31. Griffin
GRIFFIN
I tug the blindfold further down Ashton’s nose. “I said no peeking, young lady.”
She giggles and grabs my hand, lacing it with hers. “I can’t help it. I’m so excited. Plus, I’m not very good with surprises.”
My lips curl upward. “You don’t say.”
From the moment we slipped into my car, and I placed the blindfold over her eyes, she’s bounced with giddiness like it’s Christmas morning.
It’s charming. My ability to make her happy makes me happy.
I’d give this woman the world if she let me.
But for tonight, I hope to make just a sliver of her dreams come true.
I pull her hand to my lips and kiss it. “Patience is a virtue.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She leans toward me over the car’s console, rubbing her shoulder against mine, like a cat begging for attention. “Can you pleeeease give me a little hint?”
She nuzzles my neck in such a way that I’m tempted to pull the car over, but instead, I grip the steering wheel tighter. I’m anxious to get to our destination.
“Nope.”
The early evening breeze rifles through our hair as I hit the gas pedal.
I picked Ashton up directly from work—wanting every ounce of this time with her.
Luke’s on dog duty with Teddy and the pups at my place.
It’s been almost a week since they’ve been staying with me and I don’t mind them in the least. Frankly, the puppies are hilarious.
They’re little demon-diggers in my backyard, but then they just look at me with their big black eyes and all is forgiven.
Ashton and I have only seen each other for a couple of hours in the evenings before she heads back to Wren’s to sleep.
While I appreciate our evenings of long chats, snuggling on my couch, and extensive make-out sessions, I’ve been dying to take her on a proper date.
But I had to make all the arrangements first. And it wasn’t an easy secret to keep.
When she emerged from the shelter tonight, I pulled her into my arms—not wanting to let her go, yet eager to get our date started.
I’d thrown some of her clothes in the back of my car for my little surprise adventure.
I figured she would want to change before our date since it’s usually the first thing she does when she gets off work due to the excessive dog hair.
Her nuzzles turn into gentle kisses along my collarbone, distracting my driving yet again.
“Stop that, you greedy woman. Just wait. You’ll see with your own eyes in about five minutes.”
She whines, but retreats.
My body aches from the absence of her warmth and soft floral scent.
I glance over to see her lips pouting and laugh. “I promise it’ll be well worth it.”
She smiles fully then, and it’s not her shy, reserved smile. It’s her full-blown, mega-watt smile she saves for rare occasions. It’s my favorite. I never realized I could get such fulfillment from something other than my career. It’s freeing, and a relief, really.
I called my dad earlier this week and made it clear my personal life choices are mine, and mine alone, to make.
He tried steamrolling me again, insisting such decisions would impact the future of my career.
But I’m tired of my career controlling my entire life.
I want to be allowed to live a life of my own—one not dictated by my career or my dad.
If the public wants to love me, they’ll have to love me for the work I do on-screen.
Off-screen is off-limits and not up for discussion.
While I’m determined in my resolve, the delivery of that speech to my dad came out a bit messy, but he got the gist. At least, instead of hanging up without saying goodbye, he said, “It’s your life to screw up. ”
Progress.
But now’s not the time to be thinking about my career or my dad. Instead, I want to focus on the beautiful woman next to me and the joy I’m about to bring her. At least, I hope so.
My silence must have been telling because Ashton squeezes my hand. “How did your talk go with your dad?”
It’s amazing how well this woman knows me, even blindfolded.
“It went well. He’s going to give me some space to make my own choices. At least, in regard to private matters.”
“He knows you’re going to be…seeing me?”
“More or less. I told him what he needed to know.”
She slumps deeper into her seat.
“Hey, hey. Not because I don’t want to, but because it’s not really his business anymore. I’m working on boundaries, remember? Besides, I don’t want to talk about my dad or work. We’re here to have fun and celebrate...us.”
“Celebrate, huh?” Her tone is teasing.
I turn the final corner, hoping she won’t hear the charter planes taking off a short distance away. “Yes, mostly the fact that you’re willing to go out with me.”
She laughs. “As if that’s such a chore?”
My lips quirk to the side and I squeeze her hand, because despite the humor in her words, my dating life has felt like a chore up until this point. I can’t remember the last time a date felt this fun. This easy.
Ashton hasn’t asked me much about my last date with Scarlet, and I’m grateful.
The whole charade has felt uncomfortable for a long time, but now, with Ashton in my life, it’s become almost painful.
I may have had the “friendship conversation” with Scarlet, but her body language on the date didn’t feel like she truly heard me.
