Chapter 49 #2
“I was wondering about that,” I said, glancing at the table as Alex guided me to a plush chair next to the window. “Won’t all that fall off?”
“Nope.” He pumped his eyebrows at me. “The table has specially designed grooves in it, but can we just call it magic and not worry?”
We settled in and the engines hummed to life beneath us. I smiled, leaning into his side. “Everything about this is magic.”
I felt the subtle shift as the plane began to move, taxiing and lining up. When we lifted off, the city dropped away beneath us. Chicago shrank into a patchwork of lights, steel, and snow. I pressed closer to the window, awed and honestly a little intimidated by my husband right now.
Alex moved in closer behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist and his chin resting against my temple. “Hey, are you okay?
“Yeah,” I said. “I just, uh, I never imagined this.”
He kissed the side of my head. “Well, get used to that feeling because now that the storm is behind us, I plan on spoiling you a lot more often. Besides, all of this is yours now too, Jane. If you want the jet, take it. The cars. The yacht. Whatever else. We’ve got a few other properties I’ll need to show you, too. ”
I rested my head back against his shoulder and drew in a deep breath. “Whoa, slow down there, cowboy. Next you’re going to tell me that you own a castle or something.”
“I don’t, but Sterling does,” he said nonchalantly. “In Scotland. We should go there sometime too. He mentioned something about a property nearby being for sale.”
I laughed, but when I turned my head to look up at him, he seemed entirely serious and my laughter abruptly cut off. Once we leveled out, I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that his cousin owned an actual, honest-to-God castle and that he was contemplating purchasing one nearby.
Alex got up and went to pour us each a glass of champagne, like casually discussing the acquisition of residences meant for royalty was nothing. He handed mine over and we moved to the table. He raised his flute toward me.
“Here’s to surviving the last few months without burning both our families’ empires to the ground.”
I shook my head. “Here’s to us.”
He smiled and clinked with me. “To us and our kickass, devices-banned honeymoon.”
“Devices banned?” My eyes widened. “What does that even mean?”
“It means for the next week, neither of us will be reachable for anything that might even remotely have to do with work.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “Really? When was the last time you went off the grid, Alex?”
“Probably about a month before I was born,” he joked, or at least, I thought it was a joke. “My mom was monitored pretty closely in the last few weeks of her pregnancy with me, so I was definitely on the grid then.”
I sighed. “Let’s see how well we do with the devices rule, but we can give it a try.”
He grinned like he’d won the lottery, but then the flight attendant brought out our food and we ate together with the sun setting outside and the clouds turning all sorts of pastel shades all around us.
Eventually, we ended up curled together on the leather couch.
His jacket had long since been discarded.
Both of us were barefoot and my legs were draped over his as he toyed with my fingers.
The hum of the engines faded into background noise as his mouth found mine, his kisses slow and unhurried, like he finally had time to breathe. I kissed him back, smiling against his lips as my hand slid along his jaw.
“Are you ready to go show me that bed yet?”
He chuckled, sighing as he leaned into my touch. “I think it’s customary on one’s honeymoon, while in transit, to talk about what’s next.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, surprised but not unpleasantly. “So, what’s next for us, then?”
He didn’t hesitate. “A big house with too many bedrooms. Probably a library you’ll take over completely. A few kids I’ll look after while you make more money than we’ll ever need and I get to watch my wife take over the world.”
His mouth curved as his thumb brushed my cheek. My heart rate skyrocketed, warmth blooming across my chest. “That’s it, huh?”
“I couldn’t ask for more.” He chuckled, but then, after a beat, added, “Although I probably need to get Nate married off soon before he starts causing international incidents.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “To quote you, good luck with that.”
His smile turned thoughtful, like he was already scheming, seeing moves ten steps ahead, but when he looked back at me, he softened again. “Okay, well, that concludes the future-planning section of the honeymoon then. Can I go show you that bed now?”
“I was waiting on you,” I teased, and he laughed before standing up, throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me to the bedroom at the back.
The jet kept flying us south, toward warmth, sunshine, and a week that belonged to us alone. For the next seven days, the world could wait and so could all the expectations, the deals, the meetings, and even the future itself.
For now, all I wanted was my husband and a week where loving each other was the only thing on the calendar.