Lost in Embers (Rising From Ash Saga #1)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

H ow Sofia managed to get these recliners on the beach is beyond me. When I checked into the hotel, they said all the umbrellas, chairs, and cabanas had already been reserved for the entirety of our stay. They have her name reserved on them for us without her even reserving them the night before. It must be because Sofia looks like she walked out of a magazine and just had to bat her lashes at some poor staff member to make this happen. She sports a white bathing suit, wrap, and matching floppy hat and accessories. I would never have thought to wear jewelry on the beach, which is apparent since I put on a green two-piece, that is much too cheeky and pulled shorts over top. By no means is my suit frumpy, but it doesn’t attract attention in the way Sofia does. My baseball cap is pulled down tightly near my sunglasses, for ample protection for my pasty-like self.

“So, tell me about the hot guy you were dancing with last night!” I haven’t even gotten through applying my first layer of SPF 30, and already she urges me for information. Sofia’s floppy hat covers her face, but I can tell her eyes are intensely set on me. Her stare could burn me even through all the layers of SPF, as she tries to apply oil to her already tan body. Neither of us are very good at multitasking right now.

I put my lotion down and give her my full attention. “There is not much to tell.” It’s the truth. I don’t know anything about this man.

“Well, what were you guys talking about? You were blushing in the lobby when I saw you; I’ve never seen a man have that effect on you.” She’s serious now; her hat is off, and oil is tossed to the side as she flips toward me. Even in wobbly chairs she manages to be graceful, unlike me. I’d be ass over head in a second flat.

“His name is Aidan Cross, he’s Irish, and obviously ridiculously handsome.” I let out a discouraging huff. “I might have rambled a bit and said something I shouldn’t have. So, we won’t have to worry about seeing him again.” My disappointment travels to her ears.

“Why? What did you say? That’s unlike you. Your sentences are always so put-together. He seemed pretty smitten with you earlier, and he eagled-eyed you on the dance floor. Honestly, if he weren’t so handsome it would be creepy. I bet you haven’t seen the last of him yet!” If anyone knows men, it’s Sofia. You never see her without her main accessory: a man.

“I might have accidentally said something like I saw him in a dream of mine. I never know what to say to him, and it spilled out.”

“Things happen. Tonight, we will go out and have another great night. ”

“Yes, let’s! He just looked so mad when I walked away last night.” I shake my head as the night flashes back in my mind.

“Ava, don’t worry about it. We are on vacation. You probably won’t ever see him again. Who cares what you said?” She shrugs it off and looks up and down the beach; I know she’s looking for prospects for me.

She’s right, and it is just vacation. Although my body is already in pain from the excessive drinking last night, I can’t wait to see what it feels like tomorrow from more boozing tonight. Aidan and I have barely spoken besides my horrendous confession on the dance floor. Deep down I want to see him again. I have to be honest with myself and recognize I want to know more about this man.

“You’re right. So, tell me about the man you were eyeing up last night! Name? Plan on seeing him again?” That changes the subject really fast. She does love to talk about the men in her life. This could go on for hours now that I have opened Pandora’s Box.

I daze off. Why has Aidan gotten under my skin? Why? Fate? Destiny? Do such things exist? I tune back into Sofia’s ramblings at the perfect time—David, the name of her new obsession. By the way she’s talking about him now, I won’t be surprised if he sticks around the whole two weeks we are here. She says he’s going to be here for a while, as he has two weddings to attend at this hotel, so he figured he would stay for a month. Must be nice.

“Oh, and he asked me to be his date for the second wedding! It is this upcoming Monday. You guys won’t miss me for a few hours, will you?” She anxiously awaits my reply. Normally, I would say something sarcastic and mess with her, but her eyes couldn’t get any bigger in anticipation, and I don’t want to crush souls today for a laugh.

