“Yes, mine.”
“Like a possession?”
“In a way,” I said. “But I’d be yours too. Mutually owned.”
He threw his arms around me, doing his best to squeeze. “I’ve already agreed to come with you.” He kissed at my chest, exposed from the unbuttoned shirt. “You don’t have to ask.”
“Did you hear what I said?” I asked.
“Yeah, you want toownme,” he giggled, letting go of me.
“That was part of it, but all marriages are ownerships,” I said. “I want to marry you, Ezra.”
His big eyes blinked slowly, as if processing the words that came from my lips. “Yes,” he said. “I thought you’d already asked.”
I kissed him, swooping him up into my arms and kissing him some more. “We were just playing house then, but now it’s official. We don’t have to pretend. We can get married, and—”
“Go back to Sugar Bay?” he asked.
“If that’s what you truly want.”
“It’s where you were happy,” he said. It hit like a knife to the chest. He’d seen me. Really seen me. I had been happy there, smoking meats, walking through the trees, watching the river flow. He cupped a hand to my cheek and brushed it along the side of my face where he wiped at the tear which had formed from the corner of my eye. “I want you to be happy as well, you know.”
I kissed him again, screwing my eyes shut before squeezing a kiss to his cheeks. “I love you the most.”
“More,” he giggled, planting a sloppy kiss on me.
***
The private jet was waiting for us at Teterboro. A car took us straight to the tarmac, and a small crew and the pilot were standing at the bottom of the steps. It was a Falcon 7X. A gorgeous plane with cream-white interior, a long couch and acouple of comfy armchairs that could turn. Ezra was stunned to silence when we boarded. The hostess offered champagne, and we accepted gladly. I knew Sanctum could pull strings, but these were the nicest strings that had ever been pulled for me before.
A note was handed to me before we set off. Ezra was too occupied with all the fun features of the seating to even notice I’d been handed anything.
It was from Mercy.“Enjoy your trip. Don’t be a stranger when you’re back. Funds have been wired through accounts and you should have them deposited soon. Keep me updated on your whereabouts. For your safety more than anything. And I’ve heard Kael is coming back to New York soon. I heard he’s been part of an art heist.”As if she needed to punch me in the gut while I was at my happiest. Kael was an ex, and my last serious relationship. I’d be glad to stay clear of him. I had Ezra now, and he had me.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had this much leg room on a flight before,” he said, kicking his legs around.
“Make the most of it,” I said. “We won’t be doing this all the time.”
He giggled. “Then I’m gonna have as much fun as I can now.”
I scrunched the note up and the hostess appeared with a silver tray, collecting the trash from my hand. “Thank you,” I grumbled.
Ezra was still oblivious to it, now occupied with the champagne. “I bet it tastes nicer in France.”
“It does,” I said. “Get buckled in.”
He lifted his T-shirt, showing how he’d already strapped himself in tight. “I did it.”
We had a small adventure planned, just the two of us. I was a man of my word, and my word was everything. The jet was taking us to Paris, and from there, we’d go to Switzerland for mySwiss account, then on to Thailand, where we’d no doubt lounge around and island hop before coming right back where I could get to smoking meat and actually making friends—maybe with different neighbors, but friends who weren’t always strapped.
Halfway over the Atlantic Ocean, Ezra grabbed me by the collar, throwing himself onto my lap. I’d been looking out of the window at the time, just admiring how vast everything looked.
“Is this cheesy?” he asked.
“You throwing yourself at me?” I asked. Absolutely not.
“No, I mean, wanting to join the mile high club,” he whispered, but it turned into a giggle. “Is it—can we?”
