Page 96 of Protecting Hailey

I’d barely realized that he’d walked us back to the shore before he laid me on the sand. Raising his body over me, I could barely make out his features in the blackness of the night. But I knew it was him. No one had ever made me feel this beautiful… this free… or this alive.

Picking up where he’d left off, Christian moved inside of me as my body melted into the sand. I ran my fingers through the soft powder above my head and closed my eyes. I smelled the ocean, tasted its saltiness in his kiss, and lost myself in the sound of his release.

The magic wasn’t just in the water. It was all around me. Somehow, I’d secured a piece of it in my soul.

26

Hailey

Christian’s brothers and father left early the next morning after breakfast. The men embraced each other and said their goodbyes in the lobby in front of the limo. I hadn’t known them for more than a day, but my throat clogged up when Christian wrapped his arm around Jager and squeezed tightly. It may be awhile before he’d see them again.

I had been so wrong about them being just his friends. He had referred to them as his brothers, but I thought he’d meant his ‘bros’ or something. But no. Those men were his family.

When we arrived back at my place, I took the luggage from him and steered it away. Pulling him aside, I asked, “What would you like to eat?”

He frowned. “I’m not sure. I guess I can whip up something. Let me check what’s in the fridge.”

I held him back and shook my head. “No. I’m going to take care of you today. I know it’s not easy to say goodbye, even if it’s just for a little while.”

He ran his fingers through my hair and lifted my chin with his index finger. “It wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve had to do. I love my brothers, but we’ve been through a lot together. Distance isn’t going to stop us from being there for one another. We all know that. So, you don’t have to feel guilty, Hailey.”

He caught me. I blinked. Was I feeling guilty? Yes. That could describe the emptiness in the pit of my stomach. “I just want you to be happy. And I don’t ever want you to regret your decision.”

He kissed me gently. “I am happy. And I’ve only ever regretted not doing something.”

He grabbed my hand. “Come on. I’ve got a better idea. Let’s go grab some burritos for lunch instead.”

My stomach growled, and I smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

***

“I just got a text from Kendra,” I said, after inhaling the last bite of my veggie burrito. “She says her producer Fitz wants to speak to us about something.”

Christian packed away our trash and cleared the table. “All right, let’s go, then.”

He drove me to her studio and opened the glass door for me. I loved the little things he did. I kissed him on the cheek to show him how much.

The receptionist told me that Kendra and Fitz were waiting for me inside the studio. I kissed Christian goodbye and walked right in.

Kendra stood next to Fitz, who sat at the controls. She wore a black velvet one-piece jumpsuit with the word ‘superstar’ written in gold across her chest.

“Hey, girl. How was your weekend? Heard you got some R&R.”

I smiled, thinking of the little sleep I got with Christian waking me most of the night. “Sure did.”

“Great. You’re gonna need it because Fitz right here, has a brilliant idea.”

“Cool. What is it?”

Fitz swiveled in his black chair, revealing a 1950s-style bowling shirt. It looked vintage. “I played your track to a friend of mine. He runs a charity, raising funds to save young girls forced into sex trafficking. He would like to know how you feel about partnering up and having some of the proceeds go to the charity.”

I hadn’t expected this news. I thought it was some self-promotion thing or a concert he would try to convince me to sing with Kendra. But this?

“I don’t think we should donate part of the proceeds,” I said.

Fitz's face fell. “You don’t?”

I shook my head. “I can’t speak for Kendra, but I want to donate all of mine.”

---