by C. Lesbirel
Far from it.
As I stand up, and he grabs my hand before I can hesitate, and his fingers wrap around mine, a familiar flash of light hits my eyes.
22
Sullivan
She snatches her hand away from mine, and I instinctively wrap an arm around her shoulders needing to replace the contact. My body always responds to Hope in the same way. It needs to be closer to her and craves the feel of her silky-smooth skin against my own. I knew from the second I walked back into her hotel room that I was in dangerous territory. I don’t fly across continents just to pop in on people. It was too much effort. When things hadn’t worked out with girls in the past, I’ve always made a clean break and moved on. Really, I should have known from the first time I carried her in my arms just so her shoes didn’t blister her feet that Hope was different. She was worth the effort and then some.
Seeing her panicked expression now only compounds what I already know to be true. Whatever happens I’m going to be here for this woman, and there is a distinct, scary-as-hell but very real possibility that I could be falling for her.
“Did you see that?”
“What?” I glance around to see what she means when a camera flash hits my eyes again.
“That. They’ve found me.”
“Who? I didn’t know you were lost,” I joke, but her face tells me she doesn't find it funny.
“It’s the paps. They’re here.”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me, I know. We need to go right now.”
“Alright, just chill for a second. Can’t we just ignore them?”
“No, we can’t just ignore them. Don’t you understand? This is going to be everywhere. The press will eat me alive over this. It’s bad enough that I’m sauntering around Paris when I just canceled a bunch of tour dates because I’m not feeling well, but I’m also doing it with some guy who’s way younger than me and just happens to be my pilot.”
“Some guy? Ouch.”
The cutting conversation only gave the pap more ammunition to inch forward and risk exposing themselves, but it was nothing I haven’t handled before.
Paparazzi are like guppies. Drop them a few peas and you’ll have them eating out of your hand.
I step in front of Hope, instructing her to head back to the hotel and locking eye contact with the five-foot-nothing guy with a camera bigger than his head.
“How much are you planning on selling the pictures for?”
“More than you could afford, believe me.”
“Try me.”
“Let’s see, Hope Carson tours Paris with her hot new overprotective mystery boyfriend…” He rubs his chin as though considering a fair price point, but we both know there’s no such thing as fair game when it came to photos like the two he’d just taken. Hope was supposed to be on tour, not out and about on a date. This could seriously damage her reputation.
“How about, you hand over the camera, and I’ll wire you ten thousand dollars right now to go and buy yourself a new one.”
He narrows his eyes at me, his grip of the camera still pointed in my direction tightening.
“And I’ll give you an hour with the CEO of Parker Airlines, to sweeten the deal.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?”
His eyes widen in surprise at my offer. Everyone knows Parker Airlines doesn’t talk to paps. We’ve always been very private about the details of our business, it’s better that way. It’s so when people travel with us, the experience is unexpected. Our reputation has been built on our client’s word of mouth and recommendations that we are the best luxury charter airlines in the business. They don’t know why; they just know it’s true.
“Because, I’m Sullivan Parker, and my word is my word.”
And just like that, I know I’ve got him by his scrawny little balls. I watch as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place on his sleazy face, and his grip on the expensive looking camera loosens.
While I pull out my phone and dial my bank I grin smugly as his eyes go wide at the realization that this is happening.
The old me would have grabbed the camera and shoved it up his ass, but I’m learning. That response, though extremely satisfying, would have made even bigger headlines and jeopardized my relationship with Hope.
Hope.
I glance around as the guy smirks at me. Dropping his grip of the camera, I take it from him. She’s gone, which means I need to stop wasting time with this douchebag and get back to her and make sure she’s okay.
Make sure we’re okay.
If this is going to work, she’s going to have to stop throwing my age around like it’s a bad omen and accept that she wants this just as much as I do.
That’s why she called.
Since I’ve gotten under her skin the same way she’s crept undermine, seeping into every pore until the thought of not making a real go of this makes me anxious.
I want this woman.
I just need to make her see that she wants me, too.
We finish up the details with the bank, and I need to get the hell out of here. “Call this number, ask to book an appointment with Liam. He’ll be expecting your call.” I reach into my jacket pocket, pull out a business card and swap it for the camera.
He doesn’t resist, knowing in terms of exclusive content, this is his lucky fucking day. When he opens his mouth to speak, I don’t bother waiting around to see what he has to say. I couldn’t give a shit what baloney he wanted to chat about, the deal’s done, and I have bigger problems to sort out.
Like the fact that Hope is holding back on something. I have a strong feeling I know exactly what’s up, but she can go to hell with her it’s-never-going-to-happen speech. I see right through it. She can go ahead and have a seat in the cockpit because this plane is taking off with or without her consent.
The Parker in me shows as I march through Paris with determination building in every solid stride, but like all fairy tales, the heroine of my story has other ideas.
