Page 13 of Troubled Skies (Blue Skies #3)

seven

Adrian

Since the accident, Adrian had lived in a kind of dreamworld where things happened around him but not to him.

At moments, he was acutely aware of where he was, with the people and objects taking on an almost hyper-real solidity in which he sought to ground himself.

But just as easily, his mind would flip into replays of the crash: the whine of the overtaxed engines as they attempted to slow the plane’s descent, of the passengers’ faces and terrified whispers, the relentless creak and groan of the aircraft, the deafening sound of the impact and Sheila’s terrified scream.

Just as often, the ways in which his body had been thrown about then driven to action despite its own injuries would come back to him in the aches in his muscles, the pain on his skin that endured even beyond the point the doctor said he was healed.

Even as he made his way through the day—waking up, showering, eating breakfast, talking to Luis or Darius, watching television—those sounds were the playlist to which he moved, and the images a ghost-like movie that scrolled past his mind’s eye like shadows cast against a wall.

They were more real than the floor on which he walked from his bedroom to the kitchen to the living room couch.

As the flight to Ibiza continued, and he and Ren talked, Adrian was aware that the background noise in his brain had quieted.

For the first time since the crash, he felt present, and laughed as Ren regaled him with stories about parties and the things he and his friends got up to.

Having lived a mostly solitary life with few close friends, Adrian had few adventures to relate—nor had they taken place in the exotic locations Ren seemed to inhabit on a regular basis—so, he was content to listen.

Ren was in the middle of telling Adrian about the time he and his friends were so drunk they got on the wrong yacht and drank all the champagne they could find including several bottles of Dom Pérignon, when the pilot came on to let them know they would be beginning their descent.

Adrian immediately tensed, but Ren took hold of his hands. “What do you need?” Ren asked.

Gripping Ren’s hands tighter, Adrian nodded. “This. Just this. Keep talking to me. Distract me.”

“Of course, mon cher. Now where was I? Oh, yes. We were all naked in the hot tub when the first officer found us.” Ren shook his head.

“I don’t know why it took him as long as it did because we were not quiet at all.

Perhaps he had not been on the ship like he should have been.

” A one-shoulder shrug. “He was quite angry with us and practically chased us off the yacht raining curses on us the entire way. You do not know what cursing is until you have been thoroughly scolded by an enraged Croatian. It was a very educational experience. Would you like to know some of the words I learned that night?”

Adrian nodded, and Ren leaned closer so he could whisper them into Adrian’s ear along with their English translations. When Adrian laughed, Ren leaned back. “That is a beautiful sound,” he said, his voice almost a growl.

Leaning closer, Adrian was aware of Ren’s warmth and scent.

He felt safe and taken care of, had felt that way from the moment he opened his eyes and found Ren telling him they’d arrived in London and needed to leave the plane.

Thinking about the kiss in the suite, Adrian licked his lips, noting how Ren’s gaze shifted downward, his own lips parting.

Adrian did it again, thrilled when Ren let out a soft moan.

“You should stop, poussin,” Ren said. “Unless you would like me to kiss you again.”

Do I? Well, of course, I do. How is that even a question I need to ask myself? How is it something I’m holding back from?

Even as Adrian thought it, he knew why he hesitated.

After making so many mistakes, misjudging people so often, and leaving himself vulnerable for the grief and pain that came when he discovered how foolishly he’d given away his heart, Adrian wasn’t willing to do that again.

Not here. Not with someone with whom there was no future.

But did there need to be the promise of a future?

As Adrian stared into Ren’s dark eyes, he reminded himself that Ren wasn’t asking for forever, just a kiss.

And dinner on his yacht. Adrian had yet to give him an answer to that question.

Would that lead to sex? Again, Adrian’s gaze focused on Ren, and the way his own body tightened with need at the thought of it.

He had never been skittish about sex before, never shied away from a hookup, especially not with someone as sexy as Ren.

But that was all before. Before he found out he was the piece on the side, before the crash…

The promises he’d made to himself to be more careful, to not make any more Ricky mistakes, all those had been made before he met Ren.

His internal compass was so far from accurate, Adrian had no idea what to think.

In the time it took for Adrian’s thoughts to war with themselves, Ren had sat back.

