Learning To Fly (Fated Love Book 1)

by Lauren Firminger

  “Guys, you are freaking me out right now. What?”

  “I think you are going to put Morgan out of a job!” I watched Morgan reach over and slap the back of Daniel’s head.

  “We heard you singing, darlin’. What Daniel was saying was it was real good. You have some serious talent.” Daniel nodded, and I felt my cheeks go red.

  “Yep, gonna be careful when doing that again. Are we ready?” I said. They all nodded. Lucas came to get my bag from me and handed me a phone.

  “All your numbers and our numbers and stuff you'll need are on this. We got rid of your old phone. Just in case.”

  I nodded and slid the phone into my back pocket as Morgan took my hand. Leaning into him, we made our way from the room and down the hall to the elevator. “We were serious before, darlin’.” I shivered as he whispered in my ear but relaxed when he let my hand go and wrapped his arm around me. Laying my head on the space between his chest and shoulder, I nodded.

  “I will keep that in mind babe.”

  He kissed my temple as we leaned back against the wall of the elevator, and I closed my eyes again. When we reached the bottom floor, Daniel stepped out while Lucas hung back and waited for us to pass. Daniel led the way with Morgan and me between them. We checked out of the room and moved to meet the car they had organised for us. We got to the airport and checked in. Once we got through security, the boys disappeared again, and Morgan and I went to get some breakfast before our flight. I was beginning to feel like I hadn’t eaten in so long. Then I tried to remember the last time I did eat, and it wasn’t good. I wasn’t about to let that secret out but I suspected Morgan already knew that.

  Stopping at the café, I let go of Morgan’s hand and moved along the case to see what they had in the way of food. I looked over at Morgan and saw him watching me. I couldn’t help but grin when he winked at me before I went back to looking. I was standing toward the end of the case when I heard two girls behind the counter talking about the hot piece of ass waiting to order. I snorted and shook my head when they both said they were going to try to get his number. I was gonna have fun watching this.

  Watching as the brunette-haired girl walked over to the counter and flipped her hair back, I waited to see what she would do. Morgan looked very bored as she giggled and tried to flirt with him. I watched her walk away and bit back a laugh. When Morgan turned and gave me a look, I laughed again. When bimbo number two came to the counter to try her luck, I shook my head and moved over to save him. Placing my hand on his back, I stepped in front of him and kissed him hard before turning to look at the bimbo. “We’ll take two of the focaccia’s as well, thanks.” I gave her a smirk as she huffed and stalked off. I turned to kiss him again.

  “You are so evil.”

  “I know, baby, but you’ll learn to love it.” I pulled back, and taking his hand, we moved to sit down at a table. Looking down at our hands, I absentmindedly rubbed my thumb along his hand.

  “Maddie?”

  “Hmm?” I looked up at him.

  “Not to ruin the moment, but why Tasmania?”

  I shrugged my shoulder. “There are a lot of things about my past Josh doesn’t know. I guess a large part of me never trusted him. The place where we are going to stay belongs to my uncle. I can hide out there. That should buy me some time to put something else in place.” We sat back as the waiter put our food and coffee down. Taking some sugar from the holder, I put two in my coffee and stirred it. “Even if Josh does know where I end up, he will never know where to start looking. Once Daniel and Lucas get word, we will be gone before he gets there.” Picking up a knife, I cut my focaccia in half and picked up one half. Taking a bite, I watched Morgan for a few minutes. He seemed to be thinking.

  “Morgan? What’s on your mind?”

  He sighed and looked out the window at all the people who were passing by the café. “I’m sorry I made such a mess of this. If I had just left you alone, then he wouldn’t be after you. You might have been left alone.”

  Wiping my hands on a napkin, I took his hand. “I’m not sorry. I’m glad you came up to me, and I’m glad I went back with you that night. I wouldn’t do anything over again with the exception of leaving you, but that gave Jasmine a chance to get away so I can’t even regret that. I have no idea where this is gonna go Morgan, but I am so glad you came into my life that night. So suck it up, and let’s just enjoy this, okay?” After a few minutes, Morgan nodded, and I took a sip of my coffee.

  I wasn’t going to say this out loud but would Josh have really left me alone if I had never met Morgan? I knew I wasn’t going back to the home, so it was only a matter of time until he did come and find me and try and take me back to the shadows I had been living in. I never went out any more and my friends had been reduced to a single handful of people who had stuck by me. Leaving that town behind me was the best thing that had ever happened. If nothing else, I was taking a big step toward doing what I really wanted to do by going to America and making some connections. All thanks to Morgan.

  After finishing off our breakfast, we ordered the boys a coffee as well as another one for us, and we went to wait at the gate. As we passed Daniel, we handed him his coffee and just kept walking. We found Lucas and gave him his before we moved to take a seat. It wasn’t long now until boarding, so my ass wasn’t going to go dead between now and then.

