Chapter Seventeen
Seventeen
Pam
I choose to be calm and at peace.
“Okay, Pam. You can do this,” I reminded myself for the umpteenth time this morning. I’d spent the last fifteen minutes pacing back and forth in front of my living room window, waiting for the car that would take me to the airport to arrive.
Both of my kids had offered to drop me off, but Alistair insisted on using some fancy car service with a concierge who would help me with my luggage and make sure I got to where I needed to be.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I told Remi.
He let out a miserable meow and clawed at the mesh of his travel carrier as if to say he couldn’t believe it was happening, either.
Just as the sleek black SUV pulled into the driveway, my phone vibrated with a text message from Alistair.
Alistair: Your car should be there. Make sure you let the driver help you with your luggage. That’s what I’m paying him for.
There was a knock at the door.
That was weird.
Maybe he got notifications from the car service or something.
“Give me just one second,” I yelled and typed out a response to Alistair.
Pam: Will do. Can’t wait to see you. I’ll text you when I make it to the airport.
I opened the front door to find an older gentleman dressed in a black suit that matched the sophistication of the SUV.
“Mrs. Rollins?” he asked.
“Yep. Hi, that’s me.”
“I’m Ronald. I’ll be your driver today. Allow me to help with your bags.”
I was only visiting Colorado for a week, but considering the extreme weather, my yoga gear, and the fact that Remi was traveling with me, I’d filled two suitcases to the brim.
Ronald wheeled my suitcases out to the car, and I grabbed Remi and my backpack. I gave my house one last look, closed the door, and locked it behind me.
As I walked to the car, it felt like I was walking on air, which meant the anxiety meds my doctor prescribed were finally kicking in. About time. Ronald opened the door for me, and no sooner had I slipped inside—
“Hey, pretty lady.”
That voice.
That deep, rumbly, toe-curling voice.
“No. No!” I said, scrambling farther inside. “What are you doing here?” Tears were already threatening my mascara.
Alistair smiled that familiar lopsided grin and held his arms out. After setting Remi down on the seat, I essentially tackled him.
“Oof,” he groaned and wrapped his strong arms around me. “You’re stronger than you look, you know that?”
I laughed and buried my face in the thick tuft of chest hair peeking out from his shirt. That woodsy sage scent of his felt like home. And my scarf.
He was wearing my scarf.
“You’re here,” I mumbled.
He nuzzled my temple with his velveteen nose. “Of course I’m here, babe. There was no way I would let you take your first plane ride by yourself.”
Once again, Alistair Reid was like something out of a movie or a romance novel. The type of lover you fantasized about but thought you’d never have. He was like a dream brought to life, and he’d done all of this for me.
Alistair tilted my head, forcing me to look at him. He was even more handsome than I remembered. “Hey, now. No tears,” he said, running his thumb over my cheek.
I snorted, making him grin. “They’re happy tears. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too.”
He leaned in closer and pressed his lips to mine, his whiskers tickling my face.
I opened my mouth for him, savoring the warmth of his breath and the press of his tongue against mine.
It was tender at first, the kind of kiss you share when you’ve been apart from someone and you want to show them just how much you missed them, but it escalated quickly.
“Pam,” he groaned into my mouth. That husky voice saying my name was enough to drive me wild.
One of his hands traveled down my chest to gently cup my breast through my sweater, and I melted against him. It felt like an eternity had passed since he’d last touched me. We had a lot of catching up to do.
“Do you want me to touch you?” he asked between kisses.
Fuck.
But the driver.
There was a partition, but I’d never done something so daring. Yet the thought excited me, which gave me my answer.
“Please.”
He smiled against my lips. “Please, what?”
Always the king of consent, he needed me to say it. Or maybe he liked teasing me.
“Please touch me.”
His hand slipped over the soft rolls of my stomach, under my sweater, and into my leggings. I was incredibly thankful that I’d chosen comfort over looking cute.
Alistair pushed my underwear to the side and ran his fingers through my center while he trailed his lips over my neck.
“You’re so wet for me, sweetheart. Do you like the idea of us doing this where someone might hear us and know what we’re up to?
” I nodded, and he swirled the soft pads of his fingertips over my clit, drawing a gasp out of me that made him chuckle.
“My little exhibitionist. What I wouldn’t give to fuck you right here. ”
Slowly, he pushed one finger inside my pussy, pulsing it in and out a few times before adding a second. I arched into him, thrusting my hips into his hand and forcing his fingers deeper.
