Landing the Air Marshal (Snowpocalypse) (13 page)

He wrapped a protective arm around her, even though he couldn’t shield her from this kind of pain. She leaned against him, and words poured out, about a fire, and how her dad had gotten both her and her sister Ella out of the house but a piece of ceiling had fallen down on him when he went to save their dog. They’d lost everything in that fire. The only reason she had the earrings was because she’d worn them to bed that night. She hadn’t taken them off since.

And now a lump was in Gage’s throat. He’d give anything to take the brunt of her pain. To take the sadness out of her eyes. “I wish there was some way we could get it back. I can put a call in to the airline to see if they have it in lost and found.” Maybe the first class flight attendants picked it up. There was always a chance.

She let out a heavy sigh. “It’s okay. I’ll find something to replace it.” She unhooked his arm from her waist and gave a sad smile. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

He nodded, not sure what to say except, “I need to go make a call. I’ll be out in the hall if you need me.” He figured he’d give her a few minutes to get her thoughts together. It always took him a little bit whenever he thought about his buddies from his tour in Iraq. At least he had his family to fall back on when he was feeling shitty. From what she said, she didn’t seem like she really had a good support system in California. Maybe, just maybe, he could stack his schedule to fly out to the West Coast to check up on her once in a while…

Stop thinking like that, asshole.
Had it really been so long since he’d been with someone that he was starting to get clingy? Hell no. He would be completely unaffected when he had to leave tomorrow. Even if he wished this weekend would never end.

Chapter Twelve

Gage closed the door behind him and continued into the hallway to call his family. He was on a goddamn mission to tell his mom that he was no longer participating in her blind date hijinks. If he learned anything from this weekend, it was that he was meeting all the wrong girls. All except for Abby.

His gut clenched at the thought of her family being ripped apart when she was so young, something he’d never even begin to understand.

Scrubbing his hands over his face, he tried to shake off the melancholy feeling that trickled in, souring the good mood. When he finished his call, he’d find some way to cheer her up. He didn’t really have much to offer besides his arms to wrap around her. She needed more than just the physical, though, and he wanted so badly to give it to her.

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking like that. At least he had one more night with her. One more night to chill on the couch with her—something he hadn’t done since he’d actually considered having girlfriends.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he reached the elevator, and frowned at the five missed calls he’d received since they’d been back at the penthouse, two from Jill and three from his mom. What the hell? He dialed his voicemail and put his phone to his ear.

“Gage, I’m sure Mama is going to talk your ear off, so I hope I’m not too late. Vanessa is pregnant. Wanted you to hear it from me before you got the third degree about baby making and all that shit.”

His phone dropped to his side, and he stared at his reflection in the mirror in the hallway. What. The. Fuck. Vanessa was pregnant?

Wow. Vanessa. The person he’d shared his bed with for five years. Having a fucking baby.

He was truly happy for her. His feelings for her were long gone, with the help of time and a string of other women in her wake. But look at her now. She was starting a family. It could have been him. If he hadn’t chosen his job over her. It could have been their baby. Instead, it was his best friend’s kid. With the person he was supposed to marry. He was suddenly feeling like this whole bachelor life was for the birds. He was thirty-fucking-two. Everyone around him was having kids. And what was he doing? He was too busy working to even attempt a relationship. Hell, a two-night stand was a stretch.

He pulled the phone back up to his ear and listened to the next couple messages. Just as Jill had promised, it was his mother, laying on the guilt about not producing a grandchild for her yet. He rolled his eyes.

He could practically hear the desperation in her voice. She wanted more grandbabies. But, fuck, a kid? Gage didn’t even have time for a puppy. He didn’t even have time for a dating life. His work needed to settle down before he could even
think
about that. And yet, deep down, he knew he wanted one someday.

He made his way farther down the hallway, took a seat in the sitting area, and called his mom. She picked up on the third ring. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite son.”

“I’m your only son.” He smiled tightly. Even if he was still in shock about the news about Vanessa, his mom could always tease out a smile from him.