  “Maddie?”

  “Morgan.”

  “You said this place was your uncle’s, right?” I nodded and took a sip of my coffee. I knew where this was going, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to make him squirm a little before I told him my uncle was overseas and wouldn’t be back until Morgan was back in the States. “Does this mean I am meeting family?” I shrugged my shoulders and looked away from him.

  Watching the people around us for a few minutes, I turned back to Morgan, who was still waiting on a real answer. “No, he is at his place in Greece until late next week. He won’t be back until you are back home.”

  Standing up when they announced it was time to start boarding, I took hold of Morgan’s hand, and we headed to the doors. After scanning my ticket and moving down the ramp onto the plane, I took my seat by the window again and got comfortable. I couldn’t wait until we were there. I needed air and not to feel as though the walls were closing in on me. Uncle Michael had sent me photos of his place, and I couldn’t wait to get there. We could have stayed at either place, but I had chosen Sea Side. Waking up to the sunshine over the water. Drinking coffee on the front veranda. The thoughts alone made me smile. It would be the perfect place to hide out while Morgan and I spent as much time as we could together before he had to leave me. I still didn’t want to think about that just yet. Not until I absolutely had to.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Maddison

  When we landed at the airport, Uncle Michael had a car waiting for us. Once we arrived at the property, I got the keys from the groundskeeper and showed the boys around. Morgan and I left Daniel and Lucas to get to work while we went to enjoy some afternoon sun on the veranda and started to relax. I quickly called Jasmine and told her I was safe and sound, but I didn’t tell her where. We agreed the less she knew the better. After hanging up, I sat with my back resting against Morgan’s side, and my legs were lying out in front of me while my head rested on his shoulder.

  “So I have told you all this stuff about me and my family. Let’s hear about yours, darlin’.” He said and I turned a little to look at him.

  “No, you have told me all about Lucas and Josh’s family, not yours. But I will tell you about mine if you tell me about yours.”

  He pretended to think about it for a minute and then grinned. “Deal.” I relaxed back against him and linked my fingers with his.

  “There isn’t a whole lot to tell. I’m an only child. My mum died during my birth due to complications. She lost too much blood, and they couldn’t save her. Dad did the best he could, but he was hurting too much. Mama was the only woman he had ever loved, and she wa
s gone. I was a constant reminder because not only was I here, but I take after her in every way. The pain got too much in the end, and he lost his fight to live. When Uncle Michael heard, he moved to Tamworth to take care of me so I didn’t have to lose everything and start fresh here. Once I finished school and got my own place, he moved back down here. I haven’t seen him since Christmas. I have tried to keep him out of all of this, so as you can imagine, he is pretty pissed off he is in Greece for work and can’t come home.”

  “What does he do for work?” Morgan asked, and I motioned to this place.

  “He sets up getaway places like this and trains people to run them. He has one here, Greece, Spain, and he is heading to Italy and Ireland next year to start ones there too.”

  “It’s so peaceful here. I could get used to this.”

  I looked up at him and kissed his jaw. “So, your turn. What’s your story?” I closed my eyes as his fingers ran slowly down my arm.

  “Nothing much to tell, darlin’. My parents met in high school and married as soon as they could. They knew they had found the person they were meant to be with. My grandmama was pissed when she found out. Me coming along made it a little worse. Once I was born though, they buried the past, and things have been great since. They’re still married to this day. I have always wondered if I would ever find that. Stopped looking when I started in music.” He looked down at me, and I smiled before he continued, “I think I have found it, though. Just goes to show what happens when you stop looking. It comes to you.”

  “Well, actually you came to me babe.” He chuckled, and I moved, putting my head on his lap. As his fingers ran through my hair, I couldn’t help but grin as his earlier words came floating back into my head. I could get used to this. Picking up my kindle from my lap, I opened up the last book I had been reading. I stretched my legs out and started reading as he was. As I got lost in my book, I began to hum softly. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d started to sing the tune that was in my head.

  I started whistling the tune of the song I had listened to a million times over. As I was tapping my foot, I heard Morgan pick up where I had left off.

  I grinned up at him, and we both sang the rest of the song.

  Morgan shifted as we finished ‘Sweet Spot’ by Sara Evans. He bent down and pressed his lips to mine. “Darlin’, I know you thought I was kiddin’ with the boys earlier, but with a voice like yours, you are wastin’ it by not doing something with it.” He kissed me hard before I could say anything, and I just melted into it. Unless I were entirely comfortable, then you couldn't get me to open up to anyone. Morgan pulled back and looked down at me with a raised brow. Sitting up, I turned to get a better look at him.

