Take Me To Paradise

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

“I thoughtyou might want a cup of coffee.” Fraser dangled a cup in front of me from the pop-up shop at the airport. No amount of caffeine could break me out of my funk. It had little to do with lack of sleep and more to do with the knowledge this incredible experience was about to end. We’d tabled all the talk of futures and decided instead to simply enjoy being with one another last night. This morning, Rae was gone before I opened my eyes, and when we saw her waiting for the golf cart to collect her and her luggage, she’d used needing to pack as her excuse for sneaking away.

Since that moment, the weirdness only continued to escalate. The coffee slash peace offering from Fraser was apparently an apology for how cool he’d been acting all morning. Rae leaving felt like the first fatal blow to the end of “us.” Fraser felt it too and quickened that process.

“Well, you should probably get packing, too.”He told me. He kept his back to me as he did, going directly into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. I saw myself out.

He gave me the coffee and I nodded a thank you. I didn’t know what to even say to him. If I told him how I felt, it would only prolong the ending he clearly sought. Rae sat three rows away, facing the runway.

“Hey all you sexy, kinky, little freaks! Did everyone enjoy themselves this week?” Lindsea picked up the microphone by the ticketing stand. Lots of cheers, hoots and hollers rang through the gate, drawing the attention of all the passerby walking toward their own gates and destinations. “Yes! I love hearing the cheers of satisfaction. It’s almost as good as a moan of completion. So, listen, we’re about to board. Since we know you’ve all found some fun on vacation over this week, and probably have some preferences as to who you sit next to—the flight back is open seating.”

Fraser still stood next to where I sat. He had a foot braced against the wall, surveying the airport while sipping his coffee. Cool. Aloof. Typical. Other than giving me that cup, he hadn’t bothered saying anything else. Perhaps he was waiting for me to say something.

Instead, I stood and made my way toward the line forming to get onto the plane. He’d had plenty of opportunity to say any number of things. Even as I walked away, he made no attempt to either join me or engage me in any kind of conversation. The first time I met Fraser, he was upfront with how his dealings were at the resort. One and done. No strings. Roger that. He could have exactly what he desired.

“Hi.” Rae whispered.

She got in line just as I did and stood next to me as we approached the ticket scanner.

“I’m sorry for earlier. This whole thing is just really weird.”

“I know.” I told her, “Everything got so complicated for a no strings week in the Bahamas.”

We both laughed, and that eased a bit of the pressure building in my chest.

“It’s all so confusing, but I want to see where things go. You know, once we land. I hope you’re still open to that?”

She looked at me with such earnest hope in her eyes. It thrilled me straight to my core. Not because I wanted her to want me, which, of course, I did. But because I wanted the same thing, and I felt relieved that she was still on board.

“I do. Truly. This week has shown me how much I enjoy your company. All of your company.” I quickly corrected in case you thought I just meant having sex with her. “I want to, you know… maybe even date. See how things go. If that would be okay with you?”

It was as if the sun burst through the rain clouds and imprinted on Rae’s face. She nodded enthusiastically and pulled me in for a kiss. While it wasn’t the longest or most passionate kiss we’d shared over the past week—standing in the middle of an airport and all—it was the most memorable. There were so many words spoken in that kiss. About hope for the future, and sexual exploration, and the knowledge that we would figure out our path as we walked it.

We chose seats toward the back of the plane. I don’t know if it was a conscious decision, or just we got so lost in the thoughts of what was going to happen while we landed we ended up near the tail.

“Are you planning on making out with me the entire way home?” Rae giggled, taking the middle seat and giving me the window.

“Now that you mention it.” I leaned in and pulled her into another kiss, near giddy with what was to come.

“I can’t do it.” Fraser’s deep timbre pulled us out of our haze. “I thought I could. You know, walk away and just move on. But I don’t think I can. Just watching the two of you board the plane together. It hurt. I can’t believe after a few days; I can actually be upset that the two of you are back her making out. But I am.”

“Sir, you need to take a seat.” Lindsea approached Fraser from behind, an impatient look on her face. Nearly everyone had been seated. The few still straggling had found locations closer to the front of the plane.

Fraser swung into the seat on the other side of Rae, but not before giving Lindsea a dirty look for her impatience.

“We need to get everyone seated so we can take off. Everyone wants to get home, back to lives, their own beds, their new relationships.” She raised her voice an octave in that sing

song-y kind of way.

“Fraser, you’re the one that was very clear that you wanted a vacation only fling.” Rae began.

“I know I said that.” He ran his hand through his perfectly mussed hair. “but watching the two of you just now. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. All I can think about is the two of you getting to go on dates, and have interesting conversations, and amazing sex while I just continue doing the same things I always do.”

“You can come on dates and have interesting conversations, too.” I told him, barely able to keep a straight face despite the seriousness of Fraser’s words, the whole situation seemed sweet, almost. “I can guarantee based on the past week that the sex will a hundred percent be mind-blowing—every fucking time.”

Rae clapped her hands, kissing Fraser, then turning to kiss me.

“So, I don’t have to say goodbye to either of you, then? We can see where this goes?”

I looked over Rae’s head toward Fraser, raising my eyebrow in challenge. I was all in. As was Rae.

“You already know how I feel.” I told him. “My opinion hasn’t changed since the talk on the deck two nights ago.”

“My opinion hasn’t changed either.” Rae placed her palm on Fraser’s arm and squeezed it. I couldn’t see her face from where I sat. Fraser’s usually cold blue eyes warmed into a color of the ocean.

“I’m in too.”

He reached across Rae and pulled me closer. Given how sardined we were in those seats, it wasn’t the most comfortable position to be in. But what’s a minor discomfort if the result is melting into Fraser’s lips for a kiss?

The captain came on to tell us we needed to belt in and prepare for takeoff. Lindsea returned to check our seatbelts and make sure we were all properly seated and safe. Once we were in the air and the fasten seatbelt sign went off, Fraser put down the magazine he’d been pretending to peruse.

“Say, Leo?” He ran the back of his fingers across my wrist. “What do you say to inducting our Queen into the mile high club?”

Who could say no to that?