Page 102 of My All American Girl

His jaw tightened. “I am different,” he said.

I stomped away and hailed a cab. When I got in, Dean got in beside me. I hated that I was stuck with him. We had to fly back in a tiny plane together. We were going to be sharing a small space for hours. Neither of us said anything as the driver took us back to our hotel. We got into the elevator, still not speaking.

Back in our room, Dean stripped out of his flight suit. I went into the bathroom to change. When I walked out, he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. I was stiff at first, but dammit, the man had a way of breaking down all my walls.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I’m not sure what the right thing to do is anymore. I never imagined something like this could happen. If Mo finds out and decides to punish us, he could get me court-martialed and terminate your career before it even starts. Literally.”

“I can handle my father,” I said, though Dean’s warning scared me. The reality of the risks we were taking hit hard. I was falling for him deeply, but if push came to shove, would I choose Dean or flying?

“This was not supposed to happen,” he said.

We moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “I don’t want to lose you,” I whispered.

Dean took my hand, his touch gentle but firm. “I don’t want to lose you either. But we have to be smart about this. We can’t let our feelings jeopardize everything we’ve worked for. I know how much you love flying. I feel the same way. We’re both risking our wings. It’s not just your father that could make our lives miserable. We are breaking some very big rules.”

I nodded, understanding but not liking it. The thought of walking away from Dean felt unbearable. “So, what do we do?”

“We take it one day at a time,” he said. “We keep our relationship under wraps until the time is right. We focus on our careers and support each other from a distance. We can’t risk getting caught. I can’t favor you. You can’t look at me like you’re thinking about getting me naked.”

I laughed. “I think you’re projecting.”

“Maybe,” he said, wrapping his arm around me.

It wasn’t the ideal solution, but it was a start. “Okay,” I agreed. “One day at a time.”

“Good,” he said, his voice warm and gentle. “That’s all we can do.”

We sat there on the edge of the bed for a long time, letting our agreement sink in. We were in it together, prepared to navigate the choppy waters of our situation. The tension hadn’t entirely lifted, but it felt somewhat lighter. At least he wasn’t dumping me.

“One more question,” I said.

“What’s up?”

“Is this just a me and you thing?” I asked.

He frowned. “A me and you thing? I don’t follow.”

“Are you seeing anyone else?”

“Absolutely not,” he said. “No way. I’m not like that. You’re the first woman I’ve been with since my wife and I split. I’m not the womanizer I’ve been accused of being. That’s not my style and it never has been.”

“Okay,” I said. “I’m not seeing anyone else either.”

With a deep breath, he wrapped both arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap. “Sarah, whatever we decide to do about us, whatever risks we take, I need you to know that I’m committed to you. You can always trust that.”

“Thank you.” I smiled. “I don’t want to sound needy, but I don’t like to share either.”

He chuckled. “Me neither. Now, why don’t we make the most of our last day here? We can go to Westminster Abbey or anywhere else. You name it.”

“Westminster Abbey sounds perfect,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. I needed the distraction, the historical beauty to take my mind off things.

“We can grab dinner while we’re out,” he said.

“Oh, can we ride one of those buses?” I asked excitedly.

“Of course,” he answered, laughter in his voice. “We can ride a double-decker all the way to the moon if you’d like.”

I laughed and nudged him playfully. “Don’t tease. You know I might take you up on that offer.”