Page 102 of Catching Sparks

“Do you need me to take it out now? Are you uncomfortable now?”

“Not yet. Let me hold you like this for a little while longer first.”

Something inside of me keens at his words, and I settle against the mattress, completely at peace. I soak in this moment, not out of fear of it being the only one we ever have but because I’m excited for how many more are to come.

This feels like the start of something I’ll wait forever to see through to the end.

35

GARRISON

After having Poppy in my arms and beneath my body for fifteen hours straight, it pains me to let her go to settle into her own seat for landing. I’m clingy, desperate. But I’ve stopped caring about that. The only thing I want is to have her close to me as often as possible, and I’m not willing to miss out on this opportunity to do just that.

She stares out the window at the teal-blue water beneath us in awe, her hands clasped and lying between her bouncing knees. My ears pop as I watch her take in the view. I’ve never been to Bora Bora before, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t look away from her. I’ll see enough of the ocean once we arrive.

“This is only the airport,” I tell her over the stuffed sensation in my ears. “We’ll take a boat from here to the resort.”

“Are we where I think we are?” she asks, her nose nearly pressed against the window.

“Welcome to Bora Bora, honey.”

That tears her attention from the view. Her mouth falls open as she blinks at me in disbelief. I only grin in return, feeling too fucking happy to do much else.

“I’m starting to think you know a bit too much about grovelling,” she accuses lightly.

I keep my stare open and honest. “Maybe. Or I just care about you and want to apologize properly. I can easily afford to take you here, so why shouldn’t I?”

“Fair enough, Mr. Black Card.”

With a wink, I lean back in my chair and grip the armrests hard as we land. The plane jerks when the wheels hit the runway, but my pilot is one of the best, and soon enough, we’re gliding without a hitch. Poppy’s staring out the window again, taking in the scenery that seems to have no end. One glance out my own window and my breath hitches.

The airport is a strip of land in a world of turquoise water and lush greenery. A tall, tree-covered mountain juts up from the water, and then it’s just . . . beautiful blue.

Slowly, the plane comes to a soft stop, and Poppy’s bursting out of her seat, brown eyes big and beautiful as they find me. She rushes back to me and tosses her arms up and around my neck. Then, her lips are on mine.

“This is incredible, Garrison,” she breathes into my mouth.

I swallow the automatic response that comes to mind, not wanting to sound like a total lovesick idiot, and instead say, “You’ve seen nothing yet. Let me grab our bags, and then we’ll head out for a better look.”

She doesn’t pull away immediately like I expect her to. My heart thumps rapidly as she leans back enough to stare into my eyes and smile, cheeks flushed.

“Thank you. This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”

I cup her cheek and dip my head to take her mouth again, not trusting myself to speak. Besides, how am I supposed to formulate the way I feel into words when I have no fucking clue what to make of all of it yet?

We have five days here. Maybe that will be enough time to figure it out. If not, well, I’m not ready to consider that yet.

“Stop it! You’re fucking kidding me!” Poppy shouts, hands over her mouth.

I laugh, letting it grow in volume as I stand back on the wooden walkway outside of our bungalow on the water with our suitcases in tow and watch her react to where we’ll be staying.

With a palm to her lower back, I guide her toward the entrance. Beneath the shade of the thatched roof, the sweat on the back of my neck isn’t so noticeable. It’s hot here today, and I’m itching to get into the pool I know is waiting at the back of the bungalow.

Our accommodations are the best the resort has to offer. I made sure of it, not batting an eye at the price because it didn’t matter. It was worth it to see this right now. I’d spend my last dollar to see her this happy.

“Come,” I murmur, leading us to the door, thankful my sea legs have worn off. I’ve never been one for boating.

The key card beeps as I tap it against the lock, and we step inside. Wooden plank flooring travels throughout the entire villa, with colourful carpets in the living space and beneath the square dining table. It’s all one big open area, and with the wide windows and tall ceilings, it feels massive. The ocean breeze drifts inside from the open patio door that leads out to the back deck and pool.

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