by Maya Hughes
“Alex,” Gabe said, knocking on her door. She quickly pushed the papers back into the envelope and threw them into her suitcase, closing it.
“Yeah, Gabe. What did you need?” She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He paused for a second and looked to her suitcase. She slid in front of it and sat on the bed to block the suitcase from view.
“I wanted to see if you needed any help with your bags. I was planning on putting everything in the car tonight, so that we could hit the road bright and early. I still need to return the rental car to the car rental lot before we go.”
“Sure, that would be great! Let me hurry up and get this packed and I can bring it downstairs.”
“You don’t have to bring it down. I can do it,” she said, before turning to begin putting her clothes and toiletries in the case. He continued to stand by the door, so she couldn’t pull the envelope out; instead she put everything on top of the documents, hiding them underneath.
It only took her a few minutes to get everything packed, as it was all out and ready to go. Chatting with him about some of the things that had been planned already, she was excited for their trip and hoped that it would be a great new beginning for them. Putting the papers out of her mind, she zipped up the bag and handed it over to him. He took it from her and headed downstairs. The front door opened and shut and she fell back onto her bed. Hands folded on her stomach, she thought about what this trip could mean for them and hoped that when they came back it would be a new chapter for all of them.
Chapter 21
The trip to Scotland was less eventful than Alex thought it would be. She’d never taken an international vacation with Emma before, but she was a champ. Emma was excited to see the planes take off and land through the floor-to-ceiling windows when they were in the terminal. Everything was arranged when they arrived at the airport. There was an escort to help them with check in and they were fast-tracked through security.
They hung out in the lounge and waited for their flight. He had to take a few calls and excused himself to a meeting area. Emma enjoyed the little play area they had in the lounge and was making friends with other little kids who were playing there. Talk about a different world.
No need to loop your leg around your bag for fear that someone was going to try to walk off with it. She didn’t have to spend hours walking around the terminal trying to find a couple of seats together and, most importantly, the bathrooms were beyond clean. If she could travel like this all the time, there would be no complaints at all.
Alex spied Gabe on the phone through the glass wall of the meeting room. It did not look like it was a good call. She could see the veins in the side of his neck bulging out and he was waving his arms around emphatically. He screamed into the phone before ending the call, running his fingers through his hair, pulling it. It was sticking up at odd angles when he came back to their seats.
Lifting her hand, she hesitated and he shot her a questioning look. She took her hand and ran it down his hair, flattening it out.
“Your hair was all over the place,” she said gently as she finished pushing most of it down.
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” He gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Tough call?”
“You could say that. It’s contractual stuff. Some things I need to work on getting out of and it’s proving trickier than I would have hoped. But no worries, I’m here with my two best girls and that’s all that matters.” He upped the wattage and his smile lit up his whole face.
“What do you think so far?” He glanced around the lounge and spotted Emma hanging upside down off the slide.
“I don’t think Emma will be able to travel any other way after this. It takes a lot of the stress out of flying.”
“It certainly does,” he said, sitting back, resting his hands behind his head, and putting his feet up on the table.
“Have you gotten used to it?”
“For the most part, which sucks. I remember being so excited to play with all the buttons and eat all the food on the plane. Now it’s become a bit run-of-the-mill, but seeing how much fun Emma has with it all will help me remember just how amazing a lot of this stuff is. Emma and you. I hope you enjoy this trip too.”
“I hope I do, too.”
Once on the plane, Emma had fun playing with all the buttons and controls as Gabe had guessed and Alex was beginning to dread the next trip she had to take with Emma in economy. Emma was clearly smitten with the lifestyle her dad could provide for her. A little pang hit her at the thought that she would never be able to provide the things or experiences that he could.
He picked Emma up and put her on his lap. He started playing the tickle monster with her and her laugh filled the practically empty cabin. Alex knew that this was the most important thing Gabe could give Emma: time with her dad. This was what was most important.
The cabin was set up in a two-two-two configuration with big pod seats. He sat with Emma and Alex had a row to herself. She stared out the window during takeoff. Glancing over once they were up in the air, he saw that Emma was already asleep. He reclined her seat flat into a bed, grabbed one of the plush blankets, tucked her in, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. It seemed that the excitement of the early-morning wake-up and trip through the airport was enough to wipe her out even though she seemed like she was going to go for hours.
He crossed the aisle and sat in the empty seat beside her.
“She’s going to have pretty bad jet lag when we get to Scotland.” Alex glanced over at Emma, who had starfished herself in her seat. At least the seats were big enough for her to do that. Yeah, flying with her next time in the back of the plane was really going to suck.
“It’s okay. I’m usually pretty crappy when it comes to adjusting to time zones too. I’ll most likely be up at the same time she wakes up anyway.” He chuckled.
“I am more than happy to give you jet lag duty,” she said, leaning on their shared arm rest.
“I don’t mind at all. I can take her for chilly, foggy early morning Edinburgh walks.”
“Chilly? It’s summer!”
