She punched him. “You’ll buy a hat.”
“Then, it’s settled.” He waved to the pilot. “She said yes!”
“Great.” The pilot pointed to the hangar. “There’s a lounge where you can wait. I’ll get the jet ready and file the flight plan.” He lifted his phone. “My copilot’s already on the way.”
“Awesome,” Ash said.
“What about our stuff? We only have your guitar and a few granola bars.”
“Only thing I care about is my guitar. The rest we can buy when we get there.”
She bit her lower lip. The practical decision was to say no and stay in a hotel until they could drive back to the cabin. But she’d lockedthat half of herself inside her brownstone. This trip was about taking risks and finding answers to her future.
What would Forest think of this change in plans?
The thing she loved most about Ash was his carefree approach to life. He flowed around decisions. He didn’t ponder each step, like she did. She envied him for that freedom, and his enthusiasm was infectious. He made her feel like she could conquer anything, but she still worried.
“Why do you look so glum?” Ash spun her in a circle. “We’re going to hunt the great white whale of waterfalls! Put a smile on your face.” His laughter surged around her as he danced in a circle, holding her aloft.
He set her on her feet and then held her hand as he sprinted after the pilot toward the warmth of the hangar.
“Come on, our adventure awaits.”
Chapter Twelve
Skye soaredwith Ash somewhere above the Eastern seaboard, flying toward the northern border of the United States.
Ash reclined in the leather seat opposite her, his face scrunched in concentration, his fingers flying over the keypad of his phone. He bit at his lower lip as he typed, and when his eyes pinched together, a deep groove would appear between his brows. His attention never wavered from the screen, and hers never moved from his face.
Silence filled the cabin, wrapping around them in a comforting embrace. This easy peace was a natural thing flowing between them, but beneath the quiet, tension swirled.
“A penny for your thoughts?” His voice bathed her in its multitoned notes. He peeked up from his phone, catching her staring at him…again.
With a jerk of her chin, she indicated the closed cockpit door. “They’re giving us privacy.”
His smirk returned. “Yeah, maybe next time, we’ll take advantage of it.” Oh, the promise of sex was ever on his breath.
“What are you working on?”
“I wanted to get that song down before I forgot it.” He leaned back. “It’s getting late. You hungry?”
It was almost nine, and they hadn’t eaten since Chuck’s Bar and Grill.
“I still have those granola bars.” Although that didn’t sound appetizing.
He arched a brow. “They have food on these things—and alcohol. You want a drink?” At her nod, he unbuckled. “Come on. Let’s raid the cupboards.”
The next ten minutes netted them various fruits and cheeses, caviar, a selection of sliced meat, and a well-stocked bar of wine, beer, and scotch worthy of the rich and famous. She went for wine while he settled on soda.
Ash pulled out a tray of chocolate strawberries from somewhere, and her mouth watered.
“Where did you find those?”
“You missed the dessert fridge,” he said.
She grabbed a strawberry and popped it into her mouth. “Yum.”
As she enjoyed the decadence of the sweet berry chocolate at twenty-five thousand feet, his body language shifted—a subtle alteration, but there nonetheless. He chewed at his lower lip. He started to ask a question, stopped, pulled at his earlobe, and then rubbed the back of his neck. Strange gestures she hadn’t noticed before.
