Burn for You

by Jillian Leeson

  I pick up the plastic cup and take a sip of orange juice, folding my legs up against the back of the seat in front of me. My nostrils pick up the stench of stale sweat from the gangly teenager in the seat across the aisle mingled with the reek from an opened restroom door a few rows behind us.

  “You sure about that?”

  The low rumble of his voice directs my gaze to the seat beside me: Ryder, as gorgeous as ever with his eyebrows raised and a twinkle playing in his piercing dark eyes. He looks out of place with his tall, broad-shouldered frame squashed between the armrests of the narrow seat. Wearing a black T-shirt stretched across taut muscle, he flashes his devastating grin. I can’t help but stare at his full lips, wishing they’re on mine, devouring me, claiming me. The thought alone sends heat rushing through my veins.

  We are on our way back to New York on the first available flight, after Ying gave us the go-ahead to leave Hong Kong. At such short notice, all first- and business-class seats were occupied due to some high-profile celebrity wedding. So here I am, getting the coach-class experience I wished for earlier, but that I am now starting to regret.

  I lean my head on Ryder’s shoulder, breathing in his unique masculine scent as I’m trying to ignore the dull pain from the armrest digging in my side. A baby starts crying two rows in front of us, and the passenger in the seat behind me kicks me in the back.

  I try to suppress a groan, but my face must be conveying how I really feel, for Ryder breaks out in a self-satisfied grin. “You see? This is what happens when you get your way.”

  “So what? You seem to like it.” Narrowing my eyes, I take his wrist and draw his hand toward me. I stop an inch from my mouth, smile, and let his finger glide into my mouth. My tongue swirls around it, giving it a little suck, until Ryder withdraws it.

  “Elle. Stop.” His voice breaking a little, he places his warm hand on my knee and slowly slides it up my thigh. But just before it reaches where I want it most, it abruptly stops and pulls away.

  “Beef or chicken, Ma’am?” The dour flight attendant pours water in a cup and doesn’t look up when asking the question she has been repeating at least thirty times in the past half hour.

  “Chicken, please.”

  She turns to Ryder, but he shakes his head. “Not for me, thanks. I’ll have a mineral water.”

  Shooting him a sickly-sweet smile, the flight attendant sets down his cup before she lowers my table and plunks my sectioned tray on it. I want to scowl at her, but Ryder raises his plastic cup and taps it to mine. “To happy endings.”

  “I’ll drink to that.”

  A sip of weak red wine later, I turn my attention to my tray and with a tinge of excitement, lift the foil to reveal my main course. It smells decent enough, but when I take a bite, the chicken tastes dry and rubbery, even though it is covered in a thick, gray-brown gravy. Giving up after a second bite, I explore the other options on the tray: a few lettuce leaves and a quarter tomato posing as a salad, plastic-wrapped crackers, a bread roll that is impossible to break, and a square piece of bright pink cake that looks and tastes so artificial, it could have been made of plastic.

  I poke my fork around the soggy green beans that accompany the chicken as I think back to the delicious multi-course meal I enjoyed in first class. What a world of difference between the have and have-nots, even within the small confines of a plane.

  I push the tray an inch away from me until it hits the seat up front, and swivel towards Ryder who is staring ahead of him.

  “Hey. Are you all right?” I rub his forearm. “What’s bothering you? And don’t tell me it’s nothing. We agreed, right?”

  Sighing, he rubs the back of his neck. “I can’t help thinking that all I’ve worked for—it could be gone, just like that. I don’t really care about losing money, but I’m worried about the projects I’m giving support to.”

  “Hey.” My fingers thread through his thick, soft hair. “I don’t want to see you like this. Do what you have to do to save your business and don’t worry about anything else.”

  “But those homeless families—” Lowering his gaze, he shakes his head.

  “We’ll come up with a solution. I’m sure I can get some of my media contacts to get publicity for the project. We’ll get the money together somehow. It doesn’t necessarily have to come from you.”

