Chapter 20
Lily
“Itold you in Edinburgh that when we got off this plane, I was going to take you to my place, and I meant that,” Brady said. “But as much as I want to tell you to come home with me, I want this to be your decision.” He ran a finger under my cheek. “Bringing you to my place will change things, Lily. I want to be sure that’s what you want.”
As I sat next to him on the couch in the main cabin, expecting the pilot to call at any moment to instruct me to get the plane ready for landing, I was repeating his words in my head. Words that, before our last night together in Scotland, I never anticipated hearing.
Because I never thought it could ever be an option.
How could I bring someone into my mess?
How could I put them at risk?
How could I even think of dating when I wanted to spend every waking second in the air?
What I knew, what I felt, what I was absolutely sure of was that if I wasn’t in the air, I wanted to be with him.
Still, it felt almost selfish of me to say, “It’s what I want.”
I didn’t know if I was being fair. If I was making the right decision for Brady. If I was truly only thinking about a happiness that I’d wanted for far too long and I knew he could give it to me.
“That’s what I was hoping you would say.” He cupped my cheeks. “You know something? I’ve never brought a woman to my house before. You’ll be the first one.”
My brows rose. “Ever?”
“Ever.”
I wasn’t the only one who had changed.
Both of us before were so drastically different from who we’d become since we found each other.
Did that make us perfect for one another?
Or stupid to think this could last?
“And you chose me?” I exhaled.
“It wasn’t really a choice. More like a need that would never go away.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a soft, sweet peck. The tingles immediately burst through my body, reminding me of the hold he had on me. Not that I needed the reminder. Everything he did just made me fall harder. But there was a giant elephant wedged between us, and it seemed wrong not to at least be honest about it.
“I have no idea if this can work.”
“But you want it to.”
“I do.”
“Then, that’s all I need to hear.”
He slammed our mouths together, his kiss rougher, needier than the one I’d given him. His hands left my cheeks and dived into my hair, pulling me closer to align our bodies. The hardness of his muscles was like iron beneath me. The heat from his skin was making me scorch. The scotch on his breath and the spiciness of his cologne—a combination I simply couldn’t get enough of.
I was being tugged between two directions. The desire to strip off this uniform and straddle his lap and ride us toward the release we both needed. Or to go to the galley and finish my duties, being the respectable, responsible Dalton employee that I was.
Before I was faced with even making that decision, the phone in the galley rang.
“Mmm,” I groaned as I pulled away from his mouth. “I have to answer that call.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
I laughed. “I wish I were.”
I wiggled out of his arms and rushed for the phone, listening to the pilot make his request. I assured him the plane would be ready to land and hung up, peeking my head into the cabin.
“Ten minutes until we’re on the ground.”
He looked feral as he said, “Get over here.”
“I can’t.” I smiled. “Not yet at least.”
“Hurry.”
I went to the counter, making sure everything was locked up and secured, and gathered my personal belongings from the drawer. My phone was on top. I hadn’t turned it back on since Brady had shut it off in my hotel room.
That was so many hours ago.
I was terrified to see the messages that were waiting for me.
Since I was going to his house after this, I probably wouldn’t have a lot of alone time. This was my only opportunity to face those messages head-on.
I didn’t want to look.
I didn’t want to torture myself.
But I also knew that if I didn’t respond, things had the potential of getting worse, and that wasn’t what I needed right now.
I held my breath as the home screen loaded, filling with all the notifications that had come in since last night in Edinburgh.
Five voice mails.
Twenty-eight texts.
All from David.
My spit felt like acid as it slowly dripped down my throat.
My hands shook.
The hair on my body was standing straight again.
I knew it was a mistake, doing this now, but I also knew I had no other choice.
I pulled up his text box and began to read.
David
Why aren’t you fucking responding to me?!
Are you fucking stupid? Haven’t I told you countless times what happens when you ignore me?
Cunt.
Answer your goddamn phone, Lily.
You’re nothing but a slut—you know that?
A little whore who had it perfect and fucked it all up.
That’s what you do—you fuck everything up.
Bitch.
You’re going to get it …
Now, my calls are going straight to voice mail? What the hell is wrong with you?
Is your fucking phone off?
You’re going to be sorry you turned off your phone.
LILY, WHY THE FUCK AREN’T YOU ANSWERING ME?!
I stopped reading and scrolled to the bottom, my hands trembling, trying to keep the phone steady as I typed out a reply, my heart pounding so hard that I couldn’t inhale.
Me
David, stop. I don’t deserve to be treated this way. I’ve been in the air, and the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. Stop throwing accusations at me that aren’t true.
I was just about to set my phone down and check the back exit when another text came in.
