“Yes,” she whispered. “More. Please.”
“Anything,” he answered, capturing her mouth as he stroked harder, faster, and her whole body convulsed in the seat. She ground herself against his hand, and then she was flying…literally and figuratively. The orgasm ripped through her, fast and fierce, leaving her panting and dazzled.
She grinned, eyes closed as aftershocks of pleasure drifted through her like the fluffy white clouds below. “Does this mean I just joined the mile-high club?”
His eyes crinkled in a wide smile. “I’d say it does, love.”
“Talk about ending my trip with a bang.”
13
Ruby felt slightly off-balance as she walked down the steps from the Langdon jet and crossed the tarmac to the car waiting for them. James, Rosemont Castle’s driver, tipped his hat to her with a warm smile.
“Welcome home, Miss Ruby.”
“Thanks, James. It’s good to be home.”
“And a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bowen,” he said to Flynn, shaking his hand before loading their luggage into the trunk of the Bentley.
“Very nice to meet you too.” Flynn opened the door for her and motioned her inside.
She’d sat in this car dozens of times, hundreds maybe. It felt familiar, comforting. And yet different somehow, with Flynn sitting beside her. Two worlds colliding, her real life with her fantasy vacation. It was just past three here in Virginia, but to her body clock, it was after nine, and she was absolutely wiped from the trip.
She rested her head against the glass as James drove them to the castle, watching the Appalachian Mountains unfurl outside the window, dotted now with liberal amounts of red and gold. Fall had officially arrived here at home while she was playing house with a fancy Brit in Paris. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Flynn stared out of his own window, seemingly fascinated with the scenery. “It is. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before.”
“We don’t really get foliage like this in Florida either, or maybe it’s just that we don’t have mountains like these. This is only my second fall in Virginia, but I think I’m in love. It might even replace spring as my favorite season.”
“I can certainly see why.” He looked over at her. “You look exhausted.”
“I may need a nap before dinner.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
She couldn’t shake that weird, off-balance feeling as the Bentley drove down Rosemont Castle’s winding drive. She was home. Everything looked exactly as it had when she left—except the foliage—but she felt different. No, that wasn’t quite true either. She was the same person she’d been when she left, but her solo adventure across Europe had become so much bigger and longer and more meaningful than she’d ever expected.
She’d seen and done and experienced things that would forever color her worldview. And she’d brought one of those things home with her. Flynn looked at ease next to her, taking his first look at Rosemont Castle a lot more calmly than most, but then again, he’d grown up amongst castles and estates and all sorts of grandeur in England.
“It’s really something, isn’t it?” he commented as the Bentley pulled up in front of the guest house where Ruby lived now. “Looks like a bit of classic England right here in America.”
“Probably the only one like it,” she agreed. “Oh geez.”
Elle and Megan were sprinting across the lawn in their direction. Flynn chuckled as he got out of the car. “Eager to see you, aren’t they?”
“Just a bit.” But Ruby was awfully glad to see them too. In fact, as she stood, she couldn’t contain the huge grin that had overtaken her face.
Megan and Elle swooped in, grabbing her in a group hug so enthusiastic that both of her feet actually left the ground for a second. “Boy, are we glad to see you,” Elle said, one arm wrapped securely around Ruby’s waist as she made sure she had her footing.
“It’s good to see you guys too. Really good.” She squeezed them back, as her throat tightened and her vision blurred. These women had been her best friends since they were kids, the kind of friendship that lasted a lifetime. They’d been by her side through just about every illness she’d ever had. When she’d been too sick to have visitors, they’d sat outside her bedroom window and passed her notes to keep her up on all the gossip from school.
And she’d missed them. A lot.
“Hi, Flynn,” Megan said as she disentangled herself from their hug to shake his hand. “I hear we owe you a huge thanks for taking such good care of Ruby for us.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said, seeming somehow even more British now that he stood on American soil.
“We were probably introduced at the wedding,” Elle said, extending a hand. “But honestly, I met so many people that night, it’s kind of a blur. I’m Elle.”
