Island Interlude

Chapter 1

  There was nothing like sunset over the ocean on the island of St. Sebastian, and Gabrielle Lopez-Hall knew she was blessed to be able to see it every day from her front porch. She sat down in the glider and slowly rocked enjoying the vibrant oranges and pinks as the sun set over the horizon and the sounds of reggae came from inside of her house while crickets chirped in her large garden.

She took a sip of her white wine, a habit she only indulged in on Fridays after a long work week of teaching high school gym. It was a reminder of her life five years earlier when she had been a student in the States.

Rielle as she was called by friends and family had gone to college in Maryland on a volleyball scholarship far away from the turmoil of her parent’s volatile relationship.

Instead of going to a college in the south she had chosen Maryland because she wanted to experience something different and the school in Baltimore had done just that.

She lay back, closed her eyes and savored the peace and quiet that reigned in her home knowing that she would not have it for much longer since she had signed on to help with the triathlon that happened annually on the island.

St. Sebastian was a territory of the United States much like the Virgin Islands which was seventy miles to the east and Puerto Rico to the northwest. The island had been bought in the late 1800’s from Great Britain and the Anglo influence could be seen in the architecture, language and culture that remained from the European settlers.

While Rielle had enjoyed her college years, she was glad to be back home and seeing a sunset like this in her own home made her realize that fact.

The gentle evening breeze cooled her skin and she debated whether she wanted to go out tonight with a few of her single friends that lived and worked in the neighboring parishes of Essex and Portsmouth.

They were local celebrities having participated in the Summer Olympics two years ago and bringing home a silver medal in women’s team volleyball. 

Just as that thought crossed her mind her cell phone rang and she knew from the ring tone it was one of the awesome foursome as they called themselves.

She flipped open the phone that lay on her stomach without opening her eyes “Hey Georgie.” She said by way of greeting.

“Hey girl, are you ready to get your party on?” she asked and Rielle smiled at the eagerness in her friend’s voice.

“I’m feeling so mellow I don’t know whether I want to be bothered getting dressed to go out.” She answered bracing herself for the protest she knew would come.

“I told Andrea and Camille that you would back out. Once you get up that hill you don’t seem to want to do anything else.” Her friend complained.

Her eyes opened slowly and she looked out at her front yard in the waning light and saw the beautiful garden hedged with deep red bougainvillea on the chain link fence, and filled with fragrant jasmine and yellow and orange hibiscus.

 “Can you blame me? I’ve got my own little piece of paradise right here.” Rielle said smiling.

That changed to a frown when she saw a small cloud of dust in the distance and she only half heard what her friend was saying.

“All you need is a pina colada and a gorgeous man fanning you and you can die a happy woman on your precious mountain.” Georgie groused.

Rielle was too busy squinting as the vehicle came into view and she recognized a gold late model Explorer. There were a few houses a little further up the hill and she knew all of her neighbors but as far as she knew none of them owned a new vehicle like that.

“Hey Georgie do you know if someone bought the Brady house?” she asked.

Rielle was referring to the house a little further up the hill that had sat empty for five months since the last renters had left.

Chapter 2

“No, apparently the house is being leased to the architect who is in charge of renovations to the Tropicana Hotel. Why?” her friend replied curiously.

“I guess that’s who it is then. There’s a gold Explorer driving by my house.” She said as the vehicle rumbled by.

“That’s Jarrod Stewart’s vehicle, your new neighbor is his friend. Gigi says he’s hot and so is his other friend.” Georgie gushed referring to her sister.

“What is your newly married sister doing eyeing hot guys?” Rielle asked laughing.

Gigi worked at one of the island’s premiere real estate agencies and got all of the latest gossip and knew everyone who was anyone on the island.

This was not an easy feat considering the island had nearly three hundred and fifty thousand people on an island of forty-two hundred square miles.

“She’s married Rielle not dead. Now are you going to come out with us or not?” Georgie demanded and Rielle knew she had to make up her mind.

“Okay give me half an hour and I’ll meet you. Where are we going anyway?” Rielle asked looking at her glass of Pinot Grigio before downing it in one swallow.

What a waste of good wine she thought as the fruity vintage tickled her palate.

“The girls and I want to have a nice dinner tonight so we decided on the Poinciana Lounge. Wear your purple dress; it looks good next to my peacock trapeze dress.” Georgie suggested and Rielle agreed before hanging up and going into the house.

The Poinciana was in one of the large resort hotels that were on the island. Tourists who came to the island year round because of the balmy trade winds, crystal clear water and nearly year round fantastic weather as well as locals enjoyed the cuisine.

Tourism was the main industry on the island taking over from agriculture which had long been a mainstay of the economy as with most other Caribbean islands.

Sugar cane had been king but now the farmers on the island grew small crops to sell to the locals as well as the hotels and restaurants. This ensured some of the freshest produce and the food was another reason the island attracted tourists from all over the world, there was even an annual food festival that occurred during the first week in May.

The restaurant had won the award for best resort cuisine at last year’s festival and reservations were hard to come by but between their winning the medal and Camille’s brother being one of the managers  they were assured a table almost anytime they wanted.

Rielle went into her bathroom and took a quick shower with her favorite soap which she bought at the local farmer’s market held on Saturdays and moisturized with the lotion that was paired with it. She liked to go to the market on Saturday’s to buy her produce for the week and would try to convince the girls not to stay out too late.

She looked in the mirror taking in her exotic greenish-grey eyes and smooth light brown skin in an oval face offset by jet black ringlets that fell just below her shoulders.

The amethyst silk dress hit her a little above the knee and showed off her sleek legs, with a v-neck, cap sleeves, a banded waist and pencil skirt and she slipped on a pair of black three inch sandals that made her just shy of six feet.

She had learned to apply makeup at her mother’s knee but with her glowing complexion all she really needed was a tinted lip gloss, black eye liner, a little plum eye shadow and mascara. She inserted small faux diamonds from her favorite shopping channel in her ears, a silver chain around her neck and pushed several silver bangles on her slim wrist. 

Rielle loved perfume but couldn't wear a lot of fragrances and she preferrd the clean, fresh scent of the ocean, clean linen and citrus combination that was her favorite right now. She sprayed a small amount on her pulse points and was ready to go.

Her house had a carport attached and she opened the gate before starting her Nissan Xterra and pulling out of her yard and she got out to lock the gate behind her before driving off.

Rielle was a fan of all kinds of music but reggae was her favorite and she hit the playlist on her iPod the mellow, sexy sounds of Beres Hammond filling Martha's cabin.

She had named her vehicle ‘Martha' because although she wasn't as flashy as Georgie’s black Volvo XC60, Camille’s silver Lexus  RX hybrid  or cute like Andrea’s red Mini Cooper, it was equipped with 4-wheel drive.

When they were in the rainy season she never had to worry about having trouble navigating the roads and Rielle found it better suited for living on one of the tallest mountains on the island.

Chapter 3

 K.C. Whitfield looked out the airplane window and took a deep breath while his ears popped as the commercial jet slowly began its descent through the clouds.

He finally saw the lush, green island that was St. Sebastian off to his right and the small speck of land called Mona Cay in the distance.

The tiny red and silver dots were finally identified as metal roofs and the island was surrounded by the most brilliant blue of the Caribbean Sea. This late morning arrival was a direct flight from Miami and he was glad he had been able to see the island with the early morning haze burnt away.

As well travelled as he was at thirty-one, his heart was thudding in his chest at the knowledge that he would soon be stepping onto the birthplace of his mother. He was the first of his siblings to do so and he might be the only one because Marcus and Danielle had no desire to ever set foot in a place their mother refused to speak of.

They had all glimpsed the sadness in her eyes when the island was mentioned and whether it was a show on the Travel Channel or a story on the news St. Sebastian was a source of suffering for his mother.

While he had been reluctant to brooch the subject with her or his father for that matter he was curious about his mother’s life here. She had left at seventeen and never returned.

Instead she had found her way to Florida where she had met his paternal grandparents and worked for them while going to night school. When they had seen how quiet, studious and polite she was they had funded her dream of being an engineer.

They had been unaware that their youngest son had fallen in love with Frederika Leon and when the young couple showed up days after their respective graduations from college married shockwaves had gone through the family.

Colton Whitfield had been something of a bad boy but after meeting his future wife he had settled into responsibility and his parents had come to accept the relationship and defend them staunchly.

The arrival of grandchildren had helped that process along with his mother’s never wavering faith in his father and Colt had buckled down. His grandparents had approved the change in their wild son and acknowledged the change was due mostly to Frederika.

Colt’s maturity had caused him to be appointed CEO of the family company and along with his brothers Aurora Enterprises had become very prosperous.

K.C. was the oldest of three children and one of the lead architects for the business but he also liked working with his hands and had even helped to build his own home in Denver after graduating from college.

He was very conscious of the environment and at times he and his father would almost come to blows in his attempt to make the various projects eco-friendly, something that was difficult on some of the larger jobs.

He ran a hand through his thick dark blonde hair and looked at his silver bracelet Rolex watch before stretching his six foot four long frame thankful for first class comfort.

He knew Michael felt the same way looking over at his high school buddy who had gone on to fame and fortune in the NFL as one the premier wide receivers in the league. The dark chiseled good looks had earned him a legion of female fans but his athleticism could not be questioned and he was known for being a tough customer both on and off the field.

He was third generation Mexican American and he had been proud to present his hard working parents with a new house in a nice suburb of Denver when he first entered the league five years ago.

He had graduated college with a business degree and had proved to be a savvy financial planner and with endorsements for products from clothes to shaving cream he was definitely set for life after football.

This had been one of the toughest winters K.C. could remember in more ways than one and both men had been more than happy to leave Denver for warmer climes.

When K.C. told him about his new job in the Caribbean island Michael had eagerly tagged along. He was trying to get away from his matchmaking family.

Chapter 4

K.C. knew that his family and friends worried about him despite the front he put on in an attempt to reassure them. They had not been fooled but his parents knew that he would have to work through the broken engagement for himself.

Jarrod, one of his best friends from childhood was meeting them on the island which was one of three homes he claimed. The other two being Denver and London where his family lived.

The other man was something of a rolling stone as one of the best photojournalists in the world and they never knew where he might pop up.

He had touted the tranquility beauty of the island to K.C., Michael, Victor Randolph and  Alex Moore for years and now two of them would finally get to see what he kept regaling them about.

 The jet touched down with a small bump at Churchill International Airport, they taxied into the terminal and K.C. knew he was in the tropics when the heat slapped him in the face as he exited the plane and he took his first breath of fresh air.

This is what I need he thought as he vowed to get out of his white, long sleeved waffle shirt and gray cargo pants as well as his black Doc Martens and into shorts and some sunscreen.

He was looking forward to some sun, sand and sea and maybe even checking out the island beauties. Jarrod also raved about the women he recalled slipping aviator sunglasses in place over bright blue eyes as he shouldered his laptop bag.

They cleared Customs quickly and went to the baggage pickup area and he and Michael had a bet going to see how long this would take. He heard over the hum of passengers milling about melodic steel pans music on loud speakers  as they waited and something made him look up to see a Viking lumbering over to them and he grinned as people got out of the way.

K.C. didn’t blame them; at six foot six with a muscular build, light brown hair and piercing dark blue eyes Jarrod could now intimidate with the best of them but that hadn’t always been the case.

Michael used to tease him all the time that he would have been better off going into the bodyguard business instead of taking pictures, but that wasn't always the case.

He was a study in contradiction because he was a cousin of the ruling British royals and his upper crust English accent had gotten him beaten up at school until K.C. who had always been long and lanky stepped in. They became friends for life after they both got jumped on by a group of kids. 

The good looking trio garnered a lot of attention as they slapped each other’s backs and man hugged before turning to collect their belongings.

“I’ll take you to the rental car agency tomorrow after I give you a tour of the island so you can pick up your vehicle but for today consider me your chauffer.” He told them in a deep voice as they threw the luggage in the back of his gold hybrid Explorer.

“They drive on the other side of the road here don’t they?” Michael said looking out the tinted window as they pulled out of the busy airport.

“Yeah, it’s a leftover from colonialism but it’s great for me when I have to go back to England I don’t really have to think about it only thing is the steering wheel is on the opposite side.” He replied as he pointed out various places of interest as he drove north to Portsmouth one of the larger parishes of fifteen on the island.

The tour included the Excelsior Hotel where they would be having dinner tonight and the world famous Hummingbird Cay a very photographed beach with white powdery sand.

Two cruise ships were in and Jarrod drove at a snails pace through town and they saw some of the vibrant culture of the island as vendors lined the streets selling everything from local art to clothing as well as food.

He was slowly beginning to relax and Jarrod’s eyes met those of Michael who occupied the middle seat in the rear view as an imperceptible nod passed between them.

K.C. heard the ‘Gold Digger’ ringtone and turned to look back at Michael who had a roguish grin on his tanned face as he flipped his phone open.

He turned back around shaking his head as he heard his friend talking in what they jokingly called his Casanova voice and knew he was talking to some random woman.

“So how are you?” Jarrod asked, looking over at the other man with concern in his eyes.

K.C didn’t try to duck answering the question he was all too aware that his mom had been talking to his two friends.

“I’m good and getting better all the time.” He said easily because it was true.

He had learned that his fiancé was a cheating bitch and the relationship had ended bitterly six weeks before the wedding. He hated to call her out of her name because he respected women but if the dog collar fit than she could damned well wear it. That had been in December and now it was mid March.

“You know you’re better off without Tiffani right? I understand that she was going around spreading rumors saying that you were gay.” Jarrod related grimly, remembering the red headed socialite whose family fortune was sinking fast.

“I know and I had my lawyer call Tiffani to let her know I would slap her with a defamation of character lawsuit if she didn’t stop. Her parents spent a lot of money on the wedding so I let her keep the ring to offset that expense but she should have known better than to go that route with me. She’s in the past and I don’t want to waste anymore time thinking about her.” K.C. replied the woman’s name leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

“Dat is the trut mon.” Michael who was now off the phone said in a very bad West Indian accent.

The two men cracked up as the vehicle pulled into a parking space in front of a pretty pink painted wooden building.  

“You sound like Sebastian after the bong.” Jarrod said referring to the ‘Little Mermaid’ character when he stopped laughing and they exited the vehicle all smiling.

Caldwell Real Estate was responsible for the leasing of the house and he needed to sign the documents and get the keys. They would stop at a supermarket to pick up some groceries after they dropped off their bags and then head back to the house.

Chapter 5

 Mount Elizabeth was named by the English settlers for Queen Elizabeth I and was on the north side of the island which made it a twenty minute drive to work each day but with ocean views almost anywhere she cared to look Gabrielle couldn’t have chosen a better location to live.

She drove through several towns before arriving in Portsmouth where twice a week the cruise ships docked and duty free rum, jewelry and local goods could be purchased in the coastal town.

Manuevering through a well lit street of palm trees and bougainvillea for a few minutes she finally turned off onto the road that led to The Excelsior Hotel. The resort was a sprawling facility of more than four hundred acres that included a five star hotel with a luxury spa, 18 hole golf course, horseback riding, water sports and three restaurants.

The restaurant was in the main building with a stone façade reminiscent of the great houses from colonial days. Rielle was behind two other vehicles so it was a few minutes before she could give the valet her keys under and enter the hotel. She inhaled the sea air that blew in from the Caribbean Sea and could hear the sound of the waves against the sand.

On Friday night there was usually a buffet at The Poinciana that included a lively show with calypso singers, dancers and stilt walkers called mocko jumbles.  All four of the major hotels had a show and only the Turtle Bay Hotel on the western side of the island had theirs on the same night but the Excelsior was known to be the best.

~*~

She stood for a minute at the top of the steps before catching sight of her friends and in that time she garnered the attention of several pairs of interested eyes.

Georgie was indeed in her teal trapeze dress that made the most of golden skin and she wore pretty aquamarine dangle earrings.

Camille was gorgeous in an orchid pink keyhole necked dress with a silver dragon cuff on her arm and matching hoop earrings.

Andrea was a goddess in an orange sheath dress that highlighted her slim curves with chunky teardrop lucite earrings and necklace.

“Good evening Ms. Hall, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Your party is waiting at the bar.” the maitre' d told her.

 “It’s nice to see you too Milo. How is the family?” she asked referring to the English ex-pat's wife and son.

“Gwen is looking forward to having her mum come and visit us and Ben is Ben.” He said shrugging with a smile on his ruddy face as he escorted her to the girls and then to a table at the edge of the floor where they could easily see the show.

“Hey girls.” She said kissing and hugging them all in turn.

~*~

They were tall, athletic and exotic looking in their own way like a United Nations and the team had garnered a lot of publicity. The story of the young women from a tiny Caribbean island had taken the world by storm.

The media loved the island girls make good angle and the fact that they were all more than passably attractive hadn't hurt. They had been swept up in the media spotlight making the rounds on morning and late night talk shows, prime time news interviews, red carpets and even Oprah.

They had been offered lucrative endorsements for womens sneakers, athletic wear, sports drinks and even a video game. The fame had been enticing but after nearly a year the media furor had died down and life had thankfully returned to normal. 

Camille Lee was the daughter of an African-American mother and Chinese American father and from her waist length black hair to her slanted light brown eyes framed by bangs in a medium brown complexion she was a no nonsense entrepreneur who had opened her own car rental agency which had grown to three locations.

Georgiana Caldwell was the descendant of the original English settlers with a dash of African slave in the mix and with her honey blonde hair, velvety brown eyes and sun kissed skin she had gone on to work for the tourism board and was putting her degree in public relations to good use.

Andrea Blyden was a descendent of the indigenous Indians that had lived on the island and African slaves and with her degree in journalism she was a news anchor at a local television stations. She could have been a model with striking features and jet hair cut short to hug her head and deep brown eyes in a copper face.  

Rielle had an African American father and Puerto Rican mother and her sultry looks had drawn the attention of magazines all over the world. 

~*~

It was pretty ironic that she had been such a tomboy even into high school and now she had fitness and fashion magazines clamoring for her to pose for them.

She had taken advantage of a few of the opportunites presented and built her house with the money and had a little money to put aside when all was said and done.

She had also gotten offers from several men's magazines to spread more than goodwill but those offers had been politely but firmly refused without any difficulty.

Her brother had teased her mercilessly about that until it occurred to him if she accepted the offer all of his little sister would be on display for anyone to see. Rielle had taken great pleasure in pretending she would accept but it had never even crossed her mind.

~*~

They had all wanted to promote the natural beauty of their island doing several commercials that still showed internationally. That had made them local celebrities, more than enough for any of them although one of the girls Lisa Freeman had actually gone on to act in several films since the Olympics.

They also knew how to enjoy themselves and when they were seated at the table attracted plenty of attention from the other diners with their high spirits.

“So did you get to see the hottie up the hill?” Georgie asked her brown eyes sparkled as she posed the question to Rielle. 

The quartet had been friends since junior high and whether it was the movies, dinner or just sitting at one of their homes painting each other's toes they were like family and acted like it for better or worse.

That included quizzing each other on the men or as it was at the moment lack of men in their lives.

Chapter 6

 The two other women looked from the blonde to the brunette with interest waiting for the answer.

“No, the windows were rolled up like he was a celebrity in the hood.” She quipped disappointing the curious trio.

“Damn, don’t tell me he’s going to be one of those stuck up types too good to mix with the locals.”Georgie complained as their waitress approached to take their drinks order.  

The quartet made their way to the salad bar as they talked about how their day had gone and Camille’s brother Bryan who was on duty came over to visit for a bit when they returned to the table. Those two were definitely related having the exotic slanted eyes and high cheek bones with gorgeous Hershey kisses skin.

He was twenty-nine five years older than his sister and her friends and had spent a few years working in various hotels in the States before returning home. Bryan had been instrumental in getting the staff out of stifling uniforms and being outfitted in tropical print cotton shirts and Bermuda shorts. That move had garnered him a lot of respect and loyalty from the employees because the old fashioned polyester just wasn’t cutting it in the Caribbean humidity and heat.

He was also interested in Andrea but the other woman was either oblivious to that or playing hard to get, for some reason Rielle thought it was the former, her friend had been fairly sheltered until college. She was very good at reading people but when it came to the man/woman dynamic Andie did not seem to pick up on the signals.

Rielle was enjoying the pineapple, mango and red onion salad with cilantro and pepper with a hint of lime when she felt like someone was staring at her. She chewed thoughtfully on a piece of tart pineapple as she casually looked up and her eyes locked with a pair of light blue eyes in a darkened corner of the room several tables away.

She felt a shiver go up her spine at the intensity of the large man’s stare before forcing her eyes away from his and just barely caught Camille’s question.“So how are your grandparents enjoying the trip?”

She swallowed carefully and then said, “From the last postcard I would say they’re having a fabulous time. They were in Spain learning to flamenco dance.” with a smile.

The other women laughed because they could all imagine the spritely couple. Her maternal grandparents had been instrumental in raising her when her parents were travelling due to her father’s career and had provided a stable environment for her older brother Christopher and herself.

Chris worked as a loan manager for a large bank on the island and had helped her to pay for the trip Marielena and Carlos Lopez were taking now that they had retired from their government jobs a few months ago.

Rielle looked around the stone faced room taking in the mahogany vaulted ceiling with swirling palm fans and candles on the tables that supplemented the torch like sconces on the walls and the mood was completed by tropical breezes and soft steel band music playing. The tables were laid with maroon linens and yellow, white and orange hibiscus and hot pink bougainvillea decorated the center along with the votives.

The starters were finished amid much conversation and the main course were laid out and she chose the lobster risotto with roasted prawns, spinach, almond and a balsamic glaze which melted in her mouth and she closed her eyes for a moment as she savored her meal.

Rielle’s eyes popped open and she was glad her skin was just dark enough not to show a blush because the heated look the sandy haired stranger was sending her made her so self conscious she wondered if she had something on her face or if she was overexposed.

The other women had also gotten seafood; Camille had the conch and rice with vegetables, Georgie chose a delicious red snapper on a bed of coconut rice and Creole sauce and Andrea’s meal was a fragrant lemon pepper shrimp over linguine.

They were all raving about the food as they ate when the sommelier came to the table bearing a bottle of wine.

“Excuse me, the gentlemen over there would like to offer this bottle for your approval.” he said beaming. 

  Gabrielle 'Rielle' Lopez-Hall                           

 Kingston Crawford 'K.C' Whitfield    

     Camille Lee

       Georgianna Caldwell    Andrea Blyden 

   Bryan Lee 

    Michael Hernandez

 Jarrod Stewart 

Chapter 8

Gabrielle didn’t need to look to see who their benefactors were but her eyes were drawn to the table anyway taking in the gallant way glasses were raised to them and it was then she realized he was accompanied by two other handsome men.

One was actually a player in the NFL whom she recognized and the other was the famous photojournalist who owned a hellacious house in a fashionable neighborhood called Royal Palm Estates on the island.

Camille looked at the offering and said softly, “Guys this is like one of the best bottles in the wine cellar. It’s almost three hundred dollars.” And the wine steward confirmed this.

Gabrielle didn’t dare look at the table again as she digested this information, her fine body hairs standing on end.

“Can you thank the gentlemen for us, Yves?” Rielle asked the steward.

Yves poured her suprised dinner companions each a glass and then he left.

The women turned and saluted the men before taking a sip of the chilled Pinot Grigio that went well with each of their meals. Even though they had occasionally been treated to drinks or meals when they went to restaurants, nothing like this had ever happened to them.

Rielle kept her eyes unfocused as she looked in their direction before turning back to her nearly finished plate and put her glass down after taking a sip of the crisp, straw colored liquid. Her thighs involuntarily tightened and her core clenched in reaction when she sneaked a peak back at the table at the handsome stranger who had taken a swallow of his drink, his smiling eyes on her all the while.

“You know the guy in the blue shirt actually fits the description that Gigi gave me for the architect. That must be him.” Georgie whispered as she looked over at the men speculatively.

She was familiar with Jarrod Stewart because her sister had rented him a house when he had first come down to the island and ended up selling him the high end property in Royal Palm Estates.

“The dark haired guy is pretty hot.” She continued as she eyed first the tall, brown haired man in the light green shirt and gray jacket and the tanned guy dark haired guy in the root beer colored shirt and black jacket.

“His name is Michael Hernandez, he plays for the Norfolk Admirals and he and Jarrod Stewart actually went to university together in Texas. The blond guy looks familiar but I can’t place him.” Andrea told them and they all looked at her.

“What? I saw the news story about the philanthropy work they’ve been doing to help underprivileged children by funding summer music camps. I'm not a journalist for nothing.” She said in answer to their unspoken question.

 “I’m going to the ladies room.” Rielle said quickly and laying her napkin on the table pushed her wooden chair back and wound her way around the tables to the peace and quiet of the restroom.

She looked in the mirror and saw her dilated eyes and shook her head in disgust wondering why just a stare from a handsome stranger would frazzle her like that.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t had boyfriends before and had finally slept with one ironically just before their long term relationship ended. They had parted as friends before she had been chosen for the team and she had put romance way on the back burner to concentrate on her studies and start training for the Olympics knowing that she could not have coped with a relationship in the mix. 

Rielle had been so proud to represent her home and wanted fiercely to do her best and men had not factored into the equation. At twenty-four she could see in hindsight she had been ill prepared to do a very good job with all three and it had been the best decision.

“He’s only a guy. You’ve dealt with them before.” She said to her reflection and smoothed lip gloss onto her mouth, checked her teeth and prayed her eyes would look less like neon lights. Rielle opened the door and when she turned back to go down the hall into the dining room came face to face with the stranger.

He had taken off the jacket and his sky blue jacquard shirt was rolled up to reveal strong tan forearms and fawn pants and she looked up and met a pair of crystal blue eyes with tiny laugh lines in a suntanned face.

Good Lord, he’s even better looking up close she thought taking in the stylishly cut dark blond hair and brows and a slightly off kilter nose that saved his face from being pretty. He had a sexy looking mouth above a strong chin that looked like someone had lightly pressed their thumb into it. He was tall and well built with broad shoulders, a trim waist and long legs and she was tempted to look at his hands but refrained.

Damn he looked like a GQ model as he stood casually with one hand in his pocket and even in the casual attire there was still an air of sophistication about him.

“Good evening, I hope you and your tablemates are enjoying the wine.” He said in a pleasant baritone voice that wrapped around and sent a thrill through her as they stood alone in the dimly lit hall.

“Yes, we are it was a very generous gesture. Thank you.” She answered graciously and stuck out her hand.

“My name is Gabrielle Hall. It’s nice to meet you.” She said pulling herself together and greeting him like she would any other visitor to the island.

She saw the corner of his mouth kick up and his eyes seemed to twinkle as his large hand slowly came up to engulf hers.

“The pleasure is all mine Ms. Hall, K.C. Whitfield at your service.”he replied softly as he looked down at her. 

Oh my God I am such a fool, she thought to herself. It was easy to tell herself he was just a man but when their skin touched she actually felt an electric current run up her arm and she looked up from their hands to meet his eyes. 

Rielle could feel her body responding to his touch . She was throbbing between her legs, her nipples were hardening and she wanted to cross her arms over breasts which felt heavy. He was easily the most compelling man she had met in a long time.

Chapter 8

Rielle vaguely heard the steel band music strike up and knew she needed to get back to the table but they were still touching, she couldn’t seem to break contact with him. She saw him frown as she tried and K.C. Whitfield turned her hand over, looked down at her fingers and then released her slowly.

Oh Lord she had a serious case of wet panty syndrome that she hadn't experienced even with her boyfriend who had been seriously cute. What was standing in front of her was a man not a boy and he was way more than cute he was hot and she recognized that fact.

K.C. had seen the shapely beauty when she entered the restaurant and it was as if a spotlight was shining down on her. His body had tensed as if for a blow and the adrenaline had flowed through his veins as blood rushed to his groin and he had felt arousal for the first time in months.

He had waited to see if a man would come in behind her but then she spotted someone at the bar. K.C. watched the smile that lit up her whole face and his eyes had narrowed wondering who the lucky bastard was even as he wanted to know what color her eyes were.

He had seen the three attractive women earlier talking and laughing together at the bar as had his boys but it was only when she had come in and joined them that he found himself really paying attention. She wore a purple dress that gave him and anyone else who was looking at her a glimpse of her plump breasts, small waist and skimmed over her hips and K.C. had shifted to adjust himself discreetly.

Rielle’s full mouth pulled up into a tentative smile while he continued to gaze down at her and she said quietly, “It was nice to meet you Mr. Whitfield. I hope you enjoy your stay on St. Sebastian.”

“I’m sure that I will now Ms. Hall. It is Ms. Hall isn’t it?” He asked smoothly wanting to verify her marital status.

He watched her eyes flare as he waited patiently for an answer.

“Um, yes it is. Have a good evening Mr. Whitfield, please excuse me.”  She replied in a low voice and turned away. She took a deep breath as she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other clutching at her bag with both hands. 

Rielle could feel him staring at her all the way back to the table and was fervently glad she hadn’t worn a taller heel or she would have been fallen on her face. She knew she had sounded flustered but the truth was there was something about K.C. Whitfield that had her wanting to see if that sexy mouth was as good as it looked.

Girl you have been hanging out too long with women if just a hand shake from a man has got you all shaky like this, Gabrielle thought shaking her head. But she had sublimated her sex drive for so long focusing on finishing her education, the Olympics and then coming back home to teach that she had forgotten what a relationship was like much less sex.

Damn, too bad her favorite home shopping channel didn't sell a wand or rabbit or something she could really use one. Her girls would probably tease her no end knowing she had an admirer and she was thinking about going solo, no way was she going to tell them. 

Gabrielle made her way back to the table on trembling legs, glad to sit down. She was quiet as she finished her meal listening to the other women talk about how their day had gone but she was mindful of the fact that they were being observed. She could feel eyes on her.  

K.C.’s eyes followed the seductive sway of her hips as she walked away and a small smile pulled up his mouth. He took a deep breath, her perfume a clean, beachy fragrance that teased his nostrils, filled his lungs and made him want to smell Ms. Hall up close and personal.

He was going to make it his mission to see Gabrielle again and get to know her a lot better.

Michael and Jarrod had seen the young woman get up and K.C. follow and they looked at each other speculatively when he came back shortly after she did.

The steel pan music was smoothly replaced with soca music, a type soul calypso that was faster paced and made for dancing as most diners finished their meals and the emcee came on stage to begin the show.

“So is the lady as pretty up close as she is from afar?” Michael asked jumping in with both size fourteens.

“Her name is Gabrielle Hall and no gentlemen she isn’t pretty. She’s gorgeous and just what I’m looking for to ease my heartache as well as another ache a little lower.” K.C. said, his sandy brows raising as he remembered the innocent look in her wide eyes and his lips curved into a predatory smile.

His hand splayed on his broad chest and he saw Jarrod shake his head as the words left his mouth.

“She is also a nice kid K.C. she may have the face and body of a playmate but I’ve met her and she isn’t up to your sophisticated games.” The other man warned before taking a sip of his gin and tonic.

“You say that like I’m the Marquis de Sade or something Jarrod I just want to get to know her a little better.” He protested suavely.

“The look on your face when you went after her said you want to get to know her a whole hell of a lot better bro. You looked like a wolf on the hunt or a dog on the prowl.” Michael chimed in wondering why Jarrod would be trying to cockblock.

K.C. had seen his share of stunning women and had slept with a few but never had he seen someone like Gabrielle. It wasn't like Jarrod to squash his game like this. 

“She’s a beautiful woman not a child, man you would think she’s under aged or some shit.” K.C. replied and saw his friend’s mouth tighten as he tossed back the rest of his drink and signaled a waiter.

K.C. looked over at the four women before turning back to his friend whose attention was studiously on the dancers coming onto the large stage.

They wore colorful, skimpy costumes similar to the ones that were worn during their Carnival, a two week cultural party that began on the fifth of July.

K.C. might have let the subject drop as he sat back in his chair but then he noticed the way Jarrod kept looking at the other table where the women were seated.

“Wait a minute; this isn’t about me is it? You damned hypocrite you’ve been coming down here a lot lately. Are you seeing one of those women?” he asked grimly over the fast paced music.

He had kept his voice low and leaned back in so that the conversation was still private and he watched Jarrod's reaction closely. K.C. knew he had hit the nail on the head when his friend’s jaw clenched and his eyes darkened.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He growled the denial his English accent more pronounced and K.C. knew he wasn’t wrong.

Chapter 9

 Michael knew it too and leaned in as he saw the waiter headed their way.

“Give up the goods man, which one of those babes are you sweet on because I got my eye on one of them and I ain’t trying to take your woman.”  He said his Texas drawl coming out.

The waiter put their drinks down as the dancers on stage began dancing and Michael stared in amazement as their hips gyrated in time to the music. 

“Damn, do you suppose all of the women can move like that?” he finally asked when they stopped with a flourish.

K.C. was busy remembering the swing of Gabrielle’s hips as she walked away and knew that she had some moves she could probably show him.

Michael however was looking at Jarrod and saw him wince as he stared down at his drink and knew K.C. wasn’t the only one having woman problems.

“No, you idiot and besides don’t you know when a woman can move like that they’re usually lousy in bed. It’s the ones that look like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth you’ve got to watch.” Jarrod said almost bitterly with a shake of his head and the two men looked at each other sensing a mystery.

For once Michael proved to be the sensitive one, not taking offense to Jarrod’s put down.

“Let’s table this for later guys. I want to enjoy the show.” He said easily and everyone agreed.

The show proved to be very entertaining because the women turned out to be singers as well and one of them was a fire eater while a pair of mocko jumbies also called stilt walkers danced and pulled audience members onto the floor. One of the tall disguised figures drew a young woman onto the dance floor who turned out to be the quiet beauty in orange who confirmed Jarrod’s theory as she laughed and danced with abandon to the infectious soca beat.

After the show the dancers mingled with the crowd and tourists as well as locals were encouraged to enjoy themselves and it was quite a sight to see Jarrod towering over the petite woman he danced with.

K.C. took the good natured ribbing of his friends for his lack of rhythm but his mind was on the dark haired beauty in purple who danced just out of his line of vision tossing her hair sensually. He would have approached Gabrielle on the dance floor but he sensed that she wouldn’t appreciate so bold a move in public so he steered clear and they left shortly after the women did.

A few minutes into the drive, Jarrod knew the subject was going to be broached so he took the plunge.

“I met her on a photo shoot for the St. Sebastian Tourism Board about two years ago, but I was seeing someone at the time.” He said as they drove out of Portsmouth, the lit harbor rivaling the stars in the sky.

“She had just come back from the Olympics and was part of the team that won that silver medal and they wanted to capitalize on the publicity for the island so they had a big spread in International Traveler Magazine with different points of interest on the island which I was chosen to photograph.” He continued as he maneuvered through the dark night.

“The shoot went very well and taking those pictures was one of the easiest and most difficult, because I found myself attracted to one of the players on team. That shoot tested my professionalism because I had an almost instant attraction to her and had to fight to hide it from everyone including her." He was silent for a moment before he went on, his accent more pronounced. 

"We’ve met a couple of times at different functions but never dated because when I finally got the balls to ask her out she said she didn’t want to start anything with someone who travels so much.” Jarrod told them grimly as smooth jazz played quietly in the night.

“Come on man, you're killing me here! Which one of the babes are you talking about.” Michael groused impatiently.

“She’s got the most beautiful brown eyes, flawless skin and her hair is amazing.” The big man teased but got serious immediately as Michael looked ready to blow in the front passenger seat.

“Her name is Camille Lee and she had on the pink dress.” He finally revealed and Michael blew out a breathe in relief.

“Good cause the blonde one is mine.” The dark haired man replied.

They had been friends for a long time and at one time or another been interested in the same female but K.C. had a feeling Jarrod was serious about this one to still be thinking about her after all this time. Jarrod also hadn't been in a serious relationship in nearly four years.  

“K.C. I’m not encouraging you but Gabrielle lives in the salmon colored house coming up on your left.” Jarrod said pulling him from his musings a few minutes later. 

He found himself scooting across the back seat before he could check himself to look out the window and he saw a blue SUV on the side of the road and the woman in question opening the gate.

“Jarrod, pull over.” He ordered and the vehicle had barely stopped before he was hopping out.

Chapter 10

Rielle had heard a vehicle approaching while she was unlocking her gate and looked up to see the SUV and she became a little nervous. St. Sebastian was like anywhere else in the world, even though it was paradise there were serpents here as well.

The crime rate was nowhere as high as some of the other islands but she was not interested in becoming any type of statistic and stayed in her car next to her gate as it went by. Her relief was short lived when the SUV stopped a few yards ahead of her and she saw a tall figure exit the vehicle which she identified as Jarrod Stewart’s.

The fact that she knew who he was didn’t help to alleviate her fear when she recognized K.C. Whitfield coming towards her in the headlights. His long legged gait brought him quickly to the side of her vehicle and he leaned down till she could see his face in the light of the streetlamp.

“Hi, are you all right?” he asked when she rolled down her window.

“Hi um yes, I was just getting ready to reverse in.” she replied keeping her voice low.

His cologne wafted into the interior of her jeep and defeated her attempt to ignore the heat in her belly and the throbbing between her legs that had just stopped only to have it start up again when she inhaled his citrusy scent.

He looked at her house with the light on above the front door, wide porch, and large yard bisected by a concrete drive leading to a dark car port.

“I’ll wait until you’re safely in your yard.” He told her easily and she nodded after a moment not wanting to appear ungrateful.

She had reversed into her yard a million times and only prayed that she could make it in one shot with his eyes on her and released a pent up breath when she did it. She grabbed her purse, got out of the vehicle and looked up at the light in the ceiling of the carport that was on a timer but for some reason had not come on before she walked over to where K.C. Whitfield stood in the combined street and moonlight with a hand shoved in his pocket.

“Is something wrong?” he asked seeing Rielle’s furrowed brow.

“It’s nothing; I just have a little maintenance to do tomorrow.” She replied with a smile that faltered when he didn’t return it.

His face was cast in interesting shadows and her heart thudding in her chest as she caught the smell of his cologne. There was something about the way this man smelled that turned her on.

“I hope that doesn’t mean you will be up on a ladder tomorrow when you have someone willing to do that for you.” He said walking with her onto the porch and holding the screen door open for her.

Rielle stopped to look up at him before she fished her keys out of her bag and glanced at his outstretched hand.

“Your concern is noted but unwarranted I’m used to doing things for myself. Correct me if I’m wrong but this wasn’t a date.” She said looking up at him before putting her key in the lock and turning it.

He smiled at this show of independence as he dropped his hand.

“That’s true and I’d like to remedy that. Can I take you out to lunch maybe tomorrow night or Sunday?” he asked smoothly and she turned to meet his intent gaze.

She was flattered by his attention, any woman would be but he was way out of her league. Even though she had been in relationships this was not in her realm of experience and she knew it.

“Mr. Whitfield, that wasn’t my coy way of getting you to ask me out. I don’t think that would be very wise.” She began and stopped as an index finger hovered against her lips and she inhaled his masculine scent catching notes of lemon and cedar.

“I’m thirty-one, single and an architect. I live in Denver not far from my parents who have been happily married for thirty-five years. I’ve done a lot of travelling but I enjoy sitting at home watching Top Chef and then trying to cook what I’ve seen. I’m not a bad guy and I would like to spend some time with you, if you would allow me the pleasure of your company.” He told her softly and saw her eyelids lower over her expressive eyes.

Rielle found herself smiling as he told her about himself because she also liked watching the reality show and she wondered what else he liked to do. She must have come off as really inexperienced because he was trying really hard to make her feel comfortable in his presence and it was working to some extent but she wasn’t stupid.

Interracial dating was becoming more prevalent and even though she was a product of such a relationship she knew some people were not motivated by genuine emotion.

She had gotten a lot of male attention in college but had stayed faithful to her high school boyfriend until she had returned home at Christmas and they had broken up. In her sophmore year she had dated a little and had ended up dating a guy in her chemistry class from the previous year who had always been nice to her.

It had taken him three months to get her into bed and that single experience had never been repeated because unfortunately they'd had no chemistry in bed. They realized they had gotten into a comfortable rut which did not make for a satisfying relationship. Sex had just put a glaring spotlight on that fact. Now of course she knew better and if she'd had any fear that she might be frigid meeting  K.C. eased those fears, while raising others. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Rielle finally said turning to face him squarely and she had to give him credit for keeping his eyes from dropping to her cleavage.

“Are you about to ask me if I’ve dated a woman of color before?  The answer would be yes I have. I’m not just asking you out as an experiment, I’ve never dated a woman for any other reason than because we shared an attraction.  A woman’s color has never factored into the equation.” K.C. told her staring down at her intently with those beautiful blue eyes and she believed him.

Chapter 11

Obviously there was chemistry between them that he was acting on but Rielle was still hesitant and not only because he was a visitor. The fact that he was not a permanent resident was both a pro and a con. If they relationship didn't work out he at least would be leaving and not a constant reminder of what might have been. If the relationship did work then she wasn't sure where that would leave them. 

While he was an equal opportunity dater, she had never dated a Caucasian man before and he was also a little older than she was. Rielle had only ever dated guys her age and wasn’t sure how much they would have in common.

“I guess you can’t say the same?” he said quietly and she shook her head.

“For some reason, not a lot of guys asked me out in high school and by the time I got to college I just wasn’t interested in any of the white guys that did ask. I always got the feeling that they just wanted to try something different and I wasn't willing to be anyone's experiment.” She revealed slowly wondering what that said about her.

K.C. nodded to show that he understood where she was coming from.

"I do know what you mean. I went out with all types of women and because I was colorblind I know some of them did just date me for that reason." he told her honestly. 

It was hard for K.C. to not go at her with all of his considerable charms and truth be told most women would have been inviting him in for a nightcap by now. He had had a few one night stands in college, but had always made sure to wrap it up and he had always tested clean for any sort of disease.

After college he had concentrated on his career for a while before he had gotten into a relationship with a young lawyer that had lasted four months probably because they ignored the fact that they were hardly ever together.

K.C. wasn't a saint by any means but as he had gotten older he realized that he wanted to be in a relationship. He usually liked to know a little something more about her woman than what she liked to drink and her sign before he jumped into bed with her. Something that his mother had said to him stuck about whoever he was involved with being someone's daughter and he needed to treat them with respect.

The fact was that he had been spoiled by women but that was because he treated them well. When Tiffani had shown her true colors he had become jaded and totally disenchanted with women and not interested in starting a new relationship. But there was something about Gabrielle that had him forgetting about his vow to remain single for a while. 

Gabriielle hesitated so long that he almost gave up hope of her saying yes. She was very cautious and he wondered if someone had hurt her for her to be so guarded.

“At least let me fix that light for you. I know a little something about electricity if it turns into a bigger job than just changing the bulb.” He offered, his blue eyes earnest and she chewed on her lip for a moment to prevent herself from saying yes too fast.

“All right, I would appreciate you looking at the light if you aren’t too busy. I usually go to the market early to get my produce for the week so if you wanted to stop by say at eleven thirty I should be home.” Gabrielle told him and saw his eyes glowing as his even white teeth flashed at her.

“I have to pick up my vehicle in the morning but that should work out. Do you have a cell phone?” he asked and she pulled out a slim pink model from her purse and handed it to him.

She watched him tap in his digits and wondered why he was so calm when her body was tingling from his proximity and the touch of his hands. Rielle was trying to settle her nerves after the brief contact with his warm hands when he handed her phone back.

“I put in my number so that you can call me when you get home tomorrow. I’ll see you in the morning and by the way please call me K.C., Mr. Whitfield is my father.” He told her with a roughish smile.

She dropped her purse onto a chair next to the door and followed him down the steps back to the gate almost without knowing how she got there.

K.C. lifted her hand turned it over and placed a soft kiss on her inner wrist while keeping eye contact before he turned and slipped out the gate. He stood on the other side, blue eyes twinkling at her until her fumbling fingers managed to lock it.

"Goodnight and thank you." Gabrielle said quietly looking up and him. 

“Sleep tight.” He said softly giving her a wink before he strolled away whistling ‘Could You Be Love’ by Bob Marley which had been playing when he walked up to her car.

She went back up the steps laughing and picked up her bag in a happy fog no longer wondering if she had made a mistake. Rielle felt like one of those giddy teenagers who got to shake hands with their crush and didn’t want to wash their hands after.

She took a quick shower barely passing the soap over her skin, afraid to touch the throbbing bundle of nerves between her thighs or the skin of her wrist because she could still feel his lips there.

 Rielle dressed in a wife beater and panties and said a quick prayer before laying in bed a smile still on her face when she finally fell asleep.

She awoke at six as usual feeling energized and dressed quickly in a short brown sundress, flat leather sandals, big silver hoops and wrapped her head in a yard of dark brown fabric after she couldn’t do anything with it. She grabbed up a big straw bag and slipped her purse and cell phone in it along with her sunglasses before running out the door.

This early there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the road except people going to the different open air markets being held throughout the island. Rielle found a parking space on a back street and was soon joining the other shoppers in the pursuit of fresh produce.

There were people selling herbs, spices, fresh fish, honey, different stewed fruits, fruits, vegetables, homemade hot pepper sauce, sugarcane juice, and local drinks, peanut punch and sea moss both of which were said to be aphrodisiacs. Fruit trees, paintings, mahogany statues, jewelry, clothing, leather sandals, straw bags and hats along with local cookbooks were offered up for sale by the hands that had produced them.

She greeted the vendors she knew and got some fresh snapper, dolphin  also known as mahi-mahi, thyme, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, limes, peppers, avocados, mangoes, a hand green bananas, a pineapple and replenished her supply of locally made soap and shampoo.

Rielle’s parents ran an ice cream store called Tropical Delights not far from the market on the waterfront that had been in her father’s family for nearly sixty years and she walked there after she finished shopping.

When her father, Graham had taken over the business from his father he had expanded and made a deal with several of the larger hotels including the Excelsior to be the exclusive vendor of locally made ice cream.

She remembered summers as a kid working there along with Christopher serving customers and helping to make the ice cream which was made with local flavors, as well as sandwiches, pastries and cakes.

The store opened from nine until six in the evenings during the week and on Saturdays and closed on Sunday. She still pitched in during the summers when she wasn’t playing beach volleyball and when she was on Christmas break but the school term was reserved for teaching her students only. Rielle was looking forward to spring break which coincided with Easter and they would be out of school for ten days the week after next.

  Magdalena Lopez-Hall

 Graham Hall

Chapter 12

Her mother spotted her as she stepped into the store a blast cool air soothing her heated skin and a smile broke out over Magdalena’s lightly tanned face when she saw her daughter, her big brown eyes brightening.

“Hello niña, did you see Keturah? She was looking for you.” She said coming around the counter to give her a hug.

She wore a yellow t-shirt emblazoned with the store logo and jeans and her long dark hair was up in a ponytail under a yellow baseball cap. She didn’t look old enough to have two grown children twenty seven and nearly twenty four years old with her slim, toned figure. Rielle was extremely proud of her sexy, strong mother.

She was especially proud of her mother because at the same time that Gabrielle had been going off to college her mother had been diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. Her parents had chosen not to reveal the fact until she came back for Christmas break and had encouraged her to return to school when she would have stayed home at the end of the break. They had insisted that her mother was getting the finest care on the island at the hospital that had some state of the art equipment and physicians.

Magdalena had had a partial mastectomy and several chemotherapy treatments all without letting either one of their children know what was going on in the first three months of her diagnosis. Her fighting spirit had been bolstered by her husband's unconditional love. She was a four year survivor and the family had grown closer and stronger during and in the aftermath of that frightening ordeal.

The Halls were one of the driving forces of a breast cancer walk on the island and her mother often spoke at schools and to different organizations on the island to other women about her experience. They were actually sponsoring a female team of survivors and their friends in the triathalon to raise money for the cause.

There was no doubt that Magdalena was the heart of their family and without her the family would have fallen apart. The couple had married when Magdalena was eighteen and Graham twenty-four and just ready to be drafted into the NBA. They had been through ups and downs in their relationship and fortunately that had only served to make them a stronger team.

Gabrielle and her mother were very close now and the two women often went shopping together. Rielle could only hope that she had inherited her mother's strong character to withstand the trials that life put a woman through. She and her mother spoke on the phone almost everyday and she made a point of spending time with both of her parents but espcially her mother. They also went to a yoga class two nights a week at the gym in the Regency Mall not too far from the airport.

“Hi mama yes I picked up my potions and lotions. I can’t stay too long I’ve got some fish here I want to get home and season. Where is Daddy?” she asked looking around the busy store and waving to her teenaged cousins Lisa and Cathy who helped out on Saturdays.

“He’s in the back getting the passion fruit ice cream out of the freezer. Are you going to be playing at Sandy Beach tomorrow after church?” she asked her only daughter who was peering into the showcase.

“Yes, we are actually starting up the beach volleyball tournament next weekend. Lisa can I have a quart of the pina colada ice cream and also the lemon please?” she requested just as her father came out of the back room.

Graham Hall was a strapping cinnamon skinned man with hazel eyes who had gone to college on a basketball scholarship and played in the NBA for twelve years before a knee injury had sidelined him. He proudly wore the championship ring he had won with the Savannah Sentinels, one of the two teams he had played with during his professional career.

He had instilled in both of his children a love of sports and they had both played collegiate sports. Rielle had loved volleyball but Christopher was a numbers man and he had earned his degree in finance and economics, basketball was something he now played to stay fit.

Graham’s hazel eyes lit up at the sight of Rielle and she got a big bear hug.

“How’s my baby girl?” he asked looking down at her with a big smile.

“I’m good Daddy, I just came in to say hey and grab some ice cream. I’ve got to get going or my fish is going to start smelling up the store. I’ll see you at church tomorrow okay? Love you guys.” Rielle said waving to her parents as she collected the ice cream containers and hurriedly left the cool of the air conditioning.

The bright blue sky was broken up by fluffy clouds floating in the sky and once again she could only think again that she was happy to be back home with her family and friends. A smile pulled up her mouth and she passed several people on her way back to her car, saying good morning in greeting. Her mother had always told her manners took you all over the world.

She had a Styrofoam cooler in the back of Martha with some icepacks and dropped the ice cream and fish in for the journey home. Rielle got home and changed into a pair of white shorts and a colorful tie dyed t-shirt before starting a load of laundry and unloading her purchases She quickly seasoning the cleaned fish with kosher salt, pepper and fresh herbs before putting it in a Ziploc bag and placing it in the fridge. 

She had called K.C. shortly after she arrived but was determined not to change her routine so had told him she was home and then started her chores. Living alone made cleaning up easy because though Gabrielle wasn’t the neatest person in the world she did believe in putting things back where she got them from. She had a chance to straighten up the house before  K.C. got there and was making fresh squeezed lemonade when she heard her cell phone ring which she had left in the living room.

“Hello?” Rielle said trying not to let on that she was panicking about his coming to her house.

“Hello Ms. Hall, I’m parked outside your gate.” Came his warm voice and Rielle licked her lips as she unwittinglly broke into a smile.

“I’ll open it and you can back your car in ok?” she told him and he agreed. She knew having a strange vehicle parked outside her gate would be cause for speculation and on the island gossip travelled fast.

She was happy her older brother was off island because he would have been all up in her business. Christopher could be very overprotective and pretty bossy even though she lived on her own and paid her own bills.

Rielle didn’t get to change her clothes only had a chance to look in the mirror and tuck in a stray loop of hair that had escaped her ponytail before she went to open the gate.

He had gotten a gray Range Rover with a great stereo system and she heard Kem singing about love calling before he turned off the engine. K.C. got out dressed in a grey polo shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and denim cargo shorts.  He wore dark sunglasses so she couldn’t see his electric eyes that rivalled the sky.

"Hi.” She said shyly as she looked up at him realizing how tall he really was now that she was wearing flip flops and not heels and his hair gleamed in the sun.

“Hi.” He replied his voice deep.

