First a Dream (Dreams Come True #1) (10 page)

Staring up at him, she finally smiled. “You really have thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“I try.” He shrugged.

“Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I should’ve said that sooner. I’m sorry I was too wrapped up in logistics to get excited. You’re right. We’re going to have a wonderful time.”

It took less than twenty minutes for them to pack bags for the kids and Isabella’s suitcase. When it was all done, she couldn’t stop smiling. And yawning.

“I saw that. Time for bed, beautiful one.” He grinned as he walked over to his bag and pulled out a pair of shorts.

“What are you all smiles about?” Isabella stretched and walked over to her dresser.

Walking toward the bathroom, he paused to stand behind her a moment, then he leaned over and murmured in her ear, “The smiles are because tonight...I really get to tuck you in. I’ll meet you in bed, beautiful one.” Then he went into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Gabriel slipped into bed before Isabella. When she returned from downstairs, he pulled back the sheet, patted the bed, and beckoned her join him. “I just want to hold you tonight. Will you give me permission?”

Without a word, Isabella rolled onto her side and pulled his arm around her. He snuggled closer, spooning her. He could feel her relaxing into him. Bella wasn’t an easy conquest. In the past, the player in him would have given up and moved on to easier game. Instead, he found her completely enthralling. He knew she wasn’t someone who gave herself easily, which was part of her appeal. She was a lioness when it came to her children. He looked forward to sharing countless experiences with her. She was so much more complex than any other woman he had ever known.

Slowly, effortlessly, Isabella was changing him. The thought should’ve struck fear in his heart, but instead it warmed him through and through. He wanted his life to be different. He had tired long ago of the constant partying and non-stop work. He longed for meaningful relationships and after careful examination discovered he had few of those. Ben was the one friend he could truly confide in. And it felt like Isabella was the one person he could entrust with his heart. He inhaled sharply at the thought. Maybe his heart had found a home.

Chapter Nine

Isabella

As soon as Jack picked up the kids, they loaded their luggage in the Beemer and drove off. They hadn’t made it out of town before Jessie called. “Do you mind if I answer?” Her eyes pleaded with Gabriel.

“I insist.” He smiled.

Sliding her finger across the screen, she asked, “What’s up, Jessie?”

“How’s Montreal?” She laughed. “I’m living vicariously through you.”

“Then you’re going to have to live vicariously in Aruba.” Isabella waited a moment for her words to sink in.

“Seriously?  What?  When?” Jessie sounded giddy with excitement.

“We’re leaving this afternoon. We’ll return on Wednesday. Can I tell you all about it then?” Isabella bit her finger, knowing precisely how her best friend would respond.

“You better, or we’re through.” Jessie tried to sound fierce.

“Awesome. Love you!”

The call ended, but Isabella’s excitement had barely begun. Telling her best friend made this experience all the more real. The remainder of the ride, she couldn’t stop wriggling in her seat.

“Isn’t there anything I can do to relax you?” Gabriel wondered.

Isabella inhaled deeply then reached into her purse. “Well, there may be one thing.”

She pulled a out a CD. “Would you mind playing this?” She handed it to him to examine.

“Andrea Boccelli,” he murmured, “Romanza.” He pushed it into the CD player and listened intently as the first strains of “Con te Partiro” wafted from the speakers.

Isabella, for the first time since lunch, settled back into her seat, sometimes humming, sometimes singing, always with her eyes shut. The CD continued to play as they pulled up to the guardhouse. Isabella’s eyes opened when the car slowed down. The guard nodded at Gabriel and opened the gate for their entrance. They traveled up a long paved circular driveway, and parked in the garage. Rather than taking her in through the door she saw at the far end of the room, Gabriel led her out and walked her to the front entrance.

“I thought you would want the full effect,” he explained, then added with a smirk, “You know, for Jessie.”

Isabella blushed as she followed him through the front door of the estate. The security people must have called in advance as the entire staff had assembled in the entryway and the man who she imagined to be Gabriel’s father made his way down the grand staircase. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this experience.

Mr. Charmant crossed the marble foyer to greet them. He stood a good six inches shorter than his son, with a dark complexion and distinguished graying hair. He gave Gabriel a firm handshake, and Isabella several moist kisses on each cheek, taking her off guard as he greeted her. “You must be the lovely woman my handsome son is so taken with. He wasn’t ready to introduce us, but I have my ways of getting what I want.” He smiled affectionately at Gabriel as he tucked Isabella’s hand in the crease of his arm to give her the tour of the house and grounds.

