by Sandra Marie
“Suffered through it.”
“I bet you loved it.”
“I did,” he admitted, turning onto the street. Traffic was crap, but luckily they didn’t have too far to go. At least in the car. “It wasn’t my favorite, though.”
“Is your favorite on our to-do list tonight?” Her eyes were still sparkling, and now with the peacoat covering her dress, he wondered if it had less to do with the outfit and more to do with her mood. A chill ran through him, and excitement cracked like lightning through his heart. Was she just as excited as he was to spend this night together? He was desperate to keep her in Seattle, to show her how much she was needed in his life, and not just because they ran a business together.
“You’ll see,” he lilted playfully. He swung his phone over to her. “Go into Rae’s V-Day playlist. I’ll show you how much I did my homework.”
She turned on the Buetooth and got their tunes going. Even though both of them sounded like crap, they belted “Jessie’s Girl” out—car karaoke by the tone deaf.
After a while, he pulled into the lot, and Rae peered out the windshield.
“You did not Fifty Shades of Grey this night, did you?” Her eyes cut to his, and he put the car in park.
“I believe Mr. Grey used a helicopter.” The click of his buckle rang through the air. “This is merely a private plane.”
She pursed her lips together, a smile breaking through. “You watched that one, too?”
“I told you…” He pushed open his door. “I did my homework.” He gave Rae a look before stepping out of the car, asking her to stay put until he could open her door for her. She made faces at him through the passenger window as he got out and handed the keys to one of his father’s many employees. When Tommy had given good ol’ Dad his monthly call a little early, Dad clued in almost right away that Tommy needed a favor. He hadn’t been on his father’s private jet in ages—could barely remember what the thing looked like inside—and he knew Rae wouldn’t expect him to have pulled this one out of thin air. His dad and him were tight, but Tommy liked to keep the fact that his dad could buy him anything he wanted under tight lips, so he rarely asked.
Tonight was special, though. And Rae had only one request.
They climbed up the stairs into the open door of the plane, a nice woman by the name of Judy greeting them and showing them inside. Rae’s shoulders moved up as she sucked in a huge breath, and Tommy winced, hoping this big thing didn’t backfire.
“Too much?”
“Yeah,” she said, but there was humor in her voice. “You called your dad?”
“I wanted to be sure we had reservations for dinner.” He gestured to the table set up between a couple of luxury plane seats. At the moment, it was only covered in a white tablecloth and a smaller red square in the middle. “I did only ask you out last week.”
Rae rolled her eyes, but the sparkle that resided in them told him that he’d hit it out of the park already. “Where are we going?”
“In time, antsy pantsy.”
The sound of the plane door whooshing closed drew their attention to Judy. “Would you like me to take your coat, Mr. Varner? Ms. Taylor?”
Rae started unbuttoning, and Tommy slid behind her to be a kickass gentleman and help out. He’d seen in plenty in all those movies he’d been watching as of late.
“Oh dear God,” he said as he slid the coat down off her. He swallowed hard and shook his head, and Rae took a peek over her shoulder, lifting her eyes to his.
“What?”
“Frankie’s trying to kill me with this dress. Press charges if I suddenly drop dead.”
Rae let out her signature laugh, and Tommy handed over her coat to Judy. Rae wiggled her butt, shaking her shoulders, and wrinkled her nose at him from over her shoulder. “Like what you see?”
“Damn it, the thing is backless, Rae. It’s backless.” He ran a hand over his face.
“It’s not backless,” she argued. “It’s lace.”
“It’s see-through.”
She was braless, and he could see those tattoos he rarely ever had the chance to. See how perfectly soft and curvy she was and how freaking touchable and… he should not be thinking these things about his best friend.
“Um… Mr. Varner?” Judy said, and he tore his eyes from the back of Rae’s dress. “Your coat?”
“Oh right.” He slipped out of his outer wear, and Rae covered a laugh.