K.C. was barely able to keep his eyes off her lithe figure in the hip length t-shirt and long light brown limbs that he could imagine having wrapped around his waist.

He was going to have to keep his mind on the mission of the day which was to get her to go out on a date with him. That objective would not be accomplished if he was throwing off ‘I want to jump your hot gorgeous body.’ vibes. He pushed the sunglasses to the top of his head and nearly got mesmerized by her green-grey almond shaped eyes.

“I was surprised by how many people go to the market; it reminded me of the one I’ve  gone to in Denver. I managed to get some fresh fruit and some really nice mahi-mahi. So did you get all of your shopping done?” he asked.

He wouldn’t tell her that he had actually looked for her at the market. That would just make him seem like a creepy stalker and that was not the image he wanted to project. He had left Michael and Jarrod at the market and made his way back through town and the neighboring parrishes easily. The only thought in his head to see Rielle again and to stay on the correct side of the road. 

Chapter 13

“Yes, I did and I got some of the mahi-mahi as well. They also hydroponically grow some of the best tomatoes.” She answered looking up into his handsome golden tanned face. She felt the fluttering in her belly as his eyes focused on her and she prayed that she didn't start drooling all over him. 

K.C. was absorbing her fresh faced appearance; Rielle was even more beautiful in the daytime than she had been under the soft ambient lighting of the restaurant. She only had on a little lip gloss, her black hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail and she was so natural a refreshing change from most of the women of his acquaintance. He felt his body begin to respond and he was happy to discover that last night's reaction was not a fluke. 

He couldn’t believe he was standing there talking about fish and tomatoes when he was in the presence of this tanned goddess. His ego must have taken a bigger hit than he realized if this was the sorry state of his game. Then again he didn't feel like he had to play a game with Gabrielle after the brief conversation he'd had with her last night.

He smiled down at her not even having to school his features to exude warmth and not lust; it just came out of him as he looked down into her open face.

“I love your garden. This is a lot of yard for a house on the island.” K.C. said looking around at all of the local greenery.

Jarrod had taken them around pretty much all of St. Sebastian yesterday afternoon and a lot of the houses in the lower elevations were on smaller plots. 

Gabrielle’s yard which he estimated to be a little over half an acre, was a rectangular plot with a good view of the sea on a slight slope. She had a nicely kept lawn as well as red bougainvillea that hedged the chain link fence, white jasmine, crotons and several hibiscus plants of various colors as well as some tall palm trees.

“My grandparents deeded the property to me when I turned eighteen. My brother Christopher has the house across the street. He decided to put in an apartment downstairs but I didn’t want to be bothered with a tenant.”  Rielle told him and he turned to look at the cream colored two story house also on a large portion of land.

“So instead of Mt. Elizabeth this could be known as Hall Hill?” he asked smiling and she looked up at him unsure if he was making fun of her.

“Yes, it could be. Land ownership on the island is very important. Not everyone can buy property and when I started building my home a lot of naysayers told me that as a young woman I should wait until I got married and let my husband  decide what to do with the land. Thankfully my family supported my decision and the money I made from the opportunities I had after the Olympics enabled me to build my home without going to the bank.” She said with quiet pride.

“You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished Ms. Hall. I have a sister who is as independent as you and that was a trait that has been encouraged by my family as well as myself. You have a beautiful place.” He finally said with sincerity staring at her serious face after realizing that he might have stepped on her toes.

He felt something tug at his heart when he saw Gabrielle smile at him with her eyes before she turned to go around the side of the house to the car port.

“I’ve always said I would rather drive a heap than have a fancy car and not live in my dream home fortunately my car is not a heap and I do live in my dream home. ” She said with quiet pride. "I’ll get you a ladder.” Gabrielle said over her shoulder.

His eyes had dropped and she'd almost caught him staring at her round, swinging ass and curvy hips. If he didn’t pull his shit together she would catch him so he drew on his considerable will power, but that task was easier said than done. The woman was temptation on two shapely legs and K.C. wondered if she really knew how people perceived her.

He remembered his sister admiring the team and especially Rielle and Camille when they had started showing up on magazine covers. The team had done a swimsuit calendar that had made a phenomenal amount of money. He recalled coming across some of the guys from his department ogling the women when the calendar had come out and he had a copy of it himself. It had actually set a record for calendars, and he was pretty sure she had been a big reason for that. 

While K.C. sincerely admired her spunk he was also man enough to admit that he also appreciated the way she was built and he discreetly adjusted his cock while she pulled some keys and unlocked a small concrete building beyond the carport.

He saw another expanse of land with several large fruit trees including avocado and mango along with a clothes line where her fresh smelling laundry blew in the breeze. He tried not to stare too hard at the colorful scraps of Rielle’s underwear and pulled his attention away in time to find her holding one end of an aluminum ladder and he took it from her.

She had parked her blue Xterra much closer and to the front of the house so that they had room to set up the ladder. The concrete pad of the carport was trimmed by asparagus fern plants and passionfruit vines ran on the fence. The roof was at least fifteen feet off the ground he saw as he unfolded the ladder.

“I’ll check the bulb first, which from here sort of looks like it’s blown. Do you have another?” He asked her after studying the light while she watched him.

She went back into the storage room and returned with an energy saving light bulb. Rielle watched him go up the ladder easily and knew it would have taken her some time to work up the courage to do the same since she did not like heights.

K.C. had a confident air about him that she found very attractive, he seemed comfortable in his own skin and that was always sexy. It also didn't hurt that he appeared to be in very good shape, she had always appreciated an athletic man and the heat in her belly spread to her lower regions.

He had the calves of a runner and she wondered what he did for exercise as she stared at the thick muscles flexing beneath his golden skin sprinkled with hair. He had looked debonair in his suit but now looked really good in casual clothes. His broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, and she liked the way his biceps were hugged by the t-shirt.

He unscrewed the bulb and exchanged it for the one Rielle had and then took a tester from his pants pocket. The wires checked out just fine visually and had electricity flowing through them. K.C. also inspected the fuse after asking her to turn off the breaker so he wouldn’t get electrocuted.

“I think the bulb was just blown. Go ahead and turn the breaker back on.” He told her satisfied that it was that simple.

He came down and she did as he requested while he carried the ladder into the storage room.

It was then he saw the generator inside and realized that there were solar panels on the red metal roof of her house. He looked back at her and the smile on his face was really engaging.

“Was it your idea to install solar panels? I've seen quite a few houses on the island that have them and I think Jarrod said several of the government offices as well as the hospital have them as well. It's really good to see people being so environmentally aware.” K.C. said with enthusiasm.

“Yes, I’ve always liked the idea of being self sufficient and this is another way of doing that. The power goes off at least once a month here for one reason or the other and we’ve had a couple of bad hurricanes in the last twenty years so I thought it would be a good idea to be prepared for the inevitable.” Rielle told him and watched him nod in agreement.

"I like the idea that there's a program to recycle the plastic bottles and bags as well. The island seems very eco-conscious. That's something I found out when I was doing some research on the building I'm helping to renovate." K.C. revealed and she liked his passion for the subject.

"We have no real manufacturing on the island and the agricultural sector is just getting to the point where the small farms can meet the demands of not just regular customers but the hotels as well. We were lucky that the government recognized those facts and years ago laid the foundation for the success that we're seeing now." Gabrielle told him.

K.C. was very impressed with the way she spoke about her home. She was engaging and knowledgeable. Brains and beauty were an irresistable combo for him, he could see why Jarrod had been talking so favorably about the women if Gabrielle's friends were all like this. 

Chapter 14

“K.C. have you had lunch already?’ she asked expectantly not wanting him to leave and waited for his answer.

“No not yet, I was going to make a sandwich when I got back up to the house.” He replied easily.

He realized that was the first time she had called him by his name and could imagine him screaming her name in passion.

They walked back around to the front of the salmon colored house but stayed under the roof of the carport out of the heat of the midday sun and he took a deep breath to control his unruly body and hoped his mind would follow.

“I’m about to make lunch if you can wait another hour to eat. I do appreciate you fixing the light for me and I'd like to thank you. And you can call me Rielle, everyone does.” She offered with a smile showing off pretty white teeth.

“Lunch sounds great. The food was really good at the restaurant last night but there’s nothing like a home cooked meal.” He replied as they continued up the concrete steps to her wraparound porch.

She looked back at him and paused with a hand on the door, a coy smile on her face before she asked, “By the way, do you like it hot?”

K.C. had seen the slightly provocative tilt of her mouth and barely registered her words but his head came up and a frown appeared on his face when he understood what she had said.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” He answered cautiously as his body stirred to life. He watched a mischievous look cover Rielle’s face and his gaze wavered dropping to her mouth.  

“I’m making spicy rice with shrimp and peppers. I’m just confirming that you can handle heat. What did you think I meant?” she replied before she slipped inside the house.

He was left to stare after her and K.C. threw back his head and laughed as he got a glimpse of her sense of humor, she was proving to be a really nice surprise. Just with a few words she had made him forget the turmoil that had been in his life several months ago and he could say Tiffany who? Gabrielle had totally gained his focus with her playful words.

“Hurry up and come in I’ll give you a tour and then I’m going to put you to do some more work.” She called laughter in her voice and he followed her into the cool house.

He looked around with interest at her home and saw a lot of Gabrielle's vibrant personality. 

The high ceiling was a tongue in groove construction with a palm shaped ceiling fan and light combination. The living room furniture consisted of a tan sectional, dark mahogany coffee table and a flat screen television anchored the large, yellow painted room.  

The adjoining dining room was also yellow with a mahogany dining room set that could seat six and a buffet table against a wall. This led to a pale green U-shaped kitchen with white cabinets and stainless steel refrigerator and gas stove.

A cream colored bathroom with a skylight to let in natural light was sandwiched between two good sized bedrooms painted pale aqua blue and peach respectively.

The final room on the tour was her lavender master bedroom with an attached bathroom and K.C. found himself eyeing her queen sized white sheeted bed with real interest.

All of the rooms were large and light filled with rounded archways and K.C. liked the flow and the way her feisty personality came through in the use of color. There were a few pieces of crystal scattered about, and several paintings on the walls but aside from what looked like some family photos she didn’t have a lot in the way of chachkis or decorations in the space. 

The floors throughout the house were terrazzo which was created when wet concrete was sprinkled with colorful glass chips and then polished to a high gloss. In this case the floors were a mixture of light brown, cream and white while the kitchen counters were shades of aqua blue and white.

He could see that she’d had an integral part of not just decorating but the design and building process as well. He liked the fact that she was that creative in making a space for herself at such a young age. K.C. complimented her on her home again and Rielle felt pride at his words as they returned to the kitchen and true to her word she put him to work after they washed their hands.

Rielle had him chopping green onions, green bell peppers, plum tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. She gave him food safe gloves to deseed one Scotch bonnet pepper after giving him strict instruction not to touch his face before he washed his hands thoroughly even with the gloves on.

Rielle moved efficiently around the space while keeping her eyes on K.C. making sure he wasn’t going to cut off one of his fingers as she made a dressing of olive oil, vinegar and green onions and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

She teased K.C. about his knife skills and since he was proving to be proficient she had him make the avocado, cucumber and tomato salad in a wooden bowl.

In the meantime she had heated olive oil in a large Dutch oven, sautéed shrimp till it was opaque and transferred it to a plate. She added what K.C. had chopped up and sautéed that until everything was tender before adding a little vinegar, rice and clam juice.

After bringing the pot to a boil she turned the gas down to a low simmer and set the timer for twenty minutes. She quickly washed the dishes they had dirtied as he rinsed and they were done in about five minutes. The aroma in the kitchen was faboulous and he couldn't wait to eat.

It was just after one and it felt like they had been together all day and they both privately enjoyed how well they had worked together to prepare the meal.

Rielle was impressed, apparently he really did cook a lot and hadn’t been joking when he talked about watching the cooking show and they discussed their favorite chefs as well as other shows they watched.

He laughed at her insight into the personality of the chefs and she got a kick out of him saying he had a crush on the very versatile hostess of Top Chef.  

He’d had women cook for him before and even helped a few of them in the cooking process but this was the most enjoyable experience of them all.

The kitchen had gotten hot even with all of the windows in the house being open and a good breeze blowing through so they took the pitcher with lemonade onto the front porch where they sat at the locally made mahogany table and sat talking.

“You know for some reason I can’t call you Rielle like everyone else does. I’d prefer to call you Gabrielle; it just seems to fit you better.” K.C. told her looking into her eyes and watched her eyebrow quirk for a second.

“Chris couldn’t pronounce my name when I was born so I became Rielle and that’s what I answered to, only my parents or teachers would call me by my full name when I was in trouble.”  

“I don’t mind getting into a little trouble with you and I sure wouldn't mind giving you some instruction.” He told her mischievously wiggling his eyebrows and she smacked him on a muscular shoulder playfully as she laughed.

“You are so bad.” She replied her nose wrinkling as she fidgeted on her seat, the heat that she was feeling having more to do with her company than the hot sun.

“Actually I’ve been told I’m very good.” He assured her eyes meeting as they sipped at the lemonade to cool off.

The sexual tension that had been simmering on low between them was back now on the front burner.

K.C. was friends with several women, a few of them he had slept with but with Gabrielle he knew already friendship was not all that he wanted from her.  He decided not to push the date question further for now and asked her a few questions about island life.

K.C. was interested in some of the different events on the island and listened as Rielle began telling him about the triathlon, food festival and Carnival all of which would be happening in the next few months.

She also told him about going through a hurricane and the devastation one could leave in its wake. The last one had occurred when she was in high school and she remembered being out of school for a month as things slowly got back to normal after a category 2 storm.

The vast majority of buildings on the island were made of concrete and while some windows had blown out, some of the houses had been damaged, and some vegetation burned from the seaspray it was nothing compared to the devastation left by a Category 4 storm like Hurricane Hugo. That storm had come through the Caribbean and there had been fatalities and widespread destruction in the region.  

K.C. was processing all of the information he was getting to incorporate it into the design of the hotel and he discussed some of the buildings he had designed.

Usually when he talked to women about his work and the effort he put into making his projects green their eyes glazed over with boredom, but he knew Gabrielle was really paying attention when she asked him some very pointed questions.

Chapter 15

 Her I-phone began ringing and she quickly looked down, “Excuse me.” She said to her guest when she saw Cam’s number on the display.

“Hey what’s up?” she asked uncrossing her long legs and getting up to walk away from the table.

“K.C. Whitfield rented a vehicle today.” Said Cam anxiously and Rielle frowned.

“That’s a good thing isn’t it?” she asked wondering at her tone.

“Hell yes, my father was against me getting such an expensive vehicle but I knew someone would lease it. He came in with Michael Hernandez and Jarrod Stewart who invited me to his house in Royal Palm Estate for a dinner party to welcome them to the island tonight." she said anxiously. 

"That sounds like it'll be fun." Rielle said not sure where Camille was heading with this. 

"Andrea was there so I couldn’t say no. He asked us to bring anyone else we thought would be cool. Consider this your invite woman and I’m not taking no for an answer. You cannot abandon me. What are you going to wear?” Camille asked almost frantically.

Gabrielle pondered her friend’s odd behavior for a moment before she finally said softly, “Girl you need to take a breath and calm down. I've got company so I can't really talk right now. Let me call you back in a little while okay?” and she hung up from the other woman.

She looked over at K.C. to see him frowning at his Blackberry as he texting someone but he stopped when he saw she was finished with her call just as the timer buzzed in the kitchen.

They went back in to find the water had been absorbed, she finished off the dish by seasoning it with salt and pepper and stirred in the shrimp before covering it for another few minutes. All that was needed now was a sprinkle of some of the reserved chopped green onion.

Rielle was reaching for plates from an upper cabinet when K.C. came to stand behind her and easily reached over her head and took them down. He smelled the combined coconut and almond fragrance of her hair before he stepped back.  

The rice had absorbed the flavor of the shrimp a few minutes later and it smelled and looked great as Rielle ladled the steaming food onto two plates. He followed her back outside and they sat at the teak table before saying grace.

Gabrielle slid her hands across the small table and K.C. lightly held them and bowed his head and she was pleased that he was not a stranger to this practice as he said a short but respectful prayer.

K.C. had Sunday dinners at his grandparents home to thank for his ability to say a prayer. From an early age he could remember everyone around the table having to say what they were thankful for before eating. He took his first bite while she discreetly watched for his reaction to the meal.

“This is really good Rielle, you’ll have to give me the recipe.” K.C. told her.

The spicy heat of the Scotch bonnet pepper danced on his tongue without overpowering the delicacy of the shrimp and rice. He watched her expressive face and knew it was the right thing to say as a smile blossomed.

“Your view is priceless. I can imagine having any meal out here is a pleasure.” He said taking a sip of lemonade.

A breeze helped to cool off the midday heat and the clear blue sky was interrupted by fluffy white clouds that floated by and with houses scattered in the green valley below them made an idyllic scene.

“It is. I prefer to eat out here to enjoy the breeze and view especially during the summer. It was something that I missed when I went away to college so I really take advantage of it when I can.” She replied happier than she cared to examine that he was enjoying their culinary efforts.

K.C. couldn’t help drawing references between Gabrielle and Tiffani who wouldn’t have been caught dead in a kitchen unless it was to yell at the staff or to order more caviar.

She looked over at him while chewing a mouthful of buttery avocado, and he decided that he liked how she enjoyed her food instead of picking at it.

“I noticed that not a lot of the natives on the island have a very strong accent. I’ve been to quite a few of the islands where they have very strong regional dialects but for some reason I don’t hear that here. Why is that?” K.C. asked curiously.

Rielle considered her answer for a moment before she finally answered him.

“Tourism is the driving force of our economy here and has been for a long time. There has been a push in our schools to speak proper English and we’ve been exposed to mainland American culture for a long time which has helped with that as well. There is also the fact that a lot of us travel away whether for work or to further our education, most of the islanders have learned to turn the accent on and off at will.” She answered easily.

He thought back to his mother who had no trace of an accent even when she was angry there was no indication that she was from the island. It was like she had wiped all traces of her former life totally away.

“What about you, I don’t hear an accent with you at all.” He asked as he speared a shrimp off his colorful plate.

He had deliberately chosen not to ask Jarrod anything about Gabrielle so that he could find out about her on his own without someone else’s preconceived notions.

“My father played basketball professionally and my brother and I were born in Atlanta not on the island by the time we came here at about eight and five years old our speech patterns were set.” Rielle answered popping a bite of cucumber into her mouth.  

“Wait a minute; your father is Graham Hall who played for the Savannah Sentinels isn’t he?” K.C. asked excitedly and Gabrielle was surprised when he actually started reeling off statistics.

“Yep that’s my daddy. I can vaguely remember when the Sentinels won the Championship.” She replied proudly.

They talked about her childhood in Savannah and growing up on the island and K.C. found himself fascinated by the life she had led. He could imagine her playing pirates with her sibling and cousins, exploring the island or some other game, romping on the beach. She must have been an adorable little girl he thought.

Her next words dispelled that image however.

“I was a holy terror as a kid pulling pranks, picking fights, not doing well in school. It wasn’t until my mom suggested I play volleyball in junior high that I had an outlet for the pent up energy that caused me to be such a brat.” Rielle told him honestly as he finished his meal.

He was surprised by her revelation and looked into her clear eyes, “I can’t believe you were ever that bad.” He told her watching her sip at her lemonade, his eyes warm. A  sleek eyebrow arched and K.C. saw the corner of her mouth kicked up.

“It’s true, I was one of those terrible kids but thankfully I got turned around and I enjoy helping the girls at my school where I teach to channel their energy into something positive. Enough about my unruly childhood behavior, I just want to thank you again for fixing the light for me, with Chris away on training and my father so busy  it would have taken a while to get it fixed.” She replied pushing away her plate.

“Anything to help out a beautiful lady.” He replied easily as he looked out at the serene view and took a deep breath letting it calm him.

“So have you given anymore thought to going out with me?” he asked his eyes sliding her pleasing features.

“Are you seeing anyone back in Denver; I’m not interested in being any man’s side piece or undercover lover.” Rielle said bluntly her gaze unwavering.

The fact that she was attracted to K.C. didn’t mean she was going to expose herself to a potential relationship if he was involved with another woman.

Relationships were hard enough these days without adding a third person or fourth for that matter to the mix. K.C. was not going to lie to her, but he had the feeling if he told her he was just coming off a broken engagement Gabrielle would refuse to go out with him.

“I was in a serious relationship several months ago but that’s over now and there is no one special in my life at the moment. Unless you can count this funny, smart, beautiful woman who I’m very interested in but she’s giving me a hard time.” He admitted playfully and saw her crack a little smile.

Chapter 16

“Can I safely assume that you aren’t involved with anyone Gabrielle?” K.C. replied his voice deep as he sat up in his chair.

 “No, I’m not dating anyone. I would not even consider going out with you if I was seeing someone else. I'm lousy at juggle balls much less multiple men.” She told him firmly as she got up and collected the dirty plates and utensils.

“My friend Camille, the owner of the car rental agency where you got the Rover from just called to invite me to a party at Mr. Stewart’s house tonight. We can go together if you want?” she finally said casually even though she was far from calm.

She wanted to have some control over what happened between them as much as possible but she could tell that K.C. was not a man to be led around by any appendage unless he chose to be.

“Sort of like a non-date huh? Jarrod had mentioned that he was going to organize something and sent me a text to confirm. What time do you want me to pick you up?” he asked realizing that she was very cautious and still needed reassurance.

They had been cleaning up as they cooked so there were not a lot of dishes left to wash up after Rielle put the leftovers in a plastic container so that K.C. could take it with him much to his delight.

They agreed on six when the sun was still up so that K.C. who had been to Jarrod’s house the day before could see his way in the light. He left and Rielle released a big sigh as she looked down at her inexpensive black watch to see it was three o’clock.

She went to check on the laundry and picked it up enjoying the fresh scent of her sheets and towels from the sunshine. Her landline was ringing when she got inside and she put the phone on speaker so she could fold her clothes and talk at the same time.

“Hello?” she said and heard Andrea’s voice mingled with Georgie and knew they were doing a multiparty chat.

“What’s up girl?” She smiled hearing the enthusiasm in her friend's voices.

“You guys ready for tonight?” she replied folding her underwear.

“I am dying to see Jarrod’s house, I hear it’s a showplace.” Andrea said excitedly.

“It is, he has a gorgeous view of Royal Palm Beach and he stole away one of the chefs from the Turtle Bay Hotel who is worth her weight in gold so the food is going to be the bomb.” Georgie confirmed reminding them that her mother had sold him the house.

“I was surprised when Jarrod invited us to his house especially after Camille practically ignored him the whole time they were there. Luckily I was there or we would have missed out on the opportunity to see his beautiful home and I get to pick his brain and Michael's about their lives and the work they're doing.” Andrea gushed ever the journalist.

"Wait a minute, you sound very chummy with Mr. Stewart and Hernandez." Rielle teased as she finished folding her laundry.

"Unlike Camille I know a good career opportunity when it's staring me in the face. I'm not sure what her deal is, but I for one am not going to pass it up. Either one of the two men would make a great story." Andrea told them. 

The conversation quickly turned to clothing choices. They had always checked each other that way after they had attended a party as teens and two of the girls had shown up in the same dress. It was funny now but at the time it was devastating to Cam and Georgie.

The phone call ended with Rielle saying she had to wash her hair and the other women hung up. She didn’t look too closely at why she didn’t tell them she was coming with K.C. because she knew they would have grilled her mercilessly about what was going on between them. 

Rielle called Camille’s phone but it just rang and she figured the other woman must still be at work. She finally hung up and hit the ground running with her preparations.  

She washed her hair in the shower with her favorite coconut shampoo and conditioner and blow dried it until it was nearly dry before putting in some big rollers to give her thick hair a bit of body and then brushed her teeth.

She painted her toes and fingernails with clear polish and looked at the white cotton maxi dress with a light mauve pattern embroidered on it laid out on her queen sized bed. It looked great against her skin with a form fitting top that fell away to skim her torso and was lined but she still wore flesh colored boy shorts and a strapless bra.

Rielle had a suite of silver jewelry that she had received from her parents for her last birthday and she pulled them out now. The hibiscus earrings, necklace and bracelet were locally made and one of her favorites and she had a pair of silver thong sandals.

She quickly smoothed lotion into her skin paying attention to her feet because wearing socks and sneakers all week was hard on them. She had gone to the spa at the Regency Mall to get her legs and bikini area waxed in preparation for the volleyball tournament and her skin was silky smooth.

Rielle took out the rollers and flipped her hair upside down in the bathroom and finished blow drying the tousled waves and fluffed her hair. She applied taupe and pink mineral eye shadow and swiped her usual pink lip gloss on her lips. The spraying of her favorite scent on her pulse points completed her toilette before she went back into her bedroom to dress, put on her jewelry and sandals.

The jewelry added the right touch and the wire necklace settled beautifully against her collarbone. She grabbed a blue denim jacket from her closet in case it got cooler since the house was on a cliff right above the beach.

It was funny, she had spent four years in Maryland surviving some brutal winters and now could barely stand the stiff breeze that blew at night during the winter. Her blood had definitely thinned since returning home.

Gabrielle had been concentrating on getting dressed and allowed her preparations to push away the knowledge that she was going to be enclosed in a vehicle with K.C. for the fifteen minute ride to the exclusive community of Royal Palm Estates on the northern side of the island but now it came back. The attraction between them was very potent and she needed to remember that.

Now that she was dressed, with a few minutes to spare, she sat on the edge of her bed and wondered if he had told his friends he was bringing her with him or if like her was keeping it to himself.

She had enjoyed being with K.C. today and let’s face it looking at him was definitely no hardship she thought to herself. Seeing him interact with his friends and hers would help her to make up her mind about taking a chance on starting a relationship with him in light of the fact that he would be leaving at the end of the hotel renovation.

Michael had stayed at Jarrod’s to pump the other man for information on Georgiana Caldwell and K.C. took the time to do some catching up with his parents. He didn’t tell his mother that he had met someone because he knew that would not go over well with her.

She had been very upset when she learned that the company had bought a property on the island and that K.C. was going to be the lead architect and project manager for the restoration.

The original owners had gotten into some trouble with the banks and Aurora had gotten a good deal on the boutique hotel. He would meet with the job site manager, Lewis Coleman on Monday to check out the site before he would begin working on the drawings.

K.C. got dressed and had to actually prevent himself from leaving the house too early. He couldn’t wait to see Gabrielle again unsure of why a woman he had known less than twenty-four hours could draw him so. He couldn’t recall ever having such a reaction to a female he hadn’t even kissed yet as he made his way out the gate of the Hawks Nest as it was called by the locals.

The houses were often known by a name rather than an actual address he had learned from Gabrielle. After seeing her colorful island style home he wondered what she would think of this modern concrete and glass two story house done in white and cream with dark wicker furniture and an infinity pool that blended with the oceanview.

For that matter he wondered what she would think of his large Denver home that was also modern and really too large for one man. He had finished building it before he even started dating Tiffani but for some reason she had never liked the house and had wanted him to sell it despite the fact that he had put a lot of  himself into it. 

He knew that she would have to feel a bit more comfortable with him before he would be able to get her to come here but was determined to have her see the sunset from his patio here. The fact that she appreciated something so simple yet profound spoke to him on a deep level.  

K.C. slid in The Evolution of Robin Thicke CD and dropped his aviator sunglasses over his eyes before he drove off in the Rover to pickup his date. He had a similar car back home and had a satisfied smile on his face befitting a man who's world was right.

Chapter 17

She must have been watching for him because he had barely pulled the vehicle over, parked it and come around to the gate before she came down the steps.

Gabrielle was in a white dress that skimmed her shapely figure and had him itching to find out what she wore beneath it. Her lightly tanned skin glowed with good health against the fabric. Her makeup was kept to a minimum which was sensible in this heat.

What was crazy was how just the vision of a little bit of her cleavage aroused him and it reminded him of his time in Japan. The culture was very conservative and wrists, ankles and even the back of the neck was considered very erotic.

Seeing her delicate collarbones made him want to place a ring of kisses around her throat and anywhere else she would allow him roam. The sight of the tops of her round breasts peaking a little above the white cotton dress had caused his body to stir and he was glad he wore his shirt over his pants to hide the way she was making his body react.

“You look lovely Gabrielle.” K.C. said his voice deeper than usual when she was seated, her jacket and a big tan hobo bag at her feet.

She loved the sound of her name coming off his lips, her body thrilling to his . Her nipples had hardened when she smelled his cologne and Rielle could feel his eyes on her behind the dark lenses of his glasses.

“You look pretty nice yourself.” She replied looking over at him in a short sleeved white Tommy Bahama button down shirt with khaki short pants and he had surprisingly nice looking long feet in dark brown thong sandals.  

He was very handsome in a white shirt with light blue floral pattern on the front panels made him look sophisticated and his thick sandy blond hair was brushed back and he had flipped his sunglasses on top of his head.

The air conditioning was on for which Gabrielle was thankful although she had a colorful silk scarf in her bag to protect her hair the air had stilled outside and she thought they might get some rain later in the evening .

“You know we look like a couple.” He said easily as he pulled away from her gate.

K.C. was not so focused on staying on the left that he didn't know how those words would go down with her.

Rielle nearly got whiplash as she turned to look at him in shock because she had thought it but would never have said it.

They were barely on their first date and he was using words like that already, either he was a really smooth playa who had all the words down pat and she needed to run as far and as fast as she could away from him. The other explanation was that he really felt what was going on between them and he wanted to explore it with her.

“When a man knows what he wants why should he beat around the bush?” He replied smiling at her shocked expression before he returned his attention to road.

Oh my, he’s talking about beating around the bush she thought immediately followed by girl get your mind out of the gutter.

“Do I get to have a say in this as the potential female partner?”  Was what she said huskily knowing she was busting his chops.  

Rielle’s heart was jumping in her chest as she looked at his strong profile and she held her breath as she waited for his response to her words.

“Just from talking with you last night and today I know you are the type of woman who is not only beautiful but has something going on behind those fabulous eyes. I haven’t met anyone like you ever Gabrielle and I think we would be special together.” K.C. said as he reached the stop light at the bottom of Mt. Elizabeth and turned his head to meet her eyes.

He seemed so certain that they could have a relationship after only knowing each other for such a short time that she believed it was possible too. He had done something that no man had been able to do in a long time which was engage her physically, emotionally as well as mentally. That had to count for something and she made the decision to see where this thing between them could go.

“I – I’m willing to give this a chance.” Gabrielle replied with a confident smile.

K.C. reached for her hand and she gave it to him and he gave her a squeeze. The cd he was playing was one of her favorites and they enjoyed the cool vibe as he drove and she pointed out some of the sights on the island.

It was really too early for her to be feeling so much for him but she got warm all over listening to him talk about them. She had had a few serious relationships but none of them had taken off so quickly and just from one really great conversation.

Rielle had begun dating at seventeen and her father and brother had vetted her boyfriends but her mother was usually the one who had the final say on the guys she went out with. The only one Magdalena hadn’t met was Jon who had been her college boyfriend and even though they had parted as friends Rielle knew the relationship had nowhere to go.

She wondered what her mother was going to think of K.C. and knowing Graham and Christopher Hall they would give him a hard time but they would do so only with her best interests in mind. The two men had been known to intimidate the most ardent suitors and only a few of the local guys had been brave enough to ask her on a date when they knew they had to pass inspection from the Hall men.

The biggest obstacle wouldn’t be the fact that K.C. was white she knew, but the fact that he did not live permanently on the island and the thought gave her a moment’s pause until he glanced over at her and smiled at her his eyes twinkling.

His eyes dropped to her mouth and he wanted to lick her plump lips and then nibble all over her smooth skin. Down boy he thought, it was not going to look cool if he got out of the Rover with a boner tenting his pants.

He was a good driver not going too fast as he maneuvered the narrow island roads that were a leftover of colonial times until he came to the stone pillar where a sign indicated they had reached Royal Palm Estates.

K.C. turned into the entryway and onto Grapetree Road and they saw the rose pink oleander bushes that lined the left hand side of the road as it slowly descended and most of the large homes were on the right behind tall stone faced walls. Gabrielle remembered as a child the Sunday afternoon drives where her father would pile them into the car and they would go sightseeing and visiting friends and family.

She started talking, telling K.C. about those experiences and didn’t worry that she was revealing too much it was so easy to talk to him. He interjected sometimes sharing his own childhood experiences including one of his favorite memories when he had gone skiing with his grandmother who had considered herself a feisty woman.

During the summer Gabrielle’s family would go to the beach and spend the day sometimes even camping on the beach especially at Easter time. Those were some of her most treasured memories because sometimes her paternal grandparents would come along and tell stories about the different places and people.

Her maternal grandparents had moved back to Puerto Rico but visited occasionally and she was very aware that having both sets of grandparents still alive and in reasonably good health was a blessing. Visiting during the holidays whether Carnival or Christmas meant that music was always playing and food and drink flowed even more freely.

Despite the fact that she had lived on St. Sebastian for most of her life Gabrielle had never been to this part of Essex. They drove for about a mile before coming to the sign on the wall that said Moonlight Cove and he smoothly pulled up to a tall black wrought iron gate and he finally released her hand as he leaned over to speak into the callbox.

“Jarrod open the gate your other guest of honor is here.” He said and smiled when he heard Gabrielle laugh.

The laughter disappeared and Rielle’s mouth formed an O a few minutes later as they drove through the gate, up the wide pale brick drive, under a wide portico covered in salmon and white bougainvillea to a large brick parking area and stopped next to Georgie’s car.

The two story pale yellow house main building had several wings branching off; with white trim, a tan roof and was partially faced in stone with lush tropical landscaping that was in keeping with the grandness of the house.

She had known that Jarrod Stewart’s place would be gorgeous but had somehow not expected this level of grandeur. The place looked like a hotel and was way big for a single man.

“K.C. oh my God, why didn’t you tell me we were going to Mar a Lago. I’m not dressed properly for this.” She squealed turning to him as she anxiously smoothed down her simple cotton dress.

Chapter 18

It was so funny to hear her say that when he had been to real estate mogul Donald Trump’s opulent Florida mansion a few months ago, but he held back that information. K.C. wasn't sure she was ready for the fact that he personally knew the other man.

“Gabrielle you are beautiful and you’ll soon learn that Jarrod doesn’t stand on ceremony even if he is related to the Queen of England.” he said reassuringly and saw her eyes grow even larger.

K.C. decided it was time to distract her and do something he had been dying to do since last night by putting  that pretty mouth to use.

He leaned closer to place his lips against hers for a sweet kiss that made her moan into his mouth. She shivered from the touch of his lips against hers and K.C. fought hard not to introduce a little tongue. He kept enough of his senses to know that sitting in front of his friend’s house tongue kissing Gabrielle was not a good idea. 

K.C. drew back to see her eyes slowly open and despite his best intentions the pull was too strong for either one of them to ignore. He put placed his index finger under her chin and drew her willing body towards his to lick the seam of her lips which opened slowly beneath his.

Her hands came up slowly feeling the solidity of his broad chest and K.C. slid a hand into the thick hair at her nape to deepen the kiss. He felt the warmth of her hands through the fabric of his shirt but she was pressing against his chest and he drew back regretfully.

The petrified look in her eyes was replaced by a heavy lidded sensual expression as she licked her lips and K.C. would have given anything to be able to take her somewhere more private and indulge their senses in each other.

“I’m okay there’s no need to kiss me senseless K.C.” She said huskily.

Her heart still pounding and her lips tingling from the kisses as she looked at his sexy mouth with a regretful sigh.  God he smelled so good that citrusy, marine scent mixed with his own body chemistry sent her pulses tripping and her nipples were puckered against the material of her bra.

“Are you sure about that Gabrielle, I would hate to know that I didn’t do a thorough job of curing you of mansionitis.” He told her with a quirk to his sexy lips.

“I’m sure you’ve cured me Dr. Whitfield and you should know that pink lip gloss is your color but maybe not for this venue.” She teased with a flirty smile, and reached across the console to wipe off his lips with a napkin he took out of the glove box.  

Rielle looked around seeing the trimmed stand of ficus trees several yards away from the parking area on the left that backed a hedge of salmon colored bougainvillea, a vibrant pop of color against all of the greenery.

By the time K.C. had come around to help her out of the vehicle the solar lights were coming on as the sun was beginning to set. Rielle who had grabbed her bag and jacket and almost dropped them when she felt the tingle go up her arm as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

She looked up at him for a moment and pulled her gaze from his to take in the rest of the landscaping a smile on her face. Palm trees were scattered throughout the front of the property along with sago palms and fragrant Carissa holly shrubs contrasted with the rich brown mulch were strategically placed in front of the house.

They walked back to the flower draped portico with white columns and up a trio of steps that led to a massive set of carved mahogany double being guarded by sitting white plaster lions.  

A smiling Jarrod wearing a brown polo shirt and plaid short pants with bare feet opened the door and Rielle could see that the grand house suited his tall physique.

“Welcome to my sanctuary.” He said standing aside so that they could enter and he noticed the hand holding with a quirked eyebrow but only K.C realized.

Gabrielle was too busy taking in the spacious foyer with white colored walls with Italian limestone flooring. A large orange hand-blown glass bowl sat atop a round African mahogany table centered beneath a beautiful multicolored chandelier also made of glass in the high white beamed coffered ceiling. The flowing style of the glass reminded her of the beautiful work of master artist Dale Chihuly.

Jarrod smiled at her wide eyed look used to people’s reaction to the entrance of his house because sometimes when he was away on an extended trip and came back to the island even he forgot how beautiful his home was. 

There was a pale aqua painted niche filled with delicate white and purple phalaenopsis orchids in black ceramic pots to her right. Straight ahead was a long window lined corridor that led to what looked like a sitting room and beyond that the blue Caribbean Sea.   

He closed the door behind them and she could hear male and female voices and the smooth dulcet tones of Jon Lucien playing in the background.

“Thank you for inviting me to your stunning home, Mr. Stewart.” Rielle said politely looking up into his lean face and saw their host’s dark blue eyes roll.  

He had this bad boy rocker attitude about him that was kind of sexy but after being around K.C. for the past few hours even his tanned good looks and long swimmer’s build barely fazed her.

“I see K.C. hasn’t rubbed off on you yet little girl. I will only answer to Jarrod from your sweet lips. I don’t stand on formality and you forget we met a few years ago so we ain’t exactly strangers darlin.” He said going from a property British accent to a Texas drawl seamlessly, his voice deep.

“Wow you’ve got skills. You are definitely on the wrong side of the camera.” she said unthinkingly after blinking in surprise.

Camille, pretty in a long pale yellow bandeau topped dress, center parted hair straight down her back ala Cher with large mother of pearl earrings in her ears and wedge heels and Georgie who was wearing a short red tunic style dress with gold thread at the neckline and hem, an armful of gold bangles and gold gladiator sandals came from a room on the left and heard her.

They all started laughing along with Jarrod, and K.C. smiled but he noticed that Rielle had dropped his hand when the other two women came out of the kitchen.

He just hoped that she wasn’t one of those females who wanted to sneak around. He had dated all kinds of women of all races and never had one been ashamed to be seen with him. K.C. knew some women didn’t like PDA but he was from a family of touchers and he was no different.  

His father was liable to give him a cuff across the back of his head as soon as hug him and he remembered his father and uncles even his very proper grandfather roughhousing with his siblings and himself on the family room floor when they had their Sunday afternoon dinners when they were children. His mother was very affectionate and as a teenager he could recall her embarrasing him by kissing him goodby at school. 

A frown crossed his face as he realized that he had been living a lie with Tiffani because she had shied away from him, going so far as to shower right after they were intimate. She had made him feel like he was soiling her.

Abstaining for two months prior to the wedding  per her request had been no hardship when she practically ran for the bathroom instead of enjoying some snuggling post coitus like most women preferred. 

The other problem they'd had in the bedroom department had been the frequency of them being intimate which had not been as often as he would have liked. He had been concerned about those issues finding them to be unusual but he had been trying to be a considerate lover and had hoped that Tiffani was just shy with him.

Discovering that she had been cheating on him had explained her behavior but it had been humbling to find out that he was not the great judge of character he thought himself to be. That should have been another sign that he had made the wrong choice when he realized his pride had been hurt and not his heart.

K.C. had seen the loving relationship between his parents from childhood and he wanted that for himself unfortunately he had thought that Tiffani with her impeccable pedigree was the right woman to have that with. She had proved him wrong on that score and he would be damned if he had another relationship like that.

Chapter 19 

“Camille can you show Rielle where she can leave her things and maybe give her a little tour of this wing of the house?” Jarrod asked cordially.

Rielle felt the other woman tense when their host said her name and looked over at her curiously not seeing anything unseemly in his request. She went with the other woman unaware of the turmoil she had left behind in K.C. Georgie tagged along and the two women took Rielle to a spacious cream and aqua decorated bedroom with a large mahogany bed.

On their return they met Michael dressed in a yellow camp shirt with palm fronds and white shorts coming out of what she now knew was the kitchen with two glasses filled with what looked like fruit punch.

“Hey guys drink up Mrs. Mac wouldn’t let me spike it so you don’t have to worry about driving afterwards.” He said laughing and K.C. did the introductions.

Michael Hernandez proved to be a big flirt showing off cute dimples as he charmed all of the ladies and Rielle caught a sideways look that Georgie sent him as he talked about how much he was enjoying the island and wanted to get some snorkling and scuba diving in before he had to leave.

"You really need to talk to Bryan, Camille's brother was practically born in the sea." Georgie offered.

 Michael's eyes warmed as he looked down at the beautiful blonde who looked like a goddess in her red dress.

"That sounds like a plan." he replied showing off his sexy dimples while flashing a white toothed smile. 

His tall muscular frame and dark good looks were very appealing and Georgie who hadn’t been involved with anyone in six months was not subtle in her appreciation. She had been focused on helping her sister to plan and execute her wedding which had been quite the production and that had consumed the rest of her time when she wasn’t at work.

They had all been concentrating on their careers and just enjoying hanging out with each and dating occasionally. It was ironic that things seemed to be changing for all of them except Camille in the relationship department.

K.C. had been correct when he said Jarrod was not into formality and they were witness to this when they met the petite woman who reigned over the state of the art kitchen.

Between the commercial grade appliances, travertine floors and granite counter tops in the large kitchen Mrs. Gwen MacFarlande known as Mrs. Mac was queen of all she surveyed. The sixty something year old woman was originally from Trinidad and had immigrated to the island with her husband to better their lives as well as those of their children.

Mr. Mac had died several years ago and the children were now grown and having children of their own. Mrs. Mac had  become an institution on the island, famous for her West Indian cooking. Jarrod had met her on one of his trips to the island before he made it his home base and once he did knew he had found the perfect person to look after his home when he was absent and cook when he was there.

Jarrod had become not only an employer but like a member of her family, it was so funny to see the big man being bossed around in his own kitchen by the petite general. All of the men were roped into taking the aromatic food in colorful stoneware bowls to the large mahogany table set up on the wide patio. A fabulous view of the ocean was framed by a lower level garden of orange and hot pink bougainvillea, palm trees and local sea grapes.

While they were doing that Jarrod left to let in Andrea who looked cool in an emerald green batik print short dress, gold ball studs in her ears and brown thong sandals. Several more people showed up including Bryan and Rielle looked at Camille who was failing miserably to appear innocent of any matchmaking.

Rielle had always considered him sexy, with a smooth brown complexion,  shaved head, slanting eyebrows over dark brown eyes and a broad mouth that had the girls in school going crazy when he pick up Camille in the afternoons. The small diamond earring in his left ear and well muscled body had given all of her friends something to talk about.

He was more than a handsome face and proved that when he came back after college at UNLV with his degree in hotel management and his internship completed in Hawaii just as they were getting ready to go away to college.

The girls had returned every holiday and Bryan had never made a move but Rielle got the feeling that he wasn’t going to wait any longer as he stared at the lovely young woman.

She mingled with the other guests and Rielle found herself in the same circle with K.C. and she tried not to stare too hard at him when he laughed at some joke Georgie made. Rielle envied the blonde beauty her ability to be comfortable in any social setting but then she had come from a long line of hostesses.

Rielle’s resolve firmed that she would go out with K.C. and enjoy herself right then and there because life was really too short. After the breast cancer episode with her mother she knew that better than anyone.

The twenty or so other people had arrived fifteen minutes later and Jarrod used a spoon against a large white mug to get his guests attention. 

“I want to thank all of you for coming to welcome two of my closest friends K.C. and Michael to the island of St. Sebastian. I remember coming here myself for the first time and thinking that I had never met so many genuine, kind people and I know that you will treat them with the same hospitality that you showed a wandering soul.” He said meeting all of his assembled guests’ eyes.

"Oh no he didn't." Rielle heard Camille whisper over the cheering of the group. Her behavior was no longer bordering on strange it was strange and Rielle didn't know what to make of Camille.  

Mrs. Mac served them and the creamy roasted pumpkin soup in large mugs was a flavorful starter and everyone milled about whether at one of the tables scattered on the spacious pool deck area or inside by the dining room.

The soup was followed by a delicious pelau which was a Trinidadian take on a jambalaya with chicken, brown rice, pigeon peas, coconut milk, carrots, pumpkin, curry and a little Scotch bonnet pepper.

“Just enough pepper to let you know you’re alive but not enough to put hair on your chest.” Mrs. Mac said with a sly smile as they stood with their plates obediently waiting their turns.

“I have it on good authority that the ladies don’t like hair on the chest Mrs. Mac.” Michael protested and everyone laughed. This was served with a shrimp, mango, and jicama salad with pineapple vinaigrette and people were seated outside on various pieces of lounge furniture taking in the glorious sunset and eating.

Gabrielle and K.C. exchanged a secret smile at the similarity of the meal to what they prepared for lunch and that gesture was seen by a few people. Rielle had to smile again when she saw for desert they had a choice of mango, pineapple, passion fruit or coconut ice cream from her parents’ store and everyone clamored for their favorite flavor.

K.C., Michael and Jarrod did get to talk to Bryan about setting up a dive and Rielle looked across the pool to the ocean where she could see lightning flashing on the dark water.

Rielle had wandered down to the waterfall enjoying the night sounds and the smell of the ocean wafting on the breeze. A set of steps led down to a stretch of golden sand on one of the few private beaches on the island. 

“There’s nothing like picking a ripe banana or pineapple fresh from the orchard and enjoying it for breakfast on the patio.” Jarrod said coming to stand behind her.

“It must be really nice. The property is breathtaking Mr. – Jarrod thank you again for inviting me to your home.” She said turning to meet the gaze of her handsome host bathed in the light of the full moon.

Jarrod looked down into the open face of the young woman that K.C. had shown such an interest in, glad that his friend was moving on from that tramp Tiffani. There had been a coldness that the other woman had kept well hidden from everyone but Jarrod had observed it when they had their engagement party and when no one was looking her mask had slipped.

He was very much a people watcher and what he had seen in Gabrielle Hall previously made him feel confident in his friend’s choice this time.

“I’m glad you're enjoying yourself Rielle. I ordered that sunset just for you since I understand you like them so much.” He said offering her a friendly lopsided smile.

“I wonder who could have told you that?” she replied cheekily and he saw past her obvious physical beauty to her lively spirit.

“K.C. is good people and so are you. I think you’ll be very good for one another.” He whispered conspiratorially as K.C. stalked over to them.

The look on his face said that Jarrod should get his own woman and leave his alone and Rielle watched the unspoken communication between the two men as Jarrod walked back up the steps to the main wing of the house. 

"I thought the two of you were close?" she said with an expressive eyebrow arched as she reached out to touch his chest and saw him inhale.

"We are, but that doesn't mean  I'm going to let him romance my woman with his big pool and bigger house." K.C. answered and  Rielle's laughter floated back to the house.

 Chapter 20

Lightning flashed far out on the dark ocean illuminating it periodically and with the sounds of reggae and the surf in the background conversation flowed easily.  

Rielle wandered over to her friend who was standing by a French door and watched as Bryan who was still in his work uniform walked purposefully over to Andrea after conversing with his host for a while.

“You know I’m shocked that Andy hasn’t figured out how your brother feels about her.” Rielle said and saw Cam grimace.

“He’s had feelings for her since we became friends in junior high school but he didn’t know how she would react. I don’t want to see either one of them hurt if it doesn’t work out.  Living on an island can have its disadvantages.” She said softly and Rielle looked over at the other woman.

“Is everything okay with you?” she asked hearing a tone in her friend’s voice that she didn’t understand.

“I should be asking you that. I was looking out the window when you drove up with K.C. I saw the two of you kissing; girl I want to know if you’ve lost the good sense God gave you?” Camille asked softly as she stared intently into her friend’s face.

She could see the tinge of red that entered Rielle’s skin and her nostrils flare because she was that close and she waited to hear what the other woman would say.

Gabrielle stepped back from the other woman wondering who she thought she was talking to. Rielle had never imagined she would hear one of her friends expressing what she took to be prejudice because of someone’s skin color. It was especially shocking coming from Camille considering her mixed parentage.

“I have a right to kiss who I want. Where is your attitude coming from?” she asked as she felt her good mood disappearing.

Her father often teased her about her fiery Latin temper that she had gotten from her mother; it might take a while to get riled up but once the trigger was pulled there was no going back.

Rielle was getting close to showing herself in front of Jarrod's guests if Cam didn't lighten up. She had infinite patience for her students but when it came to adults she hated stupid and did not tolerate foolishness.

“Girl, how long have you known that man to be swapping spit with him? I’ll tell you how long not even a minute. You don’t know him from Adam and you want to be up under him already? Are these men vampires with mind control that they come down here and make us crazy?” Camille hissed and Rielle frowned in confusion.

She turned around and perused the good looking crowd that had grown to include Gigi and her husband Simon and a few other faces she assumed Jarrod had invited but she didn’t know personally.

Gabrielle realized that her friend had been subtly avoiding their host since they’d been there and she recalled what Andrea had said about Camille’s behavior when the men had gone in to lease the vehicle for K.C.

She had never known her friend to avoid anyone or anything. Camille was known for facing life and the complications it threw her way head-on, this had come from the adversity her parents had faced from her father’s family.

It had gotten to the point where Cam's Chinese grandparents had disowned her father and the young couple had almost broken up under the weight of her mother’s guilt.  He was the eldest of four brothers all heirs to a family fortune in the restaurant business. She and Bryan had never met her paternal grandparents and the fact that they could turn their backs on her family had hurt immeasurably.

Rielle looked over at the brown skinned beauty with a puzzled look on her face until it clicked and she smiled sympathetically at her friend.

“Camille Erica Lee, do you have feelings for Jarrod Stewart?” She whispered and saw the panic that built in her eyes at those words.

“His family is royalty; he can trace his family back to beyond the Middle Ages. He could have any woman he wants. What would he even want with me?” the other woman asked in an anguished undertone.  

“What could he possibly want with you indeed?” said another quiet voice and the two women swung around to find Mrs. Mac behind them.

“I wondered why Jarrod finally made St. Sebastian his home base and now I know that it’s because of you. Rielle, I need to speak to Camille privately for a minute, can you excuse us?” The petite woman asked politely her face serious.

Gabrielle gave her friend a reassuring smile and left them to it. Rielle would have never guessed that there was something going on with Camille and Jarrod, she just knew that her friend was always prickly when his name was mentioned but she had never seen any indication that her feelings were engaged.

Rielle had known a few rich kids in college who liked to throw around their weight but Jarrod seemed well grounded and for that matter so did K.C. and Michael.

She went to find K.C. now, who was with Andrea, Georgie and the guys and stood by his side while they listened to Bryan talking about the first time he had gone surfing in Oahu. They all laughed when he confessed to freaking out and paddling like a mad man when a gray fin had come out of the water which had thankfully turned out to be a friendly dolphin and not a great white shark.

