Page 43 of Jude

Somehow I’d missed the fact we were in a private airport, not at a Delta or United terminal.

‘Safer this way,’ Jude growled.

His face was an unreadable mask as we approached the sleek Gulfstream jet.

He gestured at me to climb the stairs first, with practiced courtesy.

However, his stoic expression told me he attached zero personal emotion to the gesture.

He was just being a gentleman.

A pretty attendant in a navy-and-gold uniform waited for us at the top of the airstairs, stepping aside to let us into the cabin.

‘Welcome aboard the Knight One Gulfstream. My name is Chloe, and I’ll be your flight purser today,’ she intoned. ‘Your pilots are Captain Miller and First Officer Sanders. Please come through, and I’ll show you to your seats. We’re wheels up in ten minutes.’

I followed her past the threshold, my brow arching at the luxury of the plane.

I’d enjoyed some opulence as an Italian soap opera actress for a time, but never like this.

The jet’s interior was a seamless expanse of cream leather, hand-stitched silk carpets, and mirror-polished walnut veneers.

Panoramic oval windows lined the fuselage, framing the tarmac below.

The cabin layout featured oversized executive club seats that appeared plush enough to swallow a man whole. Plus a separate conference-dining zone and a divan upholstered in premium chenille at the rear.

Every detail screamed luxury, down to the touchscreen controls embedded in the armrests and the clean air from the climate-control vents.

I glanced at Jude as he dropped into a seat.

He seemed unbothered by the fact that our ride to Nashville would be costing a lot of money.

I wasn’t sure it was worth it.

‘Sit, Sofia,’ Jude said, gesturing to a wide leather chair before dropping my tote bag into the overhead bin. ‘Relax, the G6 belongs to the label; I just borrowed for the day.’

‘Thank you again for everything,’ I murmured, settling in.

His lips twitched as he settled into his spot.

‘You’ve got to stop sometime,’ he rasped. ‘Maybe collect all your thank yous for one time at the end of the week.’

I couldn’t tell whether I’d annoyed or amused him, so I buckled in and relaxed into the cushioned headrest.

The cabin door sealed shut, and Chloe, the attendant, strapped in at the rear of the jet.

Soon we were taxiing towards the runway, and minutes later, the aircraft surged into the morning clouds.

‘Phone babe.’

I jolted, slicing my eyes away from the view out the window as the world fell away from us.

My gaze found Jude leaning toward me from his chair across the narrow walkway.

‘What?’

‘Your mobile. Unlocked.’

I blinked at his deep drawl, then scrambled for the device in my bag and handed it to him after unlocking it with Face ID.