by Marie Kelly
She had just enough time to call a taxi and phone Susan, her sister concerned to hear of her change of plans. She was not supposed to return to the UK until the following day, Tara making up some story about needing to cover a sick friend’s shifts. She could tell that her sister was not buying the excuse, but with a sigh she eventually let the topic go, but only after making Tara promise to join them after Christmas, no matter where they were. Hanging up, she paid the taxi driver, as they slid to a halt at the airport.
For the next two hours, Tara waited for her flight to be called, only able to stare unseeingly out of the window, the hustle and bustle of the busy airport going unheeded and unnoticed by her. When the flight was finally called, it was with relief that she boarded, hoping that she might get some sleep, purge the sight of Logan asleep that morning from her mind. She felt broken – empty.
The flight was late leaving, a late passenger holding them up, Tara not caring as the man beside her spouted on about how thoughtless some people were. Hearing the doors lock, the crew carrying out their checks and safety announcements, she prepared to leave Hollywood behind her.
When the plane had taken off and gained altitude, the seatbelt lights pinged before turning off, the passenger beside her – a pleasant looking man a little older than herself – smiled, his eyes flicking down her with real interest. “Has anybody told you that you look exactly like Sunny James… The actress?”
Grimacing, she tried to sound disinterested, shaking her head. “No but I am sure that she would not have to travel coach”, the man laughing, Tara groaning as he thrust his hand out to her.
“Very true, but wow you really do. My name is Andrew.” Shaking hands, she held back the soft groan as she gave a polite but disinterested return shake.
“Tara”, before pulling her hand back and picking up the in-flight magazine, hoping that he would take the hint.
Andrew however, was made of sterner stuff. “Let me buy you a drink”, a seductive note filtering into his voice, she giving a soft sigh. Feeling the shadow of another person, most likely the air steward, she lifted her head to refuse the offered drink, her polite smile turning into a look of total disbelief as pain slammed deep within.
“Logan”, his name falling from her lips in shock.
Leaning down, Logan unsnapped her seatbelt, his hand firmly grasping her elbow pulling her up from the seat while at the same time lifting her purse from the floor at her feet and holding it under his other arm. “Do you have any other carry on?”, his clipped words making her shake her head as he nodded briefly. Moving his look to Andrew beside her, his eyes narrowed, Tara surprised to see the cold anger within them. “And no, she does not want a drink with you”, Andrew only able to gape back before sitting further into his seat.
Then before she could utter a single word he was frogmarching her up the narrow aisle towards the first-class section of the plane. Tara could not formulate words, dumbly allowing him to push her slightly ahead of him before moving into the more luxurious section of the plane. Reaching two empty seats, he pushed her into the one closest to the window before taking the other seat.
Only then did she manage the weakest of complaints. “Logan… You can’t just move me from coach to here!”, his look narrowing as he growled back.
“I damn well can. I paid for both seats, so you will sit.”
Confusion exploded within her as she stared at the man before her, still not fully believing that he was there. What was going on? “Logan…”
Her tentative word was silenced as he turned fully to her hissing out angrily, “What the hell were you thinking?”
Staring back at him, her eyes were wide with confusion. “Why are you here? I don’t understand. How did you know where I was?”, her voice breaking slightly, “Why can’t you just leave me alone? You got your closure – why do you have to hurt me more?”, the sentence finished on a sob. Before she could even think anything else, his arms were around her, his mouth on hers, his kiss full of possessive passion. Tara clung to him, kissing him back, wanting so badly to be in his arms.
Pulling back slightly, his forehead rested on hers, his voice tight. “You left without even saying goodbye. I read your note Tara. How could you think it would be best that we both just move on with our own lives? Is that really how you feel?”
She stared back at him, more tears making it hard to really make out his features as she swallowed down the whimper, her head shaking slightly. “You needed closure, you told me that. But I…”, her words trailing away as his hands lifted to cup her face.
“Finish that”, he whispered as her lips trembled, his mouth softly moving to lick one of the salty tears which wound down her cheeks. “Please Tara, tell me.”
Dragging in a deep breath, she closed her eyes, “I will never have closure. I think I am in love with you, and I know you will never feel the same after what happened… And because you don’t do love… But I can’t help how I feel. So just let me go Logan… Please”, her words falling over themselves in misery. She heard his soft laugh, her eyes opening to find his. How could he be so cruel as to mock her, hurt once more surging through her.
However, his look was soft, intense, his eyes glowing. “Tara. I know I love you.”
She froze, hope blossoming. “Y… You love me?”
He nodded, a smile on his lips. “I tried to tell myself that I hated you, that you were everything wrong with women, but I couldn’t Tara. I have missed you for two of the longest months of my life. Then last night, when you were in my arms again, I knew for sure. You didn’t want to deceive me… You just wanted to help your sister, I was just being an idiot not seeing that”
Nodding, her lips once more quivered. “I was going to tell you that weekend Logan, I really was. When Susan arrived I was supposed to just disappear back to my own life… But I was going to tell you because part of me hoped you would forgive me… Would realise that I cared for you.”
Once more he pulled her against him, her head tucked against his chest. “God Tara. We have both been miserable. If you knew how many times I nearly came over to tell you what I thought of you… But really because I just needed to see you, I was heartbroken without you.”
Finally able to muster up a shaky laugh herself, she chuckled, “Logan Callen, always the hard ass.” He laughing with her, nodding.
For several seconds the two just held each other, Tara kicking off her shoes as she curled her feet up on the seat, snuggling in closer to Logan. As he waved away the air steward with a smile, she frowned, “How did you know where I was?”
