Page 45 of Consumed By Fire
"Did you know it's seven o'clock?" I whisper. When he widens his eyes, jumping out of bed in a panic for fear of being late at work, I burst out laughing.
"Little liar!" he says, looking at the clock and approaching me, trying to catch me.
"You won't catch me," I say, hopping on the bed.
"Oh, really?” he asks, grinning, pretending to go to the right. I go to the opposite side and he turns around, grabbing me, throwing me on the bed, trapping me, tickling me.
"No, no, no, please," I beg him, laughing and wiggling.
"Should I or shouldn't I stop?” he asks himself, still tickling me.
"Dylan!" I say, almost breathless. I have tears in my eyes over how much he made me laugh. He bends down to kiss me, then gets out of bed, dragging me with him. He carries me over his shoulder, spanking me as he goes to the bathroom and we enter the shower.
"No, you wouldn't dare!" I say but his mischievous smile distracts me from seeing that he has his hands on the hot water knob. When the jet hits us, catching me off guard, I squeak.
"I’ll get revenge!" I say as he walks away, looking at me. The water has made my tank top transparent, causing it to stick to my skin. The way he looks at me literally sets me on fire. He brushes my side with his fingers, moving up toward my breasts. My breath quickens and he captures my lips.
I never thought that taking a shower could be so ... inspiring. Ah, if only this shower could talk...
I get used to his shifts, though I miss him. But I keep busy.
Dad and Annais are considering moving to Armstrong, which would be great. He brought out his entrepreneurial side, proposing that I not only expand Paradise by making it a real hotel but also offer a lunch and dinner service.
The idea sounds tempting. It makes me feel guilty to turn away customers when we’re full, and Dylan supports the idea.
My life has changed so much and I know it will change even more. But I have my family next to me and Dylan is my rock.
EPILOGUE
DYLAN
A little over a year later ...
Living is a gift, but truly living has a meaning beyond the things that can be explained.
Charlotte is life. It was my first breath of life when I first saw her and today, I feel like the happiest man on earth.
Every day I spend with her, I realize that I love her even more. As absurd as it may seem, her stubbornness makes her perfect. We live together. It wasn’t easy to convince her to leave Paradise and live with me but after eight months, I managed to convince her. Paradise has undergone huge changes. It’s a B&B with sixty rooms. She didn't want to change the sign; Paradise B&B is part of Armstrong and will stay that way. The work is progressing slowly. Charlie is stubborn and wants to make each room special, with a personal touch. I don't know how she manages to keep up with everything and I'm so proud of her.
Despite the hectic shifts, coming home to her is the best thing in the world. We got married a couple of days ago and left for our honeymoon. Organizing it without her knowledge was so difficult. I wanted it to be a surprise and I almost managed to keep it from her but the girl from the travel agency called home because she needed our passports, and that day I was on shift. Charlie pretended not to know until the end, but I saw that she was researching an island. Eventually, she confessed everything to me.
Watching her rest still makes my heart melt. We’ll have only a week. I know it's not much but I didn't want to give up on bringing her here.
Hawaii is one of my favorite places, and it was on Charlie's travel list. I could choose only this paradise for my angel.
Charlie is waking up. I love that moment when she opens those wonderful eyes of hers and smiles at me.
"It's not nice to stare at people while they sleep. Didn't your mom tell you that?"
"Mom used to tell me that beautiful things must be looked at."
"Hmmm, happy birthday, love,” she says, kissing me.
"I was hoping you’d forget," I confess. “You know I don't like to celebrate it."
"Are you sure?” she asks, straddling me.
"Mmm, I might make an exception,” I tell her, drawing her to me.