A Jewel in the Sun (6 page)

Gastron
leaned over and kissed her slowly and thoroughly. “Good morning darling”. This felt like cultural nicks at play. Here in The Bahamas, darling, boo,
sweety
, honey were all accepted as carefree endearment. She also read somewher
e that French men were romantic very expressive.
She licked her lips wickedly and slowly,
then
watched his eyes flared in reaction.
Payback.
Her laughter tinkled.

She wasn’t to know that her eyes had a pensive look. She had less dread of what was ahead,
but .....
 
“
Where are you off to? I thought we could have breakfast and walk the beach for a while
”.
Gastron’s
quest broke into her musings.

“I have to
complete some business today”, she said slowly.
Gastron
waited for her to explain. She didn’t.

“Let me take you there. I have to go into town anyway.” He wanted to be there for her, but he didn’t want her to feel pressured. She nodded jerkily.
Azolee
gestured for him to lead her to the car.
Gastron
seated her and strolled around to the driver’s side. He knew he was overstepping boundaries, but he also knew that even if she didn’t say it, some gut instinct told him she needed someone. And that someone was
going to be him. He spent part of his morning thinking of his father. He knew how it felt to desire someone beyond reason, so he forgave his father’s affair, if there was one.

She noticed that he pulled into the parking lot at the law office without asking her destination.
“Want some company?” Independence warred with need. She was used to going it alone. Nana had often had to push beyond her stubbornness to assist her. She gave her consent. Opening her door, he held her to him for a brief moment, kissed her neck and ushered her inside.

Mr. Saunders looked anxiously from one to the other. When he was sure that
Azolee
was alright, he sat back, ready to do business. The secretary poised ready to take notes. Mr. Saunders began the preambles in a monotonous voice.  None could have changed or reenact the next few minutes when he said, “I decree my estate combined with all of my assets in the Bahamas to the value of 2.5 million to my one living relative in the above mentioned country
–
Azolee
Laterre
 
Rolle
. In addition to this,
the
said is also to be the sole owner of the thirty-nine percent shares in
Sabienne’s
Publishing House. The conditions are as follows:

i
. Her last
name is to be changed to Delacroix

ii
. She is to visit and become familiar with her kinfolk
in France at her

    
readiness
.

iii
. She is to spend one year as one of the Board of Directors for the Publi
shing House in France
(the terms were made when the shares were bought).

                 
Azolee’s
shock was profound. She
had no idea that Nana was so wealthy
. She realized that ever since the death of her.........of Nana
that her life had taken a paradigm shift. She looked up and realized that
Gastron
was showing no shock. His face was unreadable.

CHAPTER NINE

          
Mu
ch later, while driving home,
Gastron
swerved instead towards the marina.
“
I have a surprise.
”
He led her toward a sleek 75
feet long yacht that was named
Sabienne’s
Pub
on it. It was a luxurious one and it was kept in mint condition.

“
Let’s go o
ut for a day, you need the break
.
”
He saw her heightened interest before she nodded
un
enthusias
tically. He m
otioned to the captain and he led
Azolee
into the dining room area.
She realized that she showed no reaction, this trip should have reminded her of the past negative experiences, but it didn’t.
Gastron
was not
Soulier
, neither was he disrespectful. He knew he didn’t have to do this. In addition, she was trying to get a handle on the fact that her life had taken on a brand new paradigm.

She knew she should be angry, but at who?
Angry for what?
She knew there was anger inside, but she felt so guilty. Most people wanted social connections, wealth and a career. She wasn’t most people. She would gladly give it up in a heartbeat if doing so would give her a minute with Nana. She needed an outlet.

“Hungry?” he asked. At her nod, he proceeded to pull out the cubed cheese of several varieties, grapes, cold cuts and crackers.
He had an expensive Dom
Perignon
.  They ate in silence. Periodically he would feed her a cracker with cheese or wipe a crumb from her lips. Afterwards they went to the settees. Th
e boat had already headed out on
the Ocean.

He took her hands and
played with her fingers, offering nips at her hairline, neck, ears and eyes. Her once languid body was now fully aroused. He reached his hand into the fold of her skirt. She pushed his hand away looking around furtively. “Don’t worry”, he whispered. He
slide
his fingers under her wrap, into her stringed underwear and into her vaginal folds. She was a river.
Azolee
let out a soft mew. He groaned. She could feel his rigid arousal at her back. He continued to rub her tenderly and inserted a finger in. He moved it in and out until she emitted a muted scream.
He twisted her to the side and
closed his mouth over hers to muzzle her scream.

