Virtuous(56)

“They’re looking forward to meeting you, too.”

“Oh. So they know about me?”

“Yes,” I say with a soft laugh, “they know about you. And they know I must really like you if I’m bringing you home to meet them. That hasn’t happened very often in the past.”

“Oh,” she says again, and I can almost feel her trying to process the meaning of what I’m telling her.

“Want to get comfortable?”

“We aren’t comfortable now?”

“More comfortable.” I nod toward the sofa, and she eyes it with what might be trepidation. “We can stretch out and watch a movie. Anything but The Sound of Music.”

I watch the tension leave her shoulders when she realizes I’m not suggesting a make-out session. Although if that were to happen… No. That’s not going to happen. I want her to trust me and to feel comfortable with me, which is my number one goal for this weekend.

“That sounds good,” she says.

We unbuckle from the chairs, kick off our shoes and head for the wide, plush sofa that accommodates us both with ease. Jacob appears out of nowhere with a cashmere throw blanket. He gives me a quick tutorial on the controller for the cabin lights and the entertainment system before gathering the tray and empty glasses. “May I get you anything else for the moment?”

I glance at Natalie, and she shakes her head.

“I think we’re set for now, Jacob. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. If you need me, just push this button. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to relax.”

I love that he lets us know he won’t be back unless we summon him. He earns himself a big tip with that move.

“This is the life,” Natalie declares as she snuggles up to me.

As I dim the lights and flip through the movie menu, I couldn’t agree more. Right here, in my arms, is everything I’ll ever need.





Chapter 11





I’m completely blown away by the plane, the luxury and the easy comfort of being with Flynn. I love the way he talks about his parents and how he confessed to wanting to win the Golden Globe on Sunday. He truly deserves it after his magnificent performance in Camouflage. I can’t imagine what it will be like to be there with him, waiting to hear if he’ll win or not.

Everything new I learn about him chips away at my plan to leave him. He’s not making it easy to keep this casual, that’s for sure. Take, for instance, the way he holds me in his arms, comfortably but respectfully. His hand strokes my hair in a soothing, undemanding caress.

I feel his affection for me in every look and every touch. He’s made me remember what it was like to be loved by my parents and siblings before everything changed and they were lost to me. I’ve been so alone in the world since then that Flynn’s affection is like a balm on the raw wound I carry with me everywhere I go.

Changing my name and appearance and rewriting my history are all surface things. Inside, where April still lives and breathes, the truth of who I really am is also with me always. Every minute I spend with him makes me want to take a chance I thought I’d never take. Every minute I spend with him is a risk to the future I fought so hard for.

With his fingers running through my hair and his hand warm against my back, I don’t care about any of that.

“Flynn?”

“Hmm?”

“I was thinking…”

“About?”

“What happened last night at your place.” I feel his entire body go tense.

“What about it?”

“I’m so embarrassed about the way I reacted.” We haven’t spoken about it again, but it’s been on my mind.

“I don’t want you to be embarrassed.” He arranges us so we’re looking directly at each other. His hand is warm and comforting on my cheek. “Do you have any idea how much I value honesty of any kind? Or how rare it is to witness a genuinely honest reaction from a woman that has nothing at all to do with who I am in the business or what I can do to advance her career?”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way.” I look away from his intense gaze for a moment before summoning the courage to continue. “After what happened last night, all I could think about was how I should end this before it goes any further.”

He closes his eyes, and his cheek begins to twitch. After a long pause, he opens his eyes. “And now?”