Chapter 28
Lily
“I’m dying to know where you’re taking me,” I said to Brady from the backseat of the SUV, the one that had picked us up directly after landing in Dallas.
The pilots and Diesel had stayed on the plane—something I found so odd—while only Brady and I took off. Things became even stranger when, so far, we hadn’t left the grounds of the airport. Every time I thought we were going to turn off onto the main road, we just continued to circle.
“Let’s say I’m tapping into your knowledge of aircrafts.”
His eyes were an even lighter blue in the sun.
“My knowledge?” I laughed.
His fingers dived into the back of my hair. “With the number of years you have in your career, you know things from a perspective that I don’t.”
“Like?”
“What size cabin comfortably fits a certain amount of people. What type of storage is beneficial in the galley. What’s the most practical layout for the main cabin. Shit like that.”
“And why do you need that kind of information?”
The SUV came to a stop, and I peeked through the windshield. We were parked in front of a hangar where two men, professionally dressed, were waiting outside.
“Because I’m buying a plane.”
The driver opened the backseat door.
And that was when Brady nodded toward the outside and said, “After you, my expert.”
“You could certainly come up with a better title than that, couldn’t you?” I winked at him.
“Are you sure you want me to? Because the title I come up with isn’t going to be appropriate, and the last thing I want to do is to get you wet right now”—he tightened his grip on the back of my head—“and not be able to get you off for the next couple of hours.”
A man who endlessly took care of me—not only mentally, but physically too.
Unicorns really did exist.
“That would be cruel.” I smiled. “Let’s go with expert, then. I kinda like the sound of that anyway.”
I giggled as I climbed out, waiting for Brady to join me, and he walked me toward the men.
Introductions were quickly made, and I learned that one was the CEO of the aviation company while the other was the head of manufacturing. As we entered the large, oversized hangar, we were joined by the director of sales.
Although the majority of my experience was in commercial flying, I knew my way around an aircraft of any size and could easily answer the questions Brady asked as we toured the private jets in their fleet. There were seven for us to look at. Each one was a bit different in engine size, capacity, and layout. But it was almost as though the company knew exactly what plane would suit Brady’s needs the most and saved that one for last.
As soon as we entered the final jet, there was no question in my mind that this was the plane he needed to purchase. Pure luxury, with details and finishes that had been selected by someone with an impeccable eye for design. An interior that would not only fit him, his family, his coworkers—whoever he needed to bring on board—but would also be a functional space to get work done, sleep, and even host a meeting.
The head of manufacturing finished the tour after pointing out all the important features, and Brady told the group he needed a moment alone with me to chat. The two men and woman departed the jet, leaving Brady and me in the center of the main cabin.
I took a seat next to him on one of the soft, buttery leather couches as he asked, “What do you think of their planes?”
“I can’t comment on the engine or the cockpit—that’s out of my realm of knowledge. But I can tell you that from the boarding door to the galley, these planes are gorgeous. And in comparison to the Daltons’ jet, in my opinion, the ones we just toured are better.”
“Wouldn’t that bite Dominick’s ass if he’d just overheard you?”
I laughed. “Let’s keep that a secret between us, okay?”
He gave me a smile. “Do you have a favorite out of the seven?”
I nodded.
“Is it this one?” he asked.
“It is.”
“Mine too. I can see myself spending a lot of time in here.” He glanced around the cabin, giving me a view of his delicious scruff, his stare eventually returning to me. “Cole and Spade Hotels only has one plane presently that we share among all seven partners. It’s a fucking shit show. We’re constantly fighting for it, and the jet, on average, is booked out for weeks in advance. I can never get it when I need it.”
“Will this be yours or the company’s?”
He stretched his other arm out across the back of the couch. “The company’s, but mostly mine. I’ve told you I’m going back and forth to Edinburgh every week, this will be the plane I’ll be taking. That doesn’t leave much time, maybe two days a week, for my other partners to use it while I’m in LA.”
“This will be the perfect jet for international trips.” I pointed toward the rear, where a bedroom had been built, accommodating a queen-size bed. “You’re going to be exhausted from that much travel, but having it equipped with a bedroom and a full shower is certainly going to help.”
He reclined, putting his legs over the built-in ottoman, folding his arms behind his head. “You’re right. It’ll be a good fit.” He was silent as he stared at me. “It’s only missing one thing …”
I couldn’t imagine what he was referring to. This plane had more upgrades and bells and whistles than any home I’d ever lived in. It wasn’t higher end. It was the highest end.
