“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Abe said. “I sincerely hope Preston isn’t embezzling from your brother, he’s always been a standup guy, but I can’t answer for him. I will say that we have been friends since before college and I’ve never known him to lie or to not be a good employee.” Preston suffered from the embezzlement just like Abe did, lost his job simply because of his association with Abe and Angel. It was all Angel’s fault and the anger flared even hotter. Ten years later and still Angel was tormenting him. Now the duplicitous woman was messing up his relationship with Rachel.
Rachel simply glared at him. Abe pushed out a frustrated breath. Was there any way to get through to her? “Look I never embezzled from McKnight or anyone. If you read the articles you saw that I was framed by Angel Falslev.” He winced as he said her name. “I spent three months in prison then was released when Angel fled the country with millions more of McKnight’s money. The only thing you could say I’ve done wrong in the whole situation is the anger that’s justifiably festered at the woman who set me up ten years ago. This is all Angel’s fault, not mine and not Preston’s.”
Rachel pushed out a breath.
Abe took a step toward her. “Do you believe me, Rach? Can you give me a chance to explain it all, talk it all through?”
Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know, Abe. I’m super confused about everything. I trusted you, I fell for you fast.” Her voice lowered and she looked nothing like the Rachel he’d seen blossom over the past two days. She looked like an insecure teenage version of his beautiful, confident, sassy Rachel. “How do I know you weren’t lying about us, about thinking I’m attractive, about how well you dealt with this?” She pointed to her left side. “You’ve got to admit it was a little too good to be true how easily you accepted me.”
Abe’s temper really flared then. He hated that she could think he might be an embezzler, but he could figure out how to deal with that. He could keep his cool when she accused him and Preston of tricking her brother, or of being in league with Angel, no matter how mad it made him. But he refused to stand here and listen to her disparage herself and think his attraction and feelings for her weren’t genuine.
“Don’t,” he warned in a low growl.
“Don’t what?” She flipped her wet hair and gave him a sassy glare with her blue eyes. The move actually reassured him. His Rachel was still in there.
“You can refuse to listen to my side about the embezzling charges and accuse me of anything you want regarding Angel or Preston. I can excuse that because you haven’t known me long enough to know that I would never lie or cheat anyone, but I will not stand here and have you claim that what happened between us wasn’t pure and meaningful. You … are … beautiful. Your scars don’t detract from the picture that makes up Rachel Jewel, the strength, fire, and beauty that radiate from the inside and are reflected on the outside. You trusted me enough to show me your entire face tonight, to let me touch and be close to all of you.”
He pushed a hand through the air in frustration before continuing from between gritted teeth. “Fling whatever accusations you want at me about my business or what happened with McKnight and Angel and I’ll deal with that, but don’t youeverpretend that I lied about how attracted I am to you. Don’t you ever try to talk yourself into believing that I’m not head over heels in love with you because Iam.” The last sentence came out in a fierce snarl and his words honestly shocked him as much as they probably shocked her.
Rachel took a step back. Her eyes and mouth widened, and she tellingly put her hand to her left cheek. It seemed to take her half a minute to fully internalize his words, but then blue eyes glistening, she gave a little whimper and rushed at him. She knocked against his chest with her fists balled. Abe wrapped his arms around her and just held her there, using one hand to tenderly stroke her damp hair. Relief and joy swept over him. Rachel was in his arms. He could do anything with her close.
A sob seemed to rip from her as she slid her arms around his back and clung to him. She cried silently for a few minutes. Abe’s neck and t-shirt were wet from her tears and her wet clothes seeping into his. He didn’t like her crying, hoped he wasn’t the cause of it, but he thought it was part of her healing and internalizing how much he cared.
Finally, she looked up at him and asked, “Did youreallymean all of that?”
Abe studied her blue eyes and willed her to know he was genuine. “Every word,” he said evenly.
Rachel gave him a tremulous smile and said, “I’m so sorry that I doubted you.”
“Thank you.” He kissed her forehead and said, “I never want you to have reason to doubt me again. Can we please talk through everything? Will you listen to my side?”
Rachel nodded. “I want to talk through everything. But first I want to …” She ran her hands up the sides of his abdomen and over his chest muscles. His body reacted and he pulled her tighter against him. Rachel grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down to meet hers.
She kissed him as if to show him exactly how much she cared. He’d admitted to her that he’d fallen in love with her. She hadn’t said the same but her kiss seemed to say it.
A buzzing against his thigh startled him. Rachel didn’t stop kissing him so he happily followed her lead as the storm raged outside. Another branch broke from a tree and hit something with a sharp crack as Rachel’s phone buzzed yet again.
Rachel leaned back and smiled. “I promised Luke I’d answer his call.”
He nodded solemnly, still a little upset with Luke for causing all the misunderstandings but he knew if the roles were reversed and it was his sister, Allison, he would do anything to protect her from someone who had a complicated past like his. At least Rachel was willing to talk it through, forgive him, and kiss him. He reserved any anger for the person it should be focused on—Angel.
She pulled her phone out to answer it, but stayed close to him, running her hand over his arm muscles, and making him want to kiss her all over again as she gave him a secretive smile. A smile meant just for him. He wanted to be the man that Rachel smiled at like that. Always.
The rain pounded louder against the windows and he glanced out and saw the water in the swimming pool was sloshing as if it were on a cruise ship.
“Hey,” Rachel greeted her brother. She smiled at Abe again. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m great, actually. Abe’s great. We worked it out.” She paused and listened. “Thanks, bro. A relief for sure. Yeah, Abe and I—” Her smile pulled into a frown. “Oh … Okay. What do you need us to do?”
Abe’s phone rang in his pocket. He wanted to know what Rachel’s brother could be saying that had her frowning, but he thought whoever was calling at ten o’clock in the middle of a tropical storm might need an answer. Hopefully, his employees were all still safe inside. The speed and Wi-Fi connection on this island had impressed him when he dealt with work issues early this morning, but with this storm blowing in it was even more impressive that calls were still coming through.
The number said, American Express – Lisa. That was interesting. His personal concierge for his Centurion card didn’t call often. “Lisa,” he said in greeting.
“Mr. Bradford.” Her voice sounded edgy, nervous. “Are you still at Paradise Retreat with your employees, sir?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m sorry to bother you sir, but I felt this was worthy of your attention. I’ve been trying to reach the manager there, Mr. Preston Sant, but he has not responded to phone calls, texts, or emails.”
As she said that he glanced at Rachel and heard her say, “Preston won’t respond to you at all?”