Page 49 of Risk
Hmmm, wonder if she’d prefer Greece instead?
Step back, Mason. You’re doing it again.
Anytime I like someone, I go crazy with it. Grace says I’m self-sabotaging. I don’t want women to want me for my money, yet I flash it all over the place and get extravagant. She’s wrong though. I like luxury and sharing my wealth with others. I’ve never let someone take anything from me I didn’t want to give. I’ve never been played. And I steer clear of gold diggers.
Impatience has me at the tarmac an hour before Leah’s jet touches down. I don’t usually take a private plane when on business, but Leah’s not business, and I wanted her to have a nice, comfy, low stress flight. A private jet was the best way to ensure that since I couldn’t be on the trip with her.
I expected my nerves to settle once the aircraft lands, but my entire body turns into a live wire. I haven’t been this excited in a long time.
The stairs drop and a few minutes later, Leah’s head pops out of the plane. My heart explodes into fireworks. This much joy in seeing someone should be bottled and distributed across the globe.
“I can’t believe I just took a private jet.” She’s wild with excitement, and I’m drunk off her already.
“I trust it was comfortable.”
“I drank champagne and hot chocolate.”
She’s adorable. She’s also trembling. Concern has me tensing. “Are you okay?”
“That was so scary, Mason!” Leah tosses her hands in the air. “I just kept thinking, what if a gust of wind blows us into a mountain? Or a storm takes us out. Or a goose! Have you seen La Bamba? Heard of Patsy Cline? These little planes are death traps.”
“Did you experience turbulence?”
“No!” She looks over her shoulder at the attendant bringing out her bag. “Oh my god, I would have peed my pants if that plane started shaking. I’m not a good flyer. It’s too high up. I have zero control. Oh my god, I could have died.” She hooks her arms around me and buries her face in my chest.
I fold her into an embrace and kiss the top of her head. “You should have told me you have a fear of flying, Leah.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like BanditFX has perfected teleportation yet.” She looks up at me, her brow crinkling. “Or have you?”
“Nope. I’m not that kind of tech company.”
“Didn’t think so.” She hugs me tighter and sighs. “I’ll get used to it, maybe. Hopefully.”
My heart swells because that must mean she’s willing to fly around with me, or to me, again. At least I hope that’s what she means. I won’t let her fly alone again if I can help it. I’ll be there to hold her hand and keep her safe.
Standing on the tarmac with my arms wrapped around this woman has me floating like a balloon. This is crazy, spontaneous, and I can’t believe she came.
Leah pushes away from me and digs her cell out of her jeans. “I have to text Mak and let her know I made it.”
While her thumbs start flying across her phone screen, I take a moment to appreciate Leah’s outfit. She’s in jeans, dark green Converse, and a black faded t-shirt that says, “Never better” with a skeleton on it. The contrast of her outfit, and me in my business suit, turns me the fuck on. I’ve never been with a woman who would board a private jet in anything less than Chanel.
Once she stuffs her cell into her back pocket, Leah looks up and smiles at me. “Ready to get this party started?”
“You have no idea.” Cupping her face, I smash my mouth to hers and it’s like getting a burst of air in my lungs after drowning for days. “I’m really glad you came.”
“Me too. This is going to be fun!”
Escorting Leah to my rental car, I open the door and help her inside, then make quick work of shoving her carryon in the trunk. Once I’m in the driver’s seat, I squeeze her thigh. “Welcome to Silicon Valley, Leah.”
She smiles and buckles up. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
Neither can I, but the instant I saw her step out of the plane, I felt drunk with elation. What is it about this woman that makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning?
“I’ve never been to the West Coast before.”
Suddenly, my gut drops and twists. I have back-to-back meetings all day tomorrow, followed by dinner, and the next day is a tour of my newest construction site. Jesus Christ, I’ve dragged this woman, who I barely know, to a place she’s never been, and I can’t even be with her for most of it.
My mouth runs dry as we fly down the road.