Azzolee
turned to
Gastron
. Her eyes were literal wild fiery orbs. She ripped off his island print shirt. Buttons flew in several directions. She tore it off,
then
continued
on
to his
bimini
shorts. He was stretched before her in all of his glory
. Her feline nature allowed her to bend in a supine manner kiss his engorged sex. He growled, stunned and fascinated b
y this change, but not surprised. He knew she was a tigress and he loved it.
She
lept
up with feline grace, threw one leg over his shoulder, another around his waist and inserted his sex into her hot tight flesh.

Gastron
was forever lost. He blessed the fates that had brought her to him. He cursed the forces that were waiting to take her away. The essence of who he was rose up and added to the intensity of his force right then. He branded her. He gave her his entire being as he furiously spent himself pleasuring her and being pleasured. She was his. He was going to fight for them. He would challenge anyone who tried to claim or hurt her.
His
island gem, his lover.
His jewel from the land of the sun.
He lifted her, picked up their strewn clothing and went into the room. There wrapped in each others’ arm, they went to sleep.

Azolee
woke, not surprised to find the bed empty. A white linen Capri and a white tank taken from the marina’s boutique was laid out. She showered and dressed and hurried out on deck as she heard the excited shouts. Unaware of the fetching picture she made,
will her golden curls in array,
Azolee
rushed out to see
Gastron
wrestling a huge swordfish on a reel. Caught up in the excitement,
Azolee
shouted,
“
let
it  run
.
”
She beckoned him to allow her.
Gastron
refused thinking to protect her. He saw her eyes flared into liquid orbs as she challenged him.
Azolee
, took the line, reeled it off and allowed the fish to swim off. She turned to
Gastron
, kissed him on his stunned lips and said
in demur fashion, “watch a pro at work”.

After allowing the fish time to expire, she quickly and quietly reeled it in. She requested their help in landing it into the boat. The four men, including the captain, looked at her in fascinated admiration.
Gastron
, reading them correctly, put a possessive arm around her and pulled her in for a long, thorough kiss.
He kissed both of her checks, her neck and her heart-shaped mouth.
He had seen the longing in the
deckman’s
eyes. He wasn’t taking any chances.
She was his.

CHAPTER TEN

Gastron
knew that his time in The Bahamas
was
almost
completed and that he needed ready for depa
r
ture, but he wasn’t going without her. He
could
nt
push her to make decision either. She
was a phenomenon. She offered so little information without being coy or uncommunicative. He wanted to reach her, but the walls were so subtle. They had fun, they danced, they loved, laughed and slept, but he was still barred by a
wall that was so subtle and indefinable.

They were playing scrabble one day and he asked her if she thought she could live in France.

“Why not?” she asked nonchalantly.
“Do you think you can live in The Bahamas?” His eyes widened. “I mean really live here?” she waited his response with her eyes on the game.

“I have been here for two weeks already” he sputtered in his thick accent. “I have experienced the life here.” To this, she raised her eye brow.

“Ever attended a festival? Overnight camped? Ate a true Bahamian feast?” She challenged.

He knew that she
googled
him, his company and his family. She knew of their stickler for tradition, his family traditions. He just met hi
s match. She was telling him what his mother and others had always told him.
“Loosen up,
Live
a little.” Deep down, he knew she was a
fraid of all that was before her
.

In some indefinable fashion, if he couldn’t or wouldn’t do it, she would be justified not obeying the conditions of the will. Her way of asking for him to hold her hand, was by challenging him to break away from the known to ex
perience the unknown. No Etienne
could ever back down from a challenge, neither could they ignore a perceived need.
And when that need was coming from his woman?
There is no option.

Junkanoo
in
June was something to behold in
Nassau
. The dancing, the array of colors, the gay sounds of laughter and life were stimulating. It wasn’t difficult to get into the flow. He felt the need to free himself. His employees, especially those at the Headquart
ers in France would admit him to the
medecin
for professional help if they could see him now. T
hen, there were others who thought
that the time for him to have fun was long overdue, he thought
wry
ly. He s
wayed to the beat, albeit
not on time, but it was a music that could easily become a part of him.

He watched her skip, hop,
sway
and gyrate. She was beautiful, his woman. She raised her arms and moved her lower body as she leveled herself slowly to the ground. He saw one of the young male dancers, take her by the waist and place his leg between hers and they both moved as one.
Gastro
n
face turned thunderous and he
made a move to deal with the dancer,
Azolee’s
smile at him stopped him. Her smile let him know that none held a candle to him.
His heart received a
coup
de tat
.