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Waterfall Kisses Chapter One
“Do I know you?”I looked up from the event table I was desperately trying to organize. A man wearing a salmon pink polo shirt with khaki shorts that were just a little too short stood in front of me. He reminded me of a plastic Ken doll with his bleached hair that was gelled into submission and what looked like a fashion shoot pose.“Excuse me?” I asked. There was a massive gala tonight to showcase the items available for auction tomorrow, and this table needed to be set up and fixed. The auction of this multi-million dollar Caribbean estate was very important to me and really, everything needed to be perfect, but I was focusing on this table for the moment.The man grinned. “Do I know you? Because I'm having a hard time recognizing you with your clothes on.”I stared at him, dumbfounded. There was no way he could be serious.“That's seriously what you're going with?” I asked after a moment. I was way too busy for crappy pick up lines. “You're at a million dollar event hosted by a b
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Two
“YOU CAME BACK!” I yelled, running down the steps toward Ava. My hair spread out behind me in the tropical heat. I jumped the last step, being careful of my heels before taking off at a run. Bastian never understood how I could do it, but I'd been wearing heels for work long enough to know how to run in them.I wrapped her up in a giant hug. The last time I had seen her was a little over a week ago. We had become friends just before I had left to go work on the phone app for our company. That was right around the time she and Bastian realized they were perfect for each other and were giving the most obvious love-filled glances in the kitchen. I had been glad to get out of the house and give them some alone time.To be honest, I was surprised when I came back to work on the auction and found out that she had gone back home, leaving my brother broken-hearted. Bastian claimed she said she just didn't fit his world, but that made no sense to me. They were so perfect together that I was h
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Three
10 Years Earlier...I sat carefully on the old wooden chair in Bastian's dorm room, looking around the room in awe.So, this is what college looks like, I thought to myself. I had imagined it to look a little less like a boy's gym bag and more like an academic library, but I wasn't going to complain.How many thirteen-year-olds got to go to college anyway? Or at least, got to visit their older brother in college and play pretend for the weekend.I checked my watch. I still had another fifteen minutes before Bastian would come back from his “project.” I rolled my eyes. Project- yeah right. It was obvious he was doing some cool college-y thing that he didn't want his little sister participating in. He just told me he had a group assignment he had to work on. Sure, Bastian. Sure.The room was a small square with two twin beds on opposite sides, two desks and a small TV perched on a mini-fridge in the center. Per Bastian's instructions, I had the door open and the resident assistant had a
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Four
I stood in front of the mirror, holding my dress up to see how the ensemble would come together. My dark hair was curled and pulled back in a half-up style that was soft and feminine. I loved my makeup- not too much, but enough that my brown eyes looked big and my lashes could start a small windstorm. I felt pretty, and with my hair and makeup done, I just needed to get dressed, but I wanted a sneak peek of the final product.“Not too shabby, Char,” I said quietly. “Not too shabby.”Even on the hanger, the dress was beautiful. It was an off-the shoulder gown of royal blue and cut to hug the top half of my body before ending in a subtle mermaid tail at the bottom. The color was my favorite part, as well as the secret pocket where I could keep my phone without having to carry a purse all evening.Ava's dress was perfect for her and this one was perfect for me.I stared at the woman looking back at me for a moment. Sure, she had the same dark hair and dark eyes, short stature and same cu
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Five
After putting on my dress and shoes, I glanced in the mirror one last time and smiled at my reflection. This was definitely one of my favorite dresses so far and, as silly as it was, I hoped Leo thought so too. It irritated me how much his opinion mattered to me, especially considering that we weren't anywhere near being a couple. Someday, I would stop caring. Someday, I would find someone else to love and I would finally put these feelings for Leo aside. Someday, I would be smart and let him go. Just not today.As it was, I suspected he would just tell me to put on a jacket, too.With a shrug, I tossed my hair over my shoulder and went into the adjoining room to find Ava. She was standing in front of the mirror, mesmerized by her appearance.“Holy crap. I do good work,” I said, taking her in. Stunning didn't even come close to describing her. The dress was even better with her dark hair freshly curled and pulled back with a golden comb.“You look gorgeous, Charlotte,” Ava replied, he
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Six
I realized I was still holding Leo's hand as we came to the glass door leading out to the porch, and I quickly dropped my hand from his as we positioned ourselves to peek out on the couple. I was trying hard to keep my distance and not touch him. Touching Leo only let my heart hope for things it couldn't have.The night was dark and the porch unlit, but there was still enough light for us to be able to watch. I pulled on the curtain, hiding us further from their sight.We huddled together in the dark, peeking through the small space available to see, and I couldn't help but notice how he was pressed into me. Or was I pressed into him? Either way, we were touching and it was making it hard to think. I took a deep breath to try and center myself, but succeeded only in taking in his scent instead. Pure, clean and male. My heart skipped several beats before I could force it to start again.“What's going on?” Leo asked again, a chuckle in his voice. His muscled arm was strong under his sui
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Seven
Leo still had my hand wrapped up in his and it was doing strange things to my heart. He'd never touched me for this long, at least not on purpose. With every moment, I knew I was falling just a little more in love with him and that I would crave his touch for days after this. It was almost cruel to know I wouldn't get it.Outside on the porch, the night was calm and beautiful. A cooling wind came in from the ocean, bringing the scent of salt and sand with it. The waning moon's small crescent shape was a silver glitter against the dark water of the Caribbean sea.Just before Leo closed the door, I heard the soft rumble of applause as Bastian began his speech inside. The door sealed with a soft thud, separating Leo and me from the rest of the world. It was warm and dark out here, and still thrumming with the magic of Bastian and Ava's reunion. I wanted to be in a world with just Leo, even if it was only for a moment. Even if I couldn't really have him, I wanted this moment.“Charlotte?”
