Page 10 of The Perfect Kiss
Once Reyna was safely inside the SUV, I reached inside my front pocket and pulled out her ring before starting the engine. Taking her left hand in mine, I slipped in on her ring finger and said, “I believe this belongs to you, princess.”
Reyna’s wrapped her arms around my neck and placed her lips on mine. “Thank you. I thought it was gone forever.”
∞
When I turned off the dirt road, I contacted the police. With everything I told them, there was enough reason to check out the cabin where Crosby had held Reyna prisoner. The whole time I spoke to them, Reyna kept silent. She could have chimed in since I had the police on speaker, but she didn’t. I believed, more than anything, she was thankful that she was safe. After I shared the information I had, all the police had to do was search Crosby’s car. They would find the gun that killed Salko, which would give them no other choice but to arrest Crosby.
As I turned onto the exit that would take us back to Atlanta, two county sheriff vehicles passed us. Cruising two miles above the posted speed limit, I kept my cool. On the other hand, Reyna kept looking at the side mirror to see if the county sheriff would turn around. She went through a lot the last 24 hours and had every reason to be nervous. But, as an added precaution, the men took a different route back to Atlanta. Gwen rode with Patton and Mitch to The Four Seasons while Axe and the other men headed back to the warehouse. When the sheriff’s car was no longer in view, Reyna took in a sigh of relief. “I think they would have turned around by now. Hopefully, you’re right about Crosby, and they arrest him,” Reyna said as she held out her hand. “I can’t wait to get back to the warehouse.”
Taking hold of her hand, I might have been selfish, but I wanted Reyna all to myself. So instead of heading back to Atlanta, I took a detour to the airport. “We aren’t going back to the warehouse, princess. All I want is to spend time with the woman I love more than anything. Is it selfish of me to want to keep you all to myself for a few days?”
“I’d like that too.” Reyna smiled and squeezed my hand lightly before releasing her grasp. “Do you think Delilah knows what a scumbag Crosby is?”
“If it wasn’t for Delilah’s help, we might not have found you as quickly as we did. She found out what kind of man she married herself. Her last request before I left her house was to bring you home safely.” I was wrong about Delilah. There was no reason Reyna couldn’t have a fulfilling relationship with her adoptive mother.
“I’d like to see her.”
“When we return, I promise I’ll take you to see her.”
I made one more call to my pilot to let him know we were on our way to the airport. One nice thing about having money and power was having people at my disposal, day or night. Taking Reyna away from Atlanta was my main concern. For three days, the only thing she had to worry about was the amount of pampering she would receive. Once we were in the air, I would get in touch with my favorite staffing service in Chicago and request a masseuse, a chef, and a private shopper. By tomorrow morning, the last twenty-four hours would be behind us.
Exhaustion must have taken over because when I looked over to see if Reyna was all right, I found her fast asleep. God, I was so grateful for her. Not only was she the most gorgeous woman I had ever met, but she was also my everything.
The lights from the airport were in the distance, and I couldn’t bring myself to wake Reyna. Even when I reached the tarmac, I allowed her to sleep. Easing to a stop, I placed the vehicle in park and turned off the engine. Reyna hadn’t moved an inch. When I got out and rounded the front of the SUV, the sound of the passenger door opening never fazed her. It was only after I unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her into my arms that she began to stir. Holding her close with her head nestled against my neck was the best feeling ever. Captain Matthews stepped down the airplane stairs and greeted me at the bottom.
“If you’d like, sir, I can move the SUV off the tarmac while you get Ms. Braxton settled.”
“That would be wonderful. How long until we take off?” I asked, allowing Matthews to clear the steps before making my way up to the plane.
“Shouldn’t be too much longer. Just waiting for clearance from the control tower.”
I gave Matthews a light nod and walked up the steps. When I stepped inside the plane, Jeannie was busy preparing the cabin for take-off. As I carried Reyna to the back of the plane, Jeannie’s voice sounded behind me. “Let me get the door for you, Davian.”
Jeannie quickly stepped past me and opened the door to the plane’s suite. She went inside the bedroom first and pulled back the covers before I laid Reyna on the bed. It only took Reyna a moment to find her position before she was fast asleep. When I carefully removed Reyna’s heels, I found several blisters on the backside of her feet.
Before Jeannie left the room, she went to the en suite bathroom, “I think there are bandages and antibacterial ointment in the medicine cabinet.”
Women seem to be better at dressing a wound than men, so I allowed her to do her thing by stepping out of the way to give her some room. Reyna began to stir, but Jeannie assured her that it would only hurt for a minute. The guys and I never made it to the cabin where Crosby held Reyna, but I knew it had to be at least three miles from where we found Reyna and Gwen. Reyna must have been in agony walking with sore feet. Her will to survive never ceased to amaze me.
Jeannie and I made Reyna as comfortable as possible before leaving the bedroom. Taking one last look at her, I quietly closed the door and went to the main cabin. There were a few arrangements I needed to make for tomorrow. The next few days were going to be the best days Reyna ever had.
~8~
Reyna
Other than Davian rescuing me from Crosby, my entire night was a complete blur. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I realized the bed I was sleeping on was familiar. Even though I didn’t remember getting there, I was happy that I was at Davian’s estate instead of Crosby’s cabin. Stretching my body, trying hard to wake up, I flipped the covers off my body. I was only wearing my panties and one of Davian’s t-shirts. I didn’t remember Davian undressing me, but the thought of having him close brought a smile to my face as I pulled up the hem of his t-shirt and sunk my nose inside the material. I loved the way he smelled. It might very well be that after last night, I would never take his shirt off.
Stretching one last time, I swung my feet over the bed and sunk my toes in the plush rug beneath me. The smell of something delicious filled the air as I walked to the bathroom. I was sure that Mika was still back in Atlanta, and I wondered who was preparing such a mouthwatering meal. Of course, it could only be Davian, so I hurried and brushed my teeth and did my thing. I couldn’t wait to spend the day with him. It had been only twenty-four hours that I had been away from him, but damn if I didn’t miss him.
Opening the bedroom door, feeling relaxed and rested, I headed toward the staircase wearing only Davian’s t-shirt and my lacy panties. I was literally skipping down the stairs and then again to the kitchen until the man standing near the stove proved not to be Davian. When he turned to place a platter on the counter, his eyes fell on my half-naked body. I had never been so embarrassed.
Instead of running away, I pretended that I hadn’t noticed him staring at me and asked nonchalantly, “You wouldn’t by chance know where Davian is?”
“I believe he is out on the patio. Breakfast will be ready in a moment.”
When his back was toward me, I turned and headed to the back of the house where the patio was. Before opening the patio door, I could already feel the sun's warmth against the large window. As I looked through the glass, I saw Davian talking to a woman in a pink polo shirt with a black logo embroidered on the front. They were both standing near a long, padded table beneath a white canopy. If I had to guess, she came from one of the spas in Chicago.
I pulled open the door, and before I closed it, Davian was walking toward me. He had a big bright smile across his face that only enhanced his handsome features. I rarely saw him in casual clothes, but whenever I did, he looked more relaxed. Wearing a V-neck t-shirt and blue jeans was my favorite look on him.