He peered outside, and it seemed like the snow had stopped. There was a fighting chance all flights would be on time tomorrow.

“That doesn’t mean you have to be my favorite. Did you get my voicemail?”

“I got all three. And your texts.”

A heavy sigh huffed in his ear. She didn’t bother to hide her disappointment that the baby wasn’t his. “I was thinking if we did two dinners a week, you have a better chance at meeting someone. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”

“Mom. We’ve been over this. I appreciate the offer, but I’d like to find my own woman. On my own time.” Even as he said it, he wondered
what time?
He’d found a woman he was interested in, but again his job got in the way. Not to mention distance.

“So you’ll meet someone in an airport,” she deadpanned. “You know how I feel about those flight attendants.” She went on to tell him every opinion that she’d ever formed about that profession.

He really didn’t need this right now. Not when the news had thrown him off his game. He decided to go the coward’s route. He made a static noise and then said, “I—hu—I think you’re breaking up. Mom? Mom?” And then he turned his phone off, just to make sure he wouldn’t have to deal with that for the rest of the night.

Right. That was real mature. He knocked his head against the high-backed chair and tried to focus on something else. Anything else. But all he could think about was people his age were settling down and creating families.

Enough of the fucking wallowing. He’d get back to Abby and enjoy the remainder of the night. Hell, he’d give her the best night ever, because that was one thing he could ensure.

With the power back on in the building, and the elevators now working, he decided to take a trip to the twenty-four-hour coffee shop downstairs. The doorman had raved about the scones their first night. Abby looked like the type that would like one of those. Hell, if he knew of a sushi place nearby he’d get her some of that raw fish shit, too, just to cheer her up.

He pushed off the chair and made his way down to the lower level. The warm smell of cinnamon and coffee wafted out of the shop as he opened the doors. A pretty blonde barista smiled up at him with glossed ruby-red lips as he walked up to the register.

“What can I get ya?” A hint of a southern accent tangled with her words.

“Two lattes and two pumpkin scones.”

“Great night for something to warm you up.” She lifted a suggestive brow.

Normally he was all over flirting with hot women, but she did nothing for him. No, he wasn’t even remotely interested in the barista because all he could think about was getting back to the penthouse and back to Abby.

Shit. Had she ruined him for every other girl? What a ridiculous thought. Just because he had sex with her a handful of times did not mean that he had developed feelings. This would fade as soon as he boarded his flight tomorrow. Hopefully.

…

Abby’s breath caught as Gage breezed through the door thirty minutes later. He set down the cups and to-go bags on the hall table and unzipped his jacket. His shirt strained against his muscular chest, and Abby momentarily forgot that she was in this weird winter time vortex where she actually got to spend an entire weekend with this man, and she’d just bared her soul to him.

It had taken a few minutes, and a pep talk in the mirror, but she was feeling much better. Back to the Abby who was ready to spend her last night with Gage. Then, come tomorrow, she’d return to the hustle and bustle of her job, holding on tightly to these precious memories.

She glanced down at the bag, the aroma of coffee and sweet spices filling the suite. “What did you bring me?” Even though they’d had hot chocolate less than an hour ago, she’d never turn down a hot beverage, especially coffee.

“A latte and a pumpkin scone.”

She groaned. Pumpkin was her favorite. When autumn and winter rolled around, she indulged in everything and anything with the vegetable. “This is perfect. How did you know I’d like this?”

“You just seemed like the type.”

“Are you profiling me?”

He smirked, this time it was a genuine one. “Maybe.”

“And what else does your profiling say about me?”

“That you probably are mentally making a list, as we speak, of things you need to do tomorrow.” He lifted another finger. “And that when you’re nervous, you cross and uncross your legs.” His middle finger lifted. “And that you have a hard time controlling yourself around men you find attractive.”

They started to make their way back to the bedroom. After all, it was well past eleven, and with the amount of
quality time
she’d spent with Gage today, the pedometer on her phone should read well over twenty thousand steps. She turned around and swatted him in the chest. “I do
not
have a hard time controlling myself around men.” She thought back to her reaction to him all weekend. “Just certain ones.”