  Ryder looks up in thought. “You know what? You’re right.” He snaps his gaze back to me, his eyes bright. “I shouldn’t stress about it. Because it affects you, too. And that’s what I want to avoid at all costs.”

  In one smooth motion, he gets to his feet, opens the overhead locker, and retrieves his laptop from his bag.

  “Oh no.” I pout my lips like a little girl who doesn’t get her way. “Do you really have to work?”

  Grinning, he brushes his thumb across my lower lip. “Don’t worry. It will only take me a minute, I swear. You just gave me a brilliant idea.”

  His laptop on his knee, he opens up his email. I watch him go through his inbox rapidly, scanning through the subject lines of the hundreds of messages he has neglected over the past week or so. He clicks on an email marked “Urgent”.

  “It’s from Cecil,” he says. “He’s sent me the contract for the resort. Once I sign, he’ll transfer the funds to me.”

  “And your company will be saved.” I beam from ear to ear. “That’s great to hear. I’m happy for you.” Flinging my arm around him, I plant a kiss on his scratchy cheek. In reply, he flashes a lop-sided smile. “Come on, beautiful, let me write back to him.”

  The screen turned away from me, Ryder starts typing his reply. When he finishes writing the email, he swivels the laptop back for me to read it.

  Dear Cecil,

  Many thanks for emailing the agreement. I will go through it in detail and get back to you.

  I would like to inform you that I have decided not to accept your generous investment in my business. Instead, I’d like you to allocate the funds to a project in New York City that will provide permanent accommodation to homeless families. I’ll send you the details when I’m back in the office.

  Will speak to you soon.

  Regards

  Ryder De Luca

  As soon as I finish reading it, he presses “Send”.

  My mouth hangs open in shock, and with my voice stuck in my throat, it takes me a few seconds to recover. “W—what are you doing? That money will save your company. I told you already, I’ll get the money for the homeless project together. You don’t have to do this.”

  “I know. But I want to. I want to make sure it goes ahead. Those homeless kids deserve to live off the streets.” His tone is steady, unwavering.

  “But what about your business? You said it yourself—if you don’t get this cash injection, you’re ruined.” I take his hand in mine and squeeze it.

  Oddly, he doesn’t look perturbed. “True. We’ve already lost a few clients, and more are bound to follow once they find out about our IT issues. Even if I get the system up and running again, the majority of clients will walk, taking their capital with them. Our funds will become too small for us to trade in volume, and their performance will slump. And that marks the beginning of the end.”

  “Excuse me.” A stern-faced flight attendant leans over and whisks away my half-eaten tray, slamming it into her trolley. Thankful for the extra leg space, I raise my tray table, but my relief is short-lived, for the person in front of me reclines his seat.

  Rolling my eyes, I kick off my shoes and stretch my legs across Ryder’s lap. “Why don’t you just take Cecil’s money? Use it to get your system going. At least then you’ll be back in business.”

  Absentmindedly, he strokes my leg. “I’ve been thinking. I don’t know if I want to go back to the way it was.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Those clients—I know that without them I wouldn’t have been able to grow the firm to where it is now. But they’re more trouble than they’re worth. Look at what’s happening now. A setback like th
is makes them all jumpy, even though I’ve made them a lot of money. I’ve never even lost a cent for them.”

  I draw my brow into a frown. “But you’ll lose everything you worked so hard for.”

  “Yeah, but this just goes to show that at the end of the day, my clients are in control of my business, not me. And I don’t want to go through a situation like this again.” He shakes his head. “Even if that means losing everything.”

  I meet his gaze and tell him what comes straight from my heart: “You won’t lose me.”

  The corners of his mouth curl up in a smile. “That’s all I needed to hear. Because you’re the one and only thing in this life I don’t want to lose.”

