FIFTY-THREE ROWAN

FIFTY-THREE

Rowan

I STARE at the girl I love who is currently sitting across from me on the Lancaster family private plane, eagerly taking the glass of champagne from the flight attendant who’s tending to our needs on this trip back to New York. We were given new staff on this return flight, and I’m not sure how this all works, but I’m just grateful to be on the plane and about to take off with Arabella.

The moment the flight attendant leaves us alone, Arabella takes a big sip, sighing once she swallows. “Delicious. And it tastes extra good because I’m on a plane and about to go home.”

We didn’t really talk much about it on the drive back to the airport, but I need to make sure she’s doing this for the right reasons. She gave me bits and pieces about what happened between her and her mother, and while I think Arabella has every right to want to get out of here, I want to make sure she’s not doing this only for me.

I don’t want to be responsible for her leaving this chance to do something that she’s always dreamed of. I refuse to be the sole reason.

“Bells.” I take a swig of my own champagne, a little baffled that we’re drinking it before ten in the morning, but when in Paris, I guess. “We need to talk.”

Her lips form into a pout. “Seriously, Rowan? I just had one of the most traumatic experiences of my life and you want to have a serious talk?”

I nod, needing to get this out of the way. “I want to make sure you’re doing this for all the right reasons.”

“Doing what?” She appears baffled.

“Leaving Paris. Leaving the job opportunity that they gave you.” I hold up my hand when she’s about to speak. “I want to make sure this isn’t all about—me.”

I sound like an egotistical ass, but I have to know.

“Well, of course, part of this has to do with you. The moment my plane took off, I missed you. I never wanted to leave you. I was a complete mess, but I tried to make the best of it. I wanted this to work, for me and for my parents. The moment I saw my mother though, everything felt off. My father couldn’t even make it here, and now I wonder if he was ever scheduled to come to Paris this early. I don’t think so. I believe my mother lied to me. She lies about a lot of things, I’m discovering.”

“Make sure you put your seat belts on, please,” the flight attendant says, reappearing in front of us like magic. “The captain let me know that we’re about to take off.”

We both put on our seat belts, Arabella polishing off the rest of her champagne quickly.

“Your mother was involved with the man who hired you?” I ask, needing to get back to it.

Arabella nods. “Yes. But she won’t leave my father, and it’s all so—dumb. And pathetic really. She has nothing else. No one else but Maurice, and how honest are that man’s intentions? He might be using my mother for her money as well. It’s a big, twisted mess, and I refuse to let my mother use me as her excuse to come to Paris to see her lover, because that’s what this was all about. It had nothing to do with me. I can’t even remember the last time I sketched a jewelry design, let alone even thought about making jewelry until she told me about this.”

“You don’t want to design jewelry?” I raise my brows.

She slowly shakes her head. “It was fun while it lasted, and I got this beautiful locket out of the experience, but no. I don’t want to be a jewelry designer. I only took the apprenticeship because for some dumb reason, I wanted to earn my parents’ approval.”

“You’re not dumb for wanting their approval,” I tell her, my heart aching for her. I’m lucky that my parents are so involved in my life, even though I sometimes hate it. But never for long. I’d rather have attentive parents like mine than Arabella’s.

“Are you sure? Because I feel dumb for wanting something I don’t think I’ll ever get.” She shrugs.

I watch as she smooths her thumb across the front of the locket. “I’m glad you didn’t lose that.”

“And I’m glad you found it.” Her smile is small, and I’m filled with overwhelming love for her, having her sitting across from me like this.

Undoing my seat belt, I switch sides and sit right next to her, leaning in to drop a kiss on her lips. “I love you, Bells. More than anything in this world.”

Her eyes are glowing, full of happiness and so much love, I can literally feel it emanating from her. “I love you too. I’m so glad to be going home with you.”

I grab hold of her hand and interlock our fingers. “Are you going back to school after winter break?”

“Duh, of course I am. What else am I going to do?” She leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Though I suppose I could do whatever I want since they let me graduate early.”

“Don’t get any weird ideas.” I bring our clutched hands up to my mouth and drop a kiss on her knuckles. The plane starts to move and I catch Arabella watching me. “Finish the school year with me.”

