by Krista Lakes
He was real.
“I was wondering when you'd wake up,” Jace continued, setting his phone on the nightstand.
“What time is it?” she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She nearly forgot she was naked under the sheet as she moved, but realizing that she was only made her smile. Memories of the night before and just how she had become naked made her core heat.
“Just after seven,” Jace answered. “Would you like some breakfast? I hear they have excellent room service here.”
“Room service?” Ella blanched. If any of the staff saw her in here, there would be hell to pay. Guests were strictly off limits. Delores had made it very clear how she felt about Ella even looking at guests, let alone sleeping with one. Ella didn't even want to think of what Delores would do to her if she found out Ella was sleeping with the billionaire Delores wanted for Allison. “No.”
Jace raised an eyebrow. “No? Then what are we going to eat?”
Ella chewed on her lip. Last night she hadn't thought about this morning. She hadn't thought about what she was going to wear back to her room or what they were going to eat. “Um, I think I have a granola bar stashed in the cleaning cart around the corner...”
“It's a good thing I have options, then.” Jace laughed and kissed her cheek. He picked up his phone and typed in a quick message before setting it back on the nightstand.
“What do you mean, 'options?'” Ella frowned. Her brain was still trying to process how she was going to get out of his room to change without have the staff seeing her. They wouldn't mean to get her in trouble, but Delores had eyes everywhere.
A knock on the door made her gasp. With no where else to go, she simply pulled the sheets up over her head and hid like a child. Maybe whoever was at the door wouldn't ask too many questions and wouldn't expose her.
“Thank you, Christopher,” Jace said. There wasn't a Christopher on staff that Ella knew, and curiosity made her peep out from under the sheet. Jace stood at the door wearing a pair of cotton pajama pants and looking completely at ease. A young man she didn't recognize wearing dress slacks and a dress shirt was handing Jace two large paper bags.
“Your flight plan was cleared and you're clear for takeoff whenever you're ready, Mr. Connor,” the young man replied.
“Excellent. I'll let you know if I need anything else.” Jace closed the door and turned back to face her. He tipped his hair and smiled. “You can come out now.”
Slowly, Ella lowered the sheet. It was difficult not to stare at the man before her. Bare, muscular chest with those thin cotton pants that hid nothing- he was gorgeous to look at.
“Who was that?” she asked, settling the sheet back away from her face.
“One of my assistants,” Jace replied. “He brought us breakfast as well as a change of clothes for you. Unless you want to wear your dress all day. It did look really good.”
“No, thank you,” Ella said, shaking her head at the idea of wearing the dress. “How did you know what size clothes to get me?”
“I peeked at the gown,” Jace answered with just a hint of a blush. “And you seem to be about the same size as Madelyn. You did both fit in that wedding dress.”
“Oh.” Ella blushed, remembering him walking in on her wearing the dress. It was strange to think that was less than two days ago.
Jace handed her one of the brown bags and she opened it on her lap. Inside was a cute polka-dot summer dress. Ella loved it immediately. She fingered the fabric, noting how soft it was. She held it up and noticed that it was wonderfully opaque. It was hard to find a dress like this that wasn't ridiculously see through as well.
There was more than just a dress in the bag. A lacy bra with matching panties, as well as a sensible but stylish pair of flats were also in the bag.
“You didn't have to do this,” she said, mentally calculating that the bra alone was worth a week's salary for her.
“Do you like them?” he asked, putting the second bag on the nightstand and pulling things out of it. “The shoes are a bit simple, but they were all Christopher could find this morning.”
“Yes. They're better than glass slippers,” she murmured. “This lingerie is nicer than anything I own. It's too much.”
“Not at all. They're yours now. I can't take them back and they'd look funny on me,” he replied, not letting her give them back. He grinned and held up a cup. “Coffee or tea? Cream or sugar?”
“Coffee, cream and sugar, please,” she replied, still holding the beautiful clothing. She couldn't remember the last time someone had given her something without expecting anything in return.
