Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 49

*Shelby*

I woke to a soft breeze dancing across my face, the open windows letting the sunlight stream into the giant space of the bedroom.

I lay there awhile, enjoying Michael’s warmth next to me and watching the curtains drift lightly, each gust of wind brought in the clean smell of the ocean air.

Michael started to stir next to me, and eventually, he opened his eyes and greeted me with a sleepy smile.

“Good morning, beautiful. I could get used to this,” he said.

“Get used to what exactly,” I pushed, even though I knew what he was talking about.

“Waking up next to you every morning,” he said as he brushed his hand up my exposed thigh.

“I could get used to it, too,” I said, leaning down and letting our lips brush lightly together. “What is for breakfast?” I asked, my lips still touching his.

“How about you go make yourself comfortable on the back deck, and I will call room service,” Michael said, kissing me again.

I wrapped a satin robe around my lacy night dress, made my way onto the back deck, and settled into one of the plushy, cushioned lounge chairs. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the sounds of the ocean.

“Breakfast should be here soon, but I thought you might like this while we wait,” Michael handed me a crisp copy of a novel I mentioned I wanted to read.

“You remembered me picking this book up months ago?” I asked, surprised and touched by his simple gesture.

“Yes, and I distinctly remember you setting it back down because you didn’t have time to read anything but your textbooks. I thought this weekend would be a great time for you to read something you wanted to,” he said.

“Thank you,” was all I could manage.

I dove into the first chapter, getting wrapped up in the backstory of the characters, and before I knew it breakfast was being rolled in on a cart.

Pineapple spears and other fruits occupied a large bowl in the center, and before Michael had finished pouring us each a cup of coffee, I grabbed a piece of pineapple between my fingers and took a large bite. The fresh juices ran down my chin.

“Oh my god,” I m****d through the mouthful as I wiped my chin with a napkin.

“It was grown right here on the island,” Michael said with amusement.

We enjoyed our breakfast as we watched the waves crash onto the beach.

“We should replace some seashells on this trip to add to our collection,” I said.

During the trip on Michael’s yacht, he had whisked me away from Lauren and her horrible friends to look for dolphins. We found them in a cove, and I took a shell from the beach there to remember the experience.

“We could make it a tradition. A sea shell for an important and memorable experience,” Michael responded.

“Exactly,” I said, smiling at Michael.

I was glad he didn’t think that it was something too childish to participate in. I set down my coffee cup on the tray and looked up at him. I was trying my best to be patient, but I was nearly jumping out of my seat to go see more of the island and the local wildlife.

“Maybe we should just spend the day here and recover from the long plane ride,” Michael said, setting his coffee cup next to mine.

My heart sank a little, but I tried to keep it from showing on my face, “If you’d like to, I guess we can.”

“Shelby, I am kidding. I can tell you are itching to go explore. You are practically bouncing out of your chair as we speak. Let’s go get ready; then, we can decide where to go first.”

***

The wind from the convertible whipped my hair out behind me as Michael drove toward the bird sanctuary he had mentioned the night before. After a few quick phone calls, Michael arranged a private tour.

We pulled up to a building with large glass windows. After a short introduction with Michael’s connection, Kingston, we headed out to the back of the sanctuary, where there was a meandering wooden walkway. The pathway had railings to keep people from disturbing the wildlife.

We made our way down the walkways, hand in hand, watching the sky for signs of the seabirds Kingston had told us about. The sun shone brightly, and the palm trees swayed gently in the breeze.

“I think I’d want to live here too if I was a bird,” Michael said with a soft laugh.

I smiled up at him, glad he was willing to do this for me. He always made an effort to be involved in my interests. I swore to myself that this week I would get back on a jet ski for Michael and Ben though the last time, I had tipped us both into the water.

“If we both come back as birds, I’ll meet you here,” I answered.

Michael’s phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, and his face fell.

“Excuse me for just a second. It’s one of my investors who has been threatening to pull funds.”

Micheal took the phone call and made his way back up the walkway. I leaned against the railing and noticed a small nest with a mother bird. I watched her as I waited for him to return, trying my best not to be frustrated with him.

