Chapter 1

 

Cherish

 

 

I’ve never been on a plane, let alone a luxury private jet. I’m more excited than nervous. Okay. Maybe I’m more nervous but I’m thrilled to be spending this time alone with my husband. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to calling Monty that – my husband, with his fine self…

Last night, we celebrated our marriage in an epic way. A small, intimate, backyard wedding celebration became a family reunion. It fills my heart that we were able to share this momentous occasion with family – blood relatives Monty didn’t know months ago – who are now an integral part of his life. Of our lives.

I’m also grateful for a second chance to start over with my mother. It meant the world to me that she was there last night. We put our differences aside and can finally be able to be mother and daughter again.

Family is truly a blessing.

It’s why I’m looking forward to having one with this man who’s climbing the stairs behind me, pinching and squeezing my butt with every step I take up to board this jet.

“Monty, if you don’t get yo’ hands off of my booty…”

“Who’s booty?” he asks.

“Mine!” I say laughing since I know what he’s implying.

He grins. “You’re funny.” He grabs a handful of my flesh and squeezes again. The pressure makes me stumble.

“Monty,” I say laughing.

“It’s your fault. You shouldn’t have worn these tight pants. You ought to have known what was going down.”

“I didn’t wear these intentionally. This wasn’t planned.”

“Sure it wasn’t…” he responds, steadily squeezing.

“Monty, you’re going to make me fall.”

“I’ll catch you, baby.”

“And who’s going to catch you?”

The stewardess is looking all weird, observing Monty’s booty-grabbing antics. She offers up a pinched smile. Her cheeks turn red.

All the while, Monty’s still grabbing me, squeezing my rear end like putty in his hands. He’s impossible sometimes. He doesn’t care who witnesses his affections. If he gets the urge to do anything to me (and the man’s urges are out of this world insane) he’s going to do it in a Janet Jackson, Any Time, Any Place kind of way. Heat spreads through me at the thought of it.

“Wow,” I say when I’m on the plane finally. I’m greeted by the pilot, the co-pilot and stewardess. She wears a silver name tag and a blue uniform. Looks so official. Her name is Inca. Inca with the slight British accent. The chick who saw Monty grabbing my booty.

“Hi, Inca,” Monty says. “How are you this morning?”

She looks surprised that he’s said anything at all. “I’m very well, Sir. I trust you are the same.”

“I am.”

“Oh, and congratulations to you two,” she says all cheery.

“Thank you,” Monty tells her.

“Thank you,” I say, beaming.

“I wish you many years of love and happiness.”

“That’s so sweet. Thank you,” I tell her. I like Inca already. She welcomes me to the foyer of the plane.

Yeah, this bad boy has a foyer…

Insane!

Everything is shiny and clean just the way Monty likes it. Looks like this jet has never been used, but I know it has. Monty has told me about his trips around the world to purchase vacation homes. He’s been traveling in luxury.

He takes my hand, gives me a welcome aboard French kiss right there in the foyer and then says, “Let me show you around,” like we’re in a house. The way this thing is laid out, it may as well be.

He leads me to the dining area that has a four-seater dinette. The table is glass, decorated with place settings and a vase of fresh red roses as a centerpiece.

The peanut-butter colored leather passenger seats swivel. At the press of a button, a table extends that could be used for laptops or books. The feature is probably more for business travel.

This is a pleasure trip.

Behind those seats is a living room area. A beige sofa sits opposite of a flat-screen TV. There’s a coffee table, too. Who knew you could have all the comforts of home on a plane?

I flop down on it to try it out. The sofa is so comfortable I don’t want to get up.

“Ah. Nice and comfy.”

“Come here, girl,” Monty says, tugging on my forearm. “Let me show you the rest.”

My eyebrows raise. “There’s more?”

“Of course.”

I stand, hold his hand as we continue across the carpeted floor. We pass another seating area and beyond that point, there’s a door that opens to a private room.

He dips his head to go in.

“A bedroom?” I say, my eyes widening.

“Yes. A private bedroom with a private bath and a two-person shower.”

This is mind-blowing for me. I’m sure it’s nothing for him, but I’m over the top impressed. There’s a full-size bed with a flat-screen mounted into the wall, opposite of the bed.

