27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lina
I stand in the middle of the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of wine. Glancing at my full luggage, still needing to be unpacked from my recent trip, I think seriously about buying new clothes. The most tedious part of being a flight attendant is unpacking and repacking every few days. Not to mention the real disdain I have for wrinkled clothes at this point. Although rolling does help, there are some creases that are unavoidable. Pulling my mouth to the side, I think about how good online shopping would feel right now.
Then, my eyes find their way to the dining area, where my small circle table is covered in bouquets of white roses. It was a pain to ship them home, but it was worth being able to look at them all the time. They’ve filled my entire townhome with the sweetest scent. I catch myself grinning lustfully while taking a sip of my wine.
I haven’t spoken to Carter in a couple of days, and I’m surprised at how much I miss him. Now that I’m home and I know he is as well, I’m antsy about seeing him.
Yes, a new pair of shoes will fix this. I set my glass down and lean my hip against the counter. Swiping into my favorite shopping app gives me a little rush of serotonin. If the timing could not be worse, the app closes as a call comes through from my mother.
“Hi, Mom,” I answer the call. Of course, after a brief return greeting, she immediately starts talking about herself.
“I can’t believe how many people came up to me to compliment that the masquerade ball was the best event they’d been to all year.” She strokes her own ego with apparent joy.
She’s referring to the rich donors in the small group of people who come to these events to throw their money around. Most of the time, they’re honored on stage, have exclusive tables, and get access to things the rest of the attendees don’t. They love the perks and adulation.
“That’s so great to hear,” I rattle off my canned response, half rolling my eyes. I guess it is in the name of charity, so I let her pompous, self-serving nature slide this time.
“I barely saw you the whole evening. I hope you were able to make your rounds. I know a lot of people expected you to mingle with them,” she passive-aggressively asks, even though she’s aware that I spent the evening away from all that superficial garbage.
“Yeah, of course I did,” I reply, clutching the bowl of my wineglass. “But my friends were also there to enjoy the event. I spent most of my time with them.”
I don’t want to have this conversation anymore. It will only make me more tired and bothered.
She audibly huffs. “As my daughter, I expect more from you during these events.”
“Oh, don’t I know that?” I retort.
“It’s important to keep up appearances. That was a very expensive and exclusive charity event, and sometimes I don’t think you realize how certain things look to others.”
Here we go again, the speech about how important other people’s opinions are.
“I don’t give fuck about what other people think,” I snap. “You know that.”
She exhales. “I do. But you’re my daughter, and sometimes you have to put yourself aside.”
I shake my head even though she can’t see my reaction. “I’m never going to do that. What did you call me for?”
“I wanted to know if you’d heard anything from the event?”
“Like what?”
“If people liked it or not.” Her response is tight as if I should have known what she meant. I walk over to the living room and drop onto the thick cushions of my white sectional. She drives me fucking crazy, but she is who she is, and I can’t change her.
“The people I spoke with said they had a lovely time. You did a great job on this event.” I tuck my phone into the crook of my neck.
“Really? I knew it. I have a gift, Lina. I do.” My comment helped her ego grow. It’s sickening, and I hate participating in inflation.
“Yeah.”
“Did anyone say anything about my dress?” she prods. “It was worth more than your jeep.”
“That’s nice, Mom.” I bite my tongue as sarcastic comments roll in. “It was beautiful.”
“And it was custom,” she adds .
“Fabulous.”
“How’s Zoe?” She changes the subject now that her narcissistic bucket is filled.
“She’s good. Her midterm GPA is 3.75,” I say, proud of my sister’s economically savvy use of men for her schoolwork.
“I hope she’s learning a lot in her business classes. She never wants to talk to me about school.”
I glance upstairs in the direction of my sister’s room. “What kid does?”
“Her dad is so worried about her excelling in her marketing and business classes.”
I giggle, thinking about how my sister is using her entrepreneurial passion. “Oh, she is. Tell him not to worry. She’ll be running a successful business in no time.”
“That’s nice. Okay, well, I have to run. Elijah and I are going to opening night at the opera house tonight.”
“Have fun.”
Wiggling into the fluffy pillows, I stare at the ceiling and wonder how I’m going to spend my free night at home. Avery is flying, Piper is in California, and Bailey and Mason are probably being the perfect little “Leave It to Beaver” family.
A bottle of wine, takeout, and a romantic comedy movie are calling my name. I lift off the couch and head to the kitchen, but suddenly, I feel emptiness.
