Triplets for The Millionaire - K.C. Crowne Page 0,46

than a few times, but never in Colorado. The mountains, the city, the rolling hills – the sights gave me a feeling of belonging that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I felt like the land itself called out to me.

The fresh, clean smell you could only get this high up in the air filled my senses. Each lungful of crisp air reinvigorated me, giving me a rush of vitality. And it didn’t hurt that I was standing next to what had to be the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life. I really wanted to be staring at Lola, to take photos of her and capture her beauty. I needed to take my mind off her something fierce, so I lifted the camera and started snapping shots.

I took a good few of the downtown area, of the mountains, and of the grid of suburbs below us. There was so much to look at that I had to force myself to put down the camera.

But the sight of Lola in front of the mountains was so damned beautiful I couldn’t resist. I raised the camera toward her. “With your permission?”

She bit her lip, her cheeks reddening adorably. “Oh alright. But just a few.”

I grinned and snapped shot after shot. Every single one was perfect. Lola’s beauty, the slight shyness – they were the human touch that contrasted perfectly with the mountains rising behind her, their gray faces imperious and unmoving.

I didn’t press my luck, though. After a few pictures, I turned back to the landscape and took more photos, snapping a flurry of pictures until a rumbling in my stomach brought me back to reality.

“Holy shite,” I said, glancing at my watch and seeing that nearly thirty minutes had passed. “We really been up here this long?”

Lola smiled. “You were in the zone – I know how that gets. I didn’t want to bother you.”

I chuckled. “Don’t know how I’m always surprised when time flies behind the camera. Anyway, how’re you?”

She nodded, inhaled deeply, and squared her shoulders. “I’m good. Not going to lie – it’s scary as hell to know one wrong move and I’d be a splat on the ground. But at the same time…I have to admit it’s pretty damn thrilling.”

I smacked my hands together, pleased as could be at her answer. “See? I knew you’d love it.”

Lola sucked in one more deep breath before turning her attention to the floor of the basket. “But I think I need to take a little breather.”

“Lunch then?”

“Perfect.”

We sat down on the floor of basket, the thing gently swaying as we flew. I glanced at the pilot, who was still reading her book, her ear buds in. Once she realized I was looking, she raised her eyebrows, asking wordlessly if I needed anything. I gave her a thumbs up, and she replied with the same.

I poured us each a glass of the white wine. “Alright,” I said once each of us had a glass in hand. “What’re we drinkin’ to?”

She glanced aside, giving the matter some serious thought. “Something to drink to. Hmm.” Then her eyes flashed with realization. “How about to a wonderful new friendship.”

“I’ll drink to that,” I said, raising my glass. “Slainte.”

She scrunched her brows.

“Cheers in Irish – pronounced slan-sha.”

“Then…slainte.”

We tapped glasses and drank, the wine almost as crisp and delicious as the air around us.

“So we’re friends now, are we?” I asked.

She nodded her head. “Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. Though, I’m not going to lie, I’m curious why you’re so adamant about that. I mean, we enjoyed one another that night, didn’t we?”

Her cheeks flushed again, and she lifted the glass to her lips again to take a drink. I could tell something unsaid was hovering over us and had a feeling I knew what it might be. So I decided to break the ice.

“So, my last breakup went so poorly that I had to get lawyers involved.”

Her brows lifted, and she pulled her knees up in front of her, her wine glass dangling from her hand. “What happened?”

I told her about Fay and all the bullshit I’d gone through with her. I didn’t want to dump my relationship drama in her lap, so the story was the short version.

“Wait,” Lola interrupted, sticking out her finger slightly. “She was pissed about you donating to charity?”

“She’d never come out and say it, but when I’d mention some group I was interested in supporting, she’d always make the same face.” I attempted to