Thanks to the holidays, traffic was shit, even though we were only going to the New Gothenburg airport. I began to regret I hadn’t booked us a private flight as we were scanned by the TSA, but it was a waste of cash. A private plane wouldn’t get us there any faster than a commercial airliner in the holiday rush. There was only so much airspace. As we got to the boarding counter for our plane, I could already tell by the squinty expression on the motherly blonde woman’s face that I wasn’t going to like the news. Her holiday sweater jingled with tiny bells sewn in the front as her fingers flew over the keyboard.
“You’re boarding, sirs? You wouldn’t happen to be first class, would you?” She did her best to smile, but there were lines around her eyes from tension.
“Yes, why?” I snapped, and Noah gave me a look that let me know I sounded ready to rip someone’s head off. Coincidentally, I felt ready to do it, too.
“We have to bump you. I’m sorry.” She flinched and held her breath.
“We’re first class,” Noah said, absolutely indignant. It was the first time I’d seen him really act like he came from Vert Island. “Is that even possible?” He glanced between the woman and me, eyes wide. The baffled pout on his lips was so cute I began to snicker, and the woman gave me a relieved look.
“We had to switch planes, sir,” she said, though I wasn’t sure if she was talking to Noah or me. “Unfortunately there are four fewer first-class seats on this one, and you were the next-to-last two to arrive.” She gave me a pained smile. “There are two other people in for some bad news as well, if that makes you feel any better.” She glanced behind us at two women who were laughing and approaching, and I could almost see her deflate at the thought of delivering this news all over again.
“Damn it.” I sighed. “Can we get in coach?”
Noah’s eyes widened even farther, his mouth dropped open, and I unsuccessfully fought a snort of amusement.
She shook her head. “You’ll have to wait an hour and a half, but we can definitely get you in coach on the next flight.”
“Coach?” Noah blinked and gaped. “Coach? As in, the small seats?”
I began to crack up, couldn’t help it. When I could finally catch my breath, I huffed out, “Yes, we’ll take it.”
“Thank you,” the woman said, and her grateful smile made me feel like I’d done a good deed for the day. “You’ll still be leaving from this gate.”
As we wandered off to sit on uncomfortable-looking plastic seats anchored to the floor nearby, Noah shook his head. I stared at the gray walls as exhaustion hit me. He settled his carry-on at his feet and I wondered briefly what he’d thought was important enough to keep with him. There was still so much to learn about my husband.
“That was rude,” I said, tapping his nose.
“Me? You’re calling me rude?” he asked, his hand creeping up to his chest. “She put us incoach.”
After another laughing fit, I sighed and grinned. “Urgh. Maybe.” I tapped a finger to his scowling lips. “Only a little.” I closed my eyes and felt like I was ready to pass out. “I just wanted to get on the plane to catch some shut-eye.”
He lightly brushed his fingers over the back of my hand on my knee. “Why?” he asked, his voice quiet and sad.
“Why what?” I glanced at him.
He stared down at his lap and my heart crumpled at the defeated slant to his shoulders. “Why didn’t you come to bed last night?”
“I had too much last-minute work.”
He pursed his lips and nodded but didn’t seem like he believed me. “Was it bad or something? What we did together, I mean.”
My fingers danced on my thigh. I wanted to take his hand but wasn’t sure if I should, and the uncertainty pissed me off. He was my husband. I slung my arm around Noah’s shoulders and dragged him closer.
He stiffened, but I leaned against him anyway because the exhaustion slammed me and it was either trust Noah or fall on my face.
“Your ass is perfect every time I fuck it,” I said.
Shuddering in my grasp, he whimpered and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, but there was a real smile on his lips now. “You’re sure work was the reason you didn’t sleep with me?” he asked softly.
I knocked my head against his, probably too hard. “I had things to do. I’m not lying.”
“Won’t you be working while we’re gone? My dad always worked through vacations, always... always had to slip away to go to meetings.” His gaze drifted around the busy terminal, and then he sighed. “It was probably an excuse so he could go off and do things without Mom and us kids. Why have I never thought about that before now?”
I cuddled him closer. “I’m spending every minute I can with you.” I gave him a squeeze. “Promise.”
He sat up straighter, and anyone would’ve been able to knock me over with a feather at the sight of the small, warm smile he blasted in my direction. “Really?”
“Mm-hmm.” The kiss he pressed to my cheek warmed my stomach. “What pulled the stick out of your butt?”
