Chapter 23
Aleksandr
Flying High
We pulled into the airport, and she looked around, confused.
“What are we doing here? You never mentioned we’d need to fly on a plane. Where are you taking me? I’m not sure about this…at all.”
She gulped, and panic similar to the car incident filled her beautiful face.
Putting the car in park, I grabbed her hand. “How would you like to go hiking on Sunday at Mount Hood? I know it’s not Mount Rainier, but…”
My voice trailed off at the look in her eyes.
They grew wide and filled with emotion. There was a mix of fear, excitement, anticipation, and sadness.
“I agreed to one date,”
she whispered, looking small and frightened.
“I know, and I meant to tell you but forgot in my excitement. It’s a weekend event in Portland that benefits charities that are important to my family. The gala event tonight is only one part. Saturday is a tour of several wineries, along with hiking on Sunday. It’s all for a noble cause.”
“You should have told me. I never would have agreed—”
“I know, but I have a surprise for you, so please don’t say no right away. I promise if you don’t want to stay, I’ll take you home tonight,”
I rushed out, my heart thudding in my chest.
“A surprise? What kind of surprise, and what do you mean, take me home? I’m not spending the night with you.”
She crossed her arms.
“I booked an amazing suite. You’ll have your own room, and we won’t be alone. Kitten, will you trust me just a little?”
“Trust isn’t something I give easily.”
“That’s understandable, but I meant what I said. If you still don’t want to stay after you see my surprise, I’ll bring you straight home.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled it to my lips, dusting it with small kisses.
A sense of excitement and anticipation rushed through me when she didn’t pull her hand away. “You promise?”
she asked, her voice soft and trembling.
“Absolutely. I’d never do anything you didn’t want me to—”
“That’s a lie, and we both know it,”
she retorted.
“You might be right on the kissing, but everything else, I promise. So, what do you say? Will you at least let me surprise you?”
I asked sheepishly as she shook her head. There was a hint of a smile, so a small win for me.
She put her hand on the door handle to open it. “Don’t you dare open that door; it’s my job.”
“Very well, Mr. King, by all means, pull out…”
She paused. A flirtatious look filled her eyes, and her face lit up. “All the stops for me.”
“Careful, kitten. I’m trying to be a gentleman here. You keep looking at me like that, and the Reaper, whom I’ve kindly asked to be on his best behavior, may be unleashed on you.”
“He’d better not. At least not without my permission.”
My dick throbbed at her words. The vision of her in that dress with the choker raced back into my head. Little did she know, her fucking permission, or lack thereof, was the only thing holding me back.
I stepped out of the car, sauntered around to her side, and opened the door. Taking her small hand in mine, I led us over to the private jet.
As we walked, she asked, “Tell me, is this your father’s jet or yours?”
“How do you know about my father?” I joked.
Her face beamed as she boasted, “My grandfather was a police officer. I know a thing or two about research.”
“Is that how you found Marcel?”
“Yes, and a lot of good that did me,”
she huffed.
“He’s actually excellent at his job, just so you know.”
“Oh, do you know by personal experience?”
she teased.
“You’re so cute. I’ve seen him in action. He’s worked on some pretty tough cases. Some where others had written the patient off as hopeless. He’s tenacious and has a heart of gold.”
There I go again, rambling like an idiot. Jesus, this girl had me all over the place.
We’d reached the steps, and she paused for a minute. She looked up at me with excitement on her face. There was an odd warmth that spread throughout my chest. It only intensified when we boarded the jet. The crew was already in place and waiting.
Looking around in awe, she observed the cabin. “You can’t be serious?”
she exclaimed.
“Very serious.”
I continued to watch her taking everything in.
“What?”
she asked breathlessly when she realized I was staring.
Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “I don’t know. The look on your face, it’s like you’re getting ready to embark on an adventure.”
Her eyes lowered, and she tensed. “I’ve never done this before. Don’t make fun.”
I pulled her chin up, but she refused to meet my eyes. A small sense of regret washed over me, tempered by the awareness that I needed to choose my words more carefully.
“I’m not making fun, I promise. I don’t know, maybe I’ve taken things like this for granted.”
I waved at the jet again, feeling like I was oversharing.
