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“No. It’s easier to charter a jet when I need one rather than have one sitting gathering rust since I’m not much of a world-traveler. Malik, on the other hand, trots the globe. He has his pilot’s license and his own jet.”
“Interesting.” Feeling faint, Ellery chose a seat by the window and sank into it. The leather was almost as soft yet firm as the seats in his Bugatti.
The pilot, Jeff, and the flight attendant, Brenda, shook their hands and greeted them. Brenda asked if they needed anything before the flight, but they all declined. They buckled in and were taxiing to the runway within minutes. It was dark outside, which was a disappointment.
“Will it be light when we get there?” she asked.
“Yes. It’s a seven-hour time difference and about a nine-hour direct flight in the Cessna, a bit slower than a commercial 747 would be, but definitely worth the comfort and convenience of not dealing with the airport and security and being boxed in a plane with hundreds of strangers.” He shuddered slightly. “So it’ll be about two p.m. when we land. A beautiful time for you to see Augustine for the first time.”
“I’ve never seen you so snotty,” she teased. “Boxed in with hundreds of strangers?”
The plane picked up speed on the runway and her stomach turned over in apprehension. What would flying feel like?
He chuckled and took her hand. “I like people, but being stuck in a small space with a crowd of strangers isn’t my favorite thing.”
The plane suddenly swooped off the ground and veered steeply upward. Ellery cried out and clung to his hand.
“It’s all right,” Derek soothed. “He has to gain altitude quickly for flight patterns. We’ll level off soon.”
“Okay.” She closed her eyes, held on to his hand, and prayed they wouldn’t die. Pressure built in her ears.
“You all right?” Derek asked softly.
The plane soared upward still.
“My ears,” she managed.
“Wiggle your jaw or swallow. If it’s really bad, you can plug your nose, close your mouth, and blow hard. The air will push through your ears and dislodge the pressure.” He demonstrated and somehow still looked regal and handsome despite the funny move.
She followed his counsel, and the pressure abated from wiggling her jaw and swallowing. Once the plane leveled off, she relaxed—and realized she had his hand in a death grip. “Sorry.” She pulled her hand free and tried to rest it calmly in her lap.
“No worries. Always working on your grip for the Curved Body Prop, now aren’t you?” He winked.
She smiled.
“Have you flown before?”
“No.”
He studied her but didn’t ask a follow-up question. After being in her apartment, he had to know how different their worlds were. “Hopefully you can relax and sleep. As soon as we get to the castle, Kiera’s going to have all kinds of plans for you.”
“Oh,Kierawill?” She gave him a challenging look.
“I have loads of plans for you too.” He took her hand between both of his, lifted it up, and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. She flushed with warmth. “But I’m betting the darling little girl will get her way a lot faster than I will.”
“Prince Derek,” she scolded him. “You’d better not plan on ‘getting your way’ at all.”
“That came out wrong,” he protested.
She hid a smile, pulled her hand back, and started pushing buttons on the handle of the comfortable seat. “I think I will sleep now,” she said primly.
Somehow she pushed her head rest forward, a bump in her lower back shoved her abdomen uncomfortably against the seat belt, and the entire chair started massaging her upper back.
Derek laughed. He undid his own seatbelt and reached over her. His arm and hand brushed against her arm and her abdomen several times as he turned off the massage feature, got rid of the lumbar support, and then reclined her chair to a completely flat position.
Ellery stared up into the blue eyes of the most handsome prince in the world. He was on the edge of his seat, leaning over her, and smiling. “Better?”
Better would be him leaning down and kissing her.
