Chapter 53

53

SARAH

I stared at him in shock. My heart was racing, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. The words reverberated through me like a song played on repeat. I was stunned, unable to fully comprehend what he'd just said.

"Me?" I asked again, bewildered. "You're in love with me?"

His eyes were soft and serious as he nodded, taking my hands in his. "Yes, Sarah," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—surprise, joy, fear, and elation. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dean Ryker was here, with me, saying he wasn't going anywhere. Joy surged through me so powerfully that I wanted to throw my arms around him, but my seatbelt locked, nearly cutting off my air.

I let out a choking laugh, unbuckled myself, and climbed over the console to straddle him, showering him with kisses.

"This is the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me," I said between kisses. "Dean Ryker, of all people, came to get me. Always my knight in shining armor."

Dean chuckled, holding me close. "You're not a damsel needing saving, but I'll always be here for you if you want me."

"I want you," I said giddily.

"Good, because I want to make sure you know I mean it. I've realized you are the most important person in my life. I choose you, Sarah."

I pulled back slightly, my eyes wide. "You what?" I asked. "You choose me? Was there someone else I was competing with? Tell me that bitch's name."

He grinned. "Just Uncle Sam."

I frowned, shaking my head with confusion. "What are you talking about? I'm too turned around for you to be subtle right now."

He smiled that sexy little grin that turned me inside out. "I quit the Air Force."

My mouth fell open. "You quit? Just like that? You can't quit."

"I've been sitting on my re-up package," he said. "I decided not to do it. I don't want to commit another year, let alone five to the Air Force. I'm out."

My ears were ringing. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The man was crazy. Certifiable. He was one of the top pilots in the world. He was crazy to bounce out.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I gasped. "You did not!"

Dean nodded. "I realized I've been going through the motions for a long time. Yes, flying brings me joy and peace. But it doesn't bring me more than you do. I'd rather give up being a pilot than give up being with you. Your father can't pull strings to keep us apart this way. We aren't breaking any rules anymore. You can pursue your career and your dream, and I'll be right there with you, backing you up."

My eyes filled with tears as I listened to him. "And what will you do with yourself, Dean?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. I couldn't imagine him not flying. It was important to him. I completely understood it because I felt the same way.

He smiled at me, those eyes staring right into my soul. "I guess we'll have to figure that out together, won't we? I might not be a pilot anymore, but there's plenty I can do."

"Like stopping potential bar fights?" I teased, my heart swelling with love and gratitude.

He laughed. "That too."

I was stunned. "Are you sure this is what you want? I don't know if I could ever give up being a pilot."

He cupped my cheek, his touch gentle and reassuring. "I know that, and I would never ask you to. This feels right to me. Does it feel right for you?"

I nodded, tears of happiness welling up in my eyes. "Yes. I love you too, Dean."

Our lips met in a sweet, intimate kiss, full of promise and new beginnings. I melted into him, feeling the weight of the past few weeks lift off my shoulders.

I held his face in my hands and kissed him. "This is our new beginning," I whispered against his lips before sinking against him once more. His hands traced circles on my back, setting my skin on fire.

The moment stretched on impossibly long with us lost in the embrace. When we broke apart, I was flushed and breathless, feeling a sense of certainty I hadn't felt before. Dean's eyes searched mine, and his hand reached up to tuck a loose curl behind my ear.

"Don't stop," I murmured. "I've missed you so much. I've missed the taste of you."

He grinned. "Me too."

His mouth slammed against mine. Our kiss was intense, filled with passion and pent-up longing. It had been too long since we shared the same space like this. I wanted to feel every part of him all at once, but clinging to him like a koala probably wasn't sexy.

His hands roamed my body, seemingly guided by the same compulsion. He cupped my breasts and squeezed my ass and caressed everything in between. It was as if we were making up for lost time, greedy for one another.

"I've never loved anyone the way I love you, Sarah," he breathed out when we broke apart for air.

My heart fluttered at his admission. "Dean, I feel the same way, even though things have moved fast."

"That's how pilots do everything." He smiled.

"Hopefully not too fast right now," I said, waggling my brows at him.

He kissed me again. This time it was slow, languid, full of love and raw desire. His hand slipped down my back, pulling me closer so there was no space left between us. It felt like coming home after a long journey.

His hands moved down to my hips, his fingers digging into my skin. I gasped into his mouth, my heart galloping. He pulled back slightly, his eyes dark with desire. "I want to make love to you. I'll do my best to make it last."

