Come Away With Me (24 page)

“Make a wish,” Luke whispers in my ear.

I blow all the candles out in one breath.

Gail cuts the cake and passes it around. It smells heavenly. Gail makes the most delicious cakes.

“Thank you for making my favorite cake, Gail.” I lean over and kiss her cheek.

“You’re welcome, darling. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Okay, now presents!” Jules hops up and I frown.

“No presents. How many times do I have to tell you people, no presents!”

Everyone just laughs at me.

“We don’t listen to you, brat.” Isaac smirks at me and I glare at him.

“I don’t like you.”

“You love me.”

“You guys do too much for me already.” I glance at Luke nervously.

“It embarrasses me when you buy me stuff.”

“It’s not your birthday unless you have presents.” Jules sets a beautiful red gift bag in front of me. “Open mine first.”

She’s hopping in her seat in excitement and my mood lifts.

She’s bought me my favorite perfume and a beautiful silver bracelet. “Oh, thank you! I love it!”

“Can I borrow it?” We all laugh and I’m relaxed again, enjoying my family.

As usual, they’ve gone a bit overboard. The brothers all pitched in on a gift card.

“More shopping!” Jules and I exclaim in unison and we break out into giggles.

Luke laughs next to me and kisses my temple and I smile shyly at him.

Lucy and Neil give me a very generous gift card to use at the Microsoft store in Bellevue.
Wow.

“Thank you so much.”

“Our pleasure, dear.” Lucy smiles and kisses Sophie’s sweet head.

“Ours next.” Gail hands me a purple gift bag with purple paper.

“This party is more than enough!”

“You will not sass us,” Steven shakes his finger at me and tries to look stern, but I’ve heard this before and I giggle.

“I will take you over my knee.”

“Yes, sir.” I open the bag to find a pair of earrings that I recognize and I gasp, searching their faces.

They are both smiling tenderly at me.

“These are yours.” I look back down at the beautiful diamond drop earrings and run my finger over them. They’ve been recently cleaned and sparkle in the soft evening light.

“We want you to have them,” Gail has tears in her eyes and I’m about to join her.

“They were your mother’s. They should go to Jules.” My voice is thick with tears.

“I have plenty of jewelry. They should be yours. Nana loved you.”

Jules is running her hand down my hair and I just know that if I move I will cry.

I’m so overwhelmed by the love this family has for me.

I shake my head, but scoot my chair back and round the table to hug Gail and Steven tightly. Gail dabs at her eyes and Steven cups my face in his hands and grins at me.

“We love you, baby girl.”

“I love you too. Thank you.”

I take my seat and look up into Luke’s beautiful face. He smiles and kisses my fingers.

“Last but not least.” Luke sets a manila envelope before me.

“No, honey, you’ve done way too much already.” I shake my head and scoot it back across the table toward him.

“Open it,” he says, exasperated and pushes it back toward me.

“Just open it already!” Will yells from across the table and I glare at him.

“I can’t take the damn suspense!”

We all laugh and I open the envelope.

I pull out two passports and an itinerary. I read the itinerary and feel the blood leave my face and my jaw drop.

“We’re going to Tahiti?!”

The table erupts with whoops and whistles and shouts of joy. The brothers applaud, giving Luke a standing ovation and he laughs.

“Yes, tomorrow, for a week.”

“But, we have work.”

“My current project just wrapped, and I’m hoping you’ll reschedule your appointments.” He’s gazing down at me with love shining from his blue eyes.

“Wow. Tahiti?”

He laughs and kisses me, square on the mouth, in front of my whole family.

“Get a room!” Matthew yells.

I clear my throat and look around the patio. “I just want to say,” I begin and blink the tears from my eyes. “All the people that I love the most in this world are here, and I can’t tell you how thankful I am to have you. Thank you for all you’ve done for me, and not just these gifts, though they are wonderful. I am blessed. Even the boys have their good moments.” I smile at them and they salute me with their drinks and throw winks at me.

I take a deep breath. “Thank you for making me a part of your family. I love you very much.”

I look up at Luke and around the patio into each face that is so dear to me.

“Now, give me that baby.”

“I enjoyed them.” Luke links his fingers with mine and kisses my knuckles as he drives us back toward Alki Beach.

