by Tabatha Kiss
At least Paige will be there.
I think.
We rode to the airport together. No words spoken between the hotel and here, other than to say that she’d be back in a moment as soon as we arrived at our gate. She walked off with her carry-on in one hand and her phone in the other, and I haven’t seen her since.
She hasn’t asked for her book back. That’s a good sign, I suppose.
“Flight 984 to Miami is now boarding.”
I tuck my bookmark between the pages and safely stash the book in my bag. The line is short; the crowd light. I look for her down the airport halls. I look again, desperate for a pencil skirt or a purposeful stride or... anything.
Still, she’s not here.
I board the flight alone. I find our seats. I shove my carry-on away and take my seat by the aisle, quickly reaching for the seatbelt and securing myself down. Lights flash through the open windows from around the runway. My heart races. It’s still so dark...
After several minutes of boarding passengers passing by, dragging their luggage behind them, Paige appears at the front of the plane. My stomach leaps with relief, but I say nothing as she steps forward and joins me.
“Sorry,” she says as she lifts her carry-on up to stash it away. “I had a phone call.”
I nod, feeling a light stab of guilt for not offering to help with her bag, but it’s too late now. She settles into the window seat next to mine. “Your mother?” I ask.
“No,” she says. “Graham, actually.”
“Anything I need to know?”
They close the doors. I flinch.
“No,” Paige answers. Hard and brief.
A flight attendant appears next to me. “Can I get you two anything before take-off?” she asks.
“No,” I say.
“No, thank you,” Paige says.
She wanders off. I say nothing more. Paige says nothing more as she turns away from me and glances out the window.
Soon, the engines rumble. I feel my pulse skip in my chest, steadily pounding against my ribs. I squeeze my armrests. I remind myself of how many flights come and go every day without incident. How many flights I’ve taken in my life. I know what to expect, but the feeling of my stomach folding in on itself gets no easier.
The plane moves, steadily aligning itself with the runway.
It’ll be fine, I tell myself. Before I know it, we’ll be in the air. The dark, empty sky full of other planes and...
Christ, I need a distraction.
I look at Paige. She doesn’t look at me.
I’m on my own. The lone wolf Liaison. Just like I always wanted.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Our speed increases.
I bite down.
I dig my fingers into the armrests.
I close my eyes and count the moments until this is over.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe—
Something touches the back of my hand. Something soft and warm.
Lithe fingers curl around my wrist, urging me to let go of the armrest.
I open my eyes. I find Paige sitting beside me, gazing at me. Without a word, she lightly tugs on my hand.
I release my grip, allowing her to draw my hand toward her. She entwines our fingers together and softly rests our hands in her lap.
The plane rises off the earth. My stomach jolts and I squeeze her fingers; an instant comfort. She squeezes me harder, silently taking any pain that comes with it, as the plane steadily enters the clouds.
I gaze at her, fully embraced by the tender distraction. Warm. Loving. Completely devoid of the coldness we’ve felt for each other over the last few days.
Paige offers a friendly smile. It doesn’t last long; a simple, brief act of kindness, but it fires through me and settles in my chest.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
My nerves exhale along with it. The fear remains deep inside of me, but it’s muted. Powerless. Completely faded in the wake of her.
Finally, the plane levels out in the sky, but we don’t let go. We linger in silence together, barely blinking as the moment extends for... as long as it has to.
I slowly unravel our fingers. Before letting go, Paige glides her thumb along the back of my hand. Warm. Loving.
I don’t say a word. She doesn’t say a word, either.
But something has changed.
One of us stops fighting.
And everything magically falls into place.
Chapter 31
Paige
Welcome to Miami.
I always look forward to a trip to Miami. Adorable palm trees. Radiant beaches. Stunning sunsets and sunrises. The Botsford Plaza sits a mere mile from the coastline, offering some breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean — especially if you can nab a coveted room on one of the top floors which, as party to the Company Liaison, I do every time.
However, this trip down south feels a little... bittersweet.
When Oliver and I finally arrive at the Plaza, it’s close to midnight. We check-in with the late-night staff, barely muttering a word to one another... though, I fear that’s my fault this time. Did I embarrass him by holding his hand? Did it comfort him, as I intended it to? Unfortunately, he never said a word to me after that, either.
How about we just...
leave it be?
All right?
I guess we are.
We make our way toward the lobby’s golden elevators. I tap the call button and wait, more than a little aware of Oliver’s shadow lingering over my shoulder in the reflection. I wish he’d just say it. Tell me off. Tell me to stay away from him and mind my business. Hurt me if he wants. Anything would be better than this silence.
The elevator arrives, open and empty. I almost expect him to wait for the next one, but he steps on with me and taps the button to the second floor while I hit 21. No way I’m missing a good Miami sunrise.
This might be my last chance to see it for a while.
The elevator doors close and the car begins its ascent upward.
Oliver steps forward and presses STOP.
