Page 113 of You and Me, For Real
“Surely you know by now, there’s little I wouldn’t do for you, Ashton.” My voice is soft and earnest.
She presses her lips to mine again. This time, with no hurry to end it. Heat envelops me from head to toe. I immediately respond similarly, blood coursing through my veins.
Minutes later—before my brain gets too scrambled—I pull away, but only an inch, and nudge her nose with mine. “Not that I don’t want to continue doing what we’re doing, but if we’re going to attend this stellar date I’ve planned, we better get a move on.”
“Will this date include an opportunity to continue this little moment later on?” she murmurs, toying with the zipper on my pullover.
“Absolutely.”
She giggles and presses one more tantalizing kiss to my lips. “Okay then, kind sir, lead the way.”
She settles her hand into mine, and I lead her toward the helicopter I chartered for the evening.
As we lift into the air, my heart drops into my stomach, exhilaration racing through my veins. I’ve always wanted to learn how to fly, but my career’s time constraints have never left much time. The sun is still high enough that it illuminates the LA skyline beautifully, as well as my gorgeous date sitting next to me. We are wearing large, awkward headsets that reduce the chopper’s noise, allowing us to talk.
Ashton snuggles closer, wrapping her arm through mine and squeezing. “In case I forget to tell you, I had a wonderful time tonight.”
I laugh. “Let’s get to the date first, and then you can tell me.”
“This is all part of it. The whisking me away, the surprise adventure. It’s all wonderful, and I appreciate every moment of it.”
The sincerity of her compliment presses against my chest, threatening my heart’s steady rhythm. I had no idea doing something for someone else would feel this powerful. It’s greater than any applause or award I’ve ever received and it makes all the nonsense I’ve put myself through the past year with Scarlet moot. I don’t care what the public thinks of me or the silly roles I play, so long as this woman is beside me.
Maybe this is love? A willingness to place your own goals to the side and make another person happy?
Roughly thirty minutes later, we land in an expansive, fenced field with tall grass and two houses nearby.
After touching the ground safely, the pilot Glen turns toward us. “I’ll return at twenty hundred hours to pick you back up. Is that okay with you, boss?”
“Sounds great. Thank you.”
He salutes us.
We both remove the headsets. I help Ashton exit the helicopter and lean in to retrieve the basket of supplies I had delivered to the airport. We sprint across the field, the blades whipping Ashton’s hair in every direction. She laughs exuberantly over the noise. Once we’re far enough away, the helicopter takes off, leaving us in a massive field with nothing but the birds chirping and insects buzzing.
Ashton spins in a slow circle. “What is this place?”
I grab her hand and tug her toward the secondary property. “Let me show you.”
32
ASHTON
Griffin grasps my hand as we traipse through the tall grass and I’m grateful he suggested the change in clothes to jeans and sneakers. The sun shines brightly through the sporadic clouds, giving us ample light for our exploration.
We approach a small, yellow cottage on the large acreage property. It has a charming front porch with a white railing and matching white shutters. Two faux windows peek out from the grey shingled roof. Small flowerbeds on either side of the porch steps boasts a budding garden. While the home appears several decades old, the property looks well cared for.
I’m more confused than ever. “Are we trespassing on someone’s property?”
Griffin looks over his shoulder at me. “What do you take me for? Some kind of criminal? No. It just so happens this particular property is for sale.”
“Are you looking to buy another house? Where are we?”
We flew for roughly thirty minutes, but I have no idea what that means in terms of how many miles we’d traveled.
Griffin stops, places the basket on the ground, and turns toward me. His voice is soft, his expression vulnerable. “I thought this might make the perfect property for your rescue center.”
A jolt of surprise rushes through me. I process his words. Excitement races through my veins. I rotate to absorb the property in a whole new light.
