Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
W here the hell was he?
Savannah checked the time on her phone again. And also noticed the lack of texts and missed calls.
It had been almost thirty minutes since the plane had landed. She’d gone to the restroom and freshened up, grabbed gum from the gift shop, and made her way to baggage claim and had now been sitting here waiting for Theo for almost twenty minutes.
And she hadn’t seen him or heard from him.
What the hell was going on?
She was actually starting to worry. Was he okay? Had he gotten sick on the plane? No one would have thought to notify her if he wasn’t able to. No one knew they were traveling together.
She’d put him in coach as a joke, and he’d grinned at her. He totally got it. And later he’d somehow “punish” her for it. Then, on the way back to Louisiana, he’d be up in first class with her. Which, depending on how this trip went, could be amazing, or completely terrible.
Now, though, she was regretting not being right beside him.
Her bag was sitting by her feet and after everyone else from their flight had claimed their bags and left the area, the airline staff had pulled the five remaining bags from the carousel and put them to the side in preparation for the next flight’s luggage being loaded to the same carousel.
Savannah had gone to the unclaimed bags, checked their tags, and pulled Theo’s big black duffle bag out of the collection and kept it with her hard sided purple case while she waited.
And waited.
This airport was not that big.
She stood, ready to go find airport security, when she heard a familiar deep, male voice say, “You’ve been such a help. Thank you.”
And a definitely feminine voice say, “Oh, it’s absolutely my pleasure. I’m so glad we got seated together.”
Savannah turned to find Theo walking toward her, accompanied by a very pretty woman about their age. She was dressed in an off-the-shoulder green sweater, blue jeans, and brown boots. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, and she carried a brown leather shoulder bag. She looked very girl-next-door. And she was gazing up at Theo with an obvious I’ve-got-a-serious-crush look on her face.
A sharp jab of jealousy poked Savannah right beneath her breastbone and she sighed. She was annoyed that she was jealous, but she wasn’t surprised. She really liked Theo Taggart. She more than liked him. And yes, it was the kind of more-than-liking that would make her jealous of other women getting his attention.
Well, fuck. This is what she got for seating him back there on his own.
He couldn’t have been his usual quiet , gruff self? He had to be all grinning and talkative and cute?
She crossed her arms and waiting for them to get to her.
“Hey, City Girl,” Theo greeted.
“Hey,” she said. “Did you get lost?”
He chuckled. “Kind of. Or I would have, if not for Molly here.”
Savannah looked at Molly. “Really? This airport is so small.”
“But he’s never flown before,” Molly said, as if that was the most adorable thing she’d ever heard. “So I explained how baggage claim and everything works. But he also wanted to explore the airport a little and almost got in trouble with security.” She giggled and reached over to squeeze Theo’s arm. “I was able to explain that he was just excited. He had questions about security and layovers and things since this was a direct flight.”
Savannah stared at her for a few seconds. She didn’t love that Molly had been giving Theo tips and a tour, but that wasn’t what hit her hardest.
No, that was the realization that she’d let him down.
And that she’d missed out on answering his questions and explaining how all this new-to-him travel stuff worked.
Well… fuck .
She hadn’t thought of the fact that he would have questions and would be curious and would want to know more about how airports work. Not that this airport in particular mattered, but maybe he would find all airports interesting. She kind of did. Not necessarily the buildings themselves—though some of them were kind of cool—but she did love to people watch. Savannah felt her heart thump hard in her chest and disappointment hit her hard. She should have thought more about this being his first time flying. She should have been the one answering his questions and giving him a tour of the airport.
Finally, she made herself look up at Theo. He’d been watching her this entire time, not saying anything.
“Oh.” That was all she said.
“Molly was sitting in the same row but across the aisle,” he said. “The guy next to me was also a big dude and she offered to switch with him when she saw that we were pretty cramped for space. She was next to a little girl and her mom. The little girl was a lot smaller, and she loved the guy’s dog. So it was a good switch in a lot of ways.”
“Definitely,” Molly said with a big smile.
“Molly taught me all about travel miles on credit cards and frequent flier programs and everything,” Theo said. “Did you know that you can accumulate points and get free flights?”
When Savannah looked up at him, he gave her a wink.
So he knew his coach seat had cost her fewer points than one in first class would have. And he suspected that she’d had enough to put him up in first with her.
She got all of that from that one wink.
God, she liked him. But she forced herself not to smile.
“Molly thinks I should definitely start using a credit card that will get me travel points,” Theo went on. “She said a big guy like me would be a lot more comfortable in first class. The seats up there have more leg room.”
