Into Thin Air Page 22

  Gale props his hands on his hips. “Ellie, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Neither do I,” says a woman standing by the door with a huge smile on her face. It must be his sister because she has the same blue eyes and black hair.

  “So Ellie is your name,” Sam interrupts. “Do you know how many times I’ve wanted to call you that?”

  I squeeze his hand. “My real name is Stella, but I only go by that at work. Please don’t ever call me Stella again.”

  “Ellie, this is my sister, Cass. She knows everything.” He waves her in.

  I shake Cass’s hand and giggle because she looks stunned. She suddenly hugs me.

  “I am so happy to meet you, Ellie,” she says. “I can’t find the words to express how crazy this is, but it’s truly awesome.”

  “Ellie, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” Gale interrupts. “Hell, no one did. But what I just saw and heard proves me wrong. I’m glad.” He looks back and forth between Sam and me, then a stupid grin like Christy’s forms on his face. “I’m floored at the moment. Now I feel like I’m the one who’s dreaming. You’ve just proven years of medical research wrong.”

  “Right?” Cass adds, then shakes both Gale and Christy’s hands. “It’s crazy.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s so romantic already,” Christy gushes with her hands clasped against her chest. “I promise I won’t tell anyone, whatever it is. My lips are sealed.”

  “It’s a long story.” Gale drapes his arm over her shoulder. “Let’s go for a drink and leave these two alone. They have a lot to talk about.” Gale leads her to the door, and we follow behind them.

  I’m going to go nuts if Gale and Christy don’t take Cass with them. I know it’s mean, but I can’t stand here much longer without pouncing on Sam. Please leave this apartment.

  “Want to come with us, Cass? I’d love to hear your side of the story, and we can get Christy caught up.”

  Thank you.

  Sam squeezes my hand. Cass glances at Sam, then ever so slightly angles her head toward the door. Sam pleads with his eyes.

  “Give us a couple of hours,” he says.

  “You can have more than a couple.” She winks at us.

  “Where are you staying?” Gale asks Cass.

  “The Edgewater Hotel,” Sam answers quickly. I bob on my toes because my excitement is going to kill me if they don’t get out of here.

  “Let’s get a drink there since it’s not too far from here,” Gale offers to Cass.

  “I know.” She gives Sam a dirty look. “I got quite the workout running here from the hotel.” We laugh.

  Sam and I walk to the door to let them out. Gale shakes Sam’s hand again. “Take care of her, or I’ll kick your ass.”

  I slap Gale in the gut.

  Sam chuckles. “It’s okay, Ellie. I deserve it.”

  “He does,” Cass agrees with a smirk.

  “I’ll see you soon at SU. Congratulations, by the way, and good luck with the new start.”

  Sam nods. “Thanks.”

  I hug Gale and mumble in his ear, “Get out of here.” He chuckles.

  Then I hug Christy. “Thanks again for the save today. I owe you both.”

  “It won’t be the last time,” Gale snickers. I want to laugh, but I know he’s probably right.

  I hug Cass. “I’ve heard so much about you. Thank you for giving us a little time together.”

  “No problem. I’ll be here for the next couple of days. We’ll have time to get to know each other then.” She waves and follows Gale and Christy down the stairs.

  Sam and I stand there until we hear the front entrance door close. As always, my body tingles from his stare. I glance at him and see the heat in his desperate, loving eyes. We wrap each other in our arms, and his powerful lips claim mine. He backs me up into my apartment.

  He slams the door shut with his foot. We kiss like we’re starving for each other. His hands roam my entire body as he skims my neck with his soft lips. My heart swells with love for him.

  “Ellie, I’m so sorry for everything. My team tried to prevent it. As soon as I saw it, I got here as fast as I could,” he says between heated breaths.

  “Stop talking and kiss me again. I want my lips swollen because you can’t get enough of me. My body has been aching for yours since I woke up in the hospital. We didn’t have enough time. I’d do anything to go back to our little nest without the real world interrupting us.”

