“No. Did you ask her about this when you found it?”
“She wasn’t there. I found it when you were in London, and I had gone back to pack up the rest of my things. It was the day Richard kidnapped me.”
“This photo was taken at my parents’ home. This was the pond that was on the property. It would fill with lotus blooms, and my mum would spend hours out there.”
“Maybe she was friends with your mother,” I suggest.
“She never said anything. I saw her each time I went over there to visit you. If she knew me, why wouldn’t she say something?”
“Do you want to call her?”
He hands the picture over to me, saying, “We don’t have time. We need to get to the plane. I’ll deal with it when we get back.”
“Are you sure? You seemed bothered by this.”
“I’m not bothered,” he states and then throws his clothes and shoes into the bag before zipping it up. “You’re probably right. She must’ve been friends with my mum.”
He picks up the bag along with mine, and without another word, he walks out of the room, leaving me alone. Finding that photo has stirred up something inside him. His eyes exposed too much to me, more than he intended. Perhaps it was just the sheer memory of his mom, so I’ll respect his request to avoid it until after our trip.
We secure the apartment before leaving to drive to Biggin Hill Airport, where the pilot is already waiting for us. Aside from him, we are the only others on the plane.
“How long have you had this thing?” I ask as I settle into my seat that’s next to the window.
“This is more than just a thing. It’s a G450 Gulfstream jet,” he boasts, and I chuckle at him with a shake of my head.
“I see I’ve offended your toy,” I go on to pester.
He takes the seat right next to me instead of across from me.
“Buckle up, because this toy is about to takeoff,” he says with a sexy smirk and then reaches over to fasten my seatbelt for me, yanking on the strap to tighten it.
The plane is extravagant with its white leather seats and espresso wood finishes that add a masculine contrast. Double seats on the left and single seats on the right with a beverage station in the back next to a decent sized lavatory. There’s a flat screen television above the small eating table towards the front of the aircraft next to the cockpit.
“Well, for what it’s worth,” I say as he fastens his seatbelt, “I like your toy.”
“As long as my baby’s happy.”
The pilot looks over his shoulder from his seat in the cockpit, saying, “We’ve been cleared for takeoff, sir. Are you ready?”
“We’re ready, William.”
“Would you like privacy for the flight?”
“Yes.”
I look to him, perplexed with a grin, and question, “You didn’t want privacy last time?”
“That’s because Lachlan was with us.”
His flirtations spark the tinder inside me, but he simply winks and takes my hand in his, threading his fingers with mine as the aircraft begins to move.
“Prepare for takeoff,” the pilot’s voice announces over the speaker.
I grip Declan’s hand tighter when the plane speeds up.
“You nervous?”
I look out the window as we lift off and ascend into the sky.
“Elizabeth?”
I roll my head over to him and nod, my fingers fixed around his. He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, and I close my eyes as I lean into his touch.
“Talk to me.”
I blink my eyes open. “It feels weird going back. Everyone there knows me as Nina. I can’t be anything but her in that city.”
“I know,” he says, voice drowning in compassion.
“Does that bother you? Because it bothers me.”
“It’s part of who we are.”
“But does it bother you?” I ask again.
Shrugging his shoulders, he admits, “Somewhat. But we’re in this together. I’ll do what I can to make this trip short and uneventful.”
My stomach is in knots, wishing one of my many endless wishes to extinguish memories that are unvanquishable. I want to break out of the cobwebs I’ve spun that now cling to me like sand to a pearl. I’m no pearl though, more like the goop that embodies the pearl within the oyster. And I have to wonder, if beneath my protective shell, if you dug deep enough through the slime, would there be a morsel of purity?
I remember one of my conversations with Isla—she told me we’re all threaded with holy fibers.
Perhaps.
“Come here,” Declan says after a span of time.
He raises the armrest between us as I unfasten my seatbelt and then pulls me onto his lap. With my arms around his neck and his around my waist, I rest my head against his.
“We’re going to be fine,” he whispers deeply.
I nod. His hand slips under my top and trails up my spine, sending a rush of tingles across my skin. With eyes open, we watch each other intently. My hands find their way into his hair, and I grip fistfuls of it as his hand moves to trail across my stomach.
“Tell me what you want,” he speaks in a husky breath.