One Perfect Night
Page 5
She was completely divided. Part of her wanted to turn and run after Rob, beg him to take her back, give her another chance. But her plane ticket was burning in her hand, reminding her of all the plans she had made. It had been her decision to move overseas and start a new life. It was meant to be an escape, a reward for all the things she had endured over the past year, but now it felt like a punishment. It was a fitting punishment for her, a woman who couldn’t trust a man who so obviously deserved it.
She handed the ticket over to the airline steward and forced her legs forward. Rob had told her he wanted more time with her so he could prove he was a good guy. Prove it? She already knew it. And yet she was moving down a dark hallway onto a plane that was going to take her halfway across the world.
She really was crazy.
Michelle moved onto the plane, pushed her bag into the overhead cabin, and settled herself into her cattle-class seat.
What was she doing? Panic fluttered within her belly. She had just left the most amazing guy she had ever met. He had begged her to stay and what had she done? Ran away, like the coward she was. Oh my God, I’m never going to see him again.
Pain lanced through her chest and with it every self-recriminating thought she had. Worthless, stupid, selfish.
“Excuse me, madam, but would you come with me?” The airline hostess indicated to Michelle.
Michelle blinked rapidly. What was going on now?
“Is there something wrong?”
The woman slid closer and shook her head. “No, but we’re upgrading you as a bonus. Can you grab your bags?”
Dazed, Michelle moved like a robot. Impossible. She had been given a free hotel room in a closed airport, spent an amazing night with Rob, and now an upgrade on a sold out plane? Well, that was it. Three. She was done for the rest of her life. All her good luck had come at once.
As she walked behind the air hostess, she couldn’t help but smile. She would never regret last night. Even if Rob now hated her and she had been stupid and foolish, last night had been the best night of her life.
She stepped up to the huge chair the air hostess indicated and put her hand out to steady herself. She felt calm, settled all of a sudden. Things were going to be all right.
“You better know a lot about English tourist attractions, because I have absolutely no idea what we are going to do when we get to London.”
Michelle turned her head at the familiar voice. Rob’s beautiful blue eyes stared at her, and his gorgeous mouth held a soft smile for her. Michelle bit her lip to stop the tears from overflowing. She choked out the words, “What are you doing here?”
Rob gestured for her to sit down.
Michelle looked up and saw the smile from the air hostess and suddenly realized she hadn’t been upgraded by the airline. Silly man. “Did you get the hostess to upgrade me?”
Unable to hold herself up any longer, Michelle dropped down into the huge arm chair. She turned her whole body so she could look at him, and he leaned over and cupped her face. He was so tender, so loving, that tears welled up once again in her eyes, and this time there was no halting them as they fell.
“I’m here because I paid for a ticket.” Rob smiled his beautiful, genuine, soft smile and used the pad of his thumb to wipe the hot tears away that rolled down her cheeks. “I decided a holiday in England was far better than one in the U.S.”
He shrugged his shoulders in an obvious attempt not to point out what a huge step this was. Because it really was. He was changing all of his plans to come with her, and he’d made sure they would be traveling in comfort.
“I won’t be able to pay you back, Rob.”
He made an impatient noise in his throat and she smiled insanely. What a gorgeous sound. “I don’t care about money, Michelle. I have a lot of it and I want an amazing holiday with you. Don’t even think about it. It’s nothing.”
Some of Michelle’s old confidence filtered through to her battered pride and she took a deep breath. He had bought them two business class tickets and he had changed all of his plans to be with her. It was time to step up and give him something back.
“So, changing your plans from the U.S. to Europe has a little bit to do with me then?”
Rob laughed and leaned forward again, kissing her until they were both breathless. No one kissed like him. Her lips tingled with pleasure.
“It has everything to do with you. But there’s no pressure, Michelle. Whether we last two days in each other’s company or I drag you back to Australia four weeks from now, I just want to spend some time with you. Maybe spend some time together in Paris drinking red wine, and see what happens.”