He focused his attention back on the cup of coffee, devoting his energy into making her the perfect cup. It was charming. When he finished, he handed her a perfect cup as well as a breakfast egg sandwich on thick white bread.
“I hope egg and bacon is okay,” he said, sitting back on the bed with her, his own breakfast on his lap. “I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I just had Christopher get his favorites. If you want something else, I can get it for you.”
“No, this is perfect,” Ella assured him. Her mouth watered as she picked up the sandwich. It had been a very long time since anyone had gotten her a hot breakfast, let alone one in bed.
It was hard not to devour the entire sandwich in one bite. It was delicious. The egg was perfectly poached and the bacon crisp and crunchy. The thick bread was toasted on the edges but chewy and moist on the inside. She'd never had a better sandwich in her life.
“So, I don't mean to pry, but I couldn't help but overhear your assistant say your flight plan was approved for today,” Ella said once she'd nearly finished her sandwich. She hated the way her stomach twisted slightly at the thought of him leaving. It was her first day off in forever, and she had been hoping to spend it with him. But if he had a flight...
“Do you like helicopters?” Jace asked, popping the last of his own sandwich in his mouth and apparently not answering her question.
“Um, yes?” Ella shrugged. “I've never been on one. They look fun, though.”
“Would you like to go on one today?” Jace grinned, his eyes getting a mischievous sparkle.
“With you? Yes.” Ella smiled, the twist in her stomach quickly coming undone. “I was kind of hoping to spend the day with you.”
“Good,” Jace replied. He kissed her cheek. “Because I was kind of hoping to spend the day with you, too.” He stood up and stretched, his muscles moving in the morning sunlight and making Ella's thoughts turn away from sandwiches and coffee.
“You sure we need to go on a helicopter?” Ella whispered, watching his body move. Suddenly just staying in the bed seemed like a very, very good idea. “We could just stay here.”
Jace turned, his smile completely absorbing her. Her knees trembled and she was glad she wasn't standing because she would have melted. “Yes. But it can wait.”
With that, he jumped on the bed and kissed her. She giggled and pulled down the sheet, letting him know that he should take her idea to stay in bed very seriously.
***
Wearing her new dress, complete with underwear, bra and shoes, Ella had never felt more spoiled in her life. Her stomach was full, her heart was happy, and she was walking across the tarmac to a bright blue helicopter bearing the Connor emblem.
Jace held her hand as the entered the helicopter. Ella had seen pictures of helicopters, but they were always of commercial or military styles. This was a luxury helicopter. Where other helicopters had simple black utilitarian seats, this one had leather. The pilot sat up front in his own cockpit area while the cabin area looked more like a luxury jet. The thing was so lavish it had wood floors and the leather chairs were so soft that Ella was tempted to rub her cheek against one.
“Are you sure this is a helicopter?” Ella asked as they stepped inside. She looked around. Some of the rooms at the inn weren't even this nice. This was no ordinary helicopter.
Jace laughed. “If you put on the headphones, you'll be able to he
ar the pilot.”
Ella grinned and sat down in one of the chairs by a window, pulling a pair of headphones over her head. She could hear a male voice calling out words to someone sounding very official. Jace laughed at her childlike enthusiasm, putting a headphone set over his head as well. He then showed her how to fasten the five-point harness that would strap them in. Ella tried not to think about why they would need such a big seat belt.
“You ready? We're about to take off,” Jace informed her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. Ella nodded, a terrified grin about ready to split her face in two. Suddenly, the idea of flying in something that looked like a fancy car didn't seem like such a good idea.
The helicopter blades started to whir. For a moment, she wasn't sure how the physics of the blades beating the air would lift such a massive piece of machinery into the air, yet upwards they floated. Ella giggled as the ground slowly fell away. The whole thing was far smoother than she had imagined it would be.
