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Liv
JacksongreetsmeinthelobbyofmyworkplacelikehehaseverydaythisweeksinceMarkiswithLukeinLA.Hetakesmyrollingsuitcasefrommeandwewaitoutsideforthecarheordered.WepullupinfrontoftheReillyTechbuildingandIleanbackandtakeinthetallskyscraperglitteringinthesun.ItrytoshakethenervesI’vehadsinceIwokeupthismorning.TheworldwillknowLukeandIareacoupleaftertonight.It’sabouttogetreal,andthere’snogoingback.Isteelmyself,knowingitwillbeworthit.
I follow Jackson inside and he uses a key card to take us to the roof, where the helicopter will pick me up.
Jackson catches me fidgeting. “You good?”
“I just wish I was flying with Luke. It’s my first time in a helicopter.”
“You’ll be fine. Mark will be there. He’ll let you hold his hand.” He winks, and I laugh.
We make it to the roof just as the helicopter approaches. It slows and lowers to the landing pad, and I hold on to the railing as the rotor wash whips around the rooftop. My hair flies around my face and I pull it to the side, wishing I had a hair tie handy. The helicopter lands with a gentle thud and the door slides open, revealing a familiar figure. I grin and do a little happy dance. Jackson laughs as we make our way towards Luke and it’s like I just walked into a GQ photo shoot.
He’s wearing a bespoke charcoal black suit with a dark red tie and sunglasses and my mouth waters. His smile is breathtaking. I’m glad I stayed in my pantsuit from work. When he reaches me he pulls me in for a quick hug and kiss, then fist bumps Jackson. Luke takes my suitcase from him and we wave to him before heading to the helicopter.
I climb in and nod at the pilot in the front. He seems older, maybe late 40s, early 50s. Luke closes the door and helps get me buckled in and puts a headset over my ears before setting his own on his head. “Liv, this is Walter. He’s the best pilot in the industry.”
“Nice to meet you, miss.” Walter’s voice comes over the headset. He faces the controls and soon we’re in the air.
I grip Luke’s hand as I stare out the window, watching the skyscrapers get smaller. He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “You look beautiful.”
I grin at him. “I thought Mark was picking me up?”
“I couldn’t wait to see you. Plus, I wanted to be with you for your first ride.”
I lean into him, and he kisses my temple.
“This is better. Holding Mark’s hand wouldn’t have been the same.”
He shakes his head at me and laughs. “Damn straight.”
The ocean sparkles on our left. The blue is lighter towards the shore, reminding me of Luke’s eyes, then darkens to the horizon. Luke points out where he was stationed when we fly past Camp Pendleton. Walter flies us out over the water but we can see military helicopters landing and taking off near the beach and what Luke tells me are LCACs. They look like small flat ships but Luke says they’re hovercraft that can travel on land and water and transport supplies and even tanks and humvees from aircraft carriers to shore. The military never ceases to impress me.
It’s surreal to be with Luke in a helicopter he owns. We’re new, but I feel like I’ve known him forever. It’s natural to be around him, easy. I doubt I’ll get used to the fact that he owns the world, but I would feel connected to him even if he was the gym owner I thought he was to begin with.
I catch him watching me. Unable to hold back any longer, I move the mouthpieces of our headsets aside and kiss him. I melt into him and what seems like seconds later, the helicopter lowers and we’re already in LA.
Maybe we can skip the gala and stay at the hotel. He offered to get me a room, but I declined. It would be a waste anyway because I intend to spend all my time with him, no matter what activity we’re doing. The heated gaze he returns tells me what activity he’s interested in. Could this be any more perfect?
The helicopter lands on a rooftop with a gentle lurch. We thank Walter as Luke unbuckles me and we hang up our headsets. He grabs my bag and we make our way to the elevator. I glance at the surrounding skyscrapers. It’s like San Diego, but seems older. The air is thicker, but there’s also a mystery to the city where Hollywood stars make their mark.
The elevator doors close and he brings my knuckles to his lips again. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Me too.” I can’t contain my smile as he leans over and kisses me.
A throat clears, and a mischievous grin spreads across Luke’s face before he steps back. He grabs my bag and thanks the guy holding the door for us. I avoid eye contact with the man, knowing my blush is on full display.
Luke guides me down the hall past a portrait of an attractive, sharply dressed man. Luke sees me looking and stops. “That’s my dad.”
I inspect it closer. It must be when his dad was younger because they look so alike. Same brown hair and strong jawline. The biggest difference is the eye color. His dad’s are green.
“Wow, there’s no doubt you’re his son.”
Luke’s smile is radiant, and it’s now my goal to make him smile like that every day. We continue down the hall, Luke tossing and receiving friendly hellos as we pass. An older gray-haired man in a suit and glasses steps into the hall and grins when he sees us.
“Hey Ed. You have a second?”
The man stops in front of us. “I think I can spare a few of them.”
