Page 50 of Bobby

Her eyes are open, but she’s not seeing me. She’s not seeing anything.

“Want me to turn around?” the pilot asks, but I don’t answer. I can’t think about anything but Willow and the way her whole body seems to have shut down before me.

“Focus on me.”

I don’t think for more than half a second before I lean forward and kiss her, giving her everything I can. I don’t pull back when I feel her response, but rather double down on my efforts. I slip my tongue between her lips and let it dance with hers. When her arms wrap around me, I pull her close enough that there’s no space between us.

Growling low in my throat, I unbuckle us both and adjust us until she’s straddling me as I continue to explore her mouth. So many thoughts are running through my head.

She feels so good in my arms.

Finally, she’s mine.

Thank God the stylist I called picked out this tailored pantsuit for her.

Will she ever forgive me for what I’ve done?

“Sir, do you want us to turn back?”

The pilot speaks clearly in our headsets, and it cools me off just enough to pull back a second, giving her time to say something. But the time between our lips parting and her reaching again for me is short. As she wraps her arms around my neck, I pull her closer while motioning with my hand on her back for the pilot to keep going. The flight is quick, and I know we’re already more than halfway there.

I push her headset off as I wrap my hand in her hair and tilt her head enough for me to devour her the way I want to. I open my eyes briefly and see hers are squeezed shut. She’s using me to forget about the flying, about her fear, and I’m only too happy to be used in such a way.

When we descend, her grip tightens around me as her legs squeeze my hips. I hold on just as tightly, promising with actions over words that I’m not letting go. When we land, it’s smooth, but I don’t let her up for air. I keep my lips firmly locked with hers as I note the pilot and Marco shutting down the helicopter before exiting.

And when the silence overtakes us, I slow my actions and ease the tension in my arms that locked her in place.

She takes time to pull back, time I give her. There’s no rushing this.

After several moments, she slides off me and to the seat beside me, her head down, not meeting my eyes.

“I’ve got you. Don’t think—just breathe. What do you need?” I have to do something. Sitting here and not making this better for her is killing me slowly.

“I think I need to lie down.”

My heart aches. Not at her words, but at the scared little girl I can hear clearly in them. At the shell of a person who was so passionate just moments ago, withdrawing to the point that I know where Lily gets it from.

“Of course.”

I reach across her and tap the window once. Marco is waiting with his back to us, and at my request, he opens the door and takes Willow’s hand to exit. Hers are shaking, and I steady her with a hand on her back as she takes her first step down. But when she stumbles and leans into Marco, I’m out in seconds, lifting her into my arms and cradling her against me as I walk with purpose to the waiting car.

The door opens before I get there, and I slide us both inside with ease. Marco also joins me in the back, and my driver here rounds the car and gets behind the wheel.

“Call Lewis and let him know of the change in meeting location. I want to get to the Hudson office so Willow can lie down. I’ll take the meetings there as well.”

Marco nods and speaks to the driver, then pulls out his phone to do as I ask. I don’t worry about it. All I care about is the woman in my arms. The one whose eyelids are fluttering open and closed.

“I’ve got you.”

She nods, and then her eyes close for good.

“Thanks, Lewis. I’ll get the team to work on those numbers now.” I stand and shake the man’s hand. He was more than agreeable to changing the meeting last-minute, and for that alone, I’m willing to put in an extra 3 percent of stock in his favor. After all, I’m only meant to invest in the company he came to me to look at, not take it over.

Which was the plan before I got here. I’d show him what I found, that he was floundering, and I could save him and let him keep 49 percent of his family’s business. But after speaking with him, I’ve had a change of heart, as he seemed genuinely concerned for my passenger, who somehow everyone knew had a panic attack while in flight. Not the part about her making out with me, but it’s hard to escape gossip from spreading when I carried an unconscious woman out of my car and into a building with numerous people wandering around.

Marco was the one to make sure the story turned in our favor and that nothing was uncouth in their eyes in regard to Willow. Not that I let it slip who was here. I had her face tucked toward my arm and covered her as much as I could, but I refused to put her down until I was in my apartment above the offices below.

“Of course. Oh, hello, ma’am. I hope you’re feeling better.”