The Billionaire's Island Romance (The Romero Brothers, Book 3.5) (9 page)

Christian sat close to her on the boulder and
wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tightly and firmly to him. “It’s
okay, baby. I’m here. I’ll never let anything happen to you, okay?”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry that happened to you when you
were young. It must have been terrifying for your mother,” he surmised in a
soothing voice.

“Yeah, it was.” She looked around at the
water gushing around her. “Thanks for not laughing at me.”

His brows furrowed. “Why the hell would I
laugh?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because you thought I
was a wuss or something.”

“Hey, please don’t insult me. You know I
would never think that way about you…or anyone who had a fear of anything.”

She hugged him and drew in a deep breath.
“I know. I was only playing with you.”

“Besides, I love a brave gal like you.”

“Brave?” Ari pulled herself away from his
embrace to glance into his eyes. “But I just told you that I’m terrified of
water.”

He looked deeply into her eyes and tilted
her chin up to his with his finger. “And yet, you came here anyway.”

His expression melted into a grin when he
saw the stunned look on her face. Ari smiled appreciatively. “Have I told you
how much I love you and how awesome I think you are?”

“Not enough,” he teased her before lowering
his lips to hers and kissing her gently, then passionately.

“Woohoo,” a voice sounded from near the
trees higher up. A tourist had caught a glimpse of them kissing. Actually, two
of them and they both clapped.

Arianna blushed and he felt like a guy
crazy in love. He didn’t care. He was with the woman of his dreams. So real, so
strong, yet she had her own weaknesses, just like a real person. Just like him.

“Come on, before we end up on YouTube from
someone filming us on his cell phone,” he joked as he guided her up. “You ready
to go farther or do you wanna stay here? Just let me know, baby, I’m good with
whatever you want to do.”

“Just saying that makes me feel okay,
Christian. Thank you.”

He rubbed her shoulder and squeezed her
lovingly before they made their way skyward. “You know,” he said as he walked
behind her, which did nothing for his growing erection as her ass wiggled and
moved in front of him. “They say that being brave isn’t the absence of fear.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“It’s taking action, in spite of your
fear.”

“I know that, too,” she said, turning to
him with a sheepish grin. “I thought…I had to do this,” she continued,
breathless. “I wanted to prove something. That I wasn’t going to be a prisoner
of my fear…like…”

“Like who?” Was she going to say like her
mother?

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head.
“Let’s just get up to the top of the falls.”

They climbed up, enjoying periodic breaks
soaking in the magnificent flowing water around them.

Christian could not help but feel more
admiration for Arianna. He was glad he’d at least achieved something today. He
got her to tear herself away from her work, from caring for others, including
her parents. He had spent some time talking casually with some of the staff
who
worked for her. And from what he’d heard—all good
things about her hard work ethic and fairness to her staff, she was also a
workaholic who took great care of her parents. The fact that she even stepped
up to the plate to help run her father’s hotel spoke volumes about her. When
they met, she was intent on furthering her college education to open up a
daycare center. Well, this was a long way away from her dream but at least she
was still managing a business that dealt with people. Christian admired her
hard work and tenacity. Whenever she was needed, she stepped up to the plate
without so much as a flinch. She was all heart and soul.

That was why it was important when he had
learned that she had worked sixteen days straight to get her away from it all
to take a break. For her own good.

Earlier, he told her that she had a competent
staff working with her there, and the hotel already had a manager, so she would
be okay to take a day off and do nothing but have fun. Selfless, unadulterated
pure “me” time. He was glad he could be a part of it all. Seeing her smile,
giddy with excitement and just relaxing brought a radiant smile to his heart.

“So…um…what about you?” Ari turned to him.
“Do you have fears?” Her voice was low, breathless from the ongoing hike up the
falls.

“’Course I do.”

“Such as?” She playfully arched a brow.

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I was really messed up when we were
apart, Arianna. I was really afraid of losing you—for good.” And, man
that was the truth! He was going crazy out of his mind, not being able to reach
her. Not knowing the real reason she left him high and dry.

He didn’t know what he would have done with
himself, if Arianna had refused to see him when he came back to Jamaica.

“We all have fears, Arianna,” he said over
the thunder of white foaming water smashing against the smooth boulders, as it
spilled over the enchanting Dunn’s River.

“I know.”

“Seriously, I’m afraid of…never having the
love of my life with me and dying alone.”

She looked surprised. She was caught off
guard by his frankness. What was wrong with him? Why was he opening up to her
like that? Was it the effect of being amidst one of nature’s most awesome
spectacles? Was it the effect of the hot sun scorching overhead? Having another
chance to be with Arianna?

“Wow,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what
to say, Christian.”

“Don’t say anything. Just know that I want
us to always be together, Arianna. I’ve never felt this way about anyone
before,” he confessed to her as they rested on a boulder with the water
splashing down on them from all over. The cooling effect of the gushing
waterfall over them was refreshing as the sun burned hottest at that time of
the day.

“Afraid of dying alone? I never even
thought about that,” she considered, looking over the falls. They were pretty
much midway now. Probably another half hour and they’d reach the top of this magnificent
nature wonder. Christian enjoyed the salty spray of water as it showered them.
What a day it was.

“Yeah, well, believe it or not. I think
about it sometimes.”