  His finger traces along my jaw and back along my throat. His gaze follows, full of wonder and something that almost looks like worship. I smile back, relishing this intimate moment between us. “Well, I’m not going anywhere, if you like it or not.”

  “In that case, I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to this.” He waves around the cabin. “We won’t be flying first class any time soon.”

  I scowl at him. “Do you really think I care?”

  “I sure hope not. Because there’s something I want to ask.”

  Ryder takes my hands in his, and when I gaze deep into his eyes, I see a side of him he hardly ever reveals: raw vulnerability.

  “What is it?”

  His hands tense around mine. “When we get back, there will be a lot of changes. To save my business, I’ll have to take some drastic measures—sell my cars, the country estate, even the city penthouse. I’ll have to find a much smaller, affordable apartment to live in.”

  He briefly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

  “And when I do, will you move in with me?”

  Ryder

  I don’t know how I expected Elle to react, but this certainly isn’t it.

  Sliding her hands out of from mine, she swivels away and averts her gaze to the window. I draw in a deep breath, my heart filling with regret. I shouldn’t have asked her; it’s too early. She needs time to process everything that has happened. I should have waited until we are back home, where I could come up with ways of persuasion that she won’t be able to refuse.

  And now I’ve blown my chance.

  Elle lifts her hand, touching the eyebrow where her piercing used to be—a clear signal she feels nervous. Nervous because she wants to say no and is afraid to tell me so? I wish she’d just say it instead of keeping me in suspense like this.

  After a few silent minutes, she spins back to me, her big, beautiful eyes resolute—she has made her decision.

  “Ryder, you know what? I’ll do you one better than that.”

  Confused, I rub my chin. Does that mean no? The mysterious smile playing around her lips doesn’t bode well.

  “Better? What do you mean?”

  She sits up, locking her determined gaze with mine.

  “I’ll marry you.” Her eyelashes touch her cheeks in a slow blink. “If you’ll have me.”

  A torpedo hits me square in the chest, bursting with emotions that flare throughout my body, touching every nerve, every cell. Did I hear her correctly? For a few long seconds I am speechless. Those are the very last words I expected to come out of her mouth—ever.

  She mustn’t have expected my stunned expression, for she drops her gaze, her earlier confidence shattered. “Forget about it,” she mumbles.

  I slip my finger under her chin and lift her face, unable to suppress a small smile.

  “So, you’re proposing, huh?”

  Still staring down, she furiously shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

  I place my finger on her lips. “Shhh. Let me savor this moment.”

  She looks up at me, confused, and I study her face, wanting to commit every detail to memory—her gorgeous eyes that can be both fiery and tender; her sweet, sultry lips that I long to kiss again and again; her smooth, flawless skin that pinks when I tell her what I want to do to her. I can stare at her all day and never get my fill. She’s my habit, my addiction—one that I can’t live without. It’s time for me to ensure that I never will.

  And I am about to do just that, when the plane drops under us, almost spilling my cup of water if I hadn’t caught it in time. Passengers behind us let out a scream, and as babies start to wail, an announcement is made over the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you.”

  Her eyes widened in fear, Elle grabs onto my shirt and buries her face in my chest. Remembering this is only the second flight of her life, I help her fasten her seatbelt. “Don’t worry, beautiful, it’s just pockets of air. We’re not going to crash.”

  Nevertheless, she clenches my arm hard and gazes up at me. “Promise?”

  “I promise.” I curve my arm around her shoulders and briefly kiss her on her cheek. “I won’t ever let anything happen to you again.”

  She shakes her head. “I should be the one to say that. It’s because of me that this happened to you. I should have—”

  “No, don’t say that.” I squeeze her against me. “It’s in the past. What we have to decide on is if we’re happy with what we have now and what we want to have in the future. Speaking of which—your question.”

  I withdraw my arm from her shoulder, and panic flashes in her eyes. All I want is to console her, but I try to keep a straight face.

  “You know how I felt when you asked me?”

  She shrugs.

