Page 25 of Kiss me Forever

He studies my face for a long moment, his brows furrowed. “Piper, I love being with you. I love that we laugh together, that you make me want to break away from work and live life to the fullest. I love how I feel when I’m with you. I’ve never had that with any other woman. Women like Vanessa are plastic. They’re raised to be nothing more than candy for a man to show off. Her beauty is fake and put on her every morning as she spends three hours decorating her face, and months in hospitals getting plastic surgery. You are real. You are beautiful. There’s zero comparison.”

His words fill me with confidence. He’s gazing at me with such intensity, there’s no doubt he’s speaking from the heart. I lean across the table and kiss him very briefly, aware that all eyes are most likely on us, wondering how we’re going to react to our interruption.

“Thank you, Magnus. You do make me feel beautiful. You make me feel wanted,” I tell him. He lets out a sigh of relief as he squeezes my fingers.

“That’s because you are beautiful and you’re very much wanted,” he says. He then grins. “I was going to surprise you later, but I guess I’ll share with you now. I’m taking you away for the weekend to my favorite little getaway. It will be nice to get out of the city with no chance of running into anyone from our pasts.”

I love that he says our pasts. There’s not going to be any supermodels interrupting us at dinner that I’ve previously dated. I don’t call him out on this, and I feel a jolt of electricity at the thought of a weekend getaway.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

He shakes his head as he smiles. “It’s a surprise.” I love the mischievous smile he’s wearing, and the twinkle in his eyes. He sure loves being romantic, and I’m not unhappy at being the recipient of his creativity.

“You do love surprises,” I tell him.

“I didn’t used to, but for you I’m finding I love a lot of things I never thought I would before.”

We’re interrupted as the waiter comes and Magnus pays the bill. I don’t even want to look at it. I know how much these places cost. When you come to a restaurant that doesn’t have pries on the menu you know you’re in trouble. It’s nothing to a man like Magnus, but I don’t want him to think I’m here for the money. I’d be just as happy to stop at a hot dog stand. There’s something delicious about a good cart hot dog. I don’t dare say this to him as he pays the bill though.

We leave the restaurant, the cool evening air a welcome relief after the suppression of the restaurant. It’s amazing how much life a catty woman can suck from the air. I’m already starting to forget all about her, though. Magnus pulls me close as we move to the valet stand.

I lean into him, loving every moment with this person. No one, not even a woman as stunning as Vanessa, will make me feel insecure. Obviously, I’m the one Magnus is choosing to be with, just as he’s the one I want to be with. I give him a wicked smile as he climbs into the car next to me after helping me into it.

“I want to get back to our superhero debate,” I tell him, giving him a mischievous smile. “You have to acknowledge defeat. Batman can’t swing between buildings on webs shooting from his hands.”

Magnus bursts out laughing, the last of the tension from our interruption fading into the night. “Nope, I’ll never admit defeat. Batman has a Batmobile, a Batcave, and he’s a billionaire with a butler. He’s impossible to beat.”

“I disagree. Spiderman has Aunt May who cooks the best. He’s also got an entire neighborhood in love with him while Batman has empty friends and lives in a mansion all alone.” I’m realizing this is sort of a comparison between him and I. I’m not so sure I love that. Magnus is the billionaire in a lonely mansion with people who discreetly come in to clean up after him, but he also has an incredible mother and sister living on a vineyard. We might just have to call a truce.

“Do you realize how impossible you are. You don’t give up,” he tells me with a chuckle.

“You haven’t figured that out by now?” I say with a big grin.

“I’m figuring out a bit more every day.” He then leans toward me at the light. “Don’t tell anyone, but you might be changing my mind. I do like a nice meal. The aunt cooking might seal it for me.”

I laugh again, feeling light and happy. Tonight had a bump in the road for us, but that’s nothing when we have such perfect moments every other second we’re together. I wasn’t looking for a man at all, and certainly not someone like Magnus Carter, but I can’t deny how wonderful our time is together.

When we arrive at his place, I no longer see a huge mansion with no personality, I see a home I enjoy coming to. We laugh together as we make our way to our favorite room in the house where we can get lost in each other’s arms. With Magnus, I can take on the world, just like all of my favorite superheroes.

Chapter Fifteen

Piper

I’m practically jumping up and down in the seat next to Magnus as he makes his way to a private airport. I never get to vacation so this is a dream come true. My mind is buzzing with possibilities since I have no idea where we’re going, but I do know that we get two full nights and two full days of vacation in paradise. I don’t care where we’re heading, I’m just happy to get away with a man I love being with. It also helps that there will be no possibilities of distractions.

I’ve been avoiding thinking about the word love because I know what’s happening between us, and I know how I feel. If I just avoid thinking about those three scary words, then I don’t have to worry about it. Sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss.

We pull up to the airport and I grin as I see a sleek, small private jet waiting just like the helicopter had been waiting on our first official date. This man doesn’t know how to do regular dates. If this relationship doesn’t work out I’m never going to enjoy a date again after being with him. He makes everything so dang exciting.

“Are you ready for our next adventure?” Magnus asks with his now normal sparkle in his eyes that I love so much.

“With you, I’m ready for anything,” I tell him.

“Remember you said that for the next thing that comes up,” he warms. He then hops from the vehicle and quickly comes to my side. He takes my hand and squeezes as someone grabs our bags and loads them on the jet. We then walk up inside.

“Do you ever get used to living like this?” I ask as I look around the comfortable space in awe.

He looks around the jet. “Sadly, I’ve become used to it. Being with you, though, is reminding me to appreciate it all again. My mother tells me to remember my roots, but that’s hard to do when you’re surrounded by people whose only goal in life is to please you. I like stepping back from that world. I love the way I grew up. I knew I didn’t want to be poor, but I might not have needed to make as much money as I have,” he says.

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