  He nibbles on my lower lip. “Look who’s talking too much.” His thumb gently strokes across my cheek.

  “I want nothing more than to drag you to my bedroom, but I think we need to talk about all that’s happened. I’ve been going nuts since the hospital. I thought you died. Then there you were, standing right in front of me, but you weren’t mine. Do you know how hard that was, knowing you were with Jenny? Did you think of her in our dream?”

  “Never,” he emphasizes and pulls me to the couch. He tosses a pillow to the side and drops down. Then he pats his thighs for me to join him. My favorite place to sit. I’m not sure what good this’ll do, but I straddle him anyway. It only makes me want him more.

  “I promise you, she wasn’t a thought in my mind. It was like she never existed. It was you and me. The way I wanted it. When I woke up, I was screaming your name. Jenny was in the room at the time.”

  My brain goes into analysis mode, and I tap my chin. “So that’s why she asked me if people always called me Stella or if I had a nickname. She knew I was Ellie by the way we reacted when we saw each other.”

  “I’m so sorry for everything. I’m sure she’s the one who leaked that crap to the press.”

  “It could’ve been anyone.” I hold his chin. “Tell me the truth. Have you slept with her since you left the hospital?”

  “I love your jealous side.” He grabs my backside and pulls me closer. And what a delight the friction is. “I haven’t touched another woman, and I don’t want to.”

  “Sam, how do we digest all of this? It’s so much. This whole dream thing is remarkable but also unbelievable. How can one explosion trigger so many things down the line within weeks? There are so many what ifs. We aren’t at the resort anymore. I want to be with you without all this extra shit.”

  “This is life. As of today, I’m living here. You’re stuck with me now.”

  “I want to be stuck with you forever. As I said, always look forward, never back.”

  He engulfs me in his arms. “I’m so sorry that we went on that helicopter. I know you were scared. I should’ve never pushed you.”

  “Sam, listen to me. That was a dream. We’re alive, and we’re here together. It’s our second chance. I know if someone were listening to our conversation, they’d think we were completely insane. We don’t know what’s reality and not.”

  “This is reality. May I?” He tugs my hair out of my hairband. “I’ve missed your wild hair. You’re even more beautiful in real life.”

  I remove my glasses and put them on the table. “I’m tired of talking. Can you suggest something else we can do?” I skim my finger lightly along his chiseled jaw. “Mmm, I like the scruff.”

  His eyes turn midnight blue, gleaming with lust. “There’s only one thing I want to do. And it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I saw you again.” He cups the back of my neck and eases me forward. “Let’s forget everything around us. I want all of you right now, and not in a dream this time. Kiss me, Ellie.”

  Chapter 38

  Sam

  Her lips brush against mine, softly enough to cover my skin with goosebumps. Then her playful tongue follows, and I meet hers with mine. We devour each other for seconds, minutes? I don’t know, but I crave more.

  I tug her silk shirt over her head and watch her curls playfully bounce around her flushed cheeks and neck. My finger traces around her shoulder, searching for the heart-shaped freckle. “Here it is. I knew it was true.” I circle it gently.

  “No way!” She stretches her neck t
o see where it is. “I searched for it, but I couldn’t find it. And now you found it within seconds.” I tease her with my tongue from her freckle up to her collarbone. She tips her head back, offering herself to me. I trail kisses down her honey-soft chest. I can’t taste her enough. She sits up straight, then brings her hands to the front and unclips her lacy white bra. She relaxes her arms to the sides, pushing her swollen breasts forward. I ease the bra down her arms, and it falls away.

  I pull her toward me and capture one nipple, then the other with my mouth. “You taste exactly how I remember. Coconut and vanilla. Just like paradise.”

  She removes my T-shirt while her body tempts mine in a circular motion. She throws it behind her. Now we are skin to skin. The spark explodes between us. “Bedroom or here?”

  With a playful grin, she says, “Here. I want you just like this. For it to be real this time. I want to see your face.”

  We hop up and, in seconds, our clothes are flying through the air. She stands before me, strikingly naked. Just for me. I can’t help but smile.