This week was supposed to be stress-free, and answering business calls did not seem like it fit into that narrative.

“Great great, I will see you both there,” Michael said into the phone as he walked back toward me.

“There has been an unexpected change of plans,” he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“Oh no, don’t tell me you have to go back to work,” I said, feeling my heart sink at the thought of our romantic getaway ending so soon after we got here.

“Not exactly. Two of my investors would like to join us for dinner tonight. Honestly, I think they are hoping to see me in a non-business setting, to get a better feel for who I am as a person.

“I think it is a smart move on their part, I often do the same thing when deciding to invest in a company. If I lose their funding, it will make for a really tough quarter. I could really use your help showing them a good time.”

“Oh, I mean…. I know nothing about your business dealings. I don’t know how helpful I’d be.”

“Oh, we won’t be discussing much business. All you have to do is be your charming self,” Michael said with a smile.

“Well…alright,” I said, slightly worried that Michael saw me as arm candy. I was sure his investors would think as much.

***

We pulled up to the restaurant, and Michael came to my side, opening the door for me. He slipped a hand around my waist and guided me into his chest.

“You look absolutely gorgeous,” he said, pulling me in for a slow deep k**s. I nearly melted at his touch, and for a moment, forgot all of my reservations about going to this dinner.

“Thank you,” I said after pulling away breathless.

“The reservation is under the name Astor,” Michael said.

The waiter brought us quickly to our table, where a bottle of wine was already chilling in an ice bucket. Another waiter pulled my chair out for me as the first took Michael’s sport coat.

The staff must have been made aware of Michael’s wealth before his arrival, something I still wasn’t used to.

“Everything sounds amazing. Do we have to wait for your investors to get here before we order an appetizer? I don’t know if I will be able to wait that long,” I said jokingly as I looked over the menu.

“My favorite is the calamari,” a man said as he took the seat to my right. He smiled at me, clearly understanding my joke.

“Shelby, this is Tom and Stewart,” Micheal said Gesturing to Tom on my right.

“It is so nice to meet you,” I said. “I am with you on the calamari.”

Tom chuckled, and the waiter returned to pour each of us a glass of wine and take our orders. The three men talked amongst themselves about stocks and current events in New York while I sipped quietly on my wine.

“So Shelby, what is it that you do?” Stewart asked. I’d gathered that he was the more serious of the two.

“I just finished up my first semester at Harvard Law,” I said, setting down my glass. I was relieved to be added to the conversation.

“That’s quite impressive. I also went to Harvard; I got my degree in business rather than law. How do you like it so far?” Tom jumped into the conversation.

“I am really enjoying myself. The courses are tough, but I am enjoying the challenge,” I said truthfully.

“She is being modest,” Michael chimed in with a smile. “She is getting top marks in all her classes. She is going to be one to watch; she’s going places.”

My cheeks heated at Michael’s praise and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Do they still have that extremely competitive internship program? I had a few buddies studying law while I was there; it was pretty cutthroat to get the position.”

“Yes, they do at Brunnings and Hawthorne,” I answered Tom.

“With top marks, are you going to throw your name in the hat?” Steward asked, taking a bite of his entree.

“Actually, I am. I filled out the application last week. They will make their decision at the end of the year based on the applicant’s academic performance,” I admitted, staring at Michael. I hadn’t told him yet.

“Well, the best of luck to you, Shelby,” Tom said, raising his wine glass.

I looked back at Michael across the table who matched Tom’s cheer to me. He was smiling and had a hint of something in his eyes. Was it pride?

I smiled back, my heart soaring.

“Shelby, if it doesn’t work out at this other firm, I know I can replace an internship for you at my company. We have a rather large legal department. We would be happy to have you on our team,” Stewart said.

“Oh wow, thank you so much,” I said graciously. I still had my heart set on the internship at Brunnings and Hawthorne, but it was nice to know that I had options.

“I will be in contact,” Stewart said with a small nod of his head.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well this dinner had turned out, and based on the look in Michael’s eye, he was too.