Page 70 of Handsome
Tears streamed down my face as I said, “I love you.”
“Is that a yes?” he asked, still on one knee.
I nodded fast and urged him to stand as I said, “Yes! Yes…yes…yes…yes…yes!!”
“I love you too,” he said.
Then I hugged him.
It was time. Our lips met, but I helped him out of his shirt while he scrambled out of his shoes and pants and joined me on the bed.
The plane roared and we took off just as we fell backwards onto the bed.
I wrapped my legs around him and pressed my hands on the wood carved headboard so I was sure I wouldn't fall off if we hit turbulence.
He took full advantage and kissed my nipples and belly and then my core.
Clearly, he was in full control of himself.
Then my eyes rolled back from the bolt of lightning that shot through me because of what he was doing. I stopped thinking about how the plane stayed in the air, or what direction we were going, because I was lost. And ecstatic to be lost.
I was his.
I clutched him and then, as he entered me, the world disappeared entirely.
44
Sarah
The birthday party dinner took place outside, with lights all around us like a fairy tale, and seeing how his family all seemed so close tugged at my heart.
And Cyrus was attentive, sweet, and somehow mine.
His parents hugged me and welcomed me to the family. I was still teary-eyed while I chatted with Joel’s wife, Kendal, and Arman’s fiancée, Maddie, who’d known the family forever it seemed.
The other brothers were all single and sweet.
The house phone rang, but I hardly registered it while I sipped my champagne, and Adrien, who was still in college and last to the party, came to say hello.
As we finished, his mother, Roxanne, held the house phone in her hand and asked me, “Who’s Darren Davis, dear?”
My knees almost gave out as a bone-deep chill froze me to the spot. For a second, I thought about running out the door.
But luckily I looked to my left and met Cyrus’s gaze. No, I’d never leave him. I was stronger now, so I nodded.
And he, bless him, said, “I’ll handle it.”
I lifted my chin. He had no idea what an effect he’d had on me. So I shook my head and took the phone from his mother before he could get to it as I said, “No, it’s for me. Give me a minute.”
Cyrus walked with me into the house, and we went into a small sitting room. He closed the door, and then I put a finger to my lips to ask him to be silent.
He nodded, and I put the call on speaker as I asked, “Darren, why have you called me?”
“You ruined my life.”
For a moment I was speechless. I’d been so afraid of this man for so long, but I wasn’t a teenager anymore. I wrapped my hand around my grandmother’s necklace as I said, “You were calling before the Norouzis made sure you'll no longer be able to work with them.”
“I wanted the money your sister borrowed from me.”