I wonder what Carter is doing. I do miss him. Why does nothing else sound appealing right now? I pace in my living room for a few minutes before deciding that I’m going to see him. A smile crawls across my face as a thought forms. I’m going to surprise him at his place. If he’s not home, then I’ll text. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see me.
By the time I pull up to his building, I’m crawling out of my skin with excitement. My chest feels light and free. It’s an unplanned meeting, and these are my favorite ones with him. Bouncing from one foot to the other, I walk right up to the lobby on the first floor. From the corner of my eye, I see two women walking in the courtyard with a small dog. One I recognize—his neighbor, Abby.
The recognizable woman with the long brown hair waves me over. “Carter’s friend, right?”
I smile and tent my eyes from the later afternoon sun. “Yeah. Lina.”
“He’s not home. Usually, on Sunday nights, he flies his plane,” she tells me.
The other woman, now holding their small dog, nods in agreement. “He keeps it at the small airport in Scottsdale.”
I smile. “Thank you so much.”
“Oh, this is my girlfriend, Ashley.” Abby gestures to her left.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking her hand. “I’m going to head over there. Thanks again.”
The sun was starting to set by the time I pulled into the private airport. The parking lot is empty except for a black Jaguar parked in the far corner next to an overgrown saguaro cactus. He’s here.
I take the spot next to his, then step out into the open desert air. Walking around the two-story building to the entrance by the side gate, I’m visited by a fond memory from when I was a child. I used to come to watch the planes take off and land on the runway. The vibration from their engines would rattle my chest, giving me a sense of power and excitement. Mesmerized by it, I’d stare up at them and tell myself that one day, it would be me flying above the clouds.
While the wind whips my hair around, I scour the runaway for Carter. It only takes me a few seconds to spot him crouching down underneath one of the small white planes on the opposite side of the flight line.
My entire body hums when I see him. A sense of home washes over me. Climbing over the fence, I land my feet on the black tarmac. Hues of red, orange, and yellow create the tangerine sky that I’ve come to know and love.
My aviator sunglasses block the sun's bright rays before it sets over the hill. I wipe a teardrop from the side of my cheek. Unsure of why it has fallen, I assume it’s from the harshly blowing wind, but I know better. It’s because I missed him.
I’m only halfway across the runway when he spots me coming from over his shoulder. He’s wearing a black bomber jacket and aviator sunglasses similar to mine. It is at this moment my heart falls from my chest and lands right into the palm of his hand.
I think I’m falling in love with him. Oh fuck.
“Lina?” His voice is the very essence of safety.
Smiling, I stroll over in his direction as he rises to his feet. “Hi.”
“Aren’t you a pleasant surprise?” Carter lifts me up, and I fold myself into his arms. My legs wrap around his waist. Breathing him in, I let out a heavy sigh of pure contentment. His palms grip my ass cheeks, holding me in place, while I link my fingers around the back of his neck.
“I went to your place earlier, but you weren’t there,” I mutter, capturing his soft lips in mine.
His amber eyes flare. “How did you know I was here?”
“Abby and Ashley were out with Snickers when I walked up. They told me sometimes, on Sunday nights, you come to the airport.”
“That’s true.”
“You don’t get enough flying when you’re at work?” I tease, sliding down.
Carter tucks a few pieces of loose hair behind my ear. “I’ll never get tired of being in the air.”
I glance toward the horizon. “That horizon line. I know exactly what you mean. It’s so freeing up there.”
Carter dips, bringing his soft lips to mine in a sweet kiss. “Do you want to fly with me?”
A beaming smile appears on my face. “Yeah. More than anything.”
“I knew you’d want to go,” he says, gathering my wind-blown hair and pulling it to the side of my shoulder. “You might need to put your hair up.”
I nod, tying my hair into a loose bun, and then I zip my jacket as the cool evening wind picks up. “I didn’t even know you had a plane.”
Carter cocks his head to the side, extending his hand to me. “Of course, I own one.”
Giggling, I lay my palm into his and follow him around the side of the plane. He opens the door for me. “Where to, baby?”
I smile, dreamily glancing up at the orange and pink sky above us. “The stars.”
He gently kisses the top of my hand. “You got it.”
“I can’t believe what a rush that was!” I exclaim as he turns off the engine. On dark nights, the runway is the only thing lit up, and the cabin light is dimly lit.
