by Dori Lavelle
“Then read my messages.” He pulls his phone from the breast pocket of his uniform and hands it to me. “You’ll get all the answers you need in there.”
“I don’t go through people’s phones.” I hand him back the phone, confused about everything that’s happening right now. I’m terrified of allowing myself to believe him.
“Okay. I understand. Please stay here. I’ll be right back.” Carter pushes himself to his feet and disappears to the front of the plane.
Even though I want to leave, I’m rooted to the spot. My body completely refuses to let me move until he returns with a tabloid magazine that has his face and that of a gorgeous, brunette woman splashed across the cover. The headline confirms what he just told me.
Carter Starr’s fiancée cheats on him on their wedding day.
I lower my lashes to hide the hurt I feel for him. “I’m sorry, Carter…I’m sorry that happened to you.” Now that I know the truth, I feel terrible for having walked out on him the way I did. I meet his gaze again. “Who are you really? Why are you on the cover of a magazine?”
“That’s not important right now. What matters is that I’m not sorry that my ex cheated on me. If she had not cheated, I would not have met you.” He pushes a hand through his hair. “Earlier, I asked you if you believe in love at first sight. I personally used to think love at first sight was bullshit until I met you. Now please say something.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I murmur. Tears trickle down my cheeks when he places his hands on both sides of my face and kisses me on the lips.
When he pulls away, his eyes are also damp. “Just tell me you will spend the next few days with me in Athens. I have a house here. Let’s finish what we started in Frankfurt. I want to get to know you better.”
“I want to, but—”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid I will take advantage of you. I already did.” He laughs, gazing into my eyes.
“Yes, you did. More than once.” In spite of myself, I smile. The smile melts away the fears, the disappointments, the aches. Something inside me nudges me to accept his offer. It just feels right. If I let him go, I might regret it.
“Let’s do it,” I whisper and kiss him again.
Not long after we leave the plane to start our vacation, I discover that Carter Starr is not just anybody. He’s not only a pilot, he is the owner of the Regency Airlines. But what matters to me most is that he is my man.
“Stop panicking, Mom,” I say, laughing. “We will arrive safely in Athens.”
It’s been two years and six months since this thing with Carter started. And now we are headed to Athens to exchange our wedding vows.
Carter is flying my family and some close friends to Greece in his private plane. Mom, who’s sitting next to me, won’t stop saying we’ll have a plane crash.
I do feel her fears, but I’m exhausted after listening to her for six hours already. I can’t help wishing that Carter were the one sitting next to me. But he insisted on being the one to fly the plane. And it’s the most romantic thing ever.
As for me, my fears of flying have disappeared and I’ve been working as a flight attendant for Regency Airlines for a year now. Dating a pilot has certainly helped in that regard.
Even though Carter doesn’t fly often, too busy running his family’s business, during the few times he worked in the air, we aligned our schedules so we could travel the world together.
I close my eyes, ready to fall asleep, but before I do, I hear someone calling my name.
“Carter?” Mother says, her voice almost a squeak. “Who’s flying the plane?”
“Don’t worry, Martha.” Carter touches Mom’s shoulder, but his eyes are on me. “I brought a co-pilot along.”
“Thank God.” Mom clasps her hands tight in her lap. “But what if the co-pilot needs your help?”
“Then he will let me know. But I promise you that he’s very experienced.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask with a warm smile.
“I want to get married,” he says.
“I know. So do I.” Warmth floods every corner of my heart. “That’s why we’re flying to Greece, remember? The wedding is in two days.”
“I don’t think I can wait that long, baby.” Carter stretches to his full height, looking dashing in his uniform as usual. “I want to call you my wife before we land. Let’s make Greece a family honeymoon.”
“That’s a romantic idea,” my mother says, looking at me with dancing eyes. “Why wait? You have the priest on board and both sides of the family.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Carter reaches for my hand and kisses it. “We made our first connection in the sky. Let’s tie the knot where it all started. What do you say?”
“But I don’t have my wedding dress. It’s waiting for me at the house in Athens.”
“That’s not a problem.” Carter gives me a wide grin. “We’ll just have the ceremony on the plane, then have the reception on the ground. And you can wear your wedding dress. Right now, you look beautiful just as you are.”
“In this old thing?” I giggle with pleasure as I glance down at the designer ivory and black cocktail dress Carter bought me last Christmas. “I’m kidding. I love this dress.” I meet his eyes again. “Let’s get married.”
“Great.” Carter leans past my mother to kiss me on the lips. “I love you, Ava Raine.”
“And I love you, Carter.”
Everything moves fast after we make the decision.
Within fifteen minutes, in front of my close friends and family, I become Mrs. Ava Starr. Ours is the most romantic wedding I could ever have wished for.
After we exchange our vows, Carter tells everyone that he needs a few minutes with me alone. I blush as I follow him to a small luxury room with a bed sprinkled with white rose petals.
“I couldn’t wait to make love to my wife.” Carter locks the door and lowers me onto the bed. Then he pushes my panties aside.
Two months later, we discover that I’m pregnant and our baby was conceived in the sky, on our wedding day.
When our daughter is finally born, we give her the name Airlene.
My mother thought it was a silly name. She would have preferred a Christian name. But both Carter and I love the name we chose. And that’s all that matters.
Airlene Starr came into the world to cement the love I have for her father, and to remind me of the wildest, most beautiful decision I ever made.
Once upon a time, I decided to fly. Years later, I’m still flying with no plans of ever returning to solid ground. I was born to fly with Carter Starr.
THE END
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HANG OUT WITH THE AUTHORS IN THE BOOK HANGOVER LOUNGE.
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OTHER BOOKS BY DORI LAVELLE
Moments Series (4 books)
To Live Again Serial (3 books)
His Agenda Series (4 books)
Fatal Hearts Serial (3 Books)
Amour Toxique Serial (3 Books)
After Hours Series (4 Books)
Obsession Inc. serial (3 Books)
Brothers After Dark (3 Books)
For more information visit
www.dorilavelle.com
Contact Dori Lavelle: [email protected]