“I rest my case.” A smug smile played at his lips, and he set his coffee on the nightstand and hopped onto the bed. He leaned on his pillow, folding his arms behind his head.

“Well, I can profile people, too, you know.”

“Can you? Did you do FBI training?”

“No, but I live in L.A.” Reading people was an important part of her job. Like knowing when her boss was about to blow a gasket. Or how that grimace in Jeremy’s face wasn’t actually constipation, but him contemplating his takeover of the company.

“Fair enough. Go ahead, sweetheart. Profile away.” He made a grand, sweeping gesture.

She tapped her fingers to her lips and feigned that she was in deep thought. Really, she thought she had this guy pegged. “You’re a family man at heart even if you play it off like you’re some lone wolf. You have a soft spot for women in need. And the thought of leaving tomorrow is driving you crazy.” She paused and took a sip of her latte. “How did I do?”

“Ever thought of joining the bureau?” But even as he said it, his gaze darkened, like something she’d said really hit hard. Maybe he was still missing his family.

He sat on the bed, and the way the track lighting arched around the line of his jaw, it was like he was a divine force. Maybe he was. He’d restored her faith this weekend, something she’d lost so long ago.

Abby hopped off the bed and unearthed her DSLR camera from her travel bag. It was just too good of a shot to pass up.

“What are you doing?”

“Stay right there. The lighting is perfect,” she said, snapping a picture. This would be for her. To remember the best two nights of her life.

He smiled and turned to her, giving his telltale dimpled grin, and heat unfurled in her stomach.

She glanced down at the screen of her camera, at the muscles of his arms bulging against the fabric of his shirt. She let out a ragged breath as she remembered the muscles in his forearms flexing together as he pumped into her. Where the hell would she find a man like this? Maybe she could put up a craigslist ad:

Seeking: Man with chiseled features, deep voice, that can fuck me into next Tuesday.

Um, yeah, she might get a bunch of weird messages if she put that. Let’s face it, this was it for her. At the age of twenty-five she was officially ruined.

Really, she needed to stop thinking of him as gone already. She still had tonight.

The tiniest of voices piped up in the back of her mind. What if it didn’t have to be just tonight? They both traveled a lot, why couldn’t they meet up at some point? Abby had thousands of airline miles stacked up—there was no reason they couldn’t cross paths again. That was, if he wanted to.

Did
she
want to? Yes, because not only was Gage sexy as hell, he was also fun. She enjoyed his company. The perfect travel companion. Maybe she’d suggest that to him tomorrow morning.

Chapter Thirteen

Abby absentmindedly ran her fingers along each notch of Gage’s abdomen as they lay in bed. She was teetering on the edge of sleep, almost in a dreamlike state. They’d resumed watching
Blazing Saddles,
and she’d seen this movie so many times that she could almost quote every line.

The airline app on her phone pinged, and she looked at the notification on the screen. “Looks like my flight is on time tomorrow,” she said. The implication of her statement said much more.
We only have a couple more hours together. This sucks ass. Who the hell can hook me up with Hermione’s Time Turner watch?

“Yeah, same with mine.” He frowned and thumbed his finger across the remote.

Right. Back to reality tomorrow. God, she was so pissed. She’d been completely cool with her lackluster sex life up until this point, and Gage had to go and ruin that. Okay,
pissed
and
ruin
weren’t the right words. But damn it all to hell if her sex life would go next to “buying bread” in her planner anymore. Time to be proactive. She wasn’t one to sit around and idly watch what she wanted fly by.

She rolled to her side to face Gage, her pink-painted toes wiggling against the cool, crisp sheets. “I was thinking. Maybe we could, you know, meet up every once in a while.” She paused and amended, “When we’re both traveling, that is.” That came out a lot cooler than she felt inside. Inside she was going
please say yes, for the sake of that elusive O that seems to appear anytime you’re within a ten-yard radius.

Screw the fact that they lived on the total opposite sides of the country. There were cell phones, Skype, and her unlimited airline miles. That had to count for something, right?

