33. Bleeding Heart – Meaning Fly with me Love
33
BLEEDING HEART
(BUTTERFLY BANNERS, DUTCHMAN’S brITCHES, EARDROPS, LYRE FLOWER, SOLDIER’S CAP, SQUIRREL CORN)
MEANING: FLY WITH ME; LOVE
OCEAN
________
I wasn’t sure why I thought we were going to the normal airport to get on a plane. In my head I’d thought we would fly first class in those cool little pods you could shut and sleep in.
What I hadn’t imagined—though I should have—was the scene straight out of a movie as Jon pulled the car up on the tarmac near a sleek private jet. “You’re sure this is the right place?”
Jon didn’t even have to answer, because Everett stepped out of the plane and came down the stairs. But the driver chuckled. “Looks like it.”
“Thank you, Jon.”
“Have a good trip, Mrs. DuPont.”
My breath went short. That wasn’t my legal name, but every time I heard it, a little thrill went through me. Because it was an acknowledgment that I belonged here with them. “I will.”
Everett smiled. Easy, casual, and just for me. He held out a hand and pulled me in when I took it, kissing me hello. “Ready to go, nymph?”
“I thought we were going to the real airport.”
He laughed. “This is a real airport.”
I swatted his arm as he guided me toward the stairs. “You know what I mean. I expected first class. Not a private jet.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“I’m not, I?—”
We stepped through the door, and… wow. It was gorgeous. All white leather and dark wood, plush chairs outfitted with seatbelts, and what looked like a bedroom in the back. A woman in a uniform poured glasses of champagne in a kitchen area.
Cameron stepped out of the bedroom with a grin. His sleeves were rolled up, hair tousled like he’d been running his hands through it. “There you are.”
“Here I am.” I sounded awed, and I was. This couldn’t possibly be my life. “Where’s Micah?”
“Taking a call in the back. He’s almost done.”
Pulling me down into one of the seats, Cam kissed me. “Now that we’re off the clock and we have nothing but time, I’ll be kissing you every chance I get. And more.”
“Champagne?”
I managed to take my eyes off my husband and look at the attendant smiling down at me. Cameron took one off the tray and handed another one to me. “Thank you, Anna.”
He sipped his glass while Everett sat across from us. “Don’t get her drunk too soon, Cam.”
“I’m not getting drunk,” I said, a laugh bubbling up out of me. “Do I lose points if I say I’m not the biggest fan of champagne? Or at least not champagne on its own?”
Turning my face toward his, Cam kissed me. Full and deep and real, his lemon scent mixing with the bite of champagne. “You already have all the points, sweetheart. You can never lose them. And no. Of course not. What would you like?”
“I love the weird mimosas.”
“Weird mimosas?”
“Our, Isolde’s, Trinity’s and mine, favorite brunch place has this amazing mango mimosa. Those, and the peach ones. Though those are technically called Bellinis.”
Everett smiled at me. “Anna?” He called. The attendant appeared. “Would you mind turning my wife’s champagne into a Bellini, please?”
“Of course, sir.” She took the glass from me.
“I don’t think we have mango juice, but I’ll make sure we have it next time.”
Micah appeared, leaning down to kiss the top of my head before heading to the cockpit and speaking a few words. “Buckle up,” he said, sitting with Everett. “We’re off.”
“Where are we going first?”
“A surprise.”
I pouted. “Still?”
Anna appeared with my Bellini, distracting me. Now that was good. “Thank you.”
“How were your aunt and uncle?” Everett asked, far too casually.
“Fine.”
He raised an eyebrow, and all I did was take another sip of the drink. Anna disappeared, and Micah stood to help buckle me in. “I can do it.”
“Then I wouldn’t get to touch you. Or look you in the eye and see if you’re lying.”
“It’s not important. I promise.”
He gripped my chin with infinite gentleness and made me look at him. “Everything is important when it comes to you.”
Throwing back the rest of the drink, I gave him a look that made him laugh. “Frank really doesn’t like the three of you.”
“We could have told you that,” Cam said. “I doubt his new nickname helps.”
“Nickname?”
“Uncle-in-law.” He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. “He hates it.”
I couldn’t laugh with his lips so close to my skin. The plane started to move, and all I could think about was that he was so close and we couldn’t do anything while the plane was taking off.
“He’s trying to screw you over, but I don’t know how?”
“Not surprising,” Everett said. “He’ll have a hard time.”
I swallowed. “When he told me about the marriage and offered me the deal, he told me that I was going to help him take over your company from the inside out. But the papers he made me sign didn’t say anything about information, and I was never planning on helping him. I swear.”
Everett leaned forward on his knees, eyes glinting with interest. “Now that’s fascinating. He wanted to use you? What did he ask for?”
“Just numbers of everything for the last couple of years. He wouldn’t tell me what they’re for. Do you know?”
He shook his head. “I don’t. But that actually helps us, nymph, thank you.”
“You’re not angry?”
Cam looked at me. “Why would we be angry?”
“For even talking to them about it. For pretending like I might help so they would leave me alone.”
We started down the runway, the plane picking up speed and launching into the air. My stomach hollowed out, and I ducked into Cam’s side. The armrest on these chairs didn’t move, big and cushy as they were, but he slid his arm around me as best he could. “You okay?”
“I don’t fly much. Takeoff always makes me nervous.”
“We’ve got you,” he said, purring. “You’re safe, I promise.”
No one said anything else until we were well into the air and finally leveling out. A small chime sounded overhead, and they relaxed. Everett unbuckled his seatbelt and came straight to me. “To answer your previous question, little nymph, no, we’re not angry. In fact, it’s perfect. Because now you can help us, if you want. We would never force you. But there’s definitely something going on with Frank, and possibly a man we work with named Joseph. So knowing he wants numbers gives us a little clue. Thank you.”
I blew out a breath. Relief I didn’t know I needed soothing over me like cool water. “Okay.”
He tugged me up and over to the seats on the other side of the plane—the ones that were more like couches and distinctly didn’t have armrests—and cuddled me into his side. “Micah mentioned wanting favorites.”
“I want anything,” I admitted. “We’re married, and I want to know about you.”
“Only child. My favorite color is black. The only artistic talent I have is because these assholes dragged me to a few drawing classes back in college. And my favorite sex position is you beneath me with your legs over my shoulders.”
I gasped. That wasn’t a way he’d fucked me. Yet.
“You like the sound of that?”
“Yes. But…”
Biting my lip, I glanced toward the front of the plane. “The pilot. Anna. They’ll hear everything.”
“They get paid more than enough money to see nothing, not to mention the NDA they signed.”
I didn’t doubt it. If there was one thing I knew, it was that the DuPonts paid their people well. But the idea of being heard like that terrified me. I was only just learning how to accept them wanting me. Doing it in front of strangers made something climb up my throat and choke me.
“Take a breath, little nymph.”
Air filled my lungs. I hadn’t even realized that I’d stopped breathing.
“I miss you,” I whispered. “And I do want you.”
“But you’re not ready for people to hear you have sex?”
I gave him a look that made him chuckle. “I’m still getting used to the idea of having sex at all.”
“We’re hoping you get very used to it. Especially on your honeymoon. I want to know everything you like and everything you want to try. But if you don’t want us to make you scream in the air, I won’t.”
Suppressing a laugh, I leaned into his shoulder. “Don’t hate me.”
“I could never hate you, little nymph.” Then he smirked. “I’ll warm you up to the idea, and by the time we’re flying home, you’ll be ready for the mile high club.”
Somehow, I didn’t doubt at all that it was true.