Faith (Rescue Me, A Contemporary Romance) (14 page)

“Are you excited?” Rory asked her, obviously pleased as punch that he’d managed to leave her speechless.

“I honestly don’t know what to say. Is this your plane?”

“Well, no. It’s the studio’s plane, but I can use it when I need it. So what do you say? Are you ready to have the night of your life?”

She just stood there. It all seemed to be a little much. But what harm would it do to live it up a little for once? Mac would just love to have done something like this for her, and she knew that he would be excited for her to experience it, even if it wasn’t with him.

“Wow, I guess I’m ready!”

She took his outstretched hand and boarded the lavish little private jet. The interior was a rich camel brown with sterling silver accents. The only planes she’d ever been on were commercial airliners, and the difference between those planes and this one was like trying to compare a school bus to a Mercedes convertible. There just wasn’t any comparison to be made.

Instead of rows and rows of seats, this jet had only six luxurious lounge chairs. Four were situated around what looked like cocktail tables and the other two were together in more of a conversational formation – almost like a living room. It was sparkling and overtly luxurious. The two flight attendants were dressed in black and they both looked like supermodels. She wondered if they went with the studio or Rory?

“Do you like it? What do you think?” He asked her.

“I love it! What’s back there?” She asked him, pointing to the back of the jet where she could see a closed door.

“That’s a bedroom,” he told her, face reddening like a little boys.

She blushed in response and almost couldn’t look at him.

One part of her wanted to grab his hand and drag him into the bedroom and let him undress her while he kissed every inch of her body. But the other part of her, the more sensible part, made her look away without saying anything because she was a new widow with a son and she didn’t really know this person, even though she almost felt like she did because she’d seen all his movies, everyone had. She had to play it smart and not let herself get swept away with fantasy.

Rory looked at her carefully and judged from her expression and the way she refused to meet his eyes that the idea of a bedroom on a plane was more exciting than scary. He thought that he might just be getting a repeat of that night he lost his virginity after all.

The rest of the short plane ride to New York passed uneventfully, for him anyway. She was enjoying every minute of the luxurious experience.

Champagne was served as well as chocolate dipped strawberries.

“Just an appetizer,” Rory had told her.

She didn’t care. If the whole night was just taking this plane to and from New York and eating strawberries and champagne, she would have been happy. And she’d told him so. He’d only smiled and told her that there were many more surprises coming.

There was a sleek black limo waiting for them when they landed at Teeterboro airport in New Jersey. That was the private airport everyone used he explained. It was just a hop, skip, and a jump outside of Manhattan. She couldn’t get enough of the buildings and the lights around her. She’d never been anywhere near New York, and she was amazed to find herself there in the company of Rory Reynolds, no less.

When they pulled up outside a tiny little Italian restaurant, she couldn’t wait to go inside. From the curb all she could see was twinkling fairy lights and candlelight inside. But when they walked in, she had the breath knocked out of her for the second time that night.

The restaurant was empty except the staff and the two of them. The waiters and waitresses were standing in a line grinning at her with glee. The tiny restaurant was filled
with candles and smelled like the world’s best Italian cook was creating something magical in the kitchen.

She turned and stared at Rory, open mouthed.

“Is this all for us?” She asked him, dumbfounded.

“No,” he corrected her, “this is all for you.”

She gazed into his eyes and this time when he pulled her into him for a kiss she didn’t stop him.

The night had been a whirlwind of romance and surprise. After dinner he’d taken her to see Wicked on Broadway and she’d marveled at the costumes, the music, and the talented cast. Of course, after the show he took her backstage so she could let the actors and actresses know how much she enjoyed their performances. A special treat that she’d never expected she made sure to tell him. Even though those words could have described the entire magical night.

Broadway was followed by rooftop cocktails so she could see the lights of Manhattan spread out in front of her.

And then finally, back to the waiting jet to return to Nashville.

When they bordered the plane she tugged his hand gently toward the bedroom in back.

“Show me the rest of the plane,” she asked him with a smile.

Surprised he turned to her.

“Are you sure?” He asked. “I didn’t expect this. It’s not why I wanted to do this for you. I really like you, I want to make sure you know that first.”

“I really like you too,” she said as she turned and walked back toward the bedroom.

Pushing open the door she laughed in amazement. It was a luxuriously appointed bedroom, but instead of being in a hotel room she was going to be flying in mid-air. It was almost unbelievable.

Behind her, she heard the door shut softly and turned to see Rory standing in front of it looking a little shy and vulnerable. It only made him appear more handsome.

“I feel like this is my first time or something,” she said to him, laughing embarrassedly. “I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“What do you want to do?” He asked, his voice low and sexy and soothing.

“I want you to undress me,” she answered him, finally speaking her fantasy out loud.

Without a word he walked over to her and turned her around so her back was to him. Slowly he pulled the zipper down her dress and let his warm hands run over her naked back and waist. He let the dress fall to the floor and told her to step out of it.

She stepped out of her dress and turned to face him, trembling.

“Faith,” he said her name with a shaking voice. “You are so beautiful.”

She stood in front of him looking more like a Greek goddess than a woman. Her body was perfect and lush
and when he gathered her to him he didn’t think he’d ever be able to let her go.

“Is this okay?” He asked as he bent his head to taste her breast.

In answer she moaned and raised her hips to meet his.

He took that as an invitation and reached down to slip his fingers into her warm, wet center. She took him in gratefully and moaned and moved in time with his thrusting.

