Page 78 of Duke's Daring Bookworm
“So, you were looking at my muscles.” I flexed for her before releasing the bird from the lift.
“Shut up.” She didn’t look away.
“Would it help if I took off my shirt? You could definitely see my straining musc—” She threw the pen she used for the checklist at my head.
“I don’t know why I tolerate you.” Her tone held a comfortable affection born from years of familiarity.
I bit my tongue before I could say ‘because apparently you love me.’ What if she denied it? What if she took it back? No, I didn’t want to deal with that now. Instead, I focused on returning the frame to its home in the hangar.
“Ready?” I held the door open for her and let her climb into the seat beside mine. I handed her a headset and then ran around to my side and got underway. I couldn’t wait until she saw the view.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Love.
Shit.
I just told Duke I loved him.
My heart raced, and I couldn’t stop replaying it, obsessing over the words. I’d probably said that phrase to him a thousand times through the years, but we weren’t having sex for all those years. Now there was a whole extra layer to our relationship and… I meant it. I loved him.
He didn’t react, maybe it didn’t even register with him, maybe it did, and he didn’t feel the same and I stuck my foot in my mouth.
I tried not to panic as I watched him jog around the front of the helicopter through the enormous windows, too traumatized by my stupid mouth to appreciate the view.
Just sex.
This thing between us was supposed to be friends having sex for one month.
One month—now just one day.
I blinked back the tears, trying to escape and betray me. I set the deadline. I had no right to be upset by it now. He had a life to go back to, a woman waiting for him. I shook my head to clear the image of them at the ball. We had tonight. It would be good enough. It had to be.
“You ready?” Duke asked over the headset, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. I hadn’t even noticed when he climbed into his side.
Determined to enjoy today and what may be my only chance to see the world from a ‘bird,’ as Duke called it, I pulled my mask on tight enough that even I wouldn’t be able to tell what lay underneath.
“Yes.”
My belly swooped low when we lifted off the ground, laughter bubbling out of me at the sensation. Soon enough, the sight of Savannah from the air stole my attention and all thoughts of the clock ticking down to our end were put to bed.
“Look, my house!” I pointed in the distance as a view of the park near it came into view. “I didn’t realize just how big your office building was. Jeez. Compensating much?”
Duke laughed loud and long.
“You know I’m not.” He did a loop above it so I could see it from every angle. The white facade sparkled in the sun, showing off for me.
“Do I? For all I know, you’re small. It’s not like I’ve been up close and personal with many dicks.”
Duke’s low growl came over the headset loud and clear, making me giggle. “You better not be.”
A little thrill ran through me at the possessive edge of his voice and I had to remind myself, again, that he wasn’t mine to keep.
Stupid heart.
“So, where exactly are we going?” I asked, desperate for a change in topic. “You just said to be ready for the beach.”
“A small private island not far from here. There aren’t any structures on it, so we should have the place to ourselves.”