Isabella felt dizzy as she worked to take in every aspect, every detail in each room, without appearing to be gawking. She would never want to embarrass Gabriel. They moved from one room to the next, from floor to floor, and at last came to rest on the garden terrace.

“You must have noticed that I didn’t take you through a couple of the wings,” Mr. Charmant commented.

Isabella nodded. “I just assumed that they were personal, private spaces.” Gabriel reached out to hold her hand and she firmly grasped it.

“Well, I figured I would let Gabriel give you the tour of his quarters,” he explained nodding at his son. He looked at a cart being wheeled out to them. “Please help yourself to some refreshments. I can’t linger here. Too much work to do. It was a pleasure meeting you, Isabella. I will see you both before you leave.” Then he strode to the doors and left them alone.

“Well?” Isabella looked at Gabriel for feedback.

“You were marvelous. He must like you, or he wouldn’t stop working to see us off. Do you want to see my rooms after this?” He gestured to the refreshments the maid had brought out. Isabella beamed.

They took the elevator to the third floor because Gabriel swore it to be the quickest way to their destination, but Isabella suspected he just wanted to show off a bit. They glided down the hall, and Gabriel opened the tall mahogany double doors to his rooms. Isabella stood in the doorway for a moment, just trying to take it all in. It was probably best he had seen her apartment first. Now she would’ve been too embarrassed to share it with him. His room was nearly the size of her entire three stories.

Gabriel’s inner sanctum varied greatly from what she had imagined, given that this place was larger, grander, and far more sophisticated. The walls were a royal blue, the floor covered in plush cream carpeting. A large entertainment system graced one wall, a large sofa and a couple of chairs were opposite it. His sleeping area and private bath were set apart by columns. The king size bed had been made of dark mahogany with a tall headboard. It all seemed so magnificent and merely served to remind Isabella of how different they were.

“How can you ever stand to be in my place?  It must’ve felt like a hovel to you.” She shook her head.

“This isn’t mine. This is my father’s place. I won’t be living like this when I move out.” He pulled her against him and pressed his lips to hers. “As for your place, it felt more like home to me than these rooms ever have.” He frowned. “You have to meet Ava someday.”

“Ava?”

“Yes. My mother.” He glanced at his phone. “We have a few hours before we need to eat lunch and go to the airport. Want to go for a swim?”

“I’d love it.”

***

Gabriel

Fifteen minutes later, they were changed and sitting by the pool. “I’m jumping in. Care to join me?” Isabella smiled as she breezed past his lounge chair.

“In a few minutes. You enjoy.” He leaned back and tried to close his eyes, but really, he couldn’t stop watching her. A horrifying thought occurred to him.
Maybe I’m in over my head with Isabella.
He wasn’t ready to be serious about anyone. He had no experience in this area. She deserved better than what he had to offer. She deserved someone who would love her and her children, someone who could give her the forever she dreamed of. It couldn’t be him. Not the way his father would’ve reacted had he known everything. No, he knew where his father stood. In reality, he knew he should have cut Isabella loose long ago. Yet even as he imagined breaking off their relationship, he felt an unfamiliar ache in his chest at the mere thought of never seeing her again, never holding her close, and all of the things he’d never experience with her. He would just have to forget about his father’s opinions and focus instead on being the man worthy of her love. He smiled.

Before long they had eaten lunch on the patio, and their luggage had been carried out to the limousine that would drive them to the private airport. Mr. Charmant met them in the driveway to wish them well on their trip. Isabella seemed more comfortable with him than she had previously, as she walked over to him and offered a warm goodbye. “Thank you so much, Mr. Charmant. Thank you for making me feel so welcome, and for helping to arrange this trip for us.”

Gabriel’s father planted a kiss on her cheek, then marched over to his son. He shook his hand and embraced him, while whispering in his ear. “You chose well, my son. You have my blessing.” Gabriel smiled and nodded, then joined Isabella in the back of the limo. She didn’t ask what was said, and Gabriel didn’t offer to share.

In Aruba, Gabriel’s driver unloaded their luggage and deposited them in front of the beach house. While Isabella studied the property, Gabriel instructed the driver as to which room the luggage would be deposited in.

Then he turned his full attention back to her. “So, what do you think so far, my Bella?” He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her, steering her to face the impressive ocean view.

“It is so beautiful here,” Isabella said warmly.

