by Parker, Ali
I looked down at my chest. “Trust me. Boobs run in the family. I swear I went to bed an A-cup and woke up a C-cup.”
“When?” she asked. “I’m thirteen. Shouldn’t this have happened by now? The other girls in my grade have boobs.”
I laughed. “Trust me. You want to wait for those bad boys until the very last minute. I think I was probably fifteen, maybe sixteen. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Enjoy thirteen. Don’t try and grow up too fast, and never, ever compare yourself to other girls. I know you will, but I wish you wouldn’t. You are going to learn one day that they don’t matter. How you feel about you is all that matters.”
“That is a nice pep talk, but I don’t think I’m going to turn out pretty like you. My hair is frizzy. My chest is flat. I have no ass.”
I slowly shook my head. I remembered those days. I hated that she had to go through it, but we all did. “You are tall and slender, and you will grow into your body. Trust me. You are gorgeous. Let’s go to the salon when we’re done with lunch. I need to get a trim before my trip. We’ll have my hairdresser give your hair a nice treatment.”
“Can I get some highlights?”
I felt like I had been tossed in the deep end. Was she too young? When was the right age to let her color her hair? I needed a manual. “We’ll see,” I said, not committing to anything.
I would go to Google. Google would tell me the right age for hair stuff. I couldn’t remember the first time I had gotten highlights, but I had a feeling I was about her age. I was going to find a book. I needed help. I didn’t want to screw her up.
Chapter 12
Tyson
The limo pulled to a stop outside of Mae’s building. This time, I did send a text letting her know we were there. I waited inside the lobby for her. She emerged from the elevator carrying a carry-on bag over her shoulder with her purse slung over her other shoulder and a laptop bag in one hand and trailing a suitcase behind her with the other.
I sprang into action. “You are seriously packed,” I commented, taking the suitcase and the carry-on.
“I had no idea what to bring and decided to go on the safe side and bring a little of everything.”
I laughed. “I believe you.”
The driver helped put the bags in the car before we climbed in. “I’m so excited!” she said. Her cheeks were flushed with her excitement. I was glad I got to be a part of that.
“I’m happy to have you along. I think you will add excitement to what could have been a very boring trip.”
“Do you know, I have never been out of the country? I’ve had a passport for years. I renew it each time and I always tell myself I’m going to go somewhere and get my first stamp. Then life happens and I just can’t seem to find time to escape.”
“I’m happy to be your first,” I said and immediately regretted the words.
She smiled. “I’m glad it’s you.”
“Me too,” I whispered. “Me too.”
“I wasn’t sure what airline we were going to be on. I checked all the bag weight limits and hoped for the best. It’s just under seventy pounds, and if I have to, I can shove my purse into my laptop bag and it will count as one personal item.”
She was cute when she rambled. “You’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about bag limits.”
“If they charge a fee, I am paying.”
“There won’t be any fees.”
“Oh? What airline doesn’t charge?”
“Not an airline,” I told her.
She looked at me, one pretty brow raised. “Boat?”
I chuckled. “No. My jet.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Your jet? You own a jet?”
I nodded. “I do a lot of traveling. It makes sense to have my own transportation.”
“Tyson, just how much money do you make with your museums?”
I shrugged. “It’s a lucrative business,” I answered, not wanting to get into money matters.
“I would guess so. Clearly, Patrick and I could learn a little something from you.”
I smiled. “I would be more than happy to offer my expertise.”
“I bet you would.”
The car pulled onto the tarmac. We were quickly boarded and situated on the jet. I could see the nervousness on her face and decided to sit beside her. “It’s safe,” I told her.
She blew out a breath. “You aren’t a cheap plane owner, are you? I mean, your plane or jet or whatever it’s called is regularly maintained, right? We are flying over an ocean, and while I do know how to swim, I don’t particularly like to swim with sharks.”
I smiled. I figured it wouldn’t be wise to tell her that if we crashed into the ocean, she wouldn’t have to worry about swimming. She would be shark food. “We are going to be fine.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
The plane began to taxi down the runway. Her hand reached out and covered mine. I turned my hand and intertwined my fingers with hers. She squeezed my hand as the jet left the runway, ascending higher and higher. When we finally leveled out, I felt her relief.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“Yes, sorry. I don’t mind flying, but the takeoff is so intense.”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“I guess you are a frequent flyer,” she commented.
I nodded. “I am. I definitely get my money’s worth out of this thing.”
“Can I have a tour? Are we allowed to walk around?”
“Yes, to both questions.”
“Good, I can’t wait to see what you have on this thing. I’ve never been on a private jet.”
I undid my seatbelt and waited for her to get to her feet. Despite the roomy cabin, my height still had my head brushing the ceiling. I leaned forward, catching a strong whiff of her hair. It smelled fruity and delicious and perfectly sexy. I stepped around her, sliding my body against hers.
“This way,” I said, opening a door. “My office is here.”
“An office? You have an office on your private jet? Holy shit. Pardon my crassness, but seriously, holy shit.”
