Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 51

*Shelby*

“Shelby, I didn’t hear you come in,” Micheal said softly.

“Yeah, obviously,” I said in response, my eyebrows knitting together in concern.

“Where would you like to go for dinner?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject. “I have been wanting to try that barbeque place that is at the far end of the resort.”

His phone started ringing in his pocket; he pulled it out, silenced it, and shoved it back into his pocket.

“Who were you just talking to? It sounded pretty intense. Are they calling you again?” I asked, taking in Michael’s frustrated expression.

I had heard him be stern over the phone before, usually with the higher-ups of his company, Express Air. However, I had never heard him so angry.

He also never kept things from me. Usually, he would get off those phone calls and tell me exactly what was upsetting him. He would tell me the entire situation and ask for my opinion on how to respond to the situation. What was he hiding from me?

“It doesn’t matter; let’s just go to dinner,” he said and turned his back to head into the ensuite.

“No, it does matter. Why can’t you just tell me what is going on?” I asked, raising my voice. I was frustrated that he had dismissed my worry so easily.

“I really don’t want to discuss it, Shelby, it is nothing for you to worry about, and I would really just like to move on from this conversation,” Michael said, matching my tone.

He turned back around and looked at me in confusion. He obviously didn’t understand why I was getting so upset with him. At the moment, it was only more frustrating.

“What else would you like to keep secret, Michael?” I said, already feeling the tears burn behind my eyes.

I turned quickly so he wouldn’t see. I did my best to rein in my emotions and replace my composure. I felt his hand on my shoulder; I did not hear him cross the room. With a small tug, he turned me around to face him. The confusion on his face had turned to concern.

“What are you talking about? What secrets?” he asked as his eyes scanned my face as if trying to replace the answer etched somewhere.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves before revealing what was on my mind.

“Our entire relationship is a secret, Michael. I’m the secret you’re keeping from everyone. I am more a secret than I am your girlfriend,” I said quietly, and I dropped my gaze.

Michael’s hand slipped from my shoulder, causing me to look up at him. He was shocked at my statement, and more than a little hurt. Guilt pulled at my insides, and I wished I could take what I said back.

“The only reason I have kept our relationship a secret is for the sake of both of our reputations. For yours and for mine,” he said, shaking his head.

The guilt I felt only seconds before shifted to anger so quickly that I barely recognized it.

“I am so sorry that I would do so much damage to your reputation,” I yelled at him.

Tears burned the back of my throat, but this time I didn’t try to stop them from falling. I knew the effort would have been useless.

“You know that is not what I meant. If those pictures are ever leaked, the press would have a field day,” he said.

I knew he was right, but that didn’t stop the hurt his last comment had caused. I didn’t know how to voice what I wanted, or if I even knew what I wanted. All I knew was that it was exhausting hiding how you truly felt about a person.

I started pacing and shakily wiped the tears away from my eyes.

“We can’t keep our relationship locked away in paradise forever, Michael.”

“What are you talking about? I thought you were enjoying yourself here. I just wanted to take you somewhere nice.”

“It has been nice being here. It has been so nice during this vacation that we don’t have to watch over our shoulders everywhere we go for someone who may recognize you. Constantly waiting for someone to realize you’re a billionaire and they have just found a great way to extort you for a downpayment on a sports car,” I said, still pacing.

Michael made a good judgment call to let me keep talking until I had everything on my mind out in the open.

“I just want to be able to have you put your arm around me without worrying that someone is there ready to take a picture and tell the world about our relationship. I want to be able to reach over and grab your hand in the middle of a public place without worrying about who sees. I hate that we have to come to a private resort just so we can act like a normal couple.”

Michael didn’t say anything; he just walked over and wrapped me in a big hug. He rested his face against the top of my head. I could feel his warm breath moving strands of my hair. I buried my face into his chest and let out a few pent-up sobs.

He just held me until I was done.

