“You can have these back,” I say, slipping off the rings and placing them in Dex’s palm. He looks surprisingly sad to see his fake marriage end in a fake divorce.

We’re in a private hanger at the airport the next morning, about to go home. Marv’s Bombardier Global 8000 jet is sitting behind me like a sleeping giant. As horrible as some of the moments were on this trip, I’m sad to see it end.

As low as the lows were, they were all worth it for the highs. Falling in love with Dex has raised me higher than that jet ever could.

“Okay,” Dex says sadly. He slips the rings into his pocket and sighs. “These rings are cursed by the ice queen anyway. I’ll give you real ones someday soon.”

My chest flutters at his words. “Would you really marry me?”

His face is intensely serious. “In an instant.”

I’m suddenly very aware of my own heartbeat. It’s pounding.

“Would you say yes?”

“I don’t know,” I say, teasing him. “You’ll have to ask me to find out.”

“Maybe I will,” he whispers as Marv and Kara enter the hangar.

Kara still looks pissed. I’m still here, which means that she didn’t win, which means that she’s throwing a temper tantrum, which means that I’m trying to hide my happy smile.

She storms past us without saying a word and marches up the stairs into the plane.

Marv walks over to us with a big smile on his face. He’s still thrilled about the hundred and twenty million dollars he made. Not bad for a weekend’s worth of work.

Dex warned me that by Wednesday he’ll be back to his usual sour self.

“Check your online banking,” he says to me with a grin.

My pulse is racing as I dig into my purse and pull out my phone. I thumb through my apps and sign into my bank while I hold my breath.

“Oh, my God,” I whisper, staring at the screen with disbelieving eyes. It has to be some sort of trick. There are way too many zeroes on there.

“How much you got in there?” Dex asks, leaning over my shoulder.

“Six hundred thousand and thirty-six dollars,” I say, still not blinking. The thirty-six dollars was all I had in there before. “Marv,” I say, feeling dizzy as I look up at him. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

He shrugs his shoulders as he smiles at me. “Don’t. You deserve it. I couldn’t have made the sale without you two.”

“Does that mean I have a surprise too?” Dex asks, pulling out his phone.

Marv bursts out laughing as Dex looks down at it with hopeful eyes. “Hell, no,” Marv says, chuckling. “We made a deal, and I never go back on a deal.”

Dex sighs as he shoves his phone back in his pocket. He steps beside me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “I have all that I need here.”

“Good,” Marv says, turning toward the entrance of the plane. “Because you’re not getting a cent from me! Now get this jet started. We have to get back home. I have a big deal in the works.”

“Please tell me it’s in Hawaii,” Dex mutters.

“Close,” Marv says, turning back with a grin. “Tajikistan.”

“That’s not close at all!” Dex complains. “Wait,” he whispers to me. “Where’s Tajikistan?”

I have no idea. But I’m about to find out.

“It’s going to suck without you,” Dex says with a sigh.

I smile as I watch Marv climb into the plane. “Maybe I’ll tag along for one more trip before I leave for flight school.”

“Really?” he asks, looking thrilled.

“Depends,” I say, looking at him sideways. “Is there anything fun to do in Tajikistan, or are we going to be stuck in our room all week?”

“I think we’ll be stuck in our hotel room all week.”

“Perfect,” I say with a wide grin. “Then I’ll definitely go.”

We head to the plane and I stop Dex before he walks up the stairs. There’s something I don’t feel right about.

“I want to split the money with you.”

“No way in hell.”

“You earned it too,” I argue. He did do half the work, and he was the one who finally got Prince Kalib to finalize the sale. “I want you to have half. You deserve a fortune too.”

He looks me up and down with the most content look that I’ve ever seen on his face. “I have a fortune, Riley. A priceless fortune.”

My cheeks heat up as my heart skips a beat. I feel the same way.

“I’ll tell you what,” he says, cupping my cheek as he steps in close. “Normally I would never agree to this, but you can buy dinner on our first official date.”

I nod as he leans in and gives me a soft kiss on the lips.

“You got yourself a deal,” I say, licking his delicious taste off my lips when he pulls away.

“Good,” he says, taking my hand and walking me up the stairs into the plane. “Better bring it all because I’m going all out. I’m talking appetizers, steak, wine, dessert, and enough breadsticks to make you sick.”

“As long as you don’t get too full,” I say with a raised eyebrow. “I want you nice and agile afterward.”

He turns to me with a furrowed brow. “Putting out on the first date?” he asks with a smirk. “I didn’t expect you to be the type.”

“Is that going to be a problem for you?”

He laughs. “As you long as you still respect me in the morning.”

“We’ll see,” I tease, laughing as we walk into the plane.

