B00BR2BOUU EBOK (6 page)

“Hi, Amy. Pleased to meet you. So, where are we flying to
today?” For a split second I thought she was going to let it slip,
unfortunately, that was not the case.

“I’m so sorry, Ms. Summers, but I am sworn to secrecy.” She
smiled apologetically and escorted me farther into the plane.
Wow, this
thing is stunning
. It really was something else. From outside, the aircraft
had appeared kind of small, but when you walked inside, it was actually quite
spacious. Maybe that was because there were not row upon row of seats all
crammed together like in economy? On the left-hand side of the plane were two
cream coloured, leather reclinable seats facing each other, and on the right-hand
side were the same two seats again but with a small table in between them. “Can
I get you something to drink while we wait for take-off, Ms. Summers?”

“No thank you, Amy. I’m fine.”

“Very well, the bathroom is down the back through those doors
if you need it. Please take a seat when you are ready, as we will be leaving
shortly.” She turned and headed back to the galley. I walked further along the
plane past two three-seaters which spanned both sides of the aircraft. They
looked like futons and I imagined they probably folded out into beds. I went to
take a seat on one of them when I noticed Bryce and Chelsea talking outside.
They looked quite comfortable with each other, and I’d probably take a guess
and say they had known one another for some time. Maybe Bryce had learned to
become a pilot at her father’s training company? Or maybe they had known one
another as kids? I watched her bat her eyes at him while they talked. She would
stand with her hands behind her back, then move one onto her hip and put the
other through her hair. It was obvious she was flirting with him, her body
language suggested it, and it was this display and his relaxed disposition,
which made it quite clear they had shared a past.
I don’t trust that bitch,
I don’t trust her at all.
Bryce went to turn and leave, when she placed her
hand on his arm and leaned up to kiss his cheek. My face flushed red, and I
felt my nails dig into the leather seat with force. Chelsea’s victorious smile
crept across her face as she looked up at the plane and directly at me.
You
know what? I really do hope a plane runs over you, you little tramp.
I
glared at her and stood up. I was embarrassed, hurt, and jealous—
very
jealous. He broke away and followed her stare in the direction of the plane,
but I had completely risen away from the window before he could meet my gaze.
I hate her. I hate that little lips-licking, helicopter pilot, snotty little
mole.
I turned myself in circles for a moment, not knowing what to do, then
headed for the bathroom.

I opened the door and tucked myself inside, quickly locking
it behind me.
What are you doing Alexis? You can’t just hide in here the
whole time.
Get a grip, she kissed him, not the other way around, and it
was a peck on the cheek, it was nothing.
The fact was that it had hurt me.
I didn’t want anyone else touching or kissing him. I felt that Bryce’s cheeks
belonged to me, or did they? He was keeping a secret; that was obvious. Maybe
that was it: that Chelsea was his ex, and he still had feelings for her? Or she
was a stalker? Or she was pregnant?
Alexis Elizabeth Summers, stop this now.
I started to hyperventilate, so I sat on the toilet seat, bent over, and stuck
my head between my legs.
Alexis, for fuck’s sake girl, breathe.
There
was a knock at the door.

“Alexis, Hunny, are you all right?”
Shit, I can’t go out
there yet.

“Yes, I’ll be out in a minute.” My voice was shaky, and it
was obvious in my words. I grabbed a towel, dampened it, and patted my rosy
cheeks.
Alexis you are 35, stop acting like a child. He loves you and has
made that more than clear.
He had, but when I thought about it, I didn’t
really know him; I had only been in his life for what, a couple of months? He
knew me inside and out, but I only knew him on the surface, and I had only a
very small insight into his past. That was nowhere near enough to comfortably
say, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is ‘absolutely and
undoubtedly’ in love with me. What I did know, was that I was horribly jealous
of Chelsea—which was strange—because I had never been this jealous in my life,
even when it came to Rick and Claire flirting at the Christmas Party.
Argh!
My
breathing increased so I put my head back between my legs.
Alexis what are
you doing? Yes, you know nothing about him, but what you both feel is real,
that is undeniable.
I lifted my head and looked in the mirror. It was real,
regardless of the time frame, but it was all happening so fast.
Right, stop
questioning everything, get the hell out of this hidey-hole, and go and enjoy
your mystery flight.
I took a couple of deep breaths and opened the door to
find him standing just outside.