Rielle was watching Andrea’s enrapt face as he told the story and she saw the concern grow as he went on, even though he was safe in their midst.

 he rest of the evening was uneventful and Rielle could see that Andrea was finally aware of Bryan as a man and not the big brother of her friend as he talked to K.C., Jarrod and Michael. Georgie and Michael had also hit it off and he heard the pair making arrangements to meet for Sunday brunch at The Excelsior.

Jarrod had approached Camille who was standing on the lower level staring at the pool with a cream wrap when the wind began to pick up and K.C. watched the dark skinned beauty stare up at Jarrod before accepting the scarf.

He and Gabrielle were sitting on a lounger across from the two other couples talking about the upcoming volleyball tournament and triathlon when the pair finally made their way back to the group. It was ten thirty when they finally left after making plans to meet up the next day at Paradise Bay Hotel on the south side of the island where the first game was being held.

Michael who had chosen to stay said he would catch a ride later on. The men including Bryan were meeting at Jarrod's for lunch the next day so K.C. had an inkling that Michael would end up spending the night.

K.C. had a pretty well developed sense of direction and he parked outside Gabrielle’s gate twenty minutes after leaving Jarrod’s house. She opened the gate and was very conscious of K.C.’s presence as he walked with her to the front step. She saw his outstretched hand and this time she dropped her keys into his palm for him to unlock the front door.

“Would you like to come in?” She asked looking over her shoulder at him expectantly very aware of something building between them even as the air was filled with the smell of rain.

K.C. followed her not about to pass up an opportunity to spend some more time with her alone. He also wanted to clear up something and watched as she turned on the living room lights.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked and he opted for water.

 Gabrielle went into her room, dropped her bag and jacket onto a chair and then went to the kitchen. She came back to find him seated on the sectional looking at a picture of her parents and put it down watching  as she approached him.

“Are you ashamed to be seen with me?” He asked as she handed him the glass and she looked up at him with a frown.

“What do you mean?” she replied confused.

“You dropped my hand like it was hot when Camille and Georgie came out of the kitchen when we first got to Jarrod’s house and it wasn’t in a good way. Are you planning on making me your undercover lover by any chance? Cause if that’s the case I’m not down with that.” K.C. told her firmly.

He saw the confusion in her expression and realized she hadn’t even been aware she had done it.

“No that isn’t my intention. I’m sorry K.C. I just wasn’t up to being interrogated by my friends about us so soon, but it didn’t even matter. Cam saw us kissing and apparently has –concerns which she didn’t hesitate to share.”  Rielle said with a grimace, not wanting to say anything more that might pit K.C. against her girl.

“Yeah but her concern is really called Jarrod and I say they’re grownups let them solve their own problems okay.” He told her smiling down at her.

She was relieved that he hadn’t really been upset with her and smiled back as he took a sip of water.      

Chapter 21

“You get along really well with Michael and Jarrod. How long have you known each other?” Gabrielle asked sitting down on the chaise portion of the sofa after slipping off her shoes.

K.C. watched the toned, light chocolate limbs fold under easily her and he shifted subtly to find a comfortable position to give his growing erection some room.

The heat that was building in the room had nothing to do with the energy growing in the atmosphere outside. They heard another rumble of thunder and knew the storm was getting closer.

K.C. told her about meeting Jarrod in the seventh grade when the other boy and his parents had moved to America and they had gone to the same private school. He had met Michael in his first year at University of Texas at Austin where they were roommates.

“I also met some other good friends along the way one named Victor Randolph who is now a successful lawyer in Atlanta, he and his wife Monica just had the most adorable baby girl named Rhianna Marie. I met Alex Moore who is the quarterback for the Admirals at the same time through Michael. Alex is back home in Maryland but he’ll come for a visit before he has to turn up for training camp in Norfolk.” K.C. told her taking a sip of the water from the crystal glass.

“I know that you love the island and just from driving around St. Sebastian I think it's a great place to live but do you ever miss living in the States?” he asked curiously watching her face carefully over the rim of the glass.

“I miss going to the big museums and art galleries.  I did enjoy a few Baltimore Ravens home games for which I’ll have to apologize to Michael and I guess Alex too when I meet him. I actually liked the changing of the seasons, there’s nothing like watching the leaves turn colors, making snow angels or seeing the cherry blossoms in D.C and the heat during summer is something else. Apart from that this is home.” She answered with an easy smile.

“Would you ever consider living on an island like St. Sebastian?” Gabrielle asked tossing the ball back into his court with a raised eyebrow.

The thunder rumbling in the air sounded much closer and he smiled when she jumped nervously and K.C. reached out to touch her hand hoping to distract her and lost his train of thought for a moment looking down at her slim fingers. He smiled as a memory came to him before he answered honestly.

“I spent a summer living in Japan after I graduated from high school and found that though I missed my family I… enjoyed immersing myself in the different culture and found it stimulating.” he told her.

Gabrielle’s gaze had fastened onto his mouth and she watched his tongue come out to lick his firm pink lips. She was fascinated by their shape and barely heard his words as he put the glass down on the table beside him without looking away and reached for her.

K.C. had seen her staring at him and he was only human he thought as his hands closed around her forearms to drawing her to him. She went willingly, her eyes closing as she found herself plastered against his broad chest as his lips covering hers in a kiss that had Rielle moaning into his mouth.

This time he wasn’t knocking tentatively at the door he was demanding to be let in and Gabrielle met his ardor with her own fire. The warmth surged between her legs and she felt herself getting wet as a big hand went up to cup her head while the other slid down to curve on her hip leaving her skin tingling where K.C. touched her through the cotton of her dress.

She instinctively unfolded her legs as her hands went up to sift through his thick hair and he leaned back against the cushions ending in a prone position leaving Gabrielle sprawled on top of him. Their mouths never lost contact during this not even when the rumbling thunder gave way to a sudden heavy downpour of rain, the violence of the storm outside triggering something elemental between them.

Her arms cradled his head as their tongues met and mated in the heated confines of hers and they tasted the creamy coconut of their ice cream desert and Rielle knew her panties were going to be soaked.

His hand moved to the small of her back and her mound was pressed into his groin when he opened his legs so that she was resting between his thighs. He groaned at the wicked pressure and she squirmed against his growing bulge as his hand continued down to the toned curve of her bottom as she shivered reflexively.

One minute they were totally engaged in one another and the next a screaming Gabrielle was being snatched away from his grasp and his eyes flew open.

“What the fuck is going on here Rielle!” he heard a man say in a raspy rumble that almost rivaled the thunder outside. He had dragged her to her feet and she felt like a rag doll. Rielle looked up and saw irate hazel eyes blazing into hers before she was tugged behind K.C. in a move that she would find endearing after she had a chance to reflect on the act.

  Christopher Hall

He had sprung up to meet the furious glare of a man about his height and build with dark hair and a goatee in a wet shirt who looked like he was ready to pound him into the ground and the adrenalin that had been focused on passion now turned towards protecting his woman.  

Thunder cracked overhead startling them all, ramping up the emotion in the room and K.C. was glad he was a black belt in aikido. All K.C. could think was if he couldn’t talk this guy down he was he was going to have to take him down before he could hurt Gabrielle.

“Look man, I don’t know what you think is going on but you need to chill out.” K.C. said quietly with his hands raised palms up.

“Rielle who is this joker and why is he in this house?” the newcomer demanded to know. His voice sounding like he’d inhaled a lungful of smoke as he tried to see past K.C. to the woman that was behind him.

“That is it, first Camille and now you! I’ve had it! I’m an adult and you have no right trying to tell me what to do! Get the hell out of my house!” she screamed at the newcomer. K.C. saw the man’s eyebrows rise as his defensive posture softened at her outburst.  

K.C. was so surprised by her anger he turned to look down at Gabrielle her expression livid as she came to stand beside him, but that was quickly gone and her eyes sparkled with a devilish light.

She took that opportunity to grab K.C., pull down his head and kiss him defiantly and he was not sure what was going on as his hands slowly reached up to embrace her almost at the same time he expected to be ambushed by the other man. She opened her mouth beneath his, bringing all of her passion to the kiss and almost forgot that they had an observer in the room.

“You’ve made your point Rielle. Are you going to have sex with him in front of me or introduce me to your new boyfriend?” He vaguely heard the other man say in a resigned voice.

K.C. pulled away reluctantly and pressed his forehead against hers for a moment.

“Are you okay now?” he asked looking down into her brilliant eyes and she nodded.

He turned with his arm about Gabrielle’s waist and faced the other man who was staring at them with curiosity his arms folded across his chest.

“K.C. this is happening a lot faster than I expected but I’d like you to meet my over protective barbarian of a brother Christopher Hall. Chris this is K.C. Whitfield he’s the architect for the Tropicana Hotel project and a good friend of Jarrod Stewart.” She said calmly.

This confirmed what K.C. had guessed seeing the resemblance between brother and sister and he could only imagine that Gabrielle looked like her mother.

Her expression dared Chris to ignore K.C.’s outstretched hand as she folded her arms across her breasts and knowing how stubborn his sister could be he took the other man's hand. It would be just like her to date this guy just to spite him, even if he was a jerk.  Rielle knew her brother wasn’t above trying the handshake of death with K.C. but for some reason chose to behave himself.

People said Rielle looked like their mother while Chris looked like their dad and with his normally curly, dark brown hair dripping wet from the rain, peaked eyebrows over hazel eyes and tall athletic build he had women coming into the bank hoping to do more than get a loan.

“So have you met the parental units yet K.C.?” Chris asked in a deceptively friendly tone looking at the other man.

“No, he hasn’t because he’s only been here a short time. You never said why you came over Chris, don't make me regret giving you those keys.” She said quickly before K.C.'s mouth quirked at her quick recovery whe was very spirited.

“Wait a minute, what do you mean he’s only been here a short time?” Chris said sharply his eyebrows lowering threateningly. K.C. squeezed her waist when he felt her tensing and getting ready to unleash God only knows what on her brother.

“Gabrielle means that I arrived on St. Sebastian yesterday and we met last night. I know you’re just meeting me and what you walked in on was not the kind of thing any brother wants to see of his sister but I recognize that she’s a very special young woman.” K.C. told the other man and he met the searching gaze of Christopher Hall easily.

“That may be all well and good but you haven’t met our parents yet and you’ll have to convince them as well as me.” Chris finally said not buying into the stranger's bullshit. 

He knew that the first thing he was going to do when he got home was jump on his computer and Google search K.C. Whitfield and find out what the hell the story was on this guy.

It was easy to come down here and drop the name of a famous resident if you didn't know the guy. With the amount of people on the island it was possible to claim to be friends with anyone that didn't make it so. And even if he was friends with Jarrod Stewart didn’t mean that he was legit and Rielle hadn’t dated anyone in quite some time. 

Rielle might  look like a sexpot but she had been raised to respect herself and this kind of behavior wasn't like her. He knew some men from the mainland came to the islands looking for easy tail and sweet talked the woman into sleeping with them before they left. The women were often left broken and no way in hell was he going to stand by and allow his sister to go out like that. 

She was surprisingly still a little naïve when it came to men and apparently Whitfield was a smooth talker as evidenced by the way he’d found them making out only a day after they’d first met. Chris had overheard his sister and her friends talking about her college lover, Jonathan Franklin and he had something very special waiting if they ever met too.

In the meantime, he had to deal with this K.C. Whitfield, seeing the man meet his eyes easily didn't mean anything. He knew people who could lie with a straight face and he wasn't impressed by his act one damned bit.

Although he did remember how the other man had put himself between Rielle and what to him had been an unknown threat. He couldn't have known if Chris had some kind of weapon on him and he gave him props for being a man.

Chapter 22

Now that K.C. knew Rielle was in no danger he decided to leave the siblings and head out, giving them some privacy. Gabrielle walked with him onto the porch holding his hand.

Whether this move was a dig at her brother or not K.C. wasn’t certain and chose not to make too much of it.

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait a little longer to see if the rain will ease off?”  Gabrielle asked concern in her voice as they looked out at the sheets of rain still coming down.

Visibility was still not the best and even though he wasn't going more than half a mile up the hill K.C. was still getting used to the winding roads on the island. 

“This looks like something that could last until morning and I don’t think your brother would appreciate me staying any longer than necessary. I want you to take this and I’ll give you a call when I get in okay?” he told giving her his business card with his personal email address written on the heavy stock.

“Don’t be too hard on your brother he obviously loves you, that's not a bad thing believe me I've got a younger sister so I know how he feels. I’ll see you tomorrow at Paradise Bay okay, good night Gabrielle.” He said pressing a kiss on her forehead before running down the steps and she watched him go out into the stormy night.

She rubbed her hands over her arms as he started the vehicle that was parked beside her fence and didn’t move until he drove off. She held the card up to her nose inhaling his scent before she turned to find her brother standing in the door looking at her pensive face.

“Did I chase him off?” Chris asked a frown on his handsome face. 

He shifted so that she could enter. Gabrielle sighed and shook her head as he closed the door behind them it was just like her brother to act like it wasn't what he expected. 

“What difference does it make if you did Chris wasn’t that the point?” she asked dejectedly going to sit on the sofa.  

He was silent for a moment studying her sad face.

“You just met this guy literally the other day Rielle. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked as he pulled her booted up laptop closer to him.

“I don’t recall you being this interested in any of the other guys I’ve dated. What are you doing?” she complained as he grabbed the card from her and logged on to his user account before going online.

“He’s the only strange guy  I’ve found you plastered all over that you just met yesterday; kissing on him like the world is coming to an end with his hand grabbing all over your butt. You apparently don’t care who K.C. Whitfield is but mom and dad will so I’m checking him out.” He grumbled typing Aurora Enterprises into the search engine.

Rielle reluctantly looked on as the page came up with entries for the company and she breathed a sigh of relief that it appeared to be legitimate and even her brother took notice.

“Aurora is one of the most successful privately run real estate development companies in the country and the economy hasn’t affected them because they’re so diversified. I read about them in The Economist.” Chris said obviously impressed.

He quickly chose the company’s home page and the siblings looked at each other when they saw the name Whitfield as the founders and owners of the company.

“Rielle do you know anything about him?” Chris asked again and this time she shook her head slowly.

“No, we haven’t really talked too much about work.” She admitted knowing that didn't sound good.

"I'll bet." Rielle heard him mumble under his breath but she still heard him.

She sucked her teeth at him something they both knew her mother would strongly berate her for but at this point she could have cared less. 

They looked at the history of the company seeing an overview of the property holdings including office buildings, apartment communities, shopping malls, country clubs and several resorts spread across the country.

At the bottom of the page were the executive bios and Gabrielle reached out to click on the tab which brought up thumbnail shots of several men and women including K.C. He was listed as one of the executive directors and head architect in charge of new projects and Rielle dropped her head in her hands in disbelief.

“Are you okay sis?” her brother quietly asked seeing her reaction.

“Why wouldn’t he tell me about this?” Gabrielle mumbled from between her fingers. Now she understood his nonchalant attitude about the large house and the fact that his company leased a Range Rover for him indefinitely according to Camille.

He was clearly used to a life of luxury. She was beginning to sympathize with her friend. These men were definitely in a different category from any either of them had dated. 

“I imagine he’s had plenty of women who come onto him when they find out that he comes from megabucks. Can’t say that I blame him Rielle but at least now we know who were dealing with. Stewart seems like an all right guy the few times I met him so hopefully his friend is the same.” He said reasonably patting her on the back with a heavy hand.

“Well I’m glad your mind has been so easily put to rest.” Gabrielle said rounding on her brother.

“I just found out that the first guy I’ve been interested in isn’t a regular Joe but some Donald Trump… oh no, oh no.” she wailed, remembering what she had said to him at Jarrod’s. 

“What are the chances he knows ‘the Donald’? She asked jumping up with eyes blazing as she did air quotes looking down at her brother who was typing something on her laptop again.

“It says here that Aurora Enterprise supports The Face of A Child charity which helps kids with facial deformities and I remember seeing a news blurb recently where Trump was in Denver for a charity event for kids so I’d say there’s a pretty good chance K.C. does know him. Why?” he asked curiously his eyebrows quirking.

She told him what had happened and had to listen to Chris laughing at her for a few minutes.

“Well your boyfriend has a sense of humor I can’t wait to meet him again.” He said when he finally could catch a breath.

Her house phone rang before she could answer and she snatched it up angrily to find K.C. on the other end.

“Hey Gabrielle, I made it in safely.” He told her wiping his forehead with a small towel.

Looking out the large plate glass window he could barely see anything in the dark night, but he wanted to believe he saw a small light on where her house was and he smiled at the thought of seeing her tomorrow.

The lightning and thunder had eased off thankfully and now it was just raining heavily and he hoped that it would clear up before morning. 

He heard her take a deep breath and then she said something that gave him pause.

“What would I find if I looked you up online K.C.?” she asked and he felt his stomach plummet.

He knew giving her his card had been a calculated risk with her brother at her house. After what he had walked in on Chris Hall would more than likely take the initiative to investigate the man his sister was making out with.

“You would find that I work for my family’s company. Is that a problem?” he asked cautiously.

“Is there anything I should know about this family company, Aurora Enterprises is what it’s called correct?” Rielle said silkily.

He knew something was up when she continued with this line of questioning. He had a feeling that he might have a tempest on his hands with Gabrielle however.

“Should I come back down so that we can do this in person?” he asked finally.

“No, tomorrow will be soon enough.  Good night K.C.” she replied quietly before hanging up.

K.C. staring at his phone for a moment unsure what had just happened. It actually sounded like she was disappointed and he couldn’t believe it. Of all of the reactions Gabrielle could have had that was not what he would have predicted.

Was she genuinely hurt that he hadn’t told her his family was relatively famous and wealthy or was she just acting? If that was the case then she was a very unusual young woman indeed.

He knew Gabrielle had dealt with fame after winning the medal and he had seen how men and women looked at her both times he had seen her in public. She was still in the spotlight even living on the island so she could understand what he went through living in the public eye.

She had some experience dealing with money and had opted to build her own home. All of his ex-girlfriends had their own place but Gabrielle was the only one who had achieved the feat of complete home ownership at so young an age. That showed him that she had her feet on the ground but was still fulfilling her dreams and he admired her independence.

After the Tiffani debacle he was more critical of his past relationships and while not naïve K.C. saw some things that he had noticed before with some of the women he had dated. He had long admitted to himself that he wanted to be desired for himself and not what he could give a woman, his former fiancée had played a good game for him not to notice something was amiss in the relationship. 

K.C. had never had any doubt when a woman was interested in him at college and while he hadn’t been the horn dog like some of the other guys he’d gotten some play. The money issue hadn’t really been a factor at college where he could get away with being one of the guys; it was only at graduation that the difference in his family had come to light.

He’d kept a beat up Jeep during college when he could have driven a Porsche or Mercedes like some of the other well to do students but his laptop and camera had been the best money could buy. K.C. hadn’t been raised to flaunt his money and he knew Michael might have guessed but they had never made a big deal about it.

Both his parents had instilled a strong work ethic in him and his siblings so that they appreciated the many privileges that had been afforded them. K.C.'s grandparents had reinforced that principle and any big monetary shows of affection had been saved for birthdays and Christmas.

He had even worked during spring break and summer with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild homes for less fortunate people. Winter breaks had been reserved for skiing with the family in the Canadian Alps as Banff was called and that family tradition still continued.

K.C. showered and lay on the king sized bed staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully, the last few days had been eventful and he wondered what else was in store for him on St. Sebastian.

Chapter 23  

Nearly three months later, Gabrielle stood in front of her bathroom mirror as she got ready for her date with K.C. The butterflies in her stomach making her hand so unsteady that if she wasn’t careful she would poke herself in the eye trying to apply her mascara.

Their relationship had flourished over the last few months and Rielle admitted to herself that she had fallen in love with K.C. the very first time she met him. She knew that he had developed feelings for her too and she saw it every time he looked at her.

K.C. had met Magdalena and Graham Hall the afternoon of the first game of the beach volleyball tournament. He had been calm in the face of a father’s pessimism about the young man who had only recently arrived on the island. K.C. could only assume that Chris had spoken to the older man about how he had found them.  

Gabrielle and her father had been pulled away to give a quick interview for one of the local television stations. He had been enjoying the dynamics of the relationship of Gabrielle and her teammates when her father came over to stand beside him.

“My daughter is a smart, beautiful young woman and there have been a lot of men interested in her. What makes you any different from them?” Graham had asked his arms crossed over his broad chest. The big man’s hazel brown eyes bored into his looking for answers and trying to intimidate him.

K.C. had to remember that he made decisions involving millions of dollars as he responded from his heart.

“It’s true I’ve only known Gabrielle for a short while but from the first time I spoke with her I realized that she was a very special young woman. I’ve been in serious relationships before but with your daughter I feel like this is the first time for me.” He answered honestly and turned around to find Magdalena standing behind him as well as her husband.

He had known what to expect with Graham Hall but Gabrielle’s mother showed him what she would look like in twenty something years. She was a beautiful woman with big brown eyes, long dark hair and a trim figure that she had passed onto her daughter.

“When my daughter was a little girl she wanted a cat badly and against our better judgment we got her one. Gabrielle ended up in the hospital with a severe allergic reaction and I promised myself I would do everything in my power to protect her whether she wanted that protection or not.” Magdalena told him emotionally.

Seeing her husband touch her shoulder in a comforting gesture made K.C realize it must have been nearly fatal and he felt his heart spasm as he thought he might have never met Gabrielle.

“I’ve seen the way she looks at you already and I may not be able to protect Rielle but if you hurt my daughter you had better never let me find out young man.” She said softly and the look in her deep brown eyes was fearsome.

The men of Gabrielle’s family were intimidating but K.C. knew who the dangerous one was and she was wearing a pretty teal top. The Halls weren’t just protective they were all really close and he watched them cheering on their daughter’s team as they played and won the first game.

His own family shared a similar closeness and even during college when his brother Marcus had been playing soccer he had tried to make the very important games. The same with his sister Danielle when she had played tennis for her culinary school as strange as that had sounded. 

K.C. had offered to treat them all to a late lunch on the beach after the competitors had taken showers. He had expected to run the gauntlet with her family while she was gone especially after what her parents had said to him earlier and he wasn’t disappointed.

He was very relieved when she came back with Cam, Andie and Georgie even though Jarrod and Michael had tried to run interference between them they were very protective of Gabrielle and rightfully so.

The affection the Halls felt for each other was evident over lunch when Michael asked the older man about reaching the pinnacle of pro basketball, the Championship and what that experience had been like. 

Graham had told the story thousands of times but they all listened as he talked with enthusiasm and when he got to the buzzer winning shot his wife and children all made the imaginary shot to raucous laughter.

Gabrielle and K.C. took a walk on the beach afterwards, walking hand in hand with Gabby wearing a short colorful romper that showed off her long tanned sexy legs and K.C. wearing a green t-shirt and khaki shorts.

She hadn’t forgotten the conversation on the phone last night but had focused on her playing her best game so as not to disappoint her teammates.  She had decided to allow him to be the one to bring up the subject and listen to what he told her after the conversation with Chris last night.

“Will you let me explain?” he asked when they were far enough away from the crowds. She had looked out at the azure water of the Caribbean Sea before turning back to K.C. and nodded her head, her slightly upturned nose wrinkling as she looked up at him.

He had confessed to being cautious about mentioning his family wealth because it tended to have an adverse affect on some of the women he dated. He told her that he had been engaged a few months ago to a woman named Tiffani who had only wanted him for his money and the prestige of his family name.

“I know you might want to reconsider starting a relationship with me because I didn’t tell you about the engagement and my family’s money but I didn’t want that to color your perception of me. I feel like there is something between us and I want to explore what’s happening but I won’t beg you Gabrielle.”K.C. told her when they stopped and faced each other on the pristine sand.

She looked down at their interlaced hands for a moment deep in thought, he had withheld a few key pieces of information from her but was giving her an out now if she wanted one.

His large calloused hands showed he was a man of action not just words and she liked that about him. She had heard him shouting words of encouragement along with her family while they were playing and she liked that he wasn’t afraid to show emotion.

Rielle had seen him playing with a group of local kids who were trying to get their kite to fly, figuring out what had caused the problem with infinite patience. K.C. was a good guy and Rielle had already decided she was going to take a chance.

She dropped his hands as she looked up into his brilliant blue eyes seeing the guarded expression on his face before she linked her arms around his neck smiling up at him.

“Your fiancée was a fool for choosing money over you, but I know a good man when I see one and I don’t need your money.” She told him and meant every word.

Her father had made very good money as a pro athlete and invested some of it into Tropical Delights but Graham had also set aside money for his children. While it wasn’t enough that they would never have to work it was a very nice chunk that allowed them a cushion so they could splurge every once in a while and they had invested a portion of it also.  

Chris had not really touched his money for college since he got a full scholarship but he had used it for his house. Gabrielle had been the opposite using some of her money to subsidize what her scholarship didn't cover for college but then she had won the medal and the rest was history. She still received a check from the calendar and she was scheduled to travel to Detroit for a commercial shoot in early August for the women’s athletic apparel company she represented.  

K.C. leaned down to kiss her in full sight of anyone who had binoculars and cared to watch his hands lacing behind her back to keep her close. He had been reluctant to break the kiss his mouth moving voraciously over hers as she responded to him like match to kindling.

The passion that had been interrupted the previous night easily flaring up again as her hands rubbed over his chest and moisture pooling between her legs. His long fingers had gotten tangled up in her thick hair as they kissed and he had forced their mouths apart before dropping his forehead to hers.

“We can’t do that again unless we’re alone.” He told hersoftly.

Gabrielle stood shivering in his arms, her eyes glowing up at him as she nodded. It would be a while before they could join the others; his body needed some time before he was presentable and her movements were jerky.

They had finally walked back towards the rest of the group and it had been obvious to one and all that something special was growing between them.

K.C. went to work on Monday and that first day set the tone for most of their days. They were both early risers and it was a lucky thing that first morning as he got an armful of warm woman. She nearly forgot to give him the fruit smoothie she had made for him because the kiss had melted almost all of her brain cells, not a good thing when she still had to get dressed, drive to work and teach teenage girls how to play soccer.

Rielle never made the mistake of opening her door to him in her tank top and yoga shorts again because she proved to be too much temptation for him to resist. Her school uniform was what she greeted him in and he was glad her students were female because the boys would have been hot for teacher she was so cute in the light blue polo shirt and navy capri pants and her long, narrow feet encased in white socks and sneakers.  

K.C. passed by Gabrielle’s house in the morning for his fix, a kiss every day. By six fifteen a.m. he was on his way to the job site while she had her own breakfast smoothie made with the fresh fruit she bought at the market on Saturdays. She would get him into the habit of going with her and they prepared lots of meals together in her kitchen as well as at his place up the hill.

Rielle left for work at seven and got off at four. When she wasn’t doing yoga or Pilates with her mother or practicing for the next game with the girls she was with K.C. School would be finished the first week in June and after she helped with the graduation ceremony and said goodbye to her students she was finished for that calendar year.

Rielle would be free to help out her parents in the store in the afternoon; the mornings were reserved for teaching at a summer school program that would last until late July. While she loved him, Rielle knew it was not good to let a man think you were dying without him even if it was true.

Her brother could see that K.C. was going to be a major part of her life and invited K.C. over to watch the NBA playoffs on his big screen TV and soon he, Jarrod, Michael, Bryan, Simon and even Graham had a pool running to see what team would win the ring.

The elder Hall came around as he spent more time with the young man who was dating his daughter, but Magdalena was still reserving judgment.

He had been invited to church with them in a move that Rielle knew was meant to scare him off but he had shown up looking very handsome in his suit and while he could never blend in she knew he wasn’t uncomfortable.

That Sunday an invitation was extended to lunch and he met Magdalena’s tiny white Chihuahua named ChaCha who had been given to her by Rielle when she had moved out of the house. The fact that the dog seemed to fall in love with K.C. was amazing because she was notoriously snappy with almost everyone. 

This had gone some ways to softening Magdalena’s attitude toward K.C. but Rielle knew her mom was still not totally convinced of K.C. sincerity. 

He had even brought his famous veggie lasagne and her meat and potato eating father and brother had praised his culinary effort while wolfing it down, which had shocked the female Halls no end.

K.C. had been gone for a few days in April on company business also and that first separation had been surprisingly hard for them both. The emails, texts and phone calls had ensured that the couple stayed in touch but it wasn't the same as actually being able to see or touch each other.

He had flown back to Denver for a few days ago to finalize plans for the hotel while the demolition on two of the gutted wings was being completed. There were some useable items which might be reused as decoration since the hotel was one of the first on the island.

K.C. had a drawing that he was pleased with, that would tie in the essence of the island while being pleasing to the discerning tastes of the upper middle and high end clientele they were aiming for.

The past few months had gone by quickly and it no longer amazed her that she could not imagine her life without K.C. in it. They managed to spend time alone but often hung out with their group of friends and Jarrod’s house was a meeting place for a lot of their gatherings.

Gabrielle was looking forward to the long holiday weekend. This would prove to be a very memorable birthday for her indeed. She was going to ensure it. 

Chapter 24

K.C. had called her from Denver on Tuesday to tell her that he had a special date planned for her birthday weekend which this year coincided with Memorial Day.  He told Gabrielle that she should put on her best dress and pack an overnight bag because he would be picking her up at six on Friday evening and taking her on an adventure.

Rielle had immediately thought of the beautiful BCBG dress she had bought at the end of January but never found an occasion to wear and while it had been expensive it had been worth it. She had loved how it looked on the model online that had a similar skin tone and dark hair like hers and the dress had not disappointed when it arrived.

    The one shoulder, ruched bodice, silk ombre blue dress had an empire waist and then skimmed her curves before it ended in a pretty swirl around her ankles. The top was fashioned so that a necklace was unnecessary and her skin had a pretty glow that had been enhanced after soaking in her tub, by the coconut lotion that blended well with her perfume. She didn’t need to wear a bra because the dress was molded to her full breasts. 

 Rielle always wore her hair in a ponytail or braid for school so it was down when she went out as it was now with the barest hint of curl. She had debated with Georgie whether she should wear her pearls or stick with her trademark silver and she had settled on a pretty pair of pearl earrings, high heeled sandals and a pearl bracelet to complete the look.

Georgie had come over to her house and she sat with her mouth agape when Gabrielle exited the bathroom after finishing off her makeup with a smoky eye shadow and a soft natural mouth touched with a little gloss.

The blonde woman had been playing with Gabrielle’s Ipod while lounging on the large bed in denim cut offs and a hot pink halter top and when the two women registered what song she had pulled up they both burst out laughing. ‘Nookie Tonight’ by Jamesy P had come out in 2005 and she had been very careful not to play the song around her parents when she first bought it.

“Gabrielle Hall, Chris would kill you if he heard that song much less your parents.” Georgie said once they had recovered.

“You mean he would try.” Rielle replied with her hand on her hip in a saucy pose after she had twirled giving her friend the full effect of the dress.

“Girl, I hope you know what you doing as hot as you look. K.C. already can’t keep his hands off you and now you want to go and tempt him like this with the goodies? You’re just asking for trouble. I'm just saying.” The blonde woman told her seriously.

Rielle cast a sideways glance her way and Georgie began fanning her face when she saw it. That look said she was up for anything tonight but K.C. gave off the air of man who knew what he was doing. If he was anything like her Michael Gabrielle was going to find herself in a boatload of delicious trouble. She knew her friend was in for a wonderful time this weekend, but she had to voice her opinion on one concern. 

“Rielle you are so bad. All I have to say is that I hope you guys have had the safe sex talk.” Georgie advised and saw her friend blush.

“We did, I just hope you can say the same. I know that 'I just got nookie walk' and I saw you last night hobbling about the court.” Rielle retorted and the other woman definitely got red in the face.

Michael had also been away on business apparently he was in talks with his shoe company but had come back two days ago and he and Georgie were getting along like a house on fire.

Bryan had sent Andrea into a tailspin by kissing her the night of Jarrod’s dinner party but she had quickly recovered and surprised her friends by throwing herself into the love affair. Andie had also hidden her feelings for Bryan because she had never thought the handsome, cool young man could return the feelings of the geeky, glasses wearing young friend of his sister. 

Jarrod was on assignment in Turkey and his fledgling relationship with Camille was moving slowly because she was so cautious. He was going to need the patience of Job because Cam was a tough nut to crack but she thought he might be the one to get her business oriented friend to open up. They had all been invited to the backyard barbeque Rielle’s parents were throwing for her on Monday.  

Her safe sex conversation with K.C. had taken place after a very passionate encounter between the two of them on the beach below Jarrod’s house where they had gone for an afternoon swim. K.C. had finished work early and persuaded Rielle to meet him after school at Jarrod’s who was on assignment again.

After spending some time swimming and playing in the surf they had lazed about enjoying the late afternoon sun and eating the sandwiches K. C. had brought with him as they sat on a large blanket.

For once when she was on the beach the sea did not capture her attention, she was focused on the handsome, athletic man next to her and not the ocean or for that matter the sunset. The couple had been lying side by side trading kisses and finally had come up for much needed air. 

K.C. had reached out to twirl a lock of her long, dark hair around his index finger, his other hand supporting his head as he stared down at the sensual woman lying next to him. The light tan he had acquired made his eyes even bluer and the blonde bristle that he had been growing for a few days made him look rough but still very hot.

“You are so sexy. I can’t believe none of the guys on the island have braved the Towers of Terror to be with you but I’m glad they haven’t.” he had said softly leaning in to kiss her when she had looked at him through her eyelashes.

She was wearing her favorite purple bikini and he had kissed a trail from her mouth, down her sharp little chin to the sun warmed skin of her throat and along her collarbone all the while murmuring how beautiful she was.

K.C.'s hot, wet mouth had her seeing stars behind her closed eyelids as his rough tongue and facial hair raised goosebumps on her silky smooth flesh that tasted of the ocean they had recently vacated. Her body didn't feel like her own and she had no control, could only follow where K.C. lead as her body prepared itself for sex as she bit her lips.

He was bringing up emotions that she had never experience and she was so far gone that if he had attempted to remove her top she would have let him do it so that his lips could close over her hard nipples. She wanted him to touch her all over but especially the bundle of nerves between her thighs that was throbbing wildly with each caress of his mouth.  

Rielle had felt like she was coming out of her skin as he caressed her trembling body and she ran her fingers through his wet hair before tightening them in the thick strands as she threw back her head.

"Oh my God, K.C. please touch me!" she demanded in a breathless voice.

His throaty growl had vibrated across her skin and she had called his name weakly when his hand closed over the firm mound of her breast. His thumb barely brushed over the puckered nipple twice before she cried out her breath coming out in shallow pants.

It had been so long since anyone had touched her and before she knew it she was squeezing her thighs together and clutching at his shoulders convulsively as a small orgasm swept her. Rielle was immensely embarrassed that just that touch had made her climax.

K.C. dropped back against the blanket his chest moving like a bellows as he swallowed trying to wet his dry throat while he willed his body to calm down. Hearing her call his name in passion had made him take this further than he wanted.

He had not intended for things to get this out of hand with Gabrielle and he raised his head to look at the bulge that had formed in his board shorts. This is your fucking fault he thought to himself scolding his throbbing cock that had lenghtened down his leg and was leaking.

He had been tempted to sprint back into the ocean to cool off and might do that later but he didn't want to leave Gabrielle who was still recovering. He just hoped she didn't focus too closely on his body when she got her wits back because she might run from him. He had remained celibate since Tiffani and had not even been tempted to jerk off, he wanted Gabrielle and his hand wasn't going to cut it. 

This woman had all of the fire that Tiffani had lacked and he considered himself lucky to have found her and he was very happy with his lot and intended to make sure that Gabrielle felt the same way.

His hand had stroked over her skin soothingly and K.C. had been secretly pleased that she was so very responsive but now they needed to talk before they went any further. K.C. had told her that he had tested himself after finding out about Tiffani being a cheat but that he would get checked again to put his and her mind at ease.

“It’s been nearly four years since I was with my college boyfriend and we used protection the only time we…but I will get tested by my doctor.” She had told him shyly.

K.C. barely kept the shit eating grin off his face at her revelation instead he bent down to kiss her mouth gently. He had known some women who minimized their sexual experience because it made them look bad but he knew Gabrielle was not one of them. It had never been an issue for him before but somewhere along the line since meeting her he had turned into a knuckle dragger and he wanted to carry her off to his cave but didn't think that would go over with his very independent woman.

He had always been of the opinion that a female was entitled to do what she wanted but he was primitive enough to be glad Gabrielle didn’t have a string of lovers. He wasn’t a small man in any department but there was nothing like being with a woman who could use some Kegel exercises to tighten up what felt like a wind tunnel down below.

Rielle had gone to her gynecologist several weeks ago and gotten the tests done in addition to renewing her prescription for the pill and the day before K.C. had left she had given him her clean bill of health.

They had just finished eating dinner and were sitting on the porch looking at the dusky landscape. He had looked deeply into her eyes after he’d read the paper understanding the significance of the gesture that she was making.

“Call me a fool but I have to ask. Are you sure about this Gabrielle?” he asked needing confirmation and watched as she had nodded slowly.

"Yes I'm sure that I want to be with you." Gabrielle had answered looking him in the eyes.

“Damn woman you obviously don’t want me to leave or you wouldn’t have told me that now.” He grumbled and she’d seen the wicked glint that had entered his eyes. He had given her a copy of his results the day before.

The fact that she wanted to take the next step with him had his body leaping in response and he wanted to lay her down on the sofa in the living room of his leased house and make love to her so bad but she deserved the first time between them to be special. She deserved something spectacular and with her birthday coming up he began to formulate a plan in his head.

His coming by her house in the morning had been torturous for them both and Rielle had barely stopped herself from crying before he left, but her eyes had been sparkling with unshed tears. She had curled up on her sectional hugged a cushion and bawled until she had a major headache to go with her heartache and if Rielle hadn't known that she was in love with K.C. before she knew now.

Georgie’s phone rang pulling Rielle out of her memories and she turned to find the other woman holding onto her Dooney and Bourke leather overnight bag as she answered her cell.

“We’ll be right there. Rielle you need to go to the door.” She told the brunette woman with a secretive smile on her face after she hung up.

“So I guess your coming over wasn’t just a coincidence?” Gabrielle asked as she smoothed the dress over her thighs gathering herself.

She walked out of the bedroom her head held high going to answer the door as instructed and glanced at the Roman numeral clock on the wall to see he was punctual as usual; it was a trait she tried very hard to cultivate.

Her eyes were snagged by the vibrant color that now adorned her home. K.C. had sent her a potted pink cymbidium orchid plant that according to the attached card had ties to the Susan G. Komen Cure for the Cause in honor of her mother. That had arrived at nine, at noon a fuschia oncidium orchid had shown up and at three a lavender phalaenopsis orchid plant had been delivered to the school much to her students delight and her embarrassment.

Rielle had gotten more attention from the florists shop today than she had gotten on Valentine’s Day. The students in her last period class had almost gotten into a fight over who would help her carry the flowers out to her car as she retrieved them from the principal’s office and one of the teenagers had asked her innocently if she had a boyfriend.

The female teachers had looked at her expectantly and Rielle had answered that she had a very good friend and left it at that. It was not that she wasn’t friendly with the other women but she tried to be careful with her impressionable students and they didn’t need to be all up in her business.

She glanced around at the orchids that she had placed at different points in her living room that gave beautiful pops of color. Rielle was a little nervous as she went to answer the door since they had been apart nearly a week and her hand actually shook when she reached for the knob.

She came face to face with a bouquet of the most lush purple dendrobium orchids in a Lucite vase and above them a pair of mischievous blue eyes and a smile spread on her face. 

“Hi.” K.C. said softly as he lowered the flowers to take in the dark haired beauty in front of him. She looked like a goddess rising from the sea in her dress of beautiful graduated aqua blue chiffon and the air sizzled as his eyes came back up to meet hers.

“Hi.” Gabrielle replied shyly.  She saw the banked fire in his eyes and her heart beginning to pound wildly in her chest in response.

Chapter 25

“These are for you and I thought they were beautiful when I picked them up but I see now they cannot begin to compare to you. You look incredible Gabrielle.” He told her as she took the vase from him, the faint spicy scent of the flowers perfuming the air between them. 

K.C. looked very handsome in a navy pinstriped suit, dark blue silk tie and white shirt combo, his eyes were bright in a tanned face and his dark blonde hair was casually brushed back from his broad forehead. He had obviously shaved earlier in the day but the fuzz was coming in and he was toying with letting his mustache grow.  

“Thank you. You look pretty good yourself.” she responded with more cool than she felt. Rielle stepped gracefully away from his disturbing orbit and placed the vase on the table in front of the sectional.

Georgie had gone to take her overnight bag to the vehicle and Gabrielle straightened to find K.C.’s eyes lingering on her backside, but his gaze quickly jerked back to her face.

“You look really fantastic in that dress.” He said earnestly as the chiffon settled around her trim ankles.

“I know.” Rielle told her with a flirty smile and he grinned back at her. The dress had definitely been worth it as she basked in his response. Georgie had been correct but he hadn't touched her yet and she was a little disappointed by that fact. 

“Are you ready to go?” he asked looking away from her with difficulty. 

K.C. didn't dare lay a hand on her beautiful light chocolate skin or lips either for that matter because he knew that they would never leave her house if he did. He restrained himself by remembering that this weekend was about her and what she would want not just jumping on her and fuc... Damn he was just exciting himself with this train of thought and he didn't want her to think he was just interested in getting laid.

If he wasn't careful he was going to ruin this for her and he had to really get himself under control. He had never been so excited, the energy fizzing through his veins. K.C. really did want to give her the surprise he had planned for her.

She nodded and Rielle locked her house before turning and looking out at the beauty of the sun soon set, she never tired of that. K.C. escorted her down the steps and she saw the Range Rover sitting like Cinderella’s pumpkin and Georgie’s Volvo parked behind it.

“Your chariot awaits Miss Hall.” Michael said and she smiled at him as he held open the door doffing an imaginary cap. K.C. handed her into the back of the SUV before walking around the vehicle. K.C.'s touch had been light but still he felt the charge that surged between them as their eyes met briefly. 

He said something to the dark haired man who walked over to talk to Georgie. K.C. entered the vehicle, closed the door behind him before turning to her and pulling a silk scarf out of his jacket pocket and holding it up so she could see.

“I won’t mess up your hair, but I want this to be a surprise for you. Do you trust me Gabrielle?” He asked her and she nodded slowly before allowing him to blind fold her.

K.C. looked at Michael who had finally gotten in and started the vehicle and he turned on the CD player. Gabrielle heard the most beautiful Spanish guitar music as K.C. picked up her left hand.

Being deprived of her sight magnified everything else as she inhaled his familiar cologne thinking she could pick him out by scent from any other man in the world. Rielle started when she felt his lips make contact with the skin of her inner wrist and she smiled remembering when he had come to her home that first night.

With the windows up and the AC running she had no clue as to where he was taking her but it felt like forever before the car stopped but the engine remained on. She heard Michael’s door open and close and Rielle vaguely got a whiff of the sea before she heard the sound of K.C. turning to her, their knees bumping together.

“I want you to stay here until I come and get you and no peaking or I might have to spank you. Okay?” he told her playfully.

Gabrielle wasn’t sure whether it was sensory deprivation or if she was really that excited but when he said that her bottom actually clenched and she almost bit her lip before recalling her lip gloss.

“Okay.” She replied in a thin voice.

This blindfold was making her very uninhibited if this was the way her thoughts were running. She inhaled deeply and waited for what was to come.

K.C. sat staring at her for a moment, her eyes covered by the fabric with only her pert nose, sexy mouth and sharp little chin showing and he started to lean forward and would have kissed her but pulled himself back in time.

He had missed her like hell while he was in Denver and had done everything in his power to get back to her as quickly as possible.  K.C. had worked some killer hours and virtually slept on the couch in his office to finish the work that had piled up on his desk since he left.

His father had looked at him with silent  speculation in his shrewd blue eyes when he heard he had practically bitten off the head of his frazzled secretary.

Sheila Marks had been with Aurora for twelve years and K.C. for six but she had thrown up her hands ready to quit when she had accidentally changed his plane reservations making them for Saturday instead of Friday and he had exploded.

K.C. had apologized and charmed his way back into her good graces when he realized that he had seriously overreacted, especially since if he really wanted to he could take one of the company private jets down to St. Sebastian. He had bought Sheila a broach to add to her collection as well as tickets to a concert she had mentioned to him.

“It is a pretty big holiday weekend K.C., are you sure you don’t want to stay and go back on Tuesday? Your mother would love to have you come over and spend some time and I’m sure your brother and sister would like to see you too.” Colton Whitfield had told him.  

The older Whitfield had sensed something different in his son on this second trip back and now his curiosity was piqued by his usually even tempered son’s abnormal behavior.

“I’m sorry dad but I have to get back to St. Sebastian. I’ve got a very important meeting coming up this weekend. Besides I know how you and Mom like to run around the house naked when we aren’t there. I wouldn’t want to deprive either of you of that dubious pleasure.” He had replied gazing up at his father from behind his drawing board.

There was nothing like finding out that your parents still had marital relations by walking in on them in their living room when they were supposed to be at work. His mother's indignant scream was still echoing in his ear and the fact that his father had an all over tan was not something he need to be aware of. 

He was working really hard to erase that memory by focusing on the bright side; at least he could look forward to a long healthy relationship with his spouse. It only surprised him a little that he was really beginning to hope that Gabrielle could be that woman.

Colton had looked back at his son with a roguish grin and sparkling blue eyes and K.C. saw that there was still some bad boy left in his nearly sixty year old father.

“I can’t wait for you to meet your soul mate K.C.. When you finally find your own woman, you’ll take any opportunity you can get to be with her.” He had smoothly in his deep voice, unashamed to let anyone know he was still in love with his beautiful wife after all this time.

They were considered one of the most powerful couples in the business world and his mother was an integral part of Aurora Enterprises still, although she had taken some time off when he and his siblings were younger. She had also taken time off to supervise his grandparents care now that they were getting into their early nineties and not as mobile as they used to be.

K.C. exited the vehicle now and walked around to lift Gabrielle out and he inhaled her delicate fragrance as he looked down at her. Even blindfolded her face was expressive as she registered the smell and sound of the ocean, steel pan music and birdsong. He smiled as she furrowed her brow in concentration while trying to work out where they were.

He turned her around so that her back was to his front and then he slowly loosened the blindfold before allowing it to fall from her eyes. K.C. had enough height on her even with Gabrielle in high heels to see her face as her eyelids rose and took in the awesome view.

Gabrielle’s heart was pounding and she couldn’t believe her eyes as she saw a sleek white yacht that must have been at least a hundred feet long tied to the dock and she leaned into the warm body behind her for a moment of support.

He had brought her to the marina at Hidden Cove she recognized glancing around at all of the other elegant vessels that bobbed in the deep blue water. The yacht in front of her was an incredible sight especially up close and not what she had expected. She turned to look up at him shock clearly written all over her face.

“K.C., what did you do?” she whispered as his eyes smiled down at her.

“I thought that you deserved to be a queen for your birthday. I know we can only stay on board till Sunday afternoon because of your game on Sunday and your parents throwing you that barbeque on Monday but I hoped you would like this. Georgie and Andie said you didn’t get seasick. Don’t tell me they were wrong? Don't you like it?” He said his brow wrinkling as he began to get worried by her reaction.

“No, I don’t get seasick, but this is just too much for the two of us. This is the most generous thing anyone has ever done for me. I- I’m just overwhelmed.” Gabrielle told him almost on the verge of tears.

Gabrielle couldn’t believe that he had done this crazy, extravagant thing for her. K.C. didn’t throw his money around and was content to go to a mobile food van and eat a sandwich as he was to take her out to one of the many fabulous restaurants on the island. He was so low key about his money that she no longer felt uncomfortable about it.

This yacht was even more beautiful than the one those crazy housewives from New York had sailed around the U.S. Virgin Islands on. The show was the guilty pleasure she would never admit to K.C. that she watched but that she shared with her mother. Rielle could admit to feeling a little envious of them being able to indulge in something so hedonistic and now K.C. was offering her the chance to experience it for herself.

From the orchids to this magnificent gesture K.C. really was the most incredible man she had ever met and she was leaving him hanging while she was behaved like an doting idiot she thought glancing up at him quickly through the screen of her lashes.

“Thank you for this K. C. I’m really going to love my birthday weekend.” She told him.

Gabrielle lifted her hands to run them over the lapel of his jacket as she lifted her eyes to meet his. He saw the happy glow in the depths of her green eyes and he clasped both of her hands in his as he bent and dropped a kiss on her tempting mouth and then kissed her hands while holding her gaze before turning to view the  magnificent vessel.

“The crew must think we’ve changed our mind. What’s her name?” Gabrielle asked as they began walking toward the gangplank hand in hand. 

“This is the Caribbean Temptation. She has a crew of six including the captain and we’ll be taking a leisurely sail around the island.” She held her dress out of the way as she boarded the luxurious boat, with K.C.’s hand in the center of her back and the captain greeted them politely as he helped his guests.

“Welcome aboard, my name is Captain Robert Pierson and it’s a pleasure to have you both with us Miss Hall, Mr. Whitfield. We’ll be underway in ten minutes.” The captain told them, before he introduced them to the other members of the crew.

They turned out to be a cosmopolitan mix, the captain and chef were a married couple from Norway, the first mate a native New Yorker, the chief steward from Fiji, the stewardess from New Zealand and the two deck hands from Canada.

They were all neatly dressed in gold polo shirts and khaki shorts and she saw that this was the color scheme of the elegant yacht as the chief steward led them through a highly polished wooden hall to the aft deck where they would be dining.

K.C.'s extravagant gesture was mind-blowing but what she had really found endearing was the concern on his face when he thought she didn't like the surprise he had obviously spent some time as well as money on.  

Chapter 26  

They were given a grand tour of the yacht by the chief steward that included the bridge, main salon, observation deck, formal dining room, sundeck, open air shower, and swim platform along with five lavish suites.

Even though the staff was very professional Gabrielle was a little uncomfortable with the crew believing that she and K.C. would be sharing the master stateroom. She wasn’t ashamed of their relationship; it was just that this was something very special and private.

Gabrielle held her head up high as they left the gold and cream appointed room. She was pretty sure the crew had all seen some pretty decadent behavior and she didn’t need to be thinking about this stuff or she was going to talk herself out of being with the man that she loved who treated her like no other ever had.

Gabrielle saw that the entire yacht was equivalent to a five star hotel with the most luxurious décor that was timeless, elegant and modern. The steward guided them back to the aft deck where they had chosen to dine and went to check on the meal and return with drinks and hor dourves.

They would go out to sea a couple of miles and then circle the island and the sound of the sea slapping against the ship while they cleaved through the dark water was soothing.

She had never dreamed that she would be in such a position a few months ago looking across at the man that she loved this was a fantasy come to life and K.C. watched this soft expression come over her face and he wondered if she even knew it.They were sitting at a round table affixed to the wooden floor with wicker chairs.

“So how was your trip?” Gabrielle asked curiously as the sea air wafted across her skin.

They had left the marina while they were walking to the aft deck and the departure had been so smooth neither one of them realized they had left the dock.

A lock of hair blew onto her lips and she raised a hand to remove it, but K.C. reached out first and did it and used his index finger to run it along first her jaw line and then down to her collar bone.

“It was very productive, the design changes were approved and now we just have to get them through the local planning department. I saw my grandparents and they want to visit the island when the hotel is finished and my sister would love to come down to experience A Taste of the Tropics for herself next year.” He told her smoothly enjoying the contrast of his tan against her light chocolate skin.

Gabrielle shivered under his touch and wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or upset when his hand dropped. K.C. had seen the crew approaching and moved slightly back from Rielle noting the way her pulse was beating wildly at her throat.

The female steward came through the automatic glass doors with a silver cloche covered tray of hor dourves followed by the chief steward who had a silver ice bucket with what turned out to be Veuve Clicquiot La Grande Dame 1998, a very good champagne bottle and two glasses.