“The tuxedo shirt, really?”
“Just for you, buddy.”
“Now I feel overdressed.”
“Just take a look at your feet, and you’ll feel better.”
Rae smacked him in the chest, and Judy bit back a grin as she squeezed around them and showed them to their seats. Yeah, Tommy and Rae were cute as hell sometimes, depending on the audience.
Tommy sat opposite her, and they shot the breeze as the captain came over the intercom and gave them the standard welcome. The captain wished them both a happy Valentine’s Day and after a good twenty minutes, they were finally in the air.
Rae let out a content sigh, gazing out the window at all the Seattle lights growing smaller. “Can we make every time we hang out a date?” she quipped, adjusting in her seat. “I kinda like gentleman Tommy.”
“I’m always a gentleman.”
“Hmm… this perma-bump on my nose says otherwise.” She ran her finger down the bridge of her nose, and Tommy waved his hand at her.
“One time,” he said. “Never gonna let me live it down.” He’d accidentally let the door swing shut in her face, and she never let him forget it. And that was nearly twelve years ago.
Judy came and took their orders, and Rae passed on a drink.
“You can get wine, if you want,” Tommy said. “Or champagne.”
She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “I’m good with water.”
“It’s okay, really.” He didn’t want to take away from her enjoyment of alcohol just because he wasn’t going to indulge. She shushed him quickly, though, and he gave up on pushing it. He wasn’t going to win, anyway.
After Judy left to the little airplane kitchen, Rae folded her arms and rested them on the table, a small smile on her lips as she looked around the luxurious cabin. That sparkle in her eye never faded, and it flooded Tommy with a sense of satisfaction. Even without all the flair he had planned tonight, that look alone was worth taking her out. He wondered if this was how she was on all her dates, or if she’d looked like that with him before but he’d been too stupid to notice.
“Any way I can persuade you to stay in Seattle?” he blurted. He’d hoped he could be more subtle about the topic, but she’d thrown him for a loop tonight and his tongue was pretty much out of his control.
Her gaze floated down from the dim cabin lighting. The diamond studs in her ears gleamed and twinkled, matching the sparkle in her eyes. “You want to talk about this tonight?”
“Why not?”
“Are we going to fight?”
“No.” He sure hoped not. He lifted a shoulder and sat back in his seat. “Guess I’m just curious… I mean, aren’t you going to miss Seattle?”
“Of course.” She tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear, smoothing it into place. “I’m just not sure Seattle will miss me all that much.”
He playfully scoffed and pointed to himself. She shook her head with a grin, her gaze falling to the small red piece of fabric on the white tablecloth.
“Things are changing, you know?” she continued, her voice softer and more thoughtful. “All my siblings are married and have families. Frankie is going to be a mom. And you know me… There aren’t any Mommy and Me classes in my future. My life is just headed in a different direction than everyone else’s, and it might be easier to head down that path somewhere else.”
“You know no one holds it against you,” he said, leaning back as Judy set their drinks down along with a basket of rolls. “We all understand that you don’t want kids.”
“I know that.”
“You really want to know?” she asked, getting her own roll. She swiped the honey butter from him before he could grab it.
“Yep. Hit me with it.”
“It’s a little embarrassing. Probably paints me in a very selfish light.”
“Doubtful.”
She buttered her roll and passed over the knife. She let out a long breath before taking a generous bite. “Everyone’s pairing off,” she said after she swallowed. “Frankie and Alex, my siblings, every girl at that Passion Party had a special someone. And I’m hitting duds left and right.”
“You got me,” he said with a cheesy, roll-filled grin. He expected a snort, but he was met with a frown.
“It’ll only be a matter of time before someone pairs up with you, too.”
“Uh huh…. sure.”
“It will.” She picked at her roll but didn’t put any more in her mouth. “Some adventure junkie with blonde hair and blue eyes will come into your life and steal your heart.”
“Sounds like you,” he said smartly.