  “You are such a turn-on. Show me what you want.”

  “I want your strong, warm hands to brand every inch of my body.” She guides her hands from beneath her breasts, traces her hips, and then stops between her legs. My body is hyperaware of the heat radiating off hers.

  She pushes me back onto the couch, surprising me with her confidence.

  “I like this feisty side of you.”

  “Only you seem to bring it out of me. I like me this way too.”

  I extend my arms out. “Then don’t make me wait.”

  She bends over and rests her hands on my thighs. “But first—” She nibbles on my lower lip. “I want to feel you inside me.”

  I tug her forward so she can straddle me again. Her hands squeeze my shoulders and slowly she slides down on me. Her eyelids flutter closed as we moan in unison. A vision I’ll never forget.

  I grip and move her the way she guides me. “Ellie, this is so intense. I can hardly breathe. Nothing’s better than us. We’re meant to be together,” I mumble between heated breaths. “There’ll never be anyone else. I love you.”

  “Oh, Sam, this is what love feels like.”

  Our mouths join in passion as we both know we’re getting close. She tightens around me and brings us both to our peak.

  Moments later, we collapse on the couch with heaving chests and glistening bodies.

  ∞

  I trace the infinity symbol on her bare shoulder, over and over again. “What time do you think it is?” I ask, curling my body around hers.

  Eventually, we made our way to her bed. Our clothes are still scattered in the living room. I’ve texted Cass that I’ll meet her in the morning for breakfast before we go to the apartment.

  Ellie squeezes my arm around her waist. “I don’t know. Probably midnight,” she mumbles, trying to stifle a yawn. “I don’t want to fall asleep because I’m afraid this is all a dream again.”

  “I know what you mean, but we both know we’re not dreaming anymore. Try not to think about it.”

  “I’ll try,” she murmurs.

  “I’m thirsty. Do you want something to drink?”

  “I’ll get it,” she says. Then tosses the sheet off her satiated body.

  I flip it back over her. “You stay here. I’ll get it. Tell me what you want.”

  “That’s so sweet. Just water, please.” I kiss her shoulder and leave the room.

  If I remember, I threw my jeans by the window. I find them in a ball and shake them out. My phone is on the coffee table. I’m not going to check my messages. If there’s another disaster to deal with, it will have to wait until morning. I pull on my jeans and head to the kitchen.

  The refrigerator is pretty empty. I burst out laughing when I see a pitcher of lemonade.

  “Hey, what’s so funny?” Ellie wraps her arms around my waist from the back.

  “You made lemonade? Can I try it?” I glance over my shoulder at her.

  “Sure, but it’s nothing like yours.”

  “Want some?” I place the pitcher on the counter.

  “Nah. I’ve had enough the last couple of days. I’ll stick to water.” She takes two glasses out of the cabinet.

  I pour myself a glass. “You should be in bed. I wanted to bring you your drink.”

  “And I wanted to see your naked chest again. I missed your sexy body.” She nuzzles into me.

  “And look at you with just a T-shirt on. I think I was good and naked for the last couple of hours.”

  “Yes, you sure were, and I loved every second of it.” She nips my shoulder. “Sit down. I want to show you a couple of things. I’ll be right back.”

  A few seconds later, she comes into the kitchen wrapped in a fleecy white robe, carrying a little bag full of stuff. “Close your eyes and no peeking.”

  I shut them tight and hear the rustling sound of a plastic bag. She rests something fuzzy into my hands. “Okay. Open your eyes.”

  “No way.” I flip it over. “The turtle from your dad.” It’s worn in some places, showing its age. I place it on the table.

  “Here’s the next thing.” She hands me the cross she carries with her.

  “It’s amazing—this is real too.” I take it out of her hand and dangle it in front of me. An ache invades my chest. I close my eyes, and guilt flushes my veins when I think about the crash again.

  “What’s the pained face for?”

  “I know it didn’t really happen, but that helicopter ride was my fault. You didn’t have this with you.” My hand hurts from squeezing it so hard. “I don’t think I’ll ever want to fly a helicopter again.”

