Something I couldn’t afford to feel.
Nope. Being Phillip’s fiancée would not be a good thing. Not with his temperament and not with his workaholic attitude.
No matter how wonderful it felt to be against this body.
“Mr. Chambers? Miss Elizabeth?”
“Yes, Miss Sebastian?” he asked.
“I wanted to let the two of you know that we will be landing soon. So, laptops up, electronics in airplane mode, and anything around you needs to be secured. Including your bodies in your seat belts.”
“Thank you for the warning,” I said.
“One last email and then I’m done,” Phillip said.
I shook my head as a grin crossed my cheeks. One last email: the three words that defined his character as a man. All work and no play. No wonder he could be such a dull man. I stole one last glance over at him as he hit the Enter button, then shut his laptop and slid it into the side of the seat before buckling himself in.
“Ready to get back to the world, Miss Elizabeth?”
His question filled me with an unprecedented sadness.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said.
The sharp descent into the private section of the airport rolled my stomach. I drew in a deep breath, attempting to keep all my emotions at bay. I was moments away from giving up my fake fiancée status and returning to the world of being a high-priced call girl. Not that slapping the word “high-priced” in front of it made it any less salacious or dirty, or any more tasteful than what it was. The wheels of the airplane hit the tarmac, and I felt my weeklong life melting away. I felt Madison tucking herself back into the darkened part of my soul no one would ever claim, and I felt Elizabeth reemerging, coming back to life to claim the measly existence she had to live as the plane slowly taxied on the runway.
“Home sweet home,” Phillip said.
I looked over at him and nodded as a tight grin crossed my cheeks.
“Looks like it might storm, though. Look,” he said.
I turned my eyes back out the window and saw the storm clouds rolling in the distance. I saw them visibly moving, inching closer to the airport. The plane came to a stop, and I heard cars pulling up that would undoubtedly take us our separate ways, never to see each other again. The sun wasn’t shining, and no one was laughing or giggling around us. Thunder rolled in the distance and lightning flashed, illuminating the horizon before sinking it back into darkness.
It was a dreary day in New York City, and it matched my mood perfectly.
Chapter 27
Phillip
I held my hand out for Elizabeth as she came down the stairs with her things. The stewardess had a couple of her bags, but she was adamant on carrying something herself. I shook my head and buried a grin as she took my hand. Such a peculiar woman. Wouldn’t take any other help than what was barely necessary to avoid insulting someone.
It was as if she’d grown up in my world but played by her own set of rules.
“It was an honor, Miss Elizabeth.”
I stroked my thumb against the top of her hand as she whipped her gaze up to me.
“The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Chambers.”
“Let me help you get your things to your car. It’s going to rain soon, and that beautiful french twist might not hold up to the assault of the raindrops.”
“I can get it. That’s not necessary.”
But I was already picking up her bags and taking them to the car I had ordered for her.
During the entire flight, I thought of her. I buried myself in my work to try and forget about her, but my tactic didn’t go as planned. I saw her every time she looked over at me. I clocked every movement she made, from brushing a wisp of hair away from her cheek to sliding her leg over her knee to cross them. Every movement, beautiful. Every second, more painful than the last.
I didn’t want to say goodbye to her. Even if I was nothing but a job.
I hit my hand on the trunk, and the driver popped it. I slid her things in before I reached for the bag in her hand, taking it despite her protest. I settled it gently on top of her luggage before I closed then trunk door, then turned to her as thunder rumbled overhead.
Lightning flashed in her eyes, illuminating that beautiful hazel gaze of hers.
“I already called ahead to your place of business. I spoke with a very lovely creature named Rhonda,” I said.