That, or she’d played it up real strong for the paps lurking around.
I park in the designated parking lot next to the appropriate hangar and reach to the floorboard of the back seat. I plop a giant, black sun hat onto Ashton’s head.
“What’s this?” She reaches up to feel it.
“Incognito. Can’t be too careful.” I grab my ball cap from the back and slip it on. I untie the blindfold’s knot at the back of Ashton’s head. “You have arrived at your destination, madam.”
Ashton blinks into the early evening sun glaring in our direction.
I spoke to Lynn yesterday, explaining our outing.
She happily let Ashton off work early to allow us more time.
My guess is it’s actually Ashton who tends to work as much overtime as she does—not Lynn requesting it of her.
I chalk it up to Ashton’s unwavering drive to help the animals that pushes her to work so much.
“These are for you, too.” I hand her a pair of oversized black, dark-tinted sunglasses.
She arches an eyebrow. “More incognito?”
I lift a shoulder. “Never hurts. Plus, you might want to wear them as we’ll be a bit closer to the sun.”
Her brows pull together, and she turns to see the hangar behind us. More particularly, the chariot we’ll be riding in for the evening.
She gasps. “Are we doing what I think we’re doing?”
I exit the car and walk around to open her door. “If you’re thinking that little black bird will be taking us in the air tonight, then yes. We are.”
Her mouth hangs agape, her eyes not moving from the helicopter.
I tug her upward and away from the door and guide her around the car. I wrap my arms around her waist, pull her close to me, and whisper with my lips grazing her ear, “I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”
She rotates in my hold and puts her arms around my neck, planting an immense kiss on my lips. One that has me fumbling to retain my balance.
“I can’t believe you’re doing all this for me.”
I lift and spin her in the air, her hat brim knocking into mine.
She squeals, and I place her gently back on the ground.
“Surely you know by now, there’s little I wouldn’t do for you, Ashton.” My voice is soft and earnest.
She presses her lips to mine again. This time, with no hurry to end it. Heat envelops me from head to toe. I immediately respond similarly, blood coursing through my veins.
Minutes later—before my brain gets too scrambled—I pull away, but only an inch, and nudge her nose with mine. “Not that I don’t want to continue doing what we’re doing, but if we’re going to attend this stellar date I’ve planned, we better get a move on.”
“Will this date include an opportunity to continue this little moment later on?” she murmurs, toying with the zipper on my pullover.
“Absolutely.”
She giggles and presses one more tantalizing kiss to my lips. “Okay then, kind sir, lead the way.”
She settles her hand into mine, and I lead her toward the helicopter I chartered for the evening.
As we lift into the air, my heart drops into my stomach, exhilaration racing through my veins.
I’ve always wanted to learn how to fly, but my career’s time constraints have never left much time.
The sun is still high enough that it illuminates the LA skyline beautifully, as well as my gorgeous date sitting next to me.
We are wearing large, awkward headsets that reduce the chopper’s noise, allowing us to talk.
Ashton snuggles closer, wrapping her arm through mine and squeezing. “In case I forget to tell you, I had a wonderful time tonight.”
I laugh. “Let’s get to the date first, and then you can tell me.”
“This is all part of it. The whisking me away, the surprise adventure. It’s all wonderful, and I appreciate every moment of it.”
The sincerity of her compliment presses against my chest, threatening my heart’s steady rhythm.
I had no idea doing something for someone else would feel this powerful.
It’s greater than any applause or award I’ve ever received and it makes all the nonsense I’ve put myself through the past year with Scarlet moot.
I don’t care what the public thinks of me or the silly roles I play, so long as this woman is beside me.
Maybe this is love? A willingness to place your own goals to the side and make another person happy?
Roughly thirty minutes later, we land in an expansive, fenced field with tall grass and two houses nearby.
After touching the ground safely, the pilot Glen turns toward us. “I’ll return at twenty hundred hours to pick you back up. Is that okay with you, boss?”
“Sounds great. Thank you.”
He salutes us.
We both remove the headsets. I help Ashton exit the helicopter and lean in to retrieve the basket of supplies I had delivered to the airport.
We sprint across the field, the blades whipping Ashton’s hair in every direction.
She laughs exuberantly over the noise. Once we’re far enough away, the helicopter takes off, leaving us in a massive field with nothing but the birds chirping and insects buzzing.
Ashton spins in a slow circle. “What is this place?”
I grab her hand and tug her toward the secondary property. “Let me show you.”