Chapter 28
Courtney
The next few days are busy. I’ve gotten into a routine here at the palace, where Daniil takes Micah to the gym with him in the morning, so I have some free time to work out or get an extra hour or two of sleep.
Then I shower and have a little time to myself before going and getting him back from Daniil.
We go for walks in the garden, play in the fountains or with some of the other children, and then have lunch.
Later in the day, I usually hang out with Lennox or Daniil, depending on his schedule, and we’re together from dinnertime until he gets up in the morning.
The nights are fun, usually laid back and casual, whether we hang out with others or are on our own.
He hasn’t brought up his kink again, though he tied me up last night, and it was so hot I had multiple orgasms.
I’m not sure how I feel about letting his friends watch us but he’s right that I enjoyed it last time we were together.
My line in the sand is letting anyone else touch me.
That’s a hard no. But they can watch. Daniil makes me feel beautiful and sexy, and as long as we’re faithful to each other, the rest doesn’t bother me.
“If you’re up for it, I have a special surprise for you on Saturday,” he says as we’re eating dinner.
“What kind of surprise?”
“If I told you that it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
“What about Micah?”
“Eddie’s going to watch him for us.” Edita, who goes by Eddie sometimes, is Casey’s assistant and lives here at the palace.
“You already asked her?”
“I did. Obviously, if you have something else planned…”
I laugh. “I don’t have anything planned. You and the baby are ninety percent of all my plans.”
“What’s the other ten?”
“Spending time with Lennox. Working out. A little personal care.”
“I’d like it if you got to know Elen better. She and Xander want to have us over to the house for dinner before you leave to go back to Vegas.”
“Oh, I’d like that.” I pause. “I’m not sure how much longer I can stay. I talked to Chains, and he needs me to get back or he’ll have to hire someone else. They’re short-staffed.”
His face shifts a little, disappointment flickering across his handsome features. “I’m working as hard as I can to get the bill passed. I thought you’d be able to stay until then.”
“I’m trying but if it doesn’t go through soon, I may not have a choice.”
“I know.”
“But you’re not happy about it.”
“Are you?” he counters. “I don’t want you to leave. Do you want to go?”
“No, but I have responsibilities. Just like you do.”
“So, you’re going to go no matter what I say or what we decide?”
“Short-term, yes. I have to.”
“And what about my idea about us being together but calling Micah my stepson?”
“I’m still mulling it over. But even if I say yes, we never discussed me moving here.”
“This is where I work,” he explains. “And it’s not like I have some nine-to-five job so—”
“And that’s the problem,” I interject. “You’re busy all the time.
You’ve gone out of your way to spend time with us while we’re here because there’s a time limit.
But once we’re here full-time, you’d have to go back to doing what you do.
Leaving me alone. Lennox has her own life and family.
Natalia’s very nice but she’s busy being a Protector and spending time with Cooper. I barely know the other ladies and—”
“You’d get to know them,” he interjects. “That’s how it works when you move. You didn’t know Adele before you moved to Vegas but now she’s your friend. The same thing would happen here.”
“I can’t just move to Limaj,” I protest. “I’m not saying never, but not now.”
Maybe never.
I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to this life but I’m already starting to get used to him. That’s the problem. That’s always been the problem.
“All right.” He squeezes my hand. “Let’s just talk about Saturday.”
“Is this a just us surprise or a group surprise?”
He smiles. “Just us. I won’t surprise you with any group activities. Don’t worry about that.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Anyway, we’ll leave when Micah goes down for his afternoon nap. I’m not sure how long we’ll be gone but Eddie lives here so she doesn’t mind.”
“You’re sure?”
He chuckles. “She’s been wanting a new gaming system, so I ordered it for her. Believe me, she’s thrilled.”
“You bought her a gaming system in exchange for babysitting for a few hours?”
“More like eight or nine hours, but yes. Micah’s safety is important, and I trust Eddie more than almost anyone outside of family. And she only gets one day off a week, so I needed to make it worth her while.”
“You’re a force of nature,” I say, good-naturedly shaking my head.
He pulls me close, kissing me. “Do you like when I’m a force of nature?”
“Sometimes.” I wind my arms around his neck. “Especially when you throw me down and turn on Prince Dominant.”
