by C. Lesbirel
“Good night then?”
“Yeah, I drank a bit too much, but we had a good time.”
“Spare me the details.” He pretends to cringe.
“Not like that, it was only our second date.”
“I know, I was kidding.” He knows? What has Liam said about me? I’m taken aback by this piece of information. Maybe I underestimated how much he enjoyed our first date. Enough to tell his brother about me, at least. My thoughts wander to what he might have said. Judging by the way Mason looks, I am not the Parker brother’s type of girl, not one single bit. I mean, I’m not a hippy tree hugger or anything, but preferring the company of a panda to a human would strike most people as a little odd.
Quirky. That’s how I’d describe myself.
I turn my head to glance out of the tinted windows as I pull the snuggly blanket up over me, even though the car has heated seats. Hugging this thing was almost like being close to Liam, and a dreamy sigh escapes my lips without me realizing it.
Mason gives a little whistle. “Someone’s got it bad.”
“What? You wanna talk about it? You think I don’t know that whatever I tell you will get straight back to your brother.”
“You don’t need to say anything. It was written all over your face when you were drooling over him in the elevator… still is,” he adds.
“Is not.”
“I call bullshit, and for the record, I’m glad. Liam’s not used to girls like you. He needs a chick who can put him in his place.”
13
Liam
Subject: Hey
Dear Heaven,
How’s the headache?
Best wishes,
Liam
* * *
I click send and close the tab, knowing she won’t reply yet. She’ll play hard to get and make me wait for it, but she didn’t need to. It had only been a few hours since she left, and I’d spent all of them wondering why I let her go.
Three coffees and two meetings later, I’m eating lunch at my desk when her reply pings back.
* * *
Subject: Hi
Dear Liam,
Thank you for checking.
Headache is all gone now. Please thank your sister for me.
H x
* * *
Subject: Important
Hi,
I will do.
Liam
PS. I need to see you again.
* * *
The cursor hovers over those last few words as I delete and retype them a dozen times before finally shrugging to myself, and I actually send them.
When her reply doesn’t come back straight away, I jump up from the chair and paced the floor of my office. What the fuck is wrong with me. Something about this woman has gotten under my skin, and I’m not sure if it is her deep blue eyes, the way she didn’t give a shit whether we were in a fancy restaurant or some backstreet bar, or those tone legs that I keep imagining wrapped around me.
We are worlds apart, yet something about her draws me in. Two dates, two days in a row, with the same person is so not me, but it isn’t enough. There is definite unfinished business between Heaven and I, and it bugs me for the entire day and into my afternoon meeting.
By the time I sit down to attempt to review the upcoming quarter end budget numbers, and she still hasn’t replied, I’m a fucking mess. I have calculated the same numbers at least five times and can’t even focus enough to make sense of them. For the first time, I’m in the vulnerable position of really liking someone and having no clue what to do about it.
Googling Panda Hearts to see if I can find out anything more about her, Jaxon calls, and I’m annoyed by the distraction.
“Hey bro, I hadn’t talked to you in a while. What have you been up to?”
I scroll through the realms of panda photos, until my heart squeezes. Found her. Her gorgeous legs on full display in a pair of denim shorts and an oversized t-shirt with their logo of a rainbow-colored panda face in the top corner of the tee, just above her beautiful round breast. Her hair is slicked back in a high ponytail, and her smile is fucking dazzling. She is cuddling a baby panda, and it is obviously photographed in their rescue center. There’s a guy standing too close to her to be platonic, and an idea takes hold, born from sheer selfishness, because I want to be the one to put that smile on her pretty face.
She finally fucking replies, and I open up the email that appears in the top corner of my screen.
* * *
Subject: Hi
Same.
H x
* * *
“Hi, Jax, random, I know, but I see on the schedule that you just got back yesterday from Seattle. Would you be up for a trip to Chengdu, China?”
“Fucking hell, I thought those days were behind us?” I chuckle at his response.
“Not that kind of trip. I’m calling in a favor. I need someone who’s free this weekend to fly me there.”
“Fly your fucking self there. That CEO position sure is going to your head.”
“It’s not just me going, plus, you know it’s a twenty-four-hour flight, or I would. Actually, you’ll need to pick a partner, so you can team fly.”
“Oh my God, Shiloh said you had a date. You do realize you don’t need to fly her halfway around the world to join the MHC?”
Nothing gets past this family. They all know my business in two point five seconds. “I have some business over there.” It wasn’t a total lie. Heaven had spiked my curiosity, and a visit to Panda Hearts could count as me exploring our fundraising opportunities. Almost.
“Bullshit. I’ll take you, though. You know I’m always up for a visit to my favorite city.”
“I thought London was your favorite?”
“Depends what mood I’m in,” he replies flippantly.
Opening up a new tab, I search for a decent hotel in Chengdu.
“I owe you one, Jax. I’ll text you the details later, but it’s likely to be Friday night.”
“No worries, just let me know.”
