Finding Forever(39)

“Can you hear me?” he asked, his voice right in her ears.

“Yes, but I have to confess that I’m a bit scared. I’ve never ridden in a helicopter before. I’ve heard they’re dangerous.”

The blades began to whirl deafeningly, and her stomach dropped as the copter began lifting in the air. Somehow she found her hand clasped in his, resting against his hard thigh.

“Ah, then I’m glad I’m with you as you take your virgin voyage,” he said with a gargantuan grin. ”We’re taking a circuitous route.”

She rolled her eyes at him, but their conversation ceased as they began flying over the beautiful lighted skyline along the harbor.

Her fear vanished as they soared over the Empire State building, and then the Brooklyn Bridge, the cars crawling across it, and then Ellis Island with the Statue of Liberty holding her flame high right next to it.

“This is incredible, Liam.”

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying yourself,” he said, tugging her against him. In her happiness, she allowed him to do it.

“Is that Central Park?” she asked as they looped back.

“Yes. It’s beautiful, isn’t it, especially at this time of year? All the Christmas lights make it so much more festive. Hold on now; we’re going to be landing soon.”

They began their descent a few moments later and Whitney was clutching Liam even more tightly as the copter touched down. They were far too close to another helicopter for her liking.

“Do they always land this close to each other?” she asked, taking her first deep breath of the whole ride when the rotor blades stopped turning.

“At this helipad, they do,” he told her. “But it’s a great place to land for where I want to take you for dinner.”

Then the door was opening and Liam was jumping out and then reaching up for her, his hands wrapping around her waist as he helped her from the chopper. Whitney lost her breath again when he pulled her against him.

“I need one kiss before we go any farther.”

She didn’t even try to fight it as Liam’s mouth connected with hers. She expected heat, passion, an ardent assault, but instead, he caressed her mouth softly before nipping her bottom lip and soothing it with his tongue.

This man could kiss — really kiss. He managed to make her knees grow weak and her core tighten all at once. He made her want the impossible.

Just when she was ready to grab ahold of him, he pulled back, heat in his eyes but a gentle smile on his lips. “Mmm,” he said, “that will satisfy me … for a little while.”

But not her!

Somehow she managed to avoid saying that out loud. Instead, she accepted the arm he was offering her and proceeded about twenty feet down a walkway to where a black stretch limo awaited them.

“You know, a regular car would do,” she told him. “I really don’t want to get used to all this fancy stuff. It will make going back to the real world a bit depressing.”

He ushered her into the warmth and the fine leather seats, and waited for the door to be shut before he responded.

“You deserve to be pampered. Every woman does. But if you’d rather I get a moped next time, I can accommodate you,” he said with a laugh.

“It might be a bit cold for a moped, Liam, but a nice sedan would do just fine.”

“But I wouldn’t get to sit behind this nice privacy glass, where all sorts of crazy things could be done.” He slid his hand up her thigh as he said that.

“Cocky, aren’t you?” she said, pushing his hand down.

“Always,” he told her, resting his fingers on her knee. She liked the touch enough to let it stay there. “Some people might say that I pack a lot of heat.”

Whitney wasn’t about to touch that remark with a ten-foot pole.

“Where are we off to now?” she asked, deciding to get off this track of conversation.

“We’re going to have a nice glass of wine as we drive to one of my favorite restaurants. I hope you’ll find the evening very romantic.”

Her last night on the town in New York had been nice enough, but far from romantic. No smoke, no fire. And as they drove along through the city, she was already making comparisons. And this night was markedly better. Dang it.

“And do you think this will get you a happy ending?” she asked boldly, going right back to where they’d been before she’d changed the subject.

“I don’t expect anything,” he said before grinning. “However, I wouldn’t say no if you decided to ravish me.”

Whitney could have gotten irritated with the man, but instead found herself laughing. If one thing could be said about him, it was most certainly that he was persistent. She couldn’t remember any man ever chasing her this hard.