His eyes darken a little. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
* * *
Saturday rolls around before I know it and Marcus is driving us to wherever we’re going.
Daniil still won’t give me any hints, which is a little frustrating, but it’s also kind of fun.
The only part I don’t like is that he wouldn’t tell me what to wear, merely suggesting jeans and bringing a light jacket.
That tells me nothing but I’m trying to be a good sport.
I haven’t spent enough time exploring Hiskale to recognize the direction we’re heading, and I frown as we pull up to what is almost definitely a military base. An armed soldier stops the SUV and Daniil yells out to him. The guy smiles, raises a hand in recognition, and waves us through.
“Is this a military base?” I ask in confusion.
“It’s an air base,” he emphasizes, eyes twinkling.
“An air base?” Now I’m really confused. “Are we flying somewhere?”
“We are.”
Marcus pulls the SUV to a stop and jumps out, coming around to get the door for me and politely offering me a hand to get out.
Normally, he opens the door but doesn’t help me out, so it seems like this is a bit more formal.
Daniil gets out behind me, and we walk toward a big but nondescript building.
I’m not sure why but this makes me nervous, and I hesitate, looking to Daniil.
“What are we… Daniil?”
He stops and looks down into my face. “You have to trust me, sweetheart.” His voice is low so that Marcus can’t hear us. “Or this doesn’t work.”
At this point, even if this was some elaborate trap—and I can’t imagine what he would have planned for me in that sense—where would I go? I couldn’t get away, so I don’t have a choice but to put one foot in front of the other, and my hand in his.
“All right.” Usually, when there’s actual danger, my intuition immediately begins clanging, but all I feel now is the ever-present touch of anxiety that I’ve been experiencing since Daniil found out about Micah. And it’s not always rational.
We walk through a hangar of some kind, out the back, and then I freeze.
“What in the world…” I look at him again and he’s smiling.
“You said you missed flying, so I thought you might enjoy taking us on a little trip.”
“A trip? But I didn’t bring anything with me or—”
“Sweetheart.” He seems a bit exasperated, putting his hands on my shoulders.
“We’re flying to a mountain resort for dinner and then home again.
Marcus and a military pilot will be accompanying us.
If you’re not comfortable flying, the pilot can take over.
And we’ll be home long before Micah wakes up in the morning. ”
“Oh.”
Oh!
Suddenly it all sinks in and excitement conquers all the anxiety.
It’s been forever since I’ve been able to fly—and aside from my child, I love flying more than anything.
“Really?” I whisper excitedly. “I can fly it?”
I stare at the Blackhawk in awe. With its swept back rotor blade tips that make a distinct chatter through the air, its sleek frame, ratcheted doors and worn interior, it’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a long time.
It has a basic and sturdy design, but the aircraft is reliable, resilient, and will get you in and out of some sticky situations.
I flew Cobras when I was in the Marines, but I’ve flown Blackhawks during a few joint missions—and now I get to do it again!
“Come on.” Daniil tugs my hand and we practically run toward it. “This is Lieutenant Kaska, one of our pilots. Lieutenant, this is Major Courtney Grimshaw, United States Marines.”
“Retired,” I say, shaking his hand.
“Very nice to meet you.” The pilot grins. “I understand you’d like to fly my baby.”
“I would. Very much. But only if it’s okay with you. I know it’s very personal.”
“Of course. I would be honored.”
It takes a little while for him to familiarize me with everything and to get settled, but once I’m in the pilot’s seat, years of training kicks in.
Before I know it, we’re sailing over the city, and I’m in the zone.
This is my favorite thing to do, ever. I’ve wanted to fly since I was a kid, before there was ever a chance that it might become reality.
Once I realized ROTC might afford me that opportunity, I jumped in headfirst and never looked back.
I have zero regrets about having Micah, but I do miss flying.
This is absolute nirvana to me.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder if this is how Daniil reels me in—pandering to my deepest desires, from the bedroom to the cockpit. But he’s been nothing but kind, patient, and caring. He rocks my world when we’re alone and I can’t find a single fault in his parenting.
Maybe I was wrong about him. The danger is real, but so is the man. Those are the disparities I’m trying to reconcile. At some point, I have to think about it, but not today. Right now, I’m having an incredible adventure, all because of the gorgeous man sitting behind me.