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I spoke up. "Actually, would you mind waiting? I mean, there's lots of light coming in from outside, so maybe we can hold off a minute?" I was feeling just a lit bit shy and mesmerized by the view.

Without comment, Jack abandoned the light switch and moved closer. "You were saying?"

Already I was feeling almost too rattled to think. "I was just saying, you didn't have to get a whole new room."

As I said it, I glanced around. This wasn't a room. It was a suite on the very top floor. And even in the dim light, it was beyond spectacular. The décor was welcoming and plush, the windows were floor-to-ceiling, and off to the side was a room that could only be the bedroom.

Silently, I moved toward the main window. Through the pristine glass, I swear I could see for miles.

In front of me, the lights from nearby buildings shone like little squares in the night. But beyond that? I could see countless streetlights and traffic lights, all laid out before me in long, straight rows.

Given the late hour, the streets were nearly empty. From this far above, the scene looked like something out of a movie – the kind where humanity's gone, but the technology remains.

I couldn’t help but smile at the wonder of it all. When Jack joined me at the window, I said, "I just realized something."

"What?"'

"I've never been up this high." With a nervous laugh, I added, "Not counting when we're flying of course. Then, we'rea lothigher." I gave him a sideways glance. "But I guess you knew that already, huh? I mean, you're on the same airplane, right." I hesitated. "Or is it a jet? A jet's still an airplane, isn't it?"

Damn it.I was rambling again. I hadn't meant to, but my nerves were getting the best of me. I wanted him so badly I could taste it. And yet, I'd be lying if I didn't admit, even to myself, that I wasn't quite sure how to go about this.

I gave Jack a tentative smile. "I bet you don't want to talk about airplanes, huh?"

He smiled back. "I'm game if you are."

He didn't mean it.

He couldn’t.

With an embarrassed laugh, I said, "I should take you up on that, if only to prove a point."

He asked, "And what point is that?"

"To always be honest."

With an easy smile, he replied, "You think I wasn't?"

"Not really," I said. "But I don't blame you. I mean we didn't come up here for a conversation, right." I blew out a shaky breath. "Especially about planes. And you paid extra for this room, so…"

"Becka."

I swallowed. "What?"

"We have all night."

"Not really," I said. "I mean, it's almost four in the morning."

"It doesn't matter," he said. "If you want, we can just talk."

I studied his face. In the darkened room, I couldn't see his expression as clearly as I might've on a sunlit day. But hedidlook sincere.

Still, I wasn't stupid. I knew full well that no guy on Earth would spring for an extra hotel room in the middle of the night, only to be told,"Let's just talk."

Besides, I was long past the talking phase. I'd been thinking about this – abouthim– for so very long that if I chickened out now, I'd be kicking myself forever.

There was just one stupid problem. I wasn't quite sure where to start. I bit my lip. "I don't know if I mentioned this, but I, uh, don't really do this a lot."

Quickly, I added, "I’m not a virgin or anything, but the whole one-night-stand thing. I guess I sort of skipped that phase in college. Or in high school. Or whenever people do that."