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At which time Gabi elbowed him in the ribs. Whispered something to him. And he laughed. Marie had always loved Liam’s laugh. It was full-bodied. Boisterous. Free.
But she didn’t love it nearly as much as Gabi did. Liam and Gabi together...it made sense. Gabi had always been the one whom Liam had listened to most. When the girls had disagreed on ways he should handle things, he’d followed Gabi’s advice most often.
Her friends were happy. Which only added to Marie’s buoyancy.
The pilot was back. Rumbles filled the air. Marie felt ready to take off without an engine. Her hands clenched into fists on her thighs. She was ready for anything life had to offer.
And scared, too.
Nothing was as it had been.
Elliott moved. His shoulder touched hers, and she wanted to lean into him. And not just for the moment.
She, Marie Bustamante, who hadn’t allowed herself to lean on a man since the first time her father walked out on them, wanted to lay her head on that shoulder.
She stared down. Bracing for takeoff. Knowing that helicopters weren’t the safest vehicles.
Elliott’s hand came into view. So much larger than hers. Strong and capable. It covered her fist, his fingers unfolding hers. And then intertwining with them. He was holding her hand. Elliott Tanner and she were holding hands.
Like a couple.
She was flying.
And they hadn’t even left the ground.
* * *
THE FLIGHT WAS MAGNIFICENT. They had to yell to be heard, so no one said much. Marie saw such indescribable natural beauty that after a while she couldn’t take it all in. Even the pristine blue of the sky became too much.
So she concentrated on Elliott instead. On the way he leaned over to see out. The expressions that crossed his face. Thoughtful. Assessing at every turn. And a weird kind of peaceful, too. His face softened in a way she’d never seen before.
Natural wonder? Because he wasn’t working? Or because of her?
He didn’t let go of her hand.
She didn’t let go of his, either.
And she knew that holding hands with him wasn’t going to be enough.
Not by a long shot.
* * *
THE TWO OLDER couples went their own ways after the helicopter ride. Michael and Erin had a flight that evening back to California. And Bruce and Barbara were spending the night in their suite before leaving in the morning for Florida where they were going to board their cruise. The flight back to Denver left a couple of hours before theirs so they said their goodbyes as soon as they all arrived back at the hotel.
Liam suggested that the four of them, he and Gabrielle, Marie and Elliott, hit the Strip. Elliott had the thought that he should call off on an evening of partying with Marie. But knew by the look on Liam’s face that he’d be playing a losing hand if he tried to get the other man to stay in. Or to agree to go out without his bodyguard present.
Employer number one had just warned him off, and yet the second he’d seen the fear on Marie’s face when they were ready to take off in the helicopter, he’d reached for her hand. Because he’d known she’d enjoy the ride if he did.
He’d be lying if he tried to convince himself he hadn’t enjoyed it, too. It was becoming more and more obvious that Marie thought of him as more than a friend. He could no longer deny that he was falling for her.
But he’d given his word. Would lose everything, including her, if he pursued the relationship they both seemed to want and the truth ever came out.
Which it would. Somehow. Eventually. It almost always did.
As he was trying to come up with a good reason to leave the threesome to enjoy the rest of their day, Liam, employer number two, insisted that he wanted his bodyguard along with him as he perused the wonders that Las Vegas had to offer. Just as Elliott had known he would.
They were all three looking at him, and he knew it would draw more attention if he suddenly decided Liam was in no possible danger at all.
