“What the hell happened to you?” I asked.
George slowly turned to look at me and sneered, “You know what the hell happened.”
I chuckled, unable to suppress my grin.
“Those brats need Jesus.”
“Oh, come on, George. They couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Worse. Much worse. Bad enough they were crammed into an airplane, but then their ringleader, the pint-sized Master of Mayhem, decided he wanted to fly the damn thing. A maelstrom of chaos ensued! Before takeoff, mind you!”
“He... what?”
“That little shit tried to commandeer the controls! Apparently, he’s been watching too many Tom Cruise movies. Fucker thinks he’s ready forTop Gun! Then your little vindictiveAnnabelledecided the in-flight safety demonstration was a suggestion, not a requirement. She decided if Cameron was flying the plane, she was going to test out the parachutes. I had to literally hog-tie them both to their seats.”
I doubled over laughing, tears streaming down my face as George glared at me, his dignity in tatters.
“George,” I said, gasping for air between bouts of laughter, “you’re telling me you survived a mid-air mutiny orchestrated by a seven-year-old and his sidekick?”
George crossed his arms, his face a battlefield of indignation and exhaustion. “Mutiny? That’s putting it mildly. I think I’ve got PTSD from it. And you—laughing like this is the funniest thing you’ve ever heard.”
I tried to pull myself together, wiping away the tears and straightening up. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. It’s just—you have to admit—it’s a hell of a story. Were the other kids at least well-behaved?”
George raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, they were smart. They stayed out of the fire. Granny’s flight attendant wasn’t thrilled. And by thrilled, I mean she was ready to toss me and those two little hellions out of the emergency exit mid-flight. The woman actually asked me if I had experience in hostage negotiation.”
Sitting next to him on the bed, I smothered my laughter. “So you want to tell me why you are here, in my bedroom?”
“Because you owe me?”
Quirking an eyebrow at him, I asked, “How so?”
“Because you knew and didn’t warn me. Some friend you are.”
“Yeah, about that,” I muttered as my heart took flight.
No time like the present, right?
George looked at me, waiting for me to elaborate as I looked down at my hands.
“Josephine?”
“It’s why I showed up the other night at the club barbeque. I wanted to talk to you. To apologize for the way I acted. I said some things I didn’t mean, George.”
“What things?”
“Things like I just want to stay friends,” I whispered, turning to look at him. When he said nothing, I continued, “I didn’t mean it. I mean, yeah, I love having you as a friend, but I want more. I wanted to tell you earlier, but I saw you with Ares and well, you know what happened after that. Then Freddie showed up, and you claimed me in front of King. I didn’t know what to think. Then you took me to the clubhouse and, well... you know what happened afterward. I thought we were finally on thesame page. That you felt the same. Well, you said you did, then everything just piled up and I got scared and pushed you away. I didn’t mean it, George. I really didn’t. I was overwhelmed by everything going on around here. I couldn’t think. I don’t know when it happened, but I know I’m in love with—”
I never got to finish what I was going to say because, in the next instant, hands grabbed my face as George’s lips pressed against mine, silencing my confession. My heart, which had raced with anxiety, now pounded with a different kind of fervor as I melted into his kiss. My hands found their way to his hair and pulled him closer. It was a kiss that spoke of pent-up desire and unspoken words, a kiss that begged for more.
When he finally broke the kiss, I was breathless as George rested his forehead against mine. “I wanted to do that the moment I saw you at the barbeque,” he murmured. “I thought I lost you...” He trailed off, his eyes searching mine.
I smiled, my heart feeling lighter than it had in ages. “Now you know the truth. I’m yours, George. If you still want me, that is.”
I bit my lip, suddenly nervous about his response.
“You’re mine, Josie. Forever,” he declared just as his phone rang. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Chuckling, I leaned back as George reached into his back pocket for his phone. I watched as he looked at the caller ID and grinned, hitting the speaker button.
