His Forever (His #3) Read online

  HIS FOREVER

  Part 3 of the HIS Series

  Copyright © 2014

  Octavia Wildwood

  All Rights Reserved

  This publication is a work of fiction. All characters and events are solely products of the author’s imagination. The book’s cover is stock photography and is not endorsed by the photographer nor the model or models depicted therein. This publication contains explicit content that is intended for a mature audience and is written about characters who are consenting adults.

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  Chapter 01

  Chapter 02

  Chapter 03

  Chapter 04

  Chapter 05

  Chapter 06

  Chapter 07

  Chapter 08

  Chapter 09

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 01

  The ocean breeze was hot and salty on my bare skin. My eyes shut, I savored the way the gentle wind rocked my hammock back and forth, soothing me. The sound of waves crashing rhythmically against the shore was like a lullaby from Mother Earth herself. Plain and simple, I was living in paradise.

  I was no longer Daniella James. My fake passport had given me a new identity and a new lease on life. It had allowed me to leave my old life behind, fleeing unseen dangers with Hayden Slate at my side.

  And Hayden Slate was still at my side – quite literally. His hammock was next to mine, so close that I could reach out and touch him, which I often did. In fact, only thirty minutes earlier we’d both been in his hammock, rolling around naked as the hot sun beamed down on us. The chemistry between us was undeniable and no matter how many times we were intimate, I just wanted more. I couldn’t imagine ever growing tired of being in that man’s arms.

  But the heat was exhausting and after we’d both found our pleasure, I’d climbed off him and back into my own hammock. I needed to catch my breath. Palm trees towered over us, casting shadows over the small Jamaican oceanfront villa we’d rented. Beside me, I could hear Hayden snoring faintly. It was the sound of a satisfied man recouping from an enthusiastic romp in the hay, so to speak.

  Between my legs, I was sore in the way I adored…the way that reminded me of the naughty things we’d done. I loved when Hayden’s dominant streak made an appearance. There was nothing quite like being pinned beneath him while he had his way with me. That carnal gleam in his eye and the urgency of his movements made me weak in the knees every time.

  I loved when Hayden claimed me.

  Our life together wasn’t glamorous. We hadn’t had time to make any plans. There had been no opportunity for me to list my tiny one bedroom house back in Burlington for sale, so my meager assets were still tied up back home. Hayden only had access to his father’s vast fortune when he did exactly what was expected of him.

  Of course, our fleeing to Jamaica wasn’t part of Henrik Slate’s plan for his son. In fact, Hayden hadn’t even told his father where we were, opting instead to pawn anything of value before we hopped on a plane. The cash he’d been able to come up with was just enough for us to get by.

  Seeing Hayden in swim trunks and sandals instead of designer suits was different, but it was certainly a welcome sight. He was fit! And he was mine. The man who I’d initially thought would just be a one night stand had made it very clear that he wasn’t going anywhere.

  It was a simple life we had in the rural coastal town we’d decided to call home, but that was fine by me. Being wined and dined and showered with lavish gifts was certainly nice, but it wasn’t necessary for me to be happy.

  All that mattered was that Hayden and I were together.

  That was the mantra I repeated to myself anytime homesickness set in. I felt ungrateful every time a twinge of nostalgia hit me. There I was living in a gorgeous tropical paradise. My days were spent dangling my toes in the sand while I read books and basked in the sun. It was most people’s dream, and yet sometimes a sense of restlessness I just couldn’t shake came over me.

  At my core, I was a teacher. It was what I felt I’d been born to do. I thought about the college I’d taught at often, wondering if they’d hired anyone to take my place after I’d so abruptly resigned. I thought about my students daily, wishing I could be there to help guide them on their journey through academia and life. I pined for my half-finished research projects. Abandoning all that didn’t feel right.

  My life in Burlington had been quiet, but I nonetheless missed it.

  Hayden had vowed to find out who was behind the threats, but his efforts so far had led to nothing but frustration. Without divulging our location, he’d reached out to the person or persons who so desperately wanted the painting, dangling it like bait. But he’d gotten no bite. In fact, communication had stopped entirely, just like that.

  It was clear Hayden was frustrated, so I tried not to push the matter much. I knew he was trying his best. But it made me anxious sometimes to think there was a very real possibility that we’d never be able to stop looking behind us for the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

  “I’m going in to make us some drinks,” Hayden announced, jarring me back to the present. “What would you like?”

  “Surprise me,” I told him, my eyes still shut.

  He leaned down and kissed me. “I hate to tell you to put clothes on because I love when you walk around naked,” he murmured, “But there are surfers out there.”

  My eyes snapped open. “Shit!” I cursed as I noticed a couple of surfers out in the water just beyond the perimeter of our yard. They seemed oblivious to our presence but even so I grabbed my bikini and frantically wiggled back into it while Hayden chuckled before retreating into the house.

  Stretching and stifling a yawn, I contemplated my plans for the day. Maybe I’d start in on another book or go for a swim. Or maybe I’d wait until my boyfriend got in the shower and then sneak in there to join him… I loved being able to think of him as my boyfriend!

