AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The air was cold but still as we walked outside. Several small planes were parked nearby, but we didn’t head toward any of them. Instead, he led me to the right, away from the runway and toward a large hangar.
A helicopter was parked in the middle of a large concrete square. Without meaning to, I squeezed his arm. Were we going up in that?
We stopped and he glanced at me. “Have you ever been in a helicopter?”
“Never.”
“I’m your first.” His mouth hooked in another smile. “Good.”
My breath caught in my throat. I didn’t know if the flutters in my stomach were because I was about to climb into a helicopter for the first time, or because of Preston.
Probably both.
A man dressed in a black suit approached. “Mr. Bradford. We’re ready to go.”
“Excellent.”
The pilot opened one of the doors and Preston once again offered me a hand to help me in. The interior was lavish with four leather seats facing each other in pairs. Preston got in behind me and gestured for me to choose a seat. He took the one next to me and reached for my hand.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Seattle.”
I crossed my legs at the ankles and waited while the pilot got in the cockpit and put on his headset. Preston held my hand with a familiarity I enjoyed, rubbing his thumb along mine.
“How long is the flight?” I asked.
“About an hour. Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
“Don’t worry.” He squeezed my hand. “I’ve got you.”
His voice and his touch were both reassuring and exhilarating.
The pilot started the engine and I was surprised at how quiet it was in the cabin. The luxury didn’t just extend to the seats, it was in the entire experience. The surroundings, the comfort. I tried not to fixate on what this kind of extravagance said about Preston’s bank account, but it was impossible not to notice. He was clearly a man of means.
We rose into the air and I leaned toward the window to watch the ground fall away beneath us. The view was breathtaking.
“Beautiful,” he said, but he wasn’t looking out the window.
He was looking at me.
“It’s incredible,” I said, gesturing toward the view. “Is this how you go back and forth to Seattle?”
“It saves time. And it’s not a bad way to impress a girl.”
I raised my eyebrows. “So you dazzle all your dates with helicopter rides?”
He met my eyes. “Just you.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed that, but the heat in his gaze sent tingles down my spine nonetheless.
We flew over mountains with rocky outcroppings and pine forests that seemed to stretch on forever. It wasn’t long before the land below us turned into fields and farmland. A river cut through the landscape, and eventually streets and neighborhoods replaced the forests and fields.
“Tell me about you,” Preston said, drawing my attention away from the view.
“What do you want to know?”