“Why? I mean, Christian, look at you.
You’re so…hot!” And he was! Her heart raced hard in her chest whenever her eyes
were treated to his lovely physique. There he was dripping with charm and
sexiness. The man made her heart throb every time. He was so good with those
soft lips of his. Everything about this man oozed sweet sexual power. Her body
got aroused more often than not whenever Christian was holding her. His
nearness alone caused a sensuous reaction in her body. Hot probably wasn’t even
good enough a word to describe Christian Romero.

He grinned. “Yeah, so are you,” he said,
arching a brow.

“It’s not easy finding your perfect soul
mate. And when you do, you don’t want to lose her. It’s that simple really,” he
said, looking out into the distance. Tourists were climbing nearby filling the
atmosphere with laughter and chatter as they made their collective way up. Christian
saw an older couple with graying
hair holding
hands.
They were dressed in blue bathing suits.
The man in his
trunks and t-shirt.
They looked fit for their age—whatever ages they
were. How nice it must be. The dude looked pretty happy. He figured they must
be retirees who worked hard all their life, probably had a few kids and
grandkids and probably great-grandchildren, too. Who knew? They were having
fun—together, in their golden years.

“A dollar for your thoughts?” she said,
playfully leaning into him, bringing him back to reality.

“Just a dollar?”

“Yeah. Better than a penny.” Ari grinned.

Man, Arianna was really something, wasn’t
she? He drew in a deep breath. Why now? Why was he so intent on letting this
beautiful woman into his heart and his mind? It wasn’t like he was the type to
spill out what was in his gut, his deepest fears or desires. Arianna had that
effect on him. He felt so connected to her in a way that he’d never been with
anyone else. That was something, wasn’t it? Fate. Kismet. Love. Connection.
All those things.

“You know,” he said, changing the subject
slightly. “Uncle Toni always told us that there are three things in life that
are important. He got it from some old saying.”

“What’s that?” she probed eagerly. Looking
up at him admiringly. He was glad that at least she wasn’t fearful of the
water falls
right now. That was a good thing, wasn’t it?

“One: To love someone. Two: To have someone
love you,” he said, smiling.

“And…? What’s the third thing?”

“And three: To have one and two happen at
the same time.”

She melted into a soft laughter that warmed
his insides. There was something so innocent and heartfelt about her laughter.
He didn’t know what it was exactly but he loved it. A lot. Christian pulled her
closer to him. “I have to look up that saying. Even though Uncle always tells
us these things, he always gets them from these books he reads. Quoting famous
people and such.”

Ari giggled. “Uncle Toni rocks!”

“I know. Anyway, I changed the subject but
you wanted to know why I’m afraid of losing you and being alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I told you about my Uncle Everton on
my mother’s side.”

“Oh, right. The one who passed away a
couple years
ago.
You spoke about him a lot.”

“I know. He was always good for a laugh. We
used to hang out at the bar sometimes, play a few games of pool. In fact, he
was the one who taught me about shooting pool.”

“And women,” she said smiling. “I remember
you telling me that he taught you about women, right?”

“Yeah. Whatever. Anyway, he always told me
to do everything to make the one I love feel special. He told me I would know
when I found that one.
That special one.
You feel
different. You can’t stop thinking about them. They make you feel on top of the
world, comfortable, and connected to. Alive.”

“That’s very nice.”

“Yeah.”

“But what happened to him? He died alone,
right?”

“Yeah, he did.” The pain of that memory was
unbearable. Yet Christian felt he needed to finish that story. “He met this
really nice girl he had planned to marry back in Vienna.”

“Oh? You never told me that part.”

“I know. I don’t really talk too much about
it. Most of the family—on my mom’s side—know about it.”

“So what happened to her?”

“They had a really bad argument. Some silly
misunderstanding.”

“Oh.”

“Well, anyway, stubborn as he was he
decided to keep his distance. He didn’t take her calls.
He
wanted to, I don’t know
,
get back at her
. He
said he was being stupid. Stubborn.”

“So what happened after that?”

“She met someone else.”

“Oh, no.”

“Not at first, mind you, but he always
regretted not trying to reconcile earlier. He had buried himself in his work
and decided that it was better that they took time apart. But weeks became
months.”

“And then she met and later married someone
else?”

“Yeah. He was pretty messed up after that.
He dated a lot of girls after that but none came close to her. It just wasn’t
the same. That’s why he always told us, me and my brothers. You find a good
girl. You do everything to keep her. Treat her right. Don’t ignore her. Don’t
take anything or anyone for granted.”

“Wow, that’s so…wow.”

“He always had a fear of dying alone, and
well, that’s what happened.”

“Oh, Christian, I’m so sorry. I…I really
am. I remember you saying that you were one of the pallbearers.”

“Yeah,” he paused before speaking again.
“You know, after we broke up, I took a lot of time off work, which as you know
is something I don’t really do.”

“I know.”

“Then, when everyone started to complain
that I wasn’t around work much, I decided to bury myself in my work nonstop. I
realized what was happening. I thought about Uncle Everton and had nightmares
that I was turning into him. God, that was the last thing I wanted.”

Arianna wrapped her arm around his waist as
she sat beside him.

He held her closer to him. “I love you,
Arianna. I don’t ever want us to be apart again. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do
for you,” he said, looking into her beautiful large brown eyes. She had the
loveliest eyes he’d ever seen on a woman. So filled with love, energy and
genuine care.

“I love you, too, Christian.”

For a moment, they held each other. Just
treasuring their time together.
Their moment.
He loved
the saying that life was not about the number of breaths that one took, but the
number of moments that took one’s breath away. This…was clearly one of those
moments. He was never going to lose Arianna again. Not if he could help it.