“Oh,”
she said, her eyes returning to mine. There was a lull in our conversation, and I found myself unable to look away, and needing to touch her in an overwhelming way.
Reaching out to caress her face, I whispered, “What are you doing to me, kitten?”
“Nothing,”
she stammered.
“No, you most definitely are doing something to me,”
I replied, watching her breathing change under my caress.
Gesturing around the jet, she asked, “How big is this thing?”
Her question was exactly what I needed to get my head out of my ass and put me back in control.
“Big. Around two thousand seven hundred square feet. Normally, it can seat over forty people quite comfortably. However, we have it set up like a hotel suite, beds included.”
I paused and smiled at the look on her face. “Would you like to see mine?”
“Where do I sit?”
she asked, rolling her eyes and ignoring my comment.
“Hmm, let’s see,”
I said, looking around. My eyes drifted down to my cock, and her hands flew to her hips as I smirked. “You make it so easy. You may sit wherever you’d like.”
I was shocked when she chose one of the seats that had room for two. A hint of awe and enthusiasm still lit up her face. I joined her, and she sat with her hands in her lap. Reaching around, I buckled her in. The sweet smell of honeysuckle assaulted me as I sniffed her.
“You’re so weird,”
she said, pushing my face away.
“I can’t help it. You fucking smell good enough to eat. I’m also partial to honeysuckle. My family’s home garden has both vines and shrubs. I have many fond memories of sucking the sweet nectar.”
That heady mix of innocence and seductiveness that swirled around her like a tornado was fucking with me.
“I’ll be sure to remember that. Tell me, is there a scent you don’t like? Maybe I’ll pick up something new.”
“Don’t you dare,”
I growled, kissing her nose. She squealed. I turned to Becca, the flight attendant. “We’re ready.”
“Yes, Mr. King. I’ll let the pilot know.”
Shortly after, the pilot came on over the speaker, and we took off. She gripped my hand tightly. My eyes flashed to hers, surprised by the gesture. Once we were in the air, she loosened it, slowly moving her hand to her lap, all shy again.
She pulled her phone out. “Does this thing have Bluetooth?”
I nodded in response.
“Mind if I connect and put on a playlist? It’ll help with my nerves.”
“Please, I’d love to know what you listen to.”
I winked. Leaning over, I showed her the name of the device, and she connected.
A song began playing. 'River' by Bishop Briggs. Her clear voice joined, and I raised my eyebrows. She added her own flavor to it, and I was mesmerized.
I sat back and watched in amusement. It was like watching a mini-performance. There was no way she was consciously aware of her actions. She was completely uninhibited.
Her sexy little body moved with an irresistible energy, perfectly synchronized to the rhythm of the song. Her lips moved as she sang the lyrics, and I could almost taste her. Every goddamn thing this girl did turned me on, and in that moment, flying amid the clouds, I never wanted to fuck a woman more.
Note to self: always let her pick the music.
“Alek,”
she exclaimed, hitting my arm as she realized I was watching her. The blush that spread across her cheeks extended down her chest.
“You’re so fucking cute and full of surprises.”
“Not really. I’m pretty boring, actually. Kind of like eating Danishes every day,”
she joked.
“You’re the least boring person I’ve met in a long time. I’m curious about your hiking experience. Tell me, have you ever been to the Umpqua Hot Springs?”
I asked, wanting to keep her in a relaxed mood.
“Once, when I was a teenager. Haven’t been back in a long time.”
“Maybe you’ll let me take you sometime. It’s a bit far from Mount Hood, or I’d take you this weekend.”
I flicked my eyes at her. Damn, the soft look she gave me had me wanting to rip the dress from her body and have my way with her.
“Would you like something to drink?”
I offered, needing some space.
“Yes, whatever you have will be fine.”
“Moscato or rosé.”
“Either is fine.”
Her voice trembled.
“Rosé it is, then.”
I walked back over.
“How cute,”
she cooed when I handed her the little bottle.
“I wouldn’t say cute. It’s more practical, if anything.”
“Agreed, in more ways than one. If you’d handed me an open glass, I would have pretended to sip it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. The first rule of dating where there may be drinking, is never take a drink from a stranger. You never know what might be in it. But I still think it’s cute.”
She broke the seal and took a small sip.
