“This is . . . I don’t even have words.” Her head whipped around as she took in the private plane we would soon be boarding.
“See? I told you I’d make it up to you,” I said, winking, as I reached for the handle to hop out.
She followed my lead, neither of us bothering to wait for the chauffeur.
“I figured that meant you’d buy me some dry shampoo and a sweatshirt at the airport between flights, not a freaking private plane. Wait . . . does this thing have a shower on it? Is that why you wanted me to skip it?” She walked beside me, grabbing my arm before linking our hands.
“Maybe.” I laughed.
Incoherent gibberish followed.
I couldn’t tell if she was excited or pissed. Maybe it was a little of both, but she kept a hold of me as we made our way toward the plane.
The presence of money in our relationship still scared the shit out of Lailah. Raised with very little, it was hard for her to see so much of it go to waste. But in my mind, she was priceless. It wasn’t about being frivolous or extravagant to me. We had the money, so if I could give her the best of something, why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t any man do that for the woman he loved?
Ready to greet us was our flight attendant, a young brunette who stood a bit straighter when her eyes met mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lailah reach up and smooth out her hair once again, obviously not happy with her early morning appearance.
I personally thought her hair looked spectacular, but then I was the one who had messed it up.
A sly grin tugged at my lips as visions of our wedding night flooded my brain until an elbow to the ribs brought me back to reality.
“Pervert.”
Laughing, I stopped steps away from where we’d board the plane and grabbed her hand. I kissed it, hoping to calm any nervousness she might have. A shy smile surfaced.
“You could have at least given me something better than sweats,” she teased, looking up at the flight attendant in her perfectly pressed uniform.
“You are stunning in anything, Mrs. Cavanaugh. Come on. We have places to go—”
“And things to do?” She smirked after finishing my sentence.
“Definitely things to do.”
“Race you to the top?” she challenged, a flirtatious grin appearing across her eager face.
As I began to reply, she was already running, racing up the stairs, before I had the chance to form a single word.
“Cheater!” I yelled.
I waved to the woman whose name tag said Brie.
It reminded me of cheese, and suddenly, I was starving. I followed my bride up the steps and found her halted at the entrance.
“Have I ever mentioned my concern for your sanity?” she said, her eyes taking in the lavish furnishings and ample space.
“A few times, yes.”
“Okay, good. I might again before this flight is over.”
“Good to know.” I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her waist, and I pushed us forward into the room.
As she looked around, I took a seat. “Are you hungry?”
Her hands flew to her stomach, probably having the same realization as me. “Famished. Please tell me this thing is stocked with food.”
I nodded, leaning my head back against the seat, as I watched her walking back and forth, opening doors and checking out buttons.
“Good. Whoa! There’s a bed back here!”
I turned and found her blushing. Apparently, she’d just realized all the fun things that we could do with a bed mid-flight.
I felt my body harden at the mere sight of that red stain across her cheeks.
Calm. Must stay calm.
We couldn’t be horizontal when the flight took off, and I planned on at least feeding her before fucking her. After last night, we both needed strength.
Good God . . . last night.
Making love with Lailah always filled a dark hole in my heart. Each time our bodies came together, I’d feel whole, alive, and completely connected to her.
There was nothing more I needed. Nothing felt lacking, and until yesterday, I hadn’t realized that I’d been holding back. It wasn’t that I had been rougher or different with others in the past. It was simply the fact that, with Lailah, I’d always want more because she meant more.
It hurt to admit that to myself, knowing how intensely I’d once loved another. But I knew I couldn’t live in the past. I’d never know what my life would have been like if Megan and I hadn’t visited Los Angeles and never attended that fateful party. All I knew was, I’d somehow been given a second chance with Lailah, and I’d fallen so deeply in love with her that I couldn’t imagine living any other way now.
But seeing her fear that something might be missing between us couldn’t be any further from the truth, yet I’d still held back when we made love.