Something Moore (Forever Moore Book 1)

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Something Moore (Forever Moore Book 1) Page 6

by Hunter J. Keane


  “Fifteen years? That’s a long time.” Riley turned serious again. “That kind of life can change people.”

  “Sounds like you are speaking from experience.” I tried not to sound like I was prying.

  She looked out the window again. “Where are we exactly? It looks like you are driving us out to the middle of nowhere. This is how all the pretty girls in the Lifetime movies end up dead.”

  I laughed. “This day isn’t going to be a Lifetime movie. More like the Hallmark channel. I’m about to woo you, Riley Banks.”

  “I’ve never been wooed. Is it going to hurt?” Her smile had returned.

  “Not if I do it right.” I steered the car down a familiar dirt road. “Your heart might race a little and your knees might go weak, but overall it should be an enjoyable experience.”

  “Kind of like the night we met.” She was still smiling, but there was a seriousness on the edges of her words. She looked around outside. “Is this an airport?”

  “Private airport. No commercial jets here.” I headed toward the parking lot and wasn’t surprised that it was nearly empty.

  Riley’s eyes narrowed at me. “Do you own your own plane?”

  “Something like that.” I turned off the engine and opened the door. By the time I got to Riley’s side of the car, she was already standing outside spinning in a slow circle. “What are you looking for?”

  “Just trying to decide which of those fancy planes is yours.” She pointed to the biggest one. “It’s that one, isn’t it?”

  “No way,” I sneered. “Those are all charter planes. Things that rich men use so they don’t have to mingle with commoners. I take my business trips on normal airplanes, just like everyone else.”

  “Just like everyone else?” She gave me a challenging look.

  I reluctantly admitted, “Just like everyone else flying first class.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Riley laughed and took my arm. “If we’re not getting into one of those planes, what are we doing here.”

  “Come on. I’ll show you.” I led her around the closest hangar where a small plane was parked. A man had just circled around the front of it. “Eddie!”

  “Mr. Moore. Just in time.” He gestured to the plane. “Just parked her. Are you headed out east today?”

  “Actually, yes.” I shook Eddie’s hand. “This is Riley.”

  Eddie nodded at her. “Good to meet you, Miss. You’ll be in excellent hands with Mr. Moore.”

  “I will?” Riley looked at me, still confused.

  “Enjoy your weekend,” Eddie said with a wave of his hand.

  “We better get moving if we want to get there by noon,” I said, pulling Riley toward the plane. “Lots to do today.”

  “Get where by noon?” Riley asked, only slightly dragging her feet. “Where’s the pilot?”

  I opened to door and held out my hand. “Don’t worry about that. Just get in.”

  “Will.” She stared at me stubbornly. “Tell me where we are going.”

  “Just a few miles away to one of my favorite lunch places,” I said vaguely. “Flying will give us a scenic view on the way.”

  Riley sighed. “Okay. I’m choosing to trust you right now. Don’t make me regret it.”

  I helped her into the seat and fought back a smile when she said, “This plane is a little small. Will it hold three people?”

  “No.” I shut the door as she registered my reply. By the time I climbed in on the other side, she was ready for me.

  “You are going to fly this plane?” She wasn’t playing around anymore. The fear in her eyes was not exaggerated.

  “Don’t look so freaked out. I’ve been flying for almost ten years.” I began going through the steps of my pre-flight checklist.

  “This plane is practically a toy,” she said, sounding dazed.

  I stopped what I was doing and looked at her. “You said you trusted me, right?”

  She nodded slowly.

  “Now’s your chance to prove it.” I handed her a headset. “You’re safe with me, Riley. Trust in that.”

  “I’m not scared of flying with you, William,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I’m scared of falling for you.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Riley

  I held my breath all during takeoff. Sadly, I was getting used to feeling breathless around William. Once we were safely in the air, he grinned at me and squeezed my leg.

  “You doing alright?”

  “Eyes on the sky, buddy,” I said through a clenched jaw. Flying usually wasn’t a big deal for me. But it was a lot easier to ignore the extreme vulnerability of flying when you weren’t sitting next to the pilot. “You won’t be joining the mile-high club today.”

  “What makes you think I’m not already a member?” he said with a smirk.

  “That sounds like a story for later,” I said, still digging my fingers into the leather seat. “When we are safely on the ground.”

  William squeezed my leg again and said, “You need to learn to relax. Enjoy the view.”

  “It is a nice view,” I said, cautiously peering out the window. Below us, the entire Chicago skyline stretched toward the lake. “So we’ll be flying over the water then?”

  “That’s kind of required for us to head east.” William was obviously enjoying my distress. “You haven’t even gushed about how impressed you are that I can fly my own plane.”

  “If your ego gets any bigger, there won’t be enough room in here for me.” I finally allowed a small smile. “This is pretty sweet, though. Well played.”

  “I’m just getting started, Banks.” William turned back to his piloting duties and it didn’t take me long to realize that we weren’t just taking a quick flight around the area. Every time I asked where we were going, William would pretend he didn’t hear me. Instead, he would change the subject by telling me a story or asking me questions about my past. With no way to escape, I was forced to tell him things that were difficult for me. His questions about my family were the hardest, but I managed to dodge the big landmines and he seemed satisfied with my carefully crafted responses.

