The Laws of Attraction (Love is a Destination Book 2) Read online

  Birdy brushed her hair into a ponytail and met Ares in the lobby.

  He eyed her clothes. “You said dress warm.” He wore jeans, a tee shirt under a long-sleeved button up, and a light jacket on top of that.

  “This is the warmest outfit I have.”

  “Come with me.” He took her hand and led her down the hall to his room.

  While Ares rummaged around in his closet, she looked around his room. It was tidy—the bed was made, all of the pillows on the couch organized. Only a black case sat next to the sink in his bathroom. Had she come in without him, she would’ve thought no one stayed in the room.

  “Take this.” He handed her another long-sleeved shirt.

  She put it on, enjoying the scent of him that clung to the material, like cologne and laundry soap. The shirt drowned her so she started rolling up the sleeves.

  “You can do that on the bus.” He held a jacket in his arms. “This will have to do. Hopefully you won’t freeze.” He studied her again, but this time with a small smile on his lips. “My shirt looks good on you.”

  She smirked. “Thanks.”

  He took her hand again and together they ran out the front door. Josh met them in the hall. He had on a safety hat with a small camera duct taped to the front and back.

  “You look ridiculous,” Birdy told him.

  “Yeah, but I’ll be able to catch a lot more this way.”

  The bus was there waiting. When they got on, the driver, whose name was Bill, eyed her speculatively. “You’re going to freeze. It’s a good thing we brought extra coats, hats, gloves, and jeans.” He glanced around at another couple who were wearing clothes similar to what she had on.

  Birdy leaned over and whispered to Ares, “It’s Hawaii; how cold can it be?”

  When they reached the top of the volcano and stepped out, Birdy couldn’t believe it. The air was freezing and the wind blew. Her teeth chattered and she immediately started to shiver. “Good grief. It’s like winter up here.” She wrapped her arms around herself as they walked into the visitor center.

  Bill handed her a pair of pants and a large jacket the exact color of a burnt marshmallow. She took them gratefully, pulling the pants on over her shorts, unconcerned about what she might look like. She also tugged on the hat and gloves he gave her. By the time she was finished, she wore her shirt, Ares’ shirt, his jacket, and the jacket the guide gave her, as well as her shorts and pants.

  Talk about layers, she thought.

  Ares kept looking at her and grinning in between sips of his coffee.

  Birdy drank her orange juice. “You really should stop laughing at me,” Birdy said quietly.

  Ares hid another smirk behind his coffee cup, pretending to take a long drink. “I can’t. You look adorable.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure.”

  Fleur, the other guide, led them over to the observation area. “Get ready to see amazing,” she said softly.

  Birdy had been around the world as a model, but nothing could prepare her for the beautiful sunrise she witnessed that morning. Words didn’t do the majestic event justice. Never before had she felt the greatness of God the way she did in those moments as the sun rose. Peace filled her soul and she leaned into Ares. He looked down and smiled, wrapping an arm silently around her shoulders. It was obvious he was feeling what she was.

  When Fleur announced it was time to go, Birdy didn’t want to leave, mostly because she didn’t want the feelings within to go away. But she walked over to the rest of the group as Bill and Fleur assigned bikes. When the whole group was set, and the guides had checked to make sure the bikes were in working order, Bill went to the front of the line while Fleur stayed in back.

  “Remember the rules we discussed on the way up here. Be careful. Be aware of your surroundings. We are on top of a freaking volcano.” He paused, smiling, allowing everyone to take that in.

  Amazing. Glorious. Those were words that kept coming to mind. Never in a million years would Birdy have imagined she’d be having such an adventure. And with Ares. She smiled internally at the thought.

  Bill went on. “Be prepared for one of the greatest experiences of your whole trip and possibly your life.”

  Birdy thought that was setting the bar pretty high, even with the spectacular beginning.

  “Our biggest concern is your safety. Fleur and I will be sharing information along the way, so please listen up.” He climbed on his bike. “Is everyone ready?”

  Their group of twelve all shouted that they were.

  Despite her preconceived notions about what riding down a volcano would be (she’d expected rocky dirt and a thin trail), the road was wide and smooth, and wasn’t steep at all. One of the rules was that no one could pass another. She was behind Ares at the end of the line followed by Fleur.

  At first, she rode her brakes hard, worried she would run into Ares. She didn’t want to be the weak link that created a pile up. But as the morning went on, she got better.

  They stopped at a little town for breakfast a while later. When Birdy climbed off her bike, she was shocked to discover her limbs were stiff. It reminded her of how she felt after riding a horse all day.

  “Stretch out,” Fleur said, noticing the way she walked.

  “How are you doing?” Ares asked, walking his bike over to her.

  “I’m all right. A little stiff, but nothing I can’t handle.” They dropped off their bikes and got food, which included eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns, coffee, and juice. Birdy hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she sat down.

  “Hungry?” Ares asked, amused.

  She nodded, still chewing a piece of bacon.

  “Having fun?”

  Birdy swallowed and took a drink. “I’m loving it,” she said, touching his arm. “You?”

  He bumped his shoulder into hers. “It’s been awesome. I’ll never forget it. Thanks for inviting me.”

