“I’m fine.” She smiled brightly, repeating that damn phrase again. I was beginning to hate the word “fine.” Then she was off, and I wondered how she could walk so quickly in those heels.
I shook my head, ignoring the way my cock stirred at the sight of her ass in that skirt. Her hips swaying as she marched through the airport. I glanced down, adjusting myself discreetly.This is all your fault.
I finally caught up to her, but between the chaos of checking in and then security, we didn’t speak again until we were waiting to board. “Did you send Eric the updates from our meetings?” I asked, scrolling through a chain of emails.
“Yes.”
“Alexis tells me there’s a water leak at the house,” I said after we were seated, mostly in an attempt to distract her.
“Mm.” She stared at her phone, practically ignoring me.
I could see her anxiety building as the crew prepared for takeoff. I hated it. Hated feeling so helpless. She was afraid of flying. I was afraid of falling.
So, I took her hand in mine, holding on tight even when she tried to take it back. “It’s going to be okay.We’regoing to be okay.” I wasn’t sure whether I said it more to comfort her or me.
She whipped her head to look at me, her tone even and calm when she said, “There is no ‘we,’ remember?”
She removed her hand from mine and returned her attention to her phone, gripping it tightly as the plane took off down the runway. With every second that passed, Sumner’s tension seemed to ratchet up a notch. Or maybe that was just my own anxiety over the situation.
Suddenly, I felt desperate to make her smile or laugh. To have her acknowledge me. I wanted to blame this on the flight, but I got the feeling this widening gulf between us wouldn’t just disappear when we landed in LA. I was beginning to think I’d been foolish to assume we could go back to the way we’d been. But what choice did we have?
I thought back to the flight out to New York and her erratic behavior. “You didn’t take anything, right?”
We’d finally leveled out, the roar of the engines fading to a dull hum.
She rolled her eyes, those green orbs flicking to the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign that had just been turned off. “I think I learned my lesson last time.”
“Yes, but—”
“Excuse me.” She stood and headed for the bathroom without a backward glance.
I stared at her retreating figure, anger and desire swirling in my blood. Before I realized what was happening, I was following her, my steps pounding the aisle. I pushed open the door before she had a chance to close it.
She glanced up quickly, her eyes turning from shock to anger. “Get out.”
As angry as she was, I knew Sumner well enough to sense that her emotions weren’t solely related to what had happened between us. Yes, she was upset, but I had a feeling it was heightened by her fear of flying. My nerves certainly felt exposed—my need to protect her, to help her, driving my actions.
I ignored her and closed the door behind me, locking it. “I’m done with this passive-aggressive bullshit. If this isn’t about the flight, then it’s about me.Us.”
Us?There was no “us,” and there never would be. But I couldn’t seem to get it through my head. I wasn’t ready to give her up yet, even though I’d been the one to insist this had to end.
“You’re right. Passive-aggressive isn’t me. I just say yes, and I give and I give and I give. But you know what? I told myself I wouldn’t do that anymore. I wouldn’t please others at the expense of myself. So yeah, I am upset. Are you happy now?”
“No.”
She scoffed, turning away to the mirror, not that she could go far. She inspected her makeup, and I watched her. I was pretty sure she muttered something about “I don’t know what you want from me.”
You. I want you.
If only she’d look at me, surely she’d see…
But instead, I forced myself to say, “I want…Ineedfor us to be friends.”
She scoffed, turning to face me and crossing her arms over her chest. “Jonathan, I know what you taste like. I know the sounds you make when you come.” She let out a jagged breath. “So, excuse me if I need a minute to try to erase this week from my brain.”
Fuck.I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists so as not to touch her. Her words were so filthy coming from such pure lips. Lips I’d tasted. Lips I’d fucked.
I’d never seen her so upset, so passionate. And while part of me wanted to applaud her for speaking up, the other part hated myself for putting her in this position in the first place.