They left discreetly after describing the starters and the presentation was first class as was the service.  There was a variety of morsels to choose from including a beef and blue cheese crostini with balsamic onion marmalade and roasted garlic aioli, a foie gras and mushroom risotto spoon, an Asian barbecue shrimp satay with cilantro mint dip or a whipped brie cheese on brioche with shaved pear and lemon to start their meal.

He toasted Gabrielle on her twenty fifth birthday and wished her good health and many more as they clinked their champagne filled Waterford crystal glassware before trying the delicate looking morsels. He fed her from his foie gras and mushroom risotto spoon when Gabrielle said she had never had duck liver and she laughed as he rolled his eyes when she started moaning at the richness of the foie gras.

“Mm that is delicious, but I can’t eat too much of that one if I want to play on Sunday.”  She said reaching for the Asian shrimp satay.

Watching her eat was the most pleasurable and frustrating experience because seeing her beautiful lips open as she inserted whatever morsel into her mouth was just a prelude to her savoring said morsel vocally in an unconsciously sexy way.  

“I didn’t thank you for the beautiful flowers K.C. and especially the pink cymbidiums. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that you did the marathon in April in honor of my mother and had some of the men get involved.” She told him reaching out to touch his hand. He pulled his mind from his baser thoughts to meet her warm gaze

“I know what it’s like to have someone you love go through a medical crisis and feel helpless so anything that I can do on behalf of Aurora isn’t too much.” He said easily rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

“I know that Michael and Jarrod got a lot of ribbing for wearing the pink t-shirts but it didn’t seem to bother you. Do you have a survivor in your family?” Rielle asked gently. He talked about his family a lot and she knew quite a bit about his siblings and parents.

“No I don’t, but my Uncle Frank was diagnosed five years ago with rheumatoid arthritis at forty-seven and it affected all of us. He’s one of the best men I know and I saw what he went through to get back to where he was able to live a normal life. My Mom was a rock, but one night I came home unexpectantly and she was in the kitchen beating the hell out of a ball of dough crying her eyes out." he stopped talking for a moment.

She knew the memories overtook him and she watched his eyes darken before he focused on her concerned face. Rielle squeezed his hand letting him know that she was there for him and he continued. 

"While the doctors worked out a course of treatment that allowed him to get some semblance of his former life Mom made a whole lot of bread and I will never forget that experience. It’s why I try to live life to the fullest because you never know when it can all change.” K.C. explained solemnly as understanding passed between them.  

Gabrielle raised her glass and he did the same wondering what she was going to say.

“I propose a toast to life.” She said her gaze direct the message in her eyes clear.  They each sipped from their glasses as the implications of her toast sank in and the staff came in to remove the plates bringing the next course with them.

The atmosphere had gotten very heavy and so Gabrielle tried to lighten the mood by talking about the reaction of her students to the flowers and he laughed when she told him about the little girl asking if she had a boyfriend now.

He had a warm pear salad with razz cherry, herbed pecans, Pointe Reyes blue cheese and garlic dressing while she had the local green salad with basil dusted tomato, cucumber essence, fresh herbs and roasted shallot dressing. Everything tasted so fresh and she took a sip of champagne, the fizzing on her tongue making her smile.

“So, what did you tell the girl?” K.C. asked curiously his eyes intent as he speared a pear chunk. They had been dating since the night of Jarrod’s party and it had remained unspoken that they were exclusively seeing each other. Rielle dabbed at her mouth with her napkin before looking up at him.

“I told her that I had a very good friend because I didn’t think a Fourteen year old should be privy to that information. The other teachers have been trying to pump me for info on you ever since you ran the marathon. They want to know if you have any brothers, cousins or uncles; the questions have gotten a little invasive. It’s like some of them are living vicariously through me.” Rielle replied easily.

K.C. chewed methodically as he considered her answer wondering if there was a strong morality clause at school that made her hesitant to admit that she was dating him. They had run into a few of her students and their parents while out and he had seen some looks but that had been because she was rarely out with a man, the race issue hadn't been a problem for anyone that they had met.

He gladly wore the title of Gabrielle’s boyfriend at work and when he returned to Denver he was going to tell his parents he had met someone very special. He already knew that his mother wouldn’t like the fact that Gabrielle was from the island but that couldn’t be helped.

Frederika had taken an almost instant dislike to Tiffani and he had put it down to her thinking no one was good enough for her son and she had been proven right. K.C. should have remembered that his mother was not wired that way and only wanted his happiness.

The staff returned with the raspberry sorbet intermezzo to cleanse their palates before the main course was served.

“Have the faculty said anything to you about dating me?” he asked quietly.

It had never been a concern before with any of the women that he dated that he might be jeopardizing her career and it was a thought that didn’t sit well with him.  He loved how she talked about her students with such enthusiasm and she had admitted that she would like to have children of her own someday.

Usually in the past, when a woman mentioned children he would have eased his way out of the relationship but with Gabrielle he could only smile and imagine a little girl with those big green eyes looking up at him.

Even funnier was the fact that they hadn’t been intimate yet when by this stage he would have been in the pants of the woman in question and deciding whether the relationship was worth pursuing.

“No, short of me doing a Lady Godiva or something equally outrageous which I’m not about to do so get that look off your face, my job is safe.” She told him laughing at the way he perked up and wiggled his blonde eyebrows with interest.

Gabrielle didn’t know the half of it, he was half erect most times when she was around and the first time he had seen her lithe form in her beach volleyball white shirt and tight red shorts only the thought that her parents would have killed him had kept in check.

K.C had pre-ordered dinner with an eye towards the foods that she liked and he knew that she would love the seared Scottish salmon with morel mushroom and paquillo pepper relish, yellow tomato butter and coconut sushi rice.

Her love of seafood apparently didn’t stop her from eyeing his plate as it was placed before him. K.C.’s duo of rosemary grilled filet of beef/sesame coriander crusted sea bass with wild mushroom potato puree, port syrup and charred scallion vinaigrette was truly one of the best meals he had ever eaten and the company was only part of that reason.

He cut a piece of the medium well done meat and was savoring the tender cut when he opened his eyes and found Gabrielle staring at him. K.C. was not above teasing her as he finished chewing and quirked an eyebrow at her. 

"Would you like a taste?" he asked with a straight face. His eyes twinkled at her and she knew he had done it deliberately but she was taking the bait anyway.

She could give as good as she got however. Gabrielle held his gaze as she slowly licked her lips and opened her mouth in answer.

K.C. conceded that she had won that match as every other thought left his brain along with his blood and centered in his groin.

Chapter 27

Feeding Gabrielle from his own fork was a very intimate act, K.C. knew as he reached out to put the piece of meat into her mouth and he watched the sultry look that entered her eyes.

Just like that the atmosphere that had been so serious swung the other way and he shifted in his seat to find a more comfortable position for his quickly growing cock as he swallowed to relieve his suddenly dry throat.

She had closed her eyes as the tangy meat touched her tongue and she moaned in appreciation of the well cooked morsel, the heady champagne lowering her inhibitions.

Rielle finished chewing and opened her eyes to find a forkful of the potato puree in front of her lips and the process was repeated much to K.C.’s pleasure but he knew there was no way he could get up now and he had arranged for some music to be played so they could dance.

They finished eating, conversation nonexistent as they communicated without words only shared hot glances and it felt like every time she opened her mouth he got harder, until he could barely focus on anything but her.

He had chosen a lemon pound cake with a fresh mixed berry sauce for dessert because it would appealed to both of their tastes. But K.C. would just as soon forgo the sweet to take her to their stateroom and make love to her all night long.

He knew that Gabrielle had very deep feelings for him, that she might even be in love with him and he had feelings for her too.  This was definitely more than lust, but right now his desire for her was in the forefront.

Rielle could feel her panties getting wetter by the minute as she saw the desire in K.C.’s darkening eyes. Her skin felt flushed while her nipples tightened against the fabric of her dress and she wondered if they were visible they felt so hard.

She squeezed her legs together as the throbbing became more insistent between her thighs; she picked up her glass to quench the thirst that champagne couldn’t really fulfill and emptied it before returning it to the table where her fingers caressed the stem.

Rielle wasn’t sure if she could sit through another course as the Caribbean breeze floated over her skin making her tingle all over.

K.C. reminded himself that this was not about him but Gabrielle and he grabbed the champagne bottle in a less than steady hand.

“Would you like some more?” he asked his voice deeper as the primitive part of him thrilled to be providing her with everything she could want. Rielle shook her head slowly before dabbing at her mouth with the napkin and he emptied the bottle into his glass and drained that in short order.

While he was doing that it finally registered that she was hearing a familiar tune playing over the hidden speakers. ‘She’s Royal’ by Tarrus Riley had quickly been added to her playlist when it had first come out along with the rest of his CD and she melted all over again that K.C. could be so romantic to play one of her favorite songs.

“Can I have this dance?” he asked holding out his hand and Gabrielle seemed to float out of her chair to take his hand.

They had danced together several times at a couple of the hot clubs on the island and he proved to be a surprisingly adept dancer whether it was to reggaeton, soca, or R&B he was up for anything.

She had teasingly told him that she didn’t know white men could dance and he had replied that she didn’t know what all he could do white or not with a wicked leer.

They hardly ever danced like this however and K.C. bent to smell her hair as he tried to keep from grinding his erection into her belly. Having Gabrielle in his arms was the best kind of torture as she fit against him perfectly and he held her tightly around her small waist.

Their feet barely moving and  K.C. felt her coming closer to him until Gabrielle was right up against him and could be in no doubt that he wanted her. He was the one trembling in her arms as the song repeated, her slim arms wrapping around his neck to play with the hair at his nape and she finally raised her head from his shoulder where it had nestled.

K.C.’s mouth descended on hers in a hungry kiss and Gabrielle opened up like a flower to the sun as she felt the hard bulge against her pelvis when he leaned into her not trying to hide anymore. She moaned into his mouth when his big hand slid from her waist to curve over a taut cheek, his tongue meeting with hers and she melted against him as the passion between them grew.

She felt herself going up on tiptoe to be closer to him as his heart beat wildly beneath her palm through the soft fabric of his silk cotton blend shirt, her fingers curling reflexively. Gabrielle’s hips moved against his cock as she met his passion with her own, the sensual movement of her body against his ratcheting up the heat between them.

They were caught in a whirlwind of emotion and K.C. knew he had to get her to the stateroom or he would do something unforgiveable like laying her down on one of the banquet seats and feasting on her.

They were so focused on each other that neither one realized the stewards had returned and after seeing the intimately entwined couple they discreetly retreated before the automatic glass doors could open.

They looked down at the lemon masterpiece Chef Dagmar had created to finish the meal and knew that it could be eaten later maybe for a midnight snack to renew flagging energy and the uneaten dessert would go into the mini fridge of the master suite sitting room along with another bottle of champagne.

K.C. was loathe to separate from Gabrielle but he needed to in order to carry out the rest of the plan for this evening. He drew back slowly and said her name his hands cradling either side of her flushed face,

“Gabrielle.” He began before bending to kiss her again.

This time he pulled away from her with determination. He wanted to see her mouth swollen with passion and her dark hair spread out on the pillows of the bed in the stateroom and he needed to get her downstairs for that to happen.

The staff must have seen them kissing and chosen not to disturb them with desert as he requested. Rielle only had one thing on her mind now and that was to be with K.C and she wasn’t going to play, she had waited nearly four years to meet a man who could light her fire like he did.

“Let’s go downstairs.” he said hoarsely holding out his hand.

She gripped his fingers tightly as they walked hand in hand to the suite and he stopped once to push her up against a wall needing to kiss her again like he needed air to breath. His lips ravished hers as she whimpered into his mouth holding on for dear life as her legs threatened to give way beneath her.

They barely made it to the room and K.C. pulled off his jacket looking at her with hungry eyes, before he remembered something very important and a grimace covered his face for a second.

He released her grudgingly and looked down at her until she raised her heavy lidded eyes to his and then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled the square box from his pocket before presenting it to her.

She didn’t immediately realize that he was holding something in his hand, she had been too busy looking up into his eyes but when he raised his broad palm a little higher she saw the silver foil wrapped gift.

“K.C. no the yacht was enough, you didn’t need to do anything more.” she protested pulling away from him.

He could sense that she was really upset by this new gesture but he wanted her to have this and anything else he could give her and he reeled her back in with a strong arm about her waist.

“I told you that you deserved to be a queen for this weekend and what queen would be without her jewels? I would be honored if you would  accept this Gabrielle.” He said holding up the gift to her.

She was a very unusual woman because he could really see that she was reluctant to take the jewelry and he knew it wasn’t a show on her part.

When they went out if she had asked him on the date she would insist on paying. After the first time he had tried to be the one to set up their dates not liking her having to spend money when he was the one with the bigger income.

Rielle had been very serious when she told him she didn’t need his money and early in the relationship K.C. was put on notice when he tried to pay for dinner at her favorite restaurant.

He watched her with warm eyes as she slowly reached for the gift and she stared up at him for a moment before she pulled the white ribbon. The foil parted to reveal the telltale Tiffani blue box and her breathe caught in her throat at this implication.

In her heart she knew it was too soon to expect a ring and the box was larger than a ring box but her heart had begun racing all the same as she took the wrapper off with clumsy fingers and slowly opened the box.

On the white cushion lay a large amethyst colored teardrop pendant necklace and matching earrings both suspended on silver chain; it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.  

She stared down at the jewelry thinking that he really knew her well picking something both simple and elegant in her favorite color. She liked to pay her own way and was very independent but Rielle wasn't stupid and giving this back would be stupid in the extreme.

Rielle snapped shut the box before launching herself at K.C. with a laugh and covering his face with kisses.

Chapter 28

K.C. had stood in the Tiffany store at Cherry Creek Mall in Denver after leaving work early on Wednesday so that he could buy the brooch for Sheila in atonement for his bad behavior.

His eyes had been caught by the rich purple of the nearly twenty carat pendent and earrings and the fact that they were in silver had been the clincher. He could only imagine how beautiful they would look against Gabrielle's gorgeous light brown complexion especially with nothing else on.

K.C. had stuck a hand in his pants to mitigate the damage those wayward thoughts made to his body. He had immediately known that he had found the perfect birthday gift for Gabrielle, the pieces were both sleek and timeless yet there was a fun element about them too.

K.C. caught her easily in his arms barely moving since he outweighed her by a hundred pound and ten pounds as she subjected him to a frenzy of kisses all over his face. He held her tightly while enduring her attack a big grin on his face knowing he had pleased her.

He could not remember experiencing a moment of unbridled joy like this with Tiffani who had always been expecting things from him and took it for granted. He had dreaded going out with her after a while because she would point out “little” things that were much more expensive than the two thousand dollar total of the jewelry that he had given Gabrielle.

K.C. would have given her more but knew she would have been uncomfortable with the idea. He laughed with Gabrielle and spun around once before falling backward onto the luxurious Egyptian cotton cream comforter and she stopped laughing as their eyes met.

The desire was plainly written on both of their faces now and Gabrielle felt the leashed power vibrating in the big body beneath hers.  She should have felt more scared looking down at him, seeing the banked emotion in his clear blue eyes, and the flush of desire on his face.

Instead she felt intensely feminine, sexy and desirable, feelings she had been suppressing these last few years roaring to life now as her body pulsed in time with his.

“Would you like me to put it on you?” he asked his voice deeper.

“Later.” She replied shaking her head.

At any other time she might have laughed at the phrasing of his sentence but not now.

Her mass of thick black hair blocked out the light as she lowered her head slowly to kiss him. All of the love and passion Gabrielle felt for him poured out as her tongue licked at the seam of his mouth before he opened and met it with his own.

His hands left the curve of her waist to travel down over the sweet rise of her ass and K.C. groaned as she began to move against him, her body plastered against him. The sensual moves stimulated him further and he opened his legs to give himself more room as she pressed into him further, the jewel box poking him in the shoulder.

Gabrielle pulled it from under him and tossed it across the bed and with her now free hand speared it through the thick strands of his dark blonde hair. K.C. rolled over taking her with him as she squealed in surprise at the unexpected movement. He was careful to keep his weight off of her, but the gown still restricted her legs in the fabric.

“Damn it.” He swore pulling his mouth away angrily.

K.C. wanted her too much and was going to scare her off after nearly three months of taking things slowly. His brain was telling him to wait while his body was telling him to rip of her clothes, spread her gorgeous legs and fuck her until they were both spent but he had to remember this was still about Gabrielle.

It took a second before he pulled his mouth away almost angrily to lever off of her, sucking in a deep breath as he bent to pull off his black shoes and socks. He was tired of all of the clothes between them; he just wanted to feel her tight, moist body surrounding him and the sooner the better.  

Gabrielle sat up to watch as he began to undress and she licked her lips while he unbuttoned the cuffs on his white shirt. K.C. pulled it out of his pants while his shoulders and broad back flexed in his haste to be rid of it and he almost ripped it.

He had not been celibate this long voluntarily in years and just the thought of being inside Gabrielle without anything between them was so intoxicating that he could barely think straight.

K.C. had always been careful to wrap it up since a teenager, despite what his partner said and the level of trust he was placing in Gabrielle was not lost on him. Just the thought of being bareback with her was too much for his poor male brain to take in and if he wasn’t careful he might degenerate into grunts and single word answers before the foreplay was over.

“K.C.?” she asked unsure of his mood.

Gabrielle reached out to touch the tanned skin of his back but he pulled away from her with a growl, turned and dropped smoothly to kneel before her. She squealed again when he grabbed her long, narrow foot to remove a sparkly sandal with determined fingers.

The throbbing of her clit had not abated and with his strong hands cradling her foot she threw her head back and moaned as he ran his fingers over her arch and up along her ankle under the dress before switching to the other foot.

Oh Lord, what had possessed her to wear such skimpy underwear she could feel the moisture on her thighs she thought moaning as she felt his mouth.

K.C. watched, greedy for all of her reactions as he put what he had learned about Gabrielle into play. A tight smile curved his lips when he saw the soft gel pads in the high heels that helped her sensitive feet and he placed a kiss on her ankle.

She would soon be in sensory overload if this kept up as his skilled hands trailed fire wherever they went and her breathing became even more labored. This masterful side of K.C. was very erotic and Rielle found the way he was taking charge of their foreplay incredibly sexy.

He tossed her shoes to the ground before pulling her to her feet and reaching around the back of her dress to unzip the blue gown. The sound of their heavy breathing was joined by that of the metal coming apart loudly in the room as they stood in their bare feet facing each other.

Gabrielle stared at the broad expanse of tanned chest in front of her and she lifted her hand to touch him a small smile curving her full mouth as she felt his warmth. His chest rippled smooth and hairless a light smattering of hair arrowing down into the navy pants that were now obscenely tented and her gaze nervously bounced from it to a point over his right shoulder. 

Rielle knew the air conditioning was turned on in the suite but somehow with the phenomenal heat coming off of K.C. she barely registered it. She felt the dress loosen behind her and looked up to see K.C.’s eyes had darkened as she stepped back a little. She shrugged the single strap from her shoulder but didn’t let it fall as she stood looking up at him a little apprehensively.

K.C. saw that she was nervous and he raised his hand to cup her face the contrast between her light chocolate complexion and his tanned skin an erotic one.

“You are so very beautiful Gabrielle. I want to start from one end and sample all of you like the finest chocolate.” K.C. told her in a soft gruff voice as he looked down into her upturned face.

Rielle’s heart thumped in her chest as he smiled down at her gently, his thumbs raising to rub them over her collarbones wanting to reassure her that this was not just about him getting his jollies and getting off.  

K.C.'s sweet tooth had been something of a surprise to her, but to his friends his love of chocolate was a big joke, she shivered at the seductive words.

“I won’t hurt you, I promise and we won’t do anything that you don’t like. I don’t know what I did to deserve someone in my life as special as you, but every day I am so grateful.” He swore holding her gaze with his.

He was making her feel special, like he treasured her and in reality it was no different than how he usually treated her. It was not that K.C. didn’t curse in front of her, especially when he was watching sports at Chris’s or Jarrod’s and Lord knows working in the construction field with all of that testosterone made it almost expected.  

She knew he deliberately made teasing comments just to get a rise from her and she could tell from the twinkling in his eyes when she got him back with a heated zinger but he treated her like a woman and not like a possession.

He was going to have to trust Gabrielle and K.C. moved back from her and slowly unbuttoned his navy pants. He let them drop before he stepped out of them revealing his sexy chiseled abdomen and a pair of black silk cotton thigh length trunks that looked like he had stuffed something obscene in it that moved.

She barely looked at his muscled thighs, the bulge in his underwear captivating her for a moment. Gabrielle looked up at him in shock as she took a strangled breathe while he waited for her.

If she was going to back out it would be now and he inhaled deeply not daring to think about the treasure that lay between her legs or she might run screaming from him if his body reacted anymore than it already had.

K.C. had tried to keep his sexual relationships to a handful in college because unlike most guys he didn’t like the nickname of horse being hung around his neck. That was something that could easily happen on a college campus and the reputation of a stud was not one that he wanted to foster.

After an incident when he was a sophomore in high school with his little sister’s Spanish tutor, a college junior, his parents had sat down and had a very serious conversation with him. They had let him know in no uncertain terms that he would not be spreading his seed around and bringing home babies.

Just because there were some women stupid enough to spread their legs to try him out didn’t mean he had to oblige them and he had tried to use common sense instead of allowing his hormones to run wild.

Michael had made sure to keep his girlfriends out of their dorm room once he caught a glance of K.C’s equipment and the locker room had been a thing to be endured to play baseball and once in a while soccer but swimming had been totally out of the question since junior high.

Gabrielle had known he was built because she had felt him when they danced or when he allowed their bodies to come into close contact, but not to this extent and she wavered a little unsure about this situation now.

He wanted her to make the decision to continue of her own free will and looked at her warmly as she slowly let the chiffon fall to her waist and exposed her beauty to him. He had seen her in bathing suits and knew that she was a little more blessed in the northern regions than the average athlete but he wasn’t far from being a slobbering animal when she revealed her breasts.

K.C. was nowhere near recovered from the sight of her firm, round globes topped with beautiful mauve pink nipples when she let the gown drop to her feet and he was treated to another wondrous eyeful as he looked down and saw the dark chocolate g-string bisecting her toned curves and nearly choked.

“Have mercy, you are beautiful.” K.C. breathed almost to himself and saw her smile up at him.

He walked slowly around her and saw the way the scanty underwear was nestled in between the round mounds of her ass and he reached out to run a finger over the supple skin.

His tongue felt heavy as he stared at her smooth chocolate complexion and he thought that maybe he should have jerked off after all. This was going to be more difficult than he thought because Gabrielle was the most amazing sight he had ever encountered in his life.

Gabrielle could barely stand there as K.C. walked around her trembling figure as her eyes kept being drawn to the large bulge in his underwear. Dear God, was he really built like a porn star or was that just her eyes playing a trick on her? She vaguely remembered Jon naked from that one time and he had not looked like anything like that and he had been a fan of the commando approach.

K.C. put out his hand to her and she slowly took it, letting him lead her to the bed and he shook his head in bemusement at the incredible sight she made sitting on the cream sheets waiting for him to join her.

He dimmed the lights and slowly walked to the bottom of the bed and with all of the grace of a wild cat made his way up between Gabrielle’s legs.

He didn’t stop to look at the triangle of brown fabric that covered her mound he would be back to plunder that treasure soon enough. Gabrielle moved back as he came closer the look on his face bordering on predatory as she lay against the cream pillows.

She could smell her arousal on the air now and closed her eyes in mortification but popped them back open when she heard K.C.’s voice.

“I wonder if you taste as good as you look Gabrielle?” he asked softly.

He dipped to her mouth and stole another kiss from her lips that might have lasted longer when she raised her arms to wrap them around his neck to keep him there.

“Mmm. That was very good, cherries covered in chocolate, but I wonder if you taste that good a little lower?” he asked devilishly in a low, growly voice that made her thighs tremble as her sensitized lips did.

His breath blew over her skin making her shiver as K.C. licked his lips in a way that threatened the few brain cells she had left. He moved back slowly and finally focused on her dark nipples puckered up and he slowly lowered his head to take one of the dark berries into his mouth a breathy moan escaping her as his tongue encircled the peak.

His teeth tugged on the hard peak and her moans got a little louder. Gabrielle had already experienced more with K.C. since they had entered the bedroom than she had in her one encounter with Jon.

The confidence that he exuded was not misplaced as his hands cupped and gently kneaded the other breast. He moved to the other and gave it the same treatment as she writhed beneath him gasping and moaning while clutching at the covers before he pulled away to look up at Gabrielle with burning eyes.

“Mmm, sweet raspberries I wonder what else I’ll find a little further down?” he asked as he moved down her toned stomach. His tongue dipped into her cute belly button and he teased her there for a moment before he pulled back gritting his teeth as her feminine aroma got stronger.

K.C.’s body jumped in reaction totally restricted now as he throbbed in the tight black trunks he wore and his cock was dripped fluid he wasn’t sure how long he could last. She was everything he could have hoped for and more as he reached up to remove the skimpy underwear with hands that barely managed to keep from ripping them although he would have gladly bought her more.

Her hips rolled on the bed and aided in removing the scraps from her body before he tossed them aside and inhaled deeply filling his lungs with the most delicious womanly scent. K.C bent and smiled evilly as her body tensed but he kissed her hipbones before returning to her smooth mound with its landing strip of dark hair.

“What have I got here? It looks like I’ve found a pot of cream. I wonder if it will taste like chocolate. ” He asked looking up at her for a long moment.

Gabrielle couldn’t help the way her stomach fluttered and her breasts heaved as she focused enough to watch him eye her with a whole lot more passion than her gynecologist or aesthetician thankfully ever had.

All thoughts of being embarrassed floating from her mind like a summer breeze. The sight of her darker skin against his tanned hands was so erotic to them both and Gabrielle knew she would never forget it. K.C. followed his nose and settled himself between her visibly shaking thighs as she cried out his name on a breathy sigh when his tongue flicked at the plump lips of her pretty pussy.

Gabrielle nearly strangled on the breath she sucked in when she felt him nibbling on her seam and her head fell back as her body took over completely. She couldn’t keep still beneath the terrible torture he delivered to her most tender flesh and he had to restrain her dancing hips by wrapping his strong arms about her thighs.

Gabrielle felt like she was in an electrical storm, being tossed about and she had no control over what her body was doing as K.C. took her somewhere she had never been. He altered between nibbling and licking before stabbing a pointed tongue into her center, continuing this for several long moments as she got wetter and softer for him.

He could never be a selfish lover; he enjoyed a woman’s response and the satisfaction of knowing that he had brought one to completion too much. K.C. had been taught as a teen by his older lovers the fine art of going down on a woman and he always reciprocated.

Gabrielle was the best K.C. had ever tasted as she screamed and melted all over his tongue giving him his reward while trying to strangle him with the strength of her legs.

Gabrielle saw stars behind her eyelids as she was thrown into the maelstrom of desire and the breath she had sucked in was caught in her throat.

Her body stiffened beneath him for a long timeless moment and then she went boneless. He eased back and gave her a few minutes to settle down watching her breasts bob wishing he had four hands instead he placed tiny kisses on her inner thighs.

He felt sweat pop out on his skin as he gritted his teeth against the building pain in his balls. K.C. knew the second after he removed his underwear he would be trying to get inside Gabrielle and he wasn’t sure that she was quite ready for that yet.

He levered himself from between her legs and padded to the bathroom where he soaked a washcloth in warm water and wiped his face before soaking  another and going back out to find she was rousing from her sexual daze.  He watched her raise languid eyes to focus on him and then she smiled at him.

“Hi.” she said softly.

K.C. felt like he had been given the greatest reward ever. He licked his lips and waggled his eyebrows at her before he smiled back.

“That was some delicious chocolate cream.” He said with a lascivious look on his handsome face.

Her skin flushed at his words, he knew her more intimately than anyone already as he crawled back up between her legs and gently wiped the residue of his work from her.

Gabrielle couldn’t stay still as she felt the heat returning and making her undulate as her sensitized skin was abraded. Gabrielle had never had an orgasm before.  Jon had tried during their encounter but she had not been able to achieve one with him and she had never been bold enough to buy a battery operated boyfriend to find out what she might like.

From the time K.C. had touched her, he had showed her the difference between a man and a boy and she knew it could not be easy to ignore the obviously rampant needs he had. Gabrielle’s body felt like it belonged to someone else, her limbs so heavy yet at the same time she felt energized.

K.C. watched her movements and it took strength he didn’t know he had to get up and take the cloth back leaving her spread out on the sheets. He was back before she could really begin to miss him and this time he reached out to cover her mound with his hand, his thumb gently rubbing over the bundle of nerves he had studiously ignored earlier.

“Your body is a thing of beauty capable of multiple orgasms in a short period of time.” He told her his voice gravelly.

K.C. surprised himself with his clarity when he could feel her body throbbing beneath his fingers and he could pound spikes with his dick.

He was discovering that he had untapped stores when it came to Gabrielle but he had put this off long enough K.C. was ready to move on to the main course now.  The circular motion of his fingers continued for a moment before he lowered his head to suckle her, his hands moving around from her thighs to cup her bottom bringing her center up to his mouth.

“Oh my God, ah K.C.!” Gabrielle cried out.

She falling under the spell of his mastery as her thighs fell open. She felt his lips close over her clitoris while his fingers squeezed her ass and her hips unconsciously began to roll as she reached down to grasp his hair. 

Every lick and caress took her a little closer to another orgasm and because K.C. had told her that her body could do it she did not even think to stop him especially when he was so determined.

She felt his tongue fluttering against the bundle of nerves at the top of her thighs and Gabrielle threw back her head, a whimper escaping her when she felt his hand tweaking a puckered nipple.

K.C. had learned her body well and was pushing all of the right buttons as she writhed on the bed, the fire blazing in her nether regions having long spread to encompass her entire being and finally consumed her.

This orgasm was more intense, her body twitching spasmodically as her eyes flew open and she stared at the ceiling blinded by the colors.

 K.C. pulled away from her for a moment noting the contrast between their skins as his hand kneaded a firm breast with his long fingered hands.

He was fast losing the little control he’d managed to hold onto as she began to call his name and he felt the sweat run down his back. When the hand at her breast left and went back down to her pussy, the disappointment Gabrielle felt was swept away as she felt a finger draw up and down her creamy slit.

He parted the bare lips and his middle finger slipped inside as his mouth returned to suck and slurp at her clit and she heard his appreciative sounds as she wet his fingers in her cream.

“Yes, oh yes K.C. right there.” She hissed as she felt a second finger enter her unused passage and curled up hitting her spot and she jerked as if she had been shocked.

He spread his fingers inside her, trying to gently widen her before he used something much bigger on her than his finger. He growled against her mound as his fingers sawed in and out of her body and the motion of her hips became jerkier as Gabrielle went over edge screaming his name as she exploded in another firework inducing climax.

The grip she had on his hair bordered on downright painful but could not compare to what K.C. had in his trunks threatening to detonate from the scent and feel of his beautiful, responsive lover.

She could feel the storm finally subsiding and she was slowly coming down when she felt K.C. move away from her.

Gabrielle pried her eyes open in time to see K.C.’s harden face as he gritted his teeth and she raised her head to look down his chiseled golden torso as he carefully pulled down his black trunks to his hips revealing the thick root of his cock surrounded by dark hair.

Her pussy twitched as he eased the soft material over his distended flesh and she watched his hand encircle the shaft. K.C.’s ridged abdomen flexed with his harsh breathing as his eyes closed whether in pleasure or pain she wasn’t sure.

Gabrielle had seen a few erect penises in magazines as a giggling teenager and of course Jon’s but this was out of her realm of experience as K.C. pulled the trunks down the rest of the way and stood before her in all his naked glory.

His thick shaft looked like a golden spear as it slowly throbbed and rose from between his muscular thighs and she held her breath wondering if he was fully erect yet.

The big plum shaped head of his thick cock flared with his heart beat and he listed a little to one side and she saw that his testicles matched the rest of his impressive equipment. He looked like a Greek god.

“I promise I won’t hurt you.” K.C. said from between gritted teeth repeating his earlier words.

Her eyes were drawn up his tense body with its all over golden tan to his hungry, burning gaze.

“I promise I won’t hurt you but if you don’t want to do this you need to leave now.” K.C. finished and waited, forcing himself not to clench his hands into fists but remain open at his side.

It was not a statement he made lightly because a few women had bolted at this stage and he had been forced to masturbate or go mad but it was one he felt he had to offer. Gabrielle was no exception as she lay against the creamy sheets looking like all of his Christmas and birthday presents in one, it was a calculated risk but one that he had to take. 

Gabrielle looked up into his stony face and sat up, pulling the sheet to her chest as she did and watched his expression smooth into neutrality that she knew was a lie from the way his cock bobbed up to his tight stomach.

She cleared her throat as she continued to stare at the man who had just unselfishly given her the only orgasms she had had in her life.

“You would really let me go? Even in the condition you’re in?” Gabrielle asked huskily.

“Yeah, I really, really, really wouldn’t want to, but yeah I would Gabrielle.” He got out staring at her intently.

Gabrielle realized that she was doing it again letting this incredible man hang again this time literally.

“Well I really, really, really wouldn’t want you to either K.C.” She breathed and lay back against the sheets as she spread her legs beneath it.

“Can I touch you?” she asked as he padded to the bed.

He was so hard, feeling like he was about to burst out of his skin that he knew there was no way he could handle the touch of her soft hands on him. K.C. couldn’t even smile as he reached her and cupped her face with a trembling hand.

“Not this time or even the next, maybe sometime next year.” He managed to get out before he kissed her deeply and Gabrielle tasted herself on his tongue.

He growled against her mouth thinking that might not be enough time as the heat flared between them. He drew the sheet from her grip before pressing her back into the bedding for the first time wholly skin to skin with her and they both shivered at the contact.

Her slim arms went up to encircle his neck as he ground his lower body against her mound and he groaned into her mouth as her legs spread wider to accommodate him. K.C. reached down between them and gripped his shaft to aim it against her wet slit glad that he had given her those orgasms because it was the only way he could have entered her.

Her soft pussy lips opened beneath his slow penetration as he entered her with a thrust of his hips before he pulled out and returned.

“You feel so good, so right.” He groaned into her mouth as her body clenched around him.

Gabrielle felt like she was being split in two, the burning between her thighs a pleasurable pain and they had just begun as he drove in a little deeper and pulled out again. Her breath hitched in her chest when she felt him hit her spot again causing her arms to tighten around his neck as she opened up beneath the onslaught of his passion.  

A big hand came up to play with her clit and the double stimulation had her moaning into his mouth and on her way to another  climax as her hips began to rock to meet his. K.C. felt her responding to him and rubbed the little nub as she took a bit more of his cock and he pulled out before continuing to forge his path.

Her hands slid from his neck and moved down to grip his taut, flexing ass and she dug her fingers into his skin. His fingers left her clitoris when he felt her drenching him with her juices and slid up her torso to cup her breast as her legs wrapped around his thighs.

Long moments later Gabrielle felt like she couldn’t breathe she was so full of him as K.C. settled fully between her legs. His torso held her in place and their mouths broke apart so that they could both groan as his hips made a small circular motion against hers.  

Gabrielle was everything he had dreamed of; tight, hot and wet and still so responsive even though he knew she had to be struggling to adjust to his intrusion into her body. He pulled back enough so that he could look down at her face his weight rest on his forearms and knew that if he wasn’t in love with her before he was now as his body was welcomed by hers.

He noted the look of concentration on her face and he worked to still his hips in an effort to give her more time.

“Am I hurting you?” K.C. asked from between clenched teeth as he was clasped within her body.

She opened her eyes to stare up at him and K.C. saw the emotions in her big stormy eyes.

“Gabrielle?” he said and his body began to shake as he moved to withdraw from her body only to feel her short nails digging into his buttocks.

“No, no don’t leave me. I- I love you. I love you K.C.” She finally whispered softly unable to remain silent any longer and smiled up at him.

Gabrielle’s declaration told him what her body had been screaming, that she was open and accepting of him, of all of him. It was like her words leashed the beast in him as he slowly moved his hips finding the age old rhythm of lovers while their eyes held.

K.C. took her hand in his and lay it beside her thick dark hair on the pillow as her legs slowly climbed up his back to encircle his waist and he moved on her slowly. His pace only increased when her eyes closed and she began to make those whimpering sounds he loved to hear so much.

He saw the pulse in her throat beating wildly and the sight of her bobbing breasts was enough to make his own eyes close as he started thrusting into Gabrielle harder her hips raising to take him.

She began chanting his name louder as she undulated beneath him, the strong  the blood roared in her veins.  Gabrielle felt like nerves were all exposed as she clenched on the hot shaft inside of her not just laying back and taking him like an empty vessel.

She had much to learn from K.C in the ways of love, but she could also teach him and she teach him she did as she got closer to the edge, her hips whipping.

It couldn’t last, the sound of flesh slapping moistly, the aroma of sex in the air and her calling out to him to do it harder all served to goad K.C. into super human speed and he felt his orgasm approach.

“Harder! Fuck me harder K.C.!” Gabrielle finally begged.

He was compelled to obey. He would have hurt her if she hadn’t been so wet as his mouth ate at hers greedily and the touch of their tongues set off the explosions behind her eyes as she shivered and shook through her climax.

She took him with her as she screamed his name in ecstasy gasping and moaning into his mouth and he sank into her fully and threw back his head.

“Gabrielle! Oh my God!” he grunted sounding tortured.

He came; pouring his seed into her as well as his soul and K.C felt his spine turn to jelly as his pounding hips gradually slowed.  

They both floated in that nebulous post-orgasmic world and Gabrielle whimpered as aftershocks made her tighten on K.C.’s still turgid shaft.

His arms wrapped around her tightly not wanting to let go and he felt like he had come home and he felt tears prick the back of his eyes. He had finally found what he needed and the emotions bombarding him were overwhelming.    

Chapter 32    

K.C. gave one last tortured groan as his hips stilled against hers, but Gabrielle’s unconsciously twitching flesh ensured that he would remain semi erect and he luxuriated in their combined juices.

His breathing calmed in the time it took him to regain enough control over himself to raise his head, which felt like it weighed a ton from her neck. He lifted the rest of his weight off of Gabrielle to look down at his beautiful lover and he began the reluctant process of pulling out of her, gritting his teeth at the still tight fit.

Her arms tightened about his neck for a moment before she moaned and let him go and K.C. flopped onto his back. Gabrielle had never been so aware of her body before as she felt K.C. withdraw and every nerve ending she possessed was tripped.

She hadn’t wanted to let him go, it felt like they were two halves of a whole, her eyes still closed as her body jerked involuntarily and she raised heavy lids to look at the ceiling above her.

Rielle knew she would definitely be sore in the morning and she was happy she wouldn’t be seeing Georgie for a few days or she would be getting the teasing about her ‘nookie walk’. Her limbs felt heavy as she stretched and closed her legs with a wince, the sheets rubbing against her skin deliciously.

She had never told any man that she loved them but somehow with K.C. it had felt right and she had no regrets about her spontaneous actions. The fact that he hadn’t responded bothered her however, she had felt something change in him after she had said it and even though she hadn’t expected him to reciprocate she had anticipated some reaction.

She shifted a little and felt like a torrent of fluid was between her thighs as K.C. turned to look at her, his eyes bright.

Gabrielle was the most important person in the world to him and she would see that. The gift of not just her body but her love was very much appreciated by K.C. as he smoothed the damp hair from her forehead.

He placed soft kisses on the sides of her mouth and on her throat making her shiver and he leaned up to stare down at her with a sexy smile.

“You are so amazing, Gabrielle.” He whispered looking down at her lovingly and saw the tiny smile that quirked her mouth.

The scent of their lovemaking perfumed the air but he knew she would be uncomfortable with the sticky combination of their union remaining on her skin till the morning. He wanted to tease her a little first.

“In fact, you were so amazing I’m ready for seconds and thirds.” He said licking his lips.

Her eyes widened as she stared up at him in horror and she would have scrambled away from the beautiful madman that was now her lover if she’d had the energy to do so. There was no way she could take K.C. so soon after he had worked her over with so many mind blowing orgasms and she would hurt him if he tried.

“Touch me again and lose a hand John Holmes.” Gabrielle told him seriously.

She closed her eyes confident that he was not too far gone in his madness and would ignore his masculine urges until she was recovered.

K.C. had been about to kiss her shoulder but halted at her words.

“Then I guess I will have to do something about that.” he said with a soft chuckle and she heard him get off the bed.

She opened an eye and watched as he walked away from her, enjoying the sight of his broad shoulders, trim waist and tight ass. He seemed very comfortable in his own skin and that confidence was a big turn on for her and a smile drew her lips up as she closed her eyes and snuggled back into the Egyptian cotton.

Gabrielle was content to lay back and drift on her happy cloud but that wasn’t to last as K.C. padded back into the room a few minutes later and came over to her side of the bed.

He picked her up without warning and she squealed as he took her into the tan marble and wood decorated luxurious bathroom. There was a lot of gleaming glass everywhere, not something that she wanted to examine too closely and she calmed down when she saw he had run a bath in the deep tub.

He had also dropped some red roses into the water and Gabrielle was surprised by this new romantic gesture as he lowered her gently to the floor.

“There are organic bathing salts in the water to help soothe your abused parts.”K.C. told her and watched her breasts lift in the mirror as she knotted her hair atop her head.

“You’re going to spoil me.” She told him as he helped her into the warm water and started the jets on the Jacuzzi before climbing in after her.

The warmth of the water combined with that of his body made for a heated situation for Gabrielle and sheen of sweat broke out on her upper lip. K.C. loved the feel of her weight in his arms as he maneuvered her to lie against him back to front.   

K.C. looked over her shoulder and was treated to an eyeful of her firm breasts and he had to restrain himself from reaching down to cup their weight in his big hands.

“You really think I'm spoiling you? I can’t imagine doing any less for the woman that I’m in love with.” He whispered into her ear. 

Gabrielle stiffened in his lap unsure if she had heard him correctly and felt his body stirring beneath her bottom. She had been unsure whether K.C. would say anything about her admission; instead he had made one of his own.  

She whipped around on his lap splashing water and her hair which had been haphazardly secured flowed down about her shoulders. Gabrielle saw him wince as she pulled his pubic hairs with the sudden motion of her bottom.

“I’m so sorry K.C. are you all right?” she asked as he reached below the bubbling water to secure his manhood.

“I’ll live. You did say you would hurt me if I touched you again. I keep forgetting that you are a woman of your word and sometimes that means literally. I guess it’s what I deserve for telling you that I love you like that.” He gritted out and for a moment she feared she had really done some serious damage to K.C.

It was maybe why she recklessly felt safe in making an offer she thought he would refuse.

“I could kiss it and make it better.” She said with a cheeky grin on her face.

He threw back his head and laughed despite the physical pain she had caused him Gabrielle could still make him laugh like no other.

The grin would have disappeared from her gorgeous face if she knew what was raising its head beneath the water with interest.

"You’ve got jokes because you think I’m out of commission huh.” He said reaching out to grab her.

She didn’t try very hard to evade him, the water had worked like a charm and she was feeling a whole lot better and up to any challenge he might be offering her.

“Mmm, somehow I think you are one of those rare men who don’t need a lot of time to recover and who said I won’t make good on my offer?” She asked quirking an eyebrow as she licked her lips.

He scooted forward a little and pulled her up to straddle his lap and she looked up at him shyly as she felt the throbbing beneath her bottom and the clenching between her legs started up again.

 Gabrielle stared at his smooth chest before her gaze dropped to the bubbles and she gathered a handful and blew them onto him and she began writing on his skin with her index finger before she said anything.

“Did you mean it when you said you loved me?” she asked and looked up at him quickly before returning to her handiwork.

His thumb and forefinger brought her gaze back up to face him and he looked deeply into her eyes.

“Gabrielle Marie Lopez-Hall, I think I fell in love with you from the moment I saw you that night in the restaurant.” K.C. told her honestly bending to place a kiss on her mouth and they both shivered at the contact.  

“You believe in love at first sight?” she asked softly as she shivered at the scrape of his beard against her soft skin.

“Most, definitely I do. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in that purple dress as you stood on those steps.  I was actually jealous of your date thinking that whoever he was, he was one lucky bastard to have such a gorgeous woman on his arm.” He whispered kissing her along her jaw line as he took one of her hands and guided it down his chest to his steadily growing cock.

K.C. was hard and soft at the same time and she felt the thick veins as her fingers barely closed around him, causing him to grit his teeth as she applied a little pressure.

“Then I saw you with your girls and I thought maybe I have a chance and I took the first opportunity I saw to meet you and I wasn’t disappointed.” He growled, his eyes closing to dark blue slits.

Her gaze had dropped to the frothing water, trying to see the column of flesh that she was now holding with two hands and she bit her lips as she explored him.

Thoughts of conversation went out the window as she felt his heart throbbing in her overflowing hands when she dipped her hands to caress the large spheres that were drawn close to his body.

Gabrielle saw him inhale as his fingers closed around hers on his thick length and he showed her the rhythm that he liked.  K.C. wasn’t surprised that she picked it up quickly and he grimaced at the pleasure of her hand on him.

When he released her and she did it on her own he knew he had created a monster and one of his hands raised to thumb a pouting nipple.  He kissed and nuzzled her throat as his hands slid down to grab her waist and he slowly raised her and she released his manhood to grasp his shoulders.

He slid her along his length and she felt all of the ridges as she slid along his shaft, the friction of her pussy on his cock made them both moan and Gabrielle reached for his mouth as she began to ride him.

She was still wet from before and it helped the sensuous motion of her hips as she opened her mouth to accept his tongue.  He thrust into her mouth with the same motion as his hips and Gabrielle met him stroke for stroke ignoring the water that sloshed around them caught up in their passion once again. Her short nails dug into the balls of his shoulders as she panted against his lips the stimulation she was getting from K.C. making her move frantically on him.

Her moans were muffled by his mouth and she would have rubbed herself to an orgasm if he hadn’t stopped her.

“Ride me for real this time.” He told her as he lifted her hips.

His hands held her just above the head of his cock and she felt the stretching begin as gravity came into play and Gabrielle’s quivering thighs slowly gave out and sent her sliding down onto him inexorably.

“Oooh!” she moaned and her fingers squeezed his shoulders spasmodically.

In some small part of his brain K.C. knew she wasn’t ready to take him completely without more preparation and his hands clutched her supple bottom to lift her back up.

Being impaled on him like that in one move was more than Gabrielle could do but she soon proved that she could adjust quickly a few minutes later.  He felt so good and Gabrielle couldn’t help it, her hips made unknown moves as she took more of him while they kissed hungrily.

“Shit, Gabrielle take it easy!” he urged against her lips as she began to move frantically on him, unable to do more than try to slow her down in this position.

She now understood why women did stupid things for men as he throbbed inside her bringing the storm closer. Gabrielle soon had K.C. calling out her name as she gyrated and slammed her hips on him bringing them both to a crashing, loud orgasm.

The water had cooled considerably by the time they stilled and K.C. let out the cold water and ran some more warm water before gently bathing Gabrielle.

He left her to soak a little longer and replaced the damp sheets on the bed before returning to find her almost asleep and he took her out of the tub and dried her off before they went to bed.

“Goodnight Gabrielle. I love you.” He whispered against her temple as he placed a kiss there and drew her onto his chest.

“Love you K.C.” she mumbled into his chest before they both fell into a content sleep wrapped in each other’s arms for the first time.

Chapter 33

Gabrielle woke up to a warm, shifting bed and it took a moment to register that she was in K.C.’s arms laying on his chest. She moved slowly not wanting to wake him as his heartbeat steadily beat against her ear and she replaced the covers over him as he grabbed her pillow and squeezed it to his chest grumbling her name.

She smiled at how young he looked with his disheveled hair and blonde brows before she turned and gingerly made her way to the bathroom wincing with every step. Body parts she had forgotten she possessed reminded her of the enthusiastic exercise she had had the previous night.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face and relieved herself before returning to bed and found K.C. laying on his back and a little devil on her shoulder made her slink onto the bed to pull down the covers revealing his toned body.

He was beautiful from his handsome face to the broad shoulders to his rippling abdomen all covered by golden tanned skin. There was no overlooking the impressive muscle framed between his strong thighs and dark pubic hair that had brought her so much pleasure.  

He was a whole lot more lover than she had expected and she felt pride knowing she had satisfied him as well as he had done her. Gabrielle also felt a twinge between her legs as she took in his daunting length remembering how he had felt inside of her.

The soreness would go away eventually but for now it was a dull ache between her thighs. She watched mesmerized as his cock began to swell and bob and her eyes flew to K.C.’s face to see that he was very much awake.

“Good morning. Seen enough? Because I think I’ve got a few more inches to go before I reach official morning wood status.” he teased in a gravelly voice.

K.C. eyed her tempting form in the early morning light and she couldn't mistake the warmth in his bright eyes. She was beautifully proportioned and her skin was the most delectable milky chocolate from the days they were spending on the beach. Her eyes dropped from his and he could see she was a little discomfited as she kneeled on the bed with her small hands clenched at her sides.

He remembered what Jarrod had told him about Gabrielle looking like a playmate but being shy. Despite the fact that they had been more intimate than a lot of married couples and admitted to being in love with each other she was still shy. He found that so refreshing after being with women who had been there, done that and had several t-shirts.

 K.C. lifted the sheets and she slipped between the covers silently and he pulled her back to his front.

“I’ll try to ignore it if you do.” He told her when she jerked as his cock pressed between the seam of her bottom. She giggled at that, causing her firm cheeks to caress him in an unwitting move and he let out a tortured groan behind her.

“Woman, I said I would try to ignore it but if you keep doing that my good intentions are going to be nonexistent.” He promised her wrapping his arms about her small waist.

Rielle knew she wasn’t up for another round with K.C. just yet, the flesh was not as willing as her spirit and she snuggled into his arms enjoying their quiet time together. 

K.C. could not recall ever feeling as good as he did when her long legs entwined with his and he heard her purring like a little content cat. Gabrielle was not like his other lovers and definitely nothing like Tiffani, he savored the connection they had established as they both drifted back to sleep.

The image of a little green eyed girl and boy with dark blonde hair floated into his mind as he gave in to sleep again. He woke up several hours later to find that Gabrielle wasn’t in his arms and he stretched before realizing she wasn’t in the suite at all.

K.C. brushed his teeth and took a leak before donning a pair of cream shorts and a blue shirt. He sat on the bed and reached for the phone to request breakfast. He was ready to eat a horse and Gabrielle would probably feel the same, but before he could dial he heard a noise. He looked up and saw her coming through the door from the sitting room with a tray covered with silver covers and he grimaced getting up to take the heavy tray from her.

“This weekend is about you, not me Gabrielle. You shouldn’t be waiting on me.” He groused as he set the tray on the table outside recessed into the side of the yacht which was anchored at the moment.

“I take my pill early in the morning and after I got up I just couldn’t sleep any longer. I was going to get something to eat when I heard the female steward's voice and I intercepted our breakfast.” She told him as he seated her.

She wore a short yellow dress that showed off her long legs and firm breasts and his good fortune smacked him in the face again as K.C. shook his head.

Instead of sleeping in late Gabrielle was getting him breakfast, and he knew she would have made it herself if Chef Dagmar would have let her into the galley.

 He leaned over and planted a hard kiss on her mouth before sitting down to a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit, juice and fluffy omelets made with spinach, mushrooms and provolone cheese and freshly baked multigrain bread.

The scent of the ocean air was heady and opened up their appetites as they sat and talked. Gabrielle and K.C. enjoyed the view of St. Sebastian from a different vantage point in the mid morning sunlight and discussed what they could do for the day.

They spent the rest of the morning working up an appetite for a late lunch by snorkeling in the crystal clear ocean. It had been a while since she had gone diving and Gabrielle enjoyed herself so much in the water that she didn’t want to come out.

