The Casanova (The Miles High Club 3)

“Where are you?” I whisper to myself. “Kate.” I begin to panic that I’m not going to find her, there are too many people. “Don’t do this, please.” I run along the back of the check-in queues as I search for her. I get to one end and run back to where I began: perhaps she’s already gone through.

I run to the security checkpoint and stand in line. “Come on, come on,” I mutter. I look around the line to the security guards, working at a snail’s pace.

Hurry the fuck up.

I run my hands through my hair in a complete panic. Every minute that ticks past . . . is a minute I’ve lost to stop her.

Finally I get to the checkpoint and walk through the scanner, and it dings.

Fuck.

“Just step back through sir.”

“I don’t have time for this,” I stammer. I go back through the scanner, it dings again, and I bend and tear off my shoes and throw them to the side, rip my belt off and hurl it on the floor. I go back through the scanner and no alarm goes off.

“Thank fuck.” I pick up my belongings and tuck them under my arm and I run as fast as I can, until I get to an intersection. Six huge corridors go in different directions leading to the departure gates.

No.

I swallow the lump in my throat as I look at my options: what way should I go?

Umm. “Which way?” I’m panting as I gasp for breath. “Right.” I run to the right down a corridor. This is hopeless, I’m never going to find her. “Fuck’s sake.”

I keep running and I just happen to glance to the side and I see the back of Kate, just as she goes through the boarding gate. “Kate,” I cry as I take off in that direction. “Kate.”

She doesn’t hear me and she goes through the double doors.

“Kate,” I yell as loud as I can. People turn and stare and I get to the flight attendants who are doing the check-in.

I gasp for air. “I need to get someone off the plane,” I pant.

“I’m sorry, sir, that’s impossible.”

“No.” I put my hand on my chest. Fuck, I can’t breathe. “You don’t understand, it’s an emergency.”

“You’re too late.”

“No,” I yell. “Kate. I’m here,” I cry. “Come back.”

Two burly security guards come and stand beside me. “Is there a problem here, sir?”

I look between them as I gasp for air. “My girlfriend.” I pant, and point to the flight. “Need . . . to . . . stop . . . her.”

The guards exchange looks and with an eye roll, one of them says, “Leave now or you will be escorted from the building, sir.”

Deflation fills me and I drop my shoes and belt and put my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath.

Fuck it . . . she’s gone . . .

But where to? I glance up and see the flight destination.

Honolulu

Flight 245

American Airlines

I stand with renewed purpose, put my shoes on, and roll my belt into my hand. “Thanks.” I march off. Fuckers.

I dial my security; he answers first ring. “Hello, Mr. Miles.”

“Hi, have someone meet the plane, she’s landing in Honolulu, American Airlines flight 245.”

“Got it.”

“Do not let her out of your sight! I want an address.”

KATE

The transfer car pulls up in front of the villa, and the driver turns in his seat. “Here you are, Miss.”

I peer out as relief fills me; looks okay. I always have that panic moment when I see a place I booked online.

I pay him and he takes my suitcase from the trunk.

Thank God I arranged all this last week.

When I hadn’t heard from Elliot, when he was with her . . . the thought of seeing him at work was mortifying. I booked this holiday to give myself some space. I didn’t tell anyone about it except Brad. Not even Daniel and Rebecca. If they didn’t know where I was then they couldn’t accidently tell anyone, and thank God I didn’t. I had no idea how much it was going to be needed.

I’m on Lanikai Beach, Kailua, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

The sound and smell of the ocean overwhelms me, and I wave my driver goodbye and walk up the steps.

The keys are in a lock box and excitement fills me. A hot shower . . . and some sleep.

I’ve had a horrendous trip, and to be honest I was half expecting the Miles jet to pull up alongside us and hijack my plane, and for Elliot to board mid-air and drag me off.

To get here alone and safe is a relief. The key turns and I walk in and gasp.

Oh my God. “So beautiful.”

It’s a little villa, in the shape of a hexagon, on the edge of a cliff. Huge windows with views of the sea are everywhere you look, and palm trees are on the edge of the waterline.