Okay, that came out a little clingy. This was one weekend. He made it clear. “I mean, it’s been fun. I’ve kind of decided I like fun. Maybe we could have more?” She shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe. We’ll see how it pans out.” He smiled momentarily and then focused back on the remote. Something was off. He wasn’t the same guy who she’d met on the plane. Hell, he wasn’t the same one as a few minutes ago. She had to hand it to him—that ranked a solid A for noncommittal answers.

“Yeah, cool.” But even as she said it, she knew something wasn’t right. It was in the way Gage was now closed off, his shoulders hunched, irritation in his eyes. Maybe she’d imagined all of these feelings this weekend. Maybe she’d been so deprived throughout the years that she was clinging to the first thing that felt right.

Things were so much easier when they were scheduled out in her planner. Somehow, though, she didn’t think she could pencil her feelings into the days of the week. It was official, she was starting to crack. All the pressure from her job finally got to her. Her fingers made their way up to her earlobes, to swipe across the familiar earrings, and she frowned when her one hand came up empty. Dammit, she needed to stop doing that.

The earring was long gone by now. At least she still had one—maybe she’d make it into a necklace, because she couldn’t bear not wearing it again.

Maybe this was the last of her luck. She’d had this incredible weekend—seen the most luxurious penthouse in her life and now everything would be downhill from here. Abby wasn’t normally a pessimist—a realist, yes—but this seemed like it was coming to an end. Things were too good, and that scared her.

…

Gage stared at the message on his phone and tried his best not to chuck it across the room. This phone was his second device, his government issued one, and the weight of it in his hand felt as if his life was tethered to it. This device had ruined so much. It ruined his engagement. It ruined his past dating life. It sure as hell wasn’t going to get any better any time soon.

Jake:
Need you to pull another shift. Security needs to be upped for possible situation.

He’d always loved his job. Always. Never regretted going from army to air marshal. But at this moment, he was willing to call it quits just for a fucking day off.

When Abby had suggested that they meet up from time to time, he had to admit, the woman had balls, or whatever the female equivalent was. She even looked him in the eye as she said it, but he could tell she was nervous by the fidgeting with her hands.

But everything was all wrong. The timing was wrong. She deserved someone who had time for her, not a guy who spent 90 percent of his life living and breathing work. It wasn’t fair to her. Better to make a clean break. It was easier that way, for her sake.

Another text rang through on his phone, and his fingers clutched the grooves in the edges as he read the next note from his commander saying that he wouldn’t be home until next Thursday. Emily would be heartbroken. His mother would be pissed for missing a dinner that she’d carefully planned like a game of Settlers of Katan.

Could he really do casual? Just hooking up on random weekends with Abby?

He thought about his ex with a baby on the way. Damn, he wanted that someday. Not with his ex, obviously, but with someone special. Someone like Abby. Even if he loved his work, was he making the right decision by making it his life?

This was too much damn introspection for one night.

“I need some air,” he said.

He carefully extracted her legs from his lap, pulled on a shirt, and then made his way outside to the basketball court. His lungs burned with the cold fire of chilly air the second he stepped out onto the expanse of the patio. Stupid, really, because it was in the teens temperature-wise, and he was only wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. But he needed time to think.

He wanted Abby, there was no doubt about it. But the distance. The completely different way of life. The prospect of having to fight for approval in his very set-in-their-ways Southern family. The odds were stacked against him. Against them. He didn’t even know if it was worth the trouble if he had to put his heart on the line with so many unknowns.

He shook his head and cussed under his breath, irritated with himself for getting
way
too philosophical. He’d known the woman for two days.
Two.
He shouldn’t feel this strongly for her. And yet, he did.

This intensity was just a side effect of being so close to her for a prolonged period. He was sure that it would dull as soon as he boarded the plane. He hoped. Because as much as he wanted this to work, it just wasn’t in the cards. He needed to leave in the morning and forget Abby Winters and her smile that knocked him on his ass. And her sassy L.A. attitude and ability to keep him on his toes. It all needed to be forgotten, for her sake. And his.