Page 95 of Protecting Hailey

Yes. Neon blue.

“I… I don’t know what to say. What is this? What exactly am I looking at?” I marveled at the midnight black water that glowed neon blue wherever the water rippled.

“This is called a Bioluminescent bay or bio bay,” said Christian. Pointing to the tiny sparkles of light, he added, “There are microscopic organisms inside the water that produce this shimmering effect. There aren’t many places in the world where you can see this, besides Puerto Rico.”

Jager pulled his shirt and pants off and raced towards the shore. Jake and Will followed, wildly pumping their arms to catch up.

Christian’s dad had decided to return to his hotel room, so it was just the two of us left on the beach. I’d told myself I wouldn’t ask him any questions until later, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Are you sure you’re ready to leave New York?” I asked.

He pulled his gaze from the shore to me. “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t realize how close you and your brothers are. You’ll be leaving them and moving to California with me. You probably won’t get many of these weekends or any of them while I’m on tour for the next six to eight months.”

My heart hammered in my chest. Fear seized my lungs as I worried he would tell me it wasn’t going to work out. And then picturing myself standing in front of thousands of people performing my songs, my knees shook.

“Hey, hey,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “I’m going into this with my eyes wide open, Hailey. I know what I’m leaving and what I’m getting into, and I can’t wait to be with you. Yes, this wasn’t what I had envisioned, but I hadn’t imagined you, either. And what a shame that was. You are the brightest light in my life. You are the reason I see a future beyond my work. I see a life with you, Hailey. I see a life filled with excitement, love, and endless adventure with you. I’d follow you anywhere.”

My heart overflowed and tears ran down my face. “Are you sure?” I sputtered through sobs.

He ran his fingers through my hair and wiped away my tears. “Surer than anything I’ve ever done before. This is my decision, Hailey. No one else advised me, commanded me, or guilted me into making it. I’ve lived a lifetime already and achieved so much. But earning your love has been my greatest accomplishment.”

I hiccupped, but smiled. He grinned back at me and lifted me into his arms. “Now, enough talk. It’s time to get wet.”

He jogged up to the shore, jostling me in his arms. I grasped the back of his neck and covered my face with his shoulder when he splashed into the water.

“Ah!” I shouted when he waded waist-deep and the water hit my thigh. “Plug your nose, Hailey,” he warned.

“No. No. Don’t you dare,” I shouted. But Christian launched me into the air and I immediately plugged my nose before I crashed butt-first into the ocean.

I broke the surface, sputtering and splashing water at him. I was just about to jump on his head and try to drown him when the colors around us caught my attention.

I waved my hand underneath the water and it glowed blue beneath the surface. “Wow. It’s incredible. How have I never heard about this?”

“You’ve been a little busy becoming a pop star,” he grinned.

I leaned back and floated in the water, looking up at the black sky and inhaling the salty air. It was cloudy, with hardly any stars above me and no moonlight to guide me. But I felt safe and loved. Somehow, I was certain I never would have experienced this without Christian. My life was so focused on making money, providing for my family, and working until I achieved my goals that I never stopped to realize that life was more than what you did for a living.

How blind was I to the world around me? To a world that didn’t care how much money you made, how famous you were, or what clothes you wore. A world where I could truly be myself.

“Thank you,” I whispered in the dark. I was grateful that Christian had brought me here. But I was also thanking the guardian angel or whatever forces of the universe that brought him into my life. I never would have swum in an ocean full of blue firelights without him.

I hoped he felt his life had become just as full as mine.

I swam toward him, and he lifted me onto his waist. Looking around for his brothers, I couldn’t spot them. “Where did they all go?”

“I saw them leave when we got in. Probably wanting to give us some privacy.”

I pulled my body up and pressed myself against him. Tilting my head, I kissed him softly on the lips, pulling on his lower lips, and drawing a sigh from him. I did that again, and again until he cupped the back of my head, frustrated, and kissed me deeply, moaning into my mouth.

As he moved his lips down my neck, waves crashed down below us. It was the only sound for miles. His shoulders were damp and when I ran my tongue underneath his jaw, his skin was salty from the ocean.

My body pulsed from the magic that surrounded us. It felt as though I were in a dream world. A vision of a neon blue haze circling us as we held each other in the water heightened my desire, and I gripped Christian’s bulging erection between us.

He didn’t hesitate. He pulled my bikini bottoms aside and sunk himself into me. Dropping my head into his neck, I panted as he slowly drove inside and out of me. It was torturously slow, but I loved feeling every ridge on his shaft, drawing out the friction and pleasure. It didn’t take long before my body tensed and I wrapped my legs tightly around him.

I threw my head back as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through me.

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