“Will do.” I hang up as I land on The Ritz and book two nights there for our time in the city. The thought of four nights off scares the crap out of me, but I can’t keep going on like this; I can feel myself burning out. Besides, if I need to do some work, I’ll have my laptop, and I can take care of it while she sleeps.
A few moments later, I send my reply.
* * *
Subject: Vacation?
I remembered what you said last night. Please see attached. Hope you can make it, you have 48 hours to show me what’s so great about your pandas.
Liam
* * *
I attach a ticket to our VIP Airport Lounge and click send.
14
Heaven
It has been three days since I got the email asking me to take a vacation with Liam Parker, and I’d spent that time debating back and forth whether this is the right thing to do. We’ve only just met. No one has two dates and then jets off into the sunset with someone, that’s just not normal behavior.
Liam has gone quiet over the last couple of days with no further emails exchanged, so now I’m scared that he’s not going to show up. As well as, panicking that he does turn up and then what? I’m a ball of excitement because I’m going to see my beloved pandas again! Oh, I do hope he comes, so we can go. Even with my savings, I wouldn’t have been able to afford a trip to see them just on a whim. Aside from visiting when the gala is on, which is paid for by the charity, I don’t spend any time at Panda Hearts, because I simply can’t afford to.
Now, I’m here in some fancy VIP lounge that’s dripping in luxury. Red is everywhere, and the gold Parker logo is stitched or stamped onto everything. Even the shortbread cookie wrapper I’m about to tear off has it on the corner. What’s even weirder is that I'm the only person in here, and I get the feeling Liam has made sure of that. His attention to detail is something I’m going to have to be careful of. I mean, I make a drunken passing comment, and now I’m sitting at the airport
.
My black shiny leggings and white oversized fluffy sweater is casual, but I don’t feel as out of place as I thought I would be sitting somewhere so fancy. I flip through the pages of the Parker Airlines Magazine and try to distract myself while I wait for him to show up.
When he does, my smile widens, and I stand to greet him.
“You came.” He beams, closing the space between us. I don’t know if it is instinct or sheer relief that I’m here, but he wraps his arms around my waist, and mine land around his neck.
“Of course I did,” I mumble into his neck, and he pulls back to take a look at me, as though to check if I’m real.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he announces, and before I get a chance to blush, he lands a kiss on my lips that’s super gentle but still manages to take my breath away. Without a single thought in my head, other than how good his lips feel on mine, my lips part to allow him entry, and he responds quickly with a harsh kiss that makes my entire body tingle.
For just a few seconds the world stops turning, and I lose myself in him.
Drowning.
Never wanting it to end.
The kiss must take us both by surprise as when he pulls back, still cupping my face, he looks me in the eyes, and we both laugh. This trip is going to be incredible; I can just tell from the way he looks at me that he really likes me. Even with my over cautious mind, how could I resist him when he’s so fucking perfect? Or is he? I’m still skeptical. Just a few days ago, I didn’t believe in the real deal, and now, here I am wondering if this guy could be it.
He grabs my hand in one hand and my suitcase with his other. I don’t need much for a four-day trip, especially if we are going to spend most of our time at Panda Hearts, which is what I am planning to do. If I need anything extra, the rescue always has hoodies and jackets I can grab and throw on.
Liam leads me through the airport like he grew up here. He knows exactly where to go, and everybody seems to know him. The way he walks… talks… everything about him commands attention, and I watch other women’s heads turn as we rush through security, skipping the line because he knows the security staff, as well.
When we get outside, a Parker charter jet is waiting for us with a pilot standing at the top of the stairs chatting with Mason. Both men are dressed in matching uniforms and stop talking to nod at Liam as we reach the bottom of the steps that lead up to the door.
“All good, bro?” Liam asks the guy I haven’t seen before.
“Yeah, I brought Mason along for the ride.”
“I thought Shiloh might have shown up,” Liam says before introducing me to his other brother, Jaxon, who looks less like him than Mason, but still has the distinctive square jawline and trademark stubble. His is barely there, and his hair is a little lighter than the others.
“She tried but couldn’t get off work, some bosses can be a real nightmare.” He eyes Liam pointedly and a small smile appears.
“Very funny. Anyways, Heaven, this is my brother, Jaxon, and of course, you know Mason. Safe flight, guys, and thanks for this.”
“No worries, and it’s nice to meet you,” Jaxon replies, and Mason pats Liam on the arm before turning to me and smiling.
It feels strange to step onto such a big plane with no one else around, only the pilots. There were no usual issues with searching out your seat or finding space in the overhead lockers. The plane is huge, more like a hotel room than a form of transport.
On one side of the plane there's a long couch made of luxurious light tan leather that looks so soft, and at the back to the right there is a door, and to the left there is a kitchenette and another door.
The overhead speaker crackles on. “Welcome aboard, Heaven, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Please make yourself comfortable and enjoy your flight. If you have any complaints, please direct them toward our CEO, I think you know where to find him.”
