Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Brynn

I put my carry-on in the overhead bin and slide into my first-class window seat. Thank you, Mancini Advertising. They sure know how to treat their prospects.

Kenzie stands from her seat across the aisle. “Excuse me, I just have to get over there quickly.” She slides in front of the man working his way down the row and throws herself into the seat next to me. “Tell me everything.”

I look past her at Andrew, who is feeding Nolan cereal as he sits in Kenzie’s now-empty seat.

I really don’t want to get into this conversation. I’m still processing how all of this came about. And I know Kenzie, but it’s not as though she’s my best friend or anything. Hello, I didn’t even know Andrew’s cousin was coming on vacation with us, let alone that it was Pierce. And why didn’t my family tell me we had an extra person joining us?

But I can see from the gleam in Kenzie’s eyes that she’s not going to let this go, so I figure I might as well get it over with.

“I studied abroad for a semester, and I met Pierce at a pub. It was a long time ago.”

She smiles and good-naturedly rolls her eyes. “I know there’s more to this story.”

I shrug, not wanting to say it out loud because it sounds stupid. I lean forward, and Kenzie puts her hand on my arm.

“We hooked up one weekend, then I went to class and found out he was my teacher’s assistant.”

Her eyes widen, and she yelps. “Seriously?”

I nod, looking at the long line of passengers filing onto the plane. He hasn’t gotten on yet, and I have a bad feeling that he’s going to be seated in first class too. Mancini Advertising no doubt booked his ticket as well.

My gaze returns to Kenzie. Oh shit, no one has asked her to move because she’s in their seat.

“Oh, I love it. Just when I thought this would be a relaxing holiday in the mountains—bam, you two are gonna spice it up.”

“No, we’re not.” I place my hand over hers on my arm. “Pierce and I are very much over.”

“Okay,” she sing-songs.

“I’m serious, Kenzie.”

“If you say so.” She shrugs with a wide smile.

“I do.”

“Maybe that’s what you’ll be saying to him some day.” She giggles.

My eyes widen. “Stop.”

“Pierce really is sweet. From what Andrew told me, he didn’t have it easy when he was younger. Andrew’s really happy to have Pierce here for the holiday season. Said otherwise he’d be by himself except for dinner on Christmas Day. It pulled at my heartstrings, you know? I love Christmas. Makes you extra grateful for what you have.”

I pretend to not be fazed by what she’s telling me, but my chest squeezes nonetheless. I had no clue. Pierce let me talk about my family a lot, but I realize that he never said anything about his own. He talked about his friends and funny stories, but not much else.

No. I cannot soften toward this man. I just have to get through the next week without being alone with him. As long as we’re surrounded by people all the time, it will be fine. Completely fine.

“I think you’re in my seat.” We both look up to see Pierce standing at the end of the aisle.

“This is your seat?” Kenzie points at where she’s sitting.

He flashes his phone with the seat assignment. “Appears so.”

Great. Now I’m stuck side by side with him for five hours.

“You can sit with Andrew. Kenzie can sit here.” I grip Kenzie’s hand.

She turns across the aisle to look at Andrew, who shakes his head.

“Please keep the line moving so we can leave at our scheduled departure time,” the flight attendant says over the speaker.

“Kenzie,” Andrew says, tilting his head.

She looks back at me and cringes. “I’m sorry. If I stay here, I might not be married by the time we land. I’m just across the aisle.” She springs up and moves to sit across the aisle.

It’s fine. I mean, I can totally spend five hours next to Pierce. It’s an evening flight, and I’m exhausted. I’ll just sleep, or pretend to sleep, until we land.

Pierce slips into the seat with a grace not many can accomplish, or maybe it’s just me who always feels as if I tumble into mine. He pulls out his AirPods, which I’m thankful for, and places them between his legs.

I try not to pay attention to him, crossing my legs and opening my book, but my thoughts get away from me, and the side of me that refuses to be quiet comes out. I inwardly curse her.

“Did you know this entire time? Did you somehow arrange this with Enzo Mancini? You two seemed pretty cozy after your interview.”

He turns, rearing his head back, and I earn a quizzical look from the woman waiting in the aisle to continue her way past us. I’m not sure if the line has stalled or if she just wants to watch the show.

“Are you mad? Of course I had no idea. It’s a coincidence, but then is it really? Of course Mancini would want you. And of course he’d want me too. We shouldn’t be surprised he reached out to both of us.”

I guffaw. “You don’t know anything about my career. I work for a small firm in Portland.” I bury my head back in my book.

“I know what kind of student you were.”

“For one semester, and you used to dissect everything I did. You were so paranoid that people would find out about us that you acted as if I was stupid, picked on me when it was your day to lecture, and cut every piece of work I handed in to pieces.”

“Is that what you think?” He turns to face me and leans in.

“Everyone knew you hated me. Said I challenged too much and that you wanted to put me in my place.” I slam my book closed. I’ve only read the first line so far.

“I called on you because you were the smartest one in the class. I called on you because you were up for the challenge, and I enjoyed hearing your take on things.”

