Page 100 of Sapphire Storm

“How long have you been planning this?”

“Rachel told me Andy was going to go the press and say hehadn’t heard from you and Diana was going to try to destroy him. I went to talkto him.”

“You met Andy?” He sounded as thrilled as he did surprised.

“That’s when I realized I had to do this for you and foryour mom. Because Andy knew the same thing I did. This was never going to endwith her. Once you’d legally joined her family, she’d see you like she ownedyou. But there was another reason.”

“Yeah?” Roman asked.

“This was the only way we could be together withoutsecrets.”

“You can’t be with anyone if you’re not being yourself,right?” Roman caressed the side of Ethan’s face.

“And another thing,” Ethan whispered. “Andy said this iswhat your mother would have wanted me to do, and so I did it.”

A kiss this time that seemed to last forever, followed bythe delicious feel that Roman’s hard body was melting into his.

And so they lay together. Unhurried, unrushed. Free.

When Ethan heard the helicopter outside, he prayed it wouldpass over his building with a dull roar. It didn’t. Somewhere in the skynearby, it hovered.

“I hope my mom didn’t watch us bang just now,” Roman said.

Ethan jerked. “Wait,what?”

“Nothing. I was just talking to her in my head earlier,’cause she always wanted me to have the wedding I wanted and in my head I said,Don’t watch tonight, Ma, ’cause this ain’t the real deal. Then I gotyour dessert and I said,Watch this part, Ma. ’Cause whatever our history,this man is the real deal.”

Their mouths met in a leisurely kiss. Outside, a new soundhad joined the helicopter’s buzz. Low voices in hurried conversation. Itsounded like they were coming from the sidewalk below his balcony. He expectedthem to pass by. They didn’t. They gathered and grew louder.

“What are you going to do for work?” Roman asked.

“We’ll see. It’ll be the beginning of an exciting newchapter.” He caressed the side of Roman’s face. “I found a place in San Diego.It’s a little bit bigger, but it’s actually cheaper. And since you’re going toneed a place to live, I thought maybe you could come with me. I mean, the leaseis month to month but…”

“An exciting new chapter,” Roman whispered, “together?”

“Correct,” Ethan said and kissed him gently on the lips.

“I’d go anywhere with you, Ethan Blake. But…” Roman smiled,slid from the bed and picked his underwear up off the floor.

Ethan wasn’t quite sure where he was heading until he lookedback over his shoulder and smiled, then he pulled the drapes apart. Sureenough, a news helicopter hovered overhead, angled right at Ethan’s building.Reflecting off the balcony’s glass wall were the camera light flares of newscrews gathered below.

“What are we going to do about them?” Roman asked.

“Who cares? We’ve got nothing to hide anymore.”

Roman nodded, then he slid the deck door open and prancedout onto the balcony, swinging his hips proudly. More camera lights flicked on.Roman raised one arm and waved at them like a passenger on a departing cruiseship. “Hey there!” he yelled. “Just thought you guys would like to know we justhad sex. And we’re probably going to have a lot more because we’re totally inlove. Good night!”

Some of the reporters where shouting questions as Romanpulled the sliding door shut with a squeal, followed it with the drapes, thenthrew himself back onto the bed and into Ethan’s arms.

26

The next day, Ethan regretted having been socavalier about the media. While it was true he and Roman had nothing left tohide, they’d also turned the celebrity wedding of the year into an altogetherdifferent and more dramatic story, which made it impossible to get from point Ato point B without a hundred cameras being shoved in their faces.

After an aborted attempt to reach Ethan’s new apartment inSan Diego, the two of them sought refuge where cars full of reporters couldn’tfollow—at sea, aboard theGolden Boy, which Donnie, who’d wisely kepthis license plate covered up the night before, piloted all the way to CatalinaIsland as Ethan checked the skies for helicopters and drones.

One day anchored off the dry, grassy mountain of land turnedto three, thanks to the little skiff Donnie used to get supplies from the island’sshops while Ethan and Roman stayed hidden on board. For the most part, theykept theGolden Boyaway from the more popular harbor, spending thedaylight hours cruising the more remote southern shore. At night, Donniescrolled the headlines and read them updates.

Diana had fled the country the night of the wedding. But notto France, apparently. The security company she’d hired there had released anass-covering public statement claiming they didn’t have the slightest ideaRoman Walker had been held under duress at her villa in Provence, and they wereceasing all business operations with her immediately. Two different departmentstores dropped her product lines, a development which shocked Ethan silent whenDonnie read it aloud. He’d expected the woman to suffer some level of blowback,but nothing that extreme.

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