Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ASLAN
W hen the flight attendant announces that we’re about to land, everyone begins to wake up. I put away my computer and store my things in the compartment behind the lavatory. When I make my way back to the cabin, I spot Keaton still sleeping in the same position I left her.
I kiss her temple, taking a seat. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“Aww,” Fern mumbles. “You two are so sweet together.”
Keaton opens her eyes and looks at me. “Did I fall asleep?”
I nod, brushing her lips with mine. “Did you rest well?”
She stretches her arms, moves her shoulders back, and sits up straight. “As a matter of fact, I did. Were you able to sleep too?”
“He doesn’t believe in rest,” Fern chimes in.
I glare at her. Why does she always have to butt in on conversations that shouldn’t include her?
“What? She’s going to figure out that you’re a vampire sooner rather than later.”
Keaton laughs. “Oh, I know that he barely sleeps and feeds off the fear of his employees.”
Fern bursts into laughter. Neither one can stop. I stare at them, arms crossed with an unamused face in place.
Keat kisses my jaw. “Sorry, it’s the first time I’ve found someone who understands that you’re not easy to deal with.” I stare at her, almost frozen. PDA is uncharacteristic of her.
“Wait until Cory joins us. We can exchange notes. She swears our oldest brothers are ogres.”
“Vampire makes more sense,” Keaton insists.
“Are you two done?” I ask, trying to stop their gibberish. Keaton’s eyes open wide, and she grabs my hand when the plane’s wheels touch the ground, and it slightly bounces.
I squeeze her hand gently. “It’s okay. We’re just landing.”
“I know, but I hate when the pilots can’t land gently.”
“How was your flight from Arizona? You never told me if you had fun with the landing—or the takeoff.”
“Don’t smirk like that,” she protests. “It was…better, since I wasn’t afraid that the wind would blow the plane away.”
“Is that why you prefer commercial flights?” The few times she’s had to go on a business trip, she refused to use the company’s jet.
She nods. I put my arm around her and whisper. “Well, next time, make sure to take me with you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Or,” I whisper, using the low tone that makes her squirm. “Instead of running away because you’re scared of me, stay and try to have fun. We can be so good together.”
“You’re irritating, Spearman.”
I kiss her nose. “Sure, you keep telling yourself that, but we both know that you like me.”
Once the pilot announces that we’ve arrived and we can disembark, I begin to gather our belongings from the compartment in the back.
Keat waits until I’m done, even when I hand over her things first. I hug her before asking, “Are you ready?”
She hugs me back, resting her head on my chest. After a few short seconds, she releases me, saying, “I think so.”
I move and bow. “After you.”
She smiles and walks in front of me. “Eyes off my ass, Spearman.”
I chuckle. “It’s a gorgeous ass.”
The sun hits me as we deplane. Keaton stands on the stairwell, looking around. “Even the airport is gorgeous. I had no idea they had a hotel next to it.”
When she turns to look at me, I realize she’s beaming. She outshines the sun. She’s so fucking beautiful. And she’s mine for the next week.
Can I turn things around and keep her forever?
“Actually, it’s the landing strip behind the resort. My cousin Jeannette and her wife designed the place and made sure it has some of the amenities their family and guests will enjoy at their arrival,” Fern informs her, breaking the moment.
“Well, they did an excellent job. I might not want to leave,” Keaton says as a warning. “Good luck getting me back to the office.”
If bringing her to Hawaii will bring out that smile and the glow, I’ll be doing this more often. I catch up to her and take her hand. I kiss her knuckles. “This place looks good on you.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know what it is: the sun, or the salty air, but you look radiant.”
“It could be a combination of everything, including the tea latte you ordered during the flight.”
I can’t help but lean in and kiss her on the forehead. “You’re cuter when you’re smiling.”
“Are you telling me that I usually look hideous? I’m hurt, Spearman.”
“You’re always gorgeous, but right now, there’s something about you that…I can’t explain.”
I could if I wanted. I choose not to say something that might get me in trouble or push her away. Making her fall in love while faking that I’m not in love with her seems like a complicated operation that must be handled carefully. If I fail, I might lose her before she’s mine.
“You look good,” I say, sounding stupid.
“Flattery isn’t one of your best qualities.”
I come to a halt, making her stop too. She gives me a suspicious look.
“So, if flattery isn’t one of them, what would you say is my best quality?”
She gives me a playful smirk. “I’m not sure yet. Maybe by the end of the trip, I’ll let you know.”