  She smiled sheepishly. “I can’t really take credit for it. Meredith actually set us up. She thought it would be fun.”

  “Seriously?”

  Birdy nodded, taking another bite of bacon. “I usually don’t appreciate her schemes, but this was actually cool.” She laughed at herself. “Literally and figuratively.”

  “Yeah, one point for Meredith.”

  “Don’t tell her that though or she’ll do more scheming.”

  Ares laughed. “Right.” He covered his mouth. “I won’t say a word about it,” he mumbled.

  Birdy couldn’t help but laugh. He definitely was so much more than just a stuffy lawyer.

  Once breakfast ended, they climbed back on their bikes and continued down. All told, they went twenty-six miles that morning and by the time she and Ares reached the beach, she was hungry and tired, but she would do it again in a heartbeat.

  Back at the hotel, Birdy was dragging.

  “Need a nap?” Ares asked.

  Birdy yawned. “Yeah, you?”

  “I could sleep.”

  “Want to put on your swimming suit and go to the beach with me? We can just lie there and people watch.”

  He eyed her, amused. “Is this coming from you or is this another Meredith conspiracy?”

  “This is all me,” Birdy admitted.

  “Then I’m in.” He gave her a swift hug. “I’ll meet you at your room and we can walk over together?”

  “Good plan.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ares took a quick shower and changed into his board shorts and a tee shirt before heading over to Birdy’s room. He couldn’t help smiling to himself. He’d known the two of them would be great together, but knowing and experiencing it were two different things. He thought of his mom and dad. They would have approved of Birdy. He knew that. They would’ve loved her.

  He knocked on her door.

  “Hey,” Birdy said, opening the door.

  “You ready to go?” he asked, following her in.

  “Almost,” she said, going over to the closet.

  Birdy wore a lime
green bathing suit with a matching white and green cover up. Ares thought she look adorable, as usual. “Where are your shoes?”

  She let out a strange noise before moving over to the couch with a pair of silver flip-flops. Ares couldn’t help but notice that they go with her outfit. And if he knew one thing about Birdy, it was that with her clothes, everything went together perfectly. “I’m getting them on.” The look on her face said she didn’t like the fact that they didn’t match either. He took a look at her feet.

  “What in the world?” He knelt in front of her and took one of her feet gently in his hands. A closer inspection showed him that they were covered in blisters. “How did this happen?”

  She gently tugged her foot from his grasp, embarrassed. “It’s no big deal. Don’t make a fuss.”

  Several blisters had torn and were leaking clear fluid. They looked red and extremely painful. He’d had enough experience with blisters to know just how much. “I will make a fuss.” He stood, and lifted her into his arms. “You’re coming with me.”

  “Ares, seriously,” she said. “I’ll be fine.” She held her shoes to her chest as he walked her out of her room and down the hall to his, Josh and his camera faithfully in tow.

  “True, you will definitely be fine once I’ve put some antibiotic ointment and bandages on your feet.” He set her down and took his key from his pocket to unlock the door. Then lifted her again and brought her over to his bed, where he set her down. “Don’t move.”

  Ares went into the bathroom and found what he needed. He couldn’t believe Birdy hadn’t complained about her injuries. Maybe she wasn’t quite as high maintenance as he first believed. The woman just liked clothes. And shoes. And everything else associated with being high maintenance. He shook his head. “I don’t know of another person who wouldn’t have said something about those blisters,” he said when he returned.

  “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  He noticed her watching him as he handled her feet. A couple of times she sucked in a breath while he worked, but didn’t offer one word of complaint. When he finished, he took her flip-flops, and placed them carefully on her feet. “How does that feel?”

  “Good,” she said, standing and turning away.

  “Hey, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

  “No,” she said.

  But he noticed she was crying. “Then why are you crying?”

  She wiped at her eyes. “You’re just really sweet,” she admitted, letting out a sob.

  “Hey.” He turned her so he could see her face.

  She studied his eyes, not looking away.

  Brave and beautiful, Ares thought. Without debating, he leaned down and kissed her. She flinched and he worried he’d read the situation wrong, but before he could stop, her hands wound their way up to his neck, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. Ares tugged her in close. Kissing her was better than he could’ve imagined. She fit. They fit. There was no question in his mind.

  When the kiss ended, Birdy smiled. “Not bad, Devereux.”

  “Not bad,” he growled, giving Josh and the camera a look that said he was going in again. Then he really kissed her. This time longer and deeper. She let out a sigh, and pressed in closer. She smelled like tanning lotion and something else, something softer. Vanilla, maybe. Good enough to eat, for sure. At those thoughts, he quickly released her, giving her a look that said he hoped their second kiss was much better than “not bad”.

  She rewarded him with a smile that lit up her whole face. He hadn’t thought she could be any more beautiful. But that smile! It filled his soul with happiness, a need to protect, and a desire to see it many, many more times.

  “That was amazing,” she said breathlessly.

  He winked at the camera, before taking her hand. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”

  She swatted him on the chest. “You’re a superstar in the making,” she said. Then more seriously, she added, “And thanks for taking care of my feet. I’ll admit I was a little worried about the sand.”