“Do it! You will have a great time.” Her body language changes immediately to reflect the excitement she exudes from the inside out. She loves feeling as though a man is proud of her and wants to show her off. That’s the difference between the two of us. If I were that happy, I’d be happy dancing my ass off, not caring what others thought. She lets out a few squeals, trying to contain her excitement on the beach, because appearance very much matters.

We walk the beach hand-in-hand as only best friends who are fine with being labeled lesbians will do. We discuss the plans for the rest of the week while our feet graze the beautiful ocean waters, and as much I try to keep him out of my head, it doesn’t work. My dad is determined to haunt me from the grave: be mindful of who you trust, your power is starting to grow.

The past three days have been a blast, nothing but playing beach games, having a few drinks, and dancing. Even though I have enjoyed every moment with my friends, I’m happy to say I have a night alone. Sofia has been dragging me around all day on a shopping spree in town to find her the perfect dress for the wedding tonight. Only she could go on vacation and end up being a date to someone’s wedding. The guys won’t mind a night out without the girls. It will give me some time to stay in and catch up on some reading. They are getting ready for their evening adventures, and I fire up my laptop to check some work e-mails.

Easy enough. By the time I finish the seating plan and confirm the numbers with the Ritz, everyone is ready to go out.

“Miss Perez, you look absolutely breathtaking!” I declare to Sofia, who found a beautiful neutral Anja Stitched Sheath dress. It is classy and sleek, perfect for a wedding here in Mexico.

“Thank you! I’m so excited!” With her high- pitched and squeaking voice, she jumps up and down, surprisingly not popping out of her tight dress.

“Be careful, and remember the advice you gave me…” I know she has spent the past few days with him, but he’s still a stranger. We all think David is a great guy, and he has been coming to dinner with us every night since they met. He just refuses to give me a hug, most likely because he doesn’t want to offend Sofia. I hug everyone, so I find it odd when someone won’t give me a hug and straight-up arms me with a no. It’s clear she’s falling for him.

I haven’t seen Aidan since the shenanigans on the dance floor, he’s probably jetted off somewhere else.

“We will make sure she makes it to David safely, promise.” Dino can sense my concern, and I give him a hug for consoling my always-rampant mind.

“Thank you. You all look amazing! Have a great night.” The boys are putting their best foot forward tonight. It appears that Dino dressed the Marx brothers since they look dashing in suits, something I never thought they would own.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come wedding crashing with us?” Ryan shoots a wink in my direction.

“No, thank you. I would prefer not to get arrested in Mexico. Plus, someone has to be there to bail you out,” I scold, but then blow the group kisses as they walk to the door. Once they are out, I scurry back into my room to slip on a summer dress and go for a walk to breathe in the fresh ocean air.

The sunset is something that can’t even be put into words. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and repeat this action over and over again as the chills skate throughout my body. Finally feeling truly relaxed, I find myself in this tucked-away area of the resort. I’ve been here a few times and no one else has been here, on this small balcony off a conference room on the main floor. It is small in comparison to the other balconies here. Only a 10’x10’ face, with two small iron chairs. The iron balcony is always wrapped in new flowers that close the small area in. Today they are yellow and white, but this view, it’s the best one I have found.

I found this secret hideaway on a walk throughout the hotel. I’ve gotten more opportunities to explore when the group was getting ready than any of the others. Finally feeling peaceful, I let my mind go and just focus on the beautiful orange-and-purple sky above the dark blue ocean. The sailboats move slowly on the calm water. As ridiculous as it sounds in my mind, I feel at one with the universe here at this exact spot, like I’m meant to be right here, right now.

“Breathtaking,” a soft, welcoming voice whispers in my ear, and I’m not even startled by the fact he has snuck up on me. For such a big guy, he’s awfully silent moving around.

“It is.” I turn around, knowing exactly who it is. That voice and accent could not be replicated by anyone.

“I was talking about you, Ava.” His eyes scan my body with warmth as I back myself up against the flowers.

“Who are you?” The question slips out before I can think twice.

“The man of your dreams, remember?” Thanks for stating the obvious in such a smug way.