Kissing the top of her head he laughed, before grimacing apologetically. “Ah, yes. Which reminds me, you are going to have to phone Susan and Ross”, her head lifting with a quizzical look deep in her blue eyes. Giving a sigh Logan continued, “When I woke up and found your letter, I panicked. I couldn’t lose you again Tara, so I drove to Susan’s apartment. I guessed you might be staying there, and arrived just as she and Ross did. Apparently they hadn’t believed you on the phone.” His mouth quirked. “Ross was mad as hell, especially when I told him you had stayed with me last night. He really cares about you. He was ready to hit me, but when I told them I needed to see you, that I couldn’t let you go again, he seemed to get all forgivy.”
Laughing, Tara nodded, “Yeah. Ross is pretty damn great”, his cheeks nodding against her head.
“We found a note on the table with details of this flight… So I booked two premium seats. It was the only way they would hold the plane”, his voice becoming playful, “They were not happy with me for being late… Or that I didn’t have any luggage, but I only had my passport because I flew in specially for Susan’s wedding… I was in Miami”, his voice softening, “I knew you would be there, and I knew I had to see you.”
Nuzzling in harder to him, her hands wound around his waist. “So you brought another woman with you… Just because you wanted to see me?”
Above her he laughed again, his grimaced words making her laugh back, “Ah…yeah. Did I ment
ion I was still telling myself I hated you?”, a soft kiss brushing the top of her head, “But only because I had been madly in love with you from the first time you sat in my office and told me off for keeping you waiting.”
Tara sighed softly back, her head lifting to his, her soft doe eyes so full of the love she felt. “You really know the right words to say Logan Callen.”
His mouth descended on hers in a long lingering kiss before pulling back, his expression suddenly more solemn. “Tara, the last few months have been hell. When I woke up this morning and you were gone, leaving that letter on the pillow” his voice broke slightly “I felt so empty, and I knew that I didn’t want to spend another day without you” his lips quirked slightly as she rested a comforting hand on his “I even held up an entire plane rather than catch the next and have us apart another day”
Chuckling, her nose crinkled, her eyes bright, full of humour as, as she shook her head “Yes, but I forgive you…not sure the rest of the plane would” her voice lowering softly “But your secret is safe with me, so long as you give me one more of those kisses”
Grinning widely his head dipped, his mouth finding hers in the gentlest of kisses “With pleasure Miss James” her name spoken almost reverently, before he seemed to pull himself once more on track “My point is Tara, I don’t want us to be apart again.” He paused, his eyes adoring “I want us to be together always”
Burrowing against him, her heart soared “Are you asking me to move in with you?” a playful edge coming to her voice as her hand lifted to look inside his jacket. “Do you have a contract in there for me to sign or something, cause you gave a great hourly rate”
His lips curved into a large grin. “No. No contract needed, I still remember how you reacted to the last one.” Her return laugh filling him with warmth. “No, I had something else in mind”
“Oh, what’s that?”, her question making him sit up straighter, she forced to sit up also.
Smiling reassuringly, he stood, Tara’s eyes widening in surprise before he moved to the narrow aisle. Realisation hit her as he knelt in the space, tears prickling her eyes, even as her mouth twitched, watching the difficulty he had managing the pose. Taking her hand, he kissed it softly, gallantly before clearing his throat nervously. “Tara James. I thought I had everything worked out neatly in my life. I thought I had the perfect life but I didn’t. I shut everybody out, made sure nobody got close to me and I didn’t even know I was doing it.”
Her look became soft as she nodded to him, his hand squeezing hers gently.
“Then you came into my life. An enigma wrapped in a puzzle stuffed inside a blonde shell.” Tara was unable to hold back the huff of laughter at her own words thrown back at her, nodding, as she wiped away happy tears, his voice so gentle, “And I was lost. For the first time in my life I realized that I was lonely and that if I let you go, I would be lonely for eternity”, his eyes now beseeching, “And I really don’t want that.”
Giving a quivering, reassuring smile she shook her head, “No, me neither”, his lips turning into another smile.
“So Tara, will you marry me? I know we have not really knew each other for long, but from the moment we met, you wrapped yourself around my heart and I have been tangled up in you ever since. I love you”, his voice once more breaking slightly, his eyes looking warily, expectantly back at her.
Tara dashed away the happy tears, words failing to come as she nodded, relief swamping him. Neither had been aware of the silence surrounding them as he began his proposal, the passengers around going quiet as the drama unfolded around them. However, as he moved forward to pull her into his arms, a loud chorus of clapping and cheering filled the space, along with calls of congratulations.
Tara and Logan began laughing, even as they kissed the other, the moment so happy while surreal at the same time. Tugging at him, she pulled him back onto the seat, burying her head into his shoulder, a blush rising to her cheeks. Logan laughed, enveloping her within his arms.
“I love you”, she finally managed to whisper, complete contentment filling her. The misery of the past now months forgotten as the two just held each other.
They knew that they had a great deal to discuss. She would have to give up her job, move to Hollywood. They would need to learn to live together, find out each other’s day-to-day habits and little annoyances, learn to share and communicate. However at that moment in time all that really mattered was that they were together. Together, and with the rest of their lives ahead of them.
Visit the author site:
www.romancemarie.com
Marie Kelly
Other titles:
Blackmailing the Billionaire
Her Two Tycoons
Secretary With Benefits for the Billionaire
Billionaire's Second Chance
Billionaire's Revenge
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride
The Millionaire’s Society Mistress
The Billionaire’s Blackmailed Heiress
The Blackmailed Merger
The Billionaires Mistress
Mia
My Son
The Unwilling Mistress
Captured
Blackmailed For The Billionaire’s Pleasure
Kidnapped The Wrong Sister
Blackmailed For Vengeance
The Wedding Deal