K.C. had been diving several times with Bryan as well as Jarred and Michael who being a Texas boy was new to diving. Bryan had proven to be very knowledgeable about diving as well as the island and K.C. had been impressed by his love of the island.

It was not unusual for children who had been educated on the mainland to leave home and never return, but Gabrielle and a lot of her friends and acquaintances were not participants in the brain drain as it was called of their native land.

They rinsed off the sea water before eating a fairly light lunch of spicy salmon ceviche with soba noodles and coconut cream while in the meantime the yacht sailed on around the island to waters that were more private.

Around three in the afternoon they took the Zodiac to a secluded beach that had some of the whitest sand K.C. had ever seen and Gabrielle who had donned a white cover up over a white bikini looked like a sea nymph from Greek mythology.

They played a little in the sand before deciding it was too hot and went into the warm water to cool off. Gabrielle turned to look at K.C. who was wearing his usual board shorts and she barely saw the telltale movement in his pants before he threw her over his shoulder fireman style, grabbed a big towel from out of the beached Zodiac and loped into the grape trees out of sight of the yacht and its occupants.

They had applied sunscreen before leaving the yacht and Gabrielle’s skin gleamed as she lay on the towel looking up at him and K.C.’s head slowly came down to block the sunlight as he kissed her. They made love out in the open and K.C. was forced to cover her mouth with his, when Gabrielle came because her scream would have carried across the water alerting all in the vicinity to what they were doing.

He manfully waited until she had stopped whimpering before he pulled out of her slowly and he turned her over on her hands and knees giving him a heart stopping view of her gorgeous, firm bottom. He ran his hands over her heart shaped ass before he slowly penetrated her, mindful of the fact that she was still very tight despite the fact that he had just been inside of her.

K.C. growled his way through an orgasm as he ground his hips against Gabrielle and barely refrained from leaving a mark on her shoulder as she shook beneath him helplessly lost in ecstasy so sweet she was incoherent. His arms finally gave out and he rolled them both onto their side still joined before she could be crushed beneath him.

“Oh my God, it just gets better.” He said into her hair as Gabrielle squirmed against his groin, her thighs still trembling from her climax and her nails digging into his forearm.

They napped for a short while still joined. They woke up about half an hour later and went back into the water and Gabrielle had put back on her cover up when they finished. She looked so sexy that he was tempted to pull her back into the trees again but they had both burned up a lot of calories and she needed to eat. 

He also didn't want her to think he was some kind of sex fiend even though every time they were together just whet his appetite more for her. Gabrielle was so responsive and giving with her emotions as well as her body and K.C. knew he was damned lucky to have her in his life.

As they skimmed along on the blue water back to where the yacht was anchored he looked back at Gabrielle who had her long, wet hair whipping around her face. She was laughing and the happiness in her eyes was catching as he reached out and she took his hand.

Gabrielle soaked in the tub before washing her hair. K.C. took a shower before letting her dress alone. He knew there was no way he would have let her leave the suite and they met back on the upper deck for dinner just in time to watch the sunset and drink champagne.

Chapter 34

K.C. had opted to let Chef Dagmar chose the menu after they apologized for missing dessert the previous night. She scolded them with a smile remembering the description of how her crew mates had found them.

“As much as we would like, we cannot live on love. You need to eat to keep up the strength.” She had scolded the beautiful young couple.

Gabrielle and K.C. enjoyed the red pepper lobster broth with ginger and sea bean pesto, before feasting on oriental BBQ glazed lobster tail on a bed of braised greens, roasted baby root vegetables and jasmine rice garnished with micro greens.

They finally sampled the lemon pound cake which Gabrielle loved while K. C. had a milk chocolate mousse that Chef prepared for him. They sat outside talking for a little bit, finished off the bottle of champagne before toasting their last night on the yacht and viewing the stars as well as the lights on the island.  

K.C. admired Gabrielle in another purple dress this one strapless and smiled as he remembered putting the necklace on her  and the sight of the pendent laying just right, between her breasts kept him semi hard throughout dinner.

If he had known what she wore under the sexy dress that made her skin look smoother than his delicately whipped dessert he might have hustled her back to the stateroom and had their food sent down in the dumbwaiter.  

As it was when she did a sexy strip tease revealing a purple teddy it was K.C.’s pleasure to make love to Gabrielle all night long and the early morning sun was literally coming through the window when she slumped onto his sweaty chest.

They spent an hour in the ocean before K.C. joined Gabrielle for yoga and then after a brisk shower it was time for breakfast. Rielle was surprised by how quickly her body was adjusting to lovemaking with K.C. He was still a tight fit but she wasn’t nearly as sore, she just had a feeling of being pleasantly stretched from his size.

She began to prepare to disembark, gathering her things and looking around the room thinking that this was where she had really embraced the more sensual side of her nature.

They sailed back to the marina around noon and Gabrielle and K.C. thanked the crew for a lovely journey before going back to the parking lot where the Range Rover was parked.

K.C. drove to her house and they picked up her clothes before going to K.C. house where they found Georgie’s XC90 parked. The volleyball game was being held at the Excelsior this week and there was still time before they had to leave.

 They got the surprise of their lives when they arrived at the house and found Michael and Georgie in the pool almost getting it on. They went to K.C.’s room laughing uproariously before falling onto the bed.

 Georgie’s screams could still be heard as she called for K.C.’s blood and Michael tried to calm her down. They hadn’t really seen much but her naked back but Georgie didn’t know that.

Gabrielle changed out of her jeans and top, donned her uniform and braided her hair before coming out of the bathroom to find K.C. laying on the bed waiting for her.

“Would you like to spend the night at my place that way we can have more time together and some privacy?” she offered after thinking it over while dressing. K.C. put out his hand to her and she climbed onto the bed and lay her head on his forearm as she looked up into the ceiling.

“Are you sure about that Gabrielle? I know how your brother is and I don’t want Chris or your parents to give you a hard time if they find out we are sleeping together.” He told her running a finger over her lips.

“I’m sure. They need to know that this is what I want. You are what I want. I love you” She answered looking up at him with earnest green eyes.

“And I love you too Gabrielle.” K.C. told her pressing a kiss to her forehead.

They left for the tournament shortly after and Rielle talked to Georgie before they played,letting her know that they hadn’t seen anything and the blonde accepted that grudgingly. That didn’t stop her from having a blazing serve and the foursome won handily as the rest of the team’s game elevated and they got a little closer to the championship.

Their friends and family came over to congratulate them and from the vantage point of K.C. arms Rielle watched her teammates. Camille and Jarrod were being openly affectionate and Rielle smiled to see her friend opening up. It was nice to see her friend happy for a change.

Chris was the first in her family to pick up the vibe between the couple and Magdalena looked resigned as she watched her daughter interact with K.C. Whitfield before and after the game that Sunday.

She wasn’t blind and could understand the appeal of the tall blonde, handsome man and she had heard Gabrielle say that they had spent a few days on a yacht so he was apparently generous. Her biggest issue with the young man was the fact that he wasn’t a permanent resident of the island and she knew that Rielle’s heart had long since been involved.

She couldn’t see someone like K.C. giving up his life to be on St. Sebastian and she didn’t think that Rielle would want to live on the mainland again, even though she had enjoyed her college years. Her daughter had been all too eager to return home after graduation.

Dinner that Sunday was at Jarrod’s place and then the guys settled in to watch the basketball game on the big screen in the entertainment room while the women unwound in the living room.

    “All right girl fess up. How was it?” Andy whispered looking around and the other women leaned in.

“Michael said he felt sorry for you and I nearly called you and told you not to go when I saw his expression. He was really concerned for you.” Georgie admitted as Gabrielle folded her legs under her in cushioned tan wicker chair.

“I don’t know anything about this and I can see you made it back in one piece based on your game today. How was the yacht?” Camille asked and the other two women looked at her like she was crazy.

“All I’m going to say is this, K.C. was worth the wait, and everything about him is golden from his tongue to his fingers to his big …" Gabrielle was interrupted by another voice.

"Feet.” Mrs. Mac finished for her as she walked through the living room behind them.

The four young women all froze before peals of laughter were heard as they all fell out on various pieces of furniture.

Monday dawned a little overcast and Rielle snuggled beneath her sheets as her palm frond ceiling fan spun in the high tongue in groove cedar ceiling and K.C. drew her closer to him.

“Happy birthday Gabrielle.” He whispered against her shoulder before kissing it.

Rielle felt a big smile grow on her face as she realized that it was her birthday and she felt like jumping out of bed and screaming she was so happy but refrained as she looked at her alarm clock and saw her body clock had not failed her, it was five-thirty in the morning.

Gabrielle and K.C. had fallen asleep a few hours earlier. Her fate had been sealed when she modelled a black and white corset with black lace boy shorts. K.C. was seriously considering buying stock in Victoria Secret after seeing his sexy lover in the lingerie.

Gabrielle had looked so hot and he had been unable to resist the picture she made. It was interesting how she could look so tempting and innocent at the same time.

They got up after playing between the sheets and K.C. made her a mango and pineapple smoothie for breakfast before they went to her porch to watch the sun rise.

Chris came over around nine and showed no surprise in seeing K.C. there and luckily they had changed into t-shirts and shorts before going outside. 

“Happy Birthday Rielle.” He said in his gravelly voice, giving her a big hug while looking over her head at K.C.

“So how was the yacht?” he asked the other man.

He watched as his sister went to stand by K.C. and his arms automatically went around her waist. Chris saw K.C.’s possessive hold on Rielle and wanted to punch the other man out knowing he had slept with his sister but he knew it was solve nothing and only serve to push her into his arms.

“It was the best trip of my life.” K.C. said evenly.

He would have to be blind not to see what was in the other man’s hazel eyes. K.C. could only hope that Chris would focus on his own love life and find a woman of his own.

K.C. left shortly after to get ready for the barbeque her parents were throwing for her, but gave Gabrielle a lingering kiss and he told her he’d be back in a little while to pick her up.

“Wow, you aren’t even trying to hide the fact that you two are lovers. Are you planning to rub this in Mom and Dad’s face?” he asked in his gravelly voice, following her into the house once K.C. had driven off. 

“I thought we had already settled this Chris? K.C. is what I want, I thought the two of you were friends now?” Rielle replied offering him the smoothie she had put in the fridge.

“I like the guy and he’s cool and everything, but that doesn’t mean I want him sleeping with my little sister." He groused taking the glass she offered.

“Well, I love him Chris and he loves me. I’m sorry you can’t seem to accept that.” She said looking at him squarely.

Chris left and Rielle went to take a shower and wash her hair before putting on her favorite lotion and dressing in a teal, white and black print dress. She left her hair down, put on some funky green earrings and slipped on a pair of matching heels.  She applied eye shadow, a swipe of gloss and her fragrance and Rielle was ready when K.C. came back at 1:30.

He eyed the length of leg that she exposed when he helped her into the Rover, remembering the feel of them wrapped around his waist and knew he had no right to tell her to cover up but he wanted to badly.

He was a man not a chump and he wanted to put her in a shroud every time he saw her in the skimpy volleyball uniform knowing other men were getting an eyeful of his woman, but Gabrielle would rip him a new one and rightly so.

He drove them to her parents’ spacious two story home in Portsmouth where several tents had been put up outside in the large backyard. K.C. went to say hello to his pal ChaCha, the Chihuahua who was being banished to a downstairs bathroom for the party.

Music was playing and the caterers had arrived and were setting up to feed the crowd that was going to show up. Her father's pride and joy, a large grill was being put through its paces by one of the best grill masters on the island and the aroma comming from the aluminum beast was heavenly.

Gabrielle’s grandparents had come from Puerto Rico for the occasion and they greeted her with enthusiastic hugs and kisses. When she introduced K.C. to Marielena and Carlos Lopez they were a little reserved, having heard about him from Magdalena and Graham.

“Es un placer conocerle.” He said in Spanish to the older couple with perfect inflection and Magdalena looked at him in surprise.

“My mother speaks fluent Spanish and made sure that she taught my siblings and myself. I also speak a little French, German and Italian.” He told them in Spanish before Gabrielle pulled him away.

“I don’t know whether that was a good thing or not. We really should have told my mom that you could speak Spanish.” She told him as they grabbed some lemonade from the food tent.

Rielle had found out that he spoke the language one day when she went up to his house and heard him and Michael talking. Luckily nothing had ever been said in Spanish that could be considered inappropriate by anyone. 

K.C. had a chance to also meet Gabrielle’s other grandparents who had retired to Las Vegas ten years ago after selling Tropical Delights to Graham.

Carmel and Godfrey Hall were a handsome older couple who thought nothing of grilling him up one side and down the other and it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that beneath the jovial exterior of the older man was a shark literally.

Godfrey Hall, while living in Las Vegas, had become a pretty well known poker player and for having come to the game late was an overnight phenom.  If K.C. had made the mistake of thinking Godfrey was just a nice retired gentleman he would have been wrong but he had seen the shrewd look in his eyes when he told them how long he had known Gabrielle.

Carmel Hall was a former teacher and she also saw past the good looks and charm as Godfrey asked his seemingly innocent questions. K.C. Whitfield might come from money but he didn’t have the spoiled, rich kid attitude that she had encountered when she taught private school.

She only hoped that her granddaughter’s heart would not be broken as she observed the look that passed between the younger couple. They admittedly hadn’t been the hands on grandparents like Carlos and Marielena Lopez, so they weren’t as close to Christopher and Gabrielle but the love was there and so were the protective instincts.

The elder Halls were very interested in this newcomer who was such a large part of their granddaughter’s life. They were soon joined by the Carlos and Marielena who realized that Magdalena hadn’t known he was bilingual and that Gabrielle had known.

A large segment of the population spoke Spanish on the island and K.C. had found that it helped when he could communicate his point to a worker who might not understand what he was trying to convey.

K.C. thought he had been interrogated by professionals when he first met Gabrielle’s parents and brother but it was nothing in comparison to what he was subjected to now from her grandparents as she stood by helpless to interfere.

Godfrey had a deep, intimidating voice that his grandson had inherited along with astute light brown eyes and a forceful personality. Carmel was every inch an elegant lady but she was no one's fool.

“You’re like an onion with many layers who would have guessed that behind that California beach bum façade you could be so interesting? I wonder what else we haven’t discovered about you?” Graham said looking down at him speculatively.

Chapter 35

K.C. wondered what else they didn't know about him too as Graham Hall walked away from him to join his family.

He stood alone in a growing sea of friends and family of the Halls' that were gathering for Gabrielle's birthday and felt utterly alone for a moment.

He hadn’t made an attempt to find out anything about his mother’s past but he was going to make a trip to the library the first chance he got to check out the archives. He had always sensed that there was something she wasn’t saying and for that matter his Uncle Frank too.

He had Googled his mom once since getting to the island and it was as if Frederika Leon-Whitfield had appeared in Florida out of nowhere at age eighteen and there was nothing about her life before.

Whatever it was K.C. would do everything in his power not to upset his mother or make any waves but it didn’t sit well with him that his parents didn’t think he could be trusted with his mother’s past.

He realized he was frowning when he kept getting concerned looks and he dropped his gaze to look at the Heineken bottle he held in his hand. He threw it in the garbage and Bryan came over and clapped him on the shoulder.

“You okay man?” he asked and K.C.  looked at his concerned face.

“Yeah, I just hope Gabrielle likes her surprise.” He told the other man looking a little sheepish.

“I don’t know how she could fail not to like it. It’s not Andrea’s birthday and she was over the moon and so were Cam and Georgie. If I didn’t think you were an all right guy I would hate your guts for all of these smooth moves. Lucky for me Andrea’s birthday isn’t until November and I’ve got time to work on her present.” He said with a big grin on his handsome face.

Georgie and Michael had arrived together around the same time as Cam and Jarrod who was taking pictures for the party. Rielle was very honored that he would do something so personal for her and gave him a big hug which embarrassed him no end.

People had slowly started to arrive and Gabrielle was surprised that by 2:30 most people were there, island time was not a joke on St. Sebastian.

The men set up dominoes tables, and soon the ivory tiles were slamming, horse shoes were being thrown, kids were running around and the smell of some really good food filled the air as well as happy laughter. K.C. teased her that the fact that it was her birthday had nothing to do with that, it was the lure of great, free food, good music and company that had drawn people in.

She playfully slapped at him oblivious to all of the eyes that watched them as they laughed together, the closeness of the couple indisputable.

The food was plentiful and roast pork was just the start, chicken, beef ribs, swordfish, a tropical fish named Wahoo and even tofu were on the grill. The menu included various vegetables; whole corn and eggplant and fruits like pineapple and mango for a salsa and a fresh salad with local lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes with avocado, curried rice with red beans.

There were also baked pates which were normally fried filled with seasoned ground beef, saltfish or shrimp and for dessert little tarts filled with guava, pineapple and coconut were wrapped in cellophane. 

K.C. was impressed with the variety of local food and not surprised when Gabrielle told him Mrs. Gwen's daughter was the caterer.

“This is just a little bit of what you’ll see in July during Carnival. We have a whole day for the Food Fair on the Wednesday before the Children and Adult parades." Rielle said to K.C. as they sampled a few more dishes.

“I talked to Alex and he’s coming down on Wednesday and will leave on Sunday so he’ll get to see what Carnival and the island is about.” He replied happy one of his best friends was going to meet his girlfriend. He went to get another lemonade for her and Georgie and Michael came over.                         

Andie showed up a little later and it didn’t occur to Gabrielle to wonder why. The big mischievious grin on her face should have been a sign, but she was having such a great time showing K.C. around and greeting her guests that it slipped her to wonder why the other woman had been so late. The music that had been blaring quieted down in a heartbeat. 

“All women should be treated like the queens they are but I understand there’s a young lady here by the name of Gabrielle Lopez-Hall who is to be treated like royalty for her birthday.” a voice over a microphone said.

The voice had a distinct Jamaican accent and seemed familiar and Gabrielle caught the mischievous look on her friend’s faces as they looked at her. There was silence for a moment among the gathered crowd and then she heard a few high pitched squeals from some of the women around her and a lot of whispering.

 Rielle had been talking to Michael about his diving experience and stopped when she heard her name called unable to believe it was true.

A grinning Michael bodily turned her around and she saw the dreadlocked figure with glasses in an orange shirt on a small raised stage. She had been a little curious about it but not given too much thought to the platform after the guests had started showing up.

People gravitated toward the stage but a shocked Gabrielle couldn’t move as the music began playing and everyone started swaying as Tarrus Riley began dancing while the intro for ‘She’s Royal’ started to play.

She was so surprised, and her heartbeat had sped up as she clapped her hands over her mouth or she would have screamed like one of those obsessed teenage girls.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t met famous people before, but for the most part she led a normal life now except when she went to do the commercials for the sportswear company. Rielle had never had anything like this happen to her and she was speechless.

“Wow that is some birthday present even I’ve heard of him and I don’t like a lot of the new music.” She heard her Grandma Carmel say and Gabrielle turned to see her bobbing her head and smiled.

Her grandparents could be very hip sometimes and this was one of those times as she saw everyone jamming to the great music. Her eyes sought out K.C. who looked back at her with a grin but she was pulled forward by her Grandmother before she could go to him to thank him.

This whole weekend had been so outside of her normal realm of experience from the orchids, to the yacht to a huge singing star like Tarrus Riley coming to her party all had been the work of someone who had given some thought to what she might really like.

Gabrielle was in awe of the talented singer/songwriter as he sang several songs including ‘Love’s Contagious, and  Start Anew’ and she did giggle like a schoolgirl when he pulled her up on stage and had her sing a few lines with him.

K.C. won the approval of a lot of the women by one very smart move after the performance was over and Magdalena knew then that there was nothing she could do about the relationship.  

“K.C., do you mind if I dance with your lovely lady?”  Tarrus asked as the music began again. He didn’t even have to think about his response.

“That would be Gabrielle’s decision to make seeing as she is a queen, who knows her own mind.” He said evenly as blue eyes met green.

He had no real problem with her dancing with the other man as it was not up close and Tarrus was respectful as they danced to ‘Ladies Night’ by Kool and the Gang while K.C. stood on the sidelines watching with sharp eyes. 

K.C. finally interrupted when ‘Kiss of Life’ by Sade came on and he twirled a laughing Gabrielle on the wooden platform that was filled with dancers of all ages. They danced to all kinds of music and he was happy he had been forced to take those dance lessons by Grandma Rae as he kept up with her through everything from ‘La Salsa En Mi’ by Bernie Williams to ‘Come Over’ by Sean Paul and Estelle .

They totally missed the ribbing the guys gave each other when Musiq Soulchild’s ‘So Beautiful’ had the couple staring into each other’s eyes.

Chris had to intercede before Graham could do it and if the cat wasn’t out of the bag and screeching before it was now. They were practically making love to each other on the dance floor, once again in their own little world of two.

‘Happy Birthday’ was sung and Rielle cut the lemon cake with white fondant and purple orchids sprinkled over it to much teasing. She made her wish and took it as a sign when the first person she saw when she opened her eyes was K.C.

The party broke up around midnight and Gabrielle would have tried to help clean up but her mother grudgingly told K.C. to take her away.

"I want a birthday like this for my fiftieth." Magdalena said laughingly as she sat on one of the loungers near the pool.

"You'll get this and more." Graham and Chris assured her as the troops started to clean up.

 “How did you manage to get Tarrus here?” Rielle asked as they were driving back to her place.

“I actually met him at the airport in Miami. He was going to a concert in the U.S. Virgin Islands and I told him about you and he said he would be willing to perform for your birthday. He’s a pretty humble guy and it was nice talking to him while we were waiting in the first class lounge. So I guess you liked your surprise?” He asked her as they made their way out of Portsmouth.

“This has been the most amazing birthday I’ve ever had. I know the two of us on that huge yacht wasn’t exactly environmentally sound and went against your principles but I really loved the experience. This was even better than when I got the kitty I begged for when I was five.” She said with a grin and K.C. frowned over at her.

“Aren’t you allergic to cats?” he asked taking his eyes off the road for a second.

“Yes, we found that out after but I really wanted that kitty.” She said in the cutest little girl voice with a pout on her lips and a sad look in her big eyes. K.C. saw how she had conned her parents into getting her the cat from hell.

“You little devil.” He said affectionately chucking her under the chin as he caught her grin.

They arrived at Gabrielle’s house twenty minutes later and she pulled him through the front door after her while planting a big kiss on him and she barely got the door locked behind K.C. before he chased her into her bedroom.

He was loathe to leave Gabrielle early the next morning and when she snuggled into his arms sleepily telling him not to go it was like bamboo shoots were being put under his fingernails.

“I’ll call you later ok?” he d kissing her on her forehead before forcing his feet to walk out the front door.

As early as it was however he couldn’t help it as he looked across the street he saw a figure standing on the upstairs balcony and K.C. didn’t need two guesses to know it was Chris.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their obligations took over their lives as they both got busier and June went by quickly, Gabrielle became more involved with volleyball practice, working at Tropical Delights, the summer program and spending time with her visiting grandparents.

K.C. was being consumed by the Tropicana project that was now picking up steam and his search into his mother’s past sat on the back burner.

Dealing with the planning board to get the permits finalized was a bit of a headache and he needed to take a break from dealing with the red tape so one day he just walked over from the government offices to the library located across the street.

K.C. looked up at the building for a moment before walking in to the old brick and concrete building. He leaned against the desk as he chatted up the librarian who was about his mother’s age but this woman was showing her age unlike his mother who could pass for her mid forties although she was in her late fifties.

He began asking her about the island’s history and his ears perked up to hear that only three high schools existed back then.

“You wouldn’t happen to have the year books from those schools would you? I’m always interested to see the history of a place and what better way than through its students.” K.C. said with a persuasive grin.

The older woman blinked at him before shaking herself out of the trance she had fallen into.

“Yes we do. It’s a practice that we started and thankfully we also have the microfilm from forty years ago too but we have been converting everything to the computer since last year.” Joanne Wells told him.

He took the yearbooks to a secluded corner and began to pour over the pictures and found what he was looking for in the second book and ran his finger over the impossibly young image of his mother.

Frederika had gone to Churchill High School graduating co-valedictorian, as one of the most popular students out of two hundred and twenty-five. She had graduated at seventeen and he read not only her desire to be an engineer but her entire class and teachers’ well wishes.

He flipped to see who had been the other highest ranking student and saw a male student named Patrick Roebuck who had been the captain of the football team. K.C. could see the smirk on the kid’s face in the picture and he frowned.

He went back to the librarian and waited while she dealt with a little boy who wanted to take out a book but had too many out already. He smiled sympathetically at the frazzled expression when his turn came up and asked if he could use the microfiche machine to check out the newspapers.

“Depending on what year you are looking for it may be computerized all ready.” She said waiting expectantly and he had no choice but to answer her.

Her expression didn’t change but he felt her pull back from him and he thought for a moment she would refuse his request.

“That information was converted to the computer. I’ll show you how to operate it Mr., I’m sorry what did you say your name was again?” she asked formally.

“Mr. Whitfield. My name is K.C. Whitfield.” He replied with all the manners his mother had taught him.

If she connected him with the Tropicana Hotel project he wasn’t sure but she showed him how to access the information and then left him to it.

Unfortunately the machines were in the center of the room and he could feel her dark eyes on him the entire time. He surfed through the material quickly and found what he was looking for and had to steel himself not to change his expression.

K.C.’s eyes were blazing by the time he was done and he had to read the newspaper article a few times before the words really penetrated his brain. 

K.C. could feel the tension building between his shoulder blades. His eyes blurred for a moment and he blinked several times as the blood rushed from his head. He wanted to throw up as he got cold and then hot as he felt rage take over and he wanted to find Patrick Roebuck and beat the shit out of him. He got up and went to stand near one of the big windows, knowing he could not look at the words on the monitor any longer.

That son of a bitch had almost destroyed his mother’s life not to mention his Uncle Frank's and he knew that his mother had suffered. He was going to have a long talk with both of his parents as well as his uncle when he went home on his next trip in August.

This was too sensitive a subject to broach over the phone or internet and he wanted to look into his mother’s eyes when he told her that he knew. She needed to know that she had his love and support and nothing from her past could change that fact.

Chapter 36

Of all of the things K.C. had expected to read this was not it and now he wasn’t sure what his father had been thinking when he pushed to buy the hotel much less allowed him to come here as the representative for the company.

He had to know that K.C. would do some investigating into a subject that had been a sore topic with his Mom as long as he could remember. His brother and sister had been reluctant to bring up St. Sebastian after a while but he had never forgotten about it.

K.C. now understood why Frederika Whitfield had been vehemently against him coming to do this job. She would not have wanted him to come down and discover something so horrifying had occurred. His Uncle Frank had been trying to protect his older sister when they chose to keep this information secret from his siblings and himself.

He went back and managed to finish reading the article when his cell phone vibrated on his hip. K.C. checked the screen quickly and saw that it was Gabrielle and ran a shaking hand through his hair as he slumped on the hard plastic chair.

K.C. wasn’t sure he would be able to keep this from Gabrielle when they were so in tuned to each other but he was going to have to until he could speak to his parents. K.C. texted her back telling her they were still on before he closed down the computer.

It was hard to find time to be together so instead of quantity, they had quality time and every minute was special for them. He and Gabrielle were meeting for dinner at his house and she would be spending the weekend with him.

Michael was now more or less living at Jarrod’s house because the place was a ‘bloody mansion’ after all and Georgie stayed over a lot. Jarrod’s place gave them more privacy since he had a suite but Michael would be returning to the mainland to begin training camp just after Carnival was over so they were desperate for the time together.

As it was he had spent so much time on the island his parents had called K.C. to complain because usually he went home to Denver during the off season. He had only spent a few days there the couple of times he had left the island.

Michael had confessed to K.C. that he had never felt like this with any other woman and he was seriously considering asking Georgie to move to Norfolk with him. Alex, quarterback for the Admirals would spend a few days before he returned to Norfolk and he would be staying at Hotel Stewart also.

Michael had been singing the praises of St. Sebastian to his friend and teammate. He had fallen in love with the island just as his friends had. He went diving several times a week with Bryan and he and Chris were gym buddies.

       Michael had even taken over one of the classes when the regular instructor had pulled a muscle much to K.C. amusement. The gym owner was very happy because membership had increased not just because Carnival was coming up and people participating liked to get in shape but because a lot of the women liked to stare at Michael’s ripped body.

Georgie had not been pleased at first but Michael had apparently reassured her that he wasn’t interested in any of the other women and she had taken the class to everyone’s amusement. He had not told her that the class was for retirees who wanted to stay healthy and viable members of society.

K.C. walked over to the heavy mahogany desk to thank Mrs. Wells for her assistance and he missed the speculative look on her face he was so deep in thought.

“I knew Frederika Leon and that girl didn’t have a mean bone in her body. Patrick was a different story however and it was a tragedy what happened but many of the people on the island felt she was better off leaving afterwards. She and her brother both deserved a fresh start and I hope you aren’t trying to dig up anything to hurt either of them wherever they might be.” The woman said in a stern voice.

K.C. stopped in his tracks as he was getting ready to walk away and turned back to see the look on her nut brown face and was glad that after all this time his mother still evoked this much loyalty.

“Mrs. Wells that is the very last thing that I want to do.” He assured her earnestly before leaving.

He was distracted for the rest of the afternoon and when Gabrielle showed up at seven he barely let her come through the door to drop her salad on the kitchen counter before he gave her a bone crushing hug.

“K.C. what’s wrong?” Rielle asked worriedly when she was released.

Looking up at him, she could see he was a little pale and his usually sparkling eyes were troubled.

He knew that he couldn’t tell her the truth yet, he was still processing the information and she didn’t know that his mother was from the island.

“I received some disturbing news today.” He said solemnly staring down at her and Gabrielle felt her heartbeat slow.

“Is it something to do with your family? Is it your Grandma Rae or Grandpa David?” she asked knowing how much he loved them.

“No, it’s not my grandparents. Look, Gabrielle I don’t want you to worry about this. I just need some time to figure things out.” He said knowing her concern was genuine.

He didn’t want her to worry about something that she couldn’t really do anything about.

“I- I just want to help.” She said, more than a little hurt that he was shutting her out.

K.C. wasn’t so wrapped up in his dilemma that he couldn’t see what he had done and drew her outside to a lounger not far from the pool and they sat down together.

“I know you want to help and I love you for it, but right now there isn’t anything that you can do. Just let me get a handle on it and we’ll talk about it later okay?” he promised.

Rielle searched his face before nodding slowly and she put her hand up to touch his face.

“I’m here for you. Anything I can do to help you I’ll be there K.C.” Rielle told him smiling at him bravely.

And that was why he loved this woman he thought to himself. She wasn’t trying to force the issue and make him talk or ignoring that something was going on. Gabrielle wanted to face what was going on and solve it and he loved that about her.

He gave her another hug this one leading to a make out session that almost had him burning the steak and potatoes.

“How are the plans coming together for the parade?” K.C. asked as they ate.

Rielle shook her head with a wry smile, his trying to distract her was not very subtle but she would forgive him this time.

“We are cutting it close, but we should have the choreography down by next week.” She told him seeing his genuine interest.

Rielle was referring to the group of students at her school that were participating in the children’s Carnival parade. She and another teacher were responsible for teaching them a dance to perform in front of the viewing stand and they had been practicing every day for two hours for the past three weeks in preparation for the festivities that would begin on the fifth of July.

Several of the other teachers were responsible for the costumes which were colorful creations of feathers, poster board, sequins, glitter and satin in various bright colors.

Rielle had another week left to get the kids ready and she would be marching with them so she had to make sure she was ready as much as the kids.

The parade route was a long winding one that would take them through the heart of Plymouth, the capital of St. Sebastian which was on the southern coast of the island.

~*~*~*~*~

Fourth of July signaled not only Independence Day with its symbols of patriotism complete with flags and fireworks but also the beginning of Carnival. People came from all over the world to celebrate and reunite with friends and family.

There were contests held for Calypso King and Queen, King and Queen of the band, the Carnival Queen, Prince and Princess and steel pan competitions that had been occurring several weeks before in the various parishes. The winners from the various contests would be in both the children and adult parades.

There was also a contest for toddlers on Tuesday night and seniors on Thursday night that was wildly entertaining. Apparently the little ones couldn’t understand that they needed to filter what they said and sometimes revealed things their parents wished they hadn’t. The elderly felt they didn’t have to filter either much to the chagrin of their grown children.

The Food Fair happened on the Wednesday before the parades and government offices closed at noon to accommodate their employees and most private employers followed suit.

J’ouvert was another tradition that occurred on the island, early Thursday morning revelers tramped through the city led by the popular local bands playing their songs for that year.

Each band had a few songs but the most popular tune played during the two parades would be crowned Road March on the final night of Carnival which was a huge honor.

There was a Carnival Village set up in Plymouth where colorful wooden booths were open from sunset to midnight where local foods and drinks were sold for the two weeks of the main Carnival events. In the adjoining children’s village games of chance and rides including the Ferris wheel, roller coaster, bumper cars, and the merry go round were enjoyed by all ages.

Tropical Delights had a booth open and because Godfrey and Carmel had stayed for Carnival they took turns manning the booth. They were bombarded by customers until they ran out of ice cream on the hot July evenings and then they were free to enjoy the live music that played on stage in the center of the village.

The third weekend in July was coming around faster than she would have liked and the madness that was Carnival was almost over. K.C. had never been to a Carnival before in all of his travels so this was a new experience.

He was going to be driving the support vehicle for Gabrielle’s floupe, which was a combination of a float and a troupe so he would see the children’s parade from a different vantage point.

They would watch the Adult’s parade on Saturday from the sidewalk and like most residents the Halls had a spot where they sat along the parade route year after year.

Rielle and K.C. enjoyed the Food Fair and he came back with a small brown paper bag filled with mini guava tarts which were now a close second to chocolate as his favorite dessert.

He was surprised to see Lewis Coleman; his job site manager’s white F-150 pickup parked outside the gate of his house when he drove up.

K.C. opened the gate electronically and drove in before walking back out to meet the other man. He had dropped Gabrielle off at her house and she would drive her vehicle up to pick him up so they could go back down to the village.

“Hey Lewis, what’s up?” he asked the easy going, brown skinned man who had been a great help on this project.

They shook hands in greeting, the other man hoping he hadn’t made a mistake by coming up here.

They had decided to give the crew the rest of the week off knowing that with all of the events going on this last week of Carnival there would be a lot of absenteeism. Rather than dock the men they had shut down the job, not a lot could happen with the government closed anyway so it was not a big loss.

“Hey K.C., I went to the hotel because the security guard called me with a situation. A young woman showed up at the site looking for you and he couldn’t get in touch with you.”Lewis explained and watched the blond man glance at his vehicle’s tinted windows with a frown.

It was impossible to tell who was in the vehicle all he could make out was a figure.

“My phone was on vibrate since it was impossible to hear it over all of the noise at the Fair.” He told the other man and saw him smile in understanding.

“What happened to the woman that showed up at the Tropicana?” he asked when Lewis seemed reluctant to broach the subject further.

“She claimed to be a friend of yours but…” the brown skinned man began but he heard a noise behind him and stopped.

K.C. watched the man turn to look at the truck and as if on cue the door opened and his expression turned to stone when he saw who emerged from the vehicle.

A white broad brimmed hat hid the occupants face for a moment before the woman’s face was revealed as she tossed the hat back into the cab of the truck and slipped her sunglasses to the top of her head.

“Hello lover.” Tiffani Hudson said in a light voice.

The huge smile on her pale face could only be described as a pretense because the last time they had spoken she had acted as catty as she looked calling him everything from a freak of nature to a homosexual.

He had forced her to call off the wedding or risk everyone finding out about her lover and he had been adamant that he didn’t want to see her again. K.C. couldn’t believe she had the fucking gall to show up here just when he had his life worked out, her timing was incredible.

Lewis was not as inclined to ignore the obvious as the red head was, he had seen his employer’s eyes turn cold as he stared at the pretty woman, and the bad feeling he’d had congealed in his stomach. The only relief was that Gabrielle Hall was not here, he liked that young lady unlike this demanding witch who had complained all the way up the hill.

She had acted like he was driving a goat cart and not a fairly new truck he had bought from a local leasing company. Miss Tiffani was a piece of work all right and he didn’t know how K.C. was going to manage her but he wished him luck.

“Lewis I’m sorry you wasted your time but this is not a friend of mine.” He said in a hard voice ignoring the woman’s greeting and speaking to the other man.

“K.C. honey, don’t be like that.” Tiffani interrupted strolling over to put her hand on his chest.

Her cloying perfume made him wrinkle his noise as she reached up to press a kiss on his mouth which he dodged in time and she only caught his jaw. Her touch repelled him and he actually felt dirty when he grabbed her wrists to remove her hands.

“Tiffani, you are not welcome. Lewis can take you back to your hotel room or the airport for all I care, but you need to leave here.” He replied looking into the dark blue eyes of his ex-fiancé.

She pouted up at him and K.C. wondered what he had seen in this spoiled only child of a former airline executive and his socialite wife.

Tiffani could talk about fashion and knew everything about pop culture, but she couldn’t hold a conversation much past that. K.C. blamed himself for getting caught up with her, she had dangled her bait and he had swallowed.

He should have known that something was wrong when only Marcus had liked her, but then at twenty-six he was still into the packaging and not much else.

Those days were thankfully over for him however as he looked down at her and saw past her looks to see the real woman. She did not hold a candle to Gabrielle and while he did not deserve her love he would do everything in his power to protect his relationship with her.

Damn it Gabrielle would be here shortly to pick him up. He did not want Tiffani saying anything to upset her.

His expression became thunderous as those thoughts crossed his mind. No way did he want this bitch coming into contact and poisoning the best woman he knew outside of his family.

Chapter 37

“Tiffani I don’t know why you thought you could come to St. Sebastian and expect me to welcome you. We aren’t friends and we never will be. I believe I made that clear to you through my lawyers. You need to leave.” He told the redhead his voice hard.

Out of his peripheral vision he saw Lewis’s eyebrows rise and then he walked away and quickly got on his phone, too far away for them to hear his whispered conversation.

Unfortunately Lewis was also too far away to hear their conversation as well.

“K.C. I never wanted things to end the way that they did. I was young and stupid but I’ve grown up a lot since we were engaged.” She pleaded looking at him earnestly.

He felt embarrassed for her that she had actually formed her lips to say the words that she had grown up, because if this was her being grown up she still had some work to do.

“I’m sorry you wasted a trip down here Tiffani. A phone call would have been preferable especially since we haven’t talked to or seen each other in nearly eight months. We don’t have anything productive to say to one another.” K.C said unmoved by the hurt look on her seemingly innocent face.

“How could you be so hard after all the things we shared? We were good together, everyone said so. Come back to Denver all of my friends miss you K.C., I miss you. We can start over.” Tiffani replied quickly aware that she was on the verge of begging.

She reigned herself in feeling the heat entering her pale skin, K.C. was not changing his stance and she was afraid that she would be going back to her parents empty handed. Their house was on the edge of being foreclosed on and she had been with several other men since K.C. but none with the kind of financial or personal clout as the man that stood before her.

 He was unmoving however and she was desperate enough to beg even in front of the hired help because she could see nothing she was saying was working. She had known that K.C. could be ruthless when necessary but she had hoped that he would have softened over time.

K.C. was still determined to be a gentleman but Tiffani was pushing him to go there and he was tired of the bullshit. Tiffani was living in some kind of fucking fantasy world if she thought he would forget the fact that he had found her with her lover. Or forgotten that she had attempted to slur his good name when he forced her to break the engagement.

“I had my closure when my lawyer sent you that order to cease and desist. I don’t want to start over with you Tiffani because I’ve moved on.” He said with finality in his voice and raised his head as they heard a car’s engine.

He stepped away from her and Tiffani knew a dismissal when she was given one, she had done it to enough people after all.

A blue SUV was coming up the gravel drive and a broad smile came across his face. Tiffani saw his expression and frowned because K.C. had never looked at her with that loving expression on his face.  She had seen affection, frustration, anger and finally indifference but never love and she wondered who this bitch was that had managed to snare him like that when she hadn’t been able to.

She had known that her hold on him wasn’t very strong because it was built on sex but she had hoped it would be enough to get them up the aisle.

She had hoped that he could let bygones be bygones and maybe give her a loan if nothing else but those hopes were fading fast.

       Tiffani and her mother Simone had seen K.C. Whitfield at a charity function and she had managed to bump into him that night spilling her red wine on her royal blue designer dress. The old ploy had worked many times and this had been no different, he had played the gentleman to a fault offering to replace the dress and she had played the helpless damsel in distress.

He had been one of the best lovers that she had had but Tiffani had learned that she needed more than one man could give her no matter how good. It was too bad that he had walked in on her and Lee and even worse that he had refused the offer to party with them.

Lee liked men with big dicks who knew how to use them and K.C. was definitely a skilled cocksman.

Tiffani walked around K.C. grabbed a handful of his shirt and lay a kiss on him just as the vehicle cleared the bougainvillea hedge that seemed like a staple on this hellishly hot island. She was pushed off and smiled at the way he wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand as they heard a car door slam.

“Baby we both know I could still make you want me.” She said a seductive look on her face and heard a laugh from behind her.

Tiffani turned slowly and saw a beautiful black haired, green eyed woman a few years younger than her in a yellow strapless top that made the most of her tanned complexion and blue jeans that hugged her sexy figure.

This was real competition and Tiffani knew that from the direct stare the other woman was giving her.

“Hi Lewis. K.C. my parents need us to pick up a container from the store before we get to the village.” She said totally ignoring the redhead.

Gabrielle wasn’t stupid, she knew who the other woman was and she’d be damned if she showed her ass in front of this trifling witch.

K.C. was proud of Gabrielle for acting like a lady but he was afraid that Tiffani wasn’t going to let it go that easily.

“K.C. are you going to introduce me to you little friend.” She asked in cultured tones and he wanted to run for cover when he saw Gabrielle walk a little closer.

Gabrielle was wearing low heeled sandals and was an inch shorter than Tiffani in them who took pleasure in looking down her freckled nose at her.

“I don’t think that will be necessary since you aren’t in my life any longer. Lewis I’m sorry you got mixed up in this unfortunate matter.” K.C. said as he walked to Gabrielle.

He wrapped a strong arm about Gabrielle's small waist intercepting her before she could get closer to Tiffani, it would be just like the redhead to provoke Gabrielle into assaulting her and if he wasn’t mistaken Lewis had called the police.

“I didn’t realize what the situation was K.C. accept my apologizes, both of you.” Lewis said sheepishly including Gabrielle who inclined her head like a queen a small smile on her face.

Tiffani saw the shared camaraderie between the trio and something snapped inside her. How dare he have moved on and with this little whore! She’d show them you didn’t mess with Tiffani Hudson!

Gabrielle saw trouble brewing in the other woman’s eyes from the safety of K.C. arms and braced herself when she opened her ridiculously small mouth.

“K.C. can’t possibly love you. He needs a classy woman by his side, not some island slut who can’t keep her legs closed. Are you going to be popping out a baby in a few months, is that how you plan to get him to commit to you?” She hissed at the dark haired woman.

“She didn’t really just say that did she?” Rielle asked K.C. in disbelief.

He shrugged and nodded, Tiffani was definitely not rooted in reality anymore if she could spout that kind of shit.

They heard another vehicle driving up and Rielle prayed it was the police before this turned into a real confrontation. Tiffani must have sensed that she was running out of time because she launched her real offensive, but it was at K.C. not Gabrielle.

“You came to the right place obviously since you prefer dark meat. Who would have thought looking at you that you could be a black hearted son of a bitch? I should have known you would end up with a dark cunt because only one of them would be able to take your Mandingo dick! Have you fucked her on her hands and knees like an animal? Did you enjoy it like the filthy beasts that you are?” she screamed at her ex lover.

K.C. watched her with a total lack of sympathy, his jaw clenched as he refrained from answering this psycho bitch.

He had heard about her family finances worsening and her response of going from one rich man to another trying to find someone to bail them out.

His driveway was pretty crowded as a white police SUV crawled up the drive during her tirade and parked and two officers got out of the vehicle. One of them, K.C. recognized as Lewis’s cousin but the other man was a stranger and they approached with serious looks on their faces.

Tiffani was panting after spewing her rage while Gabrielle watched her like someone would watch a rabid dog from behind K.C. He had pushed her behind him for safety while Lewis stood a little closer to the angry woman the moment she opened her mouth.

“Good evening Mr. Whitfield, what seems to be the problem here?” Vaughn Coleman asked as Lewis walked to K.C.’s side.

They interviewed them all individually and after a brief explanation from Lewis the two officers turned towards Tiffani. The redhead had composed herself and tried to look like she hadn’t just been slinging racial slurs like a pro as she attempted to gain the sympathy of the white cop.

“I’m just so embarrassed Officer Foster.” She began as she fluffed her red curls.

“I came down here to your lovely island thinking I’d see an old friend and I just don’t know what came over me. The next thing I know I was saying all of these things and K.C. was … well he was telling me that he had moved on and I just couldn’t accept it.” She said in a sweet voice, her expression winsome as she looked at the officer.

“You’ll have to come with us Miss Hudson. This is private property and you were asked to leave several times from what Mr. Whitfield and Mr. Coleman have said. He has chosen not to press charges but if you are seen in his presence it is within his right to get a restraining order against you. The same goes for Miss Hall and Mr. Coleman.” She was told in no uncertain terms and her expression hardened.

She knew when to cut her losses, but before she left she had one more thing to do. She took a step toward the brunette and all of the men tensed.

“I think I’ve seen enough of St. Sebastian.” She said loudly for all of them to hear. “Gabrielle is it, if you ever get tired of him come see me. I like a little variety myself sometimes and you look very lickable.”

She said softly putting her index and middle fingers up to her lips in a V and ala Samantha on Sex in the City fluttered her tongue as her eyes dipped to Gabrielle’s high breasts.

Rielle fought hard not to show her any reaction but she wanted to shudder in revulsion as the other woman finally walked away, swaying her hips.

Lewis pulled her Louis Vuitton suitcase from the cab of his truck and placed it in the rear of the police vehicle and they all watched it drive off.

K.C. felt like a boulder had been lifted off his chest and he looked down at Gabrielle who just shook her head in disbelief at what had just happened.

“K.C., I’m really sorry about bringing her up here. If I had known what she was I never would have done it but she was so convincing.” The man said looking uncomfortably rubbing the back of his neck.

“Lewis, you don’t have to worry. I don’t blame you for this; Tiffany can be very convincing when she wants something. Maybe if she put as much attention into her career as a buyer for Colorado Lifestyle she might be better off.” He replied as he watched Gabrielle crossing her arms under her breasts.

Lewis could see which way the wind was blowing and said goodnight to them before leaving.

“We don’t have much time if you plan to take a shower before we leave.” She told him quietly when Lewis had gone.

“I think we need to talk about this.” K.C. said seeing her set face.

“I think we need to get that ice cream from the store and go to the village. Alex is going to think you’ve abandoned him if we don’t show up soon. Leaving him with all of those women may be good for them but bad for him especially when he tells them he’s single.” Gabrielle said civilly holding onto her temper.

She knew his crazy ex-fiancé showing up wasn’t his fault but she was still processing the incident and she was trying to act like an adult.

K.C. decided to let her have her space and quickly went to take a shower and get dressed and when he returned to the living room he was happy to see she looked more like herself.

“I’m sorry you were subjected to Tiffani. Her family is seriously over-extended and she must be really desperate to have come here like that. I had no idea she would think I’d want her back.” He told her by way of explanation.

“When I drove up and saw the two of you kissing I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I want to bathe you in a tub of bleach because that – that bitch put her lips on you! And what was with this?” she asked heatedly her eyes blazing as she did the thing with her fingers up to her mouth.

He had known that that gesture by Tiffani would not go unmentioned and he was right.

Gabrielle was surprised when K.C. paled before he indicated she should sit.

Chapter 38

This couldn’t be anything good she thought as she tucked her legs under her and waited.

K.C. sat on the edge of the chair looking at her curious face and silently acknowledged the fact that he had made a mistake proposing to Tiffani. He looked at Gabrielle and saw her heart in her green eyes, with Tiffani all he had seen was dollar signs.

“I told you that I found Tiffani with her lover but what I didn’t tell you is that her lover Lee was her best friend, her girlfriend. She and Tiffani were in a sixty-nine when I found them together and they offered to let me join them because Tiffani had told her about my umm – my unusual proportions.” He told her as he got redder.

“You mean Miss Tiffani Hudson of the Denver, Colorado Hudson’s is a muff muncher? So what her tongue got tired and she needed some help from you?” Gabrielle asked her eyes wide and watched K.C.’s mouth twitch as he nodded.

He slid down onto the sofa and took her hands in his wanting some physical contact with her.

“She’s bisexual. I had never heard any rumors about her with women until we broke up and then everyone seemed to have something to say under the guise of being my friend. Unfortunately she hasn’t inspired much loyalty among her former friends and they were only too happy to send me anonymous texts and emails. Her parents apparently have no idea and I used that as leverage which is how I got out of the engagement.” K.C. explained in a low voice, while playing with her long fingers.

After Tiffani had made an ass of herself by showing up here he felt no need to keep her secrets but only on pain of death would he admit that she had been slandering his name by calling him a homosexual. That might be enough to set off Gabrielle to go find the redhead and do some serious damage.

     “Oh my God! Now I’ve heard everything. How could she do that to you? I’m so sorry K.C. you must have felt like--- never mind the Village my parents can get Chris to pick up the ice cream. You need me more. ” She said pulling his head down to her breasts while stroking his thick hair and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

This woman never failed to surprise him as he leaned with his head pressed up against one of his many favorite parts of her. She continued to speak and he had to concentrate on her words.

“Let’s go find that red headed bitch so I can snatch her bald. I’m sorry I didn’t know that about her before, I might have done something she would have regretted. I don’t care about her being bisexual, that’s her business but she broke your trust cheating on you. It’s possible who knows maybe she can’t be faithful to anyone.” she told him.

Gabrielle didn’t care that she sounded naïve Tiffani’s behavior was something she couldn’t understand. She believed in the sanctity of marriage and from her way of thinking he had had a fortuitous escape from that redheaded tramp.

K.C. felt like a mountain now lay on his chest as he slowly drew away from her, the guilt of keeping his mother’s life a secret from her was going to stay right there until he told Gabrielle the truth.

“Let’s not change our plans; we’ll go enjoy ourselves and when you travel to the mainland next month I’m going to come with you. I think it’s time my Mom and Dad met the woman that I’m in love with.” K.C. said clearly looking her in the eyes.

“Are you serious? You want me to meet your parents?” Rielle asked totally flabbergasted.

“Of course I want you to meet my parents. I know all of your family including your Great, Great, Great Aunt Emilia and you know my boys but you haven’t met anyone else from Denver besides Tiff the Muff Muncher and she doesn’t really count. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and my parents will love you as much as I do.” He told her and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Rielle was so touched that he would do this for her, it showed that he cared about her. K.C. had had no choice in meeting her family and for the most part got along well with most of them and it had been enough. She realized that they had gone almost from zero to sixty in a few months and this was another big step in their relationship.

Rielle knew she had no right to expect such a gesture from him, but she loved that he was willing to do this for her because she knew how important his family was to him. Now she only had to worry about making a good impression.

He correctly read her expression and smoothed her brow with his fingers.

“Don’t worry; my parents are pretty cool people. They had to be to raise such a great son.” He said as they got up and he kissed her forehead. They got into her vehicle and Gabrielle turned to look at him before she started the engine.

“You don’t have any more exes I have to worry about like the redheaded demon do you?” she asked and he threw back his head and laughed.

She was priceless and again he thought how blessed he was as she joined in.

They picked up the container from the store and made it to the Village in about forty minutes all while listening to one of the local radio stations that was playing Carnival music.

K.C. enjoyed life on St. Sebastian very much, it was slow and fast by turns and you could get to almost any point on the beautiful island in at least forty minutes by several different routes. He loved the people and being able to go to the beach and hanging out with not just his buddies but his new friends as well.

