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A rough finger stroking down my cheek pulled me out of my dark thoughts. “Where did my sweet girl go?”
“Just thinking about Hayat,” I excused. Feeling another twinge of guilt for not telling him my summer plans, I changed the subject. “Why didn’t you tell me Sammy was your sister?”
“We haven’t had time to discuss our family situations, wildfire,” he reminded me. “But my family is complicated. We aren’t close. I guess you can say our dad’s dementia is what connects us the most at the moment. We both want what is best for him.”
It was hard to believe we’d only been open with how we felt for less than two full days. I barely knew this man, yet I felt like he’d always been a part of my life.
“I’m sorry you two don’t have a good relationship. I don’t really know what that’s like. Even when my sister and I are at each other’s throats, we make up quickly.” My entire family, more honorary than biological, was close. I was aware that not everyone’s dynamic was like mine, but it was still hard for me to picture.
He held on to my hand. I tugged it to me, resting the back of his against my chest. I caressed his palm with my thumb, trying to soothe him, wanting to take all his worries away. “I have a little experience with dementia. Grandma Alicia suffered from it during her second battle with brain cancer. It was only a few years ago that we lost her. What stage is your dad at?”
“It’s moderate, but there have been a few recent instances where doctors thought it was turning severe.” Strain filled his face when he looked over at me. “I don’t want you to be afraid of him. He’s going to adore you.”
Nervousness filled me for the first time. Holy crap. I was going to meet his dad. That was a huge step. Things were moving fast with us, but at the same time, it wasn’t quick enough. Fuck. I already didn’t want to be away from him for an entire day. How was I going to survive the summer without him?
Misery churned in my stomach. My mind was already made up. I’d promised Hayat, and I never broke a promise. Especially not to her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
abi
Private planes weren’t anything new to me. Having successful rock star parents came with perks. But Vaughn’s jet was more luxurious than I’d anticipated when we stepped into the spacious cabin. It looked more like a hotel villa on the inside than an airplane cabin.
I didn’t have much time to take it all in before Sammy started clawing at the IV in the back of her hand. After a brief stop so he could collect her, while I stayed in the car, Vaughn had driven us straight to a small airstrip where he kept his personal jet. I didn’t even see the pilots before we were in the air. I didn’t know what his side job entailed, but apparently he was paid well, because as far as I was aware, college professors couldn’t afford their own planes.
Sammy stayed asleep for the entire drive to Oregon. Vaughn said it was because of the pain medication she’d received at the hospital. From the size of the knot on her forehead, I could understand why she needed it. Her head must have been throbbing.
When she began to wake up an hour into the flight, he pulled a preloaded syringe from the bag of supplies and shot a dose of painkillers into her IV line. But only thirty minutes later, she was scratching at the site.
“She’s going to hurt herself,” I worried, trying to hold on to her fingers without hurting her. But she was weirdly strong in her drugged state.
Vaughn pulled me up from the chair I was sitting in beside his sister. “For the sake of what is left of my sanity, I need you to be on the other side of the cabin. She’s not in a stable mind-set right now. If she accidentally hurts you, I’ll have to throw her out of this fucking plane.”
“It’s okay.” I tried to move around him. “I don’t mind. She’s going to pull out the IV if we don’t stop her.”
“No,” he growled. He moved so fast I didn’t see what was in his hand at first. But I heard the clink of something metallic before he straightened. “There. She’s fine now. Can’t pull it out if she can’t reach it.”
I nudged him out of the way, and my mouth dropped open when I saw he’d handcuffed her free hand to the chair she was reclined in. “Where did you…?” I shook my head, my stomach protesting the thoughts that filled my head. Maybe he’d taken Professor Lynch somewhere romantic… “Nope. Never mind. I don’t want to know what you’ve been doing on this plane with other people.”
His brow furrowed for a moment before he grunted. “You and my sister are the only other women who have ever been on this plane.”
“Oh,” I muttered lamely, looking anywhere but at him as heat crept up my neck. “Well, I still don’t want to know why you have handcuffs.”
His deep laugh drew my gaze back to his handsome face. Strain still held his shoulders tense, but his grin momentarily melted some of that away, along with my heart. “Come here, wildfire.”
Stepping into him, I wrapped my arms around his waist, tipping my head back to accept his kiss. “Thank you for being here,” he said against my lips.
Closing my eyes, I squeezed him. “Sammy is my friend. I want to help her, but I also want to be here with you.”
He tipped my chin up, concern darkening his eyes. “You’re tired. I should have tucked you into bed hours ago. There’s a small bedroom back here.”
Small bedroom meant a queen-sized bed, a mini walk-in closet, and a full connecting bathroom with a shower built from marble and tile.
“Our definitions of small are not the same, Professor,” I teased as I sat on the edge of the bed. It was firm, but not hard. With a moan, I stretched out, more tired than I realized.
“What’s my name, Abi?”
Smirking, I turned my head to find him half glowering, half pouting at me at the side of the bed. “Professor Victor Vaughn.”