“I will,” she whispers. “I don’t ever want to leave your side again.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Your parents are okay with me being there over Christmas?”

“I think you could move in forever and my parents would be fine with it. They adore you.”

“I adore them.” She kisses me this time, her lips lingering, and I can’t wait to get her alone. I can’t believe she’s coming back with me. We were apart for what, maybe three days? Two? Felt like a lifetime. And now I’ve got her back. I’m so fucking lucky.

“My sister is home. You’ll get to meet Willow.”

“I can’t wait.” Her face falls and she chews on her lower lip. “I hope she likes me.”

“She’ll love you. And you get to spend Christmas with us.”

“That’ll be amazing. We’ll have to go shopping. I want to buy everyone a present. All of your family.”

“That’s … a lot of people, Bells.”

“I don’t care. I want to do it. They’ve all been so kind to me, so accepting. I’ve never had that before. They make me feel like I’m a part of something. A part of your family,” she admits, her voice quivering.

I touch her cheek with my free hand, threading my fingers in her soft hair as we stare into each other’s eyes. “You’re a part of something, Bells. A part of me. You’re buried so deep in my heart I don’t know how you’re ever going to get out.”

“I don’t want to,” she whispers. “Keep me in your heart. Always.”

“Always,” I repeat, brushing her lips with mine. “I love you, Arabella.”

“I love you too, Rowan.” She smiles when I kiss her again. “You need to keep this PG-rated, sir. We can’t get frisky on the flight.”

“I’m not the one who said anything about getting frisky. And who uses that word anyway?”

“Me. I do.” She kisses me again. “And you didn’t say it. I did. Because I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve missed you. A lot.”

“I missed you too.” We kiss again, and when the flight attendant walks by, we spring apart, both of us breathing a little heavier.

“We should join the mile high club,” Arabella suggests because of course she does.

“I don’t know. The bathroom is kind of cramped.” I don’t bother bringing up there’s an actual bedroom on this plane. I think she likes the idea of us doing it in the bathroom.

“You’re always bringing that up,” she points out.

“Because I’m tall.”

“True.” She sighs. “I’m not scared, Row. Besides, I’m flexible.”

Fuck. She is pretty flexible.

“Maybe,” I hedge.

“Maybe? We have a long flight ahead of us. We’ll need to fill the time with all sorts of—things.” Her tone is pure mischief. The flight attendant is about to walk past us yet again when Bells stops her. “Can I get a blanket, please?”

“Of course.” Within seconds the flight attendant is handing Arabella a blanket, and she shakes it out once she’s gone, draping it over the two of us.

“There. Now I can give you a hand job and no one will know.” She settles her hand right over my dick, which twitches in agreement with her statement.

“Bells..” I’m not about to turn that offer down, no matter how risky it might be. Besides, I think my girl likes it when things are a little risky.

“Please stop trying to act all prim and proper, Rowan Reginald Lancaster. I know you missed me.”

I cup her cheek, staring into her dark brown eyes. Carefully, I pull her glasses off and fold them up, handing them to her before I lean in and kiss her. “I missed you so fucking much, Bells. You are my entire world.”

She wraps her fingers around my wrist, clinging to me. “Do you think we’re too young to feel that way, Row?”

“I don’t care if we are or not.” I kiss her again. I don’t ever want to stop. “It’s how I feel. You’re the most important person in my life. I love you. I would do anything for you.”

“Like hop on your family’s private plane and fly to Paris to rescue me?” she asks.

“Yeah. Exactly like that. Anything to keep you safe and make you happy,” I tell her, meaning every word I say.

“You make me happy, Rowan. You taught me how to love.”

“You always had that in you, baby. You just didn’t know it until you met me.” I am grinning. Feeling cocky because everything for once is going one hundred percent right.

“Oh, you.” She lightly slaps my chest. “I missed my arrogant Rowan.”

“You like it when I’m a cocky asshole?” I raise my brows.

“I love everything about you.” She kisses me once. Twice. Three times. “Don’t ever stop loving me.”

“Like I could,” I whisper.

Impossible. She’s embedded in my heart, just like I told her.

Forever.