“I need you inside me Rory,” she breathed into his ear.

The sound of her voice saying his name made him rock hard and he struggled to raise her hips to meet his so he could enter her. He wasn’t disappointed. She was warm and felt wonderfully tight around his throbbing member.

“Is this okay?” He said again.

He didn’t want to scare her off or make her feel like she had to do what she was doing to thank him for such an amazing evening. He felt himself falling in love with this amazing girl, and he didn’t want to give her a reason to leave him. He didn’t think he’d be able to bear it if Faith ever left him.

“This is amazing.”She said, “You’re amazing.”

She continued to move under him and he stroked her skin and kissed her until she erupted underneath him in a loud gush of warmth and moans that made his eyes roll back in his head with ecstasy. He came with her when she climaxed and as he spent himself inside of her he felt like he was being transported to another universe outside of himself. If someone would have asked him what his name was at that moment, he didn’t feel confident that he would have been able to answer correctly. The only thing he knew for sure was this woman underneath him.

“Faith,” he said her name again trying to convey every emotion and feeling he was having into the letters of her name.

She reached up and stroked his cheek feeling sated and sleepy and happy all at once.

“Thank you,” she said as she brushed her fingers lightly up and down his arm. “You made me feel like a princess.”

“You are a princess. You’re my princess. You’re my queen Faith.”

She just smiled up at him. “You don’t even know me and you still treat me like royalty. Why are you doing that? You could have any woman in the world. Why me?”

“You’re special,” he told her, almost shocked that she would ask him that question. “There’s no one else like you Faith. I want to make you understand and believe that. In fact, I want to spend my life making you see how amazing you are. If you’ll let me.”

Faith was starting to feel a shiver of discomfort creeping up her spine. She was fascinated by Rory and the sex had been amazing, but she wasn’t ready to start talking to this man about the rest of her life. It had been only yesterday that she’d told him she wasn’t ready for anything serious, for heavens sake. She hoped she wasn’t getting involved in anything that would be difficult to get out of.

The night had been so magical and amazing, she didn’t want to spoil it by trying to manage his expectations, and anyway he was probably just high on the moment. After all, the sex had been spectacular and all men said things they didn’t mean during sex. It was the way of the world.

“Shhhh…” she told him with her finger pressed against his gorgeous mouth. “Let’s just enjoy this without thinking about tomorrow or the next day okay?”

He frowned. Faith already sounded like she didn’t want to see him again. He started to feel a little panicked at the thought of losing touch with this girl. He knew there was no one else like her and the loss a relationship with her would be hard to handle. Just being around her the few times he’d seen her at work and the last two nights had made him feel like he hadn’t felt since high school. It made him feel like a normal guy again. Not Rory the movie star or Rory the cool guy, but just Rory. It was okay when he felt a little vulnerable around her. No one else let him forget for a moment that he wasn’t just a person, he was a ‘brand,’ but with Faith he felt like a human being and nothing else. He couldn’t let her go.

In answer he leaned over and kissed her mouth hard. He pulled her body to him and held her tightly.

He wouldn’t consider the fact that this might be the one woman he couldn’t have. He couldn’t think about that now.

“You got in late mom,” Liam said to her accusingly, eating his cereal at the table and watching her get a cup of coffee, bleary eyed.

“Um, yeah, it was a crazy evening. We went to New York! Can you believe it?”

She turned away from his all knowing eyes and busied herself adding cream and sugar to her java.

“What?” He exclaimed pushing his bowl away in surprise. “What do you mean you went to New York? How is that possible?”

“He had a plane! We went to dinner and the theater. We saw Wicked, but I’ll see it again with you if it comes to town.”

She tried not to think of the hurt Liam must be feeling. He’d wanted to see Wicked ever since he’d read the book the musical was based on.

“Yeah, whatever,” Liam answered her without looking at her. “I’ve got to get to school. A letter came for you yesterday, I forgot to give it to you. It’s from some college. Are you going to school now too?”

She’d forgotten about the application she’d sent in! Her whole life improvement plan, make herself into something that could help support her and Liam in a better life plan had slipped her mind with the excitement of Rory overshadowing everything else.

Just another reason not to get too involved with him she told herself. She didn’t want some strange man stepping between her and making a better life for her and her son. She needed to concentrate on herself right now. Just as she’d told him the other night when he’d crashed her family’s anniversary dinner.

“I don’t know honey,” she answered Liam thoughtfully. “I was thinking about going back to school and trying to get a better job. What do you think of that?”

“How are you going to have time to study if Mr. Wonderful is whisking you off to New York every other day,” he replied sullenly, still not looking at her.

“I don’t think this thing with Rory is going anywhere okay,” she assured him.

“Yeah, whatever, I don’t care” he said again, but this time he looked slightly more cheerful and even gave her a kiss on the cheek when he walked out the door to head to school.

She couldn’t mess this up. She knew Liam was feeling pretty fragile lately, ever since the attack he’d never really bounced back the same. She knew he felt guilty about indirectly starting the events in motion that led to his father’s murder, but she didn’t know for sure what to do about it.

Apparently, not seeing Rory was something she could do – even if Liam didn’t want to admit that it was bothering him to see her with another man. Sure, the time would come when she’d be in a relationship again, and Liam would have to deal with it, but that time was not now, she knew for sure. And she’d just have to explain that to Rory and her mother and anyone else who thought they knew what she should do with her life better than she did.