Tally jogged up the steps onto the plane. When she got inside, she glanced over her shoulder at Cash. “You’re not taking me somewhere in Europe, then?”

He tilted his head. “What makes you say that?”

“Because this is your other plane. When you whisked me off to Paris, you told me you have a plane for short-haul trips and another, larger one for longer journeys.”

“Bloody journalists,” Cash said. “Never forget a thing.”

Tally tossed her handbag onto a nearby chair and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I also remember you telling me this plane had a bedroom.” She shimmied against him, and he laughed.

“You’re correct. It does. Which is just as well. I’m sure you’ll get tired during the flight.”

A giggle erupted from her mouth. “Sleep is for wimps.”

Cash smiled down at her. “Buckle up,” he said, nodding at the chair where she’d thrown her bag. “We’ll be taking off soon.”

Tally did as he asked, and minutes later, they were airborne. Cash released his murderous grip on her hand as soon as the plane levelled out.

“Still no better, ace?” she asked as he flexed his fingers.

“Doubt it ever will be, but having you here with me makes it a whole lot more bearable.”

“How long is the flight?”

Cash raised an eyebrow. “Is that the best you’ve got?”

Tally scowled. He was making fun of her. “I hardly think asking for the time is giving anything away. It’s not like I’m insisting on longitude and latitude.”

“It’s thirteen hours. Does that temper your curiosity?”

“No,” she said with a pronounced pout, which made Cash even more amused. “That’s a long way.”

“Here,” he said, tossing her Kindle across the table. “Perhaps that will keep you occupied.”

“The bedroom will keep me occupied,” she muttered, drawing a huff of laughter from Cash.

He unfastened his seatbelt and wandered to the back of the plane. When he returned, he was holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses in one hand. He took her Kindle from her.

“What are you doing?” she said, not that she’d been reading anyway.

“Hopefully, providing better entertainment,” he said, helping her to her feet. He knitted their fingers together and led her into the bedroom.

The room was decked out in soft cream accents with oak cabinets sitting at either side of a proper double bed. Tally ran her hand over the satin quilt cover and glanced around at Cash as he closed the door behind them.

“Impressive,” she said with a smile.

He set the champagne and glasses down beside the bed and slipped his hands around her waist. He tugged her forwards, his head bending to nuzzle her neck. After a few moments, he stepped backwards and folded his arms across his chest. “Take off your clothes. Slowly.”

Tally’s stomach clenched, and her pulse jolted. Cash had that look, the one that made her knees tremble and her brain forget her own name. She unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her legs, kicking them to one side. Lifting her T-shirt over her head, she stood in front of him in only her pale-pink underwear, a set she’d purchased a few weeks earlier. The set was delicate and racy, and she felt sexy wearing it, particularly when Cash studied her the way he was right at that moment.

She reached around her back to unhook her bra.

“Stop.” He crooked his finger, indicating for her to move closer. She obeyed, taking two steps towards him. Cash traced the top of the lace bra with his finger before slipping his hands inside it. He cupped her breasts. The material bunched underneath, making her boobs sit proud, the way she’d love them to without a bra. She was too large for that to happen naturally. Gravity won out every time.

She exhaled on a shudder as Cash brushed a thumb over the tip of her erect nipple. Tally threw her head back, her mouth falling open as her stomach contracted. Cash stood back to examine his handiwork.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, his gaze burning hot as he stared at her breasts. He saw her as no one else ever had. “Lie down on the bed.”

She did as he commanded. Her heartbeat shot into overdrive as Cash hovered over her. He was still fully dressed, although Tally could make out his erection straining against his jeans. She reached out, her fingers urgent as she unfastened the buttons. Cash moved her hands, yanked open the remaining buttons, and kicked his jeans off.

“Desperate much, ace?” she said, a broad grin finding its way across her face.

He shrugged off his T-shirt and threw it on top of his jeans. “You have no idea.”

Caging her with his body, he bent his head and sucked a hard nipple into his mouth. Tally arched her back, a soft whimper escaping her lips. He cupped the back of her knees and tugged her until her backside was on the edge of the bed.

“What are you going to do?” she asked as she began to pant with excitement.

Cash leaned in close, his warm breath tickling her face. “Fuck you senseless,” he whispered, his expression intense as he gazed down at her.

He slipped his hands underneath the lace of her knickers and tugged them off her legs, and they joined his pile of clothes. There was something so sexy about the sight of her knickers on top of his stuff.

He pressed his hands to the inside of her knees, easing them apart. His eyes widened, and a soft groan fell from his lips. “God, you’re wet,” he murmured as he knelt at the foot of the bed.

He moved between her legs and pressed the tip of his tongue against her clit. Her hands clenched at the satin covers.

“Jesus,” she muttered as a tremor ran through her. She raised her hips, and he cupped her backside, using the extra leverage to press closer, harder. The feelings he drew from her were too much, too intense, her pending climax arriving too quickly for her to control it.

Her orgasm hit fast, pulses of pleasure coursing through her as her toes curled and her back arched off the bed. She squeezed her eyes closed as Cash continued to lap at her and suck hard at the tight nub of nerves at the apex of her thighs, his attention such that her clit throbbed.