David
Liar. The Wi-Fi doesn’t die on private jets owned by billionaires. Do you think I’m an idiot who would believe you? You were probably fucking one of them on the plane. Weren’t you?
Slut.
Me
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
David
Yeah? Who’s Brady?
Every ounce of air left my body, and I leaned against the back wall, just to the side of my seat, giving it all my weight to make sure I didn’t fall.
How does he know?
Was it because he’d listened in on my conversation with Aubrey?
Had he been in Edinburgh?
Had my hotel room somehow been bugged?
Me
Excuse me?
David
You thought I didn’t know? That I wouldn’t find out?
Not just a slut, but a dumb slut.
Me
Again, you have no idea what you’re talking about. You have it all wrong. Please, I beg you, stop accusing me of things that aren’t true.
David
It’s not an accusation.
Me
You know nothing. You’re just reaching for things to use to punish me. I don’t deserve it, David.
David
What about Preston?
I felt all the blood drain from my face.
Me
What about him?
David
Do you remember what I did to him?
Me
I remember what you accused me of, and you were wrong about him too.
David
I wasn’t wrong. You were fucking him.
Slut.
And I made sure you never fucked him again. Is that what I have to do with Brady?
Me
No!
David
I don’t think you’re telling me the truth.
You reek of lies. Lying about the Wi-Fi, lying about?—
I stopped reading when I heard, “You’re letting him win.”
Brady.
Shit.
I slowly glanced up from my phone, and he was standing in the doorway of the galley, eyeing me up as though he were reading the texts over my shoulder.
“Do you want to tell me what he’s doing to you?” He leaned his shoulder against the entrance. “Or do you want me to tell you what I think? How I can’t stand seeing you like this, Lily. Watching the way he’s affecting you. It’s all over your face—the fear, the frustration, the anger.” He held out his hand. “Give it to me.”
“He’s n-never going to st-stop.”
The tears had already started.
So had the shaking.
I wanted to scream.
Why?
He shook his hand in the air. “Give it to me, Lily.” When I didn’t move, he nodded toward my fingers. “Give me your phone.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“I’m going to destroy it.”
It wouldn’t make a difference, but the idea of these messages vanishing into cyberspace was somewhat of a relief. At least I’d never have to read them again.
Until new ones came in.
I powered off the phone and placed it on his palm. “This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten a new phone. Each time, he finds my number.”
“But it’ll be the first time you’ll have a phone that’s owned by me.” He slid my cell into his pocket. “My assistant will bring it to you tonight at my place.”
Tonight.
Oh God.
My head dropped. “About that …”
“Fuck no.” He closed the distance between us, wrapping his arms around my waist, taking my weight off the wall to hold me against his body. “Whatever he said has freaked you out enough that you don’t want to come over. Am I right?”
I nodded. And when that didn’t feel like enough, I put my hand on his chest. “I can’t get you involved in this. It’s not right. It’s?—”
“Let me decide what I want to be involved in.” He scanned my eyes. “You’ve warned me. It’s clear how unhinged this dude is. My concern is keeping you safe. I’m not in the least bit worried about me.”
“You should be.”
His hand lifted to my cheek, his thumb rubbing my lip back and forth. “You keep forgetting who I am. The power I have. The resources that are at my disposal. Don’t worry about me, Lily. Worry about him because if that motherfucker touches you, he will die.”
Emotion was moving into my eyes.
It was falling over the rims of my eyelids.
“Brady …”
“Don’t let him do this to us.” He flattened his fingers over my cheek and moved his mouth closer. “I know what you want. I can feel it every time we’re together.”
He slid my hand to the left side of his chest. “Do you feel that? My heart is beating so fucking fast that it’s ready to come through my skin.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “That’s what you do to me. What no woman has ever done to me before. I’m not going to lose that because some asshole is spewing threats—or whatever bullshit he’s trying to fill you with. My bite is far deeper than his could ever be.” He pulled back and held my face up to his. “I’m not going to let him ruin anything between us.”
When the first tear dripped, he caught it.
“Brady …” I leaned my face into his hand, my body onto his, and I held on tighter than I ever had. Even though my brain was at war, the guilt was gnawing at me, the fear was flooding through me, I couldn’t ignore my feelings. “I care about you. So much.”
“I know.”
When our eyes finally locked again, I felt that beat that he’d described. I felt more tingles. I felt the plane start to descend, and even at that speed, I didn’t question if we’d be safe without being buckled into a seat. Because I knew—I felt that Brady wouldn’t let anything happen to us.
I wanted that.
I wanted him.
“I promise,” I whispered. “I won’t let him ruin anything.”