Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“But you’re here,” I say dumbly.
It’s like I’ve lost every last one of my brain cells. They got zapped when I went through the metal detectors at security.
“I’m here . . . exactly.” He laughs with unabashed wonder. “By pure coincidence. You see, I finally came to a decision about contacting you. I decided I was going to give myself a little while to cool off. I was going to continue with my travel plans, fly to London for a week of meetings and then on to Belfast—”
“Belfast?”
“To check on a ship that’s currently in production.”
I want to go to Belfast! I want to go to Belfast with him . . .
He continues, “I told myself I could track you down once I got to London. I already knew I was going to make you see reason, beg you to give me a real chance.”
“But—” I look behind me, trying to find the flight attendant, before I look back at Phillip with a furrowed brow. “I don’t get what’s going on.”
“Casey,” he stresses. “Don’t you see what’s happened? It was always my plan to fly out to London today. You can ask my assistant for proof. This ticket was booked weeks ago.”
I shake my head. “I’m not accusing you of changing your flight last minute to follow me. I’m just . . . if you didn’t know I was here, why did the flight attendant bring me up to you?”
This is when his smile turns a little wistful, his eyes so lovely and warm.
“When I first sat down here, I asked her to do a favor for me. I told her there was a woman I was hoping beyond hope would be on this flight and that I’d like her to check for me, just in case. I felt ridiculous asking her.”
“You told her to look for me?”
“I was desperate! I told her what you looked like—” His eyes rove over my face like a gentle caress. “A gorgeous brunette with caramel highlights framing her face and expressive blue eyes. I told her your name, and then she walked away, and I laughed to myself because there was no way in hell you were on this flight, but I had to know. I’d prepared myself for her to walk back and shake her head and say, I’m sorry, Mr. Woodmont, she’s not here, but instead, you walked up.”
“Because I’m on this flight!”
“How?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know exactly. I mean . . . I just booked the first—well, second—flight out of Fort Lauderdale once I got to the airport. I was going off of pure instinct.”
He laughs. “This is insane.”
“Insane,” I repeat. “Did you upgrade my ticket?”
“Apparently,” he says with a little smile.
“Thanks. I owe you.”
I settle back against my seat and start fiddling with the remote control for the TV. I just need to figure this thing out. I want to watch a movie or, or . . .
“Casey.”
My hand shakes as I press buttons. The TV doesn’t start up, but that’s because I haven’t turned it on. Right.
“Casey,” Phillip stresses my name, and I squeeze my eyes closed.
“How is this happening?” I ask myself out loud.
“Will you just look at me?”
I shake my head. “I can’t. What were those complimentary drinks she listed off? I think I need something. A soda. No, a shot.”
I’m leaning my head into the aisle, but all the flight attendants who were just here are now nowhere to be found!
Phillip says my name again, and I finally look at him. God, I can barely stand it. That face. Those terse eyebrows and intense blue eyes, those sharp cheekbones, and that perfect mouth.
“You don’t understand how much it killed me to walk away from your suite this morning. I really thought that was the last time I was ever going to see you. And now you’re just here, sitting beside me.” Tears gather in the corners of my eyes, but they don’t fall. “Phillip, I feel like I don’t deserve it. It’s too good.”
He leans over the partition between us and scoops his hand beneath my hair, tilting my face so that I’m looking only at him.
“Please don’t walk away from me out of fear. Not after this.”
“You think this is fate?” I ask, trembling against his hand.
“It has to be.”
He’s right.
It has to be.
“I caught what you said earlier, about falling for me.”
He pulls me closer to him so that I have to lean over the partition. “I meant it, Casey.”
My stomach squeezes tightly, nerves and excitement blending and buzzing through me.
“Are we insane?” I ask with a little laugh.
His expression doesn’t lighten. “If we are, I don’t care.”
I’m staring at his lips, waiting for him to kiss me. I want to feel his mouth pressed to mine. I want his solid body on me, physical confirmation that this is real and not an elaborate dream. He must sense my need because he closes the space between us and kisses me with tender affection. When he pulls back, he strings kisses along my cheek. And then he sighs, and his palpable relief washes over me, giving me comfort.