Tell Me You're Mine (The British Billionaires #1) - J. S. Scott Page 0,55

nasty backstabber.”

“You’re absolutely relentless,” I said, letting out a bark of laughter.

“Bring that girl to me, and you’ll see just how persistent I can be,” she teased.

“I think I’ll be staying at the estate as well,” I said, a little nervous about leaving Nicole entirely in her hands.

“Perfect. I’ll see you both soon.”

Mum disconnected, but it took me a few seconds to do the same.

By the time I finally dropped my mobile into my pocket, I wasn’t quite sure if I was happy that my mum was finally coming out of her solemn retirement, or completely terrified.

CHAPTER 18

Damian

“I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M actually flying to London on a private jet! It feels so weird that we’re the only passengers. This plane is amazing, Damian. It feels like a luxury home!” Nicole exclaimed, looking like she was about to bounce out of her seat as we prepared for takeoff.

Her blonde ponytail hopped up and down in her excitement, and her beautiful face was flushed as she turned her head toward me with a look of complete astonishment.

My chest started to ache as badly as my damn head as I watched her.

She was smiling, and fuck! That smile got to me. Every. Single. Time.

Nicole’s enthusiasm about life in general was probably one of the many things that drew me to her.

Other than the first time I’d seen her, she was always…excited about life. Even when she was arguing with me, she was passionate, and so full of emotion that I wanted to reach out and grab her, hold her close to me so some of that vibrant personality would rub off on me.

For me, life was all about work, duty, and obligation. I didn’t have time for anything else, but that didn’t mean I didn’t wish I could feel happiness like I had before my father’s death.

I’d never even thought twice about the privilege of flying private. I did it all the time. But I could almost feel her enthusiasm as I watched Nicole, and possibly share it, even though the experience was second nature to me.

“Transatlantic Airlines isn’t good enough for you anymore?” I joked.

“I love to fly,” she answered brightly. “And going business class was kind of a splurge because the flight was so long. Honestly, before I took over Mom’s business, I hardly got to fly at all. Will we have to stop to refuel?”

I was relieved that she’d splurged on a business class ticket for London. If she hadn’t, we never would have met. “No. We’ll go directly to Heathrow.”

I didn’t want to mention that my custom jet had taken very specialized engineers a couple of years to design, or that it was one of the fastest, and most costly, planes flying right now.

It didn’t matter.

The joy on her face was a hell of a lot more important than the specs of the aircraft.

Eventually, she’d figure out that there was a theater room, a huge master suite, and any convenience she could ask for built into the custom airliner.

For now, all she seemed to care about was the roomy, luxurious cabin that could easily sit both of us, and probably forty or so of her closest friends.

I reached over and fastened her seat belt before she sprang right out of her tan leather recliner. “We’re rolling,” I informed her.

Once she was buckled in, I leaned back in the seat next to hers and fastened my own seat belt.

She settled down with a sigh. “I can’t believe I’m headed back to London. I’d really like to do some sightseeing this time.”

I smiled as I closed my eyes. “I’ll make sure you see anything you want to see. No Tube this time.”

She was quiet as we took off, but once we were in the air, she asked, “Are you okay? You don’t look like you slept well.”

I actually hadn’t slept for more than a few hours at a time since Dylan had dropped off the radar. “I have a bit of a headache.”

A bit of a headache was putting it mildly. But it wasn’t like the stress headaches were anything new. I’d learned to live with them most of the time, but today’s pain was the worst I’d ever experienced.

After I’d spoken with Mum, the discomfort had increasingly become a torturous agony. It was so bad that I could barely function.

I felt her hand on my arm. “Is it a migraine?”

“Nah. Just a tension headache, I think. I’ll be fine. I took a couple of aspirin. I just need a few