Chapter 33

Matt

She was pulling back - big time. Where I was the one trying with all my might to prove myself to her, the more I pushed, the farther she seemed to pull back. She was fine with sex, but talking about the relationship? No.

I brushed my fingers by my lips as I pulled up to the private hanger. She was supposed to pick me up that morning, but I was running a little behind and didn't want to put her in a frenzy because of it.

I needed a new tactic. Damon would know what to do.

After parking, I grabbed my bag and walked to the plane as anticipation danced in my stomach. No matter what happened between us, I was pretty sure she would forever have an impact on me. There hadn't been a time over the last two years of her working for my father at M&B that seeing her hadn't left me tingling, excited, scared.

I walked up the stairs and nodded at the flight attendant before turning my attention on Erica. Her hair was in a loose bun and her dress was business-like, but a little more casual than what she wore in the office. Long legs that went on for days and cream-colored heels that looked good on her. I could almost imagine her in nothing but her garter and the heels, laid across a bed, moaning for me.

"Morning." I smiled and moved to sit down beside her. "You sleep good?"

"Yeah." She turned to face me, her expression peaceful. "Really good."

"Awesome." I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "About last night-"

"No. I need to apologize. I don't care if Kent knows about us dating or not. It's probably best that he doesn't."

"Wait. We're dating now?" I snorted and reached over to squeeze her knee.

"Sounds better than fucking, right?" Her smile brightened up the inside of the plane.

"I actually like the sound of us fucking."

She chuckled and shook her head. "I don't know what we are, but I'm tired of thinking about it."

"All right, then I'll just keep working to steal your heart and your panties and you just relax and try to forgive me. Deal?"

"Yeah. Maybe." She smiled and turned her attention to the flight attendant. "Do you have coffee made?"

"Sure do. And for you, Mr. Bryant?"

"Mr. Bryant is my father, but yes, I'll take a cup too." I leaned back and let my eyes run along her legs as she looked out the window. "You look incredible today. So far beyond beautiful it hurts."

"You're just being sweet." She turned back to face me, her blue eyes filled with far too many questions.

One decision to leave and not call and I was back to square one. Why? Something in her past? I had to know.

"I am a sweet guy. You've tasted me. You should know." Just talking about it had me getting hard. She blushed. The softer side of her. I sighed internally like a love-sick fool. "Tell me about your love life in the past. Any one name repeated over and over in your little pink diary?"

"It's black, and you mean someone besides you?"

Score. At least I was in there.

"Why am I not surprised that it's black?" I laughed as she did too.

"I haven't dated many guys." She shrugged and fiddled with her dress. "And I haven't been with anyone seriously since college."

"Me either. The college part. I rarely date guys." I winked and reached out to take her hand as the flight attendant told us to hold off on the coffee as the flight was taking off.

"I was with my childhood sweetheart from sixth grade, when I started dating, to my senior year in college. Ten years." She turned her head to look back out the window. "Ten long, good years."

Bingo.

"And what happened?" I pulled her hand to my mouth and kissed her fingers. My body was tight with anxiety over this shit swirling between us and the fact that she hadn't stayed with me the night before, but I understood it. She was protecting herself. I could respect that, though the alpha inside of me still wanted to tear down all her walls and prove myself worthy.

"I don't know, honestly. One day he came in and said he didn't feel it anymore, which was funny, because I hadn't felt it for years." She shrugged. "After making the commitment to be with someone forever, you would expect it to last a lot longer than ten years. Guess I misunderstood what forever meant."

"Or you were with the wrong man." I reached over and touched the side of her face, wanting to apologize again, but knowing it was futile. She'd have to learn to trust me through my actions, not my words.

"Maybe so," she mumbled, her eyes moving around my face as if searching for something.

I moved over toward her and slid my hand deep into her hair, tightening my grip just a little as I leaned down and kissed her a few times. I brushed my nose by hers and breathed in deeply.

"I missed you last night, but I know why you didn't come home with me." I kissed her again. "I'll prove myself to you, Erica. I promise."

She touched the side of my face, drawing me down for another kiss. She was battling herself on whether to reject me, or keep me forever. The real forever. I could sense indecision all over her.

"I like that you're willing to try." She kissed me again, pressing her tongue against my lips as if knocking on the door. I opened up and groaned a little as her tongue slid by mine. So delicious and sweet. It wasn't going to take much and I'd have her in the back of the plane, worshiping her beautiful body and trying to heal her soul in any way she would let me.

The flight attendant cleared his throat. "Um... coffee?"

We jerked back and laughed. Maybe the worship could start later that night if I played my cards right.

My brother would be a great resource for how to play the game altogether. Maybe.