“Are you okay?” He cupped my face in his hands, and I could
see the concern in his eyes.

“Yes.” I looked down automatically.
Stupid, that’s the
first sign of lying.

He tilted my head back up. “Alexis, I’m sorry. I didn’t
think she would still be here. I knew she wasn’t going to be at the hotel today
as she had a couple of late flights last night after the awards, but I assumed
she’d be done with the Bel Ranger by now and be gone.”

“What? Chelsea? No, it’s not her, I’m fine.” I pecked his
cheek in the same spot she did, and almost wiped my mouth.
Eeeww, I hate
her.
He was about to protest my explanation when Amy walked in.

“Mr. Clark, if you are ready, we can take off now,” she
explained.

I took advantage of his momentary distraction and moved to
the recliner, sat down, and buckled myself in.

“Yes, Amy, we’re ready. Thank you.” He sat down opposite me
and looked intently upon my face, trying to read my emotions. I smiled
carefully back at him, and then looked out the window. Amy briefly checked that
the cabin was secure and that we were buckled in, then she took her seat back
in the galley. I was still looking out the window when the plane began its taxi
to the top of the airstrip. I could still feel Bryce’s gaze on me, and found it
incredibly difficult not to return his stare. Thankfully the plane stopped, the
engines roared to life, and we took off down the runway. I sat up straight and
peered out the window, resembling the child I still was at heart when it came
to flying. The fact that people, houses, cars and trees all became tiny during
the climb still amused me.

Looking out of the window the entire flight was obviously
not an option, so, reluctantly, I turned away from the window and looked upon
his face. We weren’t speaking, yet our eyes were in deep discussion. I could
see he was pained at my cool temperature toward him, and I could also see he
was distressed by the fact that he was deliberately keeping something from me.
It was clear he was desperate to confide, but for some reason he couldn’t.

The captain’s voice came over the speaker, momentarily
breaking our eye contact.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Clark and Ms. Summers. We have now
reached an altitude of 30,000 feet and will arrive at our destination in
approximately six hours. You may now remove your seat belts. Please enjoy your
flight.” I have never seen someone move so fast in my life. Bryce’s belt was
off, and he was on his knees and down at my feet within a second.

“Alexis, please tell me what’s wrong? Have I done something
to upset you?” He was pleading with me. My initial stubborn and jealous
reaction was to brush him off, but as I looked into his desperate eyes, I
couldn’t do it.

“Bryce, you and Chelsea were once a couple weren’t you?” He
put his head down on my lap.
Oh shit, here we go.

“No, not really. Well, yes...Sort of.”

“Oh please Bryce, did you fuck her or not? It’s not that
hard a question,” I snapped as I rolled my eyes. He raised his head and looked
at me, still displaying evidence of worry on his face, but now he also seemed
somewhat amused.

“Yes, we did fuck, but it never went anywhere. We didn’t
have a connection, not like the one I have with you.”

“When were you last with her?” I needed to know it wasn’t
recently, I don’t think I could take it if it were. He paused for a minute.
You
better be calculating, Mr. Clark, rather than concocting a story.

“It would have been about two years ago.”

“So were you a couple or not?” I asked again. His posture
slumped, and I think at this point he realised I was more than jealous—I was
upset—upset that I knew nothing about him.

“Hunny, please don’t be mad, there is nothing between me and
Chelsea, I promise.”

“Bryce you didn’t answer my question. Were you a couple or
not?”

“In my eyes, no. In her eyes, yes.” He answered quickly.

“So what are we then? You know, just to clarify we are both
on the same page.” My voice had an edge of sarcasm and hurt to it.