  “Shocked.”

  Her eyes widen and fill with anxiety. “You were?”

  “Yeah, and you know why? Because I never, ever expected it from you. You’re always so tough, strong, independent. That’s why I know how hard it was for you to propose to me. And I want you to know I appreciate it. Very much.”

  “Appreciate it? That’s it?” She swallows hard, probably trying to hold back tears.

  “Yeah, I’m grateful. Grateful to have this chance with you. Ever since I was locked up in that room, I’ve been thinking what I really wanted out of life. You know what it is?”

  She slowly shakes her head, her hands firmly gripping the armrests. With an overwhelming need to console her, I stroke her silky cheek.

  “All I really want is to share everything with you. To go to bed with you at night. To wake up with you lying next to me every morning.” I tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “I want to be with you, Elle. I want us to be together. I don’t want to miss a second of your life, ever again.”

  “Yeah, but—but you don’t want us to—” Her downcast eyes make my chest restrict. I need to put her out of her misery, right now. Slowly, I tilt up her chin with my finger.

  “I do.”

  She arches a brow, and I incline my head. “I do want to marry you.” My gaze lifts. “But—only on one condition.”

  “Oh-kay?” Confusion clouds her eyes, but before I am able to clear them, a loud “ping” resounds. We are allowed to undo our seat belts again—the turbulence is over. Leaning over, I undo Elle’s seatbelt first, then my own. I meet her gaze and hold it while my hand delves into my pocket. Her brow furrows when her gaze falls on my fisted hand.

  “I’ll marry you, only if—” I unfurl my fingers to reveal a black velvet box in my palm. Elle’s eyes widen, and I pop open its lid.

  “—you agree to accept this ring.”

  Taking her hand in mine, I slide the band around her finger—a simple platinum ring studded with a single diamond I bought in Hong Kong on a whim. I’d planned to keep it for a day in the far future when I’d finally dare to pop the question. But even though I never envisaged giving it to her this way, watching her stare at it open-mouthed makes me feel as high as we are right now.

  Elle obviously feels the same way, for she suddenly leaps from her seat with her hand stretched up. “Hell, yeah! I’m getting married!
”

  Spontaneous applause bursts out around us as she spins around, beaming. She looks so cute, I can’t help but chuckle. Her gaze falls on me, and she flings her arms around my neck, crushing herself against my chest. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” I pull her onto my lap and gaze into her eyes, dying to know what is going through her mind.

  “Tell me, what made you propose? I didn’t think you’d even want to move in with me.” God knows how many times I’ve asked—she’s always put me off with some excuse.

  I stroke her long, silky hair, and she sighs. “I’ve always doubted if I belonged in your world, if I could be part of it.” Her gaze drops. “We’re just so different. I wanted it—wanted us—so much, but I couldn’t see how we could ever work out our differences.”

  I open my mouth to protest, but she silences me by placing her finger on my lips.

  “I’ve always wondered, what the hell do you see in me? It just didn’t make any sense. By not moving in with you, I’ve managed to keep my distance, so I wouldn’t have to open myself up and become vulnerable. I didn’t want to get hurt.”

  Shaking my head, I take her face into my hands. “I’d never, ever want to hurt you.”

  “I know that. But in my heart, I was still afraid you would. I’ve had too many bad experiences with men in the past—trust doesn’t come easy to me. I’d already laid myself bare to you more than I ever have, but I wasn’t willing to hand you the rest.” She places her hand over her heart.

  “What made you change your mind?”

  “When you were taken, I felt completely empty inside; I was just a walking shell, lost and alone. I didn’t think life was worth living any longer. Only when you were back I realized that it’s you who gives meaning to my life.” Her voice breaks, and I stroke her cheek with my thumb.

  “That whole situation with Meifen made me see I’d been fooling myself all along. My heart—my whole heart—has always belonged to you. I know there will never be anyone else for me. And I don’t ever want to lose you ever again.”