“You haven’t been to Scotland before. The middle of summer and you’ll need a sweater if you’re in the shade. It will be great though. She’ll love it; she won’t feel the cold. I had tons of warm clothes put in the house for the both of you.”
“I don’t know why I didn’t check the weather before we left. I assumed it would be warm in the middle of summer.”
She was completely thrown off her game when it came to him. He clouded her brain like no other man could. She was a planner in practice and how quickly she deferred to him was starting to scare her. Having him take care of things was a nice change from always needing to be in control and handle anything that came their way. She pushed that fear of giving in back and reasoned that he had the experience and that there was nothing wrong with letting someone experienced be your guide.
“Don’t worry, I told you I would take care of everything. And if there is anything else you need, let me know and I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks Gabe,” she said, giving him what she meant to be a small peck on the cheek. But at that moment he turned his head to ask her something and their lips met. Hs eyes went wide and once the initial moment of shock wore off, he closed his eyes. She held her breath and the spark that was always present when he was near her transformed into a fiery slow burn that smoldered in her belly.
Perhaps sensing that she wasn’t opposed to their accidental lip lock, he turned that peck into a deep kiss. She gasped as he took possession of her mouth and began to pepper her mouth with kisses. She opened her mouth and ran her tongue along his bottom lip. He let out a groan and ran his hand along the back of her neck, pulling him closer to her and attempting to devour her mouth.
She broke the kiss and stared at him for a second with her chest heaving and panting. She looked down to his lips before throwing caution to the wind and diving back into his mouth for more. He tasted lik
e peppermint and his own musk. They were both attacking each other’s mouths like they couldn’t get enough. He wrapped his arms around her back and was running his hands along the gap between her shirt and her jeans.
Shuddering, she slid her hand along the side of his face, her hand scraping against the overnight stubble that he hadn’t had time to shave off that morning. It was rubbing against her face, giving her mild beard burn, but she didn’t care. It was worth it for what this kiss was doing to her. She squeezed her thighs together, her core responding to all the attention her mouth was getting.
The two of them were making out like teenagers until a flight attendant cleared her throat as she came by to take their breakfast orders. She knew her cheeks were blazing red as she avoided eye contact with the flight attendant and mumbled something off the menu. He was tamping down a laugh and she punched him on the shoulder before turning to look out of the window.
The flames of embarrassment slowly ebbed away and a mimosa appeared in her line of sight. He held out the glass to her. She took it and hoped it would help quell some of the awkwardness she was feeling. Gabe held out his own glass and proposed a toast.
“To new beginnings.” He tilted his glass toward hers.
“To new beginnings,” she repeated, and clinked her glass to his. She gave him a smile before taking a sip of her drink.
Chapter 22
The all-consuming kiss on the plane kept running through his mind throughout the rest of the flight. There were light brushes of their hands, gentle touches on her cheeks and they both seemed much more comfortable with being close to one another. It was like the plane flipped the switch for them both and Gabe had never been happier that they agreed to come with him. He was going to make this the perfect trip and the start to their family life together.
They had a short layover in JFK where he carried Emma most of the way. His little girl. He would carry her as long as she’d let him. Having her resting her small head perfectly on his shoulder with her little arms wrapped around his neck filled him with a satisfaction and happiness that he didn’t even know was possible. And the looks she was giving him as they walked through the terminal made him think she was also enjoying how Emma looked in his arms. Or maybe she was just happy that she wasn’t carrying around the six-year-old. He knew Emma was milking it, but he was happy to play along.
They got into Edinburgh in the early afternoon, cleared immigration, and grabbed their bags. There was someone there to meet them and help them with those bags and lead them to the car that would take them to the place they were staying. She nearly had a heart attack about five times during the drive because she kept forgetting they drove on the other side of the road. Never more thankful to have someone else handle the driving, she sat back and relaxed.
The car pulled up in front of a small cottage that looked like something out of a storybook. Gabe unbuckled Emma from her booster. He helped Emma out and walked around the back to get the bags. She let herself out of the other side and stood in front of the house taking it all in. The driver got out and unloaded the bags from the back of the car.
A rush of pleasure rushed through him at the look on her face. He’d spent a lot of time looking for the perfect house. His assistant sent over about thirty houses before he found the perfect one. It had beds of wild flowers that lined the front paved-stone walkway. The stone exterior was accented with small stained glass windows on either side of the red front door.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, turning to him over the roof of the car with a smile splitting her face. Emma ran around the back as they began to gather the bags with the driver’s help. “Emma, be careful,” she called out. Emma came running back to the front.
“Mommy, there’s a swing set just like we have a home!” Emma said, jumping up and down. She gave him a knowing look and he shrugged. He’d called ahead to have one installed in the backyard and there was a huge park only a few blocks from the house. He’d pointed it out to them when they’d driven past it.
His filming didn’t start for a few more days, so he had a couple of excursions planned. Tomorrow, they would explore the city. He’d arranged for a kids’ cooking class and the next day they would visit a glass-blowing factory. They’d also planned for some kids’ museum trips and other activities. It was going to be an action-packed day before the hectic shooting schedule began.
