Page 74 of Hard To Love

Chapter Twenty-Five

We retrievedour luggage in baggage claim at the West Palm Beach airport and made our way past all the silver-haired grandparents dressed in brightly- colored polo shirts and khaki shorts, as they greeted their young and excited grandkids. As soon as I walked through the revolving door, my head tilted up and soaked up the hot Florida sun. The sight and sounds of palm trees swaying in the breeze had me ready for a nice long nap in a beachside hammock.

Chase reached for my hand as a gentleman took our bags and put them in the trunk of a shiny red convertible. Once he closed the hatch, he walked around and started the car.

“Everything is all set, Mr. Newman. Enjoy your stay.” He smiled then tipped his hat to me.

Chase walked over and opened my passenger side door. “You rented a convertible?” I asked, admiring the finely detailed black leather interior of the car.

He put his sunglasses on and in a Risky Business kind of moment and flashed me that smile that made my heart skip a beat. “No, I didn’t rent this car. I own this car!”

My mouth hung open in disbelief. “What kind of car is this?” I asked, while admiring its gorgeous body.

“It’s an Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. It goes 0 to sixty in 3.8 seconds!” My head did a double take as he winked and turned onto the highway, demonstrating how quickly it accelerated. I knew nothing about cars, but I was sure this car cost a small fortune.

As we cruised comfortably down I-95, my fingers searched my purse for a hair tie so I could keep it from blowing on my face. After I shielded the sun out of my eyes, I secured my hair inside the elastic band, then gave it a tight tug to make sure it wasn’t going anywhere.

“Are you going to tell me where we are staying?”

He glanced in the rearview mirror before changing lanes. “That’s a surprise.” He teased, flashing me that smile that had my pulse thickening and my body squirming in my seat.

We exited the highway and started to make our way through a residential neighborhood outlined by beautiful banyan trees. The farther we drove, the more the homes started to get bigger and further apart. We made a turn into a small driveway and approached a manned security gate. The officer inside the building waved to us as Chase approached the wooden arm blocking the rock. Magically the gate rose, causing me to turn around and give him a questioning look.

Once inside, we drove across a bridge that arched gracefully over the Intercostal Waterway and connected to a beautifully landscaped street with sprawling mansions and a tropical inlet leading to a beautiful marina. The smell of the salty ocean air hit my nose as we pulled into the circular driveway of a home that you would see on the cover of a magazine

“Did you rent this for us?” I asked, barely able to contain my excitement.

He pushed his aviators to the top of his head and reached for my hand. “Not exactly, this is my home.”

Okay, for the second time in less than an hour my jaw dropped to the floor.

“You’re joking, right?” I laughed nervously. I mean I knew his family was wealthy, but I had no idea it was this kind of money.

“What? Do you not like it?”

A laugh escaped me. Was he serious? “This place is incredible; it’s just sometimes I forget how much money you actually have.”

Leaning back, I covered my face with my hands wishing I could shut the hell up.

He pulled my hands away, “I’m still me. Don’t let all this stuff intimidate you. Okay?” The simplicity of his words and the honesty in his eyes seeped into my skin, calming my nerves, and reminded me that it was Chase, the man that I loved.

“It’s beautiful.” I said spinning around to admire its beauty.

“This house used to belong to my parents. My dad tried to sell it after my mom passed away. I just couldn’t seem to part with it. Too many happy memories here.”

I glanced around, “Well, from the looks of it, I can see why you would want to keep it.”

Reaching for my hand he placed a kiss on the inside of my wrist. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too. Thank you for bringing me.”

His eyes crinkled in the sun and a sheepish smile lit up his face. “Just relax and try to enjoy yourself.” He took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. “Ready for the grand tour?”

My hands gave his a tight squeeze, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The weight of the heavy wood door could be felt as we pushed it open to reveal an open floor plan lined with long windows with a breathtaking view of the private beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

Walking through the foyer, my eyes caught a wall lined with family photos. Even though very young, I recognized the handsome faces of the little boys in the picture. Everyone was wearing a white shirt and the sun was setting in the background. Chase and Colin were kneeling in front of a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and inviting brown eyes. She was definitely his mom.

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