Page 23 of The Bourbon Bargain

My breathing hitches as his body molds to mine, trapping me in his space. I fight to keep my train of thought as he places a few butterfly-soft kisses along my jaw, because it’s wanting to skitter off into the recesses of dirty things we like to do together. In the dark. Like when I met him, in the Elysium garden on the rooftop of the Abyss in Savannah. The thoughts click together, and I know what I want to do. I straighten up and he pulls back slightly to take in the smile that I can feel all over my face.

“I have worked with enough foundations back in Savannah that I could reach out to for guidance, but what if we started a garden project? Something that would feed the community and give people steady work while developing business skills that they can translate into everyday life?” I’m thinking out loud, but I like the direction this is going. Our own foundation could do so much good right here in Atlanta. Something that would mean a lot to us both.

“Have you been holding back your desires from me? I didn’t know you were interested in any of that. You know you can tell me all of this, anytime, right?”

I tilt my head at him. “It just occurred to me when we started talking about traditions. I’d like to create our own together. As for the garden and charity ideas, I’ve had to do my share of volunteering through the years as well. I always liked the projects that benefited people in underserved communities the most. It just makes sense to do a garden because of how we met, so why not make it a practical kitchen garden that extends to people who don’t always have access to fresh produce? It could be our little Elysium, no matter where we are, and would help others.”

“Elysium,” he murmurs, his mouth dropping to my neck, breath tickling my skin. “You are full of surprises, wife.”

Our conversation takes a pause, and our food grows cold, as Hayes shows me just how much he enjoys being surprised by my brain and ideas.

fifteen

The Atlanta Haute List

BillionaireAndTheBelleIn The Giving Spirit

We may have had our initial doubts about the fast-moving relationship of billionaire Hayes Olsen and his Southern belle bride, Paige Fairchild, but we are just as head over heels for the couple now as they seem to be with each other. Our cold little Grinch hearts are growing three sizes just in time for Christmas as we watch them turn what could have been a honeymoon for the ages into a season of giving.

It was announced today that the couple has established a foundation benefiting youth in Atlanta. Think the Big Brother, Big Sister program meets your favorite Community Supported Agriculture group, but on billionaire-funded steroids, and you get the picture of what the Elysium Garden Project will be doing. Fairchild was quoted as saying, “We met in a garden, so it was only natural that we would turn to that for inspiration in creating the Elysium Garden Project. We want to provide mentorship and support while teaching valuable business skills and filling a need in the community. The Elysium Garden Project will create urban garden spaces for these communities to grow food, create jobs, feed hungry bellies, and establish local produce stands to teach basic business skills. We’re excited to start the program in Atlanta and can’t wait to expand throughout Georgia.”

We’re not crying, you’re crying. And finally, a hint at how the couple met! In what garden did Hayes find this Georgia peach, exactly, and how do we start hanging out there looking for our own billionaire to pick us?

Not to be outdone by, well, themselves it seems, Hayes and Paige have also been visiting local hospitals and distributing toys to children who have to stay for the holidays. Sources say even brothers Payton and Zander have joined them on more than one occasion, so we think Paige is having a positive effect on the entire Olsen family.

This most certainly may appear to be a turn from our recent coverage of Atlanta’s favorite billionaire brothers and their dastardly deeds in the business world. You must know wearecapable of compassion as well as scathing opinions, and this is just the developing story we can get behind, and wanted to share to get all you Grinches into the Christmas Spirit, also.

As always, click Like and Subscribe for all of the Haute gossip.

sixteen

Hayes

“Nopeeking.”Iclaspmy hands over Paige’s eyes when her own fingers become far too spread apart for my surprise.

“You’re a madman, Hayes. You should have just blindfolded me completely if you wanted to keep me from peeking.”

I growl against her neck. “A blindfold sounds like an excellent plan. Let’s add that to the bedroom and see what you think.”

She shivers in my arms and the motion sets off my own response, my pants tightening with each step.Not the right time, buddy.

“Where are we going?”

“You have asked five times already and haven’t gotten an answer. What makes you think the sixth will be any different?” I kiss her head and pull her to a stop.

“I figured my persistence would eventually be rewarded. Are we there yet? Is this my present or just where I will find it?”

“Keep your eyes closed.” I pull my hands away from her face and move to stand in front of her. “Okay, now you can open.”

Paige blinks her eyes open and the first thing she focuses on is me, a smile spreading across her face. Her eyes dart around me and she steps back to take it all in.

“Oh, my God.” She covers her mouth with her fingers and spins, taking in the park behind us. “I know this place. We’re in the south historic district across from Forsyth Park, and that’s my favorite house. Why are we here?”

“This is our new home in Savannah.” The apartment at The Abyss was decent for a bachelor, but there aren’t nearly enough spaces on which to get her naked. “Think you’ll mind splitting time in Atlanta if we get to come back here?”

She smiles at me and throws herself into my arms, giving me the big squeeze around the middle hug that I like to think is reserved especially for me.

“Yes, I absolutely love it. How could you possibly know to pick this one?”

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