K.C. had spoken to Alex before he came down on Wednesday and the other man had managed to keep the surprise off his face when he and Gabrielle had picked him up from the airport. He had known that his friend was an equal opportunity dater so he wasn’t surprised by her race.

The surprise had been in hearing his friend admit to being in love so quickly after the Tiffani debacle and it hadn’t made any sense until he met Gabrielle. He wasn’t surprised to find that she was beautiful or smart, but the fact that she was so warm and open.

She had welcomed him and made him feel like a member of the family and there was no doubt that she was genuine it was a welcome change from Tiffani.

Alex was a tall, handsome guy, with short blonde hair and blue eyes and his muscular physique had women falling out all over the place, it didn’t hurt that like the rest of K.C.’s friends he was also a really nice guy and as outgoing as Michael.

After settling in at Jarrod’s place Alex had asked both men where he could find a woman like Gabrielle or Camille who was actually acting as hostess and enjoying it.

Jarrod had dropped Alex off at the Village so that he could meet up with Michael and they were responsible for the booth running out of ice cream before seven o’clock. Having Alex and Michael at the booth was the best because they gave out as many autographs as they sold ice cream cones.

The Norfolk Admirals had made it to the Eastern Conference Final game last season and they had kept many of the key players so they were being touted to go to the Super Bowl if all of the players stayed healthy.

It wasn’t all the time that the quarterback was the captain of the team but in Alex’s case it was true and his taking over the team four years ago and getting a head coach had led to the team getting some great recognition. This was the furthest that the team had gotten and the sports analysts were going to be watching them carefully.

There were several fans that had come by and quite a few had been in the Navy. It was surprising to even have one of them drive home and bring back his white, yellow and navy blue jersey to be signed by the two men.

“Hey, I thought you guys would never get here. This is almost as much work as throwing touch downs” He said jokingly while making change for Graham, Magdalena and Chris who were manning the booth tonight.

“Wait until the parades, sometimes viewing can be as tiring as participating.” Graham told him knowingly.

The booth was about thirteen by thirteen, but with the three large men in it there plus Magdalena there was not a whole lot of room.

Adding Gabrielle and K.C. would make it shrink considerably so Gabrielle offered to relieve Alex so he could take a walk around and see the sights with K.C. and Michael too. Bryan and Georgie came by and they all took off to make the rounds leaving the Halls together.

J’ouvert was an experience K.C. would never forget which started around four in the morning on Thursday when he and Gabrielle left her house along with Chris to meet up the rest of the gang in Plymouth where most of the big events took place.

The throbbing music was infectious and he cut loose, the freedom of being with his woman overshadowing the fact that he was still keeping secrets from her. They went home around ten and slept most of the day away before going back to the village that night to work the booth.

  The children’s parade began promptly at ten with the Parade Grand Marshall riding in a convertible followed by tiny, not always coordinated majorettes and a bevy of kings, queens, princes and princesses from the various schools and organizations on the island.

The royalty would be preceded by the troupe or floupe from the respective school and music was provided by if they had one a steel pan orchestra or DJ with speakers mounted onto a truck.

K.C. was sweating like a race horse by the end of the route and admiring how Gabrielle kept her young charges in line.

She wore a gold bikini top and tiny shorts that had K.C.'s eyes popping out of his head as they cupped her sexy bottom. Most women wore similar clothing underneath in either silver or gold but some really adventurous females went commando and risked a wardrobe malfunction with all of the gyrating they would do.

She kept the kids motivated, smiling and dancing down the road to a large park where they went across the viewing stage for final judging.

That night they didn’t stay at the Village that late and even Alex who had been on the sidelines viewing the amazing spectacle was tired as Graham had predicted.

“That was incredible. I’ve been to the Carnivals they have in D.C. and Baltimore and heard about the ones they have in New York, Atlanta and Toronto but this is the best.” he enthused as they drove him to Jarrod’s.

Gabrielle and K.C. had showered and changed at Jarrod’s home. While K.C. was massaging her aching feet, Alex and Gabrielle had a lively conversation about where was the best place to eat seafood in Baltimore since he was a native and she had gone to school there.

She fell asleep in K.C. arms around nine as they sat on a big sofa in the living room and Alex caught the soft look on his friend’s face, a moment of envy seizing him.

It was good to see his friend genuinely happy because Alex had been at the infamous engagement party and he had shared the trepidation of Jarrod and Michael about Tiffani.

K.C. glanced up and saw the speculative expression and quirked an eyebrow at him.

“You look really happy man.” Alex said quietly mindful of the sleeping, dark haired beauty.

“After Tiffani I doubted that I would ever be able to trust anyone and Gabrielle knocked me for six as Jarrod would say.” K.C. admitted in a low voice as he stroked her curly hair.

“She seems to be knocked for six too and her family is pretty nice. Imagine having Graham Hall for your dad, it was really cool talking to him. How did she react when she found out about your…?” Alex trailed off when he saw K.C. shake his head.

“She doesn’t know.” He answered holding Gabrielle closer to his chest.

“Man, I hope you know what the hell you’re doing.”Alex whispered as she shifted and wrapped her arms around his waist.

She looked innocent in her sleep but Alex got the feeling that when she was riled up she’d be a force of nature.

The next day all of them were slathered with sunscreen and outfitted with hats to shade them from the sun when they wandered from the small tents they set up along the street.

They had coolers filled with ice and bottled water, lemonade, local juices and iced tea to quench their thirst and Johnny cakes, fried chicken and fish to eat during the parade that lasted until nearly seven in the evening unlike the children’s parade which had finished at four in the afternoon.

There were a few gaps in the parade but for the most part it was a colorful repeat of Friday with more feathers, glitter, satin and sequins than the men had ever seen.

The participants were free to behave in ways that they might not have without the anonymity of the colorful masks and when two of the women came over and pulled K.C. up to dance it was with great relief he recognized Andie and Georgie dressed like Vegas showgirls.

Gabrielle must have known who it was when she encouraged him to go and he danced with his friends happily. Bryan and Michael who were also in the troupe weren’t all that happy though and pulled Gabrielle up to dance with them.

Everywhere beautiful colorful costumes sparkled in the bright sun almost blinding the parade watchers as people danced and a few people who had drank a little too much alcohol fell down.

Between the thumping music, hot sun and dancing they were all tired but happy and the idea of staying for the last bit of fun that included fireworks and Last Lap where the band that had won Road March for the year was announced was beyond any of them.

As a group they decided to spend the night at Jarrod’s house and after they were all refreshed by showers in the sumptuous marble bathrooms and had a light snack they went to bed.

Camille and Jarrod were the only couple who didn’t share a room but they had graduated to holding hands and kissing in public. Even Gabrielle and K.C. were too tired to do more than kiss each other goodnight and no one was banging headboards that night.

In the morning after a big breakfast that they all helped to prepare which was a big production they had an impromptu beach party.

Alex said he wanted to come back when he got a break during the season to relax and the women teased him about setting him up with one of their friends. After seeing Alex in his swimsuit they knew whoever the woman was she was lucky and then they all looked at their own guys and thought they were all pretty lucky themselves.

It was a solemn group that arrived at Churchill International Airport to drop Alex and Michael to the airport for the late afternoon flight back to BWI.

“It was nice to meet you Alex. I’ve got fifty bucks on you and the Admirals to go all the way and win the Super Bowl so you better not let me down.” Gabrielle said giving him a hug.

“I’ll make you proud and it was really great to meet you Rielle. Take care of this knuckle head and call me if you need someone to pound some sense into him.” He told her picking her up and swinging her around.

   Georgie and Michael had their own tearful goodbyes although she tried to keep it light anyone could see that she was distraught. The brave face she had put on crumbled as Michael went through the security checkpoint. Gabrielle, Camille and Andie all hugged their friend as her lover walked away to go back to the mainland.

Rielle’s heart was heavy as they dropped Georgie to her house and she shed a few tears of her own that night as she and K.C. lay in her big bed.

“Don’t cry Gabrielle he’ll be back every chance he gets, believe that.” He swore when he heard her sniffling.

“I can’t help it. I feel so bad for Georgie. I don’t know how I would feel if I was in her place. I couldn’t bear it if I lost you.” she whispered looking up at him with big sad eyes. He cradled her face in his large palms and kissed the trail of tears.

“I’ll always be there for you. I’ll always come back to you.” He promised as his eyes held hers.

K.C. made love to Gabrielle slowly and gently, losing himself in her body. The guilt ate away at him while she shuddered beneath him in fulfillment unaware of the turmoil in his heart as he poured his soul into her.    

Chapter 39

The conversation that K.C. had with his mother to let her know that he had met someone wasn’t hard. What was hard was hearing her say that she would prefer that he found someone not from St. Sebastian and K.C. was not totally shocked by her attitude but disappointed.

“Mom I think you’ll like her. Gabrielle is a very good person and she’s very important to me and I would like you to at least meet her before you rush to judge her.” He said softly his voice filled with emotion.

“You just came out of a broken engagement K.C. are you sure this is a smart idea?” his mother questioned and he heard her concern.

“Give her a chance and I think you’ll see that she’s not what you expected. We can meet in Detroit in two weeks she’s got business meetings all week but she’ll be free from Saturday.” K.C. said quietly.

His mother must have heard something in his voice because she grudgingly agreed that she’d talk to her assistant and make arrangements to be free for that weekend in August.

He had spoken to his father first and knew Colton had paved the way a little and he thanked him before hanging up the phone.

He was practically living with Gabrielle since Michael and Alex had left. They also spent more time as a group hoping to take Georgie’s mind off of Michael’s absence.  

The plane reservations were made and K.C. was burning the midnight oil to get everything in place so that he could spend the week with Gabrielle.

Even Magdalena had commented that he looked tired when he had stopped by the store for a sandwich one day.

“I’m all right Mrs. Hall, nothing a few days off and some vitamins won’t cure.” He said with a wry grin.

She looked pensive for a while and then looked up into his bright blue gaze with her big expressive eyes that reminded him of her daughter’s and the smile slid off his face.

“I think it’s time you called me Magdalena, K.C. After all you’ve been calling my husband by his first name since June. I still can’t believe you won that bet about the NBA playoffs. No one has beaten him in guessing who would win the championship and what the score would be in ten years.” She said smiling up at him.

K.C. felt humbled by this show of trust and it was compounded further by her next words.

“I’ve never seen my daughter so happy and I know you are responsible for that. Thank you K.C.” Magdalena told him before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

The bad part was he knew he didn’t really deserve that honor because he was knowingly withholding information from her daughter and the four days before they left was going to feel like four months.

“Thank you - Magdalena.” He said quietly holding her gaze.

“I asked Rielle if she wanted to come over for lunch Sunday afternoon. I don’t know if you had plans but her father and I would like to have you both over, before you leave.” She offered graciously and he nodded never one to refuse a home cooked meal.

K.C. enjoyed playing with ChaCha on the green lawn while the two women worked in the kitchen finishing the meal of marinated flank steak, black bean with rice and orange, avocado and jicama salad after church.

Graham allowed K.C. to light his precious grill and even take a turn along with Chris to cook the meat. He was a part of the family something that had never occurred with Tiffani. When he had been with her he had felt like some rare specimen they were showing off whenever they went out which was often.

“You know if I didn’t know better I’d swear you had steak in your pockets the way that dog has taken to you.” Chris said as they enjoyed a tropical fruit salad on the upstairs veranda.

Everyone laughed as ChaCha sat at K.C.’s big feet looking up at the humans.

“My parents have a pair of Rhodesian Ridgebacks that are like part of the family so I like dogs and they tend to like me.” He answered easily.

The other man still didn’t like the idea of K.C. sleeping with his sister and he guessed that the less Graham and Magdalena thought about their daughter’s sex life the better.

  Gabrielle and K.C. left on Monday midday and they would stop in Dallas/Fort Worth before arriving in their final destination. He saw the looks that she got in her cute red and white off the shoulder top and white jeans with a jaunty beret on her dark curls and white sneakers on her feet.

Her excitement was nearly palpable and he had taken Gabrielle’s picture just before they left her house on his cell phone because her smile was so infectious.

K.C. was used to the attention she garnered from other men but saw the looks she was getting and he found himself frowning at a few men at the airport. The scowl disappeared and the beast was soothed when she whispered that she loved him in his ear while they were clearing customs and kissed him right then and there.

He had long since trained himself to sleep on any length flight and wake up about fifteen minutes before landing and Gabrielle was the same way. They were both semi refreshed when the plane arrived in rainy Detroit a little after seven that evening.

A car service had been made available for her and despite the traffic they were at the very modern but small Detroit Grande Hotel in about twenty-five minutes. Gabrielle would be taken to the headquarters of Glide Athletics at five in the morning to begin the photo shoot and then on Thursday she would begin doing a few commercials for the clothing and sneaker lines.

She had gotten the lines for the commercials in an email a few days ago and memorized her words quickly so she was as ready as she’d ever be.

Glide had been started by two sisters fifteen years ago, who had played sports all through school and gone into physical therapy and physiology before deciding they wanted to enter the male dominated world of athletic shoes and clothing.

The company had made serious inroads into the world of athletic wear and was worth about eighty million dollars while still managing to hold onto the principles that had gotten them to that point. Glide was a female centric business although they had slowly branched into the children; teen and swimsuit market in the last five years and continued to grow.

They ordered room service once they got to the suite that overlooked the river, a view that was pretty nonexistent with the heavy rain falling. Gabrielle and K.C. shared a long shower and ate dinner in the plush robes offered by the hotel.

She enjoyed her pan-fried chicken breast with a lemon herb sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, blistered tomatoes and asparagus. The grilled fillet of salmon with fire roasted pepper and cilantro relish with wild rice was good but he missed having beans with the meal. He told Gabrielle who teased him calling him a West Indian.

“They do say a man’s heart is in his stomach. I guess that old wives tale is true.” she said while sitting on his lap and sharing a slice of pumpkin cheesecake with him.

The dessert must have had an aphrodisiac in it because she kept wiggling in his lap until he was spreading her willing thighs on the king sized bed shortly after the last spoonful of cheesecake passed her lips. He loved falling asleep inside of Gabrielle and with her snuggled up on his chest he had some of the best sleep he’d had in ages.

The next morning the tables were turned and Gabrielle dragged herself out of bed leaving K.C.’s arms to go to work and she prayed that the day went quickly as she stroked across his furrowed brow with a light finger.

The meeting with the stylist for the shoot went quickly and Stephanie and Amanda showed up as they were finishing up with a sports bra and yoga short and then she was changing into another outfit.

She got back to the hotel at nine that evening and K.C. who had been working on his laptop took one look at her exhausted face and was glad she had texted him before leaving the shoot. He had run a bath and ordered some food for her before tucking her up in the bed watching as she quickly fell asleep.

 The rest of the week was pretty much the same and K.C. went with her to the final commercial shoot on Friday and was so proud of Gabrielle when she knocked it out of the park within a few takes. They had so much studio time left that the director decided to let her adlib for a little while and he was thrilled with the footage he got from that.

She worked hard to keep her body healthy, sleek and strong without being too thin a difficult task for most women so she understood and spoke to that. Rielle looked good in everything they put on her and she felt comfortable in the clothes so she also talked about how the products helped her athletic performance.

She had asked Michael and Alex about what they did when endorsing products and her natural charm helped her stay real without sounding boring.

As an owner of the calendar Gabrielle had done K.C. was aware of her great rapport with any type of camera whether still or moving and she was professional and courteous with all of the staff taking direction and giving feedback.

He was not surprised that Glide wanted to extend her contract another five years. The company had made a proposal and K.C. did not want to say anything to influence her but he wanted Gabrielle to make the right decision for her. She had a few weeks to think about it so she didn’t need to answer yet.

He was sitting on the bed massaging her narrow feet as she bounced several scenarios off him when she finally brought up what was for her the elephant in the room.

“So have your parents gotten in yet?” she asked as he rubbed along her arch.

K.C. looked up from her foot before switching to the other.

“They got in about the same time you were soaking in the tub. They’re in the Presidential suite if you want to go say hi.” He said casually, eyes on her lavender toenails.

Rielle bit her lip, this was important and she didn’t want to make a bad impression with his parents. Rushing up to their room when they had just gotten off a plane from halfway across the country didn’t seem like a smart idea. She was also still tired and wasn’t at her best so she decided to opt out of going upstairs.

“I think maybe I’ll pass on going to see them tonight and let them get some rest before I bombard them with my scintillating conversation skills.” Rielle finally said and saw him smile.

“Do you think they’ll really like me?” she asked in a little voice now that the moment was almost at hand she was scared.

This meeting was one of the most important in her personal life and what they said to K.C. good or bad might affect where their relationship went.

K.C. saw her nerves coming to the fore; this was not his strong, vibrant Gabrielle. He left her feet to crawl up to kiss her knees making her smile as his facial hair tickled her and then her navel making her laugh and up to her collarbone where she squirmed before he raised his head to look at her.

“I fell in love with you at first sight. Maybe if Grandpa David or Marcus had come along on this trip that would have worked. My parents are another kettle of fish however, but I can tell you that they want the best for me and that is definitely you." he told her before dropping a kiss on her plump mouth. 

"I thought you might be agreeable to putting off seeing my parents so I went ahead and told them we would meet them for brunch at ten in the dining room.” K.C. said his blue eyes steadily gazing into her worried green orbs.

Her fears were alleviated for now and he took shameful advantage of that fact when he returned to kissing her.

“Now, I’ve got a big problem that’s suddenly come up. You might want to worry about that.” He told her shrugging out of the robe as he lowered his naked body to bring his issue to her attention.

The chocolate brown chemise that Gabrielle wore was quickly removed and she took his hard throbbing cock into her small hands.

“I don’t know if I can handle this huge problem. It’s so hard.” She said in a playful voice.

Her breathy tone and skilful handling made him gasp as she squeezed him firmly before starting the rhythm she knew he liked.

She’d been too tired and he hadn’t wanted to push it so he had just held her these last few nights but her soak earlier had apparently rejuvenated her.

“If you don’t do something soon, I might just give you that spanking I threatened you with.” He growled.

His bulging arms trembled when she slithered down the bed on her back and ended up with his throbbing cock above her face. It was with a wicked grin that she licked her lips before licking the head of his cock.

K.C. had two fights on his hand with her doing that, the first was not thrusting into her mouth because he would choke her and the next was not coming with her hot, wet mouth sucking on him.

With her hair spread out around her head and her mouth full of his cock, Gabrielle was so beautiful and he could only stand a few minutes of that treatment before he carefully pulled away from her.

K.C. moved as quickly as his weak arms would allow him and had her thighs up around his ears as he feasted on her wet pussy and sensitive clit. His finger inside her just couldn’t scratch the itch that was driving her crazy as she spread her thighs wider giving him an all access pass.

Gabrielle wanted to have him inside her when she came however and she pulled him up by his hair.

“Fuck me now K.C.” she demanded.

He was forging a path inside of her tight body before she could get the rest of that order out. They both groaned in mutual pleasure and she pulled his mouth down to taste herself on his lips.

She literally had a fire in her and desperately wanted - no needed his come to put it out. Gabrielle writhed beneath his jarring thrusts, every seductive twist and turn of her lithe body in counterpoint to his as her nipples dug into his chest.

Sweat popped out on his skin as her tight, warm channel welcomed him and he never wanted to leave the haven of her body. Her long legs slowly climbed up his thighs to his thrusting buttocks and she pulled him into her the ache getting stronger as she sucked his tongue into her mouth.

Her fingernails would leave crescent marks in his taut shoulders but at the moment he wanted nothing more than to be as deep inside of her as he possibly could be as his hips circled against hers. His fingers were wrapped in her hair holding her head still as their tongues mated hungrily in her mouth.

She strained beneath his weight and between his thick cock hitting her spot and his pubic bone mashing her clit Gabrielle saw stars behind her closed lids as she exploded, her body rippling and undulating. He had been fighting to hold on until she came and when he felt her squeezing, clenching pussy he was pulled into orgasm.

K.C. began slamming into her spasmodically no longer in control of his movements as the ecstasy washed over him. Her eyes flew open and Rielle saw his face locked into a grimace as he ground against her. They groaned and moaned through the earth shattering climax and nearly twenty minutes later were still experiencing aftershocks.

“You are so beautiful, so good. I don’t deserve you.” K.C. whispered into near her ear.

The brush of his breath against her sensitive skin caused her to shudder as her body clenching on him. Gabrielle smiled against his sweaty shoulder and kissed the strong column of his throat.

“I’m the one that’s lucky to have you in my life. Do you think I have time to shower before I order a midnight snack? I seem to remember an apple pie on the menu.” She asked and felt the vibration begin inside her as his whole body started shaking with laughter.

Gabrielle never did order her late night dessert, she had her hands and everything else filled with K.C., the last time being when they went to take a shower.     

Chapter 40

The sun came up and the sky while not as bright as on St. Sebastian was lovely and the view of the river was pretty impressive. K.C. woke up first and as usual thanked God for the miracle that lay in his arms as he stroked his hand over her soft skin.

Gabrielle felt a caress on her bottom and snuggled against her warm bed wanting to sleep a few minutes more and then her eyes flew open, she looked at her alarm clock and jumped out of bed in a panic.

“Oh my God it’s eight o’clock why didn’t you wake me?” she cried running to the drawer to pull out her underwear, and then to the closet to grab her dress and shoes.

He leaned his head against his hand as he watched this flurry of activity, his legs moving restlessly when she bent at the closet, the view of her bottom and neatly framed nether lips making thought impossible for a few minutes.

She was so beautiful it hurt to look at her sometimes and he knew he would never get tired of seeing her whether clothed or deliciously naked her brown skin luminous in the morning light.

“I did wake you again at six remember and this time you crawled all over me. It’s not my fault you fell back asleep.” He reminded her evenly and she stopped moving.

“I’ll never be able to wash my hair and get it dried in time.” Rielle said a little deflated as she draped the clothes on her side of the bed and he got up.

“You washed your hair yesterday and it looks beautiful. Now we can either go take a shower in which case I’ll probably have you plastered up against the wall or you can move your clothes from the bed before I wrinkle them, I need sustenance until brunch woman.” K.C. told her leering at her breasts.

They rushed into the shower an hour later and while K.C. was dressing in a grey suit, light blue shirt with a striped burgundy tie he tried to broach the subject of his mother.

“Gabrielle there’s something I need to tell you about my Mom.” He began after taking a deep breath knowing he had left this until the last minute.

It also didn't help that he was subjected to Gabrielle running around in all of her half naked glory. Damn he loved the body on this woman he thought knowing he was getting distracted and horny. This was not the right time for him to be thinking with his cock.

“Unless you’re going to tell me your Mom is secretly a racist I’m not sure now is a good time K.C.” she said slathering her legs with lotion.

“No my Mother is not a racist. I would never subject you to that kind of behavior after Tiffani the psycho bitch.”K.C. said irritably.

He was becoming distracted from watching Gabrielle as she slithered into the just above the knee length dress and shoved her feet into black peep toe pumps.

“Then whatever it is I guess I’ll either find out for myself or you can tell me when we come back up.” She told him reaching up to kiss his cheek before running into the bathroom to put on some makeup.

K.C. thought about it for the length of time it took her to fix her face and spray on her perfume and he decided he couldn’t do as she asked.

“Gabrielle I think you should know that my mother is from St. Sebastian.” He told her the minute she came out of the bathroom.

She was putting in her earrings and ran her brush through her hair quickly half listening to what he had said.

“Your mom is from… wow. Okay that’s not a bad thing. Do you think my parents know her?” Rielle asked curiously grabbing her black purse off the bed.

“She left the island a long time ago so I’m not sure.” He said frowning at that possibility.

As it was they arrived downstairs twenty minutes early and Gabrielle realized that she had forgotten the gift that she had bought for Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield.

K.C. had assured her that she would love the gold bracelet that closed with a dragonfly and his dad would love the blue rhodium plated silver cufflinks shaped like levels she had found.

They had just given their names to the maitre d and she insisted on going back up to the room to get the gifts.  

Gabrielle grabbed the bag off of the desk next to K.C. laptop shaking her head wryly before she left the room again. She held the small black bag with a gold anchor in the same hand as her black clutch and the logo of the jewelry store Gold Coast Jewelers seemed to have caught the eye of the beautiful tanned woman who was sharing the elevator with her.

“They make lovely jewelry. They are one of the premier jewelry makers on the island of St. Sebastian.” Rielle said trying to be a good ambassador as the woman continued to stare at her bag.

“I could give you the website if you’d like. They’ve been in business over fifty years and are very reputable. I understand they now do a lot of online business.” She offered helpfully and the other woman’s brown gaze rose to her smiling face.

Rielle wasn’t an expert but everything on this woman from the tasteful gold and diamond jewelry, elegant mauve and coral one shoulder silk dress, bronze sandals and matching bag she carried in the crook of her elbow  screamed class and money.

Rielle, in contrast was wearing a black off the shoulder dress that she had bought on sale last year along with her black pumps, her hair was side parted and small pearl earrings and a long costume chain  was her only jewelry.

The other woman didn’t respond and even though she was a stranger it was still a blow to Rielle's already shaky confidence. Her smile faded and she kept her eyes on the wall as more people came into the elevator and she was pressed back into the box.

 Rielle had to remember that she wasn’t on St. Sebastian and not everyone was so willing to offer information to complete strangers.

She came out of the elevator and made her way to the bathroom in the restaurant putting her bags on the counters before she washed her clammy hands and the woman came into the granite and glass bathroom.

Rielle dropped her eyes and turned to dry her hands under the air dryer when the woman spoke.

“I would really like that website if it’s not too much trouble.” She said softly with a smile.

Gabrielle met her friendly gaze and the smile that K.C. said could warm the hardest heart came back to her face.

“I’ll write it down for you. Do you have a piece of paper?” she asked politely.

The designer bag was opened and Gabrielle couldn’t help it.

“I love the leather they use, it is so supple. I bought two bags  for my mother about five years ago and she carries one of them almost every day.” Rielle said as she took the business card and wrote the address on the back in her fairly neat handwriting.

Another guest came in to use the facilities in a pretty pink suit and pearls and she barely looked at the two women who went out into the sitting area.

“Your mother is very lucky to have such a generous daughter.” The older woman said and Rielle shook her head.

“No, I’m the one who’s lucky. My mom is the strongest person I know and after almost losing her a few years ago I try not to take her for granted.” She answered tucking her hair behind her ear.

Seeing the solemn look on the lovely young woman’s face made her remember her own mother who had lived to a ripe old age, Miss Ramona as everyone in the senior center had called her had been a cantankerous woman who took no prisoners or nonsense.

“I think I called it right the first time. You seem like a nice young woman and your parents must be very proud of you. I wish my son could find someone like you instead he’s involved with someone his father and I think just won't be right for him.” She confessed conspiratorially.

The clear green eyes blinked and she realized she had said too much as she took the card back.

“Someone looks like they’re getting a nice gift.” She said quickly and Rielle sighed.

“I’m meeting my boyfriend’s parents for the first time. I actually have something for both of them and I just hope they like them.” Rielle confided worriedly looking down at the bag.

“Why wouldn’t they, I’m sure you have lovely taste.” The older woman said hoping to boost the girl’s confidence.

Her clothes weren’t designer but she was lovely and showed a sexy youthfulness without being too in your face sexy like some of the young women who left nothing to the imagination at all.

“It’s not just them liking the gift I’m worried about. I want them to like me too. I’m African American and Puerto Rican and he’s not and I'm afraid that my being in love with him won't be enough for them to get past my race. My boyfriend doesn’t have a problem but some people can’t seem to get passed the color issue.” Rielle said delicately and saw the other woman nod in understanding.

“I see your dilemma. Has your boyfriend said anything to indicate that his parents won’t like you?” she asked and Gabrielle shook her head as the same woman came out in her pink Chanel suit and staid heels.

She saw the two women sitting in the anteroom and her nose was so high in the air she nearly tripped much to the amusement of Rielle and her new friend.

They looked at each other and the merriment she saw in those warm brown eyes made her burst out in laughter but it was broken up when a cell phone began ringing.

“Oh shoot I’m being summoned by my husband. It was nice to meet you my dear and good luck with the future in-laws. You're a beautiful young lady and any mother would be happy to have her son love you, just be yourself.” She said wisely leaving Rielle to face her fears.

The other woman had given her some good advice. K.C. had fallen in love with her just as she was and she could only pray that his family would be able to accept her.

She took several deep breaths and said to herself, ‘They’re only people. You’ve talked to people before. Just pretend this is one of your students’ parents.’ Rielle walked up to the maitre d with a confident smile and gave her name and the name of her party.

“Right this way Ms. Hall. They are waiting for you.” He said with a polite smile.

Rielle didn’t see the admiring looks sent her way she kept her gaze on the back of the man’s head as she followed him in the well lit room. She finally caught a glimpse of K.C.’s tall figure and another blond head next to him which she assumed to be his father.

He must have sensed her approach because he turned his head and she responded to the smile on his face with one of her own and his father seeing that he had lost his attention followed his gaze.

Colton Whitfield was not surprised that the young lady was beautiful it was the least of what he expected but he also noted the look on her face. She was definitely in love with K.C. and he looked down at his wife, Frederika had been dreading this meeting but she needed to see this.

“Rika look at this.” He said in a low voice and she glanced up at her husband.

She didn’t like the way that sounded and peered around her husband from her seated position and she didn’t see anyone so she stood too. It was then that she saw the young lady that she’d been talking to in the ladies room and she smiled at her with encouragement not really registering that the maitre d had stopped at their table for a reason.

Rielle saw a handsome, slim blond man  and  the woman from the restroom who she took as a business associate. She smiled at the group trying not to look around for K.C.’s mother as he drew her to his side.

“I thought you just went to get the presents and was coming right back.” He whispered against her hair.

“I did but then I met this lovely lady after I went to the powder room.” She said smiling at the beautiful woman.

“So the two of you have met already?” he asked a little surprised.

“Yes K.C. we did. I was giving her some advice…” Frederika Leon-Whitfield replied and frowned at the confusion on her oldest son’s face.

“K.C. maybe you should just introduce us.” His father said quietly.

Dread was beginning to fill Frederika as she noted his arm about the young woman’s waist and it was confirmed with her son’s words.

“Mom, Dad I’d like you to meet Gabrielle Lopez-Hall. Gabrielle these are my parents, Frederika and Colton Whitfield.” He said looking first at his father  solemn look and then his mother’s pained expression before he glanced down at Gabrielle’s shocked face.

She looked at the handsome and obviously interracial older couple before dragging her confused gaze back to K.C.

“This is your mother?” she asked in a barely recognizable voice as her legs began to tremble.

Rielle felt a cold sweat break out all over her body as she remembered the things she had revealed to this woman in her vulnerability and the things Frederika had said about her son’s girlfriend.

K.C. saw the disbelief on Gabrielle’s face and realized that they were beginning to get curious stares from the other restaurant patrons.

“Yes, remember I was trying to tell you something about my Mom?” he asked gently with a small smile and she nodded absently.

“Son, maybe we should all sit down?” Colton suggested trying to steer Frederika into her seat.

She was realizing that she had been talking to her son’s girlfriend and badmouthing her to her face. Oh dear God this could not be any worse as the girl – Gabrielle began to look a little ill.

“I think it would be better if we went up to our suite and had something sent up.” Frederika finally said watching as the young woman actually looked like she was going to faint.

Colton looked down at his beautiful wife seeing the strain that was on her face and frowned wondering what was going on. She had been fine a few minutes ago and even whispered to him that she had met someone interesting who she wouldn't mind K.C. meeting and now she looked strange.

Her own legs were weak as she realized the huge faux paus she had committed speaking to the other woman so freely when she had been ignorant of her identity and felt ill herself. From the look on K.C.'s face when he had introduced Gabrielle to them it was obvious that he was very much in love with her.

She had never seen that look on his face before with any of the other women he had dated and certainly not with Tiffani Hudson who was a nasty piece of work.

Frederika sat back down in her seat heavily when she realized that she could lose her son if the other woman decided to tell K.C. what she had said.

Rielle did feel faint as it dawned on her that K.C. had put off telling her something that would have eased her mind.   

Chapter 41

She turned her head with difficulty to stare up at K.C., the betrayal she was experiencing beginning to overwhelm her.

“This is your biological mother?” she whispered brokenly and watched him nod his golden head.

It happened in slow motion for her as she pulled herself away from his arms and bumped into a passing waiter with a tray full of drinks.

She barely heard the glasses crash to the carpet as she spun around and stalked out of the restaurant and she literally saw red, her vision a scarlet mist as she ignored her name being called from behind. Her long legs quickly took her past people who stared after the young woman who had left a trail of chaos behind her.

“K.C., why wouldn’t you tell her that I was biracial?” Frederika asked as she hurried after her son who had gone after the young woman.

Colton had stayed behind to soothe ruffled feathers but would follow shortly.

“I don’t know Mom.” He ground out as he spotted his lover.

They got to the bank of elevators in time to see Gabrielle get in an elevator and the searing look she sent them before the door closed was enough to stop him in his tracks.

“Shit I can’t even understand how it got to this point myself.” K.C. seethed angry that he had done something so stupid.

He took heart from the fact that she had forgiven him for not telling her about the family money and Tiffani acting like a stalker but this was something a lot bigger.

He jabbed angrily at the button after checking to see that she was going up to their room not even aware of his mother’s worried gaze on his face.

“Kingston Crawford Whitfield this is not like you. Why wouldn’t you tell her?” Frederika persisted as she followed him into the elevator.

“I don’t know. Gabrielle was reluctant to go out with me in the first place and she wasn’t thrilled about finding out about the money. She's the most genuine woman I've ever met and I fell in love with her. I can’t lose her Mom.” He told Frederika tightly as the car quickly rose.

He waited impatiently for the doors to open and squeezed between them striding down the hall with his heart thudding in his chest. K.C. pulled out the hotel card and shoved it into the slot holding his breath when he turned the door handle and it opened.

The sight that greeted him made his heart sink to his toes as he saw Gabrielle with her makeup bag coming out of the bathroom as she shoved it into the zippered section of her suitcase.

“Gabrielle please talk to me.” He said quietly as he approached her slowly.

She didn’t even acknowledge him as she continued to pack in angry silence. It was when she saw his mother move from behind him that she halted, her breathing a harsh sound in the room as she turned to face him.

“Did you have a good laugh together?” Gabrielle scathingly asked as Frederika Whitfield eyed her angry face.

“What are you talking about?” K.C. asked only a little relieved that she was talking to him.

“Didn’t your mother tell you about our little talk in the bathroom? I practically spilled my guts about how worried I was meeting your parents because oh silly me I thought they were both white!” She hissed her eyes dark.

The fact that Frederika had said she would ruin K.C.’s life wasn’t something she could tell him and Gabrielle saw the relief on the other woman’s face when she didn’t say anything else about that chat.

There was a knock on the door and Gabrielle stalked over to open it expecting someone from the hotel, she threw the door open and found Colton Whitfield instead.

“Can I come in Ms. Hall?” he asked solemnly looking down at the young woman’s troubled face.

“Look the gang’s all here.” She said sarcastically turning around and going back to packing her clothes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t keep it from you deliberately. When I gave you the card and you checked the website I thought you had looked at all of the officers of the company. I didn’t think anything of it when you didn’t comment because I thought you knew.” K.C. said and wondered if that sounded as lame to her as it did to him.

From the look of disbelief on her face he knew it did and he didn't even care that his parents were witness to this, all he was concerned with was he was losing Gabrielle.

“I wasn’t looking to find out your life history when we first met. Chris was the one that looked you up online and once he confirmed you were who you said and not a crazed rapist we…” Gabrielle stopped her tirade when she saw their reactions.

All three Whitfield’s winced, Frederika actually shuddered as she turned her face into her husband’s grey suit and Gabrielle met Colton Whitfield’s furious look.

“K.C. I’m going to take your Mother up to our suite. She shouldn’t be here for this.” He bit out and Gabrielle knew he was angry at her for some reason.

“No, no. Colton I need to stay.” Frederika insisted her voice sounding weak.

Gabrielle frowned at the older couple seeing that Frederika actually looked ill and drawn so unlike the elegant, composed woman from the elevator. That didn’t stop her from refusing to leave as she tried to collect her emotions when her husband would have physically escorted her out of the room.

Rielle swung her confused gaze back to K.C, beginning to realize that this wasn’t just about them anymore.

“So it isn’t a secret that your Mom is black, what took you so long to tell me that she was from St. Sebastian? What was the big deal?” Gabrielle asked no closer to figuring this out.

“My Mom is actually like you Black/Puerto Rican and I didn’t tell you because my Mother has never spoken of her past to me. I couldn’t tell you what I didn’t know. I didn’t find out until I was nearly fifteen that she was from St. Sebastian and that was only because I overheard my parents talking.” K.C. explained trying to remain calm.

But he knew that this was one of the most important moments of his life and he had to get this right or Gabrielle would leave him.

“Remember that day just before Carnival when I found out something that upset me about my family?” he asked and waited for her to nod.

“I went to the library and Mrs. Wells the librarian helped me with the year books and archives.” He said to her gently and saw that she remembered how agitated he had been that day.

“I found out something happened to my mother when she was a teenager on St. Sebastian.” K.C. explained and heard Frederika moan.

He turned and saw that his father was sitting on the bed where he and Gabrielle had made love, his arms wrapped about his upset mother. That image juxtaposed against the tragedy that had befallen his Mother was striking.

“I’m sorry Mom this isn’t how I wanted to tell you that I knew.” He said wanting to comfort her but knowing he needed to deal with Gabrielle.

“I know that K.C. this isn’t your fault. It isn’t even your father’s fault for sending you down there. I should have told you before you left and maybe all of this could have been avoided.” She replied her voice a little stronger.

“What happened wasn’t your fault either. Patrick Roebuck had no right to...” K.C. was interrupted by a shocked gasp from Gabrielle.

It became clear to Gabrielle at the mention of that name why K.C.’s mother had never told him about her past. Rielle had heard the name Patrick Roebuck whispered in hushed tones over the years and had asked her mother who he was only to be told that he was a very bad man.

It was only when she was older that she had discovered that bad man translated to rapist. There were a few Roebucks left on the island but the Leons had left after the incident.

Crime on St. Sebastian was an issue but not as serious as on some of the other Caribbean islands. There was the occasion murder, and some drug related incidents mostly break-ins when no one was home but domestic violence and crimes against women were not very common.

What had happened to Frederika Leon had been a heinous offense and was a subject that was still talked about to this day on the island.

Rielle looked at the other woman with new eyes and understood why she would think nothing good could come from St. Sebastian.

“I’m very sorry if I caused you any pain with my thoughtless words Mrs. Whitfield. Please accept my apologies.” She finally said sincerely and saw the other woman nod.  

She turned to look up at K.C. who was frowning at her.

“Maybe you should go with your parents K.C.” she told him quietly.

He could feel the tension radiating from her and her normally open face was closed to him, she was pushing him away and he would be damned if he would let her go.

“Mom and Dad I’ll see you later.” He told his parents firmly not taking his gaze from her set face.

The older couple looked at each other and then back at their son and the beautiful young woman who obviously meant a great deal to him. They saw the determined look on his tanned face and both remembered their stubborn little boy, but Gabrielle's face told the story of equal fortitude.

“Gabrielle, please forgive K.C.’s lack of foresight. It wasn’t done to cause you harm but to protect me. ” Frederika said quietly before her husband took her from the room.

Gabrielle watched the devoted way Colton looked at his fragile wife before they left and knew the same look was on their son’s face when he looked at her. That did not mitigate the fact that once again he had omitted to tell her something that was important.

“Is there anything else I should know about you K.C.? Do you have a love child somewhere? Is your Dad an alien? My life is an open book but it seems like it’s just one thing after another with you and your family.” She said and felt tears prick her eyes as she looked up at him.

“I’m sorry Gabrielle but I’ve learned to be careful with the information I tell people and when you didn’t ask any questions I thought it didn’t matter. My family is worth a lot of money and we’ve had our share of unsavory people like Tiffani try to weasel their way into lives. I know you don’t have any ulterior motives but we’ve always been careful that way and knowing my mother’s history you should be able to understand that.” He said frustrated by this whole situation.

It didn’t help to know that he had created some of it by not sitting down and talking to Gabrielle about his mother’s murky past. He knew she had a right to be upset, after Tiffani’s betrayal he had been guarded but Gabrielle had not deserved to be treated like this and he was man enough to admit that.

“When have I ever given you the idea that I would judge you or your family? When did I ever give you the impression that I cared about anything but you! I was the stupid idiot that took you literally at face value and gave you everything while you kept the most important parts of yourself from me!” she cried angrily and felt the tears that she had been fighting since the scene in the restaurant overflow.  

“I’m not even sure who you are anymore.” Gabrielle sobbed and K.C.’s sinking heart rapidly dived to his feet.

Rielle took a deep breath totally confused now as she looked at his blurry figure and he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to her.

“I’m the man that loves you and never wanted to hurt you, but I’ve had some bad experiences telling people that I'm not white." he told her bitterly. 

Gabrielle looked up at his hard face and something occurred to her in that moment.

"Tiffani could have blown you out of the water when she was there couldn't she? When she called you a black hearted bastard she was referring to you being mixed race. She probably thought I already knew, but if the police hadn't come who knows what else she might have said." Gabrielle murmurred almost to herself.

"My father's family is very powerful but having money hasn’t insulated any of us from racism and Marcus and Danni as well as I have lost people we thought were friends over it. I just didn’t want to lose you.” He revealed solemnly as he looked down at her.

Gabrielle had experienced racial prejudice herself once on St. Sebastian from a store clerk who hadn’t wanted to serve her, the other time had been at college after she had won the medal and she had gone to buy a vehicle.

The salesman had been so sure that she couldn’t afford the brand new vehicle and he had said so in front of the sales manager, Rielle had been only too happy to present the certified check from her bank and had driven off with Martha that same day.

“I understand that you wanted to protect yourself. But did you really think I would hurt you like that K.C.?” Gabrielle asked him wiping fiercely at her face.

“You didn’t trust me enough and apparently I might have trusted you too much. I need to think about this and you need to leave.” she said her face resolute and K.C. knew he couldn’t push her on this.

“Are you planning on checking out?” he asked quietly not about to let her leave like this but not sure what he could really do to stop her.

Gabrielle looked at her suitcases and frowned for a moment before shaking her head, she needed to stay and settle this and leaving wouldn’t do that.

Her anger was still there but it was lessening because she could understood why this had happened but the pain was rising to the top.

"I'll stay but I want you to get another room." she finally said looking up into the bright blue eyes of the man she loved. K.C. had broken down barriers she hadn't even known she had and she had let him into places no one else had seen. 

He reached out to touch her his eyes warm, but she stepped back from him. Rielle needed time to wrap her mind around this new development and she was sure that he had used sex more than once to distract her from talking about this subject.

She was angry, confused and hurt by his lack of trust and she refused to just fall back and open her legs for him. She grabbed a shirt and pair of pants from her suitcase and quickly went into the bathroom out of his charismatic presence. 

He was packed by the time she'd gotten dressed and he went into the bathroom she had just vacated to get his toiletries.

Gabrielle grabbed her purse and almost ran from the room not daring to look at K.C. although she could feel his gaze on her. 

She went to the elevators and found her way to the dark bar of the casual dining restaurant in the hotel and ordered a virgin pina colada before finding a table in the corner where she could sit and sip her drink.

"There's something wrong when a beautiful lady drinks alone." said a deep voice and Gabrielle looked up to find a handsome black man in front of her. 

Chapter 42

Gabrielle stared at the tall, smiling man and wanted to use some choice words, but she couldn’t take out her bad mood on him.

“I’m sorry; I’m not interested in company.” She said solemnly looking back down at her frothy drink.

“But I’m not really company, Ms. Hall I’m sure K.C. wouldn’t want you sitting alone in here.” He said looking around at the dark bar.

“You never know who might walk up and start talking to you.” he told her with a wry smile and Gabrielle looked up at him sharply.

She had people that did recognize her from all of the publicity surrounding her winning the medal so this wasn’t unusual, but for some reason this stranger knew about her and K.C. She wasn’t anywhere near the limelight and she couldn’t imagine how he would know about the relationship.

“I’m sorry have we met before?” she asked trying to see if she could place his face.

“No we haven’t although I know of you. Do you mind if I sit down for a moment?” he asked indicating the empty chair and she nodded slowly.

There was something about him that seemed a little familiar but she couldn’t place him.

He was very good looking with a medium brown complexion and warm brown eyes and he wore the charcoal grey suit with a gray shirt unbuttoned at his throat well, he gave the appearance of a sophisticated, confident man.

“My name is Frank Leon and I’m K.C.’s uncle.” He told her and Gabrielle’s mouth nearly fell open.

This family really had the good looking genes because the man didn’t appear to be in his mid fifties but she knew from K.C. that he was.

“I decided to tag along when Freddy told me she and Colt were coming to meet you. I spoke to K.C. when he first went down to St. Sebastian and he sounded really happy. I wanted to meet the young woman who could do that for my nephew especially after Tiffanigate.” He said easily as she frowned.

“I’m sorry Mr. Leon I don’t mean to be rude but I don’t have anything to say to you.” She replied regretting that she had told him he could sit.

“That’s okay, I just need you to listen for a little bit and then I’ll get out of your hair. K.C. was really upset when I ran into him upstairs and you don’t look any better.” He said glancing at her sad face.  

“Your nephew keeps secrets better than the CIA. Is that some kind of family trait?”  She asked looking over at him and the serious expression on her face was telling.

Frank looked down at the drink he held in his hands for a moment and then met her turbulent green gaze.

“You have every right to be angry with K.C. Ms. Hall, but he comes from extraordinary circumstances and I’m not sure you appreciate that. The reason you don’t know that is because he doesn’t know himself. My sister is going to have to face the demons from her past before K.C. can ever tell you and it’s been so long that I don’t know if Fredrika can do it." Frank Leon said and for the first time Rielle saw the concern on his face. 

"She is a very strong woman but I thought the - incident would defeat her when she couldn’t talk about it. Somehow Colt got through to her but when they were first married their relationship wasn’t what it should be.” He told her calmly although Rielle could hear the emotion in Frank Leon’s voice.  

It was obvious that Frank loved his sister and she knew he didn’t have to tell her any of this and she listened intently.

“Having K.C. seemed to appease something in her and she stopped holding people at bay but she begged my mother and me not to ever tell Colt what had happened to her and we couldn’t break that vow. Fortunately Colt is a smart man and he realized that she had been traumatized somehow and he talked to different medical professionals about what could have happened to her and with a lot of care and patience she finally broke down and told him.” He related heavily. 

His hand went up to rub his broad forehead as he remembered those dark days when he had seriously thought the marriage would not last.

The children had all been young and there were long periods of time when he knew his sister hadn’t spoken to her husband in weeks.

She had finally been shocked out of her harmful behavior when Rae Whitfield had confronted her and told her she would lose her husband if she didn’t get her act together.

“I know that you care about K.C. Ms. Hall so I’m asking you to have a bit more patience with my nephew. It wasn’t his intention to hurt you.” He said as he gave her a hopeful smile.

~*~

Rielle wanted to continue to hold onto her anger but it was getting harder in the face of what he had revealed to her. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off when another voice piped up.

~*~

“I don’t think she cares as much she wants us to believe Uncle Frank don’t let her pretty face fool you.” The man said harshly.

Rielle turned, for a moment thinking K.C. was standing behind her. Instead of K.C. however she found herself caught in the intense blue green stare of a dark haired man.   

He stood with his hands shoved in his pockets and he looked angry with her and she knew this was Marcus Whitfield. He was leaner than K.C., with more of a swimmer’s build and his short black hair and light eyes made him look like some kind of moody poet. He was well dressed in a royal blue shirt and a navy jacket with dark washed jeans.

She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was so good looking or even that he wore his clothes with effortless style. It seemed to be a family trait for this good looking family as much as keeping secrets was.

~*~

“Ms. Hall as you can guess this is my nephew Marcus. Marcus you don’t know that. I have every faith that Graham’s daughter will reserve judgment until she has the facts.” Frank said with more confidence in his voice.

It took a minute but Rielle smiled back at the mention of her father.

“You know my Dad?” she asked looking away from Marcus Whitfield to fix her green gaze on Frank Leon.

“Yes, I do we actually went to junior high together before I left St. Sebastian. I was really proud when he got drafted into the NBA after college and I was equally proud when you and your teammates won the team volleyball silver medal.” He offered sitting back.

Marcus finally pulled up a chair as his uncle continued to ask Gabrielle about her experiences much to his annoyance.

The conversation flowed from there and Rielle found herself the focus of two very intelligent men. She knew how K.C. had felt when he had met her family and their questions were the typical ones. Marcus did manage to ask some pointed questions however and she knew he was looking for a reason not to like her.

~*~

Marcus was twenty-eight year old and worked for Aurora Enterprise as an Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions after having graduated from The Wharton School of Business with a Degree in Economics.

He had learned about the new woman in his brother’s life after K.C. had made that second trip back to Denver and he had cautioned him on making the same mistake he’d made with Tiffani.

Despite talking to Jarrod and Michael who he was on good terms with and hearing what they had to say on the subject of Gabrielle Hall, Marcus had believed she was too good to be true and still had some doubts about her.

She was beautiful and seemed like a nice person but he was going to reserve judgment a little longer. He had been fooled by Tiffani’s pretty face and refused to be taken in by appearance again.

Marcus had seen how angry K.C. had been after the relationship failed between him and Tiffani and had been happy to know that his brother’s heart had not been involved with that little redheaded witch.

Gabrielle was another story unfortunately. Marcus had heard his parents talking about K.C.’s new girlfriend a few weeks ago and his Mom had not been pleased that the girl was from St. Sebastian. In fact she had been acting strangely since his brother had gone down there.

He had seen the desolate look in his brother’s eyes when he came up to their parents’ suite to speak to both of them with his duffle bag and known that his girlfriend had kicked him out of the hotel room.

Frederika had taken one look at his miserable face and completely fallen apart and Marcus had left the room uncomfortable with the whole scene.

He had never seen his mother lose her composure like that and he wasn’t ready to face whatever had broken her spirit to this extent.

Instead he had chosen to find out as much as he could about Gabrielle Hall and when he had seen his Uncle Frank joining the woman in question at the bar he had joined their little party.

He could see that she wasn’t what his mother thought after spending an hour of talking with her and he could see that she was also hurting over this situation with his older brother.

Marcus knew that whatever had happened to his mother had affected K.C.’s relationship with Gabrielle but he wasn’t sure what the big deal was. 

~*~ 

The pina colada had been good but not very filling and now that it was lunchtime she was starving and it must have shown on her face.

It was so funny that nothing seemed to interrupt her appetite and that included being sick or heartbroken, it was one thing that her girls always teased her about.

“Gabrielle let me take you to lunch I’d like to hear how things are on St. Sebastian now.” Frank told her and she agreed.

“As long as we don’t go to the restaurant in the hotel I accept. I don’t think they’ll allow me back in there after the scene earlier.” She said unhappily.

"Don't worry about that Dad took care of everything and they'll welcome you like royalty if you go back." Marcus said trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

His uncle sent him a hard look and he shrugged carelessly, his hands shoved into his pocket as they walked to the underground parking lot.

~*~

Frank had rented an Acura MDX and they drove to a Thai place called Moon Orchid that he had heard about from one of his old Navy buddies he had looked up while in the city.

Frank was a construction project manager and he had done a stint in the Navy to help pay for his degree from University of Denver before he had begun working for Aurora Enterprises.

His mother had not had the funds to finance his education but she had done the best she could working as a seamstress, eventually making a good living creating one of a kind outfits for the women of Florida before she had moved with her daughter to Colorado.

Neither Frederika nor Frank had ever been ashamed of their humble beginnings and Ramona Leon had continued to make clothes for her that had attracted the eyes of the fashion mavens of Denver.

