between two dreamers who wanted to see more of the world.
He couldn’t be serious, right?
“Um . . . that might be—”
“Perfect,” he finished. “Not that it’s going to dent my bank account at all, but you can still work on that. You better get on getting a passport, woman.”
“I-I already have one. I did a quick trip to Mexico with a couple of my classmates when we finished our master’s.” I was still stunned that he appeared to be completely serious about this.
He let out a whoop of laughter. “Then I guess I’d better get mine.”
My heart tripped. It was the first time I’d really heard him laugh like that since we’d started working together, and it sounded so damn . . . good. “You can’t be serious,” I challenged. “We can’t both be gone from the clinic at the same time.”
He shrugged. “Of course we can. We are going to have to shut down to get some of the renovations done. The office staff will keep getting paid, though, and so will you.”
“It’s not that. I have a ton of vacation built up, since I haven’t really gone anywhere since that long weekend in Mexico. But taking off for a week? Two weeks? All on just a whim is . . . crazy.”
“Not for me, Layla. I’m filthy rich, remember? And it isn’t like Andie and Noah aren’t traveling the whole damn world right now on their honeymoon. Why is it so crazy?”
Really, for him, with his circumstances, it wasn’t crazy at all. “Okay, it’s insane for me. I’m not a billionaire, Owen. I’m a woman who never thought she’d do any international travel until her student loans were paid and she had a home of her own. Like a couple of decades from now.”
My gaze collided with his, and my heart skittered as he pinned me with his sexy green-eyed stare. “You won’t spend a penny on this trip. Let’s get that straight right now. I’ll provide every single thing you need, right down to new underwear for this trip.”
Owen actually sounded excited about seeing Paris, and I wanted that for him so much. “There really isn’t anyone else you’d want to take with you? What about family?”
“They all have private jets. Billionaires. Remember? Besides, there’s nobody else I’d rather be with than you,” he finished huskily. “We used to dream about this, Layla. If you don’t go, I won’t do it, either. It wouldn’t be the same without you there.”
Oh, hell no. That wasn’t going to happen. This was the first time that I’d seen Owen consider using his money for something that wasn’t a home investment or something he actually needed. He deserved a very long vacation after he’d spent a decade working like a dog. “I’ll go,” I said quickly, before I could change my mind.
A happy grin spread across his face. “I’ll do all the planning. You just work on other things on my list.”
I smiled back at him because I couldn’t help myself. My entire body was responding to that gloriously handsome face, and I had to cross my legs as heat spread like wildfire between my thighs.
I ached to toss myself into his arms, and work on getting that incredibly ripped body completely naked.
Maybe I had wanted him when I was younger, but not like this. I’d been infatuated, and I’d wanted to be closer to him then. All I’d longed for was a simple kiss.
Now that I was an adult, I wanted this gorgeous, intelligent, thoughtful man so much that it was nearly unbearable.
My heart wanted Owen.
My body desperately wanted Owen.
And my soul was screaming for satisfaction.
I jerked myself back into reality. I couldn’t have Owen. I was never going to be with him the way I fantasized about.
I’m going to just enjoy what we do have right now. We care about each other as dear friends. That’s got to be enough.
I was grateful to have his friendship back, to know that he cared about me again, and that he wasn’t going to punish me for the crappy things I’d said and done to him in error.
The two of us understood each other in a way that was completely uncanny, probably because we’d had a lot of the same thoughts and experiences.
I’d missed Owen so damn much.
There was no way I was going to deny myself the opportunity to be with him as he found his footing in a whole new life.
The longing I had for more was going to just