Page 20 of Undeniably Unexpected (Boston’s Irresistible Billionaires #6)

Christ, my cock is throbbing . But to shock her the way she just shocked me, I say, “That I’ll leave up to you to learn, though I bet you’re already magic with that. But if you need someone to practice on, I’m happy to offer my services.”

Her jaw drops, and I instantly regret it. That’s old Loomis, not new Loomis, talking. I wish she weren’t so my type while being the complete opposite of it.

“Sorry. Pretend I didn’t say that.” I clear my throat and finally do the smart thing and change the subject as I pull my focus from her and work on making sure Fen is all set for takeoff. “How long are you planning on staying in Florida?”

She lifts a shoulder to her ear and glances toward the window, playing with her hair, only to realize her ponytail is a disaster. Abruptly, she tugs the elastic free, and thick, crimson waves, the color of blood, fall around her face and shoulders. Gulp .

“I haven’t decided yet. At least a couple of weeks.” She turns back to me. “What about you?”

“You’ll be ready to kick us off your island after a week, if that long.”

She shakes her head. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”

“Then if you’re okay with it, we’ll play it by ear and see how things go. I have to be back in Boston to start filming the end of March.”

“My wrist should be close to healed by then, and I wouldn’t mind beating most of winter on an island. I bet Fen would agree with that.”

I blink at her, a bit gobsmacked by that. “You’re sure?”

“Like you said, we’ll see how things go.”

After Keegan’s offer for us to stay as long as we’d like, we both fell quiet as the plane took off. I held Fen on my lap as we soared into the air, and he sucked on his pacifier to help his ears. One by one, we all started yawning.

“Didn’t sleep well?” I question.

“No. Not even a little. You?”

“None.”

“There’s a bedroom in the back.”

“Go for it. Fen and I can kip out here. It’s just about his nap time anyway.”

“It’s a big bed, and we could put Fen between us without an issue. You’re not going to sleep comfortably out here with him on you like that.”

My body hums at the idea of sleeping on a bed and not a chair right now, but I don’t want to press things.

“You don’t have to offer that.”

“I know. I’m not worried about it. We can share the bed in the back with Fen.”

I almost frown. Almost . She’s not worried because despite our inappropriate flirting earlier, I promised I wouldn’t touch her, and she knows I won’t. But even with my son as a buffer, the idea of sharing a bed with Keegan stirs my blood.

“If you’re sure.”

She bobs her head and stands. I do the same, holding my half-asleep son, who loves the white noise of the plane.

The bedroom is cool and dark, and the bed looks like heaven.

I set Fen down, and he crawls three paces before he does the equivalent of a face-plant, arms and legs splayed, garnering a small laugh from both me and Keegan.

“He hasn’t slept well either. His stuffy nose has kept him up.”

“Then we’ll all take advantage.”

She climbs on one side of him and I climb on the other.

Grabbing a pillow for herself, I do the same and settle in.

We’re facing each other, and despite the small boy between us, it feels intimate.

I want to tuck her hair behind her ear and drag my fingers down the slope of her soft face.

I want to lean in and kiss her, something small and sweet—a sleep well sort of kiss—and then close my eyes knowing she’s there.

It’s the oddest and loveliest thing I’ve ever experienced.

Unable to resist, I reach across and do exactly as I wanted, marveling at how perfect she feels before I pull away just as fast. I close my eyes because I know Fen is already out, his body rolled against my chest, and within minutes, my breathing evens, and I succumb, listening to her do the same only to wake with a jolt an unknown time later.

The room is dark, and the gentle hum of the airplane surrounds me. But Fen is gone. And the door is closed. Since he’s come around, I’ve become a light sleeper, yet somehow, I didn’t rouse when he and Keegan got up.

Adrenaline kicks my heart rate up into hyperdrive. My feet meet the floor, and I have the door to the bedroom open in under a second. I don’t like that I woke up without him beside me, even if it’s a plane and there isn’t far for him to go.

I step out into the main part of the plane, my eyes scanning from seat to seat until I find him sitting with Keegan.

He’s on her lap, and she’s reading him a book.

The breath I hadn’t realized I was holding rushes past my lips, and as I watch the two of them, it hits me again.

That funny feeling I get when I see her with my son.

It doesn’t happen with anyone else, and it bothers me that it happens with her.

