Page 44 of Rockstars, Babies & Happily Ever Afters: Vol. 1

The needle on the speedometer got dangerously close to reckless, but he was willing to chance it. He cut across three lanes when their exit came up, then downshifted and coasted to a stop at a small airstrip on the fringes of the city.

She swung her gaze to him. “Plane? You said it was just an overnight.”

“And it is.” He picked up her hand and brought her wrist to his lips. “Trust me.”

Her fingertips grazed his jawline before she withdrew her hand. He had the strongest urge to take her hand back, but the uneven ground required his attention so he didn’t bottom out his new Audi. One of the perks of being a spokesman for the company meant he got the latest and greatest toys they had to offer.

He pulled up to the small airstrip with the waiting plane. He shot off a quick text to his assistant who’d booked the flight for him on the way over to get Margo. This was as last minute for him as it was for his wife.

But they needed it. So much.

He got out and went around to open the door for Margo. She snagged her purse from the floor. “I don’t have anything with me.”

“You don’t need anything.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “Is that because I’m going to be naked?”

“Possibly.”

“Hmm.” She let him lead her to the stairs and they nodded to the steward who would be taking care of them. He was courteous, but he definitely wasn’t in their face.

The fact that his assistant seemed to know what he needed even before he did was still disconcerting. But between juggling his modeling accounts, the band duties, and his promo schedule, he’d be dead in the water without Ned.

The luxury plane held two cushy seats and a specialty set-up he’d requested. It was a sleeper chair built for two. He bypassed the regular Captain’s chairs and all their lush glory and went for the mini bed.

Instead of allowing Margo to ask any questions, he pulled her into his arms and swept her up against his chest. She grabbed onto his shoulders with a gasp. It was just enough of a surprise that he was able to cover her mouth with his. She sighed into his mouth and relaxed as he settled them both into the chair.

She curled into him with a sigh and buried her face in his neck. She pressed a kiss there and the light flutter of her tongue gave him a second’s pause. But they both needed this hour between now and their destination. He tugged the elastic from her hair and massaged the base of her skull.

It was like a light switch for his wife. She let out a yawn-groan combo and went lax in his arms. It had been a damn long time since he’d held her this close. And while every part of him wanted to turn her until she straddled him with those deliciously long legs, he resisted the urge and drifted off with her, her rich scent of honeysuckle chasing him into sleep.

* * *

The light bounce of the wheels hitting the runway dragged Margo out of dreams. For once, they weren’t of the shattered eyes of her best friend as she told them about what happened that fateful night.

No, these dreams were soft as gossamer curtains over a sun-drenched window. Fuzzy and warm with sandy beaches. Some of the best days of her life included a beach.

She half wondered if she was still asleep. She thought for sure she could smell the brine of the ocean and a hint of smoke.

That couldn’t be right.

Margo lifted her head off Simon’s chest. The gentle rise and fall gave her a moment to take him in. The jet-black slashes of his expressive brows, and his matching raven-colored hair curled against his shoulders again. He’d clipped it short while the band had been on hiatus, but now that he was back in singer mode, the wild was slipping back into him.

Gone was the slick, polished model he’d become when his voice had failed him. She didn’t mind that side of him, but it was the passionate singer with a zest for life and the wild who had captured her attention all those years ago. Cocky and full of himself for sure, but there’d been a kindness under the bravado.

His love for his band and his music had lured her out of her icy shell. He’d shown her all forms of passion, finally bringing it full circle with the ring of sapphires and diamonds on her hand.

The hiss of the pressurized door releasing dragged her attention back to the plane and not the fuzzy memories of their days on the island. The blast of ocean-tinged air and the roar of the tide urged her out of her husband’s lap.

Simon rolled toward her and pinned her back into the surprisingly comfortable lounger. “Not yet.”

“We’re here. Wherever you’ve whisked me away to.”

He lifted his head off her shoulder. “Oh. I could sleep another day or so, but we don’t have that much time.” He sat up and hauled her off the chair. “Ready?”

She laughed. Actually, it felt like it was the first time she’d laughed in ages. It felt good. Tinged in guilt perhaps, but good. She cupped Simon’s face. His silvery-blue eyes were tired and red-rimmed, but there was a resolve there.

One that she was grateful for.

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