This isn't so different than being in a car, she thought to herself, looking out the window. The bushes and trees slowly melted into something the size of toys, making her dizzy.
Jace held her hand as the helicopter rose up over the inn and sped across the lake. The blue water sparkled in the sun and suddenly became far smaller than Ella remembered. She'd lived next to the water for her whole life, but now, for the first time, she could see the entire thing. It was smaller than she expected, but far bluer.
“How fast are we going?” Ella asked, watching the ground below zip away at incredible speed. It made her stomach flip to think about it, so she turned away from the window. Without the ground to give her perspective, she could pretend it was just a car ride and that they weren't floating hundreds of feet in the air.
“About one-hundred-fifty miles per hour,” Jace replied casually. He leaned back in his leather seat, looking incredibly comfortable. “We can get up to one-hundred-sixty-seven. I have another that can go faster.”
“Another? Faster?” Ella shook her head. The idea of going faster was kind of scary. That's what planes were for. “Considering my car barely does fifty, three times that is pretty impressive.”
“Impressive?” Jace grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. “Then I better take you in my jet next time. It can make the flight from New York to LA in less than four hours.”
“Now you're just showing off,” Ella replied, grinning at him. “Next you'll tell me your car can do two hundred miles per hour.”
“Two hundred and twenty four the last time I tried.” Jace flashed her a self-satisfied smirk.
“Well, at least I'm glad you're not as fast in other things.” She wiggled her eyebrows to imply just exactly what those other things were.
“That's about self control, not speed,” he murmured, leaning forward so his breath tickled her cheek. Pleasurable shivers ran up and down her spine. She wondered for a moment if the pilot could see them back here. Probably not, as billionaires seemed to like their privacy.
A gust of wind rocked the helicopter. Her hand tightened around Jace's and she suddenly wasn't thinking of his self control anymore. The gust wasn't very strong, but it reminded Ella that their feet weren't firmly planted on the ground. Despite the luxurious interior, they were still flying.
“Does it do that a lot?” she whispered. Ella prided herself on her ability to stay calm in any situation, but the idea of falling thousands of feet to her death had her uneasy.
The helicopter lurched again.
Jace squeezed her hand. He radiated calm, which Ella appreciated. “It's just a crosswind coming up from the lake,” he assured her. “I've been through thunderstorms in this thing. This is perfectly safe.”
“Sure,” she agreed, but her heart wasn't in it. Ella decided that she wasn't a huge fan of helicopters. “How much further?”
“We're almost there,” Jace told her. He then clicked on his headset and said something to the pilot before turning back to her. “Don't worry, I have the pilot going straight there.”
“Thank you.” Ella nodded weakly as the helicopter banked left. She was ready to get off this contraption that felt like it might fall to the ground at any moment. Helicopter rides were not quite what she had expected. “Thunderstorms, huh?”
“Big ones. I'm pretty sure we went upside down at one point.”
Ella narrowed her eyes. “Now you're just making crap up. You've never gone upside down in this.”
“Says who?” Jace grinned at her. He was doing a great job of distracting her from the helicopter.
The helicopter shifted slightly and the tone of the engines changed. It reminded Ella of the sound her car made right before the engine stalled out. Her heart thudded so hard it hurt her stomach and closed her eyes, trying not to imagine the helicopter plummeting from the sky.
“How often do helicopters break down?” Ella asked, focusing on her breathing. The last thing she wanted to do was look weak in front of Jace. She did her best to smile, but she knew her lips were pinching too tight and her eyes were too big to make it convincing.
“Never.” He squeezed her hand a little tighter. “I'll never let you fall.”
“Okay.” Some of the tension left her stomach. Her smile became just a little more genuine.
He glanced out the window. “There'll be a slight bump as we land. Nothing to worry about.”
Ella nodded and gritted her teeth, ready for a landing that would rattle her bones. Instead, it was actually incredibly gentle, which was better than the crash Ella had been afraid of. Ella let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It was going to take some getting used to flying in a helicopter.
