I tucked my bag into one of the overhead compartments and greeted the pilot before Tabitha emerged from the galley, smiling. She was our family’s preferred flight attendant, and we asked the Hartwell Agency to staff her almost exclusively.
“Morning, Jasper. Can I get you anything? A drink or some breakfast?”
“Morning.” I studied her. Something about her alwaysseemed so…familiar. Though I didn’t know why, and I couldn’t put my finger on the reason. Whatever it was, it put me at ease. “Maybe some coffee after we take off.”
“Of course. Latte with oat milk, right?”
“Exactly. Thanks.”
Kendall was next to board the plane, talking to someone behind her before Halle appeared. She turned to face me, and when she lifted her head, I was hit with such a pang of longing that it felt as if my heart had stopped. Halted and then restarted at double speed.
Fuck.I clutched my chest.Fuck me.
“You okay?” Knox asked.
I’d been so distracted, I hadn’t even noticed he’d boarded the plane. “Yeah. I’m good. You?”
“Glad to be going home.” He gave me a hug just as Nate and Emerson boarded.
Emerson joined Halle and Kendall. I took a seat while the crew finished their preparations for takeoff. Restless energy thrummed through me, and I tried to study Halle without attracting notice.
“Where did you disappear to last night?” Knox asked, taking a seat across from me.
Nate gave me a knowing look. “Did you find someone to keep you company? Give the winning bidder a preview of the bachelorx date?”
“I—”Shit.
I could feel Halle’s gaze boring into the side of my head. Halle and I hadn’t discussed how to handle this because we hadn’t expected anyone to even notice we’d gone missing. So instead of telling them that I’d found myself locked in a stairwell, which would’ve inevitably led to more questions, I decided to keep it vague.
“Something like that.” The words felt wrong the moment I said them aloud.
But what else was I supposed to say?
I felt as if I’d surpassed everyone else’s ideas on who I was and what I was capable of. It felt like…like how it felt to outgrow your clothes. They were tight and uncomfortable and no longer reflected your style.
But for now, these were the clothes I had to continue to wear. If it meant protecting Halle. Even if lying to my family meant gaining Halle’s trust, then I would do whatever it took.
“How was the rest of the evening? Any surprises?” I asked, eager to refocus the conversation away from me.
Knox chuckled. “Apparently one of the rookies from the Hawks had been running a social media campaign to hype up interest. He went for almost as much as Holden Hansley.”
I chuckled. “Which rookie?”
“Kovi.” And then he added, “Carson Kovalsky.”
The pilot announced that it was time for takeoff, and the plane turned, likely angling toward the runway. I tapped on my phone, navigating to Carson’s social media. The guy was photogenic; I’d give him that. And he knew how to use social media to his advantage. He had a mix of videos and stills, and he was shirtless or holding a hockey stick in most of them.
“How much?” I asked once we were in the air. Halle and I had been locked in the stairwell long before any of the players from the Hawks had taken the stage.
“Twenty-three thousand.”
“Damn.” I whistled low. “Good for him.”
“The audience was rabid when he went onstage,” Nate said as the plane leveled out.
The captain announced that we were free to move about the cabin. Tabitha delivered my latte, and I thanked her. Then she circulated the cabin, taking drink orders.
I inhaled slowly, taking a sip as a memory from last night floated through my mind. Me tracing Halle’s fingers as Iexplained the mindfulness exercise. Each inhale had been shaky. Each exhale just as much so. I’d done the exercise countless times, but it had never felt so…erotic.
