Chapter One
~
HOLLY
Our wedding was held on the island…Aiden’s island. I was still amazed that I was married to a man who owned an island. It was a hard thing to wrap your head around when you’ve been poor most of your life. I was quickly finding out there would be much more that I’d have to become accustomed to. Having two homes would be strange to me. Aiden wanted us to stay primarily in the penthouse since it was closer to his work, and pretty much everything, but we’d spend some of our weekends at the big house on the ranch and I loved it there. I already had visions of Eric growing up there, running and playing with a dog running behind him. I could see him learning how to ride a horse, and learning how to swim in the lake. I loved that we were finally a real family. Nothing had ever made me happier.
At the wedding reception, the question of the hour was, “What are you two going to do on your honeymoon?” Besides telling me he asked my mother to stay at the house with Eric for the next week, Aiden wouldn’t tell me where we were going. He had told me that he would make all of our honeymoon arrangements and he wanted it to be a surprise. I had assumed that we’d just be staying on the island and although it was slightly deserted, I thought he had something romantic planned for me there. Was I in for a big surprise though and more than one heavenly treat.
After a tearful good-bye to Eric, who I hadn’t been away from for a day since he was born, much less a week, we boarded a yacht where we were treated to champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries. The wedding party and guests stood and waved until we were out of sight. I almost cried again when we got so far out that I couldn’t see Eric any longer.
Aiden was doing his best to distract me, and he told me I would be able to call him every night to tell him I loved him and make sure he was okay. I finally began to relax and enjoy my first yacht ride. We saw a whale, way out in the ocean. Aiden got a pair of binoculars for me and let me watch him swim and blow water through his blow-hole. He was the most majestic sight I’d ever seen.
Along the way we also came across a family of Dolphins and we got to watch as they swam and played alongside the boat for miles. It was so cute how they seemed to be enjoying the attention we were giving them. I’d been on small boats before, but this was the first time I’d been on one this size, or that I’d gone so far out in the ocean. It was so beautiful that it took my breath away.
The yacht was huge and it had any amenity a person could think of. It was roomier than most homes I had lived in, until I met Aiden. We made love in the gigantic master suite; it was larger than any hotel I’d ever stayed at. The bed was tall and so comfortable that I didn’t want to get out of it. Aiden insisted I follow him back up top though, so I did. I was glad when I realized that he wanted me to watch the sunset with him. We sat on the deck and watched as it dipped down under the ocean. The sky was lit brightly with a big, silver moon and a thick smattering of stars. It was all like looking into a painting, it was so perfect. I fell asleep in his arms. I truly felt like I’d died and gone to heaven.
When I woke up the sun was just rising over the sea and casting an orange hue across the surface of the dark blue water. It was such an amazing sight to wake up to. We sipped our coffees and had breakfast on the deck. Aiden’s first mate doubled as our cook for the voyage, and he was wonderful in the kitchen.
After breakfast, one of the crew came to tell Aiden something that I didn’t hear and after he left, Aiden told me we would be pulling into port soon.
“Which port?” I asked. “Where are we?”
He only smiled and said, “It’s a surprise, remember. Go ahead and go down and get ready.”
“What should I wear?” I asked him, still fishing for where we were going.
“Something tropical,” he said with a smile. “I’d even be okay if you wore nothing.”
I laughed and said, “Unless we’re on your private island with no witnesses, that won’t be happening.”
I went down the stairs and I showered and dressed in a white wrap-around skirt and a soft blue tank top that flowed over my curves. I wore my bikini underneath, just in case, since I had no idea where we were going. I didn’t know what shoes to wear either, but considering my attire, I went with my white flip flops. I pulled my long hair back into a ponytail at my neck and picked out a white straw hat and big sunglasses to ward off some of the sun’s rays. I had really fair skin and I didn’t tan, I burned and peeled. When I met Aiden back on the deck, he had showered and dressed as well. He was wearing khaki shorts, a polo shirt and a pair of leather boat shoes. He looked like one of those men in the boat ads.