I laughed. “I spend a lot of time in this thing. I need to work. It seems like a waste of time to just sit and do nothing.”
“I get it.”
I opened the next door. “This is the bedroom.”
She stopped walking. “Bedroom?”
“Some of these flights are twelve hours or more. I have to sleep.”
She nodded. “And you have a bedroom.”
I walked inside the space that was small but serviceable. There was a small closet along one wall and a TV mounted on another wall. The bed was large, but not as big as the one at home. “If you want to take a nap, feel free to do it here.”
“Thank you. I understand why you travel so much now. It isn’t bad when you have a flying apartment. It’s like a flying RV. I suppose there is a kitchen on here somewhere?”
I smiled. “Not a full kitchen but there is a stocked bar, refrigerator, and plenty of snacks.”
“This is amazing.”
I laughed. “Thank you,” I said, leading the way back to the main seating area that was outfitted with a couch on one side and the comfortable leather reclining chairs on the other. It was a little ostentatious. I didn’t exactly show it off. I liked to be comfortable. My money afforded me luxury and I didn’t mind taking advantage of it.
She sat down on the couch while I moved to the small bar to make a couple of mimosas. I carried her glass to her and sat down at the opposite end of the sofa. She sipped the drink and smiled. “Who would have thought the jock football player in high school that pretended to be a little on the dumb side would have all this one day?”
I laughed. “I wasn’t pretending.”
“Yeah, right. A double major? That isn’t easy. You’re smart. I always knew you were smart. You just liked to play dumb so no one would expect anything of you.”
I shrugged. “It was easier. People looked at me and saw the big, dumb jock. It was easier to
just go with it than try to convince them I did have a brain in my skull.”
“The people from back then would be impressed and surprised by your success. You’ve made it. You made yourself into a very rich man, or at least you certainly present yourself as such.”
I only smiled. I wasn’t going to give her the details. Not yet. I didn’t like to lead with that. “I rarely think about them. None of those people thought I would ever amount to anything. I think in high school I was voted most likely to have a beer belly and live in a trailer by our tenth reunion.”
She looked down at her hands. “I’m sorry. Kids can be so damn cruel.”
“Yes, but their cruelty didn’t truly matter. My dad wasn’t exactly an upstanding citizen. They thought I would follow in his footsteps.”
She made a face. “And yet your father was far more honest about who he was, unlike my parents. They did a great job hiding who they were. Everyone saw them at the PTO meetings and thought we were the ideal American family. I hated the lie, but I also hated the truth even more. Like you said, it was easier to go along with what people assumed.”
I understood her plight. “It’s the past,” I said. I wasn’t interested in revisiting those days.
“Yes, it is. That’s where it will stay.”
“Do you keep in touch with anyone from the old days?”
She smiled. “Not really. I do have one friend from back then, but I don’t think you guys ever met. Carrie Ellis. She married a Marine right out of high school. He was killed in Afghanistan when she was five-months pregnant. She moved back here to be close to family and friends to raise the baby. I was happy she was back but saddened about the reason why.”
“Home is where we all come back to, it seems,” I commented. “No matter how good or bad it was, it is still home.”
She smiled. “I suppose you are right. I could have stayed in New York. There was a job offer there and I thought about taking it, but I couldn’t leave Patrick alone to deal with the business on his own.”
“Did you want to take the job?” I asked.
She worried her lower lip. “Honestly?”
I laughed. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I did. My god, I did. I wanted it. It would have been great for my career. The pay was impressive.”
I let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I probably would been chewed up and spit out by the city anyway. I was young and had stars in my eyes. It only took one visit home to help me see what I needed to do. I told myself I would go back in a few years once things settled down here.”
“And you didn’t,” I surmised.
“I couldn’t. And now, well, now I won’t be going anywhere.”
I didn’t say anything. She didn’t know about Patrick’s plans. I was not going to be the one to tell her. I wasn’t even sure it was going to work out. There was no point in causing a problem that might never even happen.
We talked a bit more before moving off the couch and settling in the comfortable recliners. I turned on the TV, putting on whatever movie was playing. I pulled out my tablet while she watched the movie. It was strange to be sitting so close to her. I could smell her hair and that same perfume. The sound was low on the movie, allowing me to hear her steady breathing. It was oddly calming and comforting. I felt myself relax.
I had been in a bit of a state since I found out Alec was most likely going to be leaving me. It was nice to have a companion. It wasn’t long before I felt her head resting on my shoulder. I looked down and realized she had fallen asleep. I didn’t move a muscle. I didn’t want to jar her awake. I tried not to breathe as well.
It was as if no time had passed at all. I felt the same way about her now as I did back then. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out. I missed her. I missed our conversations and the way she could make me laugh. She could make me forget all about the world. I had never felt the way I felt for her with anyone else. Seeing her again, all those old feelings stirred to life, which told me I would never find another like her. No one else could make me feel the way she did.
I wanted her. I wanted her more than I wanted my museums full of ancient treasure.
