Page 57 of Suddenly Desired
“Come on.” Shelby climbed off the trolley and led the way through the gate. Ellie followed her down a set of stairs then out into the warm, still evening. There were three planes in sight, and all of them looked like the kind of private jets you saw in the movies. The one right in front of her had its engines running. The pulse of it trembled through the tarmac and into her feet. The door was open, a small staircase leading into it. Somewhere deep inside her sparked the smallest flame of hope.
“Whose plane is that?” she asked, and Shelby smiled again.
“You don’t need me to tell you that.”
As if on cue, Blake appeared in the plane’s doorway. He was backlit by the warm glow of the cabin, his tall frame cutting a striking silhouette against the sleek lines of the plane. He looked different, somehow. He looked younger. He looked stronger, but softer too, as if part of his stony facade had melted away.
Blake’s eyes found hers, and his entire expression transformed. His smile wasn’t just a curve of his lips, it was a revelation, a pure, unapologetic display of joy. And those eyes — warm and alive — held her captive, drawing her in with a magnetic pull she couldn’t resist.
Ellie’s heart thudded painfully in her chest, the kind of ache that came from too much emotion all at once.
“From what he was telling us, he feels exactly the same for you as you do for him,” Shelby said. “So go get him. Go get that happy ending.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. Her legs moved before her brain had a chance to second-guess, her steps quickening until she was sprinting towards the plane.
Blake didn’t hesitate either. He clattered down the steps, taking them two at a time, and by the time his feet hit the tarmac, they were both running.
Ellie threw herself into him with all the momentum of her sprint, her arms locking around his neck. Blake caught hereffortlessly, his arms strong and unyielding as they encircled her waist, pulling her tight against him. The heat of his body was a tonic against the stress of the day, and Ellie clung to him like she never wanted to let go.
“Ellie,” he breathed.
She barely had time to register his words before he dipped his head, his mouth finding hers. The kiss was urgent, blazing, and everything she hadn’t realised she’d been waiting for. There was no hesitation, just the intoxicating pressure of his lips and the perfect angle of his head that deepened the kiss. Her fingers slid into his hair, tugging gently, and she felt the low growl rumble through his chest as he pulled her closer still.
The hum of the engines faded, the world around them dissolving into nothing. It was just him, just her, and the undeniable heat between them. When they finally broke apart, both of them breathing hard, Blake pressed his forehead to hers, his hand cradling the back of her head like she was something precious.
“You came,” he said, his voice low and hoarse.
“I couldn’t not,” she replied, her words spilling out in a rush. “Blake, I— Well, actually I literally couldn’t not. Shelby here bundled me on to the buggy.”
Blake burst out laughing and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight. Ellie melted into the embrace, her hands sliding up his back and feeling the taut strength beneath his shirt.
But then she pulled back. Not far, just enough to look up at him. She needed to see his face, to confirm that this wasn’t some cruel dream. Her fingertips brushed his jaw, tracing the sharp lines and the warmth of his skin. His eyes, impossibly blue, locked on hers, and in them, she saw everything she had hoped for: relief, desire, affection, and something deeper she dared not name.
“It’s really you,” she whispered.
“Yup,” he replied softly, his own hand lifting to cup her cheek. “In the flesh.”
She smiled as she shook her head. “You look . . . different.”
“I feel different.” His thumb grazed her skin in a way that sent shivers cascading down her spine. “I feel free. Like I can breathe again. And it’s because of you.”
Her heart flipped at his words, her pulse skittering out of control. “What about your company? What about everything you worked so hard for?”
Blake’s eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to her lips for a heartbeat before meeting her eyes again. “None of it matters. Not at this moment in time.” His hand slid into her hair, fingers tangling at the base of her neck. “You’re all I want to think about.”
He leaned in, and her breath hitched as she waited for the inevitable kiss. But he hesitated, his lips a whisper away from hers, his expression turning playful. “But, um . . . maybe we should get on the plane. Looks like we’ve drawn a crowd.”
Ellie looked over at the buggy where she’d been dropped off. Shelby was there, three more women in uniforms standing by her side. Even from here she could hear them cheering, and Shelby grinned at her, raising her thumb in celebration. Ellie grinned back — a smile so wide it hurt her cheeks — and both she and Blake were laughing as they climbed the stairs and entered the jet.
Chapter 29
BLAKE
Blake’s head was spinning, and it had nothing to do with the plane accelerating down the runway.
He gripped the armrest with his right hand and held tightly to Ellie’s with his left. She was sitting next to him in one of the ten plush leather seats on the company jet, her head resting on his shoulder as she stared out of the window. The runway lights streaked by, but he barely noticed them. He only had eyes for her — he literally couldn’t look away.
Ellie’s beauty was effortless, unfiltered and magnetic. She had a kind of presence that drew you in, like a quiet flame that radiated warmth and lit up everything around her. Including him.