“They enjoyed you too. Thank you for coming, and inviting your parents. I had a great time.” I can’t hide my delighted smile.

“I’m glad. Are you excited about our trip?” His grin is wide.

“I have a lot to do tonight to get ready. Maybe I should stay home tonight so I can pack and make calls and stuff.”

Luke frowns. “It won’t take me long to pack. I can drop you off at home, go pack, and come back to your place.” He swallows and glances at me.

“What’s wrong?” Why does he suddenly look nervous?

“I don’t want you to bail on me.”

“Bail on you?”

“Yeah, decide you don’t want to go.”

Where is this vulnerability coming from?
“I do want to go.”

“Good.” He smiles at me.

I find it doesn’t take me long to pack either. A whole week in Tahiti entails a few bikinis, sarongs, pull-overs and flip-flops. I also add one nice tank dress in case we have dinner and a pair of heels and some shorts and tank tops.

I’ll throw my toiletries together in the morning before our nine a.m. flight.

I sit at the kitchen table and begin calling next week’s clients to reschedule when I hear Luke come in through the front door.

“Baby?”

“In the kitchen!”

“Hey,” he leans down and kisses me sweetly, and I sigh.

“Hi. Gonna make some calls. Make yourself at home.”

“Okay.” He saunters into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge.

A half an hour later all my calls are made, appointments rescheduled, and I’m officially on vacation.

Imagine that!

I have a huge, cat-ate-the-canary grin on my face as I crawl into Luke’s lap where he sits on my couch. He’s been reading a script.

“Well hello, happy girl.” He nuzzles my neck.

“Hi,

obsessively

generous

boyfriend.” He laughs and wraps his arms gently around me.

“I am looking forward to laying on a sandy beach with you, baby.”

“Hmm… me too. And snorkeling!”

“You snorkel?” He continues to nuzzle my neck and nips at my ear and I squirm.

“Yeah, I have. It’s been a while.”

“You smell so good. What else do you want to do?”

“Well, for one whole day…” I run my fingers through his hair and lean back so I can look at the pretty.

“Yes?”

“I want to stay naked and in bed with you.”

“That’s going to be my favorite day on this whole vacation.” He runs his hand gently up and down my back and I grin.

“Me too. Are we staying in one of those huts that sits over the water?”

“Yes.”

“Cool. We can skinny dip.”

He laughs delightedly. “Aren’t you just the exhibitionist?”

“No, we’ll do it at night.” I lay my head on his shoulder and sigh deeply, suddenly tired, but completely relaxed.

“Can I bring my camera?”

“I assumed you would.”

“I

won’t

if

it

makes

you

uncomfortable.” I made sure to be careful not to capture his photo tonight after dinner while I was taking photos of little Sophie and the rest of our families.

“I trust you completely. You can take my picture.”

I sit upright in his lap, my jaw dropped and eyes wide. “I can?”

“Well, we’re going to want pictures from our vacation, aren’t we? Natalie, after everything that we’ve done, how can I not trust you to take my picture?

We should have memories together.”

I feel my smile grow and I’m just so…

happy
. “I’m dying to take your picture, and before you freak out on me…”

“I’m not going to freak out of you,” he says with a laugh.

“I want to take your photo because it’s what I do, and you are so beautiful, Luke. There have been so many moments that I wish I could capture. I would never share any of our images with

anyone

unless

I

had

your

permission, but I want photos of you. I want photos of us together.”

“I want photos of us too.”

I hug him tightly and then lay my head on his shoulder again.

“Are you sleepy?” he murmurs as he rhythmically runs his fingers through my hair.

“A little.” I gaze up into his beautiful blue eyes. “Thank you.”

“Baby, I told you, I enjoy spoiling you.”

“No, not that.” I shake my head and look down. “Although yes, thank you for that too. I just…”

“What?” He tilts my chin back up so he can see me.

“I love you.”

His eyes flare and he inhales deeply.

“I love you, baby.”

“Let’s go to bed.”

“My pleasure.” He lifts me effortlessly in his arms and carries me upstairs.

***

“It’s going to be a long flight.” My voice is strong, but my stomach is in knots. Luke has hired a driver to take us to the airport, and we are in the backseat. I’m clutching onto his strong hand and worrying my lip with my teeth.

