Chapter Twenty-One
Alessandra
I was dead tired. The past few days had been nothing but exhausting. Jenson had a blast at Monterey. We swam in their big tank, and went on all the behind-the-scenes tours. He got to watch the fish and sharks in a feeding frenzy, which was a little crazy to see but he loved it. I just envisioned myself in there being torn apart by the fish, so I wasn’t all grins like he was.
Then we flew together to drop him off with my parents in Rio de Janeiro. They were thrilled to see us, and couldn’t wait to start doing things with their only grandbaby. Jenson was going to have a really busy month. My parents weren’t ones to stay in the house all the time—they loved to hike, swim, and even surf. We were outdoorsy people, after all.
As soon as I made it to Brazil, I had to turn around to head home, gather all my things for Hawaii, and get to the airport in a few hours for the flight to Kauai.
I’m sure Joel had a comfy seat in first class, and no one sitting next to him.
I was snuggled in between a large man and a young woman.
Whether he was okay with it, or I just looked like the walking dead, the man next to me didn’t make a peep about me resting my head on him accidentally for a while.
When I finally made it to Hawaii, I found my two large suitcases easily marveling at the open-air baggage claim that took advantage of the beautiful scenery and tropical breezes.
“Welcome to paradise, Lips.” I yawned and looked at Joel, too tired to ask him what he was doing here. Obviously, he was here for me.
Not caring if anyone was watching or had cameras pointed at him, I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist. I needed to be held, or carried.
“Miss me that much, huh? It’s okay,we have a whole month of fun and adventure together.” His strong arms circled me, and I smiled against his warm chest.
“Sleep first,” I mumbled, and he pulled back to grab my suitcases and carried them to a blue Jeep just a few yards away.
“You’re taking me to the hotel?”
“Nope, you’re staying with me in a house I rented near set. And before you fight me on it, I bribed Kandi with a year’s subscription to the Bubble Gum Box to still say you are rooming with her. I doubt anyone is going to care.”
He had taken care of everything, and I was too tired to fight him. I hopped up into the Jeep and he headed toward the love shack he rented for us.
After just a few minutes’ drive on a winding, two-lane road, he turned off and drove up a long dirt driveway. This house was definitely secluded, I’d give him that.
When the little red bungalow with a wrap-around porch came into view, I was truly stunned. It was beautiful.
“Wow!” I took in the scenery before me and felt like it was something out of a fairy tale. The little house was nestled in lush green flora, and you could see the water on the other side of it. The mountains were behind us, so no matter where you sat on the porch, you would have a spectacular view.
When he parked the Jeep, I just sat there, staring.
“It’s really beautiful.” I opened the door, but he was suddenly there to help me get out.
“I thought you’d like it.” He smiled, and I left my bags behind, wanting to go inside and explore. There was a table for four on the porch, and I smiled, thinking that it would be a nice place to have dinner.
The inside of the house was so beautifully decorated that it could have been in a magazine. I really wouldn’t doubt that it had, at some point.
It had wooden walls, and pretty bamboo counters. The furniture was brown and off-white, and it flowed nicely with all the wood.
I walked over to the sliding glass door that was open to the sea and could have just died by the sight. I loved the water so much, and that pretty deep blue mixed with light green was my favorite view.
On the back half of the porch there was a large hammock that would be perfect for relaxing and listening to the sounds of the waves. Directly across from the hammock was a large claw tub. I guess with all the privacy this place provided, you could take a nice bubble bath outside without being exposed. I’d be down for that, too.
Continuing my tour of the house, I found out it had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and was without a doubt the nicest house I’d ever been inside, aside from Joel’s house in La Jolla.
“Wanna eat some lunch?” He pulled out a bowl of fruit from the kitchen and set it on the table. Technically it was a little after noon here, and I’d been on a plane for over six hours, but I needed that nap.
“I’m going to go pass out for two hours and then I’ll be good for a little while.” I walked over to give him a proper kiss, which he returned before picking me up gently and carrying me to the room. He laid me down in the big bed, which I’m sure we would be sharing for the duration of our stay. He wasn’t going to let me sleep in the other room while he was in here, and I honestly didn’t want to, either.
He took off my shoes, setting them on the floor by the closet, and then did the same for his shoes.
