to stare at Josie, but she looks so much like Julieta. "I think Julieta is in Bermuda, too."
Josie closes her eyes and squeezes them tightly. New tears escape, but I don't think they are happy ones like when she learned her daughter was safe. They remind me of pain.
I glance at Bernadette, but she's staring out the window, watching Gustave and Malin speak. The helicopters take off. It's several more minutes before Malin and Gustave get in the plane.
They both look pissed at each other. Malin grabs my hand. "Ma belle, let's go in the back."
Gustave takes the seat next to Bernadette.
The door to the plane shuts, and we take off.
Malin and Gustave ignore each other the entire two-hour flight. Josie keeps to herself.
Malin pulls me onto his lap. In French, he murmurs, "Ma belle, are you okay?"
I look up and stroke his cheek. "Yes. Are you?"
He closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths. When he opens them, there's so much pain in them. It causes mine to fill with tears.
"What is wrong, my love?"
"This needs to end. I can't have you in this underworld. It is not a place for you. It never has been."
"I'm okay. We're okay."
He shakes his head. "No, ma belle. We can't be okay. This is not the life I want for you. You could have been taken from me tonight."
My chest tightens. I force a smile. "But I wasn't."
"That isn't good enough."
"I'm here with you. Nothing happened. They did not break us."
Malin strokes my hair and sighs. "You are my wife."
"And happy to be it."
His lips twitch. But his smile looks tired. I've not noticed the lines around his eyes before. "I want our life to be how it was in France."
"Me, too."
"You do?"
"Yes. Why do you sound surprised?"
He hesitates.
"Malin? Tell me why you are shocked."
"I wonder if I will be enough for you. If danger is not around..." He peers out the window then back at me. "Will you be happy?"
My pulse increases. I tilt my head. "Is that what you think? I am only capable of happiness if we are playing our role?"
"I... I don't know."
"The happiest I've ever been was in France. With you. In the house I want to live in. Where I committed to spending every last breath I have, devoted to you."
He exhales.
"What have I done to make you question my desire to be with you always?"
"You haven't done anything, except be yourself. You're fearless."
"I'm not."
He palms my head. "You are, ma belle. You have more strength than many men I know. Danger looks good on you. You make it into a challenge to conquer. Others flop in it, and you thrive."
"I'm sorry."
"No. Don't you dare apologize. I love that about you. Just like I adore everything else about you."
I turn and glance at the others. The plane is dark, with only the light outlining the wall. I assume it's past midnight. I ask, "Why are you and Gustave not talking?"
"I don't want to discuss it right now. I just want to forget about tonight for a few hours."
I caress his head. "I don't want to forget about everything."
He raises his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
I lean into his ear and stick my hand in his pants. In French, I whisper, "I told you to find a dark corner. I think this is it."
His lips twitch. He responds in French, and we continue speaking it. "How quiet can you be, ma belle?"
I unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. "Lift your hips, drop your pants, and let me show you."
His hand slowly unzips my dress. "If my pants come off, it's only fair this dress does." He bunches it and pulls it over my head and tosses it on the seat next to us.
"Your pants are still on," I whisper.
He lets them drop to the floor. His finger traces the edge of the leather strap over my nipple. "Did you order this? I didn't."
"Yes. Do you like it?"
"You look amazing in it." His hand slides under the strap, and he plays with my nipple.
"Oh God, I've missed you."
"It's only been since this morning, ma belle."
"I know. Too long." I sink onto his hard erection.
"Oh, ma belle," he murmurs, sucking on my earlobe.
I'll never get enough of the way his body fits into mine or the smoothness of his skin as it glides against my walls, filling and stretching me.
"Do I feel good, my husband?" I slowly move up and down on his shaft.