by R. R. Banks
I can't help but notice his stumble during the introduction, but he moved on from it smoothly enough. Though, I can see his blunder bothered him – his face is taut with tension. He shouldn't be, though. I mean, we haven’t defined anything, and neither of us seems to be in any rush to do so. It would just add unwarranted pressure to the pregnancy that neither of us want or need.
“Very lovely to meet you, Ms. Weathers,” Rowena says.
“Thank you,” I say. “It's nice to meet you too.”
“Please, if you'll both have a seat?”
Aidan and I sit beside each other in big, comfortable leather chairs. I melt into it and smile, feeling like I'm floating on a cloud. A moment later, Rowena comes back with a tray, and hands Aidan a flute of champagne before sliding me a glass of ginger ale. She sets the tray bearing a massive shrimp cocktail, and a number of other appetizers down on a table in front of us. I stare at it with my eyes wide and mouth agape.
“I need to go take my seat now, but if you need anything else, I'll be happy to assist you after we gain cruising altitude,” Rowena says. “Just push the button for service.”
“Thank you, Rowena,” Aidan says. “Now, go put your feet up and relax. We'll be fine.”
She flashes him a smile. “I may do just that.”
Rowena heads into the cockpit and shuts the door, sealing herself in with the flight crew. I guess on corporate jets, the flight attendants keep out of sight until needed, giving the passengers – who I assume are usually discussing sensitive business matters – their privacy.
We buckle ourselves in, and Aidan looks over at me, raising his glass. I tap mine against his and feel a flutter in my belly as the plane starts to move – in addition to feeling all fancy and hoity-toity. I take a sip of my ginger ale and do my best to not focus on the fact that we're about to take off.
“You look nervous,” he says.
“I've never been a big fan of flying,” I reply.
He pops a shrimp into his mouth and chews as he looks at me, studying me like I'm an alien. Or maybe, some fascinating, unknown creature he's looking forward to dissecting. Or, maybe I'm just really freaked out about flying and am reading too much into his expression.
The plane lurches forward, and starts to pick up speed. A lot of speed. I turn to the window and see the world flying by – and feel like I might throw up. My stomach drops into my shoes when I feel the plane start to lift off. A moment later, there's a brief second of weightlessness as we become airborne and the world beyond the window grows smaller and smaller as we leave the ground behind. My breath catches in my throat, and my heart begins to race. I can't believe we're doing this.
“What don't you like about flying?” Aidan asks, drawing my attention away from the window.
“Oh, I don't know,” I say. “Call me crazy, but something about being strapped in a metal tube, going hundreds of miles an hour, combined with being a hundred thousand feet in the air doesn't appeal to me a whole lot. It’s not exactly my idea of a good time.”
He laughs. “It's not that bad,” he says. “And, if it makes you feel any better, I believe cruising altitude is only about thirty-five thousand feet.”
“It would probably feel the same as a hundred thousand if we fell out of the sky.”
He laughs like it's the funniest thing he's ever heard, and all I can do is sit there, drink my ginger ale, and pray to whoever might be listening, to not let us burst into a fiery ball or meet some other horrific end.
Aidan reaches over and takes my hand. He raises it to his lips and places a soft kiss on the back of my knuckles. He gives me a small smile and a look of compassion.
“The trick is to distract yourself,” he says. “Usually, I read or do some work. Something to keep me from looking out the windows.”
“You're afraid of flying too?” I ask, feeling suddenly heartened.
“Actually, no,” he says. “It's more that one episode of the Twilight Zone that freaks me out. I'm always afraid I'm going to look out there and see a man on the wing.”
He holds my gaze for a long second and then bursts into laughter. He's screwing with me. Again. And I'm so damn gullible, I fell for it. Again. I punch him in the shoulder and can't help but laugh along with him.
“You're such an ass,” I say.
“Yeah, sometimes,” he says.
Eventually, our laughter fades away and he looks at me again, his expression warm and earnest.
“Honestly, I used to be afraid of flying. Deathly afraid,” he says. “I've had to travel so much ever since taking over this slice of the company that I've just gotten used to it. Really though, it helps a lot if you find a way to distract yourself. I wasn't kidding about that.”
“I'll keep that in mind,” I say. “Maybe next time, you can give me a little warning, and I can pack a book.”
He smiles mischievously. “I think I might be able to find a way to distract you.”
“Down boy,” I say. “Being in a flying tube of death doesn't really get my libido racing.”
He laughs. “Give it time.”
I laugh. “So, where are we headed, anyway?”
“Well, we're headed for Atlanta,” he says.
My blood runs cold and I stare at him, my mouth hanging open. “Please tell me you're not serious.”
He shrugs. “I know, I know,” he says. “But, I wanted to take you out for something special this weekend. And I guarantee where we're going, he's not going to be.”
I eye him suspiciously, sensing there's something he's not telling me. “How can you possibly know that?”
He lets out a long breath and then takes a drink of his champagne. I can tell he doesn't want to answer the question, but there's no way in hell I'm letting him off the hook that easily.
“Aidan,” I press. “How can you possibly know?”
“I've taken some security precautions,” he says without looking at me.