She had opened a small shop and had counted not only her daughter and Rae Whitfield as customers but also a lot of other movers and shakers in the city as well.

Rae and David Sr. along with Colt’s older brothers Austin, Boyd and David Jr. had rallied around the couple and not too many could stand up to the united front the Whitfields presented.

The support that the Whitfields had shown to his small family had made him feel better about leaving his mother and sister when he had been deployed to a post in Spain.

He had enjoyed his experience in the country so much because he had met a young woman whom he had fallen in love with and he had come back to the States afterwards with a Spanish wife.

He and his wife Melina an art restoration expert had now been married for twenty-five years and had four children ranging in age from twenty to fifteen.

~*~

Gabrielle enjoyed her vegetable spring rolls, Tom Yum which was a soup with lemon grass, straw mushrooms, green onions, coriander leaves, lime juice, chili paste and large shrimp. She couldn’t resist having the coconut ice cream to see how it compared to her family’s and found it  to be very good.

Frank had the Goy See Me which had steamed egg noodles topped with mushrooms, green onions, bamboo shoots, peapods and gravy with beef and Marcus had the Pad Thai sautéed rice noodles with eggs, bean sprouts and green onions, topped with crushed peanuts with beef.

He had been to Thailand and found the food to be very authentic. His parents had exposed them to different places and cultures as children and he could remember going to England or Egypt for vacation as well as driving Route 66 in a Winnebago.

He could also recall being a teenager and his mother’s reaction after Danni had innocently asked when they could go to where their mother had come from while they were planning their annual family vacation.

His mother had been withdrawn for days until finally she snapped out of it and none of them had mentioned the idea again.

His mother’s secret had affected all of them, was still doing so and he got that Gabrielle was upset but she had to understand that their family needed to resolve this first before someone who was still essentially an outsider could expect to see the dirty laundry.

“K.C. hasn’t made it a secret that he’s in love with you. Is what my brother did really so unforgiveable?” Marcus asked.

He refused to ignore the eight hundred pound gorilla any longer as they finished their meals and walked out of the restaurant to the Acura his uncle was driving.

“I don’t know enough about it to speak to the other situation. What this does have to do with is the fact that K.C. didn’t tell me that your mother is biracial. He had to realize when he first talked about meeting your parents that I didn’t know or we would have discussed it." she explained thinking back to what they had done instead of talking. 

"I knew something was troubling him and I asked more than once if he wanted to talk about it and he refused.” Rielle told them both holding their gazes.

“You didn’t answer  Marcus’s question though. Can you forgive K.C. for not telling you that we are a mixed race family?” Frank asked his handsome face serious.

“Call me naïve but when K.C. told me that he wanted me to meet his parents I expected them both to look like him and I was nervous. I’ve never dated a ‘white’ guy before and I wasn’t sure how either of them would react to me. Knowing that your sister was not white could have relieved a lot of anxiety for me and somehow we never had that conversation.” Rielle said clearly as they stood next to the car.

She looked away from the men for a minute thinking that she really needed to have this discussion with K.C. first.

“I owe K.C. the courtesy of speaking to him and that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t think either one of you can object to that.” She said reasonably and she saw both men exchange a look.

Frank agreed with her but Marcus’s look said differently.

His expression didn’t change on the ride back to the hotel and they were outside of Gabrielle’s suite when he finally broke his silence. His eyes were blazing as she turned to face them after opening her door.

“K.C. might have been a big idiot not to tell you the truth but the way you’re acting you’d think he’d committed some heinous crime. Your rich boyfriend who treats you like a queen didn’t tell you that our mother isn’t white. Big deal, grow up and get over it!” He said sarcastically before stalking off.

Rielle looked at Marcus’ retreating back with a stricken expression on her face. She had not expected him to attack her like that and she frowned wondering if he was right. Was she making too big of a deal about this whole thing?

~*~

“Gabrielle don’t let what Marcus said upset you. You are entitled to your feelings but don’t let that stand in the way if you really do love my nephew. Keep an open mind when you do speak with K.C. and remember that he was in the dark about what happened on St. Sebastian.” Frank told her wisely before leaving.

~*~

Rielle leaned against the door looking across the room at the bed she and K.C. had shared this morning. She had been so happy and oblivious she thought as the air conditioning cooled her skin.

Her emotions were all over the place and she didn’t know what to think as she walked over to the window to stare out at the Detroit Riverfront.

It wasn’t the same as being able to look out at the turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea instead this water reminded her of the blue of K.C.’s darkened eyes after they had made love and she felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Her heart was heavy as she wiped at her face. K.C. could have told her the truth about his mother right off the bat and there wouldn’t have been any of this drama. But if he had told her then what would her reaction have been?

Rielle knew she hadn’t been looking for a relationship and if K.C. had told her everything at that point she might have chosen not to even give him a chance. Their relationship hadn’t been all milk and honey but the major philosophies of their lives meshed and one of the things that she loved about him had been how close he was to his family.

She liked that they all called each other for not only work related issues but personal ones as well several times a week. Rielle had overheard him talking to both of his grandparents on a number of occasions as well as Marcus who was house-sitting for him.

She had even spoken to his sister briefly once when he had been in the shower and he had told her to answer his cell phone. The sound of a light feminine voice had been enough to cause a surge of jealousy to course through her until the caller had asked to speak to her brother.

She had spoken to the other woman about the island and the different culinary events that took place and Rielle had told her that she should really come down for a visit. There had been a slight pause before Danni had replied that maybe she would when she finished culinary school and K.C. had come out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his lean waist and that had been the end of their conversation.

In hindsight she might have pressed the issue more but she had let the opportunities slip through her fingers and now she didn’t know what to think. So Rielle did the only thing she could think of and walked back into the room grabbed her cell and called her mother.

~*~

It was a Saturday which was usually one of the busier days for the ice cream store and today was no exception but when Magdalena heard her daughter’s voice she left the front counter where she was and went out into the small courtyard area behind the store.

“Mi hija what’s wrong?” she asked and that was all Gabrielle needed to pour out the entire story.

~*~

When she revealed who K.C. mother was she heard her swift inhale but nothing else until she had finished and she was glad her mother was such a good listener. There was silence for a moment as her mother digested what Rielle had told her and then Magdalena finally spoke.

~*~

“Well this is something I never expected to hear. You say his mother is Frederika Leon, I would never have guessed that. So what are you going to do? You still haven’t spoken to K.C. and it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t give him a chance to explain.” Her mother said in a logical tone of voice which shocked her.

~*~

Rielle had thought for sure that her mother would take her side in this situation and she was even more confused now.

“Mama I thought you would be going crazy, cursing him out in English and Spanish. K.C. may self identify as white because of his appearance but he is just like me and he didn’t say anything about it." Rielle said angrily.

"I’ve said repeatedly since he suggested I meet his parents that I was nervous and he could have eased my mind considerably. That is lying by any definition right or did I miss something? Am I wrong to be angry?” she asked puzzled by this turnabout.

~*~

“On the matter of his mother and by extension K.C. being biracial I can understand why he might have hesitated to mention it when you were first dating. After seeing how we live though I’m not quite sure why he kept it to himself, St. Sebastian is a melting pot of races and most of our family and friends are mixed also." Magdalena told her daughter. 

"I’m not really sure what his thinking was on the issue but remember he’s lived in the States all his life where people hold a more ‘traditional’ view on race and I’m sure he’s seen for himself just how cruel people can be.” Magdalena said sympathetically.

She had a few experiences of her own as a Puerto Rican woman when she and Graham had lived in Savannah and even though he had been a big basketball star she had heard comments by even some of the staff about their marriage.

“What Frederika Leon suffered was heartbreaking and you tell me that K.C. didn’t know until around Carnival time that means he’s just barely had time to face the fact that his mother was raped as a young woman. I would imagine that he wanted to speak with her before he even broached the subject with you, so I can understand that point. For that reason alone I’d think you’d be willing to hear K.C. out.” Magdalena replied reasonably.

She was attempting to play Devil’s advocate and not be reactionary in the midst of a situation that did not need more fuel thrown on the fire.

~*~

Just then there was a knock on the door startling Rielle who had been totally absorbed in the conversation with her mother.

“Mama there’s someone at the door give me a minute.” She said and went to answer the door.

It was a shock to see K.C. standing there looking down at her his expression grim and his blue eyes looked not only stormy but suspiciously red while his hair looked like it had been run through by impatient hands a lot.

Rielle told her mother she would call her back absently closing the phone with a snap her hand holding onto the doorknob for dear life. She could see the pain in his eyes and her heart ached for him especially after the conversation with her mother.

She stepped back silently so that he could enter the room, but he shook his head and Rielle felt her heart drop unsure what his refusal meant.

~*~

“My mother would like you to have dinner with us tonight at seven if you don’t have any plans and afterwards she’d like to speak to you privately.” He told her and not only did he look rough but his voice did too.

~*~

Rielle couldn’t make her own voice work and she nodded her head jerkily before he turned to walk away.

“K.C. please wait, can we talk?” she forced out, her eyes pleading with him.

~*~

He swung back around to face her, saw the expression on her face and wanted to, but after talking with his Uncle Frank decided that the best time to talk would be after she’d heard all of the facts. 

K.C. shoved his hands into his jeans pockets fighting the urge to touch her which would just be a distraction from the issues they had and he didn’t want to do that anymore. He needed to man up and face the fact that he was responsible for possibly sabotaging the best relationship he’d ever had in his life.

“Let’s just wait until after you speak with my Mom or we’ll keep rehashing the same issues. We will be having drinks in the Presidential suite first and we can talk after dinner if you still want to.” He said quietly.

He tried to ignore the way hope dimmed in her eyes and he wanted to tell her that he loved her but didn’t think it would be a good idea and might actually just anger her.

K.C. had talked to his parents for hours after he went upstairs earlier and he had told them about meeting Gabrielle and except for the intimate details they knew everything about the relationship. They also now knew how serious their oldest son was about Gabrielle and were very interested in spending some time with the young woman.

He had hesitated to talk about how much he enjoyed life on the island but his mother didn’t seem to be surprised.

“I’ll call to make sure you’re ready before I come down to get you. I’ll see you later.” He said and this time she didn’t try to stop him from leaving.

~*~

Rielle closed the door when he rounded the corner out of sight his easy athletic gait making that quick and she exhaled wondering as she went to sit on the bed if they could get past this.

She didn’t want this awkwardness between them and she hated seeing the sadness in his eyes and not being able to comfort him.

She undressed and sat on the bed, going over what had happened today and fell into a restless sleep. She woke with the beginnings of a headache caused by the emotions that was still pent up inside and knew that if she wasn’t careful it might turn into on a blinding one.

 Rielle checked the time and saw that she’d slept for about two hours and it was now a little after five.

She went to her suitcase and pulled out the one outfit that she hadn’t worn which was a navy matte jersey one shoulder dress with shirring around the waist that she hadn’t gotten to wear.

She took a warm shower hoping that it would help to alleviate some of her stress and tried to do something to her hair before deciding to leave it long and loose. Rielle applied blush, lipstick along with eye shadow and a light coat of mascara before spraying on her favorite beachy fragrance. She put on her black peep toe pumps and slid gold hoops into her ears.

Rielle had just finished when she heard the ringtone for K.C. and she hurried to answer it taking a second to compose herself before she pressed the button.

“Hello?” she said softly and there was a pause for a moment before she heard K.C.’s voice.

~*~

“Are you ready Gabrielle?” K.C. asked and his voice sounded a little strained.

“Yes, you don’t have to come for me. I can make my way up.” She offered not wanting to take him from his family.

“I thought you would say that.” He replied and hung up the phone.

It shouldn’t have surprised her when there was a knock on the door; she grabbed her purse and shawl before opening the door to find K.C. standing there.

He wore a black long sleeved shirt and grey pants, his shoulders had never seemed so broad and his blonde hair still was tamed but his expression was resolute.

“Hi.” she said quietly as his eyes took in her appearance and she saw his mouth tighten as he took her in.

“Let’s go.” he finally replied his blue eyes unreadable.

She had thought of something while getting dressed and went to the small desk to pick up the bag with the presents for his parents.

“I’m ready now.” Rielle told him with a brave smile.

~*~

He was silent as they walked the long hallway to the elevator and K.C. kept his hands in his pockets until he needed to press a button on the elevator pad because she was too tempting by far.

The dress clung in all the right places and the color was incredible on her. He knew it hadn’t been her intention to remind him of what he could be losing but that was the effect all the same.

K.C. couldn’t even begin to think of what he would do if she left him.

~*~

Rielle had seen his eyes narrow when she opened the door and she had felt a tug in her heart but also a little lower seeing how handsome he looked, the attraction that had brought them together very much evident.

Her stomach was tied in knots by the time they arrived at the penthouse suite and her tentative smile faltered a little when Marcus was the one to open the door.

He looked at her with a serious expression and Rielle knew he had not changed his opinion; he was firmly on his brother’s side as he stepped back for her to enter.

~*~

“Hi Gabrielle.” He said in greeting.

He had finally been told by his father what had occurred to Frederika as a young woman and he was even angrier than before.

His mother would not be happy to know that he had acted like a jerk to his brother’s girlfriend however and he had to remedy that quickly. He did not want to be the cause of anymore pain for his mother.

~*~ 

“Hello Marcus.” She replied walking into the spacious suite.

He looked very handsome in a maroon shirt and grey pants and she saw two jackets tossed onto chairs in the living area.

The room took advantage of the beautiful city of Detroit below with large windows. There were several different styles of chairs in ecru and pale teal suede, a thick carpet that repeated those colors and low walnut tables with heavy looking crystal figures.

~*~

“My parents will be here in a moment but before they join us I wanted to apologize for going off on you earlier. I saw how happy K.C. was when he came back stateside in May and I just want my brother to be happy like he was then.” He concluded heavily indicating that she should sit.

~*~

Rielle nodded in understanding knowing that she would be the same if it was her brother. K.C. had gotten her a soda water and caught the tail end of what his brother was saying and frowned at Marcus, but didn’t make a comment.

~*~

“Uncle Frank will be here shortly.” He told her when he saw her eyes wander around.

She took the glass from him gingerly afraid to touch him and he frowned down at her for a moment.

They heard a door open and close and the trio turned to see Frederika and Colton come out of what she assumed was a bedroom and Rielle was once again in awe of the gorgeous older couple.

Frederika wore a beautiful high halter necked purple satin dress that showed off her still youthful figure with bronze high heeled sandals and her husband was handsome if a little worried looking in a charcoal suit with a grey linen shirt that made his eyes seem bluer.

Rielle was glad she had chosen to dress up; next to the effortlessly stylish Frederika she didn’t feel so plain.

"That purple is beautiful with your complexion Mrs. Whitfield." Rielle told the other woman appreciatively.

“Thank you, K.C. told me it was your favorite color and I can see why although that blue is beautiful on you Gabrielle, you look lovely.” Frederika replied with a genuinely pleasant smile.

Rielle thanked her for the sentiment and remembered that she had the gift bag sitting on the chair and quickly handed it to K.C.’s mother.

There was a knock on the door and Marcus went to let Frank in while K.C. who was acting as bartender got drinks for his uncle and parents.

They were very pleased with the gifts that she had picked, both expressing their thanks and Frederika slipped the gold bracelet on her wrist, showing it off to her husband, younger son and brother before they all sat down.

~*~

“So Gabrielle, Frank and K.C. have been telling me that life on St. Sebastian has changed but I see Gold Coast Jewelers standards have remained high. I remember wishing I could get just about anything in their beautiful window display. Do they still decorate the inkberry tree for Christmas and give out the hard candy?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes they do. Nowadays they also host an annual party the first Saturday in December and they have a raffle that everyone hopes to win. The parish decoration competition has gotten to the point that they have an outside judge come in. All of the vendors on the island do something special and we make a peppermint ice cream at my parent’s store that everyone loves.” Rielle told her proudly.

“I remember Tropical Delights having the best coconut ice cream and your Dad working there as a kid, so he took over from Mr. Godfrey after he retired from the NBA. How are your grandparents by the way?” She asked with a smile that reminded Rielle of her son.

She was relieved that Frederika had some good memories of her home and Colton finally said they needed to go.

~*~

The polite conversation continued over dinner and Rielle did not suffer any repercussions from the incident earlier. It was difficult to fully enjoy the delicious meal though considering the undercurrents in the air but she did her her part to keep the mood pleasant.

It was as they were going back up in the elevator the silence was broken by an unexpected person.

~*~

“I think I’d like to spend a Christmas on St. Sebastian again.” Frederika announced in a quiet voice.

The men were as surprised by her announcement as Rielle was and no one reacted at first.

“The hotel should be open for business by then maybe we can take a trip and make it a family Christmas vacation. Melina has been asking about going to the island for a while. And I know the kids would love it. But are you sure this is what you want?” Frank said recovering first.

He turned to look down at his sister with an encouraging smile on his  handsome brown face remembering how they had left everything they owned on St. Sebastian as well as distant relatives and friends.

He had wanted to take a trip back home for years but would never do so without telling Frederika and she had never seemed receptive to the idea.

~*~

“I think I’ve let my past dictate enough of my life. It’s time to really start moving forward and the only way to do that is to confront this issue." she said focusing on her brother.  

Frederika could see now that she had wronged all of them by not facing the rape sooner. She had inadvertantly robbed them all of the beauty that was St. Sebastian, from its people to the diverse and rich culture. 

It was something that they would all have to face however and there was no time like the present to start the journey.

"I need to speak to Gabrielle now.” Frederika replied bravely seeing the concern on the faces of the men around her.

~*~

The men went to the suite where Frank was staying while the two women took over the Presidential suite and Rielle followed Frederika to the teal sofa.

She tried to keep her face neutral as the older woman began to speak almost like someone reporting a story.

“Frank and I were raised by a single mother in Wickham Parish and I can still remember our little gold house on the corner. My mother, Miss Ramona was really strict and I guess she felt she had to be since my father had come to the States and never returned. We were never sure what happened to him and even after Colton and I were married and I was able to do so I couldn’t find him. I was kept close to home and only really allowed to go out to church and the occasional school program." K.C.'s mom began softly.

Rielle smiled knowing that was how some of her students were still being raised.

"It was my senior year and I pleaded for months before the graduation party to be able to go. I hadn’t been allowed to go to prom and I even got Frank and my favorite teacher in on the asking hoping it would make my mom let me go. Needless to say my grades were the best and I babysat for months just to be able to pay for a store bought dress, but my Mom had final approval. We finally settled on this green and blue plaid dress with puffy sleeves. ” Frederika related quietly smiling softly with memory.

“I was over the moon when she finally said yes and all of my friends knew. I wasn’t allowed to socialize a lot but Patrick Roebuck was my polar opposite. His family was well off, his father was actually a high government official with some serious ties in the community and he was white." her voice and expression was now neutral.

"There was never any doubt as to what happened although I have no memories past arriving at the school cafeteria; there were even witnesses that saw Patrick slipping something into my fruit punch at the graduation party. Apparently he had not been happy that we shared the top honors at school and he was determined to get back at me. He got me drunk and took me to his cousin’s house. He- he raped me.” She said haltingly her eyes a dark chocolate.

~*~ 

Rielle went to the bar on shaky legs, got a bottle of water and a glass and took it back to Frederika. She took a long drink and then stared down at the glass before she rested it on the table in front of her.

“All I could remember was waking up in the speeding police car on the way to the hospital wrapped in a blanket. I was so sore between my legs and I was still groggy but I remember the female police officer looking at me with pity. She knew that I would be blamed for this, even though he had boasted to some of his white football teammates that he would get me back. I was the nobody black girl who had edged him out of valedictorian.” She whispered shaking her head in disbelief.

“My mother went to the police station early the next morning when I missed curfew. The police got pointed towards Patrick after a few people remembered seeing us leaving together. They couldn’t find him at his parents’ home and they tracked us to his cousin’s house and broke into the bedroom he had me in." she stopped to take a sip of her water her throat dry like dust.

"Patrick was coming out of the bathroom and I was passed out on the bed and the police woman told my mother that he had a smirk still on his face while he was being handcuffed.” Frederika said and Rielle’s heart broke as two  tears trailed down her lovely brown face.

“That police officer was threatened and badgered until she left the island afraid for her life. We were all afraid to leave the house and I would go to the beach early in the morning with Frank as my protector. He’d grown up a lot that summer and was getting into a lot of fights because the other boys were calling me names. Even some adults did, and on island there's nowhere to go, everyone had heard what happened to me." Frederika said tightly and Rielle nodded knowing just what she meant.

"I almost walked into the water one morning just to make it all stop. I was so ashamed and then I got a letter from the school I wanted to go to saying that my scholarship had been revoked. I knew I couldn’t stay. Patrick was slowly taking everything from me and I couldn’t handle it any longer I ran away. After I talked to my mother, I went to my favorite teacher who helped us to get one way tickets to Florida to some people she knew. We left before the trial even started.” Frederika recounted and Rielle was crying when she finally looked up.

“I wanted to start over but I see now a part of me is still on St. Sebastian and always will be. I’m glad that K.C. found you Gabrielle. You are what he needs, I'm sorry I didn't see that before and I’m even more sorry I didn’t give you a chance.” She acknowledged softly.

~*~

Rielle felt the tears falling faster the more she tried to hold them back and she finally caved in allowing all of the bottled up emotion to escape.

Frederika opened her arms to embrace Gabrielle and both women cried, sharing what was a cathartic moment.

~*~

Rielle cried for Frederika who had been brutally violated just as she was going from girlhood to womanhood. She must have felt like all of her hopes and dreams had evaporated with that act.

The young woman who had left the only home she had known to go with her family to the States had valiantly tried to keep her past a secret from everyone. She had succeeded in making something of her life and found love and had a family but she had never come to terms with what had occurred.

Rielle's tears were for the people that loved Frederika and had watched her suffer and had endured with her even though they didn't know the nature of her pain.

Rielle cried for K.C. who had found out the secret his mother had kept for years and been put in an untenable position. And finally she cried for herself because she had made a hard decision and would have to tell K.C. in a little while.

~*~

The women were sitting composed, talking quietly Rielle’s red eyes and Frederika’s husky voice the sole indications that something momentous had occurred when the men finally ventured into the room. 

~*~

Frederika hugged the younger woman and whispered for her ears only.

“I don’t want to influence your decision, but remember take your time Rielle.”

~*~

K.C. saw that a bond had been forged between the two females and his hopes rose that he had not torpedoed his relationship with Gabrielle as he walked her back to the room.

He sat straddling the chair facing her while she perched on the bed with her hands knotted in her lap and he could see the exhaustion in her beautiful face.

K.C. stared at her pensively for a moment before he started speaking.

“I was afraid that if I told you the truth you would reject me. I’d had it happen before. People that I thought I could trust would disappear when they found out. It was wrong - I knew that it was as I got to know you better but despite all that I learned about you and your family I couldn’t shake the fear that I would lose you if you knew.” He finally said reaching out to touch her.

Having Gabrielle pull away from him made his heart sink to the pit of his stomach and he watched her get up jerkily from the corner of the bed.

~*~

She stood watching his distraught face and could read his mind and a small part of her wanted him to suffer for a second but he was doing that already without her adding to it.

“I understand now K.C., better than you think. I don’t blame you for not telling me what was going on because your hands were tied with the delicate nature of the situation.” She began reasonably holding his troubled gaze with hers.

~*~

“You can forgive me that easily?” K.C. asked with a frown.

He saw her shake her head, her long dark hair sliding like black silk over her slim tanned shoulders.

~*~

“I can’t say yes to that as much as I want to. I like to think I would have been able to give you some information you might not have been able to get being that you aren’t from the island. Patrick Roebuck became an alcoholic and he slowly spiraled out of control before he eventually hanged himself about seven years ago and I don’t think anyone showed up to his funeral but his family.” Rielle informed him and watched the shock on his face.

~*~

“Does my mother know that?” he asked his mind racing with the implications.

“No, I didn’t think it was my place to tell her that the man who took away something very precious from her was so destroyed by his guilt that he took his own life. I thought it would be too much to burden her with that information.” Rielle said showing her sensitivity.

K.C. looked at her with appreciation, once again thankful that she was a part of his life. He could talk to his father and Uncle Frank about when his mother could be told her nemesis was no longer alive.

~*~

“K.C., I think you need to spend some time with your mother – your family period. Your Mom is really going to need your support and I think we need some time apart so that we can decide where we go from here.” Rielle told him breaking into his musings and all K.C. heard was time apart.

“I thought you said you could forgive me?” he said confused by her words.

“I can forgive you but it will be hard to forget that you didn’t trust me with who you really are. I’m sorry K.C. but we need this time apart to – to decide what we really want out of this relationship.” She replied firmly.

~*~

"Hell no! I don't need any fucking time to know what I want! I love you!" he protested angrily.

K.C. got up and flung the chair out of his way, his eyes blazing as he advanced on her. His large hands had closed into big fists and he looked like ready to spit nails.

Gabrielle backed away from him warily having never seen this kind of behavior from him. She had seen him angry of course but it had never been directed at her.

K.C. saw her back up every time he moved closer and her green eyes were huge in a face that looked a little pale. He could also see the pulse beating wildly in her slim throat as she actually looked at the room door quickly before she refocused on his face.

~*~

Rielle had never been subjected to confrontational behavior like this before and even in school when she had broken up fights at school another teacher or a school monitor had helped her break them up.

She was now very afraid that she had made a mistake by agreeing to meet him in her room without witnesses around. Especially since she was telling him something she had been fairly sure he would not want to hear.

~*~

K.C. realized that he was really frightening her and stopped moving taking a deep breath to calm himself before he destroyed what little faith Gabrielle had left in him.

"Gabrielle, I'm not going to hurt you. Look I'll stay right here." he said, his voice rough with emotion.

He had only wanted to touch her but he could see that was not what she thought as she continued to watch him warily. That knowledge caused any remaining anger to drain out of him just as quickly to be replaced by hurt.

"I would never hurt you Gabrielle. That would make me no better than the animal that forced himself on my mother. How could you think that of me?" he asked totally deflated that they had reached such a point.

K.C. held up his hands, just now realizing when he relaxed them that he'd formed fists. He could only imagine that he must look like a wild man, capable of anything if she was so afraid of him.

~*~

Her fear dissolved as she recognized that he was really hurt by this, but she was going to have to remain firm on this issue.

"K.C. I'm sorry but you were very angry with me and I had a right to be afraid. I think you should leave now." Rielle finally got out passed the lump in her throat.

~*~

Looking into his darkened eyes she knew he wanted to say something more, but seeing her face made him hold it in. He walked towards the door picking up the chair and righting it as he went.

He opened the door and turned to look at Gabrielle who hadn't moved from where she was with her back literally against the wall and she saw him blink as if he was seeing her for the first time. 

"I'm sorry too Gabrielle. I - I'm just so damned sorry." K.C. finally got out.

His blue eyes seemed to devour her as she stood there before he turned and left quietly closing the door behind him.

~*~

Rielle had thought she had no tears left but found that was not true as her vision became blurry. She cried because she was unsure where her relationship with K.C. would go now.

He was not the only one who had some things to work out. She did too.

There was one thing she knew and that was she wanted to go home and she wanted her family and friends. 

*Rielle looked at the letter in her hand addressed to her from K.C. and then up at Jarrod’s solemn face, her heart in her eyes and her heart beat wildly in her chest.

“I was under strict orders from K.C. to hand deliver this to you today.” Jarrod said quietly his crisp British accent making that statement sound so much more ominous.

He had called her up to find out when she would be heading home and she really shouldn’t have been surprised to see him here now. They stood outside of her fence, the skies beginning to darken with the approaching storm.

Rielle was just getting ready to open her gate, when Jarrod’s gold Explorer drove up. The wind was slowly picking up and she had spent the day at school securing classrooms before going to the store to help her parents with the hurricane shutters there.

They would secure the accordion shutters on their houses tonight. Rielle glanced up the hill hoping that someone had seen to the house that K.C. was leasing and a frown slowly came over her face.

He had protested vehemently when Rielle insisted that they take a break from each other but when he had seen how resolute she was he had reluctantly agreed. In the month and a half she had spent back home since her trip to Detroit she had learned that K.C. was firmly entwined in her heart.

Rielle had flown home alone, while K.C. and his family had gone back to Denver and Frank had called her to let her know that Frederika was going to therapy. Danni had been told about the secret her mother had been keeping and the entire family was going to counseling in support of her.

“Wow, I’m not sure how the post office will feel about you cutting in on their business.” She quipped now, a sparkle returning briefly to her eyes.

Camille, Georgie and Andie had been told the reason that she and K.C. had taken a break and they had all commiserated at Rielle’s house the weekend she had returned.

Camille and Andie had felt guilty about their relationships going so well when their friends were suffering, but Rielle and Georgie agreed with sad smiles that life was like that sometimes. Camille and Jarrod had taken the next step in their relationship and become intimate and he had limited his trips off island.

Rielle had mediated when Camille who had been indignant on her friends’ behalf had wanted to call it quits with Jarrod. Rielle had asked her if she was crazy because a good man was hard to find and despite his behavior K.C. and Jarrod were two of that breed.

“Don’t tell Cam or I’ll be in the doghouse for sure. Just because Cam's Mom recently retired from post office won't make it right in her eyes.” He said teasingly and the sparkle lasted a little longer.

Andie and Bryan were still hot and heavy and Rielle felt like it was only a matter of time before she had a wedding to attend judging from the looks that the couple shared.

Georgie and Michael were managing the long distance romance thing with the help of technology and Georgie was scheduled to go up to Miami for a game the Admirals were having in a few weeks. The Admirals were doing very well and were 4-0 and they were not only leading their division but the defense and offense were slowly settling down now that the preseason was over or at least that’s what Graham was telling her.

Rielle’s mother had chosen to let her tell her father when she returned and he had been very surprised when she had revealed K.C.’s island connection and curious as to how Frederika and Frank Leon, his childhood acquaintance had been after all these years. The two men had even spoken several times on the phone.

Chris had been angry, calling K.C. all kinds of names and Rielle and Magdalena had done their best to try to diffuse his anger with the situation but weren’t sure they had succeeded. He, like Rielle had focused on K.C. not his family and after verifying that he was who he said he had been more concerned with how the other man treated his sister than delving further into his family history.

Magdalena knew some of his anger stemmed from guilt that he had not protected his sister well enough and he was being very solicitous of his sister. Magdalena was happy that her children had developed such a close relationship but sorry that Rielle had to suffer for that to happen. 

“How is K.C. doing?”Rielle asked seeing the sympathy in Jarrod’s blue eyes.

Gabrielle had been kept busy with the opening of school which happened on the island in the final week of August and served to distract her from her personal life. It was when she was alone at night and on the weekends that her mind wandered to happier times with her lover.

She had reunited with her returning students, met the new ones and she could see that this would be an interesting year.

Her fellow teachers had looked at her with speculation when they found out K.C. had remained in the states to take care of some business and she had held her head high but it had been difficult.  She knew that some of them had thought she was headed for a fall with K.C.

“He sounds like he’s in a good place but I know that he’s missing you like crazy.” Jarrod answered with a quick grin and saw her flinch.

“So this isn’t a dear Jane letter?” Rielle asked her heart pounding in her chest.

She was afraid she had pushed K.C. away by demanding the time apart, and that this was how he would reject her.

Jarrod stared down at the young woman who had saved his relationship with Camille and saw that the situation with K.C. had taken its toll on her. She had lost a few pounds and while she was still lovely, the vitality in her eyes was missing.

He knew that her weight loss could be due to the stress of starting a new school year or even from the storm that was bearing down on them and the precautions that they were all taking to secure their properties but he doubted it.

Jarrod had seen her many times since she had come back home and he had spoken to K.C. about how Rielle was holding up during their forced separation. He had advised his friend to do as she suggested and focus on Frederika which he had been doing anyway but also recommended that K.C. probably did need to work on a few issues of his own.

This would be the best time to do that and when he and Gabrielle got back together K.C. would be better for it and by extension his relationship with his lover would benefit as well.

Jarrod hoped the letter could help to restore her missing joy but K.C. returning to St. Sebastian would be the best thing for the troubled couple.

“Of course not, breaking up with you is the very last thing K.C. wants to do Rielle and you can take that to the bank.” Jarrod assured her a frown on his handsome face.

Rielle’s full mouth tightened and she felt a strong breeze blow her hair about, the smell of rain in the air.

People didn’t take time to write letters anymore and she looked down at K.C.’s handwriting wondering at this gesture. With technology so pervasive letters were rarely written and the fact that he had taken the time to do this touched and frightened her.

What if despite what Jarrod said he was angry with her for standing her ground and decided to end their relationship?

“K.C. was worried about you, especially with the storm coming but I told him your house was like Noah’s Ark and could survive anything. I just hope we don’t have to put that to the test.” He told her easily bringing Rielle’s gaze back to his.

“Thank you for bringing me the letter I appreciate it Jarrod.”  She replied.

The smile she offered him was tentative however and she looked up the hill for a moment wondering if K.C. would ever come back.

“Rielle you know K.C. and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone; don’t give up on him because the guy really loves you.” Jarrod insisted seeing her sad face.

He watched until she was safely in her house before he left and was on his phone almost as soon as he pulled away from her gate, impatiently waiting while it rang.

“K.C., what the hell are you doing man? The letter had better be good because that is one unhappy little lady I just left. She asked me if it was a dear Jane letter and the way Rielle’s face looked when she said it… she was really hurting.” Jarrod revealed.

There was silence for a moment before his friend responded.

“Did she say anything else?” he asked quietly.

His Uncle Frank spoke to Gabrielle for a few minutes at least once a week so she was aware of how his mother was progressing and he and Graham Hall had also reconnected.

“She asked how you were. K.C. you need to come home this has lasted long enough.” Jarrod declared.

“I agree, this has gone on longer than I wanted it to but if Gabrielle isn’t ready to see me I don’t want to make things any worse between us.” K.C. replied with a heavy sigh.

Jarrod heard the pain in his friend’s voice and shook his head, knowing if he was frustrated by the situation that this had to be a thousand times more so for K.C.

~*~

Gabrielle took a shower and changed into a black graphic t-shirt and yoga pants before she poured herself a glass of wine and sat on her sofa with the letter. She turned it over in her hands several times before she ripped open the envelope and looked at the two handwritten pages with her heart thumping loudly.

Rielle took a deep breath glancing at the orchids that were still flowering before focusing on the papers in her trembling hands. She read slowly and tears began to well up in her eyes before she had finished the first page.

K.C. wrote about their initial meeting and how he had felt, when he had known that he was in love with her and how special she made him feel.  He told her how once he had fallen in love with her he had feared losing her because of the truth he had at first neglected to mention and then deliberately withheld from her.

He explained how trapped he had felt when he had discovered his mother’s past and been unable to share it with her and he had wanted to do that so badly. It was hard for her to continue to read as her vision was getting blurry with each word and she pulled up the hem of her shirt and hastily wiped at her eyes.

He apologized for not telling Rielle that his mother was biracial and from St. Sebastian. K.C. asked that she forgive him for not telling her even though he did not deserve it. He thanked her for accepting the parts of him he had shown her and apologized for not trusting her to accept the rest of who he was.

He told her that he should have been strong enough and because he couldn’t was his fault not hers. K.C. poured out his soul to her on those two pages as he told her that she was the kindest, smartest, bravest and most beautiful woman inside and out and having her in his life made him want to be a better person.

He finished by telling her that he loved her and would wait for her forever if he had to and he would never be more than a phone call away. The letter was signed 'Love K.C.' and seeing that brought home to her what she had always known in her heart but also now knew in her head.

K.C. was only human and like everyone else including her, he made mistakes and that was part of life. She could continue to punish them both for it or she could accept his apology and show him that love did not only forgive but forget.

Rielle bawled her eyes out, the tears coming fast and furious as the pain and loneliness all poured out onto a pillow she hugged to her aching breasts. It was nearly an hour later before she could rouse herself after her crying jag was over to go to the bathroom and washed her face before she sat on her bed.

She got her cell phone and called K.C., her hands shaking so much she could barely punch in the number on her speed dial. She nervously waited for him to answer and held her breath until he did.

“Gabrielle?” she heard him say in surprise.

“K.C., I – I read the letter and I had to talk to you. Are you still at work? I can call you back later if I’m disturbing you? I’m sorry I didn’t think; call me back when you can if it’s not too much trouble. Bye.” She said softly her voice still husky from the crying.

Rielle ran on without giving him a chance to respond and then she hung up the phone, flopped in the middle of the bed face down angrily. With the impending storm projected to hit the island tomorrow she had left it too late and if the storm was bad she might not be able to speak to K.C. for several weeks if the phone towers went down with the high winds predicted.

Ten minutes later she heard a vehicle outside her gate, raised her head a little to glance at her watch and saw that Chris was on time to check up on her like he had been doing since she came back.

She heard him at the gate and his key in the front door before his heavy footsteps made their way to her doorway and she turned her face tiredly to the other side of the bed where K.C. would have been laying if she had acted sooner.

“I love K.C. and I miss him. If he calls back I’m going to ask him to forgive me for prolonging this Chris. I should never have sent him away like I did, because I hurt myself as much as I did K.C.” She told her brother from beneath her hair.

~*~

Light colored eyes took in the picture of the young woman who lay on the eggplant colored sheets and heard the emotion in her voice.

~*~

She heard the footsteps approach and felt the bed depress beneath the weight of her brother. Rielle froze when a big hand rested on her bottom but was galvanized into action when a stinging slap was applied to one quavering cheek and she screeched like a banshee rolling onto her side with hands curled into small fists to sock Chris one.

“You didn’t even look up when I came in! What the hell Gabrielle, I could have been a criminal or something and you would have been easy prey for some man to accost you!”said the owner of piercing blue eyes that stared at her angrily.

Rielle couldn’t believe her eyes and she threw herself into his arms forcing him back on the bed as she nearly strangled him in her joy. That happiness was cut short when another stinging slap was applied to her other cheek and she pushed herself off of him angrily rubbing her bottom with both hands displeasure clearly written on her face.

“Ouch damn it! Are you trying to piss me off?  Because it’s starting to work, the only man accosting me is you!” She gritted out her initial pleasure now tempered.

K.C. looked up at her indignant expression and slowly smiled, his eyes warming.

“Come here and I’ll kiss it better.” He promised with a wicked leer.

After six weeks without anything but a dull ache in her nether regions Rielle found herself immediately set upon by a core that had a mind of its own, a clit that was throbbing in Morse code and nipples that came to attention beneath her shirt.

K.C.’s reaction was a bit more obvious and she saw the pulsing that was going on in his charcoal cargo shorts. Rielle was so very tempted to jump on his sprawled form and rip off the black t-shirt he was wearing but managed to ignore that very physical response at least for the moment.

Rielle stared at him, taking in the shorter blond hair, scruffy look and the new lines that had not been on his handsome face the last time she had seen him. He looked like a man who had been doing some soul searching and come to some decisions.

After careful scrutiny she turned away and walked with heavy feet to sit on the papasan chair in a corner of her room. K.C. raised his head to watch her go, enjoying the swinging of her sexy butt and then sat up with a sigh that turned into a grimace as he adjusted himself discreetly.

He was not sure whether he was happy Gabrielle had ignored his suggestion, even though he knew that they really should clear the air between them before they did anything else. It had been tough having those taut cheeks in his hands as well as the rest of her plastered all up on him after being without her for so long only to have her go.

It had been even tougher going home and having to tell his grandparents that he had done something so stupid and caused Gabrielle to put their relationship on hold.

“I got in on the final flight last night and nobody knows except Lewis and he picked me up from the airport in the Rover. Jarrod doesn’t even know I’m here.” He said, answering the question he knew she wanted to ask.

He had been  lucky to get on the flight with all of the weather channel personnel who had come down to report on the Category 2 Hurricane that was on its way to St. Sebastian.

“How is your family? I’m sure your Mom couldn’t have been happy with you for coming down here right now?” she asked softly fixing him with a steady green gaze.

“Mom is doing well, we’ve had a few days where she was really angry or depressed but she’s making steady progress. We’re all really proud of the way she reacted when Dad told her Roebuck was dead. She’s hoping that the island doesn’t suffer too much damage in the storm because she’s even more determined to come down for Christmas and my grandparents and uncles along with their families are coming too so this is going to be a very special holiday. ” He replied a happy look on his face.

Rielle was pleased that Frederika was still moving forward on her journey of coming to terms with the past and glad that she had such a great support system.

“So you came down to check on the hotel?” she asked an eyebrow arching.

She uncurled her legs, looking down at the hands she had clasped on her thighs as she waited for K.C. to answer.

“No, I actually stopped by briefly but Lewis has taken care of securing the buildings and the house on the hill was safe too because he wasn’t sure if I’d make it. I came down to be near you Gabrielle." K.C. revealed his blue eyes intent on her face.

"I sent the letter to Jarrod last week not knowing a storm would be coming this way and told him to give it to you today so that you would get it after work. I hoped you would call after you read the letter but I didn’t expect you to hang up on me before I could get a word in.” He said softly.

Her head came up sharply halfway through his speech, she saw the shadows in his blue eyes and Rielle looked away first. The pain she saw there was so raw and she wanted to comfort him.

“My parents always told me that how a person looked on the outside didn’t matter; it was what was in their heart that counted. I found out that some people don’t think that way went I got to high school though. My appearance is only a small part of who I am but it seems to be the thing most people pay attention to." K.C. revealed.

"When I gave you my business card and Chris checked the website I made the assumption that you had seen my mother’s name and picture as well and had no problem with me being multi racial.” He told her with a solemn expression on his tired face.

Rielle nodded remembering her relief that K.C. was who he said he was and not some jerk looking to score with an island girl. She’d been pursued by that type before and Gabrielle had no interest in falling victim to one of those men.

“When I offered to introduce you to my parents and you talked about being nervous and why I realized that you didn’t know. I couldn’t see how I would be able to tell you after so much time had passed. I made a weak attempt to tell you before we went to meet them but the truth is I didn’t get any further because I was afraid.” K.C. admitted freely his expression one of self disgust.

Rielle couldn’t hold herself back from going to him, she finally got up and went to kneel on the cream carpet in front of him her hands resting on his thighs.

“K.C., I forgive you. I know what happened wasn’t done maliciously and I’m guilty of jumping to conclusions which didn’t help the situation any. I should not have done that. Will you accept my apology?” she replied, her eyes anxious.  

K.C. looked down into her nervous expression and felt his heart thudding wildly as he slid to his knees to face her and he took her cold hands in his.

“I am in deeper with you than I’ve ever been with any other woman in my life and I let everything I had learned about you go out the window. Apologizing in the letter wasn’t enough. I’m sorry that I let my past experience affect us that way. Can you forgive me for not having faith in you like I should have? Can you trust me again Gabrielle?” he questioned looking intently into her eyes.

There was something elemental in the air as the impending storm gathered energy before it prepared to wreaked havoc and affected everyone.

K.C. watched her dark head nod, her green eyes sparkle with tears and he dragged her into his arms, relief coming in waves as he heard her whisper yes over and over again.

Her breath was warm against his chest, her grip no less fierce than his and they remained that way for a few minutes. K.C. finally pulled back to look down at Gabrielle, his big hands framing her face as she smiled up at him tremulously and he swooped down to kiss her.

He had thought he would never taste her passion again and when Gabrielle responded to him as she had always done K.C. rejoiced. His cock was thumping wildly against her weeping core, his hot hands found their way into her stretchy pants to cup her panty covered skin and his fingers clutched at her bottom convulsively.

Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and her legs slowly found their way about his trim waist as he took her weight easily on his spread thighs. He didn’t know who was shaking more, the pent up relief and passion combining to make them both anxious. 

Rielle was moaning into his mouth as she began to rub herself against him frantically, her pace picking up speed as the urgency took over. The heat threatened to burn away all common sense while their tongues dueled in her mouth but the sound of loud knocking on her front door penetrated K.C.’s brain first.

He pulled away with an agonized groan, his eyes now the dark blue that Rielle had feared she might not ever see again as she stared up at her lover.

"You know I'm going to hold you to kissing it better later?" she told him with a sultry look.

K.C. groaned as she slithered off of his lap, manhandling him in the most delicious way before she walked to her doorway and looked back in expectation, a little something extra in her step.

What could he do but get up and follow? But first he had to make sure his black t-shirt covered him in some sort of decent fashion because he was in a very indecent state and he didn't want to frighten anyone.

Chapter 45

*They both knew it was probably Chris and K.C. caught up with Gabrielle grabbing her hips playfully as they went to answer the door together.

“Is there anything else that you have to do here before the storm comes?” he asking looking down at her as she straightened her clothes and hair.

“I need to close the accordion shutters but that won’t take long , the most important thing is to take down the satellite dish.” She told him breathlessly.

Rielle wrenched open the door to find her brother framed by a sky that was beginning to get dark and gusting wind and she saw his green eyes go over her head to stare at K.C. for a moment.

“I came over to see if you needed some help taking down the satellite dish. K.C. if we didn’t have a storm coming I would kick your fucking ass all over this yard.” Chris growled at the other man.

K.C. looked back at Rielle’s brother and acknowledged that he might give him a run for his money but this was no time for such a confrontation.

He felt Gabrielle’s hand on his arm and looked down at her worried face and he swallowed anything else he might have told the other man as he watched her slip on her sneakers.

“If the storm wasn’t coming I might let you try, right now though I think we have more pressing issues.” He replied and Chris had to table the subject for the moment.

The two men made short work of taking down the dish even though Chris kept throwing antagonistic glances at K.C. who looked amused.

"You know I want to be around if you get blessed to have a good woman love you. I wonder what you'll do then Chris." K.C. told him softly.

Rielle began closing the shutters and Chris joined her while K.C. drove his vehicle into the yard.

Chris had worked on his house the day before so all he had to do was hunker down and wait for the storm to do its worst. He had spent the morning helping to secure the bank, his parents store and anyone else that he could help in the community.

Chris had been pissed to see the grey Range Rover in front of his sister’s house when he came home and the reappearance of K.C. in Rielle’s life was not exactly welcome news in his mind.

He still hung out with Jarrod and the other man had talked to him about the situation a little. They had not reached any common ground on the subject and now he had to face the fact that Rielle had probably taken him back.

He considered his sister to be a smart young woman and knowing that K.C. would undoubtedly be riding out the storm with her prompted him to say something in the few minutes before he left.

“Rielle you have to think about what you are doing. You know I’ve been concerned about you and having K.C. back may not be what’s best for you.” Chris said looking down at her.

He could feel the electricity in the air and it wasn’t just from the coming storm. He knew that his sister was no longer a little girl who would obey him just because he told her something. 

Chris didn’t even want to consider what the two of them would be doing after he left if the looks K.C. kept giving his sister and she was returning were any indication. He was afraid it wouldn’t be checkers or Trivial Pursuit like they used to play during the other storms but games of a more adult nature.

Rielle stared at her brother; saw the unease in the green eyes that she had always looked up to and knew she couldn’t tell him what he wanted to hear this time.

The wind was really picking up, the rain falling harder and the leaves were beginning to swirl around as they stood on her emptied porch and Chris needed to get to his house before it got too late.

“I could not have asked for a better big brother and I know that you have only ever had my best interest at heart and I love you for that." she began with a small smile looking up at her handsome sibling. 

"K.C. isn’t perfect but neither am I as much as I’d like to this so, no one is. I wish I could say that he won’t hurt me again or even that I won’t hurt him but I can’t predict the future Chris nobody can. I can only love him and know that he loves me too. You’d better go over before the rain really starts to come down.” Rielle said quietly as a particularly strong gust nearly pushed her into Chris.

K.C. came to the door and said to the siblings, “The local radio stations are all predicting that the storm will pass quickly between us and the Virgin Islands as a Category 2 storm.”

They were both veterans of hurricanes but knew even a Cat 2 could be devastating depending on how it came over the island so Rielle and Chris while minimally relieved knew they still had to be alert.

“You better keep my sister safe K.C. or I will kick your ass.” Chris promised.

He pulled Rielle into a bear hug, fixing K.C. with a fierce look over her head and saw the understanding in the other man’s eyes before he turned and ran for his house. They waited until he got to his house safely and waved before they went in.

“Gabrielle I swear you know all of my secrets. There is nothing else that you need to be worried about on that score we can face anything together.” K.C. assured her as she locked the door behind them.

“You don’t have to say that K.C. there’s no way I can know every little thing about you or vice versa for that matter even if we are together for fifty years. As long as you don’t keep the important things from me we’ll be fine, because I really wanted to help you. That’s all I want to do.” she told him with an earnest look on her face.

The idea of having fifty or more years with Gabrielle sounded good to K.C. and he loved that she was thinking long term because he was too as he pulled her in for a hug of his own.

She made a quick call to her parents and then grandparents while K.C. talked to his folks from the living room. He didn’t ask if she had told them he was back and she didn’t say. His parents were happy to hear that he and Gabrielle were reconciled however.

"That's great K.C. Gabrielle is a lovely young woman and your mother and I look forward to meeting her again. Stay safe and call us as soon as you can. We love you son." Colton said happy with the news.

"Love you too Dad and tell Mom I'll need some help with a little project." K.C. replied his eyes twinkling as Rielle appeared in the doorway.

He and Gabrielle made a couple of sandwiches with ham, cheese, lettuce and tomato using up some of the perishable things along with the last of the coconut ice cream. They sat on the rug near her bed with a tray in between them as they talked and when the power finally went off Rielle was prepared with a flashlight.

She turned on the light long enough to finish their meal and wash up the dishes that she and K.C. had used before they went to bed.

There was nothing like listening to the incredible sound of the wind howling in the utter darkness, even if you had been through it before a hurricance was a situation that was out of human control.

She could have turned on the generator but there was no sense in wasting the fuel. It was better to save it for the days ahead with the severity of the storm dictating how long they might be without electricity generated by the island’s power company.

K.C. had never experienced anything like this and was only happy because he could offer Gabrielle comfort and in turn she did the same for him.

“I missed you so damned much.” His told her gruffly as she snuggled in his arms.

She felt like even though the storm was raging outside everything else was right in the world and Rielle would have rolled over to face him but he stopped her as they lay in her darkened bedroom.

He thought back to all of the relationships he’d had over the years and pulled her into him tighter savoring the feel of the woman who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

He remembered the fact that this time yesterday he didn’t know if she would forgive him and K.C. buried his face in her hair taking a deep breath as he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

“Did you miss me too Gabrielle?” he asked his voice low and felt her slowly stiffen in front of him.

Rielle had been listening to the destruction happening outside as debris began to slam into the house but slowly her attention had shifted to the warm man behind her.

She jumped and sucked in a breath when K.C. ran his hands through her hair and pulled her t-shirt up over her head as he moved down her slim, tense back to her bottom.

In the dark all of her senses were slowly put on edge by his journey because Rielle wasn’t sure what he was going to do next as she felt the shirt slowly rose up. As he slid down the bed behind her, his warm mouth leading the way goose pimples appeared on her usually smooth skin.

“Yes K.C., I missed you. I missed you so much I thought I was going crazy.” She admitted softly almost forgetting what he had asked her.

All of the air was being sucked up into the storm that raged outside leaving everything still in the battened down house. She felt like they were the only two people in the world and she never wanted another separation from him again.

Rielle began to tremble as she felt K.C’s warm mouth working its way down her back and she squeezed her thighs tighter as her clit began throbbing, demanding attention. Her short nails left marks in her palms and a whimper broke from her lips as she felt his hands slide down to her waist.

The sensations bombarding her were even more intense because of the time they had spent apart and she had forgotten how quickly he could take her to the edge.

“You smell so good Gabrielle.” He murmured against her skin as he inhaled her beachy fragrance.  

Somehow she heard his whispered words over the noise outside and her nipples which were already puckered suddenly felt tighter. She licked her lips as her breasts grew even heavier, it was only a matter of time before she couldn’t still the movement of her hips.

