been planned better. I felt excitement wash over me when I heard the engines come to life, and the shadows of the blades start spinning slowly before they whirled into a blur. The next thrill was when the cabin lights dimmed and an indigo-blue light backlit the area we sat in. The light was muted enough to set off the elegance throughout the helicopter, but it also enhanced my view outside of the windows.
With grace, the chopper gently rose from the ground and hovered for a few seconds before it dipped forward and veered off to the right. I watched the ground below us growing farther away as the helicopter glided through the air, and it was so smooth that I felt nothing but the adrenaline coursing through my body.
We made a few banking turns, and then the ocean was beneath us. The coast was to our left, and the lights flickered off the waves as they rolled into shore now that the sun hid behind the horizon. Jim’s hand covered mine, and his thumb tenderly rubbed over the top of it, pulling me out of this extraordinary experience I was enjoying.
“Care to join me for a drink?” he asked, pointing toward the sofa at my right, and facing the windows that gave the view to the coastline. “God, I haven’t said two words to you since you accepted this invite. Please forgive me for that; this last-minute shit has had me strapped to the phone since taking over this event.”
“I completely understand. What are we drinking?” I asked, unbuckling and standing up, following him to where he had a bottle of champagne, and then a man walked out with a tray of cheese, crackers, and fruit.
“I’m having a bourbon. You can have this champagne or anything else you’d like.”
I eyed the food tray and thought I’d tease him, being that it was my first time talking to him since this whole thing was set into motion. “I might have to back out on dating you again,” I said, picking off the tray. “I can’t do this lavish lifestyle stuff,” I shoved a piece of cheese in my mouth, “at all.”
He smiled and laughed. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring this helicopter through a drive-through window, or I’d have you eating burgers, fries, and a shake instead.”
I took the tall glass of bubbly and sipped it. “It’s why I can’t be your lady, Mr. James H. Mitchell,” I said with a dramatic sigh. “I can’t eat like a bird. I thought you and I established this a while ago.”
Jim took the glass of bourbon he’d poured and sipped. “I will ensure a buffet of food is waiting for you in our rooms when we arrive. The hotel will cater to any and all food cravings you have until you have no other option but to date me because I know how to feed my woman.”
I pinched my lips, trying to hold on to teasing Jim, but not able to take my eyes off the glorious coastline view. “Might work,” I said, my mind drifting to the beauty of cruising through the air over the ocean. I settled into his side on the couch. “This is remarkable.”
“But the food sucks.” He kissed my temple. “I’ll have to find time to make this right.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
“Well, I see it like this: I miserably failed as your host at my place, and now this helicopter food situation almost has you walking out on me again. Let’s just say I wasn’t finished with you at my house before the SOS call came in. I’m still planning on what we never finished after our little warm up session out by my pool.”
“I’d like to see you try and fit in,” I leaned up to whisper in his ear, “us fucking.”
Jim grinned and kissed my lips. The flavor of the bourbon in his kiss sent a jolt of energy straight between my legs.
“You think I can’t find a way to take my lady before, possibly during, and after this charade tonight?”
“I shouldn’t challenge you.” I laughed, taking another sip of my drink. “I watched you pull this whole thing off like it was nothing.” I studied his eyes—sparkling and radiant—before I turned to face him on this sofa. “I have to know. Are you good at hiding stress, or is this shit normal for you?”
“My brother always tries to pick my brain to figure out how