“I had no idea you felt that way,” he whispered into my hair. “Shelby, I am so sorry. I never wanted you to feel like a secret.”

“I know,” I said into his chest.

“What can I do to make everything right?” he asked.

I pulled away from his chest and looked up into his eyes, his arms still wrapped around me.

I stepped up on my tippy toes so I could k**s him.

“Nothing, I am sorry. I think everything has just built up, and I needed to let it all out,” I admitted.

“Stop; you have nothing to apologize for.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he pulled me in for another k**s instead.

“I mean it. You don’t need to apologize. I just want to know that you realize just how much you mean to me.”

“I do know,” I answered, resigned not to push my apology. I knew Michael was serious when he said he wouldn’t hear it.

“Good. I have a resolution to that problem anyway,” Michael said with a glint of mischievousness in his eye.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

Michael avoided the question and spun me toward our ensuite.

“Go get dressed,” he said with a smile.

“Micheal, what do you mean?” I said with a small laugh.

“I have a surprise for you,” Michael said, his smile growing. “I promise it will be worth it.”

“You don’t have to do anything extravagant. We are really okay,” I said, not wanting him to do anything out of guilt for me starting a fight.

“I’m serious. I have had this planned for a while, anyway. We were going to go to dinner first, but I will just make a few calls and arrange something else for us to eat. Now go get ready before I carry you into the bathroom myself.”

“Okay, okay! I’ll go get ready,” I said with a laugh as I skipped off to the ensuite.

I knew exactly what I was going to wear. I touched up my makeup, covering up the tear streaks down my cheeks, and slipped on a dark turquoise dress. The sheer fabric flowed just like water with a slit cut up to my thigh. I loved the way I looked in this dress, and I knew that Michael would too.

With a dab of lipstick and a spritz of hairspray, I walked back out into our bedroom.

“That sounds perfect. I can’t thank you enough,” Michael said and hung up the phone.

“Dinner is all set,” Michael said and then turned around to face me. “Wow, Shelby.”

I smiled as I let Michael take a second to replace his words.

“I mean… you look….wow Shelby, just wow,” was all he could manage in the end.

“That was exactly the reaction I was hoping for,” I said, loving the way Michael was looking at me. “Will this work for tonight?”

“It is absolutely perfect. Should we go?”

We walked hand in hand down the beach to the far end of the resort. The light was slowly fading; it would be sunset soon. Michael led me to a small dock with a single sailboat tied to the edge.

“What are we doing?” I asked, feeling the butterflies in my stomach start a frenzy at the excitement.

“A little sunset cruise,” Michael said with a shrug as if it was not the most romantic date I had ever been on.

Michael got on the boat first which shifted slightly in the water in response to his added weight. He reached out his hand and helped me on next to him. He walked me all the way to the front of the boat.

“This spot has the best views,” he said, gesturing for me to sit down.

I took a seat, and Michael started busying himself with raising the sail.

“I almost forgot you spent your whole childhood learning how to sail,” I said, remembering the story of how his father taught him how to sail.

“I think we will have a much more pleasant time than I did with my father,” he said.

Soon enough, we were whisking away towards the setting sun, which was reflecting across the top of the water. Each time we hit a wave, the nose dipped, and my stomach dropped a little. It was a thrilling sensation.

The wind settled, and the sailboat came to a stop. Michael tied down a few ropes and came to sit next to me as we slowly drifted.

“So what do you think?” Michael asked as the sun dipped lower.

“It is so peaceful out here. I really think I could get used to sailing,” I said.

I couldn’t help but imagine future vacations with Michael by my side. I really would enjoy being able to sail into different parts of the ocean.

“Well, that is good to hear. We will have to get out on the boat more often,” Michael said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and placing a soft k**s on the top of my head.

“Do you see that up there?” Michael said, pointing out into the distance.

“Where are we going?” I asked, looking out at the small island ahead of us.

“That is where we are going to have dinner.”