Page 18 of Sebastian

Seven

The car pulled up to the small Clarence County Airfield, and he heard her gasp.

“Please tell me you are not taking me somewhere in a helicopter.” Her face had turned an alarming shade of green and he couldn’t resist reaching out and touching her arm to calm her nerves.

“No.” He laughed as she sucked in a sharp breath, holding it for a few seconds before releasing it. “I’m taking you somewhere on my private plane.”

“Sebastian, no. It’s too much. We’re supposed to have a simple date. I can’t leave here.”

“It’s just for a few hours, Sprinkles. I promise to have you home at a decent time, and I have a feeling you are going to be excited when you see where we’re going.”

The car pulled into the hangar where Sebastian’s private plane was being stored. Natalie had assured him earlier that day that she had taken care of all the scheduling and clearance for their trip that evening. Was it cocky of him to assume things would go in his favor? Yes. Did that matter at all as he looked at the stunning woman sitting across from him? Not one bit.

Once on the plane, Sebastian couldn’t help but nervously check his watch. The timing on the trip was crucial if they were going to see sunset in the vineyard like he had planned. Emma sat in the leather seat across from him, looking as excited as a kid on Christmas. He couldn’t help but notice that as she looked out the window, she would bite her bottom lip.

“Do you get nervous when you fly?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I mean, I am right now, but that’s because it’s my first time on a plane.”

“Ever?” He couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Yes. Ever.” Emma looked back out the window. “We didn’t have a lot of money growing up. I mean, my mom worked hard and we had a comfortable life, but there wasn’t money for vacations, and certainly not vacations that required you to take a plane. When I left Michigan, I took the bus.”

“Wow. Well, I’m honored to be sitting across from you on your first flight. If you get scared, you can hold my hand.” Her eyes snapped to his and he couldn’t help the wink that flashed along with his sly smile.

“I’ll be fine,” she said, but he definitely noticed how the blush rose across her cheeks and the way her throat slightly moved as she swallowed.

“Oh!” she squeaked as the plane started rolling out towards the runway.

“Here we go.” Sebastian smiled as he watched Emma’s eyes grow wide with adrenaline. Her hand shot out and he took it firmly in his own, tracing different patterns across her skin to calm her nerves.

Over the next few minutes, he watched Emma as she experienced flying for the first time. He noticed how on takeoff, her free hand flew to her stomach and she bit her bottom lip each time the plane changed directions. It was a whole different outcome than he’d been expecting, but there was something churning in his own stomach as he watched the vulnerability roll through her while she fully experienced flying for the first time. She had yet to let go of his hand, and he certainly wasn’t complaining.

* * *

The time on the plane went by faster than she had been expecting. There was somewhere in the back of her mind that feared the time spent with Sebastian would feel tense, or the conversation stilted, but she was having a wonderful time.

Flying had been a completely new experience and in that, all her fears seemed willing to show up with each bout of turbulence or change in direction they took, but Seb was there to hold her hand through it, never once making fun of her reactions.

Before she knew it, they were landing on a private airfield and Sebastian was helping her into a limo. An actual, real life, exactly like in the movies, limo. She hadn’t gotten to attend her senior prom, but if she had, she imagined the excitement of riding in a limo would have been the same then that it was for her now.

She sat all the way to the left, expecting Sebastian to sit on the right side of the car, but that sneaky flirt sat directly next to her, his thigh pressing against hers with his arm around her shoulders.

“You do know there is an entire limo’s worth of room for you to sit in. You don’t have to sit right next to me.”

“But this seat has the best view in the whole car.” She looked out the window, but his hand slid over her cheek, moving her face back to his. “I wasn’t talking about the scenery outside the window, Em.”

His hand moved from her face down to her lap, where he weaved his fingers through hers. She really hoped he couldn’t sense how her skin felt like it was on fire every time he touched her. Trying to focus on anything other than his touch, Emma turned her attention to the world passing them by outside the limo.

She’d never been to California before, but the landscape as they drove to the destination Seb was keeping a secret was absolutely stunning. They passed acres and acres of grape vines, and Emma knew they must be somewhere in wine country. God, now she was really glad she wore the dress Sebastian had sent to her. Wherever they were going was probably a million times fancier than she could pull off gracefully.

“We’ve made it,” Sebastian said as they pulled onto a skinny dirt road that meandered through more rows of grape vines.

The limo pulled to a stop in front of a large stone building and Sebastian stepped out first, offering his hand to her as she placed her feet on the uneven ground.

Looking around, her breath caught in her throat.

“Sebastian, it’s so beautiful here.”

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