A Wonderful Kind of Love (Kinds of Love 2)

Laura

She put her clothes back on and watched as Ethan did the same. It was a wonderful and sad thing to watch. Wonderful, because he was such a sexy man that seeing him naked was a treat, and sad because he was putting clothes on rather than taking them off.

“Okay, this time I really do have to go,” he said, buttoning the last button on his shirt.

“Can't blame a girl for trying,” she replied, and he chuckled.

“You can only use that tactic for so long,” he said. He grew quiet as he looked at her. “I'm going to miss you.”

Her chest tightened a little. “It'll only be for a couple of days. You'll barely even notice I'm gone,” she said, repeating back his own words to him.

He kissed her cheek. “Would you like to come to the airport with me? The kids won't be home from school for a while yet.”

Laura hated the airport. Especially this one. It was the last place she knew her parents were alive. They'd taken off in their small little twin engine plane from that airport and never come back.

She almost said no. She almost shook her head and ran from the memory, but she knew that it wouldn't change anything. She needed to get over her fear of that place.

“I'll just ride with you,” she said. “I don't really want to go inside.”

He nodded and offered her his hand. She took it and together they left the hotel room.

Downstairs, Craig was waiting with the car and driver. He didn't look surprised to see them running late. He sat in the passenger seat while Laura and Ethan climbed into the back. Laura put her head on Ethan's shoulder as the car pulled away from the hotel and headed toward the airport.

They didn't say much on the ride. They didn't need to. Laura's mind was going a million miles per hour, and she wasn't sure she could have carried a conversation anyway. With every mile closer to the airport, the more her chest tightened. The anxiety and fear were living things inside of her.

She took a deep breath and did her best to clear the memories of driving her parents to this same airport. The way they smiled and laughed as they boarded the plane with their friend. The roar of the engine as they took off. The way they had never come home.

“You okay?” Ethan asked.

She shook herself to find she was staring out the window and her hands were clammy.

“I'm fine,” she said, more to prove to herself than Ethan.

“Okay,” Ethan slowly. “We're here.”

“We are?” She looked out the window to see they were in front of the airport and the car engine was off. Craig wasn't even in the car anymore. “How long have we been here?”

“Just a couple of minutes,” Ethan replied. “Are you sure you're okay? I'll have the driver take you straight home.”

Laura forced a smile. “I'm fine, really. Just thinking. I'm sorry.”

“Thank you for coming with me,” Ethan said, kissing her temple. “I'll call you as soon as I land.”

“That would be great,” she said. She let out a nervous chuckle. “I would really appreciate it.”

An airplane flew overhead, and Laura winced. Coming to the airport was a bad idea. She wasn't ready for this. She knew she shouldn't have come, but it was too late now.

“Can I see your plane?” she asked. Maybe if she saw it wasn't the same as her parents her anxiety over him flying would go down. It was at least worth a shot.

“Sure,” he opened the car door and then helped her out. “It's right over here.”

Together they walked to a chain link fence with a gate. Craig was on the other side waiting for Ethan. Behind him was a beautiful, sleek jet that didn't look anything like the tiny plane her parents had left on. This one looked more like a miniature jet. It didn't really help as much as she'd hoped.

“Please call me as soon as you land,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. He seemed surprised but hugged her back.

“Of course,” he promised, kissing her temple. “I really do have to go.”

She nodded but didn't release him. She took in a deep breath, memorizing everything about him. The way he smelled, the way he felt, the heat of his skin, the way he made her feel. She didn't want to forget a thing.