dipped up and down a few times before his chin settled into his chest and he slipped into a snoring slumber.
Damian grabbed Poppy’s hand, causing fireworks to explode in her chest. “Come with me,” he said, pulling her toward a narrow, extendable hallway that led to the medivac airplane.
Engine exhaust saturated the air as they stepped into the portable walkway behind Mazy.
“I’ll have what he’s having,” Damian said to Mazy, pointing to Wyatt.
Mazy’s big blue eyes brightened with amusement. “Feel like sleeping for a week?”
“Just the plane ride, but I like your spunk,” Damian replied, placing his hand on Poppy’s lower back as if she needed help climbing the one-inch step into the plane.
The air ambulance resembled the luxury jet, minus the luxury. It held a single hospital bed and several long benches which faced the wide center aisle, each with the capacity to seat two to three passengers.
Along with his brothers, Damian assisted lifting Wyatt onto the bed, then buckled him down. “I envy you, bro,” Damian said to his unconscious brother. “You snagged an amazing woman.” He nodded to Mazy. “And you’ll be the only one sleeping on this six-hour red-eye cargo ride.”
Mazy sighed. “Fine. Here.” She pulled a gray pill bottle from her backpack. “I don’t encourage taking meds to sleep, but this is an over the counter sleep aid. Two tablets should knock you out. For you, Poppy, only one.”
Poppy waved her hand in front of her chest. “I won’t need any, thanks. I’ll be out before we take off.” She believed her statement until she scrutinized the bench seats, sans arm or head rests.
There wouldn’t be much sleeping on that flight, with or without medication. Millie and Nate had decided to stay the night in San Juan and fly home the following day due to her pregnancy. Staring at the bench opposite Wyatt, Poppy regretted not accepting their offer to join them.
Damian made his way to the back of the plane. He plopped onto a two-seater bench, then motioned for Poppy to join him. Staring into his beckoning eyes, her cousin’s offer suddenly didn’t hold the same appeal. Who needed sleep? She no longer had a boyfriend; she could kiss Damian-the-demigod all she wanted in the dark corner of the airplane. A warm thrill shot up her spine. The smoldering look he gave her only increased her eagerness. She slipped onto the bench next to him, maintaining a professional demeanor until everyone else was situated and the lights dimmed.
Less than thirty minutes later, they lifted into the air with Poppy cuddled into Damian’s arms. She closed her eyes and thanked the heavens for giving her a moment of bliss. Ever since she could remember, life had been one challenge after another. She’d push through one, then another would pop up, then another. Light shone on her through occasional patches of sunshine, but, for the most part, her life had been a series of thunderstorms. Things hadn’t been terrible in college—but it had been toilsome. She’d finally caught her break working for Kai. Her mom had discouraged her from taking the job, saying it was only another way for the Grants, her sister’s perfect family, to give them money to have a say in their lives.
“Do you want a sleeping pill?” asked Damian.
“No thanks. Did you take some?” she asked.
“Four,” he said plainly.
“Four?” she whispered loudly, smacking his arm. “Mazy said to only take two.”
He shrugged. “I’m a big guy.”
Poppy’s eyes narrowed. “And you don’t think she noticed? She’s a doctor. Who treats NFL football players.”
“You have a point,” he said, rubbing his chin.
She tsked her tongue. “For a genius, that was really stupid.”
“Thanks,” he said with a huge grin. His white teeth cut through the darkness.
“I fail to see the humor in this. Why are you smiling?”
He brushed back her hair from her face. His eyes trailed his fingers as his fingertips caressed the skin at the edges of her hairline. She sucked in a stuttered breath as he ran his fingers under her ear. “Because you feel comfortable enough with me to call me stupid.” He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, speaking even gentler to her. “You don’t have any idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
She willed her heart to stop pounding so she could hear how his breath delivered his endearing words. “I won’t stop you from telling me.”
“You glow, Poppy. I can feel the warmth of your beauty even when I close my eyes. And your brilliance