Michelle’s eyes weren’t in sync with her happy heart, or perhaps they were, as two more tears slipped down her cheeks. This man was absolutely incredible. How had she gotten so lucky?
“You are so brave. I could never be like you.”
Rob squeezed her hand and buckled his seatbelt.
The captain’s voice came over the speaker and the plane began to move slowly back on to the runway.
This is really happening. He’s coming with me!
“Michelle, I’m too old to play games, and old enough to know what I want. And what I want is you.”
More tears fell, but this time Michelle knew they were tears of happiness as she grabbed hold of Rob’s hand and together they flew to what could be a very bright future.
Epilogue
Four weeks later
Michelle relaxed in their small hotel room in Paris overlooking the square. She’d had the most amazing holiday, ever.
Rob had convinced her not to look for an apartment or a job straight away, and instead had whisked her all over Europe.
She looked down at the photos she had just picked up from the local store. Flipping through them, she relived every moment of the love and adventure Rob had shared with her.
They had spent a few days in Croatia, which had been amazing. The sights, the people, the food!
Then they had taken a small plane and spent a week eating in Greece. The food had been amazing, the hospitality of the people unsurpassed. It was cold, but they had stayed warm with ouzo and making love by the fireplace.
Her favorite had been the few days they spent licking chocolate off one another in Switzerland. Chocolate was cheaper than fruit and vegetables, not that it mattered with Rob paying for everything. She had loved being able to buy some decadent chocolate, melting it back at their hotel room, then spending the rest of the night licking it off every part of Rob’s body. There were no taboo areas anymore. Rob had changed the way she saw love making and her own body. She gave him everything she had because he always gave her everything she needed.
A week ago they had arrived in Paris. They hadn’t left. Rob took her to very expensive restaurants, and wined and dined her. They talked about music, family, and their travels. After one evening, he had walked her home through the streets of Paris and told her he loved her.
She had cried the whole way home and later experienced the most intense orgasm of her life.
Michelle shivered at the memory and picked up a pen.
“What are we doing, beautiful?”
Michelle lifted her head from the post card she was contemplating writing and looked at her lover.
“Do you mean today? Or next week?”
She raised her eyebrows and looked directly at him. It was four weeks to the day since he got on that plane and made her the happiest woman alive. Now he would need an answer to whether she was staying in England as planned, or would be heading home with him.
It was an easy decision. Every moment since he had gotten on the plane, he had proven just how perfect he was, even when he was fighting with a little Italian man about the price of wine.
“I mean next week, Michelle.”
He looked serious, guarded, and worried. She laughed and smiled up at him. How could he even consider the possibility of her not going home with him?
“I’m coming back with you, of
course.”
Rob dropped to his knees in front of her and Michelle reached out to cup his beloved face.
He kissed her palm. “You’re sure? I could stay, apply for a transfer.”
Michelle laughed and kissed him. He really was the most generous man she had ever met.
“No, you already took the leap, my love. It’s my turn. You proved to me just how perfect we are together, and I never want to be apart from you again. If you still want me, I want to come home with you. I’m sure I can get my old job back.”
Everything she said was true. They had laughed and cried, fought and loved. In a month, they had experienced every high and low a relationship could have. It was still the happiest month of her life.
“You’ll move in with me when we get back?”
Michelle laughed and nodded. They had lived together for this month. Why change that now?
“If you want me to.”
Rob bent his head and kissed her hands.
“I love you. I want you to be a part of my life in every way.”
Michelle looked into the blue eyes she now knew better than any color on Earth and nodded. How could she not? She had been given a man who loved her and whom she loved. How could she not commit to him in every way?
“You will?” Rob asked. His fear was almost palpable in the way his eyes darted back and forth and the swallow in his throat.
Michelle pushed her fear back down and decided to leap off that invisible cliff into the forever.
“Yes, Rob, of course. How could I not?”
He let out a whoop and pulled her onto the ground with him. He kissed her lips and rolled her beneath him, showing her with words and touches that the love they found in the airport that first night would continue into a bright future.
The End
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