Fully dressed, I stepped out of the room with my head held high. Not even Davian would intimidate me. Two could play this game. As much as I wanted him, I could see he wanted me more. His eyes were hungry and filled with desire.
Resuming my place next to the window, I pulled down the shade before fastening my seatbelt. I was still uneasy about flying, but soon we would land, so instead of grasping the armrest for dear life, I placed my hands under my legs. The last thing I wanted was to give Davian a reason to comfort me again.
As though Jeannie could read my mind, she brought me another glass of wine. “Mr. Cross thought this might help ease your fear of flying.”
“Thank you,” I said as she handed me the glass of red. “Please inform Mr. Cross that I can order my own wine.”
My remark wasn’t directed at Jeannie, but him. I hope she didn’t think I was angry with her. As I watched Jeannie walk away, I heard the sound of the wheels lowering, making my breath hitch. Downing half of my wine, the anxiety I was trying to hold back resurfaced, and I could feel the plane start to descend. Concentrating on the remaining red liquid in my glass, I ended up consuming the rest before settling the glass in the glass holder on the small table between the two leather chairs.
It was then that I heard. “This is Captain Matthews. I hope you have enjoyed your flight. The time in Chicago is 3:37 a.m. Chicago skies are clear with a warm breeze out of the north with the current temperature at a comfortable 63 degrees.”
When the plane came to a stop, I released the breath I was holding in. Davian appeared from behind the paneled wall, along with Marcus and Calvin. From the expressions on their faces, there was no sign that anything bad had occurred, but I couldn’t say the same about Davian when his icy blues focused on me. I knew that look all too well. Something was up.
Hesitantly, I made my way toward Davian to find out what was going on when Jeannie stepped behind him and pulled his attention away from me. Although I couldn’t hear what she said to him, I was certain that it had to do with the arrangements he made.
Marcus and Calvin must have also heard what Jeannie said, because they nodded, walked over to the airplane door, and pulled it open. The Chicago air entered the cabin, and just like Georgia, I could feel the 100 percent humidity that the captain forgot to mention.
I was ready to follow suit when Davian reached out and grabbed my arm. “Wait, Reyna. Marcus and Calvin are making sure the area is secure before we exit the plane.”
Rolling my eyes, I stepped away from Davian and took a seat. I wasn’t sure how long this so-called security check would take. All I knew was that I wanted to get off this plane. Two hours was all I could stand. When Marcus appeared at the top of the portable staircase, I jumped from my seat.
They exchanged a few words that sounded like “All clear,” from Marcus as he leaned in towards Davian. I wasn’t sure what the deal was with these men and their need to keep things private.
Davian held out his hand and said, “We are clear to deplane.”
~9~
Reyna
I took hold of Davian’s hand as he led me off the plane. The steps seemed steeper than they were back in Georgia. Maybe it was the wine I consumed in such a short amount of time that made my steps shaky. Davian must have noticed my calculated steps. His arm came around my waist, giving me the stability I needed.
Calvin was waiting on the bottom of the stairs in front of a sleek Mercedes. When our feet met the tarmac, he opened the door and assisted me in, with Davian close behind. Davian had not indicated how far away his home was or how long the drive would be, but I looked forward to the trip. I had never been to the Windy City but was excited to get a glimpse of it finally. All I’d heard were the impressive things about Chicago.
Somewhere, I’d read that over two million people occupied the city. As we drove through the city, it was clear why. Even at this hour, Chicago was still much alive. Atlanta was a busy city as well, but mostly because of the casinos and the people that came to visit. The population was only an eighth of Chicago’s.
Leaning my head against the window, I couldn’t help but look up to the tall buildings. It was a distraction from my annoyance with Davian. Eventually, I would need to talk to him, but for now, I wanted to remain in my little world. The view was one I didn’t want to miss. I felt him place his hand on my knee, which pulled my focus away from the window to him. “We should be at Cross Estate in about an hour. It has been a long night. You are more than welcome to use my shoulder for a pillow if you would like to rest before we get there.”
“I’m good. But thank you for offering,”
The answer I had given him must not have been the one he wanted to hear. Before I knew it, he pulled my body closer to his away from the window. “Rest your head, Reyna.”
Instead of fighting him, I placed my head on his shoulder but didn’t comply with his offer to rest. My eyes fell between the two front seats, but the view wasn’t near as appealing, causing my eyes to become heavy. I closed them for only a moment, but it must have been longer because when I opened them, we were entering through an iron gate.
Even through the darkness, I could see the grin on Davian’s face when I lifted my head. “I guess I was more tired than I thought.”
Davian slipped his arm around my back and pulled me closer as he kissed the top of my head. “I guess you were, princess.”
Marcus pulled up to a circular drive, stopping in front of steps leading to a large house. As he cut the engine, Calvin exited from the passenger side and opened the back door closest to Davian. As I exited the car, I could see that his home was no comparison to the one I had lived in before going to college. It was more like a mansion. Although I wouldn’t consider my home small, I was pretty sure that it would fit inside Davian’s home with room to spare.
We hadn’t yet reached the top of the steps when the front door opened. Standing on the other side was an older woman, around fifty, wearing a gray dress. I assumed she was a servant of the house, but when she walked over to Davian and put her arms around him in a tight heartfelt hug, I knew she was much more. “Davi, I’m so glad you’re home. I have missed you so much.”
Davian returned the embrace, kissing her on her forehead. “Mika, it has been a long time. You are looking more beautiful than ever.”
The light above the entrance shown that his remark embarrassed the older woman by the way her cheeks turned a light shade of red. “You always know how to brighten my day.”
Davian turned to me and took hold of my hand and pulled me beside him. “Mika, this is Reyna McCall. She will be staying here for a while.”
Without warning, Mika wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me against her chest. “I’m so glad that Davi finally had a reason to come home. Come, we should talk.”