Chapter 29 #2
"I think you already know the answer to that," Claire said. “But I assure you that the details remain between you and me.”
"Your father is a wonderful man." Jay threw his gaze toward her flat. "I'm so sorry he's not feeling well."
"Me too. Standing and shooting clay pigeons all day did him no favors. He put on a brave front but he's hurting. The car ride back would have killed him. That's why I insisted he stay here tonight. I hope you're not upset that I—"
Jay held up a hand. "Don't even think about apologizing. I've really enjoyed spending time with him—Hamish and Molly too. These last few days with you and your family have been like an answered prayer, Claire."
"For me too,” she said softly.
He locked on her with serious eyes. "I don't want to say good-bye to you."
"Then don’t get stuck in California like last time,” she said. “Promise me that you're really coming to New York."
"The minute I'm free," he reassured her. "In fact, why don’t you let me take care of your hotel.”
“Avi’s covering everything. They’ll book my hotel.”
“Well, there are hotels and then there are hotels. Tell Isaac you’ll take care of your own hotel arrangements. How can he say no to saving the company a little money? Then, you can meet me at a little place that's the nearest thing to heaven."
"The Empire State building?" she questioned.
"Just like in the movie."
"No way," she protested with a firm shake of her head.
"What could be more romantic?” he asked. “You, me, and the city that never sleeps lit up at our feet. We can meet at the top and then go to a late dinner."
"You're forgetting what happened in the movie. Deborah Kerr never made it, remember?"
"Just don't look up. Keep your eyes in front of you and you'll be fine."
"I don’t know,” Claire said. “I'm kind of superstitious."
Jay stepped closer, their bodies now touching. "Nothing's going to happen. Now kiss me, and say you’ll help me live out my Affair to Remember fantasy."
He gently traced her lips with his thumb.
One word and she’d ditch her father and follow him back to his apartment.
Heck, she’d follow him anywhere. No man had ever captured her this way.
A moment later his lips were on hers. It didn't matter how he kissed her—light and playful or deep and passionate—it always left her with one thought: How did I ever survive without this man in my life?
"I'm crazy about you, Jay Avery," Claire said.
He didn't say anything but kissed her once more. A kiss that spoke volumes. His fingers lingered in her hair before he pulled away and smiled.
"That's because you're falling hard for me, and you know that if I don't get in this car right now—"
"You know, you don't have to leave. It's not as fancy as your James Bond sofa but there's plenty of room on my couch," she suggested.
"What about your father?" he asked, one eyebrow cocked.
"Let him get his own couch," she teased.
Claire quietly closed the door of her flat. She turned to find her father standing behind her wearing a larger than usual grin.
“That's some man, Ms. Jordan," he said.
Claire smiled back. "Yes, he is."
"By the look of things, I bet you won't be a Ms. for long."
"Oh, Dad, seriously… we're taking things very slowly."
"You may be, but he's definitely not."
Claire folded her arms. "What? He confided in you secretly? When Molly and I excused ourselves right before dessert?"
"The man doesn't have to say a word. I spent years in military intelligence. If anything, my ability to read people is matched only by my appreciation of fine distilled spirits."
"You're that good, huh?"
"Zen and the art of observation." He draped a loving arm around her shoulder. "I'm a master."
"And just what exactly were these Zen-induced observations?" She followed him into her bedroom where they sat down together on her bed.
"It's all there, my dear. Every time he looked at you." Harry sighed. "The man is captivated. Completely, totally, utterly captivated."
"Maybe you just see what you want to see,” Claire said. “Or maybe you were looking at him through vodka-colored glasses."
"I know what a man in love looks like. I know because I saw one in the mirror every morning for years."
Claire let silence sit between them for a moment. Harry’s gaze drifted over her shoulder, as if her mother’s memory had a physical weight in the room. Then he cleared his throat, forcing the moment back into motion. “Mom would have loved to have been out at the estate this week with us.”
Claire reached and gave his hand a tender squeeze. “She was with us. She’s always with us.”
Though he'd put up a pretty good fight, Harry finally conceded and agreed to take her bed. She tossed her pillow on the couch and snuggled down under her favorite blanket. In the back of her mind, she heard Molly's voice and the wisdom she'd shared in a recent phone conversation.
We're having fun. I'm trying to play it cool.
She and Jay would be together in a few days, with one of her most favorite cities at their feet.
Then what? It was no secret that his presence in London was temporary and that he would return to California full time at some point.
Silver Screen was quickly becoming a runaway train.
His brand was gaining global appeal and dozens of companies were desperate to combine forces and grab a slice of his success.
But his life resided on the West Coast. Her life was now firmly rooted in the UK.
Suddenly, the words she'd spoken so definitively over a year ago echoed loudly inside her head…
I don't want a relationship that exists between airports.