Mack went rigid again and whipped her face around to stare, her mouth partially open. Kayla blinked a few times, then went back over what she’d said in her mind. Oh.Oh.Well, what the hell. She meant it. She fully intended to marry Mack, and she would make damn sure she didn’t screw it up the second time around.
Mack said, “Wh…when?”
Kayla reached out and stroked her fingertips over Mack’s wide jaw. God, she was sexy. How had Kayla not seen it until now? She could spend hours just tracing the lines of Mack’s gorgeous face. She dropped a kiss on Mack’s lips—just a gentle brush of skin against skin—but she could tell by the way Mack’s eyes danced that it had been taken as she’d meant it. As a promise.
“We’ll talk about it when we get home.” Then, remembering her pledge not to control everything, Kayla asked, “Is that okay?”
The side of Mack’s lips quirked up, nearly meeting Kayla’s palm as it caressed her cheek. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s okay. More than okay.”
Kayla’s focus zeroed in on Mack’s lips. She could still remember how they tasted. How they had traveled over so much of her body when they both awoke in the middle of the night, hungrier than ever for each other. The memories made her squirm closer into Mack’s lap.
She probably would have done something deeply inappropriate if she hadn’t been startled out of her trance by their friend clearing her throat. Ever sensitive to being caught by authority figures, Mack jumped back and blushed even harder. If Kayla hadn’t known her so well, she might’ve toppled out of Mack’s lap again, but she’d anticipated the embarrassment and adjusted her grip.
Linda’s tone was still sweet but laced with obvious confusion when she spoke again. “Well, then, I’ll still say congratulations. Even if they’re a little early.”
Mack cleared her throat, too, and sat back in her seat in that adorable way that mascs do when they are trying to be gallant. “Thank you.”
Kayla was going to have so much fun pushing all those buttons to make Mack squirm. She already had a lot of practice, but now they got to end with sex. For the first time in her life, Kayla looked at the years ahead not with the thought of what she would accomplish, but what the living would feel like. She’d never been more excited to live.
The drive to the airport felt longer this time, but it was also far more enjoyable. Once their friend turned back to her husband, Kayla settled into the cradle of Mack’s shoulder. With Mack’s arm around her back and the steady rise and fall of her chest against her cheek, Kayla settled into a doze. They hadn’t had much sleep the previous night, so they both needed all the rest they could get. While she never truly fell asleep, Mack must have, because her head jerked up with a confused grunt when the shuttle finally shuddered to a halt at the airport.
“Airports are always more fun when you’re starting a vacation than when you’re ending it,” Mack said as they waited in line to tag their bags.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Kayla squeezed their entwined hands. “I think I’m going to enjoy this flight home.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
She waggled her eyebrows at Mack. “Because when we land, you’re coming back to my place and I’m not letting you leave until you’re thoroughly satisfied.”
Mack’s eyes went wide, and she made a happy little gurgling sound in her throat. It would have been very cute and maybe even romantic, but at that moment, the ticket agent barked “Next!” at them. Mack jumped, attempted to walk over to the desk, and tried to hand over her passport all at the same time. The result was her slipping on the tile floor and tripping over her own suitcase. She tumbled forward and just caught herself on the ticket agent’s counter. Kayla’s approach was only slightly more dignified, doubled over in laughter as she was.
Mack’s blush heated her cheeks all the way through checking in, clearing security, and finding their gate. Every time Kayla laughed, Mack shot a disgruntled side eye her way. Each time Kayla apologized with a slow kiss and a murmured apology, so eventually Mack was only feigning annoyance.
St. Lucia’s main airport was about the size of a regional Midwestern airport in the States. There were a handful of gates that all shared a waiting area and a few shops and cafes upstairs. Since most of the island’s resorts emptied on the same day, the waiting area was packed, and they struggled to find a seat. They ended up in a couple of chairs wedged underneath the stairs near a shuttered jewelry store. Kayla didn’t mind, though. It was secluded enough that she could steal a few more thorough kisses.
They were locked in one particularly delicious kiss when someone cleared their throat nearby. Kayla reluctantly broke the kiss, certain that she was going to meet the starry eyes of Linda and her husband. It was a completely different couple that met her gaze, though.
“I guess you two worked things out then,” Amy said.
Kayla scrambled to her feet, her eyes and her heart filling with emotion. “You’re still here,” she squealed before throwing herself into Amy’s arms.
“Oh. Hey. Yeah.”
“Sorry.” Kayla pulled back from the hug and swiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy to see you. I never got a chance to thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means that you helped me yesterday.”
Amy pulled her back into the hug with the widest, most genuine smile imaginable. “Are you kidding? Of course. We’re so happy we could help. Aren’t we Skye?”
A moment of awkward silence dropped like a bucket of cold water onto the happy scene. Turning, Kayla watched Skye, whose eyes had never left the spot where she and Mack had been entwined a moment ago. Her jaw was set in a way that made Kayla’s breath catch. She wasn’t? She couldn’t possibly be jealous?
Mack got to her feet slowly, making a business of leaning on her knees and then pushing herself upright. She stretched to her full height—almost a full foot taller than Skye—and towered over her. They stood there, staring at each other for a long moment. Long enough for Kayla to release Amy and prepare to jump in and break up a fight.
They didn’t fight, though. In fact, for the first time Kayla had ever seen, Mack smiled down at Skye. She held out her hand, and Skye only waited a beat or two before taking it in a firm grip and shaking it.
Amy snorted and whispered, “Ugh. Butches can be so macho sometimes, am I right?”
Kayla couldn’t laugh along. Not yet. Not until, after another long moment, Skye smiled and slapped Mack on the shoulder.
Mack said, “Thanks for talking sense into me last night.”