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Eight
The kitchen was on fire.Or at least, it had been.The acrid scent of smoke lingered in the kitchen despite the open windows and the industrial fan sucking up as much of it as possible. Luckily, the scent had remained contained and wasn't frightening the guests.The chicken however, was very frightening.“I'm so sorry Ms. Page- the chicken flambé, it wasn't supposed to do that!” The poor caterer looked to be about two seconds away from bursting into tears. This was probably one of the biggest events on the island, and definitely not how she had planned on making an impression on our guests. “I've done this a thousand times and-”“Are you okay?” I cut her off, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Are you or any of your staff hurt?”“I'm okay, the staff is okay,” she sniffled, not meeting my eyes. I could smell the scent of burnt hair lingering around her, and upon closer inspection noticed her eyebrows were singed. A single tear rolled down her flushed cheeks. “But the dinner isn't.”I
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Waterfall Kisses Epilogue
I never thought this day would come.I look down at my white dress and giggle. It feels so surreal. I have to be dreaming, and this has to be the best dream of my life.I'm going to marry Leo Westbrook.I've dreamed of this day since I was thirteen years old, and now, finally, it's coming true.“You ready, Char?” Chloe, my childhood best friend asks. She's grinning at me, looking gorgeous as usual. The same dark hair she shares with her brother is curled into perfect waves. “Everyone's waiting.”I take one last look in the mirror and then I nod.I was born ready.Just outside the door, Bastian is waiting. He's leaning against the wall, pretending to be calm and collected, but I know better. He's nervous. The tick in his jaw and the way the little scar above his eye is pulsing show me that he's nervous.He smiles and his face softens as he sees me. “Wow,” he whispers. “You look so beautiful.”I grin. “You don't look so bad yourself,” I tell him. He stands up a little straighter and puf
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Thirty
I hadn't been able to eat anything all morning. My stomach was made of knots and snakes, and the snakes weren't happy about the knots.I stood in front of the main table in the empty meeting room and tugged on the non-existent wrinkles of my suit jacket. I'd been tugging on it all morning to the point where I was afraid the shoulder seams might give out. It was just nerves. I'd been in hundreds of important meetings, but this one was different. This wasn't just money on the line. This was Leo. I was nervous. Crazy nervous.I just had to stick to the plan.I took a deep breath and went over to the coffee station on the side of the room. A big pot of fresh coffee was already sitting and waiting. I took one of the mugs and poured the dark liquid along with my requisite two creams and sugars. Maybe some caffeine would help me settle.“Hi, Charlotte,” Toby greeted me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I hadn't heard him come in. Luckily, my coffee was sitting on the counter so I could stir i
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Twenty-Nine
It was hot outside the main entrance of the hospital as I helped Leo into the car to leave. The discharge paperwork was finally signed and we were ready to head home to recover from the day.“Well, that was fun,” he remarked, handing his paperwork to Murdoch and going to the open backseat car door. I helped him get settled, chuckling at how he thought the blur of tests, stitches, casts, and medical words was “fun.”“I'm just glad you get to go home tonight,” I said as Murdoch closed the car door behind me. I took Leo's hand in mine. He looked absolutely exhausted. Luckily, other than some dehydration, a broken arm, plenty of stitches and more bruises than I could count, the doctors said he was fine. They still wanted him watched overnight as they hadn't ruled out a concussion, but they were confident he would make a full recovery.“Me too. There are some perks to having access to a personal physician who can provide all the hospital requirements in the comfort of your own home,” he re
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Twenty-Eight
Charlotte...Leo's voice hovered on the morning light, caressing me with warmth and feelings of home.“Leo?” I whispered, blinking my eyes against the light and waking from sleep. Was he here? Was he safe?I rubbed my eyes to find myself alone. No one was there, not even Murdoch or Eli. Just me, alone and dreaming in a boat.I stifled a sigh and forced the tears back. I hadn't cried yet and I wasn't about to now. Crying didn't solve anything. Crying was for when things were finished and safe. Crying was for when there was nothing else to do. I wasn't finished yet. Leo wasn't finished yet. So I wasn't crying yet.I looked down at my watch to see a little more than an hour had passed. There had to be some sort of update by now, but I expected that Murdoch was trying to let me sleep. It was a sweet gesture, but I needed to know where the man I loved was, even if they weren't sure.I stood up and stretched my arms overhead, hearing a disturbing number of pops and crunches in my shoulders.