“Oh, definitely,” Molly piped up. “I mean, I’m very glad you were in coach today.” She smiled up at him as if he’d flown the plane and landed them in spite of one wing being ripped off and the engine dying. Then she swept her gaze up and down his body as she said, “But you’d be more comfortable in first, for sure.”
Savannah pressed her lips together. Theo was born lucky, or something. He didn’t even have to do anything to make her regret sitting him in coach. Molly was doing all that work.
Savannah took a deep breath and decided that she was going to get this back under control. He was here with her . And she wasn’t going to let some pretty little seasoned traveler sashay her cute-sweater-and-boot self into Theo’s thoughts during this trip.
Savannah couldn’t go back to before she missed being with him during his first flight, but she could make the rest of this trip fun and memorable. He’d been to North Carolina before, but he hadn’t been with her or to the Monroe Family Farm. And maybe he’d had sleigh rides and hot chocolate and made out to Christmas carols, but she was going to make sure this was the best sleigh ride, hot chocolate, and Christmas-carol-make-out he’d ever had.
And it wasn’t just about Molly.
Savannah really was sorry she’d missed some of these firsts and his excitement and she didn’t want to miss any more of it.
“Well, I’m glad you finally found your way down here,” Savannah said, stepping to his side and looping her arm though his. “We should get to the inn and check in before it gets too late.”
“Sounds good,” Theo said. He nodded at his bag on the floor. “You grabbed my bag?”
“I couldn’t risk it getting lost. My vibrators are in there,” she said casually, reaching for the handle on her roller bag.
Savannah felt Theo pause and his arm tense. But he simply cleared his throat and leaned to grab his bag.
“Um, so, I—” Molly started. Her eyes were darting back and forth between them.
It was fair that she was a little confused, Savannah figured. She and Theo hadn’t been sitting together, and he hadn’t, apparently, said anything about meeting someone.
“Thanks again for helping me out,” Theo said. “And sitting next to you was so much nicer than sitting next to the other guy.”
Molly gave him a big smile. “Of course. And you have my number. If you need anything while you’re here. Or another time you’re in town.”
“I do. Thanks,” Theo said.
Savannah actually felt her mouth open to respond. But she had no idea what to say. That he wouldn’t be needing Molly’s number? That would be a ridiculous thing to say. No, he wouldn’t need Molly during this trip. But his family lived here. Or near here. Who was Savannah to say that he’d never call the other woman? She had no claim on Theo’s future trips.
But then she was so startled by the next thought that she completely forgot what she’d been about to say anyway.
She wanted to claim Theo’s future trips. The ones to North Carolina and trips to other places.
Right now, seeing Theo Taggart in an airport, far from Louisiana, hearing that he’d been curious and excited about the airport and how everything worked…
Would he be interested in more travel?
Where would he want to go?
How fun would it be to show him places he’d love because of the gorgeous outdoor spaces like Colorado and Vermont and Washington State?
And how fun would it be to show him places very unlike Louisiana? Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C.
Savannah watched Molly grab her suitcase and start for the exit.
It wasn’t until Theo said, “Hey, you okay?” that she focused back on this moment.
Savannah looked up at him. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
She was shaken, actually.
She wanted to travel with Theo.
She wanted to show him new places. She wanted to find places he would love and plan trips that they’d both enjoy, doing things she knew they’d both love but also new-to-them-both things that they could experience together for the first time.
Oh…wow. This could be really bad.
Because if he hated that idea, if he said anything like ‘I have everything I need in Louisiana, why would I want to go anywhere else?’ it would break her heart.
“You sure?” He was frowning. “You look weird.”
“Uh, thanks.” She gave him an eyeroll because she figured he’d expect that. She swallowed, trying to find some sass. “It’s probably boredom that you’re seeing in my eyes. I’ve been sitting here waiting forever.”
“Well, I didn’t know how this whole thing worked. If they brought our bags to us somewhere, or if you hoity-toity first-class people got to wait somewhere separate from the rest of us riff-raff or what.”
He grinned and Savannah felt her lower body clench. Fuck. He was so hot when he was…okay, doing anything. Dammit. But this teasing side combined with the little-boy-experiencing-new-things was fucking adorable.
“If I had my way, they would…” She trailed off on her snarky response about keeping the people who fly coach in another area. She swallowed and finally just said, “I’m sorry.”
Theo’s brow creased. “Sorry for what?”