  “Anytime, my sweet Birdy.”

  ***

  They found a couple of chairs to use on the hotel’s private beach. Ares helped Birdy sit and get her feet up. Once she was situated, he sat beside her.

  One of the hotel staff came over. “Can I get you a drink?” he asked Birdy.

  Ares saw the way he looked at her and sat up, determined to have words with the kid. “We’ll take a couple of waters. But could you come here first?”

  “Yes, sir.” The punk came over.

  Ares stood and leaned in. “You’d do well to keep your thoughts about my friend to yourself.”

  The guy was surprised. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to.” He glared, towering over him. “Now go get our drinks, please.”

  The kid glanced at the cameraman before scuttling off.

  “You trying to be my knight in shining armor?” Birdy’s voice was low. She sounded tired, but content. Ares had never seen her this way and he liked it.

  “Definitely,” he said squeezing her hand.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Ares lay back and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of relaxation. It felt good to do nothing but enjoy the scent of the hibiscus flowers, the sound of the waves breaking, and children laughing and playing in the surf.

  “Can I ask you something?” Birdy said after a few minutes.

  Ares glanced over. He’d thought she was asleep. “Anything.”

  “Can you tell me about the company by dad wants to buy?”

  Of all the questions he thought she would ask him, that never crossed his mind. “What do you want to know?” he asked with hesitation.

  She sat up. Ares did too. He immediately recognized her question was more than just a passing curiosity. It meant something to her.

  “Do you know why he wants to buy it?”

  “He told me it was because he was a sock person, but I think it’s more than that. I just can’t figure out what his real purpose is.”

  Birdy folded her arms over her chest. “It’s got Toby and Thea really upset. When we were talking, they both mentioned that they didn’t want my dad to hurt Jane again, which implies he’s hurt her before. But I can’t figure out why or how.”

  “That’s more than I had to go on. I’ll have my people look into Toby and Thea. Maybe they have an interest in the company too?”

  “Maybe, but it feels like more than that.” She paused, turning her attention toward the water. “I’d appreciate it if you could delve more deeply into it. Maybe check into my mom too. He could be doing it for her.”

  “I’ll send them an email.” He pulled out his phone.

  Birdy studied him. He looked up. “What?”

  “I’m sorry I misjudged you is all.” She smiled, a small, embarrassed smile. “If Katie can work for my dad and still be awesome, I should’ve known others could be good too, including you.” She wrung her hands together, obviously worried about how he’d take what she was saying. “I should’ve known you would be one of the good ones.”

  “Hey, no need to apologize. But I am glad we’ve had the opportunity to spend more time together. It’s been good.”

  “Yes, it has.” She lay back down and closed her eyes.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After saying good-bye to Ares, Birdy went back to her room, running into Meredith along the way. The other woman quizzed Birdy on her day until Birdy closed the bathroom door in her face. As she took a shower in preparation for karaoke later that night, Birdy’s mind wandered over all that had happened the last three days. It felt like a lifetime since their flight to Maui. She’d thought Ares was only worried about getting ahead at her father’s law firm. But he wasn’t like that at all. The Ares she knew now felt like a different man. Well, not different, but there was definitely a lot more to him than she first believed.

  Once her shower ended, she put on a bathrobe and went into the bedroom. “My legs, ugh, th—”

 
; “You know what? Josh and I are going to go. You deserve some time to yourself.” Meredith interrupted, motioning for Josh to leave.

  He turned off the camera and went to the door.

  “My dry skin makes for riveting TV,” Birdy said, putting her foot on the bed and rubbing some lotion into her leg.

  “It is.” Meredith smirked. “But I don’t think your fans need another episode of you complaining about your skin.” She paused. “Which is beyond perfect,” she mumbled, making a face. “We’ve already got plenty of that for this season.”

  Birdy laughed, placing her foot on the ground and putting her other leg up. “My skin isn’t perfect. Trust me. It’s like lizard skin. There’s no getting around it. And if my skin is dry then other women are probably suffering like me. Viewers are on the edge of their seat each week wondering if I’ll ever solve my dry skin problem.” She spoke with humorous sarcasm, but she was sure Meredith was right. People probably didn’t care, but Birdy Knows Best was about her life and dry skin was one of her issues. That and caterpillar eyebrows. “After I lotion my legs, I’m going to pluck Star and Light,” she said, pointing at each of her eyebrows. “I’m sure that’ll be a real kick for the viewers to watch.”

  Meredith paused, eyeing her brows. “You might be right.”

  “I’m kidding. Sheesh,” Birdy said, pushing her out the door. “See you later.”

  As soon as the door closed, Birdy did a little freedom dance. And she thought about doing something crazy. She was debating her options when her phone rang. It was Katie. She answered, putting her phone on speaker.

  “Hey, Kiki. You just saved Maui from all that is Pamela Bird. I was about to go out.” She took the phone into the bathroom with her.

  “You know, I had a feeling you were about to start a ruckus. That’s why I called. You want to come over? We can warm up our singing voices and get ready together.”

  “Sounds like a plan as long as we can order cake in a jar from room service and sing loudly to Wilson Phillips.”