She twisted the key, and the Peugeot coughed to life.
“Yes!” Gunning the engine, she backed out of the slot and tore onto the street, heading east toward the runway. It wasn't a big airport, and really, she thought, they were lucky to have one at all this far from a big city.
The buildings of main street fell away, giving over to green fields with foothills and low mountains as a backdrop. Pushed to the limit, the Peugeot sputtered and whined as it rolled down the road, reaching its top speed of forty-three miles per hour. Sitting forward, hands gripping the wheel, Sessily whispered a mantra. “Please be there, please be there, please be there.”
A half mile from the air strip, the Peugeot growled, coughed, and died. She pulled over to the side of the road, fighting the steering wheel the whole way. “Not now! You can't do this to me now.”
She knew she was way short on time. Perhaps even a few minutes late. No, she wouldn't think of that. Didn't want to contemplate the plane leaving without her.
Giving the car a little gas, she tried the engine again. It churned and didn't start. Banging the wheel with the heel of her hand, she gauged the distance to the little white building she could see squatting against the landscape ahead. Maybe she should leave the suitcase and just run.
The engine caught, to her surprise, and puttered into a frighteningly off-beat rhythm. Sessily jammed the car into gear and stomped the gas. The Peugeot surged onto the road, picking up speed. Not enough speed to suit her, but she didn't have far to go.
To the right of the road sat the runway. It stretched ahead toward the white building that served as the terminal, then further beyond, giving aircraft plenty of room for take off and landing. Just as she veered into the parking lot, Sessily noticed a jet at the end of the runway. She drove the Peugeot beyond the normal parking area and stopped against a chain link fence separating the runway from the rest of the terminal.
The jet, white and sleek, surged down the runway. Picking up speed with its engines roaring. There could only be one person that plane belonged to, departing at this particular time.
“No, no! Wait!” Sessily jumped out of the car and hit the chain link fence as the jet ripped by, the nose tilting into the air as it left the tarmac.
“Wait! I'm here!” Tears spilled over her lashes as the jet climbed, gaining altitude. Leaving the town behind. Leaving her behind. “But the car had trouble, and I had to pack...”
Lame excuses. She should have accepted Ahsan's invitation when he stood in front of her in Anna's shop. He'd come all this way, made an effort to sway her. The man who didn't chase women had flown hundreds of miles to chase her.
Fingers caught through the chain link, Sessily tipped her forehead against the cool metal, jagged sobs and gasps lost under the jet engine noise that was getting further and further away.
She was too late, and now he was gone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sessily stared at the sky where the jet had once been. She couldn't see even a speck of white any more, nor hear the rumble of the engines. Her tears continued to slide down her cheeks, punctuated by ridiculous gasps for breath. Why hadn't she left sooner? Made up her mind faster?
“You're eight minutes late,” a voice said behind her.
Sessily let go of the chain link and whipped around. Ahsan stood there, suit coat unbuttoned now, looking a little more rakish with a third button undone at his throat. Without thinking, Sessily launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. “I thought you were gone. I thought you were gone, and I'd never see you again.”
“Shh. I'm here,” he said, voice a rumble. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her snug against his body.
Sessily pulled the scent of him in, reveled in the hard angles of his body. His whiskers scraped her cheek, and she didn't care. “Why weren't you on the plane? That was yours, it had to be.”
“Because we're not done. Because I'm in love with you, and I don't give up that easy. I figured I'd rent a room here instead and spend my time trying to convince you that you love me, too.” He tipped his face into her neck, leaving a few warm kisses behind.
Sessily shivered and leaned her head back far enough to see his eyes. “You were going to stay? Really?”
“Yes. I will, and we'll still go on dates, and I'll come to work with you one day, and you can show me your town.” His eyes glittered with determination and love.
Sessily laughed at the thought of him spending a day working at the bakery. “That's kind of you. And maybe some day I'd like to do that. But I realized somewhere along the line that I love you, that I can't live without you, and I want to do all those things we planned on doing. I want to experience them with you, learn about you and your habits. I want to know what your favorite dessert is, your favorite color, and what makes you say my name in that husky way I adore.”
His arms tightened around her when she admitted that she loved him. Sessily saw the impact of her words in his expression, in the way he stroked a hand up her back with reverence.
“I have a better idea,” he said, voice low.
“What's that?” she asked, running her fingers over his nape. She glanced at his mouth, then his eyes.
“Why don't I show you instead.” He swooped down and claimed her mouth, all tongue and hot breath and insistent need.
A flash of her future hit Sessily the moment their mouths met. A future of travels and laughter and his roguish teasing. Of steamy nights in bed, of disagreements and intense make up sex.
Nothing this good ever came easy and she knew it was worth fighting for.
He was worth fighting for.
. . .
About the Author
Born and raised in Corona California, Danielle now resides in Texas with her husband and two sons. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, penning works in a number of genres. To date, she has published nineteen novels and nine short stories. Her interests vary wildly: reading, traveling, photography, graphic art and baking, among others.
There is a black cat named Sheba involved who thinks Danielle's laptop is her personal grooming station.
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www.daniellebourdon.com
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The Royal Elite: Ahsan (Elite, Book 2) Page 20