“I dye these blonde locks.” She flipped her hair as much as she could with how short it was, and something tightened his stomach, desperation filling him up to the throat. The thought of her leaving had never felt so real—it was almost as if she’d already decided to go.
She took a bite of her roll and chewed fast, swallowing hard. Her eyes fell to the tablecloth again. “I can’t keep watching everyone around me find their partner when mine seems to be non-existent. I want that partner who’ll hold me at night, kiss me till I fall asleep, have adventures with me and be okay with not having kids… with only me as their family.” Her gaze lifted, and an amused grin touched her lips. “Someone who’s cool with me having a male best friend.”
“And you can’t find that in Seattle?” His heart thrummed, his stomach a bundle of knots. Those check boxes didn’t seem that hard to fill. He could imagine himself checking off each and every one, but the offer to do so stayed firmly behind his teeth. Would she think of it as just a desperate plea to keep her close by? Was it only that? Or did he really want that something more, that partnership she craved, with her?
He blinked and took a sip of his water, hoping to clear his thoughts and focus on her answer. She played with the remnants of her poor roll that she’d torn to bits. “I don’t know,” she said to her plate. “I haven’t had much luck.”
“What about m—” His voice cut off, her eyes jutting up to meet his. Panic curled his words on his tongue, and he sputtered, “M-Mills. Gavin, I mean.”
Disappointment crossed her face for the briefest of moments. “I don’t know Gavin well enough yet to really make that call.”
Judy came back right as Tommy was struck speechless. Perfect timing—things were getting a bit too real there, and he didn’t want to think about Rae leaving Seattle or his feelings about the whole thing. He put on a grin, watched Rae for her reaction as Judy set a red envelope in front of her.
“Oh boy,” Rae said, excitement back in her tone. “You have more?”
“Crapstorm of romance, remember?” He nodded to the envelope. “Open her on up.”
She slid a finger under the flap and cracked the seal. A bright pink notecard sat inside along with a temporary butterfly tattoo. Her giggle-giggle snort floated across the table and lifted his spirits.
“Enjoy your dinner,” she read, “and get ready for A Walk to Remember.”
Frankie couldn’t have picked something better. Every time Tommy looked her way, Rae was more and more grateful to that stupid head who stole her dress. Rae had caught him more than once picking his jaw off the floor, and it was doing wonders to her ego.
She clung tight to the red envelope with one hand, her other clinging to Tommy’s arm as he led her blind. He asked her to close her eyes when they’d landed, and Rae loved surprises, so she kept her eyes shut tight until she got the go ahead to peek. Her elbow slammed into something hard, and a hiss slipped through her teeth.
“Whoops,” Tommy said, his breath floating over the top of her head. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his body bumping into hers as he pushed her forward from behind. She wasn’t sure if it was the date itself, or the fact that he was being such a damn Casanova, but she’d never been more attracted to him, and it was a pain in the butt. She wasn’t allowed to fall for Tommy—well, even more than she already had—and she wasn’t going to let one night of perfect romance change her mind about it.
His freaking chest had better stop knocking into her barely covered back though, or she was going to combust.
“We almost there?” she asked, letting go of his arm for a second to rub the pain from her elbow. Anticipation rumbled through her and tickled her throat, causing one of the worst snorts ever to escape. She felt his stomach bump against the small of her back as he chuckled, his breath warm and ticklish on her neck.
“Just up these stairs.”
“Stairs?” She stopped dead, and he ran into her.
“I was gonna warn you.”
“Like you warned me about whatever killed my elbow back there?”
“Ye of little faith.” He nudged her forward. “It’s just a few steps ahead.”
She took baby steps, heart pounding as she put her trust in her friend. Her fingers tightened on his forearm, and a dirty thought floated into her head as she imagined his lips pressing against the nape of her neck, his arm firm around her like it was, only there was a lot less clothing between them.
Oh hell no, Rae. You stop those thoughts right now.
