Page 66 of Lucifer's Hounds

We arrive at the airport and the first thing I notice is the palm trees dancing in the wind. They seem to be waving, carefree. It makes me hope that people perceive me in just the same light. Cass opens my door and gives me directions on where to go inside while he returns the rental.

I make it to the terminal and sit down, watching people move hurriedly through the airport. I watch couples, families, and people alone on their cellphones pass by until Cass arrives.

He plops down in the chair next to me.

“Hi,” he says, winking at me.

“Hi,” I whisper.

Cass chuckles. “You are something else.”

“I try.” I smile and lay my head on his shoulder.

Cass places his fingers beneath my chin, tilting my face up so that his lips fall right onto mine. My lips curve into a smile at the same time Cass’s do and we kiss through smiles. He kisses the tip of my nose as a man’s voice makes an announcement over the loud speakers. I’m too lost in Cass to hear what he said.

“That’s our cue,” Cass whispers.

Rising from the chair beside me, Cass grabs the suitcase, and I follow behind him onto the plane. Our seats are midway down the aisle, and I slide in first so I can sit by the window.

“I guess I’ll let you have the good seat,” Cass says with a smile.

“Good, ‘cause I wasn’t giving it up.”

“Oh, yes you were.” Cass winks at me with a devious grin.

Heat immediately rushes to my cheeks. “My seat. I wasn’t giving up my seat,” I say, correcting my misspoken statement.

Cass laughs. “Yes ma’am.”

As the plane begins to take off, adrenaline courses through my veins. Something about being in the open air is so freeing to my soul, to be on the go again, yet terrifying because I never know what’s next to come. However, it comes with my lifestyle and ultimately, my life. This is my life. It always has been.

“Hey. Where’d you go?” Cass asks, tapping my shoulder.

“Huh? I’m here.” I offer him a reassuring smile.

“No, you aren’t, but it’s your lie, I’ll let you tell it.” Cass lifts my hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. My God, I love that. It’s themost sensual, amazing feeling when his lips press to the back of my hand like that.

He then kisses each individual finger in the same manner he had in the truck, making me smile like the damn cheshire cat.

“In your own time.”

And, somehow, that is a language I understand.

I’m too excited to sleep on the plane. Something about being so far up in the air and looking down on the cities below me is so fascinating. It’s crazy to think that we are this high up that everything below looks so small. Yet, as crazy as it is, it intrigues me. Cass is fast asleep within ten minutes, his head resting on my shoulder. The edge he had earlier is long gone and his features have softened in the midst of his nap.

The flight back home is over too soon, and I hate that reality is glaring us in the face so quickly. With reality comes stress. Tonight’s the grand opening, there are two new girls, and there is so much that needs to be done in such a short amount of time.

As the plane begins to descend, I rub Cass’s cheek gently. “Hey you,” I whisper.

He takes a deep breath and his eyes open slowly. Squinting, he takes in his surroundings.

“Grr,” he mumbles, a deep growl coming from his chest. “Hi,” he says as he looks back at me.

“We’re landing,” I say.

Cass sighs and lays his head back on my shoulder. I laugh quietly at him when he starts snoring lightly in a matter of seconds. When we finally land and are on the ground, I wake Cass up again to get off the plane.

Cass leads the way to baggage claim, groggily, with my trailing right behind him. He hasn’t said a word since I woke him up to get off the plane.

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