23
Sullivan
With the blind intention of sweeping her off her feet, I’m welcomed -correction-she lets me into her hotel room, so I can have a front row ticket to the watch Hope pack up and leave show. It’s in full swing with open suitcases on the bed and cowboy boots and denim scattered everywhere.
“You’re leaving?” I keep my distance, leaning against the bedroom doorframe as though approaching her will cause her to bolt like a meerkat does when a plane flies overhead.
The hypothetical thought leads to an off the cuff idea that shoots out of my mouth just as fast as she responds.
“Of course I’m leaving. This is a disaster. I need to get out of here.”
“Where will you run to this time, my sweet little delinquent.”
“Home,” she snaps without looking up. “Where I should have gone in the first place.”
Impromptu tears follow, but she blinks to keep the tears from freefalling down her cheeks.
“I take it that’s a bad thing?”
She stops to regard me for a second, and I seize the opportunity to inch forward, closing the space between us.
“No. It’s not that. It’s just, I came to clear my head, and now it’s more muddled than ever. My brain is literally a plate of scrambled eggs right now, and I don’t even like eggs.” My chest clenches at the sight of another tear escaping down her cheek, the same way it did when Shiloh cried.
“How about I take you somewhere to escape for a little while? You can clear your mind there. Just a day trip. I’ll take you home the next morning, if that’s what you want.”
She pauses from packing long enough to lock eyes with me.
“You would do that?”
“Yeah. You clearly need time to think, and I want to be there for you. I like you, Hope.”
“You know I live in Nashville?”
“Yeah, I remember.” I shrug.
“And you’re okay with flying me all that way.”
“If that�
�s where you wanna go, I’ll take you there right now. But, if you need a break first, I know the perfect place.”
“Oh yeah?” Her expression is skeptical, but I can tell I have her full attention. “And where is this perfect place?”
“Nah.” I shake my head. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” I say in the voice of an Italian mafia boss. Her vulnerable smile breaks free before quickly resuming to her frown.
“You know, there was a reason I called you…”
“I know. Not now. Okay? Let’s get out of here. We can talk when you're more relaxed.”
“No, honestly. I wanted to tell y…”
“Enough talking. You need to finish packing, and I need to make some calls. Pack up, and I’ll be back when I get everything arranged.” I don’t give her the option of arguing and wander out into the living area of the suite.
If she was about to tell me she wants this too, I don’t want it to be in this shitty moment. I want to be the first one to say it. It’s important that she knows I’m not just going along with what she wants like some little plaything.
Without taking a seat, I call an old friend in the Netherlands and arrange a hide away for us where the paps will not be a problem. The guy owned a small airline until just a few years ago when he retired to Holland and invested all of his savings into his wife’s floristry business. They have acres of private land, so it’s the perfect place for Hope to get away from whatever burden she’s carrying on her shoulders and hopefully open up to me. His Instagram photos make it look like the perfect idyllic spot to let her know exactly how I feel about her.
Renting a helicopter is pretty straight forward and made easier by the fact that Hope’s chosen a decent hotel that we can fly off from. There’s no helipad, but the tall building is big enough for me to land on. The guy on the phone seems to know me, although I have no clue who he is, and I smirk to myself as he pulls out all the stops to enable me to pick up a chopper within a few hours. Sometimes, being a Parker has its perks; no one could argue with that.
My phone chimes with a text from Shiloh asking where I’m at.
Me: I’m heading to the Netherlands. Think I’ve found the one.
Her reply is instant and makes me chuckle to myself.
Shiloh: The one??? WTF!!! CALL ME.
Me: Tell you when I see you. It’s no one you know. I think you’ll love her.
Shiloh: Love? Have u dropped the L Bomb?
Me: Not yet…
There’s a pause before she responds, and I can almost see her brain working overtime as she freaks out over this.
Me: I’ll call you when I can. Stop freaking out, it’s not good for the baby.
Shiloh: Is that all anyone’s going to say to me until I give birth?
Me: Yes.
Shiloh: *eye roll emoji*
It only takes a couple of strides across the living area to pop my head in on Hope, who is still packing her things, to let her know it’s going to be a few hours before we can get out of here and suggest that she sleep as soon as she can because we will be leaving before dawn.
“Why, where are you going?”
“I’ll explain later, right now I have somewhere to be. Stay put and get some rest until I call, so keep your ringer volume on. Alright?”
She bites down on her inner lip, contemplating her next move, while I furrow my brow, pushing her for an answer.
“Alright. I’ll be here,” she half yells at me as I turn to leave. “But I’m putting my trust in you, Sully. No one can find out where I am, I need to disappear. Even if it’s just overnight, and if I still want to go home tomorrow, you have to be okay with that. This is all I can give you right now.”
“You're not giving me anything, tomorrow is for you. You’re obviously stressed. Where we are going will give you the opportunity to think clearly. There’s fresh air and flowers. What could be better than that?”
