Chapter 5

Riggs is still asleep when I wake up, so I shower and dress quickly, leaving a note on the pillow: "Grabbing coffee. Back soon."

Luckily there is a café right next door where I can pick up coffee and breakfast sandwiches for two. The morning air is a welcome fresh breeze against my cheeks as I return to the motel.

Somehow, being with Riggs makes me feel powerful. That doesn"t make sense, since I love it when he leads me and tells me exactly what to do. But he seems to roll with anything, taking stressful things in stride.

I"d love to be more like that. Beth always says that I need to stop overanalyzing with the "what-ifs" and just go with the moment, however it turns out. I"ve been stuck in my head my entire life. How did I suddenly change into someone who just does things?

I"m not the kind of girl to sleep with a stranger. Really. Maybe it was the surge of adrenaline from that horrible flight?

The more probable truth is Riggs himself. He"s irritable with everyone…except me. Quiet. Moody, sometimes. He"s not some perpetually peppy guy telling me to look on the bright side. He considers all angles and makes quick, efficient decisions. He"s a man who knows what he wants, and what"s right.

Outside the door to our unit, I set our breakfast down on a beaten-up patio chair and call Beth.

"Hey!" she chirps. "How are you?"

"Well, I was on my way to see you, but we hit some turbulence." I quickly tell her how my plane was rerouted, and I"m now stranded in a small town.

"You tried to fly here?" She sounds incredulous. Wow – people really do think I"m a wimp.

I briefly explain that I met someone on the flight, and stayed with him, omitting the juicy details. There"s no way I"m sharing something that I can"t even process yet, not even with her.

"Hold on. A guy calmed you down during a rocky flight yesterday, and you"re still with him?"

"Yeah. He"s amazing."

"Wait – how did your dad even let you leave?"

I sigh. "I told him I was staying at your place for the weekend for your birthday. He doesn"t remember that you"ve moved to New York. I might have not reminded him."

"Holy crap!" she laughs. "You"ve gone from quiet book nerd to wild woman overnight."

"Apparently." I lower my voice. "It feels like this guy is really good for me," I whisper. "Like he"s opening doors in my mind or something. Helping me find ways to loosen up."

"That"s amazing," Beth gushes. "Seriously, Olivia, I"m super happy for you!"

You know what? I"m happy for myself too, for the first time in ages. Something about Riggs just makes me believe that everything is going to be okay, no matter what.

"I"m sorry I won"t make it to your birthday party."

"No problemo," Beth laughs. "I"ll eat a cupcake and do a vodka shot on your behalf."

"Perfect."

"Now you get back to that sexy man, and have the time of your life."

I hold back a giggle. "Wait a sec! I never said that he was sexy."

Her distinctive cackle takes me right back to high school. "Girl, you wouldn"t still be with him if he wasn"t. And from the way you hesitated, I know I"m right."

"Fine. You"re a mind reader and super genius. Talk soon."

Grabbing the bag of coffee and food, I reach for the door just as it"s opening. Riggs looks down at me, gloriously shirtless, wearing only faded black jeans. "You don"t think I"m sexy?"

My cheeks glow with heat. "I-I didn"t say that. I just…"

He laughs, taking the bag from me. "This is very sweet. Thank you."

He"s already made the bed well enough that we sprawl across it for a picnic. As we eat our sandwiches and drink our coffees – no sugar and just a touch of milk for both of us – we fall into a long, meandering conversation about our lives.

Riggs is surprisingly easy to talk to, when I"m able to focus on his words instead of his broad shoulders and thick forearms. It feels like it"s taking some effort for him to chat, though, as if he"s not quite used to it. He"s always staring into space as he chooses his words.

The age difference between us is clear when it comes to our respective life experience, yet we"re fascinated with each other. My dream career path seems to interest him, and I love the way he scowls whenever I mention how demanding and nitpicky my father is.

I"m intrigued by the way Riggs moves from city to city and job to job, not really wanting a home base. Meanwhile, he"s amused when I explain how Beth always tries to push me out of my comfort zone.

"That"s good," he nods. "It"s important to have people who support us, but give us that kick in the pants we need sometimes."

He drains the last of his coffee, then grunts as he sets it aside. "Like my buddy, Benny. He"s getting pretty creative with his methods of persuading me to join his new company."