Getting used to...
Would she even have the opportunity to get used to this? To Jace? Or was this just a weekend fling for the both of them? Ella wanted to believe it was more. They had so much chemistry, both in and out of the bedroom, that she wanted it to be more. Yet, he was a billionaire and she was just a maid at a struggling inn.
She pushed away the thought. They could have that discussion later. For right now, she wanted to enjoy her day off with the handsome man who claimed to fly upside down in helicopters, not worry about what was going to happen tomorrow. Tomorrow would come whether she wanted it to or not, but she could focus on enjoying every minute now.
Jace hopped out of the helicopter first, offering her his hand. She loved how her hand fit so safely inside of his, like it was meant to fit there. He would never let her fall, even if they went upside down in a helicopter.
Chapter Twenty
Ella blinked at the bright sunshine as she stepped out of the helicopter and onto solid land. Despite the beauty of the helicopter's interior, she was glad to be out of it. The blades were slowing as they exited, but she still felt the need to duck as they moved away.
The country was lush and green, and Ella could see plants growing in rows upon rows. “Where are we?” Ella asked, looking around.
Jace didn't answer. Instead, a smiling woman in jeans and a cowboy hat greeted them over the roar of the dying helicopter blades. “Welcome to Jacobson Vineyards and Winery. We're so glad you're here, Mr. Connor.”
Jace shook her hand. “We're glad to be here.”
“Excellent,” the woman replied, broadening her smile. “If you're ready, we can begin the tour.”
Jace took Ella's hand in his as they followed the woman toward rows of green plants. Ella loved how natural it felt to have his hand in hers. Her heart fluttered with pure joy. It was a simple happiness. One that felt like it could endure forever, not just the length of the walk.
“Here's where we grow our Cabernet grapes. Unfortunately, it's still too early in the season to eat any of them, but you can see them just starting to grow.” The tour guide motioned to the rows of plants growing in neat rows on trellises behind her. Ella hadn't even been paying attention to whatever the woman had been saying, so she just nodded.
“When will they be ready to eat?” Jace asked. Apparently he was paying more att
ention than she was.
“Not for a few more months,” the woman explained. She smiled. “That's basically it for this part of the tour. Feel free to walk around and take in the sights. At the end of each row is a marker displaying the type of grape and the wine it will make. Whenever you two are finished out here, just head on over to the main house and we'll start the wine tasting portion of the tour.”
“That sounds great,” Jace replied. “Thank you.”
Ella murmured a 'thank you' as well and the woman turned and headed away toward a large building several rows of grapes over. The stillness hung over the two of them like a warm blanket. Insects hummed, but they were distant and unobtrusive. Everywhere Ella looked was blue and green. Just like Jace's eyes.
“So, what do you think?” Jace asked. He raised his eyebrows and his hand tightened around hers. If he wasn't a billionaire CEO, Ella might have thought he was nervous. “Do you like it?”
“I love it,” Ella assured him. “I've sent hundreds of guests here for tours, but I've only been here once for a wedding. And it was nothing like this. There were a lot more people.”
“We have the whole place to ourselves,” Jace replied. “I rented it out just for us.”
“Then I have definitely never been here when it's like this.” Ella laughed. “No wonder it's so quiet. It's perfect.”
“Good.” Jace's smile solidified. “I wanted you to have a great day off. It sounds like you don't get many.”
“The company is really what's making it good so far,” Ella replied. She squeezed his hand again.
“Luckily for you, I planned to keep you company all day,” Jace said, squeezing her hand back. “Want to walk around? Since you've been here, you can show me around.”
Ella laughed. “I was sixteen and it was my cousin's wedding. I think I spent the whole time trying to convince my stepmother I wasn't going to drink anything.”
“Are you telling me you didn't want to drink anything?” Jace asked, leading them into the vines. Everything was peaceful and calm, like time was standing still while they wandered and talked.