“Evans Sinclair is just a hair’s breadth away from being committed. No sensible person is paying attention to him,” Landon is saying, “and neither should you.”
Even as he’s speaking, he’s walking toward me, and as his eyes hold mine with a silent question, I know that I’m not the only one still thinking about last night.
I raise myself on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips, and when I pull back, he holds on to my arm, his touch soft, but firm and possessive as he ends his conversation.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers, his eyes flicking over my face.
I smile softly, deeply affected by the simple compliment. “You too.”
“Beautiful?” he smiles and places his lips on mine, letting them linger lazily over my mouth. I close my eyes, enjoying the warm firmness of his touch as I relax against him. He sighs and touches his forehead to mine.
“Rachel…” he starts.
“Wait,” I interrupt. I pull my face back and search his eyes, and I can see all my worry and uncertainty reflected in his. I know that whatever he has to say, it’ll have something to do with last night, but I don’t want that to color our weekend. “I’ll move in with you,” I tell him softly. “I want us to live together.”
His arms go around me, pulling me even closer to his body. I feel his chest rise and swell, and I place my arms around his waist. “I was always going to say yes,” I whisper.
“I’m glad… relieved.” He leans back so he can look in my eyes. “I’m sorry about last night, for brushing off your concern. God knows I want to share everything with you. Every hope, every pain… but I don’t want to burden you. I’ve become used to doing things on my own.”
“You’re not alone anymore,” I reach behind me and take his hands, lacing my fingers with his. “You have me now, and I’m not just here for you to spoil and take care of. I want to share everything, the joys, and the pains. No matter what they are.”
Landon sighs. “Lord knows what I did to deserve you.”
“You didn’t have to do anything. You just had to be you.”
His lips cover mine, and he doesn’t stop kissing me until a voice comes on over hidden speakers to let us know we’ll be leaving soon.
The takeoff is smooth, and soon we’re cruising. In the remarkably spacious bathroom, I quickly freshen up, and when I return, one of the stewardesses is wheeling in dinner on a tray.
“This weekend?” Landon suggests while we’re eating.
“What?” I’m puzzled until I realize that he’s talking about the move. “Are you going to turn the plane around?”
“I can arrange for a few things to be brought over to my place, and we can deal with your lease next week.”
“You’re very eager to get me into your apartment,” I tease. “I suspect you have plans for me.”
His grin is telling. “Dark, dirty plans.”
I wet my lips. “I can’t wait.”
His eyes rest on my lips for a moment, then he chuckles, and draws them away. “I can’t even get through a meal without wanting to bury myself inside you.”
I breathe. “I want you to bury yourself inside me.”
His lips part, then he sighs softly. “My people can bring your clothes, books… over to my place, and leave the furniture for you to choose which you want to keep or give away… sell.”
The thought of my apartment disappearing makes me a little sad, but the sadness is drowned by excitement, the knowledge that I’m moving to another level of commitment with the man I love.
“You won’t regret this,” Landon says. “Trust me.”
“I do.”
After we eat, he goes back to making his business calls while from the bed, I listen with half an ear as he discusses deals, alternating between demanding results and encouraging better performance. When he’s done with the final call, I watch him run a hand through his hair and turn to me, his face showing his exhaustion.
“I need a new career plan. Something that involves lying on a beach somewhere, with you, naked, no phones...”
I snort. “You’d get bored… plus I have a new job. I’m not going to shelf it so I can lie naked with you on a beach all day,” I pause as the image solidifies in my head. “Although it is tempting.”