  She scoots her chair closer to mine and hugs me. “Sam, it was terrifying, but we survived. That’s what woke me up.”

  “That’s when I woke up too. Right around the time I saw your face and the sheer terror that morphed it.”

  “You disappeared and I kept yelling your name. Gale said I woke up frantic, screaming it out.” She takes the cross back and lays it on the table. “This should be made into a movie. No one would believe us even if we tried to prove it.”

  “I guess Gale and Cass do now. Cass loves to analyze dreams. I can’t wait to hear what she has to say when I see her in the morning. She acted just like Gale, trying to convince me it didn’t happen.”

  Ellie removes something else from the bag. “Here’s the other thing I wanted to show you. This is what started it all.” Her smile is contagious.

  In her hand is a wrinkled, taped-up booklet. I take it from her and flip through the pages. My head shoots up.

  “This is the brochure you showed me at the airport. I can’t believe you still have it.”

  “It was protected in my suitcase, but I ripped it in half when I came home after the hospital. I was a bitter mess. But I didn’t have the heart to throw it away.”

  I kiss her sweet lips for the millionth time.

  She taps a page. “Look at the pictures. You can see where all the details came from.” She points to the parrot. “There’s our Petie and our baby turtles.”

  The resort is the same but also different. That the brain can consume so much detail in just a few seconds of seeing something is amazing in itself. We spend a few minutes pointing out the similarities.

  I finish the rest of my lemonade. “This resort is in the Cayman Islands. We’ll have to go there some day.”

  “Maybe. But don’t make me think about flying anymore tonight.” She shivers and then rises from her chair. She grabs my hand and guides me back to her bedroom. “I wish it were Friday night so we could sleep in. You have to move in tomorrow, and I have to go to my job from hell. I’ll probably be interrogated a hundred times.”

  She drapes her robe over a chair and I take my jeans off. We slide back into bed. “What’s going on with your job?”

  She fluffs a couple of pillows and wraps her arms around one to face me. “Stephanie is the main reason I wanted to be alone in my dream. She threaten
s me and overworks all the associates. She doesn’t scare me, though.” Her face disappears in the pillow.

  I stroke her back. “Ellie, look at me please. We need to talk about what will happen tomorrow. I don’t know if the press will be waiting for you at work again, or even here, or if anything else will be on the internet. I turned off my phone so we wouldn’t be interrupted.”

  “Mine’s off too. Today I walked to work. Tomorrow, I’ll drive and use the parking garage from now on. Why is your sex life such a big deal? Why do people care who you date?”

  “The paparazzi wouldn’t have jobs if this stuff didn’t fascinate people. I usually ignore the gossip. This time I care. I don’t want the press attacking you simply because you’re with me. They can attack me all they want.”

  She props up on her elbows. “Should we make a statement that we’re together and leave it at that? Instead of people making accusations about us being together, let’s give them the information they want. We’re together, period. They don’t need any details. I don’t want anyone to know about our dream. Let’s keep that between us. Who else knows from your side other than Cass?”

  “I’m sure Cass told her husband, JT. But he’s cool. I wouldn’t worry about him. I never told Jackson or Diana.”

  “Let’s keep it that way. I don’t want anyone ruining that part of us. It’s too special to me.”

  “And to me. Let me talk to Diana tomorrow. She’ll tell me if it’s a good idea to release something. Maybe we should emphasize that you’re called the Tiger Lady in your office and they’d best not mess with you.”

  “Ha! I like that. There are defamation and slander laws. Those might come in handy.”

  “Not that I know what Tiger Lady means. You’ll have to fill me in but not now. We have more important things to do.” My arm wraps around her slender waist and I pull her flat against my needy body.

  Chapter 39

  Ellie

  For the rest of the night, we laid in bed and talked about everything and anything. We reminisced about the resort and what we remember the most about it. There are some differences between what’s real and not, but we are the same people who were pushed into love by an explosion.