But she was Patrick’s little sister. She was the one woman on this planet I couldn’t have. The cost to be with her was too high. Patrick and I had been best friends once. Even though we didn’t talk anymore, there was a respect for him I would not betray. I had seen how protective he was of his sister. I didn’t dare tread on that relationship.
Chapter 13
Mae
I jerked awake, immediately reaching out to hold on to the first thing I grabbed. It was Tyson’s strong hand I felt on my arm. Confusion overwhelmed me. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to rationalize what the hell was happening. My head jerked forward with a painful snap.
“Relax,” Tyson’s deep baritone voice washed over me. “It’s okay. We’ve just touched down. Everything is okay.” His soothing tone immediately relaxed me and gave my poor muddled brain a chance to catch up. We were on his private jet. I was traveling across the world with Tyson.
I sat up straight and looked around, rubbing my hand over my mouth. “I fell asleep.”
“We both did,” he answered. His hand slid up and down my forearm. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, I was just a little startled. You didn’t sleep out here because of me, did you? You have your bed. I didn’t mean to make you sleep in the chair. You’re going to be all cramped up.”
“I usually sleep in the chair. I’ll be as cramped as you are.”
I flexed my toes and slowly rolled my neck to loosen things up. The plane taxied to a stop, giving me time to get my bearings. I very casually looked at his shoulder, making sure I hadn’t drooled all over the man. His shoulder appeared dry, much to my relief.
I got to my feet, my legs feeling a little stiff after sitting for so long. Tyson put a hand on the small of my back and gently guided me to the exit. I took the steps, being careful not to trip and fall on my face. It was dark, but I had no idea what time it was.
“Over there,” Tyson said and pointed to a waiting car. It wasn’t a limo, but it was a beautiful, black Mercedes with dark-tinted windows. I felt like royalty. The driver grabbed our bags and loaded them into the car. I stood in awe, smelling the sea and a variety of unfamiliar smells. It was strange how each city had its own unique aroma. I smelled spices and I thought maybe oil.
“Ready?” Tyson asked, coming to stand beside me.
“I am. I was just trying to take it all in. There are so many lights. It feels so calm and quiet.”
“It is a beautiful city,” he agreed. “Our hotel is waiting.” We climbed into the back seat of the car and were whisked away once again.
“I cannot wait to stretch my legs,” I complained.
He laughed. “I usually move around a bit more. It’s the benefit of the private flight. I can walk, dance, lay down, anything but sit.”
“You dance?” I said with a laugh, trying to picture him dancing while flying ten-thousand feet in the air.
“Maybe not dance, but I do some yoga poses.”
“Yoga?” I repeated the word. “You do yoga?” The man surprised me.
“No. I do a few poses I learned along the way to help stretch out my back. I know it sounds cheesy, but my days of high school football took their toll on my body.”
“You were a brute,” I said, remembering him in his football uniform. I loved watching him play. He was big and strong, and all the girls lusted after him.
“I was an idiot, thinking I was invincible.”
“On the way back, I will remind you to do your yoga. I’ll do it with you.”
There was a shift in the mood. “I would very much like to see you do yoga. Are you bendy?”
I laughed. “Not exactly, but I have taken a few classes and have the general idea down.”
“Good. We will yoga our way back to the States.”
The idea of doing yoga with Tyson wa
s kind of funny. And exciting. Being with him was exciting. I looked out the window again, looking for a sign I could read. “I feel like a bit of a country bumpkin, but where exactly are we?” I finally asked.
He softly chuckled. “Tel Aviv.”
“Oh. Wow. Really? I can’t believe I’m here. This is amazing.” I looked out the window, trying to see everything but it was just too dark. “Wait, is it safe here? Aren’t there bombings and terrorists?”
“Safe as any city—for the time being. There are going to be the rougher neighborhoods, but you will be safe with me.”
I felt completely safe with him. It wasn’t just his size that made me feel safe. It was him—the man. He offered such strength through his very being. I turned to look at his profile as he stared straight ahead. When he turned to look at me, I didn’t look away. I didn’t mind him knowing I found him attractive and worthy of being stared at. The car pulled to a stop under a covered parking area. I jumped when the door was opened, a bellhop eager to help me out of the car.
Our bags were quickly unloaded while I stood in awe of the luxurious hotel lobby. Herod’s. I had heard the name but to actually be standing in the lobby of one of the famous hotels was amazing. It was an experience I would never forget.
“This is amazing,” I breathed.
Tyson smiled. “Wait until you see it in the daylight. I’ll get our room keys.”
I wasn’t sure if he was saying our room, like we were sharing a room or separate rooms. I stood out of the way, trying to take it all in. It was stunning. He was right. I couldn’t wait until morning when I could see the view of the Mediterranean Sea.
“Ready?” he asked.
I blinked and nodded. “I am.”
We rode up in the elevator. Instead of the bellhop bringing our bags, Tyson insisted we carry them the rest of the way. He paused in front of a door and held a key out. “Yours.”
“What?” I asked.
“Your room. I’m right next door.”
I smiled. I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or relieved. “Thank you. Should I set my alarm for a particular time?”