He rested his cheek on my knee and resembled a pleading puppy.
“I love you, Alexis. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you, and one day I
hope you’ll become my wife.”
Oh, okay, you can’t get any more clarity than
that.
A lump formed in my throat, and my eyes began to flood. I think the
built-up hurt I was feeling, was not only from the realisation I knew nothing
about him, and that Chelsea was his ex, but it was also from ending a 12 year
marriage I thought was rock solid. I couldn’t contain myself any longer, and
tears began to stream down my face. “Hunny don’t cry, I’m sorry.” He knelt
higher and touched my face gently.

“No, I’m sorry. It’s just, I don’t know anything about
myself anymore. Up until a few weeks ago, I was in what I thought was a happy
marriage, and now I’m here in a private jet on the way to God knows where, with
a man I’m in love with and know nothing about.” I put my head in my hands. He
stood up, took my hands away from my face, and pulled me up.

“Come over here.” He led me to the three-seater lounge and
sat down, then patted his thigh as an invitation to sit. I obliged and curled
into his lap.

“Okay Hunny, we have six hours. What do you want to know?
And by the way, we are going to Uluru.”

CHAPTER
FOUR

Uluru, Ayers Rock! Oh wow, I’ve always wanted to go
there.
He could not have discovered this by creepy research, as I didn’t
think I had ever actually made it known that I wanted to go there. Then again,
the question of how he was always able to gather such personal information about
me remained a mystery. Therefore, I could not entirely rule out the trip to the
red centre was a result of me wanting to go there.

“Why Uluru?”

“I’ve never been, and neither have you. I thought you could
add this to your list of firsts with me.” He really was quite thoughtful and
sweet, even if it had a small element of his mysterious creepy research. I
wiped my eyes and nose and sniffed the remnants of my outpouring of emotion.

“Sounds wonderful, thank you, but tell me Bryce...How do you
know so much about me? How do you know I haven’t been there before? How do you
do your creepy research?”

A small smile crept in at the corner of his mouth. “A
magician never reveals his secrets, Ms. Summers.”

“You’re not a freaking magician, so spill.”

“I’ve told you before. Lucy.”
Grrrr.
I sighed in exhaustion,
I didn’t want to argue, or fight, or worry anymore, I felt somewhat deflated. “Alexis
Hunny, you need to understand this is new for me as well. I want to tell you
everything you want to know, and I want you to feel that you know me inside and
out too. Screwing this up is not an option for me. I will not lose you.” He
pressed my head to his chest and ran his hand down the side of my face.
I
don’t want to lose you, either.

“Bryce, all I can fathom right now is that I have a week to
share with you unconditionally. My children are happy at Mum and Dad’s, and
safely away from all the shit. I’m not ready to confront Rick yet, and I won’t
be for some time, so this week is what we have right now.” I pulled away from
his chest to look into his eyes. “I honestly do not know what is going to
happen in the long run, but what I do know, is I will have to go back home and
dissect what Rick’s infidelity means for me and my children. I couldn’t
possibly be with him again knowing he had cheated on me so long ago, and never
saying a word about it until now. And anyway, he won’t want to be with me
either, knowing that I have fallen for you. This is the only thing I can
comprehend right now, but I have to consider what it will do for my children. They
are first and foremost my priority.”

“Hunny, I understand you need to sort out what is best for
you and the kids. The thing is, I am what’s best for you, and I will do
whatever I can to make you realise that. This is not just some one week
whirlwind romance to me, Alexis.”
Oh, Bryce, deep down I know this to be
true. It’s just not that easy.

I snuggled back into him. “I know Bryce, really I do. It’s
just I don’t know a hell of a lot about you really. I know a little about your
family, and I know the material things, like your talents.”
Boy do I know
your talents.
“And your interests, but that’s about it.”

“Well, what would you like to know?” The questions started
to swirl around in my head.
Have you been engaged before, better still have
you been married? Do you have any children floating around? Have you told
Chelsea she has no chance with you? What are you hiding from me?

“Have you ever been married or engaged before?” I asked with
bated breath.
Please say no, please say no.

“No, before you I had never met anyone I wanted to share the
rest of my life with.”
Oh shit.