Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 20

*Shelby*

“I am so sorry; we didn’t realize you were out here. We will give you some privacy,” Reggie said as he kept his head down and shuffled through the sand back to the dock.

“We aren’t leaving for a few more hours,” Michael said, holding my gaze as tightly as I was holding the open book to my chest.

“Take your time and enjoy yourself. I will make sure no one comes down and bothers you if you would like to resume reading.”

Michael winked at me and then followed Reggie back to the dock. I watched him as he walked away, his neatly pressed linen button-up fluttering gently in the breeze.

Once he and Reggie were at a safe distance, I grabbed my shirt off of the lounge chair next to me and slipped it over my head.

I let myself fall backward on the plush cushions and closed my eyes, imagining Michael undressing me the way he had done with his eyes when he realized I was wearing nothing save for my bralette.

A wave of heat rushed through me at the thought until I remembered where I was.

I sat up so quickly that I made my head spin. After waiting a few seconds to regain my balance, I placed my book under my arm, and with my head down, I raced back to my room.

As soon as my door clicked closed behind me, I headed for the shower, throwing my clothes to the floor on my way there. I stood for a long time under the cool water.

Eventually, I felt the embarrassment wash down the drain. It took even longer for the heat Michael made me feel to wash away.

Wrapping myself in a towel, I made my way out of the bathroom. I would have loved to sit on the balcony and let the breeze help extinguish what I was feeling, but I figured I had already taken too much risk for one day.

Instinctively, I grabbed my phone off of the bed to text my friends an update.

Shelby: If I could die of embarrassment, you two would be making funeral arrangements as we speak.

Lin: Oooo, is there some daddy drama we need to know about?

Shelby: Ew, don’t call him daddy! But unfortunately, yes. I was just lying on the beach in my lacey bralette, and I had no idea Michael was walking by until it was too late.

Aubrey: I’m sure he didn’t mind. If it is that one you bought on our last shopping trip, I know he didn’t mind!

Lin: So what did you do? Let him stand there in awe?

Shelby: So not funny, you two! I covered myself with the book I was reading… but we definitely shared a moment.

Lin: Sounds steamier than those romance novels you read!

Shelby: I think I am in way over my head. What do I do? We are staying at his house in the Bahamas for the next few days. We should get there later tonight.

Lin: Let it happen!

Aubrey: Just see where it goes, but if you want to leave, I will replace you a plane out of there.

Shelby: It might not be a bad idea to get that flight information. Would you mind Aubrey?

Aubrey: Of course, I will send you the details; that way, you have them if you need them.

Shelby: Thank you. I will keep you both updated!

I closed my phone and sighed. I didn’t want to leave, but it might be for the best, so I didn’t do something stupid. The thought of leaving this vacation was a weighted decision.

If I never saw Todd again for the rest of my life, I would be overjoyed.

However, the thought of possibly never seeing Michael again, of never replaceing out if we could be more, was painful to think about.

My head was spinning over what the best decision was. So instead of making any big decisions, I got myself dressed.

I put on a pair of leggings and a matching crop top, fully expecting another quiet day at sea.

Exhausted from the heat of the morning and Lauren’s impromptu photo shoot, I threw myself on the bed and closed my eyes for what felt like a few minutes.

A light knocking on my door woke me up, and my eyes took a moment to adjust to the lighting in the room. A quick look out my balcony window, and I knew I’d slept way longer than I had intended.

The golden glow of sunset was streaming through the windows dusting everything in a light pink hue.

“Brenna! Hey, what’s going on?” I asked as I opened the door, happy to see a familiar face.

“I was sent up to help you with your luggage. We should be arriving at the Astor’s vacation home in about an hour.”

“Oh, wow. I slept a lot longer than I meant to,” I said and held the door open for Brenna to enter my room. I tried to rub the sleep from my eyes as she walked into my room.

“No worries, the only thing you missed was the ‘Richies’ showing off in the pool all day.”

“Then it sound’s like I made the right decision. How were they showing off?”

“Oh, you know the usual ‘I’m so annoyed my parents bought me the wrong color convertible,’ ‘I can’t believe he really thought that I drank anything but sparkling water,’ ‘the sheets in my room are so uncomfortable–the ones on my dad’s yacht are Egyptian cotton.'”

I laughed and shook my head. Brenna did a great impression of the things I had heard from different members of the group all week. I headed to the closet, Brenna right behind me.

“I don’t think it will actually take me an hour to get everything packed up. Most of my stuff can just be thrown back in my suitcase, and my new clothes are all still in the garment bags.”

“It must be my lucky day. I was in the girl Megan’s room earlier, and it looked like she tried on an entire store’s worth of clothes and threw them on the floor when they weren’t what she was looking for. I feel horrible for whoever got assigned to her room.”

“I would pity anyone who had to work for Megan. I avoid her at all costs. When she glares at you, it feels as though you’re going to start burning right on the spot,” I said.

“I know, right? She is the worst of all of Lauren’s friends, but her dad owns some luxury watch company, so she has been a regular on the guest lists for a long time.”

“Brenna, what is the vacation house like?” I asked.

“It is more than someone like you or me could ever believe one person could afford.”

***

As the yacht pulled up to the private dock of the Astor’s Bahama vacation home, the size of the mansion was on full display.

The white colonial-style mansion was three stories tall, with cantilever balconies off of the second floor. An illuminated infinity pool rested at the top of the whited sanded private beach.

A small runway off to the side of the property ended at a white stone gazebo that jutted out into the ocean.

Full palm trees edged the beach, making it feel secluded from the rest of the island. There was already music playing from the large deck, and shadows of people dotted the beach and the poolside.

Lauren rushed down to the dock, where a group of long-legged, tan women waited for her. Lauren squealed and thrust her hand in front of her to show off her engagement ring.

This was followed by echoed squeals from the group. I hesitated as my feet hit the dock, not wanting to get in the middle of the model-like women.

“Oh, sweetie, the maid’s entrance is around to the side,” one of the tall women said.

I stopped in my tracks, not knowing how to respond to the assumption. I felt a warm palm on my lower back push me gently forward past the woman. Michael.

He leaned down close to my ear and whispered, “Don’t let them intimidate you. You’re twice the woman any of them could ever be.”

His breath tickled my neck, and goosebumps prickled the skin down my arms. I looked up at him and gave him a weak smile.

“Let me show you where you will be staying,” he said quietly as he let the corner of his mouth brush my earlobe.

“Thank you,” I nearly m****d.

Michael kept his hand on my lower back as we walked to the mansion. He led me through the back doors and into a living room with a giant chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.

Two fish tanks containing every color of tropical fish rested on either side of the large staircase we took to the second floor.

“This is one of my favorite rooms in the entire house.”

Michael led me into an elegant bedroom with white double doors exiting onto one of the balconies I had seen from the yacht.

Palm fronds were a recurring theme in the decorations throughout the room in a pale green color.

“It is so beautiful; I don’t dare touch anything.”

“Nonsense. Make yourself comfortable. It is one of three master bedrooms, so you have your own ensuite just through that door there,” Michael said, gesturing to an open door on the other side of the room.

“I don’t know if I belong in one of the master suites. I would really be okay with one of the smaller rooms.”

“This is where you belong. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”