“What would that be?”
A slow, beautiful smile came across his lips. “You.”
“Me?”
“Cole and Spade Hotels would like to hire you to be the full-time flight attendant on this jet. The position would start in a week, after you’ve completed your contract with the Daltons. I have all the paperwork with me, so you can review the requirements and what it entails. Of course, it would come with full benefits, an extremely competitive salary, time off, a housing allowance—everything you need.”
I felt my head shaking back and forth while I listened. While I processed. While I tried to decide if this was even real. “You’re seriously offering me a job?”
His hand dropped from the back of his head and landed on my shoulder. “Yes, but I want to make something clear because I don’t want the purpose of this to get misconstrued.” He played with the ends of my hair. “I need someone who has your level of experience and can handle flying back and forth to the UK every week. That’s why you’re being offered this position, not because you’re my girlfriend.”
My thoughts were still all over the place.
A job?
With the Spades and Coles?
An opportunity that was exactly what I wanted, like the ones I’d been applying for.
“I appreciate your faith in me,” I told him.
When he exhaled, the air hit my face. “You’ve told me you’re applying to other jobs. Opportunities that could take you away from LA. Do I want you to go? Fuck no. I want you here. I want you with me. And I’d be lying if I said that didn’t factor into it, but your skills and knowledge are the main reason you’re being offered this.” He paused, but his eyes intensified as they gazed at me. “I need you to know this, and I need you to believe me when I say this: If you don’t take this position, that won’t change the way I feel about you or what will happen between us. I don’t want you to feel any pressure. It’s either right for you or it isn’t. But your decision won’t affect us.”
The excitement of the opportunity was building inside me, but it wasn’t as simple as saying yes or no. There were other factors at play, like Brady having partners in the business. If Dominick knew about my situation, then I imagined Brady’s brothers did as well. Brothers who would also be my boss.
What did they think about this?
Were they concerned that they were offering employment to someone with an ex like mine?
That I was entering their company with baggage no one, including myself, would want to deal with?
I turned toward him, positioning my elbow on the cushion, holding my face with the palm of my hand. “Let’s say I take it. I’ll be sleeping with the boss. Would your other partners be all right with that?”
“Macon is dating an employee. Cooper is dating one of our partners. My cousin, Jo, is married to Jenner—I’ve told you this. It’s not an issue.”
“But what about Ridge and Rhett? What would they think?—”
“I don’t give a fuck what either of them thinks. As far as I’m concerned, they’re not allowed to have an opinion about this.” As he studied my eyes, I could feel him hitting my soul. “Are you really worried about my partners’ thoughts on us dating, or is it something else much deeper than that?”
I worried about everything.
Each layer.
Always.
That was the problem about me.
The other problem was that I used to keep those feelings in. I didn’t share them with anyone. And instead of getting resolved, they would fester, making me feel even worse.
Until Brady had gotten me to talk and purge.
Like he was doing now.
“It goes deeper,” I admitted.
“Talk to me.”
I took a deep breath. “I don’t want your partners to pity my situation and think I’m being offered this because it’s your way of keeping me safe and protected.”
“Lily …”
“I know it’s not. I know you said you need a flight attendant with my level of experience. I believe all of that.” A knot was forming in my throat. Still, after all this time, it was hard to admit that I’d gotten myself into this situation. “But my past is unique. It’s challenging, it involves someone unstable and threatening, and I don’t want them to think I’m some kind of?—”
“I’m going to stop you right there.” His hands surrounded my face. “No one enters a relationship without something. Shit, I came to you with the inability to commit because I never wanted to or cared about it.” His voice was stern but soft at the same time, like he wanted to be heard, but he didn’t want the words to hurt.
“You have an ex—so fucking what? Some people have a kid or five or, hell, twelve. Some people are in the midst of taking care of their ailing parents. Some are drowning in debt. Some don’t have the ability to trust. Some are mourning.”
He moved in closer. “What I’m saying is, my partners are far from perfect, and they don’t expect you to be. But I promise, they’d never question my motive. They know I wouldn’t bring someone into our company unless they were qualified.”
He tucked a chunk of hair behind my ear. “I want you to think about it. You don’t have to make a decision now. And if you want to talk about it more, we can. If you want to meet with my partners, we can do that too.” He rubbed his thumb over my lips. “But if you say yes, this is going to be your new office, baby.”