Without an invitation, he steps beside me and gestures for me to turn around. Without any hesitation from my stubborn self, I do as he says because I cannot help but follow his direction as he looks off into the sunset. We are elbow-to-elbow leaning over the balcony, and his expensive watch slinks as he drapes his arms over the banister, and his fingers glide up my hand, building an all too intense electricity in me.

Whoever says luck doesn’t exist, just doesn’t have their facts straight, and this moment is proof of that. I was in the right place at the right time, and now he’s standing here. My mind floods with thoughts, but I cannot make heads or tails of them. I just keep looking into those brown eyes with the flakes of green. The last time I saw him, we were dancing, touching, and his eyes were that glorious and enchanting blue. The only thing I believe at this point is, just maybe, being with him is being in the right place.

“One day soon, this will all make sense to you and you will understand, but I don’t want to overwhelm you and send you running for the hills. You will have to trust me.” He speaks with such conviction.

“I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that.” What is this man smoking? Because I want some. What is he talking about? Maybe Mr. Mystery Man is actually crazy.

“Come, walk with me. Let’s get to know each other all over again.” He gracefully places one hand on the balcony, and in one swift, flawless motion, he pushes himself to the other side, looking like he didn’t exert any energy whatsoever.

“Do you trust me?” He holds a hand out to me. This whole scene screams that I could end up the next episode of Criminal Minds , but my body trusts him as much as it craves him. It’s undeniable.

I will not be so graceful getting over as he was, but I place two hands on the railing and pull myself up so I can sit on the edge, then slide off. I didn’t take into account that I have a dress on, but without missing a beat, he steps closer and holds it down for me on the sides. When I place two feet firmly on the ground, his hands still rest on my hips until he bends down. Aidan removes my heels one at a time, and I lean on him for support.

Who does this, and why does it feel so natural to me?

He gently caresses my leg after removing my shoes, and I exhale relief because I remembered to shave today, but that shock runs through my body and has a pulse of its own.

He looks up at me as he begins to stand. “Your eyes have changed. They are a deep blue.” I always sound ridiculous. Yet again, way to point it out.

“Your touch does that to me, Ava.” He has answered my unasked question. Perhaps he can read my face like Dino can. I look up at him from beneath my lashes and without hesitation, I lean into him, wrapping my arms around his muscular core, and press my face into his white linen T-shirt. He reciprocates my embrace, and we stand there for a while. He places a kind kiss on my forehead, and I subtly breathe in the fresh scent one last time before I pull myself away.

The feeling of the sand on my toes is therapeutic as I crinkle my feet deep in the sand before we start walking. A smile grazes my cheeks. Maybe it is this place, or him, the freedom of being away from my mother, but his stare heats on me. It rumbles my core, and I catch him watching me and returning my smile. We are at ease with one another.

“Aidan, it’s crazy, but I know you somehow. How?” He could at least have the decency to provide me with some sort of an answer.

“We do. You and I have known each other for quite some time, little lass.” He playfully nudges me. His eyes look reminiscent, but he will not give any more information away. “Soon,” he promises. For now, that will have to work .

We walk hand-in-hand down the shoreline; this moment is perfect. We pass by the wedding Sofia and David are attending. We both shoot our eyes to Sofia and David breaking it down on the dance floor. For some unexplainable reason, I’m happy she doesn’t see me.

“Why did you leave me on the dance floor?” I’m taken aback by his question, since I really don’t have an answer that will make sense.

“Everyone was looking at us, and I felt embarrassed,” I mumble, removing his hand from mine so I can nervously play with my hair. I don’t want to make eye contact with those fierce eyes.

“There should never be embarrassment between us. You are forever mine. You left me and went to him…” He trails off and runs his hands frustratedly though his hair.

“Dino? Yes, to get a drink. Or two…” How exasperating. I roll my eyes at him and down toward the sand. “I was nervous. You make me nervous. Right now, you are looking at me with such disgust.”