Liam rolls his eyes as one of his brother’s voices fills the plane, and it hits me that there are no air hostesses on board.
“Is it just you and me?”
“For twenty-four hours.” He hitches a brow and cocks his head to one side regarding my outfit. I shuffle the hem of my sweater down a bit and feel awkward for a second. “I like that you don’t dress up for me, Heaven. I can see that you care about how you look, but it’s not everything. I wanted to say that to you when you showed up to our first date in those little boots and the skinny jeans you wore the last time I saw you.”
“Ah.” I hold a finger in the air to silence him. “Second date didn’t happen. Erase it from your memory and rewind to the cutesy romantic date we had, not the other disaster.”
“And forget the image of you curled up on my sofa, not a chance, I’ve inked it to memory,” he replies, and I don’t think he is joking because of his deadpan expression. Of course, he sits down first looking all cool and collected, and I kind of hover, not knowing what to do with myself. I feel like I need the instructions that normally come on a long-haul flight. The safety information about how to use the slide if we have to land on water. Despite the large space, it suddenly feels tight. What if I am making a mistake?
“Are you going to stand the entire time?” He blinks up at me with his pretty greens flashing a pale shade of olive, and I look away unable to take him seriously when he’s that beautiful, it’s abnormal.
“Nope, just making the most before takeoff. I’m not used to all this space. It’s amazing in here.”
“Yeah, she’s something special. I forget what the cabin looks like, as I’m only always in the cockpit,” he replies, glancing around.
“Your parents must be so proud.”
“Yeah, they are, and I’m proud of them, too. They built the business up from nothing. I simply brought it into the twenty-first century, but all the stuff about keeping it personal, that was all them. It still works now as a business model.” He shrugs, and I am captivated by him. His passion and pride for what he does shines through. I admire anyone with as much drive and ambition as he has. “People like the little touches that you get with Parker Airlines that you won’t get on any other, no matter how much you pay. That’s what makes us the best. Take these for example.” He pulls open a door in the side of the plane and lifts out a folded blanket, passing it to me. It’s covered in tiny black pandas wearing crowns and dripping in jewelry.
“Oh my God, this is amazing. Did you do this?”
“Babe, that’s just the start.” He grins. “I told you, it’s what we pride ourselves in. What kind of CEO would I be if I didn’t give you the full five-star Parker experience?”
“Oh, you’re good.” I side-eye him in disbelief, and he grins again.
“Yeah?” Pulling out a matching neck pillow, and I can’t help but grin. Where did he even get this stuff. Did he have some kind of shopper who goes around finding things like this for customers, or does he do it himself? I can’t picture him walking around shops choosing cute panda gifts specially for me. I feel like I need to know, but knowing would ruin the surprise element. So, I keep quiet and wrap the neck rest around my head.
The plane starts to move, and as the engines grow louder, I sit tall, and grab his hand. Not that I minded flying, I’m used to traveling back and forth to China on my own. It just sort of happened, and by the time we’re in the air, neither of us have attempted to break the contact.
15
Liam
Relaxing back into my seat, I sigh. It’s been so long since I had a day off, let alone taken a trip like this one. Heaven’s hand resting in mine feels good, I never knew a woman’s company could be so enjoyable.
“Do you wanna watch a movie or something?”
“Maybe, I wondered where the screens are.” She starts checking around her for one of those little fold out screens commercial flights have.
I press the button located to the side of me, and the huge TV slides down opposite us. She looks surprised, and it draws a smirk from my lips.
“Of course you have a
full size TV in the wall. I mean, who wouldn’t?”
“I told you, we’re the best of the best. Here,” I say, passing her the remote, “put what you like on. You can also switch up the lighting, if you want something a little more relaxing.”
She plays with the buttons, and the lights turn a deep shade of pink. “This is amazing!”
“I’m glad you like it,” I reply, watching her expression as she flips from color to color.
“So, tell me how did you end up in China?”
“It’s kind of a long story.”
“We have over eighteen hours still left on this flight,” I state.
“Fair point. Okay, basically I have this ex, Richie.”
Shit, I have a feeling I’m not going to like this. The thought of her having an ex makes my jaw lock and forearms tense. Obviously, she’s going to have exes, but it doesn’t stop the thought from bugging me. I moan, pretending to be interested.
“I thought he was the one. We were together straight out of college, and I would have done anything for him.”
“What happened?”
“Let’s just say he wasn’t the guy I thought he was.” She tenses, and her eyes avoid mine.
“Right.”
“Soon after we got together, he changed. It was like he didn’t want to be with me, he wanted to own me. He decided what I wore... said… did… Gradually, I lost myself, and in the end, he controlled everything, but I couldn’t see it at the time. My parents tried to talk sense into me; Brianna begged me to leave.”
Fuck. My hand curls in a tight fist, and I’m not sure how to respond. I can’t believe she’s opening up to me about this. It has only been a couple of dates, could she trust me already?
“I’m sorry,” is all I can manage to say.