“Whatever,” I say, not wanting to hear what he’s saying. Who knows if it’s a lie or not? “We’re stuck on this holiday together, so let’s just keep our distance from each other.”

“And if I don’t want to?” He arches an eyebrow.

A sound of excitement comes across the aisle, and I look over to see Kenzie staring directly at us. Great, we have an audience. An audience who is probably going to tell my brother and Tessa everything we say here.

“It’s too late, Pierce. I can’t deny it, our time was…” I shake my head, not wanting to relive that memory. “But it’s over. It’s been six years, and this isn’t some sign from the universe giving us another chance. Like the first time was the wrong time, and this is the right time. When we first met, I was Tre’s sister, and you were Andrew’s cousin. No cosmic force planned to have Andrew meet Kenzie and in turn Tre to meet Tessa in some weird plan to get us back together. So, just put your AirPods in and enjoy your flight.”

I open my book.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t say anything, but he reaches into his bag, pulls out a bag of Skittles, and places it in my lap.

My shoulders sink, and I murmur, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He puts his AirPods in his ears, presses his thumb to his screen, and scrolls.

We take off, and the airplane remains dark except for the light of screens and Andrew reading under the overhead light, Nolan asleep in his arms. Kenzie watches a movie on her phone propped up in the holder.

I turn my body toward the window, giving Pierce my back, but I feel his presence. I’d never tell him, but I so desperately want to feel his body against mine again. My mind drifts to that night for what feels like the millionth time since we ran into one another at the hotel.

His body pressed me against the door, caging me in. He took my hands, raised them up over us, and clenched his fingers through mine above my head, while his lips remained on mine.

I’d never been kissed the way Pierce kissed me. At that time, I thought it was my innocence, but now, six years later, I know that isn’t true.

Pierce was just an exceptional kisser. I’d never felt so wanted and desired as I did that weekend with him. Never felt so hopeful about what the future could bring.

His hands tightened in mine, and he ground his hardened length against me. The knowledge that he was that hard for me was an aphrodisiac I wasn’t prepared to feel. It spurred my own hunger for him.

He stripped his lips off mine, not letting my hands go, and trailed his lips over my jaw. “God, I want to take my time with you, but I’m not sure I have the patience.”

I knew how he felt. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to savor this, us, the first time I’d feel his fingers on me, in me, his lips over my body, his cock inside me. But I also wanted to sink to my knees, unbutton his pants, and get him so hot that he’d lose all control.

He nipped at my neck, and my eyes fell shut, allowing him to take me out of my thoughts and just feel him. He was perfect in every way. Eventually, his hands unwound from mine, and his fingers glided down my arms, wrapping around my waist and tugging me against him.

“Bedroom, okay?” he whispered.

All I could do was nod. His mouth didn’t stop exploring my neck as he turned me around and walked me backward down a hall. I allowed him to lead me blindly, trusting this man I had just met. As though he couldn’t stop himself, he stopped halfway, and again my back was to the wall, his hands on the hem of my shirt.

“Tell me if you’re not ready,” he said. He’d done that all night. Asked and questioned if I wanted this.

“I’m ready. I want this.” I tried to make it clear, and he raised my shirt. Once it was off, he dropped it somewhere and drew back, his eyes soaking me in wearing only my bra.

“How in the bloody hell did I get you to agree to come home with me?” He took my hand and led me the rest of the way to his bedroom. He placed me on the edge of his bed, and we both toed out of our shoes. I reached back to undo my bra, thinking this was the moment we’d strip and have sex, but he surprised me by stepping forward, reaching around and placing his hand over mine. “May I?”

I slid my hands away from his and lowered my arms down to my sides.

“I’ve thought about nothing all night but what it would be like to strip you down.” With one hand, he unclasped my bra, and it loosened around my chest. His hands rose to my shoulders and lowered the straps as his eyes followed their path, eventually leaving my chest bare before him. “As perfect as I imagined.”

God, who was this guy? I was jealous of his word choices, the way he made me feel so beautiful while never actually saying the word.

I thought he’d reach for my breasts, but he broke the distance, his hand cupping my cheek and his lips finding mine again. He nudged me until I fell to his mattress, but he came along with me, his delicious weight pressing me into the softness.

From there it was a blur—clothes off, hands searching, touching, and caressing. His sweet words of how much he’d wanted all night to be right where we were. That the moment he saw me in the bar, he wanted to know how I tasted.

He pulled a condom from the nightstand and situated himself between my thighs. With his eyes on me and his hand on my hip, he pushed and slid inside me. Nothing had ever felt that good. I circled my hips, getting used to his size.

“God, Pierce,” I said.

I’m jolted awake and out of my memory by something, and when I look around, I find Pierce smirking at me.

“What, pray tell, are you dreaming about?”

My face heats. There’s no way he knows. “It was a nightmare actually. Apparently, I’m still in it.”

He laughs. “I didn’t realize you moan when you’re scared. I quite enjoy hearing my name and God in the same sentence.”

“It’s not what you think,” I snipe, although what I wouldn’t do to escape back to the memory of him inside me.

“If you say so.”

I look across to see the Wainwrights asleep, wishing I still was. God help me, get me off this plane.