“For not waiting upstairs for you. It didn’t even occur to me that you wouldn’t know what to do or where to go. And…I should have gotten you a seat with me. That was just me being bitchy.” Her gaze was locked on the neckline of the long-sleeved t-shirt he wore.
He was wearing that long-sleeved, dark gray shirt with his jeans and boots like it was his damned job. He looked so good. The cotton molded to his shoulders, chest and abs and…well, she knew exactly what those jeans were doing to his ass without looking. She’d ogled his ass enough in the time she’d known him.
She felt no ill will for Molly. The girl had no option other than to find Theo extremely attractive and to stick by his side for as long as she possibly could.
Savannah felt Theo’s finger under her chin and he tipped her face up to look into his eyes. “I’m a big boy, City Girl.”
“Yes. I’m aware. Didn’t we already cover that in Molly’s verbal essay about you deserving first class?”
He grinned. “Yes, in that way, I’m big.”
Savannah felt her body heat. And she could tell that he knew that’s what was happening.
“But I’m also an adult who is capable of reading signs and asking questions and Googling things when I need to figure them out.”
“Or leaning on new friends to help you.”
He nodded. “Exactly.”
“I still should have been the one.”
“I would have much preferred to talk to you during the flight, and to wander the airport with you. But I’m also sorry that I didn’t realize Molly was stalling.”
“You think she was?”
He looked around and chuckled softly. “It seems that way. I didn’t know that you just come straight down and get your bags. I thought maybe they brought them up where we got off the plane and we were waiting for that. Or that it would take a long time to get them.” He shrugged. “I hadn’t really worried about those details ahead of time and when I asked Molly how I picked up my bag, she said ‘come with me’, and…I did.”
Savannah shook her head. “It’s okay. She saw a hot guy alone and needing help and did what any single woman her age would have done. She shot her shot.”
“Except I’m not alone.”
Savannah felt that stab of regret again. “Seemed that way. Which is my fault.”
“I’m not upset,” he said.
“You’re not? You’re sure? I do feel bad.”
“Nah.” His smile turned a little wicked. “Because now you have to make it up to me.”
Savannah felt her stomach flip. Theo often came off a little gruff. Or broody. Very introverted, and quiet, at the very least.
But he wasn’t like that with her anymore. Oh, he used to be. But now he was flirty and liked to tease and seemed to read her in a way very few people could.
“I guess you’re right,” she said thoughtfully. “I’ll have to come up with something appropriate.”
“I’ll make a list,” he said. Then he grabbed her hand. “Let’s go get our car.” He started toward the rental car counters.
“You know about renting cars?” she asked, letting him tug her along, enjoying the feel of holding his hand and the flirty air around them, and that he’d forgiven her for her thoughtlessness.
“Never done it,” he admitted. “But I assume we’ll need a car, and unless you’re just going to buy one, I assume you’ll rent one, and these big signs say RENTAL CARS, so I kind of added two plus two plus two and got to six.”
Savannah laughed. “Molly didn’t teach you about rental cars?”
He stopped so suddenly she almost ran into him. He turned to look down at her. “I don’t care about Molly,” he said firmly. “She was a nice woman who actually did give me a few helpful tips about travel points. But the entire time she was talking, I was wondering how many points it would take to buy three coach seats for the next trip you and I take.”
“Three?” Her voice sounded breathless.
He moved in closer, until he was nearly standing on top of her. “The first-class seats are too far apart, whereas if we had all three seats in a row in back, we could cover up with a blanket, and I could finger you underneath it and get you off at least twice during an hour flight. And doing that to you while you have to maintain your buttoned-up, serious business woman facade would be hot as hell.”
Savannah worked on breathing. And not drooling.
He leaned in slightly. “I will not be calling Molly. Ever. And I didn’t talk to her to make you jealous, though I’ll admit, I fucking love that you are. But the next time you bring up her name, I’m going to spank your sweet ass for it, got it?”
Savannah had the most intense, strange reaction to all of that.
Her stomach flipped in surprise over how serious he was as he rattled all of that off. She believed every word. Her pussy clenched and her panties got wet almost immediately because…yes, please. And her heart tripped because he was talking about them taking another trip together.
She wanted that.
All of that.
Another trip, the coach seats, him making her come while she tried to stay stoic…and the spanking. A little. Okay, more than she would have expected.
And another trip.
“Savannah?” he asked, his voice gruff as she continued to just stare up at him. “Got it?”
She swallowed. “Yep.”
“Okay.” Then he turned and started for the rental car counter, tugging her along again.