He gives me a kiss and grabs my ass before heading into the cockpit. I linger by the door and watch him as he sits down in the captain’s chair and puts his hat on. He looks so damn hot in his pilot uniform as he takes command of the plane. I could watch him all day.

I reluctantly pry my eyes off of him and walk to the galley to prepare everything for take-off. About twenty minutes later, we’re in the sky and flying back to LA.

I bring Marv his glass of scotch, purposely ignoring every nasty call that Kara throws my way, and then grab two champagne flutes that I fill with ginger ale.

Dex would rather have a beer, and although I’ve chilled out a lot on this trip, I’m still not about to give a pilot a beer while he’s at work, especially if I’m in the plane.

“Thirsty?” I ask as I sneak into the cockpit. I place the two glasses on the middle console and slip into the co-pilot’s chair.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Dex asks, looking at me with a smirk. “That seat is reserved for a licensed, qualified pilot. FAA regulations.”

“Yeah, well, someone has to keep an eye on you,” I say, flicking off the switch for the seatbelt light that he missed.

“Hey,” he says, jerking his head over. “I kept that on for a reason. I don’t want Kara or Marv coming up here to bother me.”

“Great idea,” I say, flicking it back on. “What about me? Can I bother you?”

He chuckles as he looks out the windshield at the floating clouds. “You can always bother me.”

“You might not say that when I retire this ridiculously tight stewardess uniform and become a pilot. You’ll be the one getting the drinks for me soon.”

“Don’t count on it,” he says with a playful grin.

“I’m counting.”

“And that stewardess uniform is way too hot to be retired,” he says, looking down at my legs. The short skirt is hiked up high on my thighs. This time I don’t mind him looking. “You may not have to wear it to work, but we’ll definitely make use of that in the bedroom.”

“I can’t wait,” I say, getting wet just thinking about it.

“Then don’t,” he says, breathing heavily as he turns to me. “Come on over and help your sexy pilot out with his joystick.”

I’m really tempted, but I’m not that wild and reckless. Yet.

Something tells me that Dex will get me there eventually.

“Remember,” he growls. “My cockpit. My rules.”

The clanking of approaching stiletto heels echoes from down the hall.

“Where the hell is my champagne?” Kara shouts. She’s snarling in the entrance to the cockpit. Her eyes are pure evil as she glares at me.

She sees our two glasses of champagne and snatches them off of the middle console. “The champagne is for us royals,” she snaps. “You’re the help. You drink water.”

Dex grins at me. “Do you want to do the honors, or shall I?”

“Let’s do it together,” I say, grabbing hold of the yoke in front of me.

We both smile as we yank the yokes back, jerking the plane up toward outer space.

Kara screams as she flies back, doing a backward somersault as the two champagne flutes full of ginger ale spill all over her.

We’re both laughing as we straighten the plane back up.

“Oops,” I say, stifling my laugh as I look back at her. She’s on her ass with her back against the wall, looking wide-eyed as sticky soda pours down her face. She’s soaked.

“Didn’t you see that the seatbelt sign is on?” I ask cheerily. She rushes forward, but I quickly grab the door handle and slam the door in her face.

She kicks, screams, scratches, and claws the locked door while I sit back and put my feet up on the window.

“I like this new Riley,” Dex says, nodding in approval.

“What can I say?” I ask, grinning as I put my hands behind my head. “You taught me to embrace my inner bad girl.”

He reaches his hand out to me and I hold it, smiling at him. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now.

I’m in love with Dex.

I’m not fighting it anymore. I’m embracing it.

He has my heart, and instead of fighting for it back, I’m letting him keep it.

It’s in his hands, right where it belongs.

“Is this what a happily ever after feels like?” Dex asks, smiling at me. He looks so happy and at peace. “Flying off into the horizon with the sun at our backs?”

“Straight out of a fairy tale,” I say, squeezing his hand. “An X-rated fairy tale.”

It was a joke, but it feels like the truth. I wouldn’t trade places with any of the Disney princesses, and none of the princes have shit on Dex.

He smiles and then his face turns serious. “I’m really happy that I met you, Riley.”

My cheeks flush as warmth radiates through my body.

“You’ve been my co-worker, my fake wife, my friend, my girlfriend, and I have loved you in each. You’re the one for me, Riley. I know it through and through.”

I still haven’t said that I love him. Not because I don’t feel it-I feel it radiating in every cell of my body-but because it wasn’t the safe thing to do.

Fuck being safe. Fuck being cautious.

It’s time for a little adventure.

“I love you too, Dex,” I say, locking eyes on his baby blues.

“Yes,” he says, squeezing his hand into a fist. “Does this mean I won?”

I laugh as I shake my head at him. “I think we both won.”

He smiles and looks ahead. “I think you’re right.”