Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
It was a kind gesture, especially from a man who possessed very little kindness. “Yeah.”
“The first time I went to Rome was when I was eighteen. I took off with some of my friends to blow off some steam. We partied a lot, met beautiful women, and drank more wine than our stomachs could handle. Ever since then, I’ve always loved to visit. But I admit my visits are a lot more low-key now.”
I wondered what he looked like when he was eighteen. That was almost half the age he was now. “Sounds like fun. Finley must have been worried.”
“I drove him crazy when I was growing up. He definitely prefers me as an adult.”
The plane kept shaking, and Ariel sipped her wine like she didn’t even notice.
Crewe carried on the conversation. “We’re staying at one of my villas in Tuscany. It’s quiet and remote. You’ll like it.”
“It’ll be a big change from Scotland.”
“It’ll take some time to get used to the heat.” He kept his fingers around me, his courage seeping into my veins from the contact of our skin. Seeing him so relaxed made me feel better, made me think we weren’t in any imminent danger. There was no way a powerful man like Crewe would allow a plane crash to claim his life. “You can enjoy the sunshine and the pool while I take care of business.”
“How long will we be there?”
“A week at the most. Business with the Barsetti brothers is pretty easy. I usually stick around for a few extra days because it’s a long flight.”
The plane began to shake less and less. Eventually, it felt smooth. The jet glided through the sky, the sound of the air outside the plane the only indicator we were tens of thousands of feet in the air.
My hand loosened around his, and my body finally relaxed. Despite my background in science, the concept of flying across the world had always troubled me. I was always afraid something in the engine would go wrong, or the pilot would make an honest mistake that would send us all to our deaths. I rested my head against the leather cushion and let out a deep breath.
Crewe watched me. “Feeling better?”
“I’m just glad the plane stopped shaking.”
He pulled his hand away, making me feel lonely without his touch. I didn’t need him to hold my hand to make me feel better, but the second it was gone, I missed it. It was nice to have someone comfort me. “Nothing to be scared of. Planes fly all over the world, and there are rarely any crashes. And my planes definitely won’t crash.”
“Stop saying the word crash.”
He smiled. “Sorry, that was a bit insensitive.”
“It’s okay… I know you’re trying to help.”
He pulled his phone out of his pocket again and checked his email.
I shut the window shade because I didn’t want to see the endless blue. It would only remind me how high up we were. “How long is the flight?”
“Pretty long. Try to get some sleep.”
I automatically leaned against his shoulder to get comfortable even though I could easily recline back. Something about the fabric of his shirt and the warmth of his skin made me feel better. Now I was used to sleeping with him every night. He was the silent lullaby that sent me to my dreams.
He positioned me upward then put the armrests away, so there was nothing separating us. “Lie in my lap. It’ll be more comfortable that way.”
This was the nicest he’d ever been to me. He defended me against Dunbar and Ariel, but he never went out of his way to put my comfort before his own. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. You know how much I like having my lap near your mouth anyway.” He wore that cocky grin I’d become accustomed to.
I rolled my eyes then lowered myself onto his lap. I caught Ariel staring at us from her seat across the row, probably wondering why Crewe was letting me lie across his lap. I ignored her and got comfortable.
When I was across his lap, Crewe rested his arm over my waist. “Need a blanket?”
“I’m okay.” I pulled my knees to my chest because I was a little cold.
Crewe must have caught my lie because he turned to Ariel. “Grab me a blanket, please.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” she countered.
I couldn’t see Crewe’s expression, but I imagined he was giving her an intimidating look. “You wanna keep your job, right?”
Now Crewe was just going to make Ariel hate me more. I wasn’t sure why she disliked me so much. It wasn’t a big deal that I was lying across his lap. He fucked me every night, so this was pretty tame.
Ariel stood up and opened the overhead compartment. She tossed the blanket at us, the fabric landing right on top of my head. “There you are, Your Highness.”