“Take it back.” He held his hands poised over her stomach, and he lifted his eyebrows.
She giggled. “I’m sorry. You’re the toughest man I know.”
“That’s better.” He laughed with her, but then his gaze swept over her and his laughter faded.
He lowered himself onto the bed and kissed her more thoroughly than she’d ever been kissed. When he pulled back, they were both breathing heavily, and Cosette was so stirred up she had no desire for sleep anymore.
“Okay,” Isaac said in a gruff voice. “This obviously isn’t going to work.”
He started to push himself up, but Cosette grabbed at his shirt. “Please,” she murmured. She wanted to remind him that he was leaving her in the morning, but his blue eyes told her that he didn’t need that reminder—he was as torn up inside as she was.
Isaac drew in a heavy breath and said, “Here’s how tonight is going to play out, and don’t challenge me on this,” he warned.
Cosette smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
He slid off the bed and turned it down. “You go in there.”
She obediently slid into the covers. He tucked them over her, then lay down next to her, adjusting the pillow under his head and wrapping his arm across her abdomen. It wasn’t nearly enough contact for her, but she knew they were playing with fire staying so close throughout the night. She’d take what she could get.
A sobering thought hit her as they lay there. Would she ever get enough of Isaac, or would she always be longing for more?
* * *
The next morning, time flew by far too quickly. Isaac wanted to talk through their relationship and their future, but it never came up at breakfast or as they drove to the airport. What was he going to say, anyway?
The car pulled up to the Henderson Executive Airport. Isaac did like the convenience of flying in his brother’s jet, especially when they didn’t use the international airport and he didn’t have to waste time going through security. He wanted to have a minute alone with Cosette, not with crowds of people walking past.
They unloaded not too far from the jet. The driver handed Isaac his bag, and Isaac asked him to please wait to take the lady back to her hotel. She was going to stay with her dad until he was released from the hospital, and then she’d fly back to San Francisco with him. Isaac handed the guy a credit card to pay for both trips and palmed him some extra tip money.
“Thanks, man. I’ll be in the car.” He gave Isaac a wink. “Don’t worry, I’ll be playing Clash of Clans on my phone and won’t be looking.”
Isaac grinned. “Thanks.”
He headed toward the plane with Cosette walking quietly beside him. Dropping his bag next to the steps that led into the plane, he turned to her. Her lower lip was trembling, and he felt awful about it. She gave a little whimper and then threw herself at him. Isaac caught her easily and held her tight.
“We never got the chance to talk about … us,” he said.
Cosette looked up at him. “As in our long-distance relationship?”
“Yeah.” His hands tightened on her waist as he tried to memorize every freckle on her perfect nose, the cute way she talked, the way her hair smelled, and how it felt to have her close. “Ihatethis.”
“When’s your next leave?”
“Two months,” he grunted out, wanting to go AWOL for the first time in his eleven-year career with the Air Force.
“Do you get days off, like on the weekend?”
“When I’m not deployed or we don’t get called out on a mission.”
“Well, if that happens, I’ll fly to you.”
“Thank you,” he managed to say; his throat was suddenly thick. He tugged her closer and kissed her. “I just don’t want to leave you. I feel like it’s all going to fall apart if we’re not together.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “O ye of little faith. You might stink at long-distance relationships, but look how well my last one turned out.”
He choked on a bitter laugh, realizing she meant the nightmare with Lansky.
She winked but then framed his face with her hands. “I love you, Isaac. It’s going to be tough, but we’ll make it work … somehow.”