"You've changed my life too."
"I've never been in love before." He scoops my hand into his. "I know you loved Ansel."
There's no jealousy in his tone. He isn't saying it to pull up something from me that borders on regret. He's simply stating a fact that we both know to be true.
"That love wasn't like this." I pull his hands to my lips. I hold it there. "It was shallow. It didn't change me."
"Like this love?" He swallows hard. "Our love?"
"You make me want to know life's truths. You make me want to fulfill all my dreams. You make me see the best in myself. No one has made me feel those things."
"No one has ever gone to battle for me." He smiles as he rests his forehead against mine. "No one has ever tried to save me from drowning. I feel like I've been drowning since that day."
I cup my hands over his cheeks. "You're not drowning anymore. I will never let you drown."
"I love you." His tears fall roll off his cheeks and onto mine. "I love you so much."
I nod as I rub the moisture from his face. "I love you, Landon. I love you too."
Chapter 21
"How was the flight?"
"It was fine." Landon shakes the driver's hand. "There was some turbulence but we rode through it."
I actually rode him through it. When we'd boarded the Foster jet in New York, I knew that by the time we landed in California that Landon would have introduced me to the delights that can be found thirty thousand feet in the air.
He'd taken me to the back of the plane as soon as we were at cruising altitude. He locked the door of the small office before he slowly undressed me. We'd spent the next two hours, wrapped in each other's arms.
I feel closer to him now than I have ever before and it has little to do with the fact that I've just experienced some of the most intense physical pleasure of my life.
Landon is in California, with me, to watch as I take on the task of bringing the Liore pop-up shop to life. He's encouraged me every step of the way.
More importantly, he's eager to finally meet my father. We're meeting him for dinner after the event tonight. I teasingly asked him on the phone if Gianna would be joining us and he scoffed at the suggestion.
They're working on rekindling just the friendship part of their relationship, he'd told me. He wants her in his life but only as a friend.
"The outbound pilot would like a word with you." The driver that Gabriel sent to meet us gestures towards a counter where an older man is standing. "He assured me it wouldn’t take long."
"I need to go do that." Landon kisses me softly. "It's part of the job when you fly the Foster jet."
The driver chuckles as he watches Landon walk away. "You can take a seat if you'd like, Ms. Marlow."
The offer is welcome. I need to push myself into event planner mode before we arrive at the Liore boutique. I've been in constant contact with the people I've hired to help me pull off this event but I'm still fearful that something is going to go wrong.
I know that's just the expected nerves I'm likely always going to feel when I'm planning something of this magnitude. I have every confidence that the event will go off without a hitch. Once it's over, I'll be back in New York, planning the final details for the Corteck gala.
I skim my fingers across the screen of my smartphone. I open the app for my messages and read each one that has come in since I turned my phone back on after we landed. It's the usual barrage of messages from Lilly about the things that Haven has done since I spoke to her this morning. There's one from my mother asking if she can visit me the week after next. I stop to type out a quick reply telling her to book her ticket and that I can't wait to see her.
I scroll farther down and that's when I hear it. It's my name.
I look up.
I don't know him yet his face is familiar. He's a little over average height. His brown hair skims the top of the collar of his jacket. His eyes are a gorgeous shade of brown.
"Tess? Are you Tess Marlow?"
"Yes," I say as I look past him to where Landon is talking to the other pilot. "Do I know you?"
"My name is Asher." He reaches out his hand towards me. "Asher Foster."
"Your Gabriel's brother?"
He pushes his hands into the front pocket of his jeans. "Gabriel said you were coming to L.A. He told me you doing some work for Liore."
I rake my eyes over his frame. He's thinner than Gabriel. His shoulders may not be as wide but he's muscular. I can see the definition of his chest through the thin, grey sweater he's wearing.
"I've been working on an event." I tilt my head to the side to try and glance at Landon, but he's moved from where he was before.
"I'm heading out of town." He gestures towards the guitar case on the floor next to him. "I'm flying to Orlando."
I nod. "Have we met before?"
"No." He shakes his head. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm not sure how you know me," I try to laugh to lighten what I'm feeling. "I've heard a lot about you from your mother and brother but I don't think I could pick you out in the middle of a crowded airport."
He throws his head back with a chuckle. "I hear you. You can blame my mom for that. She showed me a few pictures of you."
"Gianna did?"
His eyes brighten at the mention of his mother's name. "She wanted me to see the face of the girl who helped launch my career. You helped connect me with my new record producer. You're old friends with Ansel Rinaldi, right?"
"Sure," I spit out without thinking. "I did give your mom Ansel's manager's number."
"It kicked my career into gear." He pushes the edge of his guitar case with his shoe. "That's why I'm headed to Orlando. I'm going to record a few of my original songs."
I smile as I see Landon approaching out of the corner of my eye. "I'm really happy for you. That's fantastic news."
"Landon?" Asher can't contain the surprise in his voice when he turns to the left. "What the fuck man? I haven’t seen you in years."
"Asher?" Landon pulls him into a warm embrace. "You grew up. Look at you."
"Gabriel told me you were piloting the plane." Asher rests his hand on Landon's shoulder. "I'm hopping on it now to head to Orlando."
"Sorry I'm not making that trip." Landon's voice sounds warm." We'll catch up soon. Have you met my girlfriend?"
"Tess?" Asher's brilliant white teeth come into full view as he smiles widely. "She's your girlfriend?"
"My one and only." Landon wraps his arm around my waist. "This is my forever, right here. I'm crazy about this woman."
"I can see why. It was great to see you and even better to meet you, Tess."
I extend my hand towards his. "It's been a pleasure, Asher. Good luck in Orlando."
He pulls my hand into his. "I appreciate it, thanks for that."
My eyes drop from his face to our hands.
His index finger rests next to my thumb as he shakes my hand.
I stare down at the mole on my thumb.
It's the same mole that matches the one on my father's index finger.
As he pulls his hand away from mine, my gaze follows his fingers and the mole on his index finger that is an exact match to my father's and mine.