“Smart girl, except you wound me. Strangers? Is that what we are?”
“Hmm, practically. Why’d you choose the rosé?”
“Because it’s all you, wrapped up in a small package. From the delicate pale-pink color, each sip of you, I’d dare say, is lush with flavor. Tropical passionfruit, zesty citrus, and refreshing melon.”
“Don’t forget honeysuckle,”
she teased, surprising me yet again.
After taking a sip, she grew quiet. We settled in, and aside from the music that played, which she alternated between singing and humming, the silence between us was comfortable.
I was learning her body’s signals, which made me smile. The more I uncovered, the easier it would be to get her where I wanted her. Flashes of her under me, on top of me, and bent over in front of me dried out my mouth.
“What’s that look for?”
she asked, finishing her drink.
“Just thinking about the hot springs. The last time I was there, it was perfection. Did you know you can soak sans swimsuit if you wish?”
“I’d swear if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were all of fifteen. Tell me something about yourself.”
She twisted her hands in her lap.
“Let’s see, Nikolai and I are twins. I’m the oldest by seven minutes.”
“That explains the whole bossy nature of yours. How old are you?”
“Nik and I are thirty-one. Ivan’s the baby. He’s thirty.”
“Baby? That man? Nah, he was probably born toddler-size. Ouch.”
I threw my head back in laughter. “Out of all of us children, he was actually the smallest—five measly little pounds.”
“You lie? What the hell does he eat?”
“You’re killing me.”
I was going to say more, but the pilot announced our descent. She once more grabbed my hand and squeezed her eyes closed, and I reveled in the action.
Marcus was waiting for us at the airport. I ushered her to the car, and she gave him a friendly wave, causing the normally stoic man to break out into a grin. He liked her and was the only one who hadn’t given me so much shit about my obsession.
She once more asserted herself by taking over the Bluetooth. Providing another show that left me adjusting my cock, not giving a shit if she saw.
“Marcus, what branch did you serve in?”
she asked during one of the breaks in songs, changing the mood in the car. She had a mischievous grin on her face as she stared at me.
“Who said I served?”
I could tell from his tone he was grinning.
“It’s in everything you do. In the way you look around, move, walk, and talk. How long have you been keeping the Kings safe?”
She paused, licking her lips, and I waited for her to say “and warm.”
“Special ops, Ms. Taylor. And what’s it now, Alek, five years?”
“Yes, Marcus.”
“Wow, impressive.”
She grinned. “You must feel quite safe and warm all the time," she said before addressing Marcus again. "I wonder, where did Alek find you?”
“I beg your pardon, Ms. Taylor. Are you looking for a recommendation for a bodyguard?”
He laughed.
“I may be in need of one.”
I leaned over, and her lips parted. “If you keep looking at me like that, young lady, you absolutely will.”
I grabbed her hand and kissed it, watching as her body reacted. “Full of fucking surprises. Are you flirting with me, kitten?”
“It’s the music, and maybe the wine.”
She shrugged her little shoulders.
If this was what music did to her, I’d pump that shit in her ears with the best set of headphones I could find. Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived.
The minute Marcus stopped the car, she instantly went back to being reserved. She drew in a deep breath and squared her shoulders like she was going into battle. I opened the door and helped her out, thanking Marcus.
“No problem, Boss,”
he said, not even trying to hide the mile-wide grin on his face.
Taking her trembling hand in mine, I could feel waves of apprehension coming from the beautiful woman in front of me. Her eyes were taking in the hotel’s opulence and the people milling about.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
She peered up at me with wide eyes, and the pulse at her neck was throbbing.
“You look amazing. Why wouldn’t I? All you’ve got to do is flash that smile of yours, and everyone will be eating out of the palm of your hand. Plus, there will be plenty of music playing.”
I winked, trying to calm her.
Bringing her hand to my lips, I turned it around and placed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist. Yes, her heart was frantically beating. I let my fingers linger, counting 127 beats a minute. Definitely elevated.
“Breathe with me,”
I spoke calmly, then groaned when I noticed Nik and Jenna walking over.
“Do you need some help, Brother? You know calming women is my specialty.”
Nik’s voice reached her ears, and she turned toward him and smiled.
His eyes grew wide, and he hissed, “Fuck me.”