My gut twinges as it lurches to a halt. “Oliver?” I ask in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
He says nothing. He faces me, his eyes instantly falling to my lips as he rushes toward me and takes my face in his hands.
“Oli—”
He kisses me, deep and slow. I fall backward, my back touching the wall, but his lips never leave mine.
“Thank you,” he whispers, his forehead pressed softly against mine.
Tears sting my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Shh.” He touches our noses. He caresses my cheeks. “It’s okay now.”
Oliver moves in to kiss me again.
“Don’t—” I turn away, breaking the kiss. “Oliver, don’t kiss me again unless you mean it.”
He stares at me with those icy eyes. Less than a second passes before he tilts his head and crushes our lips together again.
No second thoughts.
No hesitation.
Just one achingly passionate kiss that fills me with warmth and comfort.
Oliver stops. “I have something for you,” he says.
He takes a step back as he slips two fingers into his coat pocket and withdraws a keycard pinched between them.
“Your room key?” I ask.
“No, it’s a copy of my room key,” he says. “And I’m giving it to you for safekeeping.”
I roll my eyes. “Why? You don’t want to dress yourself anymore?” I tease.
He chuckles, shaking his head. “No, not that…”
“Then, why?”
“Just in case,” he simply says.
“Just in case of... what, exactly?”
Oliver smirks. “Let me put it this way,” he says, his lips still a few inches from mine. “I’m giving you the key to my apartment...”
“What?” I furrow my brow. “Your apartment?”
“Because I want you to use it.”
He doesn’t blink. “When you find yourself at home, all alone, late at night...”
My heart stops.
It fucking stops.
“Oli...” I say.
His smile deepens. “With an itch you can’t scratch...”
“Wh-wh-what are you doing?”
“I’ll be waiting,” he completes the quote.
My chest quivers. “You’ll be—” My throat tightens. “Oliver, that’s... word-for-word...”
He nods. “Yes, it is.”
“That’s my favorite scene in the entire book,” I say, stunned against the wall.
“I know.”
“How could you know? I never told you that.”
“Because it’s my favorite, too.”
My pulse skips twice. “You... want to re-enact my favorite scene from my favorite romance novel?”
“Our favorite scene.” He nods. “And yes, I do.”
“But, I...” My voice falls.
“What?” he asks.
“I thought we were...”
Oliver shakes his head. “No,” he whispers as he touches my cheek. “We’re not.”
He kisses me again, lulling the last bit of my resistance. I kiss him back, letting our lips blend in the silent, frozen elevator.
Oliver raises the keycard again. He grazes the bottom of my chin, prompting me to raise my head a little higher. I feel the card scratch down my throat and along my collarbone toward my chest.
I swallow hard, picturing the scene from the novel with perfect clarity as Oliver does the same as Richard. He slides the key beneath my blouse, leaving it sticking out of the cup of my bra, and turns away.
I stand still as the elevator lurches with life. I take deep, desperate breaths to calm the spark inside while we rise to the second floor.
The doors open and Oliver steps off.
“I’ll be waiting, Ms. Landon,” he says, his whisper a sharp lightning bolt directly into my core.
“What makes you think I’ll come?” I ask, one last inch of defiance still left in me.
He smirks and says nothing as he walks off down the hall toward his room.
Chapter 32
Paige
I swipe the card.
I turn the knob.
Wait.
Turn around.
Don’t open this door—
I step into the suite and close the door behind me, ignoring the voice telling me not to. It’s pitch black inside except for a bit of city lights peeking in from the world outside.
I slowly walk toward the bed, drawn to the lump beneath the covers.
Oliver.
He’s sleeping now, though that was the whole point. Melissa doesn’t go to Richard until after two in the morning. She spent the hours prior alone, desperately fighting that feeling inside of her — that addiction — that drew her to Richard in the first place.
My imagination runs wild, picturing the scene with perfect clarity. Melissa snuck into Richard’s bedroom. She stood at the end of his bed and slowly undressed herself. One piece of clothing at a time hit the floor, soft whispers in the dark amid hard poundings of her heart.
I pull my tank top off over my head and drop it to the floor. It crumbles at my feet as I push my pants and panties down, too. My skin tingles all over as I gaze at Oliver on the bed. His eyes are closed. His chest rises and falls with his breath.
I bite my lip.
There’s still time.
You can get dressed, walk out, and save yourself from...
I ease onto the bed, careful not to disturb the mattress too much. Each hand placement is soft and specific, meant to keep my presence a secret until the absolute final moment. I recall the way Melissa held her breath as she climbed. She knew she shouldn’t have been there, but she couldn’t stop herself. She couldn’t bear to be apart from him for another night, even if it meant losing herself completely.
I look at Oliver’s face in the dark. There are so many reasons not to do this and only one reason to do it, but...
Dammit, I can’t think about that right now.
I just want to feel.
I pull the covers down, exposing Oliver’s toned chest to the stunning V-shape just above his cock. He’s naked and waiting for me like he said he would. He doesn’t stir as I mount him. I straddle his waist and align our bodies together. I reach down and wrap my fingers around him, giving him enough tender strokes to make his body respond.