“This is so extravagant. My goodness, Monty. I may never want to travel on a passenger plane after this.”

“Good, because you’ll never have to.”

He locks lips with me in the bathroom’s doorway. His eyes are laden with desire when he frees me and says, “Let’s prepare for takeoff.”

“How long is the flight?” I ask as we leave the bedroom.

“About twenty-three hours.”

“That’s a long time.”

“It is, but with this kind of luxury, it’ll go by fast. We’ll have lunch and dinner served to us.”

“That’s wonderful,” I say. I look around again, taking in everything. I’m delightfully overwhelmed – the same way I am when Monty makes love to me.

His green gaze narrows. A half-smile pokes though that sexy beard he rocks. He smells like a slice of heaven. The natural oil from his skin blending with his cologne has my nostrils on the peak of climax. He’s wearing a very light blue, Tom Ford suit with a loosely buttoned white shirt beneath the suit jacket. There’s no tie. He’s rocking a pair of Givenchy loafers. No socks. I picked out his clothes for him this morning deciding it would be fitting for our flight.

“What?” I ask, looking for the cause of his amusement. I sit don’t and secure my seatbelt.

“You look amazed,” he says.

“I am amazed! I’ve never been on a private jet before, and this one has a freakin’ bedroom. A bedroom! Like, who has money to travel like this?”

He smirks as he buckles his seatbelt in the seat next to me. “You realize I’m a billionaire, don’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then why are you surprised, Cherry?”

“Because—well, it will take some getting used to. That’s all.”

“It will. I’m aware of that, but just know I’m going to show you the world. This is only the beginning, baby.”

We speed up on the runway and we’re off the ground.

I interlock my hands with Monty’s as we ascend into the directions of the clouds. I’m looking out of the window. This is as beautiful as my man’s face. This – him, us, we – this is perfection on an unprecedented level.

I’m in the clouds. High. High because of my husband, not the elevation.

Monty brings my hand to his mouth. Kisses it. I crumble and gasp a little at the feel of his beard brushing against the back of my hand. The simple gesture warms my body.

We’re at a cruising altitude now. We leave our seats and get cozy on the sofa.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asks me.

“Um…the better question is do you want to watch a movie since you don’t watch TV or listen to music?”

He withholds a smile, trying to play cool. He has a habit of doing this with me probably since he’s still not accustomed to being anything besides serious all the time.

“Why don’t you enjoy doing things like that, anyway?” I ask, throwing a leg over his leg.

He palms my thigh and says, “Have you ever heard the expression time is money?”

“Yes.”

“I never had time for leisure activities. I was busy making money.”

“But now you have time for them?”

“Yes, Cherish. And you. I’ll make time for you whenever. Wherever.”

“Then, yes, let’s watch a movie,” I tell him.

“Do you have a preference?”

“No. It doesn’t matter,” I tell him. And then I quietly admire this beautiful creation next to me – his distinctive nose, those lips embedded in a beautiful black beard, his captivating eyes. His smell…

Oh, gosh.

He operates the remote with his left hand. I slide my left leg behind him, the other is on his lap. I cross my legs at the ankle and squeeze him between my thighs before leaning into his chest, feeling clingy suddenly – overflowing with love and adoration. I close my eyes to relish in the feeling of having him all to myself. For the next two weeks, I get to be selfish. No Hawthorne Innovations. No family around. Just me and him.

I feel like…

Like…

I want him.

I can’t suppress the feverish urge that overtakes me at this moment and makes my body throb in a way it never has before. I thought I could wait until we got to our destination before the need for him gripped me, but I can’t.

I want him now.

I look at him while he’s scrolling through the TV listing of movies. He looks lost. These movies don’t interest him because he has no idea what none of them are about.

During his time scrolling, he must’ve asked me if I had a preference because he connects his gaze to my stare. He asks, “Is something wrong?”

I swallow the knot in my throat as I stare back at him. My mind is filled with lusty thoughts. It doesn’t help that his dreamy eyes cast a spell on me and makes my already tingling body pulsate with desire. Is something wrong? Yeah, something’s wrong. He’s not inside of me and that’s a problem.