The Spiral Down (The Fall Up #2)(50)

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just—”

“You should have heard the cries from the other passengers, Evan. There was this mom with her baby…just shrieking.” He paused when the emotions lodged in his throat. “The whole ordeal lasted only a few minutes. But, for those minutes…we were all dead.”

I tugged on his arm until he begrudgingly stopped trying to escape my bed. “Okay, okay. I get it. I swear I do. We just have a different outlook on things. I’m sorry.” I pointedly held his gaze until he relaxed. And when he did, I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips until his body sagged. “I’m sorry,” I repeated softly. “I’m sure it was scary.”

“Terrifying,” he corrected.

“Terrifying,” I confirmed. “But did you ever get a chance to meet Wyatt afterwards?”

“Yeah. I thanked him. Donated a bunch of money in his name. Shit like that. I actually harassed him for months to be my new pilot. I’d fly with him again. I threw a ton of money at him, actually.” His entire face lit as his lips lifted up at the corners. “He told me to f*ck off in three different languages.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. That. Smile. Millions of people were captivated by just the image of it on television and magazines, but up close, with only mere inches separating us, it was damn near spellbinding.

Henry was afraid to fly.

I was afraid of that smile. And, the longer I spent with him, I was starting to fear the man behind it—in the best possible way.

Shaking my stupor off, I replied, “I’m surprised it wasn’t more. He’s fluent in at least six.”

His brows knitted together. “You know him?”

“Yep. He taught me everything I know about flying.”

“Really?” he drawled in shocked interest.

I chuckled. “He’s my dad, Henry. Well, stepfather, really. But same thing. He’s the only dad I’ve ever known.”

He gaped in disbelief. “Shut up.”

I laughed again. “Is he the one who told you to use Jackson for your pilots?”

He nodded quickly.

“Yeah. That makes sense. I always thought it was strange that a big shot like you used him. He’s good, but he mainly charters to animal transports and medical emergencies. He and my dad have been best friends since high school. John got me the gig with Jackson when my first job fell through.”

“No f*cking way,” he breathed.

“Scout’s honor.” I lifted my hand in a Vulcan V.

His smile was epic.

If the question had been how long I wanted to fight, that smile would have been the minute I threw in the towel.

“You do realize your dad basically set us up. It was fate, Evan.” He teasingly waggled his eyebrows.

“Hardly.” Dipping my head, I caught his mouth and mumbled against his lips, “I think we should stop talking about my dad though.”

He moaned when our tongues glided together.

After sliding a hand into his hair, I tugged his head back and kissed down the hard, masculine curves of his neck.

I knew he was kidding. Henry’s coming into my life wasn’t fate. At best, it could be considered a fluke. But, as I made my way down his sculpted chest, ten years’ worth of resolve disappearing, it was clear: For once, luck had been on my side.

“This is going to end badly, isn’t it?” I mumbled—more to myself than him.

“Not if I can help it.” He arched his back off the bed as I teased my tongue down the hard planes of his torso.

“Evan,” I ordered, grazing my teeth over the sensitive flesh on his stomach.

He squirmed under me. “Evan. Shit.”

“What if you can’t help it? You know, random acts of God and all.”

“A few inches lower and I’ll talk to God myself.”

I started to laugh when I peeked up and found him watching me. The blistering heat in his gaze crashed down, enveloping me.

My heart was thundering, but I wanted this—to take him in my mouth so I could give him one of the tiny pieces of myself I’d been protecting since Shannon had left me broken.

I wanted the freedom I’d been denying myself for too long.

And I wanted it with him.

Unfortunately, I would have to wait.

The Sesame Street theme started blaring from his phone on the nightstand.





“NOOOOO!” I YELLED as Evan continued to kiss toward my rock-hard cock. Fucking inches away—and my phone was blaring the only ringtone I couldn’t ignore. “Hold that thought. Okay?” I said, blindly slapping my hand on the nightstand to find my phone.

He eyed me skeptically.

I scooped my phone up and pressed it to my ear. “Hey, kid. Now’s not a good—”

“I need help?” Robin cried on the other end.

My heart lurched, and I sat straight up, forcing Evan to roll to the side.

“What’s wrong?” I rushed.

A man’s voice cursed in the background just as she shrieked, “I’m trying. Back off.”

“Robin!” I called, jumping from the bed. “What the f*ck is going on?”

“There’s this guy…and I owe him some money.”

“Fuck.”

She continued to cry, but she lowered her voice to a desperate whisper. “I know, I know…but please. Just one more time. I swear. I’ll get clean. Please.”