“Not disgust. Concern. His hands were on you. I know a hundred ways to kill a man, and I’d like to spare your sweet soul from seeing that. But, if he touches you again, I’ll make you watch as I kill him.” He won’t tell me how I know him, but he will tell me that he will murder for me. Great. An actual murderer. He makes a point to stop me from walking away by grabbing my face and staring deep into my eyes. “Your eyes are green again. I guess I do that to you.” He takes note of my eyes and a playful smile reaches his, but quickly they turn dark with desire. Even his killer words, shouldn’t send warmth throughout my body, but they do. Traitorous body.

That gaze is all too consuming, so I move from foot to foot, nervous, and try to shimmy away. “Why concern? I guess you make my eyes change.” Embarrassed by his observation of my eyes my breath catches quickly and I try to calm myself. Immediately I’m frustrated at myself for skipping over the murder part and landing on why he’s concerned for me.

“It’s clear to me he wants you. I didn’t like you leaving me for him. There is so much you don’t know about him, so much he’s hiding, but you have to make that discovery on your own.” His words are short and harsh, and the playful Aidan who was here a minute ago has vanished.

“What decision? Dino is just a friend.” I have no idea why I’m defending myself in this conversation in the first place. It really is none of his business. It’s not like he and I have any ties. We aren’t in a relationship. He does not claim me, no matter how much my body desires him to.

“Lads and lasses cannot just be friends, Ava.” If one more person says that to me, I will freak out. First my mother, then Dino, and now Aidan.

“Look, Aidan, to be honest, it is none of your business who I am and who I’m not friends with. We don’t even know each other. You are a complete mystery to me.” The sting of each one of my words hits his face. He looks hurt. I don’t like the way I took the wonder from his eyes and replaced it with cold ice.

“It is my business.” Short and to the point, he speaks matter-of-factly. To think I was going to apologize to him a second ago. “You are my business.”

“Maybe I wasn’t being clear. I don’t know you, or at least you won’t tell me how,” I clarify once more, for his thick hearing.

“You know me. Here’s what you don’t know: I live in New York City. I own a few businesses and run a...” He pauses for a moment, searching for the words. “A family business.”

He chuckles, but it quickly fades into him listing off facts about himself. This could be rather enlightening and maybe help me piece things together. My eyes widen with amusement, not noticing how harshly I have bit my bottom lip in anticipation, drawing a little blood. His eyes flash to the blood, almost like he lusts after it, but he composes himself as he touches the side of my face with the back of his hand and continues.

“I know you. I have for a while. You are in my dreams, too. Destiny brought us here. With me, you are safe from harm, always. You will always make me the happiest man on Earth. We need each other.” His words, so sincere yet secretive, captivate me.

“But none of this makes…” Before I can finish my thought, his eyes lock on mine and he steps close to me. My brain tells me to pull back, but my body lunges me forward to close the gap between us. His soft lips press gently against mine. Not aware that my heart could ever beat so fast, the passion and electricity take over my body. We are consumed in each other, the kiss deepening. My fingers grip his hair, pulling him in closer to me, and he consumes me and glides his tongue in an expert way to explore what my mouth has to offer. He moans and pulls my waist into his hips. My legs quake, wanting more, too much more, too soon. The shock of the cool water lapping at my ankles pulls me away to focus on his face, and I see a scar above his beautiful eye.

“How did you get that scar above your eye?”

“That is a story for another time. When you know who I really am.” He takes my shoes from my hand, and I turn my sour face up to him. Another obscure reference, just what I need.

I kick the salty ocean water on him and dart down the beach in an attempt to lighten the mood. Plus, I run every day, and a man with that height and mass, there is no way he can catch me unless he plays like professional football or something. Sneaking a quick glance over my shoulder to look at him from a distance, but he’s not there. As I set my gaze forward, he stands in front of me, and I don’t have enough time to stop. Unintentionally, the velocity of my body meets his, which drowns in primal instinct. He picks me up and throws me over one shoulder without strain.