His breath quickens.
He’ll awaken soon.
No turning back now.
I tighten my grip as his erection grows. The gentle act sends a rush of heat to my clit as passion drives through me. I lean forward, balancing over him. My breasts press against his skin. His cock digs into my belly. I kiss him lightly on the edge of his mouth. He turns toward me out of unconscious reflex. I kiss him again; his lips soft and unmoving.
As I pull away, his lips move. They part as he tilts upward, claiming an even deeper kiss as he awakens. His hand comes to the back of my head. We kiss again, firm and fully conscious in the dark.
Oliver sits up, his arms fiercely curling around my back to trap me. “I knew it,” he whispers.
“Shut up,” I say.
We kiss, and just like Melissa, I lose myself in this man. I run on pure instinct with a roll of my hips. My heart races a little faster. My blood pumps a little quicker. My sex throbs a little harder. I move up and down, torturing the both of us until I’m ready to burst.
I penetrate myself, and my heart splits in two. Just like Melissa, I know this is wrong. I know that there’s no going back.
I know that I’ve fallen for Oliver Black.
And that it’s too late to catch me now.
Chapter 33
Oliver
“Now?” Paige asks.
“No,” I answer. “Not yet.”
She doesn’t ask again. She continues resting her head on my chest. I run my fingers down her arm and back up again. We lie still together, breathing together, our bodies buzzing at the same frequency. We’re spent and tired, but we don’t sleep. I’m not sure I even want to and risk making tonight end too quickly.
“I love that sound,” she says.
“What sound?” I ask.
She tilts her head toward the window. “Endless ocean wind.”
I hum in response. A light breeze tumbles through the open curtain. It’s a warm Miami night. Easily the second most beautiful view in the room.
After her, that is.
“It’s okay,” I say.
“Okay?” Paige repeats as she raises her head. “Just okay?”
“I mean, it’s no snowy mountain getaway, but it’s decent.”
She glares at me. “Ugh, I almost forgot that about you.”
I chuckle. “Just wait until we get to Denver. I’ll be insufferable.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” She presses her lips together. “Now?”
“Not yet,” I say with a smile. “I want to enjoy this for a little while longer.”
Paige releases a happy sigh and props her head up on her elbow. “If you insist. You’re the boss.”
“Yes, I am.” I glance up and down her body. Her bottom half lies obscured beneath a bedsheet that perfectly outlines the delicate lines of her rear end. “I’m not sure it’s fully sunk in yet.”
“Your promotion?” she asks.
“You work toward something for so long,” I muse. “When you finally get it, it’s...” I shake my head. “It doesn’t feel real.”
“You earned it,” she says with a shrug. “Enjoy it.”
“That’s what Angie said, too.”
“Angie.” She narrows her eyes. “What’s that about?”
“What’s what about?”
“I saw you two having lunch yesterday.”
“I knew it,” I say.
“What?” she asks, recoiling an inch.
“I knew I felt you watching me, you big stalker.”
I kiss her nose to show I’m joking. She laughs
.
“I am not a stalker,” she argues. “I was in the lobby, I saw you, and I was simply curious.”
“What were you doing in the lobby?” I ask.
“Reading. Don’t dodge the question.”
“What was the question again?”
“You and Angela,” she says. “You seem close.”
“We are close,” I say.
Paige goes quiet and waits for the accompanying story.
I nod, happy to tell. Happy there’s someone to even tell it to. “Back when I first asked Kingston if I could run Las Vegas, he said no.”
“Why?” she asks in surprise.
“He knew the path I was on, where I eventually wanted to end up, but he said he needed a second opinion before he’d decide.”
“He didn’t trust you?”
“It’s not that, no. I mean, I thought that’s what his problem was, but later I realized that it was me. I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. Kingston knew that. So, he had me pack a bag, and he sent me to Boston to shadow Angie for three months.”
Her eyes widen. “Three months?”
“If I could convince her I could do the job, then he’d promote me. If not, then I’d be back behind the desk training interns for another year.”
“You two must have hit it off, then.”
“Oh, not at first.” I smile. “She hated me.”
Paige chuckles. “Why?”
“Why not? I was a dumb kid; thought I knew everything. She saw right through me. Never gave me an inch. But I knew that if I was really going to make something of myself, then I had to earn her trust, so I did.” I pause, taken back by the memories. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. She changed my life.”
“Did you guys ever...” Paige hesitates with a smirk. “You know...”
“No,” I answer as I push a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I only break the rules for you, you know that.”
Paige smiles; those kissable lips far too enticing to ignore. I glide my fingers up her cheek, guiding her toward me until our lips touch. Her breasts drag across my chest as I pull her on top of me. Our legs entwine beneath the covers. Her hair falls over her eyes to touch my face. We kiss until we can’t breathe, until our bodies spark urges neither of us can deny.