“Too much,” she muttered, barely aware he was crawling up her body until he pushed himself inside, a low groan sounding in his throat as he eased all the way in.

Her muscles involuntarily clenched around him. He placed her legs on top of his shoulders, and with his hands gripping the flesh of her bottom, he thrust hard. He’d said he would fuck her senseless, and he kept his promise.

He called out her name as an orgasm tore through him, and as he tilted his pelvis, she climaxed again.

“Jesus Christ.” Tally squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the aftershocks to subside. She wiped sweat from her brow and opened her eyes to find Cash gazing down at her. She giggled. “Never thought I’d be saying I’m a fully paid-up member of the mile-high club.”

* * *

The plane banked to the right, and the colour drained from Cash’s face.

“It’s okay,” Tally said, wrapping her hand around his clenched fist. She brushed her thumb over his knuckles in what she hoped was reassurance. Five minutes later, the plane landed, and as the door opened, bright sunshine poured inside. Cash unclipped his seat belt. Whereas normally he’d relax the minute they were on the ground, today his shoulders remained tense, his back stiff and taut.

“Ready?” He held out his hand.

“I was ready hours ago,” Tally said, giving him a questioning look.

Cash ignored her. At the bottom of the steps, a man in a smart suit and a turban greeted them. He shook Cash’s hand and smiled warmly at Tally.

“Mr Gallagher, right on time. Welcome to the Maldives, sir.”

Maldives? Her excitement ratcheted up. She’d never been this far afield in her life.

Cash dealt with the formalities while Tally fanned herself with a folded-up piece of paper she’d found in her handbag. The oppressive humidity already made sweat drip between her shoulder blades.

“I need your help through the next part,” Cash said to her.

Tally frowned. “Why?”

He pointed, and Tally glanced in the direction he’d indicated. About a hundred feet away stood a helicopter, its blades slowly rotating and catching the light from the sun.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Her eyebrows shot up. “You’re going to get in that?”

“It’s the only way to get to where we’re going.” Cash swallowed hard, and his forehead beaded with sweat. His damp brow probably had more to do with mild panic setting in than with the oppressive heat. Now she understood why he hadn’t relaxed as the plane came in to land.

“You can sometimes take a boat,” he continued. “But the conditions aren’t right today. Believe me, if there was another option, I’d grab it.”

The next twenty minutes were amongst the longest of Tally’s life. Cash began muttering to himself the minute the helicopter left the ground. He held onto her hand so tightly she wouldn’t have been surprised to learn he’d broken a bone. But she did manage to glance out of the window as the helicopter began its descent. The island they were heading for was almost perfectly round, covered in dark-green trees and vegetation, and she spotted several golden sandy beaches with blue-green waves lapping at the shore. When the helicopter finally set down, Cash’s whole body sagged with relief.

“Where are we?” Tally said. “And don’t say the Maldives.”

“A private island. In the Maldives,” he added with a laugh. He climbed out and helped her down from the helicopter and into a waiting limousine. The car was cool inside, the air conditioning blasting out. She gazed out of the window as the car set off. They passed several beachfront villas, each one more spectacular than the last.

“When you say ‘private,’ what do you mean?”

“It’s privately owned. You can only stay here by special arrangement.”

“I hope the neighbours aren’t too nosy.”

“I’ve hired out the whole island.”

Tally gaped at him. “You’ve what? So it’s only us?”

He shrugged. “Plus a few staff.”

“Jesus, Cash.” She rubbed the space between her eyes. “That’s a bit extravagant, don’t you think?”

He squeezed her hand. “Maybe. But after the stress of the last couple of months, I want a few days on our own. No paps. No fans. No friends or family. Is that so bad?”

“Of course not,” she said as relief surged through her once more that they’d been able to put the Kinga debacle behind them.

“Come on,” he said as the car slowed to a stop. “Let’s go and see where we’re staying.”

Their villa sat atop a hill and looked to be the largest on the island. As Cash ushered her through the door, she stepped into a large open-plan living area, but her eyes skimmed past the luxurious surroundings. Forgetting her exhaustion, she crossed the room and flung open the doors on the far side.

“Oh, wow,” she murmured as she stepped outside and leaned against the wooden railings to take in the view. Far below, the Indian Ocean lapped the shore, the vibrant green waters giving way to deep blue the farther out she looked. She closed her eyes, tasting the ocean on the back of her tongue as she breathed deeply. She’d always loved being by the water, but this was something else entirely. Her own personal slice of paradise.

“Pretty incredible, huh?” Cash said, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Something of an understatement.”

“I did good?”

“You did fantastic, ace.” She yawned, and even though she wanted to stay up a little longer, jet lag was catching up with her. “Sorry,” she said, clamping a hand over her mouth.

“Let’s go to bed. We’ve got plenty of time to explore tomorrow.”

“More surprises.”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, backing up into the bedroom. “Starting right now.”

Tally giggled. They might be going to bed, but sleep wasn’t going to be the first thing on the agenda.