All's Fair in Love and Business: Xavier's Story

Ch. 23

    We land in St. Bart's and I already feel the calmness of the atmosphere...Okay, not really. I'm still worried about Liz. I start up my phone. I know its early in the morning, but I text her anyway as I walk down the plane steps. She doesn't reply immediately. So, I text Eva, telling her where we are and apologize that I wont make it this week to help plan the baby shower. Of course, I tossed the blame onto Xavier, who surprised me with the trip.

    When my feet connect with the asphalt, Xavier grabs my phone from me and puts it in his jacket pocket. "You'll get this back later. Right now, we need to get some rest." I nod, in agreement too tired to argue. I slept a little on the plane, by the looks of Xavier he stayed up the whole flight. The town car is parked off to the side and the driver who introduces himself as Thomas, helps Xavier with the suitcases as I get in the car.

I wait for Xavier to join me and ask, "How long are we staying here?"

"For as long as it takes." He replies, simply.

"Don't do that, Xavier. Tell me." I beg, trying to organize my life in my head.

He looks me in the eye. "We're not leaving until I hear you say, I love you."

"Really?" I smirk. "So, you plan on moving Sterling Corp. to St. Barts?" I question, cheekily.

"I'm serious." He replies, sternly.

"So am I. I won't say those three words until you take off this ring and tell me you're sorry for being such a presumptuous asshole."

He takes my hand in his and slides the ring down my finger, truly shocking me. I look up at him and he says, "I'm sorry, I was such a presumptuous asshole." I can't help but smile at him.

I feel the ring start to slide back onto my finger. "What are you doing?" I ask, perplexed. Why would he apologize just to do the same thing all over again?

"I did as you asked." He answers.

"Yet, in a way, you didn't. The ring conveniently slid back onto my finger." I point out, annoyed. I'm starting to think he is playing a game with me.

"I like what it symbolizes. I want to believe that this ring makes you mine. If it helps at all, I know that it doesn't." He states, honestly looking disappointed.

I think back to him telling me to, humor him and wear his ring. As long as he knows that it doesn't mean we're truly engaged, then I can do just that. "Just so you know. When you do propose, it better be a hell of a lot better than what you just did." I warn, teasingly. Simply, wanting to see him smile.

"What do you have in mind?" He asks, his voice taking on a new dynamic. I can tell just by his tone he's getting turned on.

I shrug. "Thats for you to figure out, anything would be better than telling everyone, well he kind of tricked me and slid the ring on my finger without asking." I explain, mockingly.

"Fair enough." He nods, amused. "I was thinking-"

"Oh, no." I groan, interrupting him.

He smirks. "You don't even know what I'm going to say. A little open mindedness? If you will, Pip."

"Sorry." I chuckle, knowing full well whatever he was "thinking" about will embarrass or annoy me.

"I was thinking that you and I should move in together. After the trip of course. Before you argue, you always refused because we weren't married or engaged, but now that I plan on changing that, I would like you to live with me."

"Okay, I hear you." He has said it before. "However, I think we should see how this vacation goes before we plan the future." I tell him diplomatically.

He nods. "Fine, but..." He takes out his cell phone and shows me a text thread with a string of paint choices. "What would you like our bedroom colors to consist of? Their was a problem with something regarding a textile and it threw it all off."

I scoff, but take the phone from his outreached hand. I select the blue, white and grey palette choice and send it back to Ian. "Thats the one I would've choose. It was meant to be." He remarks, his hand moving up my thigh.

"I'm not doing this in the car again. You'll have to wait." I whisper to him. I find his need for me sexually the only honest thing about him right now. In the back of my mind I have this nagging feeling he's being deceptive, I just don't know why.

"You enjoyed it as much as I did." He replies, nuzzling my ear. I push him back, gently.

"And I cant wait for a repeat, but not in the car." I tell him, watching his smirk turn into a smile.

The ride to the house isn't long, but I can tell Xavier is hitting a wall. He looks completely exhausted. By the time we get undressed and ready for bed we both are too tired to do much of anything besides spooning. With my back against his chest I fall asleep listening to his deep breathing.

I wake up before Xavier and quietly tip toe around the room grabbing today's outfit and toiletries. I make my way to the bathroom down the hall, not wanting to use the bathroom in the bedroom, knowing it would likely wake him. I take in the view and furnishings. This house is absolutely beautiful, is it called a house? Or a villa? Not sure either apply, this place is huge. Much bigger then the place he rented for our anniversary. Xavier used to be logical. If it was only the two of us, why would he rent a house with so much wasted space? He's certainly fallen into the, "bigger is better mentality."

"Not that I'm complaining." I say, to myself as I look out over the water from the window directly above the spa like tub. I could definitely get used to waking up to this, the beach is directly below us and looks crystal clear. I fill the bathtub while I watch the sunrise. I must've only slept a couple hours but I feel well rested and ready to go.

When the bath is full I turn the valve off and get undressed. Sighing in blissfully as I slip into the water. I should've tried to find my phone before I left the bedroom. I'm sure Liz and Eva responded by now. Lifting my left hand out of the water, I twist the diamond ring resting on my ring finger watching it sparkle.

I feel that we've found a compromise no matter how absurd it is. I want to be in love with him, I feel like I do love him. Yet, I cant shake the feeling that he's up to something. He wanted to surprise me with the trip, I cant see how what would cause me to feel this way. I heard the honestly in his voice, he wanted to do something special, but still something seems off to me. I think back on the days leading up to the trip and still I come up empty. I hear movement down the hall and I try to shake off this suspicion, maybe I'm just looking for something to be wrong because I'm insecure about
our relationship. I need to just relax and embrace a new beginning with Xavier.

"There you are." He says, tiredly. Coming into the bathroom, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

I smile at his bedhead, bare chest and five o'clock shadow, this man is beyond sexy. "I didn't want to wake you." I
explain.

"Next time, please do." He smirks, looking at my body through the water.

"You've only had four hours of sleep, tops. You must still be tired." I say, sympathetically.

He nods, yawning. "I'm beat."

"You don't have to entertain me. Go back to bed." I encourage, wanting him to rest. "I can catch up with Liz and Eva. If you'd be a dear and get me my phone?"

"No, phones. Just us." He replies, seriously.

"I need my phone, Xavier. My life is on that thing." I reply, seriously.

He shrugs. "All the more reason not to give it to you." I watch his back in shock as he walks away.

"Xavier!" I yell, when I realize he's not joking. He doesn't return with my phone and I literally feel like I've lost a piece of myself.