  It wasn’t until we were landing that I figured out where we were headed.

  “Is that the capitol over there?” I said, noticing the familiar building in the distance. “Did you just fly me to D.C.?”

  “Actually, we’ll be landing in Virginia.” William started speaking into his headset as he prepared for landing and I went back to staring out the window and trying not to have a panic attack. It helped that he was so calm and composed throughout the flight. I was starting to suspect that he might actually know what he was doing.

  The landing was smooth and uneventful. As we taxied to a stop, I started to breathe normally again. “Should I even bother asking why you brought me to Virginia?”

  “I already told you. I’m taking you to lunch at one of my favorite places.” William stopped the plane in front of a small hangar and shut down the engine. He was quiet as he helped me from my seat and even though it didn’t seem logical, I thought that he might be nervous.

  “You’re being weird,” I said as he retrieved a set of keys from the hangar. “Are you wishing that you would have just taken me to that restaurant down the street from my place?”

  “Definitely not.” His smile was still just as inviting as always. One of his hands was behind his back and it was only when he held it out that I realized he had grabbed more than a set of keys.

  “What are those?” I asked as he held up two helmets.

  “Think of it as an accessory,” he said as he handed one to me.

  I held it out away from my body. “If it’s not pink, leather, or sparkly, it’s not an accessory I’m interested in wearing.”

  “Too bad. It’s the law.” He walked around the corner of the hangar and I had no choice but to follow him. I wasn’t surprised to find him standing next to a motorcycle.

  “Boys and their toys,” I grumbled. “I’d ask if you are compensating for som
ething, but I already know you aren’t.”

  He laughed and straddled the bike. “I’m choosing to take that as a compliment. Now get over here. We’ve still got a 30-minute drive ahead of us.”

  “This better be the best lunch of my life,” I said as I put on my helmet and climbed on behind him. As I put my arms around his waist, my body pressed forcefully against his back. It was the most contact we’d had in several hours and my body responded with a rush of excitement. The distraction didn’t last long though, because William revved the engine to life and the bike shot forward.

  I held on tight and closed my eyes as I wondered how I had become so captivated by this man that I had allowed him to fly me halfway across the country and then convince me to get on a motorcycle. Maybe it was because he had spurned my advances earlier, opting to show me his world instead of his body. I couldn’t remember another man that had ever done that. But then, I already knew that William Moore wasn’t like other men.

  William decelerated as he took a turn onto a quaint street and I was finally able to relax slightly. We cruised slowly through a small town that looked like something from a Hallmark movie. A few people even waved at us. I wondered if they actually recognized William, or if his motorcycle was a distinguishing enough characteristic. It didn’t seem like the kind of town that would house a motorcycle gang

  On the other side of town, William took us down a winding road and then stopped before a house on the water. After he parked and turned off the engine, he lightly touched my hand, letting me know that it was okay to let go now. I pulled my arms away and felt a slight tingle. I had been holding on so tight that my arms felt awkward not holding on to something.

  William easily lifted a leg and slid off the bike. He took off his helmet and then helped me remove mine.

  “You alright?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

  “I have no idea.” I stumbled climbing off the bike and William quickly caught my arm. “Thanks.”

  “I’ll try to keep your feet on the ground for the next few hours,” he promised.

  “Then how are you going to sweep me off my feet?” I joked even as my legs were still wobbly.

  William leaned down and kissed me softly, lingering just long enough to make my heart flutter. “That’s how,” he said with a cocky smile.

  “That works for me.” I cleared my throat and looked at the house. “Are you going to tell me where we are now?”

  “This,” he said with a flourishing gesture in the direction of the home, “is my vacation home.”

  “Of course you have a vacation home,” I said under my breath. “Why are we here?”

  William took my hand and pulled me toward the door. “This is the best place I know to have a picnic.”

  “We’re having a picnic?” I felt like an idiot for asking so many rhetorical questions, but I was having trouble understanding William’s plan. “We really couldn’t find a decent place for that in Chicago?”

  “Just trust me, okay?” He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “This is all part of my plan to get you to fall madly in love with me.”

  “How’s that plan going?” I said as I stepped over the threshold.

  “You tell me.” He set the helmets on the dark entryway table and tossed down his keys. “Do you find me irresistible yet?”

  I kept my back to him, pretending to be engrossed in surveying the home. “You being irresistible is never going to be a problem. Didn’t you figure that out after our first night together?”

  “How do I know that you aren’t seducing innocent men every night?” His hand grazed my lower back as he moved next to me. “I can safely say that you are the most irresistible woman I’ve ever met. I’m just a victim to your charms.”

  I laughed. “Will, you could never be a victim. Now, I believe I was promised a picnic.”

  “Indeed. Why don’t you head on down the hallway to the back door and wait for me outside? I’ll just grab the food.” He backed away slowly with an adorable smile on his face.

  “Okay, but don’t keep me waiting too long.” I started down the hall.

  “Are you really that hungry?” he called after me.

