Chapter 14
Nate
Since finding out that Olive left for a family emergency, little else has been on my mind.
We were in Cincinnati for the next concert, and I barely remember anything.
I was going through the motions, but was distracted and distant.
Ian questioned me a few times but gave up when I didn’t give him any information.
When I asked Cade for Olive’s number, he refused to give it to me. Which I didn’t love, but I understood. I settled for him agreeing to provide me with any updates he receives.
Climbing the steps to board the plane, my stomach dips when I hear a familiar voice greeting Ian. I jog up the last few steps and step through the doorway.
Olive stands a few feet from me with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. My heartbeat picks up as she turns her head away from Ian, and her dark eyes meet mine. They widen briefly, flashing with emotion.
I close the distance between us and quietly observe, “You’re back.”
Her chest rises as she breathes deep. “I am.”
“Is everyth-”
We’re interrupted as the pilot, who yelled at Olive a few days prior, steps out of the cockpit. I narrow my eyes at him as he walks toward us.
“Sir.” He nods at me in greeting. My only response is to continue to glare at him. He fidgets uncomfortably at the severity of my stare. Good, he deserves it. Averting his eyes from me, he addresses Olive. “It’s good to have you back.”
I glance over to find her watching me rather than the pilot as she replies, “Thanks, Stan.”
Without another word, he pivots away from us and returns to the cockpit.
Olive is eyeing me curiously. Before I can say anything else to us, Cade joins us. “Mr. Carson, can you please take your seat so we can take off?” Cade’s eyes jump between Olive and myself. “I’m sure you two can find time to catch up later.”
I steal one more glance at Olive before doing as he requested and take my seat beside Ian.
“I see your girl has returned,” he teases.
“Thank god,” I mumble under my breath.
He laughs. “Thank god for all of us. Maybe now you can get your head out of your ass.”
“Doubtful.”
Restlessly, I watch Olive move about the cabin, looking for an opportunity to talk to her more. A shift in her energy has dimmed her spark, but not her beauty. She’s just as gorgeous as when I last saw her. Our kiss replays in my mind, and the need to do it again gnaws at my insides.
Inhaling deeply as she passes by, her scent fills my lungs. Closing my eyes, I relax to the sound of her sweet voice as she speaks to Jenny and the others.
“Damn it!”
The loud exclamation makes my eyes pop open. I unbuckle my seatbelt and move into the aisle within the next few seconds. Jenny’s face is contorted in anger as Olive apologizes repeatedly. She’s patting the table with a towel while Jenny does the same on her lap.
“You need to learn how to show up to work and to not be so fucking clumsy.”
“I’m so sorry, Miss Bell.” The emotion in Olive’s voice breaks my heart. I shouldn’t get involved, but I can’t stop myself from walking over.
Jenny continues to berate Olive, and I place my hand on Olive’s lower back as I approach. Her muscles tense under my palm.
“It was an accident, Miss Bell.” I smile as Olive shifts closer to me, my thumb rubbing circles on her back.
“I’m soaked now! I don’t care that it was an accident, Nate.” Jenny glares at me and throws the towel on the table before stomping off to the small bedroom at the back of the plane.
My hand slides around Olive’s waist as she turns toward me. Reluctantly, I drop my touch, not wanting to draw too much attention to us.
“You okay?” I ask quietly.
Olive nods. Her face tells me otherwise, but I don’t push her. I squeeze her hand before returning to my seat.
“What the hell is going on back there?” Ian asks sleepily.
“Sorry to disturb you, Sleeping Beauty.” Clearing my throat in frustration, I check the time to see how long we have until we land in Boston. Forty-five minutes to go.
As soon as Ian is back to sleep and Olive is in the galley at the front of the plane, I retrieve my bag. From it, I remove a few items, one of which is my business card. Storing my bag again, I find the source of my growing obsession.
Olive smiles slowly as I approach her, but her tone is weary. I can tell she wants to be off this flight. “Nate, do you need something?”
I love the way my name sounds on her lips, and my gaze locks on her mouth for a breath. I mentally shake myself, trying to stay focused on what I came up here for. “I have something for you.”
Confusion takes over her face. “You do?”
I nod as I hand her my business card. “This has my cell phone number on it. Please use it.”
She takes it from my hand hesitantly. Staring at the small card for a few beats, she gives me a shy smile as she slides it into her pocket, and I hold out the bag.
“And I have this for you.”
Electric desire shoots up my arm as her fingers brush mine when she takes the bag. “What is this?”
As she looks up at me, I smile. “You missed the candy in Cincinnati.”
She rolls her lips over her teeth as she looks down at the treats. When I found out she left, I researched Cincinnati’s most popular local candy shop. During some downtime, I went and bought her one of each of their most popular candies.