“Aidan, no! Put me down.” Panic overcomes me as we head closer to the water. I’m not a strong swimmer, not to mention my slight fear of drowning.

“Still can’t swim, eh?” He playfully shuffles me around on him and moves closer to the water.

“How do you know that?” This is beginning to freak me out. He knows so much about me, and yet I know next to nothing about him besides the small truths he decided to share with me. He has the funds available to be a literal stalker without ever being seen. Maybe someone has been watching me. Panic strikes my face like I’m getting hit in the head with a bat.

“Don’t worry, you will be fine with me. Remember, I said I would keep you safe.” There was no answer to my question, but without a shred of doubt, I trust this man unconditionally. As we head deeper into the water, he throws me in the air, and I surprisingly do not panic. The salty summer air floats against my face, and in that moment, I’m liberated from my fear with him by my side. A powerful feeling for this man encompasses me, with his strong arms against my waist, and then suddenly we are underwater together. Submerged, there are no fears, just peace and Aidan Alexander Cross. Thanks to Google for at least giving me his full name.

I cannot help but dissolve into a fit of giggles as we make an abrupt exit from the water with our damp clothes stuck to our bodies. The salt remains on my lips; the sweet salt is a reminder of this man who literally swept me off my feet. He insists on walking me to my room, and at this point why not? The only downfall is it means the night is coming to a close. We ignore the indecorous looks that we receive from our short-term neighbors silently judging us.

We talk of my work and the charity event that I’m planning, and as it turns out, his business holds charity events as well and donates a lot of money to the Ronald McDonald house, which is where we will be donating the proceeds of our event. He takes me through corridors, extending our walk, and I’m not upset about it; I love to listen to him speak. He has his hands in all sorts of charities; I admire that about him. He isn’t speaking much about what it is that he does exactly, but with the way he speaks, it is clear he’s well-educated and has a passion for everything he’s involved in.

“So, what brings you to Mexico then?” A man of his stature and exploits from what I have read online, to be here alone, just seems odd.

“I could lie and tell you it was for work, an acquisition of a hotel in the nearby area, and I wanted to see how it would stack up against the competition…” he says, his eyes intent on mine.

“Or the truth.” My eyes have to be the size of giant bug eyes waiting for him to respond.

“All of that, but also for you. To claim you as mine…” I’m li terally too stunned to speak, and he doesn’t say anything back, just continues gliding me through the corridors, now silently.

In what seems like the shortest walk of all time, despite his long shortcuts, we are back at my door, and I know this is the end of a fabulous evening, minus his weird confession. Fiddling with your key is the universal sign that you are not ready for the night to end, but it has no effect on him. Looking up to him from beneath my lashes, I try not to pout at the night ending. I know I have to stand my ground and not let him in. I refuse to regret one moment with this man who has enchanted me and a one-night stand would be a first for me.

“Until tomorrow.” He cups my hand in his, and without releasing eye contact, he raises my hand to his lips for a sweet, romantic kiss. It isn’t until he releases my hand that I finally remember to breathe. The effect this man has on me is unbelievable, it is something unheard-of.

Romantic moment ruined with his answering of his cellphone, “Cross.” Short and clipped, I make my way to the door, but it seems eavesdropping is my new hobby, at least with my mum and Aidan. “For her, this is my fight. Manayunk’s dying is no coincidence, I will talk to Higgins. He can relax, he’s safe, no one can touch an Elder without treason being proven. No wonder he’s nervous…” He looks over his shoulder, trying to be quiet, but it isn’t effective at all.

He waits until I’m inside the door frame to shoot me a final wink as if he isn’t having a serious conversation, closes the door, and walks away. I run jollily into the master bedroom, strip the damp clothes off my body, and just fall onto the feather-like bed. Thinking of those eyes, my bottom lip rolls between my teeth and brings a smile to my eyes. This confusing, endearing man brings me such happiness. Then again, after all I have been through in life, how could I even find myself attracted to a guy with a stalker complex and all the money in the world?