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“I win, then. But answer the question.”
“Yes, I know what you mean. And yes again, I’m hoping that it won’t be too long before I’m asking you to be my best man.” Hemet his friend’s gaze and held it. “And that’s not just a tit-for-tat thing. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever have need of a best man, but I planned to ask you if ever I did.”
Jacob smiled and held his glass up to him.
Bentley tapped his bourbon against Jacob’s Cognac with a smile.
“Cheers.”
Chapter Nineteen
Alyssa watched out of the window as the plane came in to land back at the estate. Bentley smiled when she turned to him.
“This is so freaking cool!” she said with a big smile on her face.
He loved that she was so open. She was excited to fly in the jet again, and she’d made no secret about it. He’d dated women in the past who’d tried to act like it was no big deal, and he’d dated others for whom it was no big deal and they’d made that clear.
He laughed and took hold of her hand as the plane taxied down the runway toward the hangar. It felt like it had been forever since she left on Sunday, but it was less than a week ago. They’d agreed that she’d come back this weekend and this time, he’d been able to go with the guys to collect her.
“I’m glad you think so. But just so we’re clear, what’s the cool part? Is it flying here? Being able to get here without having to battle traffic?” He glanced out through the window and tipped his chin toward the rolling hills and vineyards. “Or is it just the place itself?”
She squeezed his hand tight and narrowed her eyes at him. “All of it’s cool. But I think you know what the coolest part is – and if you don’t, you should.”
“I’m not sure that I do. I think you should tell me.” He tried to hide his smile but knew he wasn’t succeeding.
She laughed and leaned on the armrest, coming so close that their noses were almost touching before she said, “The coolest part is being here with you. Being anywhere with you.”
She pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth and then leaned back, looking more serious. “I hope you know that? Imean, of course, the plane and the vineyards and the estate and all of it is amazing. But it’s you, Bentley.” She smiled. “You, Lee. It’s all about you. I’m happy because of you, because of who you are and how you are. I’d feel the same way about you if you worked in the mailroom for one of my clients and we’d met that way. You understand that, right?”
He nodded happily. He really did understand. Unlike women he’d dated in the past – not that there had been all that many of them – he knew without a doubt that Alyssa wasn’t interested in him because he was Bentley DuPont.
“Of course, I know that. I mean, you fell for me before you even knew who I was.” He chuckled. “You fell for me when you thought I was Lee. Just like I fell for you when I thought you were Lizzie.”
“I did.” She waggled her eyebrows. “And I hope that I’ll get to spend some time with Lee again tonight.”
He shifted in his seat at the thoughts her words conjured up. They hadn’t done it on purpose, but those names they’d used that first night had stuck. Whenever they were in bed together, he called her Lizzie, and she called him Lee.
“You don’t need to hope. I guarantee it. In fact, we don’t have to wait until tonight if you don’t want to. I was thinking that when we get to the house, we can take your bag up to my room and …” He raised his eyebrows and was rewarded with a big smile.
“Now that’s a good idea. I have to tell you it’s been a long week.”
He laughed. “You don’t need to tell me. It’s been a long week for me, too.”
She reached across the armrest and slid her hand up his thigh, making him groan and shift in his seat.
Just as he was leaning in to claim her mouth in a kiss, the door from the cockpit opened and Ollie stepped out.
Bentley made do with a quick peck before he sat back. Ollie shot him an apologetic smile and busied himself with opening the door and letting the steps down.
Alyssa giggled beside him. And it was a giggle, too. Bentley hadn’t thought that giggly women were his thing, and they weren’t, normally. But hearing that sound from her lips made him hard. He’d been planning to at least hang out and chat with Ollie and Reaves for a little while – they’d both told him how much they liked Alyssa and how glad they were that she was back for the weekend – but now, all he could think about was getting her up to the house, up to his bed.
~ ~ ~
When they got to the house, Alyssa wasn’t sure if Bentley was hurrying her, or she was hurrying him. Either way, they laughed together as they rushed down the hallway that led to his suite of rooms.
She was grateful when she noticed that Bentley was carrying her bag; she’d forgotten all about it. All she could think about now was getting him to bed – getting to call him Lee again.
He closed the door to his wing and locked it behind them.