He lifted the welcome mat in front of the door and pulled out a key; exactly where his assistant said that it would be. He unlocked the front door and let her into the house. She paused in front of the doorway and took the whole place in. The driver brought the bags up to the front door and he moved them all into the front room. His assistant was having a fit about not being there to help get everyone settled, but he’d insisted they would be fine on their own.
Alex was wandering around the open-plan living room/dining area taking it all in. He hoped that she liked the mixture of old and new in the house. There were dark, thick, exposed wooden beams that ran the length of the living room and contrasted with the white ceiling and lighter wood floors. The comfortable, modern furniture had the blue and green accents that Alex tended to favor.
“Wow,” Alex said, stunned as she let her bag slide from her shoulder and fall onto the couch. “This is really something,” she said in awe.
“I told you I would take care of everything,” he said, coming over to give her a hug. To his relief, she hugged him back. “And there is even a fully stocked kitchen that might have all the ingredients one would need for some pancakes, if they were so inclined,” Gabe whispered into her ear. She laughed and then pinched his side.
“Ouch, what was that for?” He smiled and grabbed the spot where she’d pinched him.
“Already badgering me for pancakes and the jet lag hasn’t even set in yet!”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He held up his hands in surrender. Emma came running in through the sliding glass door that led from the kitchen to the backyard.
“Mommy, Daddy! Come see how high I can swing,” Emma exclaimed before running back outside. She started walking outside when Gabe placed a hand on her arm.
“I’ll go. Why don’t you unpack your things? Have a shower. Take a nap if you want. Your bedroom should be the first one on the right at the top of the stairs. Emma’s room is across from yours, and mine is at the end of the hall.”
“Okay, thanks. A shower sounds like an excellent idea.” A look of relief washed over her face.
“And I can give Emma a bath a little later. I know how grimy I always feel after flying.”
“Tell me about it. Give me a shout if you need me. There’s a shower and bed calling my name upstairs.”
She picked up her bags and headed upstairs. He watched her go before he went outside to Emma, who was running around looking at all the toys he’d had sent over.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Look at all these toys!” she shrieked. It seemed that sleeping on the plane had helped Emma adjust to the time difference a lot better than he expected. He played outside with Emma for almost an hour before Alex came down and told them it was time for lunch. Gabe sighed with relief before promptly collapsing onto the couch in the living room. He hadn’t realized he’d nodded off until she tapped him on the shoulder with a plate filled with a sandwich, chips, and a nice cold beer.
“Oh, sorry.” He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and rubbed his hand down his face. “I didn’t mean to nod off.”
“No problem,” she said with a smile, and held out the plate and beer to him.
“I can’t say this isn’t a great way to be woken up though,” he said, pulling her down onto his lap. She let out a laugh and turned so she didn’t spill the plate or the beer.
“Emma passed out at the table after lunch. Literally, whacked her head off the table and didn’t even move. I took her upstairs a little while ago.”
Alex turned toward the coffee table. Leaning forward, she put the plate and beer down. When she leaned forward her shirt hitched up and he
r back was showing. He couldn’t resist and he ran his hand under her shirt and up her back, rubbing his fingers along her bra strap. She leaned back into Gabe and ran her fingers through his hair.
A shiver went down his spine and he felt a little lighter in that moment. They hadn’t discussed the kiss, but he was glad that things hadn’t gone back to awkward between them. She leaned into him and ran her fingers from his hair and trailed them along his cheek.
“I wanted to say thank you for everything you did to get us over here. The flight, the house, the swing set! It’s all more than I could have wanted and it made Emma’s summer for sure.”
“Only Emma?” he asked, reaching out he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It sprang right back out and he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.
“Not just Emma. And about the kiss —”
He brought her to him by the nape of her neck before she could get the rest of her thought out. He wasn’t going to allow second-guessing, not after how far things had come. His hands found the bottom of her shirt and he ran them up her bare back. The goosebumps on her skin let him know that she was just as affected by him as he was by her.
Her hands were on his chest and he worried that she was going to try to push him away. Instead, she wound her fingers into his shirt and pulled him even closer. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she began to pepper his neck with kisses with her lush, warm lips. Feeling his shaft coming to attention, he shifted her on his lap so that her legs were straddling his.
She ran her fingers through his hair and her nails along his scalp, which drew a groan from him as he dove back onto her mouth. Taking her minty aftertaste and plump lips in his, he ran his hands down from her back to cup her lush ass. He pulled her higher, so that her jean-covered core was rocking against shaft.
“Gabe,” she moaned and that was all the encouragement that he needed. He made short work of her shirt, pulling it over her head, which flipped her hair into her face. She smiled up at him as she pushed it back and bit her lip. He leaned forward and squeezed her breasts through her bra. Alex arched her back and encouraged his attention before reaching back to unhook her bra. He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down and she lifted her hips to help him. He peeled them down her legs, off her body and tossed them onto the floor. She leaned up and helped him work his way out of his jeans and boxers, stealing kisses along the way.