Page 40 of Only If You Dare

Her eyes rolled bringing a chuckle out of me.

“Classical is my favorite.”

“Very interesting,” I said.

“I do listen to R & B, but there’s nothing like the sounds of the fluid, uplifting tones of classical music.”

“Did you grow up listening to classical music?” I asked.

“Somewhat.”

Her voice lowered. “My father would turn it on every morning before work. It was his routine to get the day started on a high note.” She smirked. “My mother would always say, all he needed was a little prayer, and he could skip the theatrics.”

Her expression lightened. “Claudia and I would be standing in the doorway watching as he strolled into the kitchen and pulled my mom away from whatever task she was doing at the time; which was more than likely fixing our breakfast and his lunch. Every morning she’d fuss, but every morning he’d pull her away to dance around the kitchen, hand and hand, at the strum of the bombastic sounds.” She chuckled. “I guess that’s when you can say I grew a love for that sound of music.”

Whenever Desiree broached the subject of her father, there was always a mixture of happiness and sadness. I changed the subject to lighten the mood.

“Claudia called my cell looking for you. She saw the report about your break in, and she’s worried.”

“I wonder why she didn’t call me?”

“She did, said she couldn’t get through.”

I turned into the entrance of West Houston Airport and drove through the security gate to the hangar. Desiree pulled her cell out and dialed a number.

“I’ll give you some privacy, Bella. When you are ready, I’ll be waiting.”

When she reached out laying a gentle stroke across my face, my temperature rose like the promise of a volcanic eruption. With an instant reflex, my hand covered hers.

“Why are you so nice to me,” she asked.

“I’d like to think that I’m nice to everyone,” I said.

“So you go around paying for pet burials and putting random women up in hotel rooms to keep them safe?”

“Desiree, there’s nothing random about you. I’m here because I want us to get to know each other better. You didn’t believe me the first time I said it?”

The sensitivity in her eyes was tangible.

“Make your call,” I told her. “We will have plenty of time to talk about this when you’re done. This is a fifteen-hour flight. You don’t need to make a stop, do you?” I joked.

Her perfect lips drew back into a smile, and I pulled her hand from my face and kissed her soft skin, then removed myself from the vehicle.

“Mr. Rose,” my chauffeur Darrell approached me. “You made it just in time. The pilot is ready, all your bags are on board, and the flight crew is on standby.”

“Thank you, Darrell. Is Kelsey on board, or did she take a commercial flight?”

“She’s on board, Sir.”

“There are a few things in the trunk that I brought with me so let the crew know we’ll be ready to pull off within fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir.”

I turned back to the car and retrieved Desiree’s bags, a few of them belonging to Victoria’s Secret. A vivid image of Desiree’s long, caramel legs and lacy underwear ravaged my thoughts.

“Yes, I promise,” I heard her say in her cell before shutting the door. At the trunk, I entered a code that released the lock. Inside, I pulled a single bag of luggage along with a few other bags that belonged to Desiree and sat the luggage on the ground. I closed the door and Desiree moved from the car to stand off to the side.

“I’m ready,” she smiled waving the phone to show proof that her call was finished. My gaze traveled over her flawless skin, sleek nose, and high cheekbones. Every detail of her statuesque frame held an air of perfection that I’d never witnessed before. More than that, I had a strange feeling Desiree didn’t know how breathtaking she was. Her beauty was mirrored on the inside and out. Traveling to Dubai, I was putting myself in a situation where I wouldn’t be able to show too much public affection. The religious foundation of the United Arab Emirates stood by core values that would land you in jail for offering a single kiss. It was ironic that keeping my hands to myself thus far hadn’t worked. And if that was any indication of my lack of restraint, then Lord help us all.

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