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“You don’t have to do this,” I whisper, burrowing my head into the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent.
“I want to.”
I place her on her feet, looking down at her face. “Why?”
Why would she willingly put herself through this again?
She raises her hand, cupping my cheek. “I woke up this morning and realized I don’t want to wait a week until I see you again. I don’t want to hide any longer. And I don’t want you to do this alone.”
“You’ve seen what the media can do. If you do this…”
Her finger slides to my lips, effectively shushing me. “I don’t care. I don’t have anything to hide. I’m proud of the person I am. It took me a long time to get here, and I won’t go back.” There is a slight pause. “Only if you’d rather I don’t…”
I grab her hand and pull it away before crushing my mouth to hers, stopping her from finishing that sentence.
My hand slips to her nape, tilting her head slightly as my tongue enters her mouth, the kiss deepening. She grabs my shirt, pulling me closer as a low rumble comes from deep in her chest.
Breaking the kiss, I press my forehead against hers. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Penelope Adams. I want you with me. Always.”
One strand slides into her face, so I brush it back in place.
“I hate to burst your bubble, but we have to go,” Seraphina calls loudly.
Pulling back, I take Penelope’s hand in mine. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, I need to grab my things.”
“I’ve got you.” Jade joins us, a small carry-on in tow. “Here’s your bag. Let me know if you need me to come pick you up.” She turns to me, her sharp blue eyes fixing on mine as she jabs her finger in the middle of my chest. “You better take good care of her, or else you’ll have to deal with me.”
“Jade…” Penelope groans, but her friend doesn’t seem the least bit fazed by it.
“I said what I said.” She hugs Penelope. “I’ll see you soon. Try to have some fun.”
“Will do.”
The two girls say goodbye, and Penelope turns to me.
“Ready?”
She nods, so I grab her things as she gives Henry the command. I let her take the narrow steps first as we make our way into the small plane.
“Look who finally made it,” Seraphina gives us a smug smile. “I thought you’d never show up.”
“I changed my mind.”
Seraphina shifts her gaze from me to Penny, brows rising. “Keeping him on his toes? That’s a smart idea.”
“I’m not…”
“She’s just teasing.” I place my hand on the small of her back. “There are two chairs on the right. Take one of those.”
Penelope nods, and we settle down next to Seraphina just as the flight attendant announces that we’re departing.
“You sure about this?” I ask once again, my hand covering hers on the table.
No matter how much I wanted to have her with me, what I wanted more was for her to be safe—mentally and physically.
“I’m sure.”