I nodded. "How do we always find ourselves getting hot and heavy in cars?"

He chuckled. "Because we've had to hide our feelings from everyone. Plus, any time I'm alone with you for more than five minutes, the temptation drives me wild."

"I'm with you on that." I grinned and grabbed his cock.

He groaned and pulled away slightly. "But as much as I would love nothing more than to have my way with you, I don't think it's the right time. I don't want to keep doing this in cars. We're not teenagers. Your father already thinks I'm a horndog looking for a hot piece of ass—which in fairness, you very much are. But believe it or not, I respect you and love you. I want our first time to be special, not in the back seat of a car."

I looked at him, my heart thumping in my chest with unadulterated love. "Oh, Dean, you goofball."

"What?" he asked softly.

"It wouldn't be our first time," I said, smiling. "Although I'd also love to move this to a proper bed. I want to have room to maneuver."

"Spoken like the best pilot in her group. But it will be our first time as an official thing," he corrected. "Before, we were screwing around. We were full of passion."

"You're not still full of passion?" I asked, pretending to pout.

"No," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "I'm absolutely bursting with it. Every time I see you, every time I touch you. But now it's not a dirty, little secret I can't talk about. I can take you to dinner. We can walk down the street together like when we were in London. Now, we can have that here—if you want it."

"Of course, I want it," I said. "I guess I'm still in shock. You were the last person I thought I'd see today. The last couple of weeks have been awful. But then you show up. I can barely breathe."

"Do you want me?" he asked bluntly.

I nodded. "I do."

"I won't pressure you if not. I just need to know you're willing to take this leap of faith with me."

"Yes, more than anything," I said, gazing up at him.

There was a tenderness in his eyes that I had never seen before. He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing against my cheeks, and he leaned in, planting a soft kiss on my lips.

"Then that's all I need to hear," he murmured against my mouth. "All I want is for you to be happy, Sarah."

"And you make me happy," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him closer.

He held me there, in the cozy comfort of his rental car. There were a lot of things to talk about, but for just a few minutes, I wanted to revel in the moment. The world could wait. Right now, it was just him and me.

His fingers trailed a path down my back, causing me to shudder. I leaned in and brushed my lips across his.

"I love you," he murmured against my lips.

His words echoed around us. I never would have thought a moment like this was possible. I had spent my life idolizing him. I never expected to actually meet him and he was everything I had hoped for and more. There was no fighting the affection he sparked in my chest.

"I love you too," I whispered back. My hands slowly made their way up the nape of his neck, tangling into the back of his hair. "You're already letting your hair grow out?"

He chuckled, sliding his hands under my shirt. "Not grow out, but it's been hectic. I didn't have time to get a haircut last week. I had a lot to think about."

"I like it," I said. "It's sexy. Roguish."

He slid his mouth to the nape of my neck. "You think so?" he murmured against my skin. His breath was warm, sending a shiver down my spine. "I'll keep it then."

His lips pressed into the soft spot beneath my ear. I let out a small gasp, sliding my arms further around his neck. My fingers buried themselves deeper into his hair, savoring the texture of it underneath my touch. He tasted like coffee and something faintly sweet. "God, how I've missed you," I moaned as his teeth tugged at my skin.

"Same here," he responded, his voice a deep hum against my neck. One hand cupped my breast while his other hand slid around my waist, drawing me even closer to him. His mouth found mine again. He kissed me with an intensity that took my breath away. I was tempted to throw caution to the wind and have him right there. I needed to feel him inside me.

"I want you so bad," I sighed. "I'm so hot for you."

"Do you feel how hard I am for you?" he whispered.

I slid my hips forward, rubbing myself against the erection straining against his pants. I smiled softly. "I do. We don't have to have sex. We could just have a little fun."

He chuckled and closed his eyes. "You have no idea how tempting that sounds. I would love to take you up on that offer, but I also know neither of us is going to be able to stop once we get started. We'll have to wait. Just a little longer."

I let out a long, disappointed sigh and slid off his lap, settling back into the passenger seat.

"What happens next?" I asked. "What do we do now?"

Dean smiled. "I booked a one-way flight. I'm in town until you head back to Columbus. We can do whatever we want."

I hesitated, thinking about my father. "Do you think I should go talk to my dad?"

He shrugged. "It's your call, but I suggest letting Mo cool off a bit. It sounds like we both came on pretty strong today. Let's give him some time to process things. Why don't we grab some dinner, and I can drop you off later tonight?"

I agreed, feeling relief. "That sounds perfect."