Page 55 of Finding Love on the Slopes

“That’s not true. As a child, he explored the caves and hot springs on my grandmother’s property.”

“Yes, but he was a kid and was terrified of getting lost, so he never went too deep. Your grandmother also didn’t feel comfortable with him going in alone, so that was another reason he never went too far. After a short trip to Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee for a small taste of what it would be like and to gain some experience, we did a much more in-depth exploration of your grandmother’s caves and actually created a map while we did it. It was one of the best adventures we have had over the years. Going into the dark, deep earth, you rely on that other person for survival. If you ever need a place to hide, that would be an excellent choice.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

Enrique chuckled and shook his head.

“It’s just fascinating to me that he picked you. I have met most of his friends, even his wealthy ones. You’re not the only one you know, and they are all…”

“Less of a jerk?” he chuckled, helping her find the right word.

She nodded. “Yeah, something like that. No offense.”

“You’re right,” he said. “And no offense taken. I know my arrogant side can be a lot. What can I say? Your brother is very good at discerning the heart of a person and seeing past the rough edges. He reminds me of Hannah, Anthony, and Fernando in this regard. Over time, he has played a huge role in helping me overcome some of my defense mechanisms. The giant chip on my shoulder, as Anthony would say.”

“What other adventures have you taken together?”

His eyes lit up, and Leighann could tell he loved this topic. “Oh, there have been so many, Leighann. We’ve had some really wild and scary ones that push you to the absolute limit and ones that are just plain old fun for grown boys and their toys. There was this one time we took ATV’s exploring this Caribbean Island I had just bought and –”

Her jaw dropped. She thought he was being ridiculous when he paid five hundred grand to reserve half of the mountain and a million to secure her services as a ski instructor, but hearing him casually say he bought an island like that was an everyday thing made her ears ring.

“You bought an entire island?”

He looked at her funny as he took in her shocked expression. He didn’t see why she was that surprised. Buying a private island wasn’t anything new for people with wealth. In fact, you didn’t even have to be wealthy to do it. Didn’t most people dream of owning their own piece of paradise by the sea? Some took it a little further and wanted it surrounded by water. He would have to take her on a trip to Thousand Island, New York. That would probably blow her mind.

“Yes, I did,” he said matter of factly.

“Why?”

He chuckled, “Do I need a reason? I’m a billionaire. Buying property is an investment. I enjoy privacy, and having my own private island provides that. It was a few years ago, and I came across it while cruising the Caribbean one summer. It was beautiful, had a gorgeous home already built, utilities in place, andeven a full-time staff lived there to maintain it while the owners were away. It turned out they were in jail, so they lost all their property, and I got it for a steal. It’s nice to have a secluded place to relax every once in a while, and rumor has it there is buried treasure on the island from the old pirate days. That is what your brother and I were doing, looking for treasure. That turned into an ATV race, and he lost control and drove off a cliff. It was epic! It’s a nice place for relaxation,” he explained. “I like the privacy and the quaintness. I haven’t been there in a while because I’ve been busy, but yeah, it’s nice.”

Leigh tried to wrap her head around their differences. He wanted a quiet place to relax, he bought an island. She wanted a quiet place to relax, she sat on the beach.

He could see her struggling, so he added, “Does it help to know that the property is used by my entire family when they need to get away? It is also used as a safe house by several groups of people that I work with when people need to be protected or hidden away for a while. Anthony uses it as a luxurious prize giveaway at many of the family’s charity events, and the pastor of our church uses it once a year for his sabbatical, often inviting other ministers and their families to go with him. Transportation is always provided as it is a secret location, and it wouldn’t be a very good safe house if a bunch of people knew where it was.”

He observed her eyes as realization dawned, “I see now that it wasn’t a purely selfish purchase, nor was it as wasteful as I had originally thought. It still strikes me as a little over the top,but I can support something that is used to help so many other people.”

“Leighann, if we move forward in our relationship, you are going to have to come to terms with the fact that I’m a billionaire. I worked hard to make that happen. My family worked hard to make that happen. I’m not ashamed of it, nor will I be made to feel guilty for my spending. Do I sometimes buy things I don’t need just for fun? Yes. And I will think about that in the future. But I also do a lot of good with my money, as does the rest of my family. Will you and I need to come to an agreement on our living arrangements and the vehicles we drive when we marry? Yes, but that doesn’t mean we will drive a Prius or live in an Airstream camper on the beach.”

“What is wrong with Prius’ and Airstreams?” she challenged.

“I won’t get on my soap box about the damage electric and hybrid vehicle batteries are doing to the planet, a discussion you as a reef conservationist should be interested in. And, for the record, I have nothing against Airstreams or the people who live a mobile life; it just isn’t where I will live. Compromise is going to be the only way we succeed. Can you do this? Will you try?”

“Yes, as long as you are willing to compromise with me and promise to never push me beyond my limits.”

“I have every intention of making you happy and doing all in my power to make your life as comfortable and pleasurable as possible. But I will spoil you, and you will have to grin and bear it.”

She smiled, and warmth coursed through her when he leaned down and tenderly kissed her forehead.

“I know we are trying to suck every last moment out of these ten days, but it is late, and we should probably head to bed,” Leigh suggested sitting up and collecting items to return to the forgotten tray.

“I know you’re returning to Curtis’ house tomorrow, and we each have a busy morning of meetings and such, but will you go on one last date with me tomorrow?”

“I can’t think of anything I would rather do.” Kissing him on the cheek, she whispered, “Good night, sweet dreams.” before making her way upstairs.

Chapter Forty-Nine

“I’m in love with him,” Leighann admitted as she rested her head on a folded towel to provide padding from the hard surface of the cave and stared up at the orange rock ceiling above her. The candles they had lit around the room flickered, giving a romantic or eerie glow to the small space, depending on how you looked at it.

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