“You’re driving me wild, babe,” he whispered, each word a soft graze over my neck. “I can’t wait to see you ride my cock like you’re riding my fingers.”
Shit.
I’d never done that, but I’d happily give bull-riding a try if Alistair Reid was between my legs.
He pumped his fingers, adding soft swirls of his thumb over my clit that made my breath hitch.
“Alistair,” I moaned, fucking his hand without giving it a second thought. I reached down to massage his cock through his jeans, but he took my wandering hand in his.
“No. There’ll be plenty of time for that this week. Right now is all about you, sweetheart. Let me make you feel good.”
Well, if he insisted. He loved pleasuring me, and I was more than happy to accept everything he offered.
Alistair curled his fingers, the pads caressing my G-spot with slow strokes while his thumb teased my clit relentlessly. I was getting close, so fucking close, and I had no idea how I was going to stay quiet.
“Gonna come,” I stammered.
“You have to be quiet. Can you do that for me?”
“Al—” I whined his name louder than I meant to, and he slipped his hand over my mouth.
“Shh. That’s it. Come for me,” he whispered in my ear, then nipped on the lobe with his flat teeth, giving it a soft tug.
I shattered, my pussy clenching Alistair’s fingers and my moans muffled by his hand clamped tight over my mouth.
He worked me through my orgasm, and I vibrated with little jolts of pleasure until his fingers finally stilled.
His hand slid from my mouth down to my chin.
He forced me to meet his gaze, pulled his other hand from my leggings, then put his slick fingers into his mouth, sucking and savoring the taste like I was his favorite dessert.
My lips parted in awe before turning up with a coy smile.
Alistair leaned in until our mouths almost touched, then whispered, “Good. Fucking. Girl.”
—
Because we were flying first class, checking my luggage and getting through security was a relatively painless process.
Initially, I’d felt bad about Alistair springing for a first-class ticket, but it made a little more sense now, especially since he was flying with me.
If I knew anything about flying economy from the movies I’d seen, it was that space was limited.
For a massive minotaur, it just wouldn’t work.
“How are you feeling?” Alistair asked while we were waiting to board.
“Well”—I could feel my cheeks getting red—“thanks to the meds and what happened in the car ride, I’m feeling nice and relaxed.”
I couldn’t believe I was standing there with him about to board a plane for the first time in my life.
It was surreal, almost too good to be true, but that’s how most things were with Alistair.
There was a ding overhead and the crackle of a microphone. “Group one for the four p.m. flight to Denver is now boarding at gate C17. Please have your ticket or cell phone ready.”
“That’s us, sweetheart. You ready?” he asked, hiking Remi’s carrier strap up over his shoulder.
I nodded. “About as ready as I’ll ever be.” Having him with me made the whole thing much less overwhelming.
The flight attendant smiled at us while she scanned our tickets. “Have a wonderful flight.”
We walked down the loading bridge and onto the plane, with Alistair ducking through the doorway to accommodate his horns.
“Here we are,” he said, stopping at two cushy lounge seats with plenty of legroom.
“Wow, this is really nice.”
He laughed and shook his head. “If you think this is nice, you should see what first class looks like on an international flight.”
An international flight.
Nope. Even with Xanax and an orgasm, there was no way I could make it on a flight that long.
The five-hour flight to Denver was enough.
“Why don’t you take the window seat.”
My face must have given away what I was thinking.
“I promise it’s safe. I want you to enjoy the view. When we get closer to Denver, you can really see the Rockies.”
“All right, but if that window busts, you better hold me tight so I don’t get sucked out.”
“Pamela!” he chuckled, his head swiveling around to make sure no one heard us. “Don’t talk about those sorts of things happening!”
Giving him a smug grin, I slipped into my seat. “Am I embarrassing you, the unshakable and effortlessly cool Alistair Reid?”
Thoughtfully, he tilted his head to the side and gently kissed my forehead.
“You could never embarrass me, Pamela Rollins. I just don’t want them siccing the air marshals on us.
” He took his seat and brought Remi’s carrier up to his face.
“How ya doin’ in there, little buddy? I promise we’ll let you out as soon as we get to my place. ”
Remi responded with a pitiful meow. He really wasn’t fazed by much, but this was the most time he’d spent in a cat carrier since I’d rescued him two years ago.