She must hear me because she twists her head over her shoulder and smiles. “Hey. Did you have a good nap?”

I rub the top of my head and tuck that useless feeling away as I head toward them. “Um, yeah, so it seems since I woke up alone. How long was I out for?”

“Almost three hours. We land in about half an hour.”

“Blimey. I’m sorry. Did you sleep at all?”

“He woke me up after about two hours, so yes, I slept.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “How did I not hear him?”

A wry grin curls her lips. “You were out. He’s fine, though. We’ve been hanging out and having fun together.”

“You’re a keeper, aren’t you? I’m sorry you’ve had to entertain him…” I trail off. I don’t know what to say.

“Relax, Loomis.” She points to the bench seat across from her.

“Like I told you before, I love babies, and spending time with him isn’t a hardship for me.

You don’t owe me a thank you and you don’t need to feel uncomfortable or like you’re using me because you’re not.

I’m a thirty-one-year-old doctor, not a twenty-year-old kid. If I have a problem, I’ll say it.”

“You mean I can stop feeling guilty and like I’m taking advantage of your big heart?”

“Exactly. I was going to the cottage anyway, and if Alden thinks we’re together, it makes it easier for me.”

My elbows hit my thighs, my hands propping up my chin.

“I’m not good at relying on anyone,” I admit, watching as Fen flips pages and plays with the interactive parts of the soft book.

“My dad left when I wasn’t even ten, and with that, I had to grow up fast and learn to be the man of the house long before I was a man.

It made me a bit… hard, I guess. Then I became an actor and hardened further when I discovered that everyone had a self-serving motive with me.

Tinsley was the first to come around and simply be my friend or want to spend time with me for me.

” I stare down at the gray carpet. “I guess old habits die hard, so I hope you don’t take offense or think I’m rude. ”

“I’ve been there,” she states. “I know what it’s like to question people’s motives with you.

We still don’t know each other that well, so it’s natural for us to adjust and get our bearings since we’ve been put in a strange situation.

I think as long as we agree to be honest and communicate with each other, we’ll be fine. ”

Fen starts to cry, a loud wailing of a monster as we feel the plane begin to descend. It turns into a twenty-minute fuss until he settles with his passy, but all further conversation stops.

The flight takes forever with all the stops we make.

Fen is a good lad about it, though. He plays with toys, eats about four meals, jumps on the seats, watches shows on my iPad, and stares out the window.

Being on a private plane—especially one this size—has its advantages.

Finally, after far too many hours, we land in Key West to palm trees and sunshine.

A weird sense of apprehension hits me as the doors open and warm, humid, salty air filters in. Keegan rises from her seat, stretching her limbs, and I glance sideways at her.

“Smell that?” she asks. “That’s the scent of no paparazzi. That’s the scent of freedom.”

“We made it,” I murmur, hoping this mad idea turns out to be what saves all of us.

She grins cheekily. “Not quite. We still have to get to the island.”

Our bags are gathered for us, and waiting at the end of the tarmac is a woman with dark skin and honey eyes and a man with similar coloring and very dark eyes.

“Welcome to Key West,” the man greets us with a thick Spanish accent. “I am Pedro, and this is my wife, Alicia. We are the caretakers for Mr. Kaplan and Mrs. Bianca’s home and will help you get to the island and make sure you have everything you need during your stay.”

“Thank you so much. It’s lovely to meet you both.

” Keegan steps forward and shakes their hands and I follow, being gracious but not introducing myself either.

I don’t know what these people know and what they don’t.

I’m assuming they’re trustworthy—otherwise, they likely wouldn’t be here—but trust isn’t something I give out without it being earned.

We’re ushered to a car that is already equipped with a child seat base I can snap Fen’s carrier into, and then we’re whisked through the congested streets of Key West, taking in the candy-colored buildings and outdoor pubs and restaurants overflowing with locals and tourists.

If this were a different time, I’d love to explore the town more.

I’ve never been here before, but it’s not a different time, and I’m no longer the man I was.

That life, that bachelor, I belong to no one life is over for me.

I’m a twenty-nine-year-old single father.

I’m fake-dating Keegan Fritz. The three of us are hiding out on an island off Key West.

And with the way my chest gives an unruly squeeze when Keegan throws me a quick, excited smile, I have a feeling my life is about to get a hell of a lot more complicated than it already is.