Her body trembled, and he wrapped both arms around her, squeezing tight until she stopped shaking. He ached to hold her close and keep her safe. He had to admit he’d never felt like this before. With Jill, he was constantly trying to pretend he didn’t have cystic fibrosis, or at least trying to hide the reality of it. But Laurie somehow approved of who he was—the real Finn, the man with CF and all that came with it. She hadn’t rejected him when she’d seen him at his weakest or treated him with kid gloves.
Yes, he loved her… no doubt about it. Wit and beauty. Integrity and compassion. A quick temper, but a soft heart. All wrapped up in a selfless soul with an appreciation for classical music. Who wouldn’t love her?
He loved her, but she mustn’t know. He’d hurt her deeply when he drove her away after their near-kiss. But it was for the best—she deserved a better life than he could offer. Right now, though, she was terrified, and he was to blame. So he would hold her for as long as it took to ease the panic… six hours straight, if he needed to.
He tucked her head under his chin, and she nestled against his chest. The stroke of his hand on her arm produced a contented sigh. He moved his mask down so he could bury his nose in her hair, luxuriating in the soft curly tresses with a fresh, citrus scent.
Yes… I’ll probably need to hold her the entire six hours. Tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.
Chapter 15
Laurie forced herself to swallow a bite of baked potato. She ought to be famished, after a morning without breakfast and a six-hour flight, during which she slept the majority of the way and only consumed small sips of sparkling water. But her stomach felt like it was still soaring through turbulence-filled air. Hopefully, her stomach would be settled by tomorrow morning.
“Admit it,” said Finn, as he piled butter and brown sugar on his baked sweet potato. “The flight wasn’t that bad, was it?”
“Can we change the subject, please? That whole experience was humiliating.” Especially the part where she woke up from her catatonic state practically draped all over him.
Yet, she’d stayed still as a mouse, pretending to be asleep. And for a good twenty minutes, she’d almost forgotten she was hurtling through the air in a tin can at five hundred miles an hour as she enjoyed the warmth of his chest against her face, his fingers tracing random patterns on her arm.
That’s when the turbulence started. She’d sat bolt upright, one hand gripping her armrest, the other with a death-lock on his leg. It was all she could do not to scream out loud.
“It’s only a little turbulence,” he’d said in a soothing voice, extracting her hand from his leg and offering his hand in exchange. “Just a few bumps in the road. Nothing to worry about.”
So she’d squeezed his hand for what seemed like hours while the plane bumped its way over boulders the size of Canada.
Yes, every bit of it had been humiliating, including the way her heart had broken, knowing his attentiveness wasn’t a sign of attraction. It was no more than he would’ve done for any friend.
Not taking the change-the-subject hint, Finn continued to press. “You did fine. Nothing to be ashamed of.”
This time she gave him a do-you-really-expect-me-to-believe-that glare that got him rolling with laughter.
“Okay.” He waved his hands in surrender. “I guess it might’ve been a little embarrassing. But look at it this way… they’re all strangers you’ll never see again.”
“Yes, but they know who you are. And now everyone knows you were on the plane with the freak-out queen.”
“I don’t care. To be honest, it’s all free publicity. And funny pictures probably get more traction on social media.”
“They took pictures of me with you?” Suddenly parched, she grabbed her water glass and gulped. “Like, when we were sitting together on the plane?”
“Didn’t you notice? That’s one of the reasons I usually uncover my face for those photo ops.” He flashed his Prince-Charming grin. “And I imagine there’ll be all kinds of speculation about who you are and whether we’re a thing.”
“They should stay out of your personal life,” she said, with growing dread.
“Not this generation—nothing is private. They put every personal moment up on social media. If we want to market to these young people, we have to be open. I’ll guarantee, if those pics are circulating already, our stock will shoot up on Monday.”
She drained the rest of her water, but her throat still felt dry. Surely her father wouldn’t see the pictures. He was too old to be on social media, wasn’t he?
“They couldn’t see my face in those pictures, right? Not well enough to identify me or anything?”
“Why? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me? Or embarrassed at your…” He chuckled. “Let’s call it your little episode.”
“What happened to your promise never to make fun of me for being afraid to fly?” She would’ve joined in the laughter if she hadn’t been so anxious about the photos.
“Did I say that?” He twisted his mouth to hold back a smirk. “I guess I have less willpower than I thought. You’re so fun to tease.”
He dove into his lunch while she fretted about the photos. No matter how she sliced it, after five years of anonymity, it seemed she was about to have a not-so-secret identity. Even if her father didn’t figure it out from the pictures with Finn, she would have to see him eventually. She couldn’t avoid him once her mother married him. It might be better to bite the bullet and give him a call tonight.
Her intestines immediately curled into a ball.