The long nights when she had been alone were forgotten as he played her body like a fine instrument and she knew there would be no rushing K.C. as he continued his slow and steady exploration.

K.C. ran his hands over her smooth skin as he skimmed her yoga pants and underwear down her toned legs and he only hoped that he could bring her pleasure before he lost all control and took Gabrielle hard and long.

He enjoyed the moment when he felt her shiver and hearing the little sounds that rose from her throat was music to his ears. He had spent many sleepless nights thinking of what he had done wrong.

“Are you ready for me to make it better?” K.C. asked softly.

He had missed everything about Gabrielle and never wanted to be apart from her again. He needed to leave his mark on her so that she would never forget what they had together because he hadn’t and didn’t want to.

When he drew the pants off her narrow feet he levered himself up and rolled her to her back so that he was between her legs.

K.C. was almost glad that he couldn’t see her toned, light chocolate curves. The erection that was peaking out above the waistband of his shorts would have been erupting at the sight of her and a sheen of sweat popped up on his skin at the thought.

Rielle was helpless to stop the tremors in her body as he moved between her thighs and she felt the fabric of his pants abrading her sensitized skin and her hands reached out of their own volition to grasp his shirt in the hopes of pulling him down to cover her.

The moment she did that however he grasped them in one of his larger ones and she felt the other hand running from her foot to her calf and to the back of her knee as his lips followed.

She held her breath wondering if he would go down to her thighs and maybe lower. Her hips rose off of the bed pushing her aching core to him as her dampness perfumed the air.

“K.C. please.” She whispered huskily as the burning intensified.

Rielle needed him to quench the fire he had stirred up but he was bound and determined to drive her crazy as he switched hands and gave the same treatment to her other leg.

He left a trail of heat as he descended to her knee with his moist mouth and she tried to close her legs around his broad shoulders to pull him down to her burning center.

K.C. inhaled deeply smelling the womanly fragrance that signaled she was aroused, but he wanted her more than a little ready.

Because he knew he was going to pounding her through the bed the minute he entered her and needed her to have some pleasure before that happened.

“Are you wet for me Gabrielle?” he asked roughly.

He reached out and grazed her belly and he leaned forward until he could cup her breast and a savage smile covered his face in the darkness as she moaned loudly when he tweaked one of her tight little nipples.

K.C. wished that he had more hands so that he could pull off his clothes without releasing her hands and he had to decide which was more important. He raised her arms above her head and felt the headboard and bent closer to her.

The moment he let her go he knew she would try to embrace him.

“Stay.” He ordered as he removed his hands.

Rielle was so happy he had let her go but then heard his demand and sobbed in frustration swearing she would make him pay for this torture as she did as he asked. She wanted to run her hands all over him from the short brush of his hair to the wide lightly furred chest and down his rippling abs to his thick cock and resented him trying to impose his will on her like this.

“K.C. if you don’t…” Rielle began only to be hushed by a finger placed on her lips.

She couldn’t help it as her tongue darted out to touch it and she would have sucked it into her mouth but he pulled away and she felt him moving but couldn’t tell what he was doing. All of her senses reached out and when she felt his two hands on her thighs Rielle was hard pressed not to let them fall open in wanton invitation it would be just what he deserved for teasing her like this.

K.C. had hastily pulled his shirt off and using stiff fingers had managed to unbutton his shorts but had left them on groaning as he grazed the head of his now weeping cock. He didn’t know how long she would obey his command and he wanted to taste her before he relented.

His mouth literally watered as he bent to place a kiss near her belly button and his hands went up to cover her heaving breasts making them both moan.

It was inevitable that his lips would travel to her nipples and Rielle’s palms were sure to be bloody by the time this encounter was over. Her breathing was ragged as he moved closer up her torso and her legs rose to encircle his hips pulling on him with surprising strength. 

When she succeeded in getting him to come to her she was glad he couldn’t see her wicked expression. Rielle might not have been able to move her arms but K.C. had not said anything about her legs and she used this to her advantage as she began to rock her hips and belly against him.

“You are a witch.” He groaned not yet willing to concede to his building passion for her yet.

She raised her shoulders bringing her nipple to his mouth as she moved sensually beneath him, the rhythm that was taking hold of her older than time as she heard his words.

“And I’m all hot and wet for your loving K.C.” She promised huskily.

Her belly was damp with his essence and her own thighs were slick from her juices ensuring that his entrance would be if not easy then at least smooth.

K.C. felt him arms shaking and he lowered himself onto his more sturdy elbows, his weight stopping the carnal movements of her body but it only took a moment for her to adjust and her torso began to undulate against him.

He sucked and laved first one nipple and then the other, teasing her with nips before he would swirl his tongue around it and then moving to the tender area beneath her full breasts.

K.C. had kept her hands out of the equation knowing that once she touched him all bets would be off but he was running out of time before he gave in to his own desires completely.

He pushed off of her and lowered his pants so that the zipper would not pinch him anymore and groaned as his cock became fully engorged and he raised a shaking hand to palm it for a second as his eyes strained in vain to see in the darkness.

“I need you to be more than ready for me Gabrielle.” He growled as he squeezed his erection once before releasing it suddenly.

K.C. bent, threw her thighs down his back making her scream in surprise and brought her fragrant pussy up to his mouth where he sucked in a lungful of air heavy with her aroma before he began to feast.

Rielle had continued waxing and was smooth except for a small strip of hair so he had easy access to her treasures. When he seized her legs taking her by surprise she was paralyzed by his urgency.

She felt him inhale deeply and then the abrasion of his facial hair had her crying out as he moved in and started to lick and suck at her most tender flesh. He quickly made her wetter than she had ever been as she screamed again and her legs tightened and then went slack on his shoulders as she screamed while an unexpected orgasm ripping through her.

K.C. continued to indulge his need for her cream, and her throbbing clit was not spared his attention as his lips pulled and sucked on her making her gush even more. It was a vicious cycle as he would go from her clit to her convulsing passage and Rielle was quickly reaching her crisis again helped along by his fingers on her hardened nipples. Sweat appeared on her upper lip and between her bobbing breasts as she felt her body begi

n to convulse helplessly. It was only when she screamed his name during her second climax that the roaring in his ears could no longer be ignored and he lowered her to the bed once more. With his now free hands he pushed the confining pants down to his hips, balancing himself on a shaky thigh so that he could take it off leaving him naked.

K.C. bent again this time to kiss her mouth hard, leaving her in no doubt that he was going to fulfill his promise of making it better as his hands bracketed her head on the pillow.

“I can’t be gentle with you this first time Gabrielle.” he warned softly.

She heard the apology in his voice vaguely, still in a fog from the two exhausting yet energizing climaxes as his manhood lay like a brand on her belly between them his kiss tasting of her juices.

He moved back a little and Rielle felt the head of K.C.’s shaft as he probed her opening and she tensed for a moment before relaxing.

“I love you.” She whispered as her hips rose to receive all that he had to give her.

Despite his words he did not heed his body’s demand to storm her gates like a pirate; instead he took his time and slowly pushed past her plump outer lips burying his face into her hair as she moaned near his ear. He did some groaning of his own as he shook with the effort it took him till he was fully hilted inside of her.

Rielle welcomed him despite the painful sensation as she was reacquainted with the thick, hardness of K.C.’s cock filling her and she had to remember to breathe as it felt like hours before his groin touched hers.

She was now trembling with the need to hold K.C., her arms already having come off of the bed several times before she put them back. 

“So good I can’t – Gabrielle I…” K.C. said incoherently words failed him and finally instinct took over.

He withdrew, hips moving of their own volition as she clasped him tightly within and he came back to slam into her, his pace soon bordering on frantic as if he was trying to outrun something.

The pain did not abate for Rielle, instead the burning increased tenfold as her body stretched to accommodate his girth, the previous orgasms helping to prepare her for this onslaught but the reality still a struggle.

When his lips found hers as he began to drive for his own fulfillment, part of him wanted to feel her convulsing on him in another orgasm but K.C. was not sure that he could wait for her. He thrust into her with merciless intent, the pent up longing and frustration burning away as her hips rose to accept each lunge of his pelvis and the feeling of his cock being enveloped in the hottest, wettest glove had him gone.

K.C. groaned her name repeatedly as his hands held her head still for his plundering lips and tongue while his groin mimicked the passionate act below.

Rielle’s hips made wicked little circle motions as she climbed higher, the burning pain in her pussy now a terrible ache that only K.C. could soothe as he shuttled into her with all of his power in the quick, hard lunges.

He felt like he was coming out of her throat with each heavy thrust of his shaft. She quickly climbed the mountain once more not sure she could survive another tumultuous ride but now she had no choice.

Rielle couldn’t help it and finally moved her arms, bringing her hands down to clutch at his taut cheeks feeling the muscles there get tense as he plunged into her, her legs wrapped around his slick upper back.

K.C. felt the fingernails that dug into his ass and that was the final straw for him as he raced to the edge. His frenzied thrusting caused the entire bed to move and the headboard beat loudly against the wall as he felt the climax just a heartbeat out of his reach.

He ripped his mouth from hers to yell her name and he continued the motions that propelled him deeper inside the woman he loved.

K.C. felt her stiffen as she exploded beneath him and he burst inside of her, drenching Gabrielle with his hot seed as they took the leap together. Her pussy clamped down on his thick shaft painfully until he almost couldn’t move while her body greedily sucked on his, her tight channel rippling on his spurting cock.

They shared the ecstasy together, their souls communing as they renewed the bond of their bodies and emotions. Her screaming of his name slowly died away as Rielle sucked in a much needed breath, her fingers clutching at his ass as she writhed beneath K.C.'s spasmodic thrusts, their impact not lessened by the fact that they had achieved climax.

He gasped for air trying not to rest his full weight on her while her fingers clutched at his ass keeping him in place as he ground against her clit.

When he finally stopped moving long moments later he lay against her for a few minutes exhausted as he savored her arms holding him tightly. He had to force himself to withdraw from her delicious, clasping body and K.C. used weak arms to roll himself off of Gabrielle reluctantly.

His heart was beating like he had run a marathon while he tried to catch his breath. He had to swallow a few times before he could talk and it was an effort for his fuzzy brain to string words together but he had to.

“Gabrielle are you ok? I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be so rough with…” he began only to feel a hand brush over one of his tight nipples.

He shuddered at her accidental touch and reached out so that he could bring her hand to his lips where he placed a soft kiss on it.

Rielle felt him shaking and she was no better as the storm continued to rage outside, they had shared something equally elemental and powerful.

“I’m fine K.C. just give me a few days to get used to ... um you again.” she told him quietly.

At her words K.C. stiffened beside her hoping she wasn’t serious.

“I can’t do a few days after the hell I went through these last couple of weeks. I need you Gabrielle.” He said in an agonized voice.

Rielle incredibly felt a twinge in her belly and nether regions at his words even though her body was deliciously sated from his lovemaking. She couldn’t deny that she wanted him again even as she winced closing her quivering, limp thighs. Her belly tightened and she turned her head in his direction.

“I want you too K.C. but I need a little time.” Rielle assured him gently.

“And you’ll get it but you’re mine Gabrielle, make no mistake about that. I’m not going to let you go again.” K.C. promised her making his intention clear.

He was so easy going with her that sometimes she forgot that he could be as dominant as her father or Chris and she sighed when he got off the bed.

He used the flashlight on his side of the bed to go to the bathroom where he dampened a washcloth so that he could wipe the sweat off of his skin trying to ignore the howling wind outside as he did.

K.C. hurried back to Gabrielle and had to shut the light off, just one glimpse of her sleek, pale chocolate body enough to start the blood flowing to his manhood again.

It was when she complained about the coldness of the wet rag against her most tender flesh that he proved that she didn’t need more time to get used to him being back.

K.C. was slow, gentle and thorough and Rielle was his very willing accomplice.

Chapter 46

If she didn’t get the time she wanted to recover Rielle shrugged as she looked at the red scratches on K.C.’s back in the dim light. 

When they woke up the next morning the winds were dying as the grey skies continued to dump rain on the island.

She was even more tender than the previous night but oh so satisfied as was K.C. and she winced a little as she rolled over but ignored the pain between her thighs.

They talked for a little while listening to the heavy rain falling and tried to find a local radio station on her battery powered radio. It was with relief that they found several were still broadcasting.

K.C. finally left her in bed and Rielle watched him stride into the bathroom, admiring the view of his broad golden skinned back except where she had marked him, her eyes dropping to the dimples just above his round ass and she moaned softly as her clit pulsed.

“Down you greedy kitty you can’t handle any more of that right now.” She said quietly.

~*~

He ventured outside to turn on the generator and Rielle got up gingerly to unplug everything except her refrigerator and stove. The water heater and pump would also stay on so that they could take showers after the excesses of the long night.

K.C. came back in and reported that Rielle’s yard was a mess from the heavy winds and rain with debris everywhere but there had been no damage to the house and her solar panels had weathered the storm just fine.

The vehicles had also survived but the storm had left a dent on the rear driver’s side panel of Martha which after looking at it K.C. had told her could be taken out easily. 

They ate oatmeal with some almond milk and even though the situation was serious they couldn’t help the smiles that crossed their faces as green eyes meet blue.

~*~

They got dressed in t-shirts and shorts taking turns at Rielle's insistence and covered up with raincoats before walking over to Chris’s house at Gabrielle’s insistence and he couldn’t refuse her when she looked up at him with big, pleading eyes.

He hadn’t forgotten the power of that pouty mouth even though he tried to remember why they were doing this as they avoided a downed power line in the course of crossing the street to see her brother.

Chris’s property had also fared well with only debris in the yard, nothing that couldn’t be cleaned up after the rains stopped.

He had a fully enclosed garage and his black Jeep Wrangler was unscathed as was his tenant’s car but the same could not be said for the renter’s wife. She was freaked out and nothing that the husband or Chris could say and had been saying since the storm began had calmed her down.

~*~

“Janice the worst is over; we only have some rain coming now.” Rielle said trying to reassure the older woman.

Peter Allen and his wife had been renting the three bedroom apartment for two years and he was the assistant manager at AutoWorld, the largest automotive store on the island.

The middle aged couple were originally from St. Paul, Minnesota and while they were used to snowstorms the wife had been seduced by the weather that for the most part was balmy, bright and beautiful. This storm had shocked her with its ferocity.

While Rielle could sympathize having experienced her first major storm at the impressionable age of ten and K.C. could too having just gone through it for the first time no amount of empathy on their part was making a dent in her hysteria.

“I don’t care! I never want to go through one of those again! I want off this damned island Peter.” she said vehemently her grey eyes filled with tears.

Most people were prepared to take the good with the bad living on an island but Janice’s sense well-being was gone. Chris looked at his tenant and could see the resignation in the other man’s face as he led his distraught wife away. They had spent the night upstairs but the woman had jumped at every little sound and Chris was bleary eyed from staying up with them.

“I don’t think they’re going to stay much longer.” He predicted and would prove to be correct.

K.C. went up in the afternoon to check on the Hawks Nest and found it in good shape too except a glass window had been broken in the master bathroom.

~*~

The rains slowly tapered off on the third day and the result of that was a confrontation between and K.C. and Graham who somehow got a ride with one of the emergency vehicles.  Government officials were still making the rounds through all of the parishes to assess the damage and what response was needed.

The residents of Mt. Elizabeth had gotten out in between the rain to clear the road, so that traffic wouldn't be impeded. 

He showed up at Rielle’s door early in the morning after hearing from a friend that they had seen his daughter’s boyfriend on the island.

Having K.C. open the door with only a pair of hastily donned shorts on, no shirt and rubbing sleep out of his eyes confirmed that story much to his dismay.

“I didn’t believe it when Clive told me you were back.” Graham said looking down at K.C. incredulously.

“Graham, ah Mr. Hall good morning...” K.C. said his friendly smile slowly fading.

The older man didn’t really seem surprised to see K.C. more like disheartened and K.C. knew he had been spotted at the airport or the job site. The baseball cap and sunglasses had apparently not been a very effective disguise. He and Gabrielle had always been discreet about their sexual relationship, not wanting to offend her parents or even Chris but he could see that didn’t matter now.

“Gabrielle Marie Lopez-Hall how long has this man been in your house?” he thundered in response, his hazel eyes filled with righteous anger on his only daughter’s behalf.

Rielle cringed hearing that voice and tone, she had hoped to have a little more time with K.C. before this happened. She heard her father roaring while she struggled to cover her nakedness with a red and white checked shirt and a denim skirt in her bedroom.

She had been wrapped up in the euphoria of having K.C. back and not thinking that her father would somehow find a way to verify his children were safe after the storm. Rielle had hoped that the rain would keep everyone at bay for a few more days but forgotten that her father was a lion when it came to his children.

That had been a mistake and hopefully she could prevent this situation from getting out of hand as she hurriedly made her way to the living room, a t-shirt for K.C. in her hand.

“Hi Daddy come in. Is everything okay, was anything damaged? How did you get here? Is Mama with you?” she asked quickly her eyes bright as she went to greet her father who filled the doorway.

K.C. stepped back so that Graham could come in but the tall man didn’t move although he gave Gabrielle a brief hug after scrutinizing her quickly.

“No your mother isn’t with me. I came up with Neil Simmons, from Emergency Services; he’s got a crew checking this area and I asked for a ride. Rielle what the hell is going on here?” Graham asked looking down at his daughter, a forbidding expression on his face.

There was no sense in trying to avoid this conversation as her father stepped into the room; she hadn’t been raised to lie. But she hadn’t told the entire truth either and she knew that. She felt some relief when K.C. came to stand beside her and reached out to hold her hand as she faced her father.

“Daddy, K.C. came in on one of the last flights before the storm hit. We had a chance to talk and we are back together.” She said after taking a deep breath as she looked up at her father.

Graham stared down at his little girl remembering when she had first been put into his arms as a newborn infant and then shifted his gaze to the man who had broken her heart.

She had tried to be brave when she came back alone, but he knew this bastard had hurt Rielle deeply and he wasn’t about to let him think he’d gotten off scot-free.  Graham didn’t care if Rielle had decided to forgive him or who his family was.

“Mr. Hall, can I speak with you outside for a moment?” asked the culprit boldly.

“We’ll talk alright young man, after I deal with my daughter.” He told K.C. ominously, his West Indian twang showing up as he eyed the younger man intently.

Gabrielle knew that wasn’t a good sign and for a moment felt like a child, but she was an adult and really needed to act like one as she faced her father.

“He was here when you called us before the storm wasn’t he?” Graham fired off like a prosecutor.

“Yet somehow that fact never came up. Why is that Gabrielle?” he asked folding long arms across his broad chest as he stared down at the young couple.

K.C. looked at Gabrielle and gave her a reassuring smile before she turned back to her father.

“Yes Daddy, K.C. was here when I spoke with you and I chose not to mention it. I knew that you wouldn’t be happy with that knowledge and we planned on coming to see you and Mama when we had finished dealing with the aftermath of the storm here which would probably have been in the next day or two.” She replied bravely.

K.C. knew that Graham probably didn’t want him anywhere near his daughter after what had happened between them and that was understandable but he wasn’t going to stand by and let him do anything that might upset Gabrielle.

“Sir, I’d really like to say something.” He tried again and watched the tall man’s eyes shift to his face.

"Yeah and I’ve got something to say to you too. I had my doubts when the two of you got together in the first damned place and I don’t want you back in Rielle’s life if you don’t have your shit together this time!” The angry father said ignoring the gasp from his daughter.

“You weren’t here when she came back alone, crying her eyes out every day because you had hurt her and I will not stand by and let that happen to her again! I didn’t raise my daughter to be any man’s doormat, punching bag or easy piece of tail!” Graham roared.

K.C. who moved to stand in front of Gabrielle whose hand had gone up to cover her mouth in shock at what was being said.

“Mr. Hall, can we please speak outside sir?” K.C. repeated patiently.

He could see that Graham was getting more enraged and he needed to calm the other man somehow.

Graham saw the worried look on Rielle’s face as she looked over the blond man’s shoulder at him, she actually seemed scared and that wasn’t his goal.  Even when she had been growing up and he had spanked her for one infraction or another he had never seen that look on her face.

“Rielle, baby girl are you really afraid of me?” he now asked stepping towards his daughter and stopped when he saw her eyes widen.

“Fine Whitfield, let’s go have this talk you seem so determined to have with me.” He finally conceded with a sigh turning to go out the door.

“Daddy wait!” Rielle said afraid that her father thought she was really afraid of him.

~*~

Both men turned to her and when she nodded at K.C. he left, giving them some privacy and met Chris who was coming onto the porch.

“Is my Dad here? I thought I saw him.” Chris said running his hand over his wet face.

“Yeah, he’s talking to your sister right now. You didn’t tell your father that I was here before the storm. Is there a reason why?” he asked the younger man.

He was curious as to why Chris hadn’t thrown them under the bus.

“My sister isn’t stupid and I have to trust that she knows what she’s doing. It’s up to you to prove her right and I hope that you can do that cause if not you’ll have my family to deal with.” Chris answered reasonably as they waited for Graham to come outside.

When he had first seen K.C. yesterday Chris had refused to acknowledge the signs of suffering on the other man’s face. In hindsight and without anger blinding him it was still visible but not as much now.  

~*~

Inside the cheerfully painted yellow living room Rielle looked back at her father with unease in her gaze.

“Daddy, I’m not afraid of you but you can’t come into my home and yell like that. I really need you to accept that K.C. is who I love. Tell Mama we’ll be down in a few days ok?” She told going to give him a tight hug.

“I love you and Mama too but I- I’m a grown woman. I know that you were worried watching me go through the last few weeks and maybe you’ll always think of me as your baby girl, but I’m more than that.” Rielle said calmly looking up at her father.

“That might take a while to process Rielle but I’ll work on it. Your mother and I only want you to be happy, you know that right?” He finally replied after searching his daughter’s resolved expression and watched as she nodded.

“Let me see what your young man has to say. Neil is going to come back for me in about ten minutes.” Graham told her before stepping outside.

He found K.C. and his son talking and greeted his son, keeping his focus on the blonde man who had usurped his position as the most important man in his daughter’s life.

“All right what is it that you want to tell me Whitfield, how much you love my daughter? Your love wasn’t good for my daughter before, what makes this go around any different?” he asked staring down at the young man who met his intimidating gaze easily.

“I do love Gabrielle and I apologized to her for what I did. I also wanted to apologize to you and hope that my actions prove that it was never my intention to abuse the trust you or your daughter placed in me Mr. Hall.”  He began respectfully.

The older man seemed willing to listen and K.C. remembered his father’s words as he was waiting for his flight.

“You have to know that Gabrielle’s father will be angry with you and he has a right to be. He treated you fairly and you lied to his daughter something that can’t sit well with the man because it wouldn’t sit well with me if this was Danni. He’s going to say his peace and you my boy have to listen.” Colton had told him before clapping him on the back.

“I’m glad you’re both here because I wondered if you had made plans already for Thanksgiving. I wanted to invite you all to Denver for the holiday with my family.” K.C. offered having already spoken to Gabrielle about the idea.

Both of the Hall men looked at each other before turning back to K.C. with speculation in their eyes. Graham still wasn’t sure about this young man or his intentions but K.C. wanting them to meet his family at Thanksgiving was quite the gesture.

He had to give the guy credit for knowing when to make a big play and Graham could even admire his cojones but he was a baller from the old school and he was about to remind the young man of that fact.

“I’ll have to talk to Magdalena but my parents were planning on coming down from Vegas and I know Carlos and Marielena were going to come over from Puerto Rico. I wouldn’t want to cancel on them when they were looking forward to the trip, especially since my parents already had their reservations.” He said folding his arms across his broad chest again as he waited for K.C.’s response.

K.C. wasn’t stupid, he knew what the astute older man was doing, and the fact was he wanted his family to meet Gabrielle’s folks including both sets of grandparents. They were a great family and he wanted them to see where he had come from as well.

“That’s not a problem sir, we’d be happy to have all of the Lopez-Halls come for the holiday, I have access to a company jet and if it’s not too presumptuous I’ll have my secretary coordinate the travel arrangements when the phones are back up.” He assured Gabrielle’s father.

Graham had never known the young man to throw his money in anyone’s face and even when he had rented the yacht and gotten Tarrus Riley to perform for Rielle’s birthday he had been low key about it.

Graham had been around other wealthy people when he was playing professionally and he could feel the vibe that K.C. had was like them. Essentially he was an all right fellow who had just gotten caught up in a really unfortunate situation.

“I’ll see what my wife has to say and get back to you later.” Graham told him only slightly impressed with his answer.

“As to your apology; you didn’t break my heart it was my daughter’s but it’ll take me a while longer than it has taken her to recover. There’s one thing that would go some ways towards making me feel a bit better about the whole incident though.” He said rubbing his chin.

“What would that be?” K.C. asked not realizing that Chris had stepped back.

“Just this.” Graham said casually.

K.C. learned why Graham was nicknamed ‘The Big Flash’ for the burst of speed he could put on; taking his opponents by surprise as he blew passed them to score the winning shot. He was slower and older and he telegraphed his intent a little so K.C. knew what was coming.

With his martial arts training he could have done something to avoid the older man’s heavy fist connecting with his diaphragm to take the breath from his body as he absorbed the punch.

Gabrielle came out just in time to see K.C. wheezing and Chris helping him up and she looked at the trio with bewildered eyes.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Seeing her father’s looking down at K.C. with grudging respect and her brother’s concerned look at her question while K.C. coughed between them made her frown when no one seemed in a hurry to answer her question.

The palpable relief on the faces of the Hall men was almost laughable when a horn blew out in the street and they turned to see the emergency vehicle.

“I’ll take you up on that Denver gig K.C.; it’ll be nice to see some new scenery.” Chris quipped over K.C.'s coughing.

He loped off down the steps and went out the gate, Rielle watched him go through the raindrops and turned back to K.C. and her father.

“Rielle, I’ll tell your mother you said hello. I won’t lie I didn’t think K.C. would come back to St. Sebastian after all that’s happened, but the fact that he did says something about his character.” Graham said as K.C. straightened his face twisting with grimace of pain.

“Young man I expect you and my daughter at my house for lunch on Sunday and even if we only have bread and cheese with sugar water I want to see your faces. Be safe baby girl.” He told the pair and waved in farewell before he also took his leave.

It was as the truck drove off that she turned back to him watching as he slowly caught his breath.

“Ok, I know something happened between the three of you.” Rielle said looking at him squarely an eyebrow raised.

“Your father and I are coming to an understanding. I told him and Chris about Thanksgiving and I think we’ll be having a full house in Denver.” K.C. answered hoping she would let it go.

He watched Gabrielle cross her arms under her chest, pretty much the same way her father had but the move was more distracting when she did it.

“Do we have to have another conversation about honesty? Did my father hit you?” she asked reaching out to pull up his shirt.

He caught her hands before she could do that and grimaced having moved too fast.

“Ok yes he did. We needed to get it out of the way so that he and I can move on and if it took a hundred punches I would accept them all.” K.C. told her philosophically, raising a hand to caress her face.

She rolled her eyes at him but accepted his explanation.

“Be that as it may macho man I’ll be having another chat with my father on Sunday.” She told him, as she rubbed his bruised abdomen lovingly.

~*~

The island suffered as did much of the region with damaged buildings; downed power and telephone lines caused by overhanging trees and major flooding from two days of rain afterwards. Thankfully there were no fatalities but the residents had dodged a bullet and knew it as they worked to repair the destruction.

Despite some residents being without power for nearly three weeks everyone was grateful and when another tropical depression looked like it might turn into a storm K.C. watched everyone pull up their bootstraps and go through the process again.

Janice Allen however left as soon as flights were resumed to the island and Peter left shortly before the storm fizzled out to a day-long thunderstorm.

K.C. received a cool reception from Gabrielle’s friends at first which he expected but by Halloween even Camille had forgiven him for his transgressions helped by Jarrod.

Two weeks after Otto, Georgie went to Jacksonville and got to see Michael make a touchdown against the team that had defeated them last season. The following week was a bye week for the Admirals so they also were able to spend a little time together.

Andie and Bryan were still going strong and even though they had also argued about the situation with Rielle and K.C. they had tried not to become mired in the drama.

The beach volleyball tournament concluded the week before Thanksgiving having been postponed twice by inclement weather. The fact that the eight finalists were all former Olympic medalists had drawn the attention of one of the national sports networks and there had always been speculation as to who the better players were.

This brought in some much needed publicity and the local media was all abuzz because one of their colleagues was playing in the championship.

The game would begin at two and a court had been set up not too far from the water giving the spectators beautiful landscaping and crystal clear beach views as well. Graham had been acting as unofficial coach and gave his players a rousing speech before they said a prayer for the safety of all involved.

The first point was scored by the other side before Rielle and her teammates settled down, the nervous excitement affecting them all. She slowly gathered her focus and the next several points were quickly earned by a crosscourt slam by Georgie, an ace from Cam and a kill by Rielle.

The hard fought game lasted for nearly an hour and a half but in the end the ‘Awesome Foursome’ were victorious against the other team by a score of 3-1 when Andie crushed the ball giving the women a decisive win.

This was in no small part due to the core support of their friends and families including Marielena and Carlos Lopez who had come over for the event.

Michael was the only one who couldn’t be there but he had called Georgie two hours before the match and he had promised to make another touchdown for her in the Admirals game against the Eagles.

She could hear the ribbing of his teammates in the background who were making kissing noises that had her laughing especially when he told them to shut up because he was talking to his lady. That had made her smile, her brown eyes that had been sparkling with tears dried up as she said that she had every confidence that he could do just that.

That night Bryan who had been biding his time waiting for the perfect moment surprised them all by proposing privately to Andie out on the beach.

When Camille spotted her brother down on one knee she called over her parents and they watched from the stone balcony of the restaurant as Andie jumped up and down on the sand before launching herself at Bryan, nearly pushing him over in the process.

They tried to be nonchalant but the older couple had watched their son mope over Andie who they loved like a daughter for years already.  His father had finally given him a serious man to man talk and Bryan had made his move soon after.

When Andie came back into the restaurant looking all discombobulated and flustered in her jade green dress it was like a chain reaction. She held out her hand so that their families could see the glittering Asscher cut diamond on her finger while she looked at Bryan with eyes that sparkled as brightly.

Everyone else gathered around when the screaming began and drinks were raised as the mood shifted and a toast was to congratulate the newly engaged couple. There was plenty to celebrate that night and the festive air dispelled any lingering signs of the tumultuous last couple of months.

The men clapped Bryan on the back and bought him drinks before they started singing off key and when they were done it was Bryan who looked at his friends with a devilish expression on his handsome brown face.

“So who else is man enough to join me in wedded bliss?” he asked looking pointedly at Jarrod.

Chapter 47 

School finished half day on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Rielle drove to her house with just enough time to shower and change clothes by the time K.C. picked her and Chris up on his way down the hill in the Rover.

The arrangements for Thanksgiving had been finalized two weeks ago and Carmel and Godfrey would arrive in Denver around mid-morning from Las Vegas. 

K.C., Rielle and Chris met Magdalena, Graham, Marielena and Carlos at the airport and the Aurora Enterprise G-5 jet took off at one thirty for the nearly six hour flight to Denver.

~*~

Frank had picked up Carmel and Godfrey Hall already at Denver International and taken them to his sister's home. Frederika had, not surprisingly broken down when she had finally seen the older but still familiar faces.

The educational system had been smaller when the Leon siblings were going to school and Rielle’s grandmother had been one of the younger more popular educators at the time.

Miss Carmel had been in the minority of people who had not judged her during the whole terrible ordeal. She had almost been fired from her position for her trouble and Frederika had always been grateful for Carmel’s support.

Tropical Delights had been a feature of the island’s schoolchild’s afternoon for many years and Mr. Godfrey as he was still called even to this day had been a big reason why. With his booming voice and rich laugh the big man had been nearly as popular as his wonderful ice cream.

Frederika and Frank had been no different except they had gone to the store on the occasional Saturday afternoon when their mother had finished shopping at the market. He had been one of Frank’s basketball coaches and inspired the young man so much that he had joined the service, something that had given him a sense of who he was.

K.C. had spoken to his father while waiting for Gabrielle and was relieved to hear that his mom had recovered from the emotional upset and was back to her normal self.

Frederika and Colton would be hosting the elders of the Hall/Lopez clan at their home and K.C. would have Gabrielle and Chris as well as his siblings at his home which was about a fifteen minute drive from his parents place.

~*~

The group had been a little quiet after the jet first took off until K.C. had mentioned that his mother would be surprised by the ice cream that the Halls had made especially for her. He knew his mother would appreciate it as well as the rest of his family.

The group on the jet was a well travelled bunch but this was a new experience for all of them all. The G-5 had overnighted at the airport and the crew had stayed at the Royal Poinciana Hotel while K.C. had called in a big favor with Mrs. Mac’s daughter.

He had asked her to make the pelau dish that he’d first had at Jarrod’s house which the male steward served halfway through the flight. The food really helped to break the ice especially for Carlos and Marielena who hadn’t tasted such a meal in a while.

“K.C. that was delicious and very thoughtful of you, thank you.” Marielena told the fair haired young man. 

Magdalena had shared the details of his mother’s situation with Marielena last night and now she carefully watched K.C. who had captured her granddaughter’s heart and was fast doing the same for her.

She had never met his mother but she remembered how the island was back then. The population was West Indian by virtue of location but American too and straddling those two different cultures was not  easy. People always wanted to blame the victim in a case of sexual abuse however regardless and she could only imagine what Frederika Leon-Whitfield had endured as a young woman.

~*~

K.C. talked a little about his birthplace and Magdelena observed him closely to see any signs of homesickness but there were none. He wasn’t afraid to show his emotions and did so whether he was talking about football season which was really heating up now or giving Graham, Carlos and Chris stats about the aircraft.

Magdalena and K.C.'s relationship was doing well and she knew he and Graham were still feeling their way. It didn't hurt that he had apologized for not telling them that his mother was actually from the island.

She had told him that she understood the circumstances had made it difficult for him to speak about the situation considering how little information he had. She had graciously accepted K.C.'s apology but he had used his free pass with her and Magdalena had let him know that. 

Now she felt like she could turn her attention to getting Chris to settle down with a nice girl. She wanted her son to experience what real love was. She and Graham weren't quite ready for grandchildren yet, but she knew if Rielle and K.C. became even more serious and got married she wouldn't be adverse to the idea. 

~*~

Carlos also paid attention and he had seen the discreet glances that his granddaughter and Whitfield shared. He had talked to his son-in-law and grandson to get their thoughts on the young man who had made such an impression on his granddaughter.

Carlos had talked to Gabrielle a little during the time the couple was apart and he knew where her heart was and he only prayed that he was reading the look in K.C.’s blue eyes correctly and this relationship was something lasting.

He did not take lightly the fact that they were on a jet owned by Aurora Enterprise going to the States to spend Thanksgiving with his family. This was a very big gesture for a man to make and Carlos wondered what it would all lead to.

The three women discussed the shopping they would be able to do at the Cherry Creek Mall and Rielle consulted her laptop to check store hours. They would be leaving Denver around mid afternoon on Sunday and any shopping would be done on Saturday.

Travelling to the States at this time of the year meant that they would have to wear heavier clothing but Rielle and her mother had deliberately packed lightly with lots of thin layers.

When they were an hour away from their destination one by one they all made the trip to the bathroom to put on their thermal underwear.

Rielle had gotten teased when she was going to college and her roommate who was from Chicago had seen her in the long johns but they had helped to keep her warm during many a cold winter.

~*~

K.C. had only walked with his laptop in a backpack along with a change of clothes and his wool jacket which he had brought down with him. He had no need to bring clothes since most of what he had on St. Sebastian was t-shirts and shorts. A far cry from the sweaters and heavy coats he would be wearing for the next few days.

“We’ll be going to my parent’s home which is in an area called Hamilton to have supper there. The drive is about a forty-five minutes from the airport to the house.” He told the group as the announcement was made that they were going to be landing in fifteen minutes.

The flight had been helped along by the fact that the private jet could fly higher than regular commercial air traffic so they arrived almost forty-five minutes earlier than was scheduled.

Colton and Marcus were kept informed of the plane’s progress by the pilots and would be waiting when the plane arrived with a burgundy Escalade and K.C.’s navy Range Rover to take their guests and luggage to their respective destinations.

The cold air slapped the group wide awake and even K.C. who had spent most of his life in Denver shivered when he felt the first blast as he stepped off the plane and helped Marielena off as well.

“I’m afraid that this may be one of the colder Thanksgivings we’ve had.” K.C. said as they walked the short distance to where the cars were waiting on the tarmack and they could all see their breaths.

~*~

Rielle shivered, the cold having crept into her bones even as she shouldered her overnight bag and drew the faux fur hood of her white coat closer to her face. While she was happy to have a change of scenery she couldn’t wait to get to the house and out of the cold which felt like it was seeping into her bones.

K.C. kept it short when he made the introductions and his father and brother greeted Gabrielle with hugs and kisses and the rest of the group with handshakes. Two porters brought their luggage which was divided between the two cars and soon they were leaving the airport.

They drove through the busy streets of Denver and K.C. pointed out a few famous buildings.

Marcus who was driving had been playing a Bernie Williams CD softly and K.C. and Rielle were sitting in the back with Chris in the front passenger seat and Rielle watched her brother’s head bob to the salsa beat.  

Rielle was very thankful for the warmth in the Range Rover as well as the heated seats but she was still a little cold when they finally passed through a security gate.

“Mom had the chef make your favorite meal so the prodigal son will be eating the fatted calf tonight.” Marcus said jokingly as he drove.

“Wait you mean they got Dani out of the kitchen? How did they manage that feat?” K.C. asked in surprise.

His sister's passion had always been cooking and she had been underfoot in the kitchen almost from the time she could walk. Dani had spent a few summers going to various countries including France and Italy to learn her craft and she was well on her way to becoming a chef of renown.

~*~

Rielle began to get excited hoping she would be able to get warm even if it meant finally meeting the rest of his family including his sister and grandparents. While David Sr. and Rae Whitfield sounded like a fun pair she was dating their grandson and she could only imagine what they would think of her.

Rielle realized that they had come off of the asphalt and were driving on cobblestone and she knew that K.C. could feel the shaking of her hands. It wasn’t from the cold because she had warmed up during the drive and had even loosened the grey cashmere scarf from around her throat although she still had on her matching grey gloves.

He gave her a reassuring squeeze and smile as they slowed to drive through a pair of tall wrought iron gates and Rielle was surprised by the sight of the huge house as they drove up behind the other vehicle. It looked more like something found in Europe with two wings flanking the main building, a large drive encircling a fountain and a landscaped front garden.

The front double doors were hung with two large pine wreathes opened and closed as two men in coats came out. Rielle recognized Frank Leon but not the younger man.

The women were ushered into the house while the men would bring in their bags but Rielle wished she could have stayed to see the reunion of her father and Frank.

Frederika, Carmel Hall, an older white haired couple and a young woman who could only be Frederika and Colton Whitfield daughter were waiting in a large marble foyer.

The foyer was bright, warm and decorated with a large Christmas tree below a big, red bow centered at the top of a beautiful wrought iron double stair case that was draped with pine garland. 

“Welcome to Denver and our home. We're so happy to have you.” Frederika said warmly.

As usual she was tall and elegant, this time she was dressed in a simple dark chocolate  vest over a white shirt and black slacks.

They took off their coats and two uniformed maids hung them up in a large closet beneath one of the staircases.

Rielle and her family greeted her grandparents whom she hadn't seen since her birthday and hugs and kisses were shared.

Frederika began making the introductions and Rielle met Dani who was about average height with long golden brown hair, dark blue eyes and a golden complexion who gave her a warm hug. She wore a simple bronze sweater with black pants and again Rielle saw how well they all wore their clothes.

"It's so great to finally meet you." she told Rielle with a smile on her pretty face.

The smile that had been on Rielle’s face faded slowly when she finally met K.C.’s grandparents both of whom looked at her with a knowing expression on their faces.

Rae had short white hair and bright blue eyes and was Dani’s height while David Sr. was tall with gray hair and glasses that did nothing to minimize his sharp expression.

Rae looked her up and down taking in the grey cashmere cowl necked sweater and black jeans tucked into black knee high leather boots.

“So Gabrielle, you’re the young woman who had my poor K.C. moping like his heart was going to break a couple of months ago. I’ve never seen him behave like that and now I can understand why because you’re absolutely gorgeous.” Rae Whitfield began just as the doors opened and the men walked in with the luggage.

“So are you planning on trapping my grandson and giving me some great-grandbabies like that crazy Tiffani Hudson said? Because I gotta tell you I’m not getting any younger toots and I know after seeing you that the rugrats will be adorable.” She finished just as K.C. came to stand beside her.

Rielle was shocked and so was everyone else as they all stood looking at the smiling older woman in her hot pink tracksuit, everyone that is except her husband.

“I second that motion K.C., when are you gonna put a ring on it?” David Sr. asked fixing his grandson with a stern glare.

All eyes swung to K.C. who was about to say something when he got the most unexpected rescue.  

“I think K.C. will make the correct decision when the time is right won’t you son?” Godfrey answered in his deep voice as he dropped a heavy hand on the young man’s shoulders.

He and Carmel had gotten to spend some time talking to David and Rae and found that they had common values even if they didn’t share the same economic circumstances.

Godrey and David Sr. were both former Navy sailors and they had briefly talked about their experiences. Carmel and Rae didn't really have much in the way of life experience to share but they both loved their families and had a zest for life. 

“K.C. knows what he has in Gabrielle and we can’t expect him to work on our timetable.” Carlos agreed as he dropped one of his hands on K.C.’s other shoulder.

Rielle's gaze bounce between the hazel eyes of her Grandfather Godfrey and the blue eyes of her Grandfather Carlos wondering what was going on. She had hoped that they would eventually come to appreciate K.C. and what he brought to her life but she hadn't expected their support this quickly.

Her grandmothers had forged a deep and abiding bond years ago when their only children got married and she noted varying degrees of encouragement on their beautiful faces. 

K.C. wondered if he was in the twilight zone and couldn’t believe that his grandmother had just done that to him after all of the long conversations he’d had with her about Gabrielle and their situation. He’d poured his heart out to her and for her to throw him under the bus like that in front of Gabrielle and her family was unbelievable.

“Mother, you’ll have our guests thinking we are a bunch of uncivilized people who eat our young. Please refrain from asking K.C. or any of the kids personal question at least until after Thanksgiving. You too Dad, you know better than to encourage her.” Colton said smoothly looking at his parents.

He began escorting his grumbling parents into the family room where the meal was set up in a more informal setting than the dining room.

K.C. looked down at Gabrielle to see how she was taking all of this and was relieved to see that she seemed fine.

“I’m sorry about that, but my Grandma Rae is known for speaking her mind and there isn’t much that anyone can do to stop her.” K.C. said regretfully as he pulled off his gloves.

“I don’t need you apologizing for me K.C., I can do it myself.” Rae turned around to say when her sharp ears picked up her grandson’s words.

“I’m sorry if I made everyone uncomfortable asking the question that we all want to know. If my grandson can get his act together we will really have something to be grateful for besides the fact that he didn’t marry Tiffani, what did you call her Gabrielle, the muff muncher?” the feisty woman said and that was the final straw.

Rielle started laughing as this was said with a straight face by Rae and soon they were all laughing at this outrageous turn.

All of them except for K.C., who was now thoroughly pissed with his grandmother, he had told her all of that with the expectation that she would keep it to herself not tell everyone.

He stalked off to go into the game room rather than stay and say something he would surely regret. He didn't want to be disrespectful to his grandmother but she had gone too far.

Frederika wanted to go after him but Rielle stopped her before following him slowly looking around. This was another large room that had pictures of the family hung on the walls.

She found him looking down at the fireplace that was lit and decorated with garland, his hands shoved into his coat pockets and she went to stand by his side.

K.C. looked to see who it was and turned his face when he saw her.

“Your grandmother is every bit as feisty as you said she was.” Rielle said softly as he continued to stare into the fire silently after a few minutes.

“That’s one way to put it.” He said wryly drawing his hands from his pockets to pull off his black wool jacket.

K.C. wore a hunter green cable knit sweater that made his eyes even bluer and a long sleeved black t-shirt beneath it with dark blue jeans and his hiking boots. The fire light brought out his tan and made his fair hair seem highlighted with gold.

“Did she give you the idea to write me the letter?” she asked turning to stare up at his profile and watched as he sighed deeply.

“Yeah, she told me how Grandpa wrote her letters during the war and it was what kept their love alive while he was stationed overseas. I wanted to give you something that you would remember as fondly as she remembers those letters." K.C. admitted looking at her with shadowed blue eyes.

"I told her everything about what had happened between us and I didn’t think she’d do me dirty like that or at least she would give me some kind of warning first, not just broadside me like that in front of everyone.” He said in disbelief.

Rielle raised her hand to rub his back in a comforting gesture and he turned to pull her into his arms as she waited for him to speak.

“I love you Gabrielle, more than I’ve loved anyone in my life before. I know what I had with Tiffani looked good on paper and seeing it from the outside it seemed good, but it wasn’t real. I also learned some things about myself since this relationship began and I know what I want.” K.C. said pulling back to search her green eyes intently.

“I want a woman who loves me for who I am, with or without all of the trappings and has my back through thick and thin. I made a stupid mistake and almost lost you and your love. But now that you’ve given me a second chance I don’t want to do anything that might scare you off.” He said taking a deep breath as she ran her hands over his chest.

“As long as you talk to me and don’t hide anything from me we will always be good. That’s the only time you scare me is when you internalize what’s happening and you get all silent and broody. I only want to help you.” Rielle said earnestly.

K.C. raised his big hands to cup her face seeing the difference between their skin tones and thinking that it was amazing that this incredible woman could love him.

“I don’t want to rush you into anything but if I thought you would say yes I would have asked you to marry me when I went back to St. Sebastian and you forgave me for being such an asshole. Don’t ever think that I don’t want you to be my wife because I do.” He said quietly.

His heart was in his eyes as K.C. stared down at her and Rielle nodded; a small smile on her face as he bent slowly to kiss her plump lips and she raised herself onto her tiptoes. Their lips had barely touched and the fact that they were in his parents’ home was barely a factor for them.

~*~

“K.C., I think you are almost as good as your grandfather was with the words.” They heard a familiar voice say, interrupting their kiss.

Rielle heard him groan as he pulled away before his forehead dropped to hers in frustration and his arms tightened about her slim form.

“Grandma haven’t you done enough damage for the night? Are you trying to break us up or are you playing devil’s advocate because we could really do without the interference.” He said in a very put upon tone of voice.

He turned to find his grandmother in the doorway and he wrapped his arms around Rielle as he looked at the white haired imp who seemed determined to torture him.

“That’s what I came to tell you. I’m sorry K.C, Gabrielle; it was wrong of me to air your dirty laundry with the red headed witch, at least not before everyone had eaten their dinner. Then again it’s a good thing I got that off my chest. You know how holding stuff in gives me indigestion.” She said almost to herself before she remembered that she was apologizing.

She came further into the room and K.C. looked down, seeing the woman who had kissed his cuts and scrapes when he was a little boy and showed him how to dance, ski downhill and so many other things.

Rae and David Sr. had been a big part of his life and he was the man he was today because of all of his family but especially her. He sighed, not able to remain angry with her as she looked up at him with innocent eyes.

K.C. understood that while she was still a feisty old broad she was aware that she was closer to the end of her life than the beginning. Rae wanted him to be settled with a family of his own and he wanted to give that to her but he needed Gabrielle to be sure and he wouldn’t rush that process for anyone not even his beloved grandparents.

“Yes, Grandma and I wouldn’t want my second favorite girl to feel poorly.” He finally agreed with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

He released Gabrielle and bent to give his Grandma a hug and she held on tightly for a few extra seconds before she let him go.

Rae peered around her grandson’s torso to look up at his beautiful, dark haired girlfriend and saw the young woman’s smile and returned it knowing that this was one to keep; she hadn’t taken any exception to her words in the foyer.

“I was always his favorite girl, even when he was engaged to Tiffani.” Rae said in a loud whisper giving Gabrielle a big wink.

“And I think I know why. I'll bet you encouraged that sweet tooth of his no end.” Rielle said in the same manner.

Rae’s smile widened and K.C. seeing it stiffened.

“Oh yes, I didn’t really like the red licorice, but chocolate is another story and I made sure he knew which was the difference between Godiva and Goobers. Now come on and eat so you two can go to K.C.’s house. I’m still hoping for some grandkids sooner rather than later whether from you, Marcus or Dani and that isn’t going to happen if you’re talking to me.” Rae said turning to leave the room. 

“Grandma, stop saying stuff like that will you. I’m gonna have a serious talk with Grandpa if you keep this up and have him take you over his knee.” He groused and wondered what incorrigible thing she would say next.

K.C. saw her turn and knew he had walked right into whatever it was. His grandmother was as sharp as they came and most of what she had said had gone right over Tiffani and her mother’s head. That would not be the same with Rielle and his grandmother seemed to be on a particularly raunchy tack.

“I’m so glad your Grandfather warms his hands before he applies the punishment now, although there is something to be said for a love tap from hands cold as ice.” She delivered smoothly before leaving.

Rielle choked on her laughter as she looked at K.C. noting the mortification on his red face.

“I think you need to let your grandmother win the battle and possibly the war.” Rielle advised wisely.

“Yeah, come on let’s go eat so I can get you to my house. I can’t wait to see how you look spread out on my bed. She is right about one thing though you are the best.” K.C. whispered his eyes darkening.

He bent to place what was supposed to be a quick kiss on her mouth but quickly changed into something more when her lips parted beneath his. If she had still been a little cold that was all gone now as she was warmed by K.C.’s kiss and Rielle felt her nipples getting hard again not from the cold but from the heat between them.

“If the two of you want I can always stand guard while you get it on.” said an amused male voice.

The pair sprang apart guiltily as they turned to see David Sr. standing in the door, a broad smile on his face. Rielle glanced up at K.C. and wiped at his mouth with her thumbs removing her lip gloss before they turned to leave.

They walked to the family room and she saw it too was decorated for the season and there was enough room for thirty people to sit comfortably.

Everyone was eating when they came into the room and Rielle and K.C. each grabbed a plate off of the table that was set up with the soup, salad and sandwiches. They put half of a gruyere cheese, tomato and basil sandwich along with a salad and a mug filled with corn and lobster chowder or potato and leek soup before turning to look for somewhere to sit.

There was a small table with two chairs vacant and the couple headed towards it as different snippets of conversation were going on around the large room.

Rielle was taking a bite of her sandwich when she noticed the look Chris was giving Dani and she glanced around to find David Sr. smiling at her. He apparently was of the same opinion as his wife with wanting great-grandchildren.

Frederika, Rae and Dani talked about what would happen tomorrow including the time and menu while they finished eating. Holidays were a big deal for the family and they spent most of the morning between the television watching the various parades or football coverage and cooking in the kitchen.

Each family contributed a few signature dishes that they made before coming over around noon to Frederika and Colton’s house which was big enough to hold the large family for the main meal.

It would have been easy for the families to hire a catering company to deliver the meal for that day but Rae had started the tradition with her sons and they continued it with their families.

Rielle saw David Sr. cover a yawn around 11:30 and soon the various boisterous conversations started to break up.

Frank who was making a lamb dish said he had to get some rest for all of the cooking he would be doing the next day.

Graham and Frank had been talking mostly to each other since they came into the house and Rielle was thrilled at the way the two men had reconnected.

Graham had managed to sneak the ice cream into a large freezer in the kitchen with the help of Frank and his oldest son Mariano who distracted his aunt when they first entered the house. Colton was now in on the surprise and he would somehow keep his wife from that particular freezer until after the meal tomorrow.

Rielle was also thankful that Frederika seemed to be coping so well with seeing a few familiar faces from her past and hoped that it would help for the upcoming trip to St. Sebastian to bolster her confidence.