  “No. I just don’t like being away from you,” I said, despite my better judgment. I blamed it on being tired. We had gotten an early start, and spent a few hours in the air. All the excitement was beginning to catch up with me. That had to be why I was saying things to William that I had never said to anyone else.

  I stepped onto a large deck that overlooked the ocean. Waterfront property like this had to cost more money than I could even imagine. Being with William, it was easy to forget that he was the CEO of an incredibly successful company. He had been dressed in ripped jeans and a faded t-shirt when he picked me up. He didn’t wear a fancy Rolex or even drive a very expensive car. In fact, until we had boarded his plane, it had felt very much like a normal first date. But now I was standing on the deck of his beach house staring at the ocean.

  “Still wishing we would have gone somewhere in Chicago?” William asked as he joined me on the deck.

  “Not even a little bit.” I turned to him. “I think your plan is working.”

  “Good.” He slid me a wink. “But my plan has only just begun. Head on down to the beach, Banks.”

  It was the perfect day for a picnic on the beach. The sun was shining brightly, but big, fluffy clouds kept it from beating down directly on us. The temperature hovered in the high seventies and I was glad that the sand was cool beneath the blanket that William had spread out for us. As the waves crashed against the shore, we ate sandwiches and fresh fruit and shared a bottle of crisp white wine. William eventually told me why this location was so special to him.

  “My family came here every summer when I was a kid. Even after my mom took off, Dad still made sure to pack us boys into the old station wagon and we would rent a house about a half-mile down the beach. Nick and I always shared a room and around the age of twelve, we started sneaking out at night.” William smiled at the memory. “At first, it was just for the thrill of being on the beach at night. When we got older, we did it to meet some older girls that used to party down the beach.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” I said, rolling my eyes. “So you decided to bring me to the sight of your conquests?”

  “I’ve never brought anyone to this house,” he said, ignoring my snark. “Nicky sometimes meets me out here on the weekends and we take the boat out, go fishing. I mostly come here to get away from everyone. It’s kind of a sanctuary.”

  I nibbled at a grape and said, “Why did you bring me here, William? I’ve been nothing but cold to you and yet you seem determined to win me over. Why?”

  “I like a challenge.” William’s smile wasn’t as strong as usual. “Riley, I think you are trying your absolute hardest to push me away and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. You and I have had a connection since the moment we met in that bar. I know you feel it. Why are you so adamantly opposed to being happy?”

  It was an incredibly accurate observation. “I want to tell you, William, but I’m not sure I can. At least, not yet.”

  “We’ve got plenty of time.” William stretched his long legs before him and tilted his head toward the sky. “The sun is still high in the sky.”

  “Very optimistic of you.” I studied his profile closer and felt a strong rush of attraction. His strong jaw perfectly offset the sharp angle of his nose. “What’s up next for your plan?”

  “I thought we could walk into town. I’ll show you some of my old haunts.” His head angled in my direction as he smiled softly. “Sometime after I buy you a slice of the best apple pie in the whole world, you will fall madly in love with me.”

  I laughed. “Well, I do love me some apple pie.”

  It took less than five minutes to walk into town. William regaled me with the story about crashing his bike into a stop sign when he was ten. “That’s how I got this scar,” he said, pointing to a faint line running through his eyebro
w. “Nicky was so sure that he was going to get blamed that he took off. Mr. Elway from the hardware store came out and got me and drove me to the hospital. We didn’t see Nicky again until after dark.”

  “How does one ride their bicycle into a stop sign?” I asked, giggling at his story.

  “We were racing and I was looking over my shoulder to see how close Nicky was to catching me. In a way, it really was his fault.” William rubbed at the scar. “It’s his fault I’m so hideous.”

  “Everyone knows scars are sexy. It makes you seem mysterious.” Now that we were in the center of town, I took a closer look at our surroundings. A woman with two small kids in a stroller passed by and wished us both a good day. “This place is ridiculous. It’s like something out of the 1950s.”

  “You’re just a jaded city girl,” William replied. He hurried to hold the door to the post office for an older gentleman walking with a cane. “This place will be good for your soul.”

  “And my stomach, assuming you weren’t lying about that apple pie.” I turned sharply at the sound of sharp cry. Across from the post office, a half-dozen children were running around on a playground. “That’s a nice little park.”

  “Thank you,” William said proudly.

  I was surprised by his response until I saw the sign at the entrance to the park. “Moore Park? You own a park?”

  “No, no, no. I don’t own it. I just gave the town money to build it and they insisted on naming it after me.” William actually blushed. “I tried to talk them out of it.”

  “Sure you did.” I laughed at his discomfort. “The kids seem to love your park.”

  “Kids are easy to please. A swing and a slide and they are happy for hours.” He tugged my hand, pulling me down the sidewalk. “If only women were as easy to please.”

  “I’m not the one that insisted on a trip to the ocean today,” I reminded him. “I would’ve been happy just staying in bed all day.”

  William groaned. “Now you tell me. I’ve wasted all this wooing for no reason.”

  “A good woo is never a waste.” I nearly bumped into him when he stopped abruptly. “Whoa. Use your brake lights, Moore.”

 

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