Page 39 of His Long-Lost Baby
“They’re not that complicated. They’re regular people, just smaller. They have needs too.” There’s an edge to her voice, which is weird.
Maybe she’s nervous about flying.
Or maybe she’s still pissed about what I said about children being a burden.
If so, I deserve it. That was unfair, and I said it in a moment of heat.
Honestly, I don’t know whether children are a burden or not. I’ve never had the opportunity to find out.
“My friend Carlos has two kids,” I say.
“Are they are burden too?”
Right. So she is still pissed about that.
“He’s never talked about them in that way.” I pause. “In fact, they’ve got him wrapped around their little fingers.” I chuckle.
Billie nods, her eyes trained on her lap. “Yeah, kids do have a way of doing that.”
There’s a moment of silence between us, and I can feel the tension growing thicker by the second. I don’t know what to say to make things better, so I opt to change the subject.
“This will be your first time in Hawaii, right?” I say, trying to sound casual.
She nods. “That’s right. But I’ve always wanted to go.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat,” I say. “The beaches are beautiful, the food is amazing, and the weather is perfect.”
“I can’t wait,” she says, her voice softening. “Thank you for bringing me along.”
“Of course,” I reply.
Billie nods, and we fall into a comfortable silence as we make our way to the airport. The rain continues to pour down, but inside the car, it’s warm and dry.
As we approach the airport, I can feel my nerves starting to build. I’m going to be spending a week alone with Billie, and I don’t know how I’m going to handle it.
As we go through the airport gates and drive directly onto the tarmac, she leans forward and gasps. “That’s your plane?”
I nod, “Yes, that’s the one.”
“Wow, I’ve never flown on a private jet before.”
I grin. “It’s a perk of the job. Come on, let’s go.”
As we step out of the car, I take her hand to help her onto the jet. Her hand is small and delicate in mine, and I feel a jolt of electricity shoot up my arm.
I quickly let go, trying to shake off the feeling. This is a business trip, nothing more.
Once we’re settled in our seats, I can’t help but steal glances at Billie. She’s gorgeous, reminding me of Snow White. I can only imagine what her lips taste like.
As the plane takes off, I try to distract myself by focusing on the work I need to do once we arrive in Hawaii. But it’s no use. My mind is consumed by thoughts of Billie and the desire burning within me.
I glance over at her and our eyes meet. There’s a moment where everything seems to stop, and then she looks away, breaking the spell.
“So.” She fiddles with her seat belt. “Tell me more about this conference.”
The question yanks me back to reality and I take a deep breath, grateful for the change of subject. “ThisTech is a major event in the tech industry, and we’re going to take the opportunity to showcase our new AI product. It’s still in development right now, but the prototype has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology.”
Billie nods, listening intently. “That sounds amazing. I can’t wait to see it in action.”