He fiddled with a salt packet left behind after the flight attendants had cleared lunch, flicking the paper corner back and forth with his thumbnail.

Adrian would have believed Ren’s attention was completely consumed by the task if not for the way Ren’s gaze flicked toward him and then back to the salt.

He’s nervous , Adrian realized, and that made him bold enough to lean closer, to trace the side of Ren’s face with his fingertips, and smile when Ren’s gaze met his own. Adrian licked his lips, making a show of it, a thrill running through him as Ren took a deep breath.

“You are dangerous, poussin,” Ren said.

Adrian’s laugh was cut short as Ren turned his head and kissed the fingers still drawing a slow line around his lips.

The tip of his tongue flicked out, and the heat seared Adrian to the core despite the delicateness of the touch.

Ren did it again, and Adrian closed his eyes, a soft moan leaving his mouth when Ren let that fingertip slide between his lips.

“Look at me, Adrian,” Ren said.

No. Commanded. And Adrian was helpless to resist. His eyes opened to find Ren’s dark chocolate ones studying him with an intensity that made Adrian wonder if anyone had ever really seen him before.

And when Ren’s lips parted, Adrian closed the distance between them, groaning into Ren’s mouth as the man opened for him and allowed Adrian to taste him again.

Though the kiss was a gentle exploration and tease, Adrian felt it throughout his entire body.

No part of him was left unaffected, every inch of him more aware and alive than he could remember—especially since the crash—and Adrian reveled in his resurrection.

As he felt Ren begin to pull back, his hand slid to the back of Ren’s head, his fingers tangled in silky curls with a firmness that Adrian hoped conveyed how much he needed Ren to continue to kiss him.

Ren got the memo, and by the time they parted with a sigh, Adrian knew what he wanted.

“Is your invitation to that exclusive restaurant still open?”

“Of course it is.” Ren brought Adrian’s hand to his lips. “Will you join me for dinner tonight, poussin?”

“Yes.”

“I promise, you will not be disappointed.”

It was Adrian’s turn to smile. “I don’t know if it’s possible for you to disappoint me.”

“I have no doubt I could find a way, but I will do my best not to. I much prefer to see you smile and hear you laugh.”

“Me, too.”

Adrian brought their mouths together again. Though the quiet voice in his head still issued its warnings, Adrian told himself he wasn’t going to lose his heart by having dinner with Ren. It’s just one night, he thought as the plane’s wheels touched down on the tarmac.

The plane bounced once then came down again hard enough to make things rattle.

Adrian’s heart stuttered at the sounds, but Ren’s attention made all the difference in keeping his panic at bay.

They taxied to the gate, and then they were off the plane, where Ren directed him to a waiting transport that took them to a small lounge just off the baggage area to await the arrival of their luggage.

A uniformed airport employee gathered their claim tickets and made note of what their bags looked like, then headed off to collect them.

Another uniformed employee offered them cool towels and a glass of hierbas Ibicencas while they waited.

The level of luxury with which Ren traveled made it ridiculously obvious how different he and Adrian were.

Adrian was a flight attendant, the kind of person Ren obviously expected to take care of his every need.

While he might be able to pretend for a while, how long would it take for Ren to figure out Adrian wasn’t even good enough to hang out with him?

Not to mention this dinner. Would Adrian even have the right clothing to wear to the most exclusive restaurant in Ibiza?

He clutched his gold jacket tighter around himself.

As if hearing Adrian’s conflicted thoughts, Ren looked up from his phone, smiled, and reached for him. Adrian stared at his extended hand, wondering if he should get up, get his own suitcase, and head for his hotel instead of accompanying Ren.

“?a va? Are you all right, poussin?” Ren asked. He stood up, pocketed his phone, then knelt in front of Adrian and took hold of Adrian’s hands. “You are like ice. Is something wrong?”

Adrian tried to smile. The way Ren looked at him with what seemed to be genuine concern only confused him more. “Just tired, I think,” he said, cursing himself for the evasion. His stomach took that moment to rumble loudly, which made Ren laugh as Adrian added, “And, apparently, hungry.”

“Then we will have to stop for lunch before proceeding to the yacht.”