Page 45 of The No Falling Rule
My secretary assured me Mia was still in Santo Domingo, but I can’t breathe until I have her in my arms again.
When I burst into the terminal, I sprint like a madman to the airline counter, my pulse hammering in my ears. Before I can even open my mouth to ask for help, the flight board flashes: RALEIGH - DEPARTED.
I close my eyes, inhaling through my nose, my jaw tight.
I was thinking about giving my secretary a raise for helping me today. Not anymore. She lied. What the fuck is wrong with people?
Fine. If I have to fly to Raleigh—or that tiny town Mia calls home—before heading to Chile, then I will. Consequences be damned.
“Diego?”
The sound of her voice cuts through the noise around me.
No. It can’t be. I must be hallucinating.
I squeeze my eyes shut, afraid to look. Afraid she’ll vanish.
“Diego, what are you doing here?” The voice comes again, closer now, warm and real. A soft hand lands on my shoulder.
I turn.
And there she is—the most beautiful woman in the world.
“Mia.” I breathe her name, savoring the way it feels leaving my mouth.
Without thinking, I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her off the floor. She yelps in surprise, then laughs, that brilliant smile lighting up her whole face.
“I broke the rule too, Mia,” I say, my voice rough with emotion.
Her eyes widen, disbelief flickering through them.
“Why is that so hard to believe?” I whisper. “I’m in love with you, Mia Martínez.”
My lips find hers, and she melts against me, her body sagging with relief.
I kiss her slowly, trying to show her everything I feel and hoping like hell she’ll believe me.
“But I thought you had to go to Chile?” she asks once we finally come up for air.
“Well, yes,” I admit with a grin. “But that doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that I love you and want to spend the rest of my days with you.”
“What?” she practically squeaks.
“Yes, I do,” I say, starting to feel a little nervous. “Don’t you want to be with me? Did I completely misread the situation—am I making a fool of myself right now?”
Her expression softens immediately. She cradles my cheek with her small hand, her eyes glistening. “Oh, no. I’m sorry. I’m the one screwing this up,” she says, voice trembling. “There’s nothing I want more than to be with you. I just thought… I wouldn’t fit into your plan.”
I take her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “That’s on me, baby. I should’ve shared my plans last night, but…” I trail off, flashing her a smirk.
“Yeah, yeah,” she says, rolling her eyes with a grin. “Men and their one-track minds.”
I chuckle and steal another kiss. “Can you blame me? Have you met my girlfriend? She’s the hottest woman on Earth.”
She laughs, the sound is like music, and kisses me again.
“Okay,” I say, pulling back just enough to look at her. “We have a plane to catch. Let’s go.”
Mia frowns, though a smile tugs at her lips. “What do you mean,plane?”