"Yeah?"

He shakes his head. "Yeah. It sounds like a great idea. "Cufflinks Private Air" – think high class private planes, but he"s found a few ways to bring the costs down a little. All of the glamor and personalized custom service, for a slightly better price."

"Cufflinks?" I smirk. He rolls his eyes.

"Stylish and filled with class – the gleaming jets and polished crew are the diamond cufflinks on the perfect suit," he intones, as if reading from a press release.

I have to wonder: do they prefer pilots with striking jawlines and gorgeous eyes? Riggs looks every inch the part of a dashing pilot. "So why haven"t you agreed to sign up?"

His expression is thoughtful but unsettled as he stares into the middle distance. "I want to. But every pilot has to commit to a three-year contract. That"s just…" He trails off, staring out the window to the cracked pavement of the parking lot.

"You don"t want to be tied down," I say softly. "You like your nomad life just the way it is, right?"

He doesn"t speak, but from the way his knuckles tighten, I feel like I"ve nailed it.

A tiny laugh bubbles out of me. "Talk about a pair. You don"t want to be tied down, and I don"t want to take chances." I smile as he finally meets my eyes. "There are already dozens of reasons why this should only be a one night thing, but that seals the deal, I think."

His strong jaw tightens as he winces. "Olivia, I don"t?—"

His phone rings and his eyes narrow at the name on the screen. "Sorry, I need to take this."

He steps outside, so I use the time to tidy up the room. Then I check my email out of habit. I"m not really expecting anything interesting, but there"s something from my younger sister Lisa. When I see all the attachments, I switch from my phone to my laptop.

My hand flies over my mouth as I begin to shake, skimming the mail from last week that Lisa quickly scanned for me.

Riggs comes back in, hurrying to the bed as he sees my wide-eyed look. "What"s wrong?"

Pointing to the screen, my hand is shaking. My throat is closed. I can"t speak.

He grabs the laptop, reading the letter from the University of North Carolina. "You got in? That"s amazing."

"Not quite in, but I made it to the next step." I point to the following page. "There"s an in-person interview." My voice is a hoarse whisper. I honestly cannot believe what we"re reading. "But I"ve heard it"s basically a formality to check that I"m not a psycho, and have the right attitude. If I show up, I"m probably in."

"That"s awesome, baby."

He turns to look into my eyes, and a wash of brand new emotions floods me. Spins my mind straight out of the equation for a moment. My breath catches as an unequivocal realization takes hold.

I want Riggs. I don"t want to ever be without him.

How can I possibly think that about a man I met yesterday? It"s not logical. And even if it was, it"s something that I absolutely cannot be thinking about right now. Getting accepted to this program was the only thing I never dreamed of, and now…

Riggs tears his eyes from mine, reading the pages carefully. "Wait. The interview is at one o"clock today." He frowns, turning to me. "Why are you just hearing about this now?"

Closing the attachments, I point to my sister"s cover note. "Lisa found the envelope in the trash. Dad doesn"t want me to go. He wants me to work at the bakery."

"Why can"t he just hire someone else?"

I snort and shake my head. "Because Lisa and I work way more hours than we"re actually paid for. A "real" employee"...I make air quotes…"would be more expensive, and he wouldn"t be able to boss them around the same way."

There"s a strange scratching noise. Is that Riggs" teeth grinding?

He pushes the laptop aside and takes my hands in his. "Is this what you want, Olivia?"

I refuse to let the tears that are welling up spill. "It doesn"t matter. I"d never make it there in time. Even if I could beam myself there or something, I"m not prepared. When I didn"t get an answer, I assumed it was a no."

"Baby." His voice is intense, even at a soft whisper. "Is this your dream?"

"It was. It doesn"t matter now."

I"m yanked forward, pulled against his broad chest. "I need to hear you say it, gorgeous. If this is what you want, I"ll make it happen." He pulls back again, his dusky blue eyes burning into mine. "I"ll ask again. Is taking that course your dream?"

His arms around me give me the strength to be honest with myself. "Yes."

A feather-light kiss breezes along my lips. "You"re going to be brave for me. And I"m going to make this happen for you." Those perfect lips tip up into a sexy grin. "Buckle up, buttercup. I"ll get you there."