“I have always thought so. That’s why I wanted this to be our first trip. It’s also very secluded,” Gabriel noted. “We have our own private beach. We don’t even have to wear clothes,” he added nonchalantly.

“You don’t. I will.” She giggled.

He smiled. “Let me show you around,” Gabriel suggested, leading her up the steps of the back veranda, through the French doors, and into the home.

The home had a very contemporary feel to it, decorated in white. The two stories contained five bedrooms, five and one half baths, a formal living room, dining room, kitchen, study, and great room with a bar for entertaining. The two bedrooms that faced the ocean had balconies, and the verandah steps ended in sand. He introduced her to the staff, which consisted of a driver, a cook, and a maid.

Gabriel had chosen for them one of the bedrooms that overlooked the beach. The balcony had a wicker loveseat and small coffee table on it in addition to the lovely pots of flowers and a potted tropical tree. The room itself held a queen size bed made up in luxurious white silk sheets and gauzy curtains hung from the canopy. The bathroom really took Isabella’s breath away with its tropical paradise feel. The Jacuzzi tub, the focal point of the room, sat surrounded by greenery and candles, centered directly beneath a sky light. Isabella wrapped her arms around her body.

“I sense you may be feeling a bit self-conscious.” He lifted her chin and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You don’t have to worry what I will think of you,” he whispered into her hair. “I find you unbelievably attractive. I don’t care what you look like naked. You could never disappoint me because I know how beautiful you are on the inside. Do you understand?”

Isabella nodded and managed a weak smile. “Good talk. Now what?”

“What would you like to see and do here?” He asked seriously.

“Everything,” Isabella said with a sigh, then seeing the shocked look on his face she added, “Let me rephrase that. Everything, but maybe not that.”

Pretending to be slightly deflated, Gabriel began, “Well, let me tell you about some of your options. We can go out on the boat, go out on the wave runners, go snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, shopping, sight seeing, clubbing, whatever you wish.”

Laughing, Isabella suggested, “Why don’t you surprise me?  I’m game for just about anything. I just have to make sure to call home a few times, okay?”

“No, my Bella,” Gabriel began solemnly, “You won’t be calling home a few times.” Isabella sucked in a breath. He reached out to her. “I insist you call home every night. Rebecca and Konnor need you to tuck them in.”

Hours later as they were winding down for bed, she must’ve still been thinking about what he’d said. “You surprise me, Gabriel,” she began, sinking onto their balcony love seat.

“What?  Because of that?” He reached out and touched the silk gown she wore. “I see you found the clothes I picked for you. That is nothing. I wanted to give you something comfortable for Aruba. I wanted you to have a variety of options available.”

“Well, thank you,” Isabella said, kissing his cheek. “But I meant about the insisting I call the kids every night part. You’re not used to these kinds of responsibilities. It surprises me you’d be so sensitive to my needs, the kids’ needs.” She sat rubbing lotion all over her exposed parts as they spoke.

As he watched her hand rub up and down her calf, then move onto her thigh, he could hardly concentrate on the conversation she’d initiated. Gabriel grasped her hand for a moment to stop her. “I just want you to be happy. And I know how much I would have liked to have heard from my parents when they were on trips; and from my mother after she left...” He looked out at the ocean, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Isabella leaned closer to Gabriel. After a few moments, he took it as an invitation and casually slid her onto his lap. He could feel her body going limp, heard her breathing slow, and finally her head rolled into his neck. As much as he enjoyed feeling the little puffs of air against his skin, being able to sniff her hair so easily and without judgment, he carried her to bed.

***

Isabella

While coming out of her hazy sleep, Isabella stretched slightly and felt an arm tighten around her mid section. She happily reached down to touch him and slowly opened her eyes to find Gabriel staring at her, propped on his side. “How long have you been awake?” She rubbed at her eyes.

“I don’t know. I’ve just been lying here studying you.” His lazy smile caused her to blush. Then Gabriel leaned down to graze her cheek with his lips, sending a ripple down her spine. Isabella looked away, giving him the perfect opportunity to run his fingers down her neck. She shivered again.

“Stop!  I can’t even think with you touching me.” She grinned and covered herself with the sheet. “So, what shall we do today?” She tried to change the subject in order to pull herself back together. It had been so long since she had been caressed and cherished.

“You don’t like me touching you?”

“Au contraire. I love your touch. I’m ridiculously attracted to you, but…” She frowned as she tried to figure out how to explain the emotions she battled.