“It is. Next time, I’ll give you a little rundown of all the instruments and what they’re used for,” he says, removing his headphones.
“I would love that.” I lower mine, letting them rest around my neck. “Thank you for taking me.”
“Of course.” The side of his mouth curves up as his eyes fall to my lips. “It was nice sharing it with you.”
Carter caresses my cheek with the back of his knuckles. I swallow hard, leaning into his touch. His palm moves up my face and through my hair before hooking around the back of my head. I let him urge my lips into his.
It’s been a week since I touched him and a week since I felt my body come alive like this.
Massaging my lips with his, he kisses me intimately. It’s deep and overwhelming. My body acts on its own when I climb over the center console and into his lap. He clutches my hips, rubbing my center over his hard cock.
“I’ve missed you,” I mumble into his lips.
Carter’s minty breath tickles my nose, causing an outbreak of chills. “I’ve missed you too.”
“I need to feel you,” I whimper, riding him over his jeans. Trying to release the ache I feel for him with the friction between us. But it’s not enough. I need more.
His hands quickly glide over the curves of my hips and into my hair. Turning my face to the side, he forces a deeper kiss. My hands find the top of his zipper. I inch it down without a protest from him. I feel his hard length and stroke it a few times.
“Sit on it,” he tells me. Thank god I’m wearing a fucking dress.
I yank my dress up and push my panties to the side. Holding myself with my knees, I hover over him for a brief moment before he slams me down on top of him.
I yelp with both pain and pleasure. His hands are back, grabbing my hips, moving me up and down along the slickness of his dick.
“You’re so fucking wet,” he groans into the sensitive skin on my neck.
I arch my back, hitting the spot I need toward the front. “I told you I needed it.”
We continue moving in sync for what feels like the blink of an eye. I could stay here all night. I’d beg for it if he asked me to, which I know he never will.
“Oh, Lina,” he moans as his legs begin to shake. He slips a hand down between us to circle my clit.
My forehead falls to his shoulder as my breathing becomes heavier.
“Come for me, baby. Come all over my fucking plane,” he growls, jerking my core back and forth, up and down.
With every roll of his hips and demand from his body, I ride him until my legs start to give out and my climax is near. Both of us are chasing our orgasms in pure desperation from not seeing each other for days. It feels fucking raw. I can’t take it.
“Oh,” I grit out, my eyes squeezing shut. I raise my arm to the handle on the cockpit’s roof to hold on.
Carter is right behind me.
“ Fuck!” he shouts in a pinched voice before his head drops back against the seat.
A rush of euphoria takes over. An itch that demanded to be scratched. A release that begged to be set free. Like a drug addict, once I get hit with that powerful spark when he fucks me, my mind completely clears.
Giggling, I tuck myself into his chest. He laughs, too, kissing my head.
“I needed that.” I let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Seven days was too long.”
“Entirely.”
A beat passes while we sit in his cockpit. It’s almost pitch black except for the dotted lights on the runway.
“I always wanted to be a pilot,” I admit. Those words sound surreal, hitting the air. “I’ve never told anyone that.”
“Lina.” His eyebrows furrow. “That’s incredible. I didn’t know that.”
I pick at the button on his bomber jacket. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve told anyone.”
“Why haven’t you done it yet?”
I lower my head as I play with the zipper on his jacket. “I don’t know. I guess I thought that I wasn’t smart enough or that I wasn’t capable, I guess.”
Carter cups my face, moving it up to force eye contact. “You can do anything you fucking want to— especially flying .”
I curl my upper lip. “You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
“Really?”
“Are you kidding?” His eyes bounced between mine. “You are brilliant and driven. Not to mention quick and level-headed. The perfect combination to do any goddamn thing.”
I blush, struggling to accept his compliments. I usually love to get empty and weightless accolades from guys, but the way Carter looks at me when he speaks tells me they are so much deeper and truer than any I’ve heard before.
Grinning, I lean in for a quick kiss. “You’re incredible, Captain Hernandez. Do you know that?” I mutter into his mouth.
He slowly shakes his head, smiling. “I’m just a regular guy infatuated with a woman who’s completely out of his league.”
Wrapping my arms around his torso, I bury myself beneath his unbuttoned shirt and jacket. And as my chest lightens, my soul recharges. Carter and I are simply ourselves.
The world around me no longer exists because, at this moment, it’s just me, him, and a plane.