Chapter 3
“Made it with time to spare,” Brielle sighed with a small fist pump.
She was relieved she didn’t have to listen to the attendants count down the closing of the doors as she attempted to leap over suitcases to get there.
The fact that the board said the flight was delayed didn’t detract from her satisfaction in conquering the holiday bedlam.
Finding one of the only free seats in the waiting area, she tried to ignore the incessant buzz of voices, combined with the incoherent overhead announcements. It seemed to reverberate off the darkened wall of windows and high ceilings, making the overcrowded space feel more chaotic.
The rich aroma of coffee wafted around her, making her wish she had made a quick stop. However, a mini-date with her mystery man would have been irresistible. Not hers. Of course not. She had a career to get back on track. There was no room for delicious distractions like him.
“Even if he’s come to your rescue again?” The smooth baritone that was becoming familiar sent a warm tingling through her. She forgot to wonder what else she had said out loud when a tall paper cup appeared in front of her as if it was floating on a cloud.
“We have to stop meeting like this, Americano.” She wrapped her hands around the beverage and breathed in the soothing citrusy vanilla scent of her favorite drink before turning to find him in the seat behind hers.
After months of him lingering on the periphery of her life, she wondered why he had chosen now to come forward.
“It’s just coffee. You don’t need to look so concerned.” He was so close, his minty breath caressed her cheek, so only she could hear how well he saw through her.
“Thank you for this. I really needed the pick-me-up. How did you know where to find me?” Happier to see him again than she expected, she chose to believe it was just from the habit of seeing him around so often.
“It wasn’t hard, considering we’re on the same flight.” He said it so simply that it took her a moment to process.
“You’re going to Washington, DC, too?” Her effort to tamp down her excitement was unsuccessful.
“That’s what the ticket says,” he grinned, holding up the boarding pass for her to read.
“It also says ‘pre-check’.” He looked abashed as she pointed to the words in the corner.
“Hey, you’re the ones who were looking for each other in line. Do you want to change seats?” The overly helpful man next to her asked, confirming her hunch that Ethan had done some arranging for them to be in line together. Not that she minded.
“If it’s cool with you…” His soulful brown eyes sought her answer to his unspoken question.
Her friends would probably tell her to be cautious of the man who inexplicably appeared everywhere she went.
But as a master marketer, no matter her boss’s accusations, she had done her research on him after covertly taking a picture of him.
Once she knew her white knight worked for a security firm, it was just a question of whether he was investigating her or protecting her, for which she still didn’t have an answer.
She wasn’t sure how long he had been following her, but he had become more transparent about it after the coffee shop mix-up, even giving her a nod or a smile the times he caught her gazing at him.
When her life felt upside down, he seemed to be the only constant, giving her a sense of safety and grounding.
“Uh… sure. I mean, we’re going to be boarding soon, but it would be good not to have to twist around to talk to you.
” She stumbled through her thoughts. Another type of person might be concerned that he was a stalker.
“It’s nice to be able to look directly into those beautiful green eyes, London,” he said, sliding into the seat next to her.
“No coffee for you?” She felt her cheeks flush at his compliment.
“I hit my limit earlier today,” he responded, stowing his bag under his legs.
“You went out of your way just for me?” She held the drink a little tighter, feeling like it was even more precious.
“Things that are important are worth it.”
“Ethan, all those mornings at the coffee shop, you had to have seen how crazy my days are. I’m a hot mess when I start, and things go downhill from there.
I can’t be anyone’s anything right now.” She may have admitted how often she noticed him, but that didn’t undermine the fact that she didn’t have time for herself, let alone anyone else.
“I don’t mean it like that. I’m in a similar situation. I want to get to know you, talking and hanging out.” Did he have a boss who judged his every move and hunted him down if he wasn’t ten minutes early for a meeting, like hers? Or was it a more general thing, like his life was hectic?
“You mean like… friends?” If she were honest with herself, there’s no way she could be just friends with Ethan, not even if it included benefits.
It wasn’t just that she found him sexy as hell, but he was the epitome of the kind of guy she had always hoped for: smart, kind, and attentive.
She couldn’t reciprocate all of that while her career was in shambles.
“Maybe we don’t put a label on it just yet.” He rubbed one of her braids between his fingers before moving it behind her shoulder. The intimate gesture seemed to say so much more, but she refused to think about it.
“Passengers on Flight 1122, direct to Washington DC, Reagan National Airport, please be advised that your flight has been delayed. If you need assistance, please go to the airline’s customer service desk.”
“What?” The crowd seemed to exclaim in unison.