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Twenty-Seven
The sun slowly lifted her radiant head out of the dark ocean, sending light to cast out the shadows of night. I knew it would be warmer soon, but I was still cold with dread. I hugged my arms around me tighter, watching the rays of light bounce off the water and shimmer with hope. Maybe with the dawn they would find him.I stared out at the water, watching the waves and trying really hard not to think of sharks.The coast guard will find him, I told myself, repeating like a mantra. If I said it enough times, it had to be true. They would find him, sitting there grinning in his boat, totally fine- just with a dead battery. Not scattered across the ocean with the debris of his shattered boat.He wouldn't leave me alone. He wouldn't. Leo loved me. He wouldn't do the thing I feared most in the world. He wouldn't leave me, especially not after telling me what he had done.I needed to talk to him. I needed to tell him that I forgave him. This empty, hollow, sick feeling in the pit of my sto
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Twenty-Six
I couldn't sleep.The clock said I had been trying to sleep for the past three hours, but it felt more like an eternity. Bastian's sandwich lay heavy in my stomach since it was too knotted up with fear and heartbreak to actually digest any food.I kicked off my comforter and was immediately too cold. But it was too hot to sleep with it on. With a sigh, I got up and went to the thermostat for the fourth time tonight. I couldn't find the right temperature and I had a feeling it was more to do with me than the thermostat.I was hot with anger and cold with shame.Giving up on the thermostat, I put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Maybe a walk on the beach would put me in a better mood. The ocean was usually magic for heartbroken lovers, right?Yeah, to drown their sorrows, I answered myself bitterly. Still, walking the beach sounded like a better idea than tossing and turning in bed for another five hours.The house was silent as I crept to the back door and escaped out onto the porch.
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Twenty-Five
I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of ocean, hot sand, growing trees, and the scent of Adele's amazing food. Other than Leo's cologne, it was possibly my favorite scent in the world. Outside the sun was just touching the horizon, turning the ocean into melted gold while the sky bruised purple in the distance. The crickets and frogs were already starting their nightly chorus, tuning their cries like an orchestra before a concert. I loved this place, this island so much.Leo wasn't on the porch, but I figured he had to be nearby. The bar to the right was slowly gaining patrons, so I knew he wasn't that direction. There was a small touristy gift shop to the left, but they were closed. I peeked inside, thinking of how I should get one of the conch shells and send it to Chloe.The sound of Leo's voice caught my attention. I followed it around the corner to the side of the building. It was a quiet spot where no one would bother him, so it made sense for him to have gone there. I could
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Twenty-Four
“You ready to go?” Bastian asked, popping his head into my office.I looked up in surprise. I had been so focused on my work that I had completely lost track of time.“Um...” I looked at my almost complete report. With the gala and auction, I was behind on keeping track of all the financials for Bastian. “I just need to finish this and hit save. You go on ahead. I'll be right there.”“Okay,” Bastian agreed. “See you in a bit.”I could hear him talking to Ava in the hall. Another male voice that I assumed was Mr. Fairchild asked him a question, but by then they were too far down the hall for me to make out what was said. The front door opened and closed as Bastian, Ava, and Ava's parents left for the restaurant.It only took me a couple of moments to finish entering the last bit of data and to press save. Somehow, these reports always seemed to get longer the more I had to do. I reached for the lid on my laptop just as a notification for an email came in. I thought about just ignoring
Waterfall Kisses Chapter Twenty-Three
It had been a good morning. A very good morning.I grinned as I approached the mansion, humming to myself and feeling good about the world and everything in it. Leo and I were officially a couple and my brother was okay with it. Things were finally going the way I had always imagined.A security guard waved as I approached, recognizing me and opening up the main gate. I walked in, shaking my head at the massive house in front of me.Soon, this mansion wouldn't be ours anymore. It had been sold as part of the auction, and in a few weeks, all of the furniture would be gone and we'd be back in New York. I was actually okay with selling it. I loved the location of the mansion, as well as the view, but the building was far too big and gaudy. It screamed wealth and money and that was the last thing I cared about.I much preferred the idea of a cute little two bedroom bungalow on the beach to the massive monstrosity full of old artwork and antique furniture designed to impress. I liked comfo