“What kind of security precautions?”
He still won't meet my eyes, and I'm starting to get a little pissed.
“Aidan,” I say. “Answer me.”
He finally looks over at me, and I can see a stubborn set to his jaw and a flash of anger in his eyes. Not directed at me, but at Victor.
“I have a man keeping tabs on Victor,” he says. “Making sure I know where that motherfucker is at all times.”
I look at him, completely taken aback. I really don't know what to say to that. On the one hand, yeah, I'm pissed. I told him I'd handle it – although, I haven’t told him about Victor's last phone call that left me so rattled, I barely slept the other night.
On the other hand though, I'm – well – not pissed. That Aidan would go to those kinds of extremes, just to give the two of us a nice weekend away – no one has ever done that for me before. And, knowing that I'll be safe and be free to enjoy whatever it is he has planned makes me happy.
“Honestly, I'm kind of conflicted here, Aidan,” I say with a nervous chuckle. “I mean, I told you to leave Victor alone –”
“And I am leaving him alone,” he says. “You never said I couldn't keep tabs on him. I have a vested interest in knowing where he is. As long as I know he's in Atlanta, he's not in Ashton Mill, meaning you're safe. And as long as I know where he is in Atlanta when we're there, you're also safe. It's just observation. It's not like I sent a squad of assassins to take him out.”
“And what, you're just going to watch him – what – forever?”
He shrugs. “I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” he says firmly. “I'm sorry if that upsets you, but I'm not about to let anything happen to you or our baby, Katie.”
The way he looks at me when he says that stirs something inside of me. Not in a bad way. It's an interesting feeling, honestly. I'm so used to having men push me around, striking fear into me rather than loving me and bending over backwards to protect me, that I don't know what to do.
Aidan makes me feel safe and cared for. In the short time I've known him, he's mad
e me feel more protected and loved than Victor ever did in the years we were together. That Aidan would go so far out of his way like this, to have someone watching Victor to make sure he stays away from us – is unbelievable to me. Like something out of a movie.
With everything he's doing – from protecting me from Victor to whisking me away on his private jet – it kind of feels like I'm starring in a fairy tale. Like I'm a modern Cinderella and Aidan is Prince Charming, and he's doing his damnedest to sweep me off my feet.
I look up at him and make sure to hold his gaze. “Thank you,” I reply softly.
“You don't need to thank me, Katie.”
“No one has ever done anything like this for me before,” I say. “It's – overwhelming. To say the least.”
He drains the last of his champagne and sets the glass down. “You shouldn't have to live in fear, Katie,” he says. “Or live your life looking over your shoulder. This, and I hesitate to use the word because it really doesn't apply to him – man – shouldn't be able to suck the joy and happiness out of your life. He shouldn't be able to control you. Not anymore. He doesn't own you.”
I can tell Aidan is restraining himself – probably for my sake. But, I can hear the heat in his words and see the steel in his eyes. He's never met Victor before, but I can tell he hates him with a burning passion. If they ever did meet, face to face, Aidan would want to beat him within an inch of his life.
I want to ask him why he's so invested in making sure nothing happens to me and keeping me safe, but I can tell it's a touchy subject with him. I know it has something to do with how his fiancée died, but I still don't know the circumstances surrounding that. Which, of course, only piques my curiosity even further.
Now is not the time to press him on it, though.
I clear my throat and take a sip of ginger ale.
“Hey,” he says.
He lifts my chin up and forces me to meet his gaze. His blue-gray eyes are bright and intense, but at the same time, so full of kindness and compassion. It suddenly strikes me just how handsome Aidan really is. Though the strong jawline, chiseled features, and beard make him look rugged, his face is actually soft. Boyish. Up close, his eyes sparkle like a child's, and his lips are soft and full. Just looking at him makes my heart flip-flop in my chest.
“Let's not think about anything but enjoying ourselves this weekend,” he continues. “Let's just put everything else out of our minds and just focus on having fun. I think we both deserve it.”
I feel a smile crossing my face and a lightness in my heart I haven't felt in – hell – longer than I can even remember. Maybe ever. Probably ever. Letting everything go and doing nothing but enjoying some time away with a beautiful, amazing, and generous man, sounds incredible.
I only hope I can hold up my end of the bargain.
“I think that sounds great,” I say.
“Good,” he replies and leans forward, planting a soft, chaste kiss on my lips.
“So, are you going to tell me what you have on the agenda?”
He gives me a roguish little smirk. “No.”
“No?” I ask and laugh.
He shakes his head. “That would ruin the surprise,” he says and chuckles, a deep, rumbling noise. “And I want you to be surprised. I have something fun planned. Isn't that what you threw at me the night of the Spring festival?”
“No fair throwing my words back in my face.”
“Get used to it,” he says. “I believe that's also something you said.”
I smile back at him, a wave of emotion washing over me. This is all so foreign to me, so completely different from anything and everything I'm used to that I still don't know what to make of it. I mean, Aidan is pulling out all the stops here, trying to give me a wonderful weekend. And he's doing it just because he wants to. Because he thinks I'm worth it and deserve it.
The least I can do is what he asked – just surrender to the moment and enjoy it.