  My mind wandered, mostly to dirty, filthy places as I waited for Hayden to return. I lost track of time as I thought about the things I’d like to do to Hayden and what I’d like him to do to me.

  The back door of the house banged shut. “It’s about time!” I called out to Hayden good-naturedly as I realized just how thirsty I was. “What did you bring me?” When I didn’t get an answer, I cracked open an eye – and saw Hayden’s father standing right in front of me.

  “Mr. Slate!” I gasped, sitting up and reaching for my towel.

  Hayden came storming out of the house then, looking like man on a mission. “I told you to leave her out of this!” he snapped at his father angrily. “I’m done taking orders from you and I’ll be damned if you’re going to tell Daniella what to do! How did you even find us?”

  “You certainly didn’t make it easy,” Henrik retorted, equally as enraged. “Now go inside and get dressed. We’ve got a plane to catch.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” Hayden insisted as I stared at the two Slate men with confusion and mounting anxiety. It was easy to see where Hayden got his dominant streak because his father seemed unwilling to take no for an answer. Whatever was going on between the two of them clearly wasn’t good news. You could practically cut the tension with a knife.

  “You will come with me and you’ll do it now,” Henrik spat. “I’ve had enough of your irresponsibility. Your whole life you’ve acted like everything is a big joke. You think you can just skip out on your duties and run away to Jamaica? Well I’ve got news for you.”

  “No,” Hayden interrupted. “I’ve got news for you! The world doesn’t revolve around you. You’re so obsessed with your stup
id business’s legacy that you’ve never even stopped to think about what I want, have you?”

  “You don’t know what you want!” Henrik roared. Then, regaining his semblance of control, he smirked. “It would be a real shame if your mother found herself unable to pay her bills thanks to your disobedience, wouldn’t it?”

  Hayden’s jaw dropped. “What? You…know where Mom is?”

  I leaned forward, waiting on pins and needles for the answer. Hayden rarely spoke of his mother. All I knew was that his parents had divorced about two decades earlier and it had been ugly. His mother had walked away penniless while his father had retained everything, including custody of their young son. Now, Hayden believed she was living abroad, possibly in South America, but had lost contact with her long ago.

  “I’ve always known where she is,” Henrik said simply with no trace of remorse.

  Hayden was pacing now, looking as agitated as I’d ever seen him. When he turned toward me, I saw a vulnerability there that was telling. He’d just been a child when his vindictive father had ripped the family apart with his controlling ways. Hayden had lost his childhood, his mother, his innocence…everything.

  “I’m going to kill him,” Hayden growled so quietly that only I could hear. “I’m going to do the world a favor and fucking destroy that soulless bastard.”

  Did he mean it? Who was to say? Hayden wasn’t the violent type but the rift between him and his father was deep. All I knew for sure was that in this moment, Hayden was out of control and in over his head. I needed to intervene. Placing my hand on his muscular chest, I stared deeply into his tormented eyes and shook my head. “No,” I told him in a voice that was both gentle and firm. “No.”

  Then I turned to Hayden’s father. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was staring into the eyes of evil itself, but I didn’t let his empty gaze shake me. Instead, I did my best to stay calm. “What do you want?”

  Henrik gave me a wide smile in response but it was devoid of any pleasantries. “I’m glad you asked that,” he told me with a wink that made my skin crawl. He reminded me of a snake. “The family business needs you. I want to make a deal with you, son,” he told Hayden.

  Hayden scoffed, unapologetically making his opinion on the matter known.

  Undeterred, Henrik said, “Come back and live under my roof instead of wasting away on the beach. Has it ever occurred to you that anyone could come in on the water?” he demanded, gesturing to the beach that was only meters from our back door. “We can beef up security at the mansion. You’ll be safe there…much safer than you are here. Come home.”

  “No.” Hayden said the word flatly and decidedly, practically spitting it out before Henrik had even finished speaking. “It isn’t home to me. It never has been…how could it be when I spent most of my childhood at boarding school? Home for me is wherever Daniella is.”

  Henrik ignored him. With a sneer, he told Hayden, “I’ll sweeten the deal. Your little flavor of the week here can join you.” My eyes widened. Hayden hadn’t been kidding when he’d told me his father was a real piece of work.

  Hayden’s temper flared at once. “How dare you talk about her that way!” he bellowed. I stepped between the two men before Hayden had a chance to unleash his fury on his father. “Daniella, this is between me and him,” my boyfriend said quietly. “Please get out of the way.”

  I shook my head and grabbed Hayden’s bicep, pulling him out of earshot of his father. “This isn’t just between the two of you anymore,” I informed him. “The moment you involved me it stopped being about just the two of you. I’ve uprooted my life for you, Hayden. I’ve willingly put myself in danger for you. I think that warrants me to have a say in this, don’t you?”

  His jaw was clenched. “Of course you get a say, but you don’t know what he’s like.”

  “I think I’ve gotten a good idea,” I replied wryly. “I understand why you butt heads with him, believe me. But maybe he’s right…maybe we’d be safer at his mansion than here. And besides,” I added with a grin, “You told me once it’s an absolutely massive estate, didn’t you? Chances are we could live under the same roof as him without even seeing him most days.”

