“Just a little gust. No worries!” Chip is much too cheerful considering the turbulence.
“No worries, right,” I say, shooting Clayton a glare.
He inches closer to me, then carefully hands me one of the flutes.
“Nothing like a morning mimosa while we watch the sunrise,” he says.
“You don’t strike me as the mimosa type,” I tease, but inside I’m realizing that Clayton probably has no idea how old I am. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m old enough to marry him, at least.
I sip the drink. It’s sweet, bursting with orange, and the champagne fizz tickles my nose.
“Not my usual choice,” he admits, “but I thought you’d like it.”
I lift a brow. “I was drinking whisky when I met you.”
He looks at the horizon and grins. “I’m not sure this is the place to be doing shots.”
“Good call.”
We lazily finish our drinks as we stand up and enjoy the view. Silence falls between us, but it’s so peaceful up here that there’s no need to talk anyway. Either the champagne is doing its job, or I’m finally starting to relax up here. Either way, I feel light, content, more at ease.
Clayton turns to me after some time and clears his throat.
“I really didn’t know it was you at the bar, Charlie. I only found out about the arrangement earlier that day, I didn’t even know your name yet. I’m guessing it hit me the same way it did you, because we both went to the pub looking for the same thing. And somehow, we ended up with each other.”
I want to believe him. “So you’re saying our chance encounter was completely organic.”
He shakes his head, laughing. “It’s a bit of kismet, eh?”
“Kismet,” I repeat. “Is that an Irish word?”
“I suppose it is a bit of a fancy word for a man like me.”
A man like him. Big. Strong. Connected to the mob, and obviously devoted to the life. What kind of past does he have? A little shiver goes down my back.
“Tell me, then—what kind of man are you?” I ask.
There’s challenge in my voice because there’s so much at stake now. My future is riding on his answer. I need to know.
His eyes meet mine. “The kind who will take care of you and everyone you bring with you.”
He said this arrangement took him by surprise, too, but he isn’t acting like he’s opposed to it. And his words are delivered with such sincerity that I don’t know how to process it all.
I frown. I want to believe him, but… “How can you say that when you don’t even know me?”
“Because you’re to be my wife and I take care of what’s mine,” he says quietly.
He turns me to fully face him, his hands gently gripping my upper arms. The way he’s looking at me sends a thrill through my blood.
“Besides,” he whispers as he dips his head, “how can we ignore this? Our chemistry’s amazing.”
His lips graze mine, sending a shock of heat straight to my core.
“That’s true,” I whisper back.
Closing my eyes, I anticipate his next kiss with everything inside me.
“We’re at eighteen-hundred feet,” Chip announces from behind us. “That’s as high as we’ll go!”