“We’ll be fine.” He pulls me over into his lap and nuzzles my neck. I recognize the distraction tactic, but it doesn’t help.

“Do we have a layover in L.A.?” I ask.

“No.”

“Oh.” I frown and catch my breath when his lips graze over the sensitive spot below my ear. “I didn’t know there were direct flights from Seattle to Tahiti.”

“I don’t know if there are. A friend of mine is loaning us his jet.”

“Oh.” Holy shit.

“Nat, have you flown since your parents passed?” He tilts my chin and looks into my eyes and he looks nervous and worried about me. I cup his cheek in my hand.

“No.”

“Baby, are you okay with this?” He kisses my palm.

“I’ll be fine. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid; I just have to do it.”

“If it makes you feel better, I plan to keep you fully occupied for most of the flight. You won’t have time to be scared.” He grins mischievously at me and I giggle.

“Promises, promises…”

Before long we arrive at SeaTac. The driver pulls onto the tarmac next to a large private jet. This is much bigger than anything my dad ever flew.

The driver opens our door and then begins transferring our luggage on board the beautiful aircraft. Luke speaks with the pilot and co-pilot and the pretty flight attendant, but my ears are buzzing with too much nervousness to hear, or care, what they’re saying.

The inside of the cabin is beautiful. It must seat twelve. The seats are large and plush black leather. Luke leads me to two that are side-by-side and we sit.

“How are you?”

“How do I look?” I whisper.

“Pale and glassy eyed.”

“So, terrified then.”

“Yes.”

“That’s accurate.”

Luke buckles my seatbelt for me –Jeez! – and wraps an arm around me.

“I’ve got you, baby.”

“I know. I’ll be fine in a little while.”

His beautiful blue eyes are heavy with worry and I pull his head down so I can kiss him. He sweeps his lips across mine in that way he has that makes me quiver inside and runs his fingers through my hair.

“You look beautiful today.” I’m just in blue jeans and a green tank top. I take in his black t-shirt and khaki shorts and grin.

“Back at you, handsome.”

The pilot’s voice comes over the speakers announcing that we’re ready for take-off, what our altitude will be, and how long the flight will be.

Thankfully, it should be a fairly smooth flight.

I hear the engines roar to life and I pull out of Luke’s arm so I can clutch his hand. Within seconds we are racing down the runway and lifting off the ground.

I think I’m going to pass out.

“Breathe, baby.”

I pull in a deep breath and let it out.

“Again. Stay with me, baby, just breathe.”

God, I love him at this moment. His voice is calming me and as we gain altitude and even out, I begin to calm.

“I’m okay,” I whisper.

“Can I get you something?” The tall, leggy blonde flight attendant is at our side. I didn’t notice how attractive she was before. “I can fix you some breakfast if you like.”

I shake my head adamantly. “Just water, please.”

“Water for both of us, please.”

We sip on the cool water, Luke’s eyes still trained on my face and I flush just a bit.

“So, whose plane is this?” I ask.

“Spielberg’s.” He grins at me.

Holy fuck.

“As in Steven?” I ask.

“The same. He directed the film that just wrapped that I helped produce.

We’ve worked together a few times. I called in a favor.” He shrugs.

“I am so out of my league with you.” I shake my head.

“What the fuck does that mean?” My head snaps around at his angry outburst and my jaw drops at the glare he’s sending me.

“I’m sorry…” I frown and gaze around the cabin of the plane. This is beyond rich. I know rich. This is Forbes 100 list I-could-buy-a-third-world-country rich.

“This isn’t mine. I borrowed it. I thought you’d like it.”

“I do. All of this is wonderful. You are wonderful. You just overwhelm me sometimes, Luke.”

“Yeah, well, that seems to be contagious then because you have completely beguiled me.” I’m feeling vulnerable and scared and excited and in love, and I just need to be in his arms.

So I unbuckle my belt and fling one leg over his lap and straddle him. His eyebrows rise in surprise, and he grabs my curvy ass in his hands. I love that he’s tall enough that even in this position we’re practically at eye-level. I grip his smooth face in my hands and lean in and kiss him like my life depends on it.