Her silence makes me doubt myself until her gaze finds mine again. Her eyes are glassy, and her voice has a tremor as she whispers, “Thank you.”
I look around to ensure no one is paying attention to us, even though we’re partially hidden in the galley. Taking a small step closer, I gently push her hair behind her ear and search her face. “You’re welcome.”
As I brush a tear from her cheek with my thumb, movement from down the aisle catches my eye. I step back, and with one last glance at her beautiful face, I pivot and walk away. A calmness I haven’t felt in days settles around me as I take my seat this time.
Crossing the tarmac to the waiting SUVs, I’m pleased that Olive and Cade can come with us to the hotel instead of staying behind and getting brought to the hotel at a later time.
Even if I can’t talk to or touch her how I want to, I’m glad I can have her close until she’s safely at the hotel.
I glance over my shoulder to where she walks next to Cade, a few feet behind the larger group.
When I catch her eye, she gives me a small smile.
I throw her a wink and have to clear my throat of the laugh that threatens to escape at the deep blush that covers her cheeks and the wide grin that overtakes Cade’s face, having seen what I did.
I face forward and continue to the vehicles until a commotion behind us has me whipping back around.
Terror rips my chest in two when I watch a man sprinting across the tarmac straight toward us, directly at the two people at the back of the group.
Airport security is running behind him, but they’re so far away there’s no way they can help.
Looking over my shoulder at Ian, he shouts that he has Jenny.
With that settled, I make my move as the man flies past Olive and Cade.
I get one glimpse of Olive’s alarmed features, and my own fear for her safety turns to fury that she is even in a place that could put her in danger, even if she’s not the intended target.
The man is about four inches shorter than me, and I have about thirty pounds of muscle on him, which makes tagging him around the throat and tossing him down to the ground an easy feat.
A startled yelp sounds from somewhere near me as I flip the man onto his stomach and place a knee on his back to hold him in place.
He starts to fight against my hold, which annoys me more than anything. “Will you just be still, you fucking idiot?” I grunt.
“No! I just want a hug!” he shrieks, his face buried in the asphalt.
My glare rises from the man as security reaches me. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
When one of the security guards crouches down to take my place, I push to stand and assess the scene. Ian is helping the last of the group into the SUV. Cade is frozen, his eyes wide and his arm around Olive’s shoulder. Olive is staring at me, her hand over her mouth, in shock.
The man is dragged to his feet now that the guards have him handcuffed.
Addressing the group, I demand, “I’m Nate Carson, head of Miss Bell’s security team.
You have my contact information on the paperwork submitted.
Text me where I need to go to finalize the report with the police. I need to get everyone to the hotel.”
“Yes, sir. Will do.”
With that settled, I move to where Cade and Olive are. Unable to resist the urge to touch Olive, my palm finds her lower back. “Come on, let’s get you both in the car so we can get to the hotel.” I grab the handle of Olive’s suitcase and gently urge her to start walking with pressure on her back.
Cade leads the way, and Olive and I follow him in silence. When we get to the lone SUV, the other one having left with Ian and the rest of the group, the driver takes our luggage, and I open the back door. Cade climbs inside, but I stop Olive before she has a chance to do the same.
My eyes search hers as I ask, “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Are you okay? You’re the one who took that guy down. I just stood there and watched.” Her concerned expression has a pleased smirk slipping onto my face.
“That was nothing. But I appreciate you being worried about me.”
A small smile has her full, tempting lips pulling up before she turns away from me and disappears inside the vehicle. I close the door behind her and climb into the front seat, feeling better than I have in days.
“Thank you for all your help.” I reach out and shake the hand of the officer helping with the report being filed on the man at the airport.
“No problem. Let us know if you need anything else while you’re here.”
“Appreciate it.” I stalk out of the police station and pull my phone from my pocket.
No texts or calls from a dark-haired woman who’s haunting my every thought.
With a sigh, I walk back to the waiting SUV, letting the driver know we can head back to the hotel. I can go back for a bit, then head to dinner. Alone. Since Ian is handling things with Jenny while I handled everything with the police.
As I pass the front desk on my way to the elevator, I glance to my left and freeze.
Long, shiny black hair sirens me to the gift shop.
I take a moment to soak her in. Her thick thighs and delectable ass are covered in black yoga pants.
She has a tight, cropped tank top that accentuates her waist. My breath halts in my chest at the thought of what it does to her front.
She’s standing with her back to me as she looks over the selection of snacks.
I hope that isn’t what she plans to eat for dinner.
Her shoulders dip as she places the pack of crackers in her hand back on the shelf. She turns to the girl at the desk waiting to ring her up and asks, “Is there maybe a grocery store or convenience store nearby that I could walk to?”
Convenience store? What the hell?