Seeing Alistair with him reminded me of how cute they were together. “I’m not sure who you missed more, me or the cat.”
“Obviously you, but he’s a close second. Stick your bag under here.” He set Remi’s carrier on the floor and slid it under the seat in front of us, and I did the same with my backpack.
Now that we were seated, the fact that I was about to embark on my first plane ride started to sink in.
I gripped the armrest and dug my fingers into the soft leather.
“Hey,” he said, those deep eyes laden with concern. “Everything is going to be fine.”
He placed his hand on top of mine and gave it a tight squeeze, grounding me and quelling some of my anxiety.
“It’s nerve-racking. How much longer until takeoff?”
“It won’t be long now. Just gotta wait for everyone else to board, sweetheart.” He picked up my hand and placed a soft kiss on my knuckles. “Thank you for doing this for me. It means a lot.”
I snorted, and his smile widened. “Oh yes, I’m doing you such a favor when you paid for everything and flew all the way out here to get me.”
“It’s the thought, though. Of you conquering your fear because I needed to see you.”
This time I picked up our hands and kissed his knuckles. “I needed to see you, too.”
For the first time in a month, it was like we were a real couple. Not that we hadn’t been before, but it made me realize how important a physical connection was.
How had I lived all those years with Don and been indifferent to his touch? With Alistair, I couldn’t get enough.
We waited patiently while everyone boarded the plane, with Alistair telling me stories about his various trips to distract me from the impending takeoff.
The sign to fasten your seat belt flashed, and I clicked mine into place, tightening the belt until it dug into the rolls of my stomach. The flight attendant started the safety protocol, and I pulled out the brochure to follow along. Alistair looked over at me and shook his head, obviously amused.
At least one of us would know where the emergency doors were located.
As soon as the flight attendant sat down, the plane started to move.
“Ready?” Alistair asked with one of his signature lopsided smiles.
“Suppose so,” I grated out.
The plane continued down the runway, rattling slightly as it picked up speed.
“Holy goddess,” I whispered, and clamped my eyes shut, refusing to look as it began to ascend.
“Everything is A-okay. Just the normal takeoff turbulence. Nothing to worry about,” he reassured me, his voice calm and even.
From anyone else, it would have been useless, but from Alistair? I believed it.
The rumbling stopped, replaced by an airy, weightless feeling.
“We’re up in the air now, Pam,” he whispered. “Why don’t you open your eyes.”
I eased my grip on the armrest, squinting one eye open and then the other. Gazing out the window, I watched as we passed through a thick layer of fluffy clouds and settled in the clear blue sky above them.
“Beautiful,” I mumbled with my face pressed against the window.
Alistair leaned over as much as his seat belt would allow. “This makes it worth it, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe, but I’ll let you know for sure once we’re safely back on the ground.”
There was a soft ping, and the stewardess spoke over the intercom. “You may now access your carry-ons. Feel free to connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi, but please keep your devices on airplane mode.”
Alistair looked at me and grinned. “Did you bring those earbuds I bought you?”
After Alistair booked my flight, a package of travel essentials mysteriously appeared at my house. A neck pillow, an eye mask, and noise-canceling earbuds.
“Of course I brought them.” I pulled out my bag and removed the tiny case that contained the earbuds.
He tapped a few buttons on his phone and pulled out his own earbuds, but instead of bright white, his were sleek black—and considerably larger.
“I got us an audiobook to listen to together.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Oh gosh. It was that kind of audiobook. One of my smut books.
Which we were going to listen to on an airplane. Together.
Was I going to join the mile-high club?
There was no way Alistair and I could both fit in an airplane bathroom. With his horns, that would be dangerous.
“You did not. What’s it called?”
“I did.” He flashed me a smug smile and tilted his phone so I could see the title. “Something about a salacious sex club.”
The title.
It finally clicked.
“Is this why you called me a good girl?” I whisper-shouted.
He shrugged, his smile growing wider. “Maybe. Have you read it?”
I’d heard of it, because who hadn’t, but I’d been in such an alien-romance choke hold that I’d yet to pick it up.
“No, but I’ve been meaning to.”
“Well, this is perfect, then.” He leaned in closer. “Now be a good girl and put those earbuds in.”
I bit my lip and did as he asked. Suddenly, flying wasn’t all that bad.