Forbidden Serenade

Chapter Thirty

Tucked away beside the house lay a secluded sanctuary. My breath caught as I stared wide-eyed at a sight I couldn't believe. A pool surrounded by rock went from zero depth to a deep end, with a cave masked by a waterfall. Palm trees and ferns surrounded the entire area, shrouding it in privacy. A few tiki huts spotted the area. Some simply offered a shaded resting area. Two had full bars and an outdoor grill. Wicker furniture and cream-colored lounge seats surrounded the pool.

I stood in my new swimsuit in awe. "This is amazing."

Elijah strolled past me as though this was a normal, everyday place. "They did a good job."

Watching him so nonchalantly brush aside the paradise sprawled out in front of him, I realized how far apart we were. With James, I enjoyed a privileged life. I was aware of it. But this kind of wealth was on a completely different planet.

Following Elijah to a table beneath a thatched roof, I took a seat as he set down a box with some finger sandwiches and sides. "Which of your friends owns this?"

Elijah glanced up from unpacking the box. "Mason."

"From your band?"

He nodded, setting the food out. "He bought it about a year ago. Just got done with all the renovations."

I glanced around at the unbelievable surroundings. It felt unreal, like a movie. This couldn't possibly be real life. "Does he live here?"

Elijah stepped away from the bar and grabbed a couple of glasses of lemonade. "No. Not full-time anyway. He's got a place in L.A."

Shaking my head, I tried to imagine the amount of money a vacation home like this cost. Imagine all the good that money could do. That money could feed so many starving people. It boggled my mind the difference it could make.

Elijah took a seat beside me. He ran his fingers through my hair, hanging on for a second to the end of the strands. "I like this. Did you just get it done?"

Nodding, I opened my mouth to explain, but quickly pressed my lips together before a word could escape. It didn't seem right to talk about my ex-husband with my new lover. I opted for the short version. "I did it yesterday."

Elijah's blue eyes sparkled in the sunshine as he carefully studied me. Every nerve in my body came alive for him. The way he leveled his gaze on me, it felt like I was the center of his entire universe.

Grabbing a sandwich, he took a bite and regarded me with an intense stare again. "What else were you going to tell me?"

Heat warmed my cheeks as I laughed nervously and looked down at the glass table. I hesitated a moment, still unsure if I should bring it up. Certainly he didn't want to hear about it, and I wasn't sure I wanted to talk about it either.

"Riley." He waited until I raised my face to his to speak. "There's no need to hide things from me. Just be you." He waved his hands around the tropical paradise surrounding us. "Just be free."

Running a hand through my new hair, I spilled my guts. "When I was married, my ex liked blondes, so I became one. I never changed it when I got divorced. After Vegas, I started to realize I didn't want to be what he wanted anymore."

Elijah smirked, surprising me. I was nervous he'd take it negatively if I brought James up. Instead, he seemed completely unintimidated that I was speaking of him. It felt like he recognized his unrivaled dominance. He was one hundred percent comfortable with who he was and where he ranked. "What about the nose piercing?"

I shrugged, picking at the sandwich in front of me. "I always wanted one. I thought it looked cool. Kinda edgy, you know? But I was underage and then I was married."