She doesn’t look particularly excited, but she continues packing, which I take as an indication that she’s down for this.
“I’ll call you soon, be ready to jump up from bed and go,” I say to her as I turn to leave and hope to God she’s still here when I get back.
24
Hope
“It’s me. There’s a bellboy on his way up to help you with your cases. Follow him, and I’ll see you shortly.” I glance at the clock, it’s only 4am and still dark outside.
“Why can’t you help me with my bags? What’s going on?”
Before I can ask any more questions, he cuts off the call and there’s a knock on my door. When I look through the peephole, there’s a hotel bellhop just as he said there would be.
“Good morning, ma’am.” He gives a polite nod as I answer the door. “Mr. Parker is ready for you now.”
Ready for me? What the hell is this? I’ll give him ‘ready for me.’ Now’s not the time to be playing stupid games.
The young man grabs my cases and starts to roll them into the elevator as I stop him by saying, “Hang on just a minute.” Darting into the bathroom to freshen up, it’s a miracle that I feel good this morning and am not queasy. Then I join him again by the door and follow behind, growing more frustrated by the second because I’m not sure what Sullivan has planned.
“You’ve hit the wrong button,” I snarl at the bellboy who has just hit rooftop, instead of ground floor. Is he kidding me?
“I don’t believe so, ma’am.”
The elevator pings when we reach the top floor, and he rolls my luggage out onto the rooftop.
One step forward almost has me blown backwards by the noisy wind that the helicopter in front of me is creating.
“What the hell?” I yell as Sullivan jumps down from the pilot seat with a devilish grin on his face.
“You said you needed to disappear,” he shouts over the roar of the engine as he steps towards me and places a large pair of square black headphones over my ears.
“This is crazy,” I counter back while he grabs hold of my waist and practically lifts me into the helicopter.
“Actually, this is my norm.” He grabs my cases, lifting them into the back seats and strapping each of them in like they’re a passenger in their own right.
“Ready to disappear?” he asks as he slams the door shut and begins pressing buttons on the control panel in front of us. He’s in his absolute element and looks sexier than ever with his strong hands moving quickly through the motions to get us in the air.
When we do, I instantly feel the weight lifting off my chest. A rush of exhilaration that allows me to breathe mixes with a sense of calm.
The ride is fairly short, and I spend most of it staring out at the stunning array of city lights in the dark morning beneath us. By the time we land just as the sun is rising, pick up some groceries for the day and are on the way to who knows where, the air between us is lit and burning with all the unspoken words we are both holding on to.
I know there’s something on his mind because he’s more reserved than usual. In fact, he’s barely said more than a handful of words since we left France.
As we pull off the main road and into a rainbow, I let out a squeal of excitement. This place is like a dream, and I can’t contain my joy that we are literally driving through a picture postcard.
There is nothing but tulips for miles around in neat lines in every color and then some. The place is magical and like nowhere I’ve ever been before. It’s exactly what I need.
“Did I do good?” Sully tosses me a sheepish grin, so I grab his thigh, shaking it as I gaze out of the window.
“You did great. This place blows my mind. Can we stop the car for a minute?”
“We can do whatever you want. I want you to be happy, Hope. Whatever puts that gorgeous smile on your face is worth it, ten times over.”
As we pull to a stop, I lean over to plant just a quick peck on his lips, and he grabs hold of my cheeks. His kiss consumes me for the next few minutes while I remember how amazing a kisser he is. Whoever taught him how to ki
ss deserves an award. Seriously, this guy can kiss so well that it causes my lips to burn as well as the rest of my body. The kind of kiss that is so satisfying, but at the same time leaves you craving for more. Suffocating, yet liberating. The smile on my face is so wide when he pulls away that I forget for a second all of the reasons why this is a destined disaster.
I urgently push the door open and jump out of the car in need of some fresh air, the same way a drunk person does when leaving a club. I’m giddy and flirty and hopelessly in lust with this beautiful kisser… beautiful man… beautiful boy?
No, definitely man, I decide as he jumps out of the car on the opposite side, and I regard his strong, broad shoulders. His chiseled square jaw that’s covered in thick blonde stubble because he hasn’t been in one place long enough to shave. Sullivan may only be in his twenties, but judging by the effect he has on my body, there’s no denying he’s a full-blown alpha male. At least to me. In fact, when I’m with him I barely think about his age because my focus is distracted by his body that looks like it’s been sculpted and created by all of the Greek gods combined.
Throwing my arms out either side of my body and dropping my head back to face the blue, cloudless sky, I spin around and let the warm sun light up my face.
“Oh my God, look at you.” Sully leans against the car, his foot propped up against the wheel arch and his blues fixed on me when I come to a stop.
“What?” I giggle, averting my gaze to the miles of stunningly colorful tulip carpet spread before us.
“I like you like this, golden girl. You’re alive with that smile, I can see it all over your face, and it makes me…”