  Hayden sighed. “That’s really what you want to do?”

  Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “I think it is,” I told him. I knew full well that he’d give me anything and everything I asked for no matter how he felt about it himself. With enough gentle coaxing from me, he’d even move into his father’s mansion.

  Under different circumstances, I’d never ask Hayden to do something he wasn’t comfortable with. But there was a lot at stake. If Henrik had been able to track us down, then we weren’t as safe as we’d hoped. Hayden, I reasoned, harbored such resentment toward his father that maybe he wasn’t capable of seeing the situation clearly. That meant it was up to me to step in and urge him to do what was best for us both.

  I just hoped, for both our sakes, that I wasn’t making a mistake.

  Chapter 02

  We flew back to the United States aboard Henrik Slate’s private jet. I knew that Hayden came from a rich family, but knowing it and experiencing it firsthand were quite different. I was just a simple, small town college instructor – I wasn’t used to the sort of luxury Hayden seemed to take for granted. It was like we were from two different worlds.

  The plane ride back started out tense. As we boarded, Hayden took my hand and led me to the back of the plane until we were about as far away from his father as possible. With a touch of amusement and more than a little worry, I noted that Hayden was making no secret of his true feelings for his father. My handsome, successful, charming boyfriend was acting more like a defiant teenager than a grown man. It was a peculiar thing to witness.

  It’s funny, the effect that families can have on us, isn’t it?

  Slouching down in my seat and stretching my legs out in front of me, I smiled from ear to ear when I realized there were no crying babies aboard the plane. Oodles of leg room and sweet, sweet silence…maybe I could get used to the whole private jet thing after all. No matter how much Hayden was sulking, I happened to find the whole thing novel and, well, pretty cool.

  “Don’t look so happy,” he muttered. “I’m sure you think living at my father’s estate will be like winning the lottery, but you’re wrong. It’s cold and empty there. Sure, he has a lot of money but so what? He throws money at his problems to try to make them go away. He uses money to get what he wants because he has no social skills. You’ll see. I know you think I’m exaggerating but I’m just trying to prepare you.”

  My hand found his and I squeezed it tight. “You do understand this isn’t about the money, right?” I asked anxiously, hating the fact that he might think of me as materialistic and easily bought. “Living on the beach was whimsical and fun but let’s face it – it wasn’t exactly safe. Your father can protect us. His estate is private and closed off from the rest of the world. It can be our safe haven.”

  “Or our prison,” Hayden grumbled.

  “I’m just trying to protect us.”

  Hayden sighed. “I know. You’re right. I just hate that I have to rely on him for…anything.” He turned and looked at me then and his eyes searched mine desperately. “I hate that my father brings out this side of me,” he said apologetically. “And I hate that you’re seeing this side of me. I’m sorry.”

  I kissed him then, a playful peck that landed partially on his mouth and partially on his left cheek. “Families are complicated,” I assured him. “Why do you think I moved away from mine? I don’t understand the dynamics of your relationship with your dad but don’t ever apologize for how you feel. I want to see every side of you.”

  “You’re the best,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair off my forehead with surprising tenderness. Then after a brief pause, he leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. “Want to join the Mile High Club?” he growled lustfully. “It would definitely help take my mind off things.”

  I grinned. “I’d love
to help you relieve some tension,” I told him wistfully, my body tingling at the idea of it. “But we can’t! If we go into the washroom together the crew – and your father – will know exactly what we’re doing!”

  “How good of an actress are you?” Hayden asked as he beckoned to the flight attendant.

  “Uh…pretty pitiful,” I replied apprehensively, wondering what he had planned.

  “Well then you can practice,” he told me, undeterred. As the flight attendant approached, he told her, “I need some anti-nausea medication for Ms. James please. She’s feeling motion sick.” He nudged me then, silently urging me to do something to support his claim.

  At first I drew a blank. Then I forced myself to let out a burp. Immediately I regretted it – nothing says sexy like belching, right? I was sure my face was beet red. Beside me, I felt Hayden stiffen. Without even looking at him, I knew he was struggling to maintain his composure. The flight attendant’s eyes widened and she thrust a barf bag at me before hastily stepping back. “Right away, Mr. Slate!” she told Hayden and then hurried away to the opposite end of the plane so as to not have to witness me vomiting.

  Hayden was shaking with laughter. “And you said you weren’t a good actress,” he snickered. “That was a brilliant performance,” he teased. “I’d do a slow clap right about now but I don’t want to attract any attention…”

  “Stop it,” I complained. “You put me on the spot!”

  “And you stepped up to the plate beautifully,” he chuckled. “Is it wrong that I’m now even more attracted to you?”

  “Yes,” I grumbled. “You’re a very sick man.”

  “I am,” he agreed. “And you love it.”

  Just then the flight attendant returned. She handed a package of over-the-counter anti-nausea medication to Hayden as though she was afraid to make physical contact with me. Maybe she had a phobia about germs I reasoned as I fought back a smile.

  There was something juvenile and yet oh-so-fun about playing this silly game – so I let myself sway just a little as though I was dizzy. She didn’t stick around long after that.