Page 122 of My Real Love Affair

“Won’t that delay everything? The crew is probably on a schedule.”

“The crew is on my dime and my clock. They’ll wait. When’s the last time you were in Hawaii?”

“Never.”

“Never?” I stared at her. “That’s a crime. We’re definitely stopping.”

When we landed in Honolulu, I took her hand and led her off the plane. The crew didn’t even blink. They were used to my impulsive changes of plan.

I pulled out my phone and called my usual car service I used when I was on the island. We got cold drinks and watched the crew work. Ten minutes later the car showed up.

I escorted her into the back and held her hand as I told the driver where to go. We started with one of my favorite places. It was a hole-in-the-wall poke place that tourists never found.

“This is so good,” she murmured. “I am not taking a picture of this place and posting it, but I am so tempted.”

I slowly shook my head. “Uh-uh-uh. Has to stay a secret.”

After the poke, I took her to a tiki bar with the best Mai Tais on the island. We lounged around, simply enjoying the ambiance before we went for a walk along the beach.

“Austin, I’m having a great time, but I feel bad,” she said. “They’re waiting for us.”

“So let them wait,” I replied.

“Austin, that’s not nice.”

“Melody.” I stopped walking, turning to face her. “While you’re with me, you don’t have to worry about any of that stuff. The crew gets paid whether we’re on the plane or not. They’re professionals. They’ll wait as long as we need them to. You don’t think they’re used to that stuff.”

“That feels so wrong.”

“It’s not. It’s normal for me. Which is what you need to get used to.” I pulled her closer. “Money solves a lot of problems. Including making people wait while we watch the sunset in Hawaii.”

She looked up at me, the orange and pink sky behind her. “This is your normal?”

“Yes.”

I brushed a strand of hair from her face. The smile on her face was worth a million dollars. No, billions. Having access to my trust and being able to give her everything was suddenly far more important than ever.

She kissed me with the waves lapping at our feet and the Hawaiian sunset painting everything gold. This was what I had been missing. Not the money or the jets or the lifestyle. Just this feeling of being exactly where I’m supposed to be, with exactlywhoI’m supposed to be with.

We made it back to the plane eventually, and the crew welcomed us aboard without comment. The captain announced we’d be continuing to Tahiti, and we settled back into our seats.

Melody’s hand found my thigh. My hand covered hers. We looked at each other, and I saw my own desire reflected in her eyes.

“Come here,” I said, my voice rough.

She moved onto my lap, straddling me in the wide seat. The flight attendant had disappeared into the galley, giving us privacy.

“We’re on a plane,” Melody whispered.

“I’m aware.”

“Someone could see.”

“The crew knows better than to interrupt.”

“We’re breaking the rules again.”

“Good.” I pulled her down for a kiss. “I’m starting to think the rules were bullshit anyway.”