Her toe hit the bottom step, and she stopped, waiting for instructions.
“Okay, we’ve got a climb ahead of us,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “Railing on your right if you want it.”
If she used the railing, she’d have to let go of his arm, and she wasn’t ready to do that. She squeezed the muscle in his forearm that was a lot larger than she anticipated, and he softly chuckled and led her up the steps.
“Okay, one here, keep going… I’ll let you know when we get near the top.”
Rae lost count around step fourteen, taking a breath and getting a wave of vertigo. She swayed and clung onto Tommy.
“I got you.”
“Don’t you dare let me fall.”
“I don’t think pushing you down stairs counts as romantic.”
“How many do we have left?”
“About five or six…” He paused a second. “Yep, six.”
“Hold onto me.”
“Ain’t letting go.” He slid his other hand to her waist, and caterpillars turned to butterflies in her lower abdomen. His fingers curled in and tickled. “Agh!” he jump-scared her, and her heart fell through the floor. She sprung her elbow back, catching him in the gut.
“I’ll open my eyes,” she threatened. “Ruin this whole charade.”
“You won’t,” he grunted from the blow. He put a gentler touch to her hips. “You like surprises too damn much.”
“Stop knowing me too well.”
“Six steps.” He nudged her forward. “Count them out.”
“One for the money…” she said, lifting her foot.
“Two for the show,” Tommy teased. They counted the rest out together, and Rae jostled a little when she hit the top.
“Are we there now?”
“So impatient.” His hands fell from her waist, and he took his warmth with him. A chill went up her spine, and she clucked her tongue to calm her excited nerves. There were so many places they could be, and she tried to pinpoint what part in A Walk to Remember he could be imitating for her tonight. She thought for sure he’d put the butterfly tattoo on her shoulder, but since most of her skin was covered in real tattoos, maybe that’s why he didn’t.
She thought about the life list Jamie had in the movie. The state line—which would explain the plane—getting married in the c
hurch her mother did… Other than that, she was blank.
She felt Tommy in front of her, and she waved her hand out, smacking his shoulder or neck or his something.
“I’m here,” he said with a laugh, grabbing her pointer finger. Even that small amount of contact had her in a dizzy spin. “Take a few steps forward…” He led her by that one finger, and she felt the floor angle, like they were walking down a ramp. She tilted her head, racking her brain for any hint of what was in store.
“Oh, stop here.” He brought them to an abrupt halt. Rae bounced on the balls of her feet, impatience nearly cracking her eyelids. Wherever they were, it wasn’t very bright. The stairs had given off a reddish glow through her lids, but now it was pitch black.
“Can I open my eyes yet?”
“Ooh, grumpy Rae coming out. Hang on… I just need you to lie down.”
“What?”
“Trust me. It’ll be better if you’re on your back.”
“That’s what she said.”
“Just do it.” He let out a soft laugh, and she felt his hand back in hers. “I’ll help.”
She slowly lowered to the ground, careful in her dress and all. She wasn’t sure how to navigate the fabric without her vision; hopefully Tommy didn’t get an eyeful of her butt cheeks. Thongs didn’t exactly cover much in the back.
He was sweet, though, helping her with the dress as her legs stretched out on something soft and fluffy. “Did you set up a blanket?” she asked. When the heck did he have time to do that?
“And pillows.” Pride settled in his tone, and she playfully swung her hand out, hoping to backhand him for the ego. She made contact with his chest, and it was her turn to be smug about it.
Her head settled onto the soft feathers, and she got an instant whiff of Tommy’s loft, which often smelled of fresh ink. It was one of Rae’s favorite scents.
His body rested next to hers, his arm flush against her skin. His knuckles nestled against hers, and her hand twitched without her consent, like her body knew what she wanted, but her mind wasn’t going to allow it.
“Now?” she asked with a sigh. His body rocked against her as he laughed.
“Yep, you’re good to peek.”