I press my lips to his softly. “Well, I'm looking forward to it,” I say. “Whatever it may be.”
Aidan
When we touch down, and the plane pulls into the private hangar, Katie lets out a long breath, clearly relieved to be back on solid ground.
We get off the plane and step into the car waiting for us on the tarmac. Once our bags are loaded in, the driver heads off for our hotel.
I can tell she's still a little nervous about being back in Atlanta, but she's fighting through it. She's doing everything she can to do what I asked, which is to just relax and enjoy the weekend. I have something special planned, so I hope she can pull it off. I have a feeling it will be good for her soul.
The last thing I want is for that son of a bitch Victor to ruin things for us.
The car pulls to a stop in front of The Whitley, a high-end luxury hotel I've stayed at a few times when I've been in town on business. I thought it might impress Katie and hopefully, help her relax a little. I want her to be pampered and taken care of. More than anything, I want her to feel like a princess this weekend.
After everything she's been through, she deserves it.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I'm good,” she says.
She's staring at the hotel, an awe-struck look on her face. She turns back to me, eyes wide, a strange smile on her lips.
“We're staying here?” she asks.
“No, I figure that I'd let you look at it before I have the driver take us to the Motel Six down the street,” I say.
She punches me in the arm and laughs. The driver loads our bags onto the bellhop's cart and wheels it ahead of us. I turn around, hand the driver a fifty, and let him know that I'll contact him when he’s needed. He nods, gets back in the car, and heads out.
“You're such an ass,” she says and laughs.
“You sure say that a lot.”
“You give me a lot of reasons to.”
She takes my hand, and we walk into the hotel together. As we approach the front desk, the clerk smiles wide.
“Welcome to the Whitley. How can I help you?” she asks, her voice dripping with a sweet Southern accent.
“We have a reservation under Anderson,” I say. “Aidan Anderson.”
The clerk punches a few things into her computer. “Welcome back, Mr. Anderson,” she says. “Lovely to have you with us again.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“Your room is all set up and ready,” she says, sliding a pair of keycards over to me. “And your appointment is in ten minutes, so you made it just in time.”
“Appointment?” Katie asks.
I give her a smile. “Surprise number one.”
“You’re not gonna tell me, are you?”
“I think you're finally catching on,” I reply.
That smile of hers lights up the entire lobby of the hotel, and I feel a warmth spreading through me as I bask in that glow. I thank the clerk and escort Katie toward the elevators. I happen to glance over and see Adam sitting in a chair near the fountain in the center of the lobby. His face is buried in a newspaper, but I know he's not actually reading it. He's there to see me. How he knew to find me is a mystery, though.
Even though I told Katie I was having surveillance run on Victor, I didn’t want to dampen the mood by reminding her of the fact. And introducing her to Adam would do that in the most concrete way possible.
Behind her back, I motion to him that I'll be a minute. It actually works out well, since the appointment is for her. I'll have some time to handle a little business.
“After you,” I say as the elevator car slides open.
I step into the car after her, and she grabs my shirt, pulling me to her. Katie pulls me into a deep, passionate kiss full of fire and heat. Full of emotion. She slides her hand down my body, grabbing my rapidly hardening cock through my pants. She rubs and strokes it as I press her up against the wall of the elevator car, wanting nothing more than to fuck her right then and there.
Unfortunately, there isn't enough time. A
t least, not right now. There will be time for that later though. I'll make sure we have plenty of time.
Reluctantly, I step back and let out a breath. “You're not going to get information out of me that way,” I say. “Though, it's a really, really good try.”
“You're a tough nut to crack.”
“Can be,” I say.
She laughs and the elevator door chimes as it slides open. When we step out, the bellhop is already waiting in front of our door with the luggage. We walk down, and he opens the door for us. Katie walks into the room and turns around, taking it all in with wide-eyed wonder. The bellhop sets our bags down, and I thank him and press a twenty into his palm. He closes the door quietly behind him as he leaves.
Katie flops down onto the bed, a wide smile on her face. “Oh my, god,” she says. “These beds are amazing. These sheets might be the softest thing I've ever laid on.”
She jumps back up on her feet and throws herself into my arms. I hold her tight, relishing the feel of her body pressed to mine. More than that though, I relish the feeling of closeness that’s grown between us the last few months. That sense of connection and genuine warmth.
She looks up at me with a bright light in her eyes. “How much time before this mysterious appointment?”
I glance at my watch. “Any minute, actually.”
“Aw. Damn it.”
I laugh. “Damn it?”
She pouts. “I wanted to –”
A knock on the door interrupts her, making Katie jump. Well, as high as a pregnant woman can jump. She looks at the door then at me, a look of confusion on her face.
“Wow,” I say. “Perfect timing.”
“Who is it?”
“Your escort, I would assume,” I say.
“Escort?”
I nod and quickly head to the door.
I open it to find a tall, dark-haired woman with blue eyes and rich, tawny skin. She's dressed in white from head to toe, her smile professional, carrying a tablet in her hand.
“Good afternoon,” she says. “I'm Janice, the spa concierge, and I'm here to escort Ms. Weathers down for her appointment.”