened the door for me before I climbed in.

“Nope. I have to drive us there but believe me, it will be worth it. Then we’ll come back to the city and have a wonderful late lunch.

I hadn’t realized it’d been a while since we’d eaten breakfast until he brought it up. We’d awoken at around seven and eaten around a half an hour later. Drake had made the most delicious egg white omelets with chorizo, cheese and tomatoes accompanied by coffee and small glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice.

I had no idea he was such a health nut so we actually got along just fine. He was an excellent cook and knew how to prepare almost anything so being with him was a culinary delight.

He stepped into the car and took off with relish. I laughed out loud and realized this was one of the first days I had been so carefree and didn’t have a worry in the world.

“Are you having a good time?” Drake asked me out loud with a slight worry in his voice.

“You are joking, right? I have been having a great time with you and this is one of the best days of my life. Thank you.”

He took his eyes off the road for just a moment and I tried not to look into his eyes. The last thing we needed was to have an accident but everything about this man was magnetic and I found myself drawn to him more and more regardless how much I fought it.

The rest of the way was quiet yet a very comfortable silence and it only seemed to strengthen the bond between us. I barely noticed as we entered the scenic toll road of Ensenada-Rosarito. Drake informed me why we were paying to use this stretch of highway and I found it absolutely breath taking and worth every peso we had to pay.

We didn’t drive for very long before he pulled into a small parking area and we both got out together. He was at my door before I realized it and his hands held mine in his own. We both stood there as a soft breeze flowed by and the sun shined in his eyes. I could see every color of his irises and the stubble on his chin. His skin up close was smooth with small pores and his complexion already looked gently sun-kissed.

“I wish I was the reason why I brought you out here but I’m not. Let me show you something extremely gorgeous and it’s not my face, believe me.”

I smiled without thought and said, “Aren’t you the arrogant bastard?”

“Well, not really. I guess I am sexy because I have no shortage of luck with women but you are breathtaking right now. That dress, your skin, those eyes. You should see the way the green and the gold have mixed to create this exotic mélange and they take my breath away…more than the view I’m about to show you.”

Drake turned me around and slipped his arm around my waist before we began to walk with one another. We passed a few other couples but my line of sight kept wandering to the sexy man next to me and I couldn’t get over how much charisma he had. No wonder why he’d captured me so quickly and without a lot of effort. He brought me to beautiful locales and treated me to lovely meals.

Colin had done all of this too but with Drake everything just seemed right. I still had feelings for my ex-fiancé but the more time I spent in the presence of another man, the less I seemed to care about him as a significant other. I still loved him and he would always be my friend but what happened when the love died concerning physical attraction for a person?

I wouldn’t know for certain until I saw him again at work but he didn’t make me feel the same and I certainly didn’t get that shiver icing its way down my back like I did when Drake touched me. Colin felt like a good friend, a very good friend but somehow, I couldn’t—or perhaps I didn’t—want to bridge that gap between us. Maybe I was more than happy with us maintaining a platonic relationship and a romance between us wasn’t meant to be.

Chapter Twelve

Drake and I reached a gorgeous white wall with half-moon crescents cut out and a decorative rock that was colorful and breathtaking to behold.

“Look through there,” he told me in a commanding voice.

I walked forward, careful not to get my dress dirty and leaned my head through. Drake held my waist from behind but there was absolutely nothing sexual with the way his arms gripped my waist and I felt the hardness of his body against my back.

It was almost a surprise he hadn’t tried anything as lewd as possessing a hard-on while he gripped me but his whole body was firm though his manhood was soft. He was merely concerned with my safety and not “copping a quick feel” on my ass which was actually refreshing.

I peered through and the sight that greeted me was beautiful and beyond stunning. Mountainous forests decorated the gorgeous backdrop of a body of water so blue, it looked cobalt.

“You’re at the famous scenic location of El Mirador. If you look into the distance, you can see the Pacific Ocean but the body of water directly beneath us is
Bahía Todos Santos
, or All Saints Bay in English. It’s an absolute gorgeous scene, isn’t it? Every time I have been here, it takes my breath away,” he explained, his voice in my ear and his minted breath gently caressing my cheek.

I couldn’t help but feel a stab of jealousy knowing he’d brought some other woman here but it wasn’t my place to be anything but in the here and now. Those other women didn’t matter because he was with me at this moment and we were happy together and content in our surroundings.

“This is just beautiful,” I breathed out loud.

My words didn’t seem to do the place justice but it was all I could say without that wanting between my legs spreading into full bloom. My vagina was like a withered flower being opened again for the first time in forever. My breasts felt heavy with need and my nipples hardened as Drake’s hands trailed from the base of my neck all the way down my clothed back.

I couldn’t believe I hadn’t felt him pull back ever so slightly until a chill met me and I realized he was just as transfixed by the atmosphere and sudden sexual tension it caused between the two of us.

It took everything in me not to turn around but he didn’t give me the choice and whipped me around to face him. My breasts were suddenly crushed against his hard chest and all I could think about was what it would be like to share a bed with a man as virile and sexy as he was at that very moment.

I cleared my throat just to give myself some room to breathe and said, “So, you have brought other women here before. Is this part of the seduction scene you carefully set up?”

Although my words were meant to bite, they came out playful and he laughed out loud in a throaty manner. “Absolutely not, babe. When I am ready to seduce you, believe me, you’ll know and I won’t leave a shred of room for ambiguity.”

“At least you’re honest and direct. I am assuming you brought Mikayla here if it’s one of your favorite spots in the world?”

“Yes, I did but she didn’t see the beauty here that you do. It was just a place with rocks, mountains, a bay and the ocean. This isn’t really what turned Kayla on…money did…and if it’s not flowing then she isn’t willing and ready to do much of anything sexual. It’s just the way she is and I accepted that while we were dating but I will never settle for anything less than what I want ever again.”

My arms wrapped themselves around his neck and pulled him closer to me. “What do you consider less if you don’t me prying?”

“You…me…this…us. We both can see the beauty of this place and that is a lovely way to bond with another. This country is so misunderstood and has so many hidden treasures. I want to share them all with you if you’ll let me but I also know you need to be ready and I don’t want to rush you to do anything you aren’t ready to do on your own. Do you understand?”

He paused and the long, tapered fingers of his right hand rested underneath my chin to bring us to eye level. “I know how much you have been hurt in the past. I can see it in your eyes. Everything that happened between you and Colin is much too fresh. I wouldn’t dream of hurting you the way he did but that will take time and trust. You will have to learn to appreciate me for the man that I am and you will learn to respect me as an individual. Only then can there be the love we need to push this relationship forward in the right direction.”

I stared into his eyes and before I knew it, my lips were pressed gently against his and we kissed. It was electric and although our lips had yet to part, the touch of skin to skin was glorious.

Drake opened his mouth and his tongue slipped between my closed lips before I also responded and when our tongues touched and the feeling between us deepened, the emotions blossomed into an ever flowing energy I couldn’t stop and neither could he.

His hands were in my hair and the chignon I wore fell apart before his fingers gently caressed my scalp and brought me in closer and deeper. I was falling hard and there was no where to go but deeper into him and the thought was not only terrifying but exhilarating at the same time.

I never thought I would be able to trust a man again but I realized how wrong I’d been. I was slowly falling for Drake and in falling for him, I could feel the need grow more insistent for me to know him and underneath it all, to love him.

Our feelings weren’t unique but the way I felt about him was and in the short amount of time I’d known him, I needed to know more, feel more, do more with him than any other man and my heart slowly started to heal from the lies and deceit Colin had left behind but in the end, would I leave any room for him at all?