  “As flattering as that is, I think I am better off behind the camera.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek and heard commotion behind us and saw Lucas stumbling out the door closely followed by a laughing Daniel. “Daniel? Did you just shove Lucas out the door?” I asked.

  He gave me a sly grin. “Of course.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Daniel, why are you shoving Lucas out the door?”

  “Because, Maddison, he wasn’t moving fast enough for me.” Lucas responded by punching him in the arm.

  “No, he wanted to come and intrude so he could hear ya sing. I was trying to stop the damn heffa but he took a running start on me.” I snorted.

  “Daniel, you break anything in this house and I am going to make you hurt.” It was his turn to snort.

  “Bring it on, princess. A baby could hit harder then you!” I looked to Morgan, who bit back a laugh, and my attention turned back to Daniel.

  “Who said anything about hitting you?” I gave him my best sweet smile, and his face sobered up. When he turned to look at Morgan and Lucas, they both lost their composure and burst out laughing.

  “And we are going to fall over laughing when she makes you cry from kicking you so hard.”

  Daniel turned back to me, and my lips curled into a smirk. “Lunch is ready, princess,” came out of his mouth before he turned and quickly retreated inside. I burst out laughing once he had disappeared and watched Lucas walk back inside. “Do me a favour and keep her around Morgan. Life is gonna be boring without her around.”

  Morgan winked at me. “Oh, I plan to.”

  I felt my cheeks heat up as Morgan stood and held his hand out to me. Taking it, I let him pull me inside to eat.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Maddison

  Four Months Later…

  It had been four months since Morgan came into my world and turned it upside down—in a good way, of course. There had been no word from Josh since we’d left him behind in Queensland, and the small voice in the back of my head said it wasn’t a good thing. I had gotten a temporary working visa, and the label Morgan was signed to hired me as a photographer for while he was on tour, which meant we didn’t have to separate. Once his tour was over, we planned to head back to Tasmania for a bit before we took advantage of my uncle’s properties. He still wasn’t happy about everything, but he knew I was safe, so he didn’t fight it for now. He would meet Morgan, Daniel, and Lucas when we headed back, and that would hopefully put his mind at ease. Until Josh popped back up again though, we couldn’t let our guard down.

  The tour so far had been fun. When I wasn’t spending time with Morgan, Lucas, Daniel, and I were hanging out front in the crowd while he did his thing. Then after his show, we would have a few drinks with the openers and the crew before going back to our room for the rest of the night. It didn’t take long for mine and Morgan’s relationship to become public knowledge once we got to the States. It was because of that I was worried about Josh. He could easily have found us, so why hadn’t he? I had tried calling a few friends back home to see if they had heard anything but nothing. No news is good news, right? Not so much in this case.

  Hanging up the phone after yet another call to home, I sighed as I put it on the bedside table. “You know I would never let anything happen to you, right?”

  I looked up at Morgan, who was standing there in just a towel after his shower. I gave him a smile while stifling a groan at what the sight of his body did to me. “I know, baby.”

  “Then what’s got you so worried, darlin’?”

  “I know him too well to think he has given up. I know he’s out there somewhere,” I said with a sigh.

  “Darlin’, do you honestly think I just have Daniel and Lucas watching out for you?” He came and sat on the bed, and I shook my head no. I knew he had more guys out there other than the ones I had met back in Queensland, but I just hadn’t seen them. “Exactly, so while I trust Daniel and Lucas with the love of my life, I also have other eyes on you and the crowds. He won’t get past them.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but I was silenced when his lips pressed against mine. I closed my eyes as our lips moved together with a heated passion. Despite his trust in the boys, he and I always kissed as if it would be our last. Lying back against the pillows as he hovered over me, I opened my eyes and ran the tip of my tongue over my lips.

  “Now let’s see if I can’t distract you somehow.” He flashed that smirk at me, and I was done for. There was no resisting that smirk. Not that I wanted to. “You are wearing far too much clothing, darlin’. Let me see if I can’t help you with that, too.”

  His hands trailed down my body and slipped beneath my tank top. Sitting up, he pulled it up and over my head. Lying back against the bed, I watched as he moved off and curled his hands around the band of my shorts and pulled them down slowly along with my panties. He dropped them down beside the bed and slowly worked his way up my body, his lips moving along my thighs as he went stopping only when he reached my core. I let out a soft groan when he lingered there without touching me and his eyes met mine before his lips pressed against my stomach and he began kissing back up my body. When he reached the valley between my breasts, his hands moved behind my back and unclasped my bra. Pulling the straps slowly down my arms his eyes met mine once more and
he flashed that smirk at me.

  “There. That's much better. Naked and waiting for me. The second best sight in the world.”