I uncross my legs and then cross them again in the opposite direction. Still uncomfortable, I shift in my seat. Plane seats aren’t exactly known for being luxurious, but I thought sitting in first class would be way better than coach. Guess I was wrong.
I sigh and flip through the magazine I brought on board with me, trying to take my mind off what lies in wait for me at the end.
A deep laugh rumbles next to me and I whip my head in that direction.
“Nervous?” Zach teases while he offers me one of the Oreos he’s eating.
I shoot him a look, which only causes his smile to grow wider. “No.”
He wraps his arm around me and tucks my shoulder under the crook of his arm. “You forget how well I can read that little body of yours, Kitten. You afraid of what your parents will say when you bring me home to meet them?”
“Of course not,” I fire back immediately.
I stare up at him as his green eyes search my face. His baseball cap is pulled down low on his forehead—his favorite public disguise since he’s best known for his crazy blonde and black Mohawk—framing his handsome face perfectly.
I sometimes hate that he knows me so well. The truth is I am nervous, but I’m not about to admit that to him. My parents are the most uptight, conservative people on the planet. They have no clue their little girl is about to bring home a bad-assed, tattooed rock star. I want them to get along, even though I know the chances of that happening are slim to none. I probably should’ve eased them into the idea instead of springing it on them like this, but there wasn’t any time. This trip isn’t exactly just a visit, it’s business too, and in my situation, father is the best person to ask for help.
“Attention all passengers, we will be landing in Houston shortly. Please bring your seats to an upright position and make sure your tray table is the upright, locked position…” The flight attendants instructions cause my heart to leap in my throat.
It won’t be long now.
My parents have no clue I’m coming, let alone bringing a guest with me. It was Zach’s idea to come here after the reality that I was now an unemployed new grad hit me. I cried for a solid week. It was like part of my soul had been torn away and my purpose had been yanked from me. Center Stage Marketing is a dream company to work for and I wasn’t ready to give it up.
Granted what I had done to Isaac was wrong, but it had nothing to do with my work performance. Zach tried to convince me he could help me find another job, I wouldn’t take him up on the offer though. I earned my degree on my own merit, and I want to find and keep a job the same way. The only sound thing that comes to mind is getting my old position back—via the legal route if I have to.
Zach takes my hand into his and I give his fingers a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for coming with me.”
He smiles and presses the back of my hand to his lips. “Where else would I be? You need me? I’m there. It’s you and me against the world now, right?”
I nod and stare up into his green eyes, taking in the fact again that this man truly belongs to me. “Absolutely.”
The plane touches down and I Zach and I exit rather quickly, pulling our bags along with us through the airport terminal. We finally make it to the rental car area of the airport and luckily the gray-haired woman waiting on us has no idea who Zach is. The woman processes us through in a hurry while looking up to eyeball his arms with a snarled lip every couple seconds.
She’s probably desperate to get rid of the tattooed hooligan at her counter.
Once we’re in the parking garage Zach clicks the car fob and the lights blink on a blue Ford Fusion. “That’s us.”
I grip the handle of my suitcase and roll it towards the car. “It shouldn’t take long to drive to my parent’s house. They live just outside the city.”
Zach pops the trunk and tosses his bag inside, following it with mine. “That’s good. After spending most of my time on the road, I like short trips. Being cooped up for long periods at a time sucks—it’s the one thing I hate about my job.”
I frown. “I’m going to hate that part, too. I can’t imagine being away from you so long.”
Tattooed arms reach out and wrap around my waist. I smile as Zach pulls me in tight against his hard body, and I squeeze him back as I lay my head on his chest. “I wish you would take the opportunity to come on the road with me while you’re between jobs. I would love to have you by my side.”
“Zach…”
“I know. I know. I’m being a selfish jerk. The idea of missing you after I just got you back drives me crazy.” He sighs. “I love you and I want to be with you every second that I can. Can you blame a guy for being obsessed with his beautiful, sexy, hell-raiser in the sack girlfriend?”
I giggle at how dream-like it is that he’s just as crazy about me as I am about him. “You’re ridiculous.”
A deep laugh rumbles in his chest. “Ridiculous, maybe…honest, damn straight. Come on. We better not keep those parents of yours waiting.”
I stiffen in his arms. “About that…I didn’t exactly tell them we were coming.”
I pull back and peek up at his face, afraid of the disappointment I’ll see there. His lips pull into a tight line as he stares down at me. “So they have no idea they’re about to meet me?”
I bite my bottom lip. “They don’t even know I’m dating anyone.”
This time I feel Zach’s back stiffen against my fingers. It’s tension I’ve created by not being honest with him about the situation.