Chapter 1014:
Inside, the cabin seemed charged, saturated with a tangible heat that wrapped around them like a living thing.
Brad’s grip on the wheel was firm, yet his other hand lingered over Rylie’s, his fingers grazing the back of hers in gentle, restless reassurance, as if trying to quell the simmering intensity coiling within him.
Rylie’s gaze lingered on the taut lines of his profile, noting the warmth and slight dampness of his palm against hers, her own heartbeat drumming a fierce rhythm in her chest.
Under the glittering stars that blanketed this secluded island, a place that existed solely for them tonight, she sensed the promise of a night steeped in magic and desire.
“Brad,” she murmured, her voice soft, almost a whisper.
“Yes?” His tone was still rough, laced with lingering desire.
“Pick up the pace,” she said.
Brad glanced her way, his gaze locking onto hers, a subtle and possessive curve forming at the corners of his mouth. “As you wish.”
𝗗𝗂𝘀𝖼𝗈𝘷𝖾r hid𝘥еn 𝗀e𝘮𝘴 𝗼𝗇 𝗀а𝗹ոо𝘷е𝗅𝘴.cо𝘮
The moment he stepped on the accelerator, the SUV surged forward, the sudden force pinning them to their seats as it sped along the vacant stretch of road, leaving nothing but fading streaks behind them.
Fortunately, Christmas meant sparse traffic and minimal patrols, or the reckless speed would have earned them a pile of citations.
Soon they boarded the private jet. The private jet sliced through the upper clouds, drifting smoothly beneath a sky scattered with glimmering stars.
Inside the quiet cabin, Rylie rested her head near the window, her eyes tracing the darkening ocean and the faint silhouette of the island illuminated by soft moonlight.
Brad sat close beside her, their fingers laced together, his thumb brushing lightly over her skin as if to steady their still-rapid pulses with the warmth of his touch.
After three and a half hours in flight, the private jet finally descended and rolled to a stop on the temporary landing strip at the far edge of the island.
As the cabin door swung open, a warm ocean breeze laced with salt and the scent of lush greenery swept inside and instantly chased away the stale air of the flight.
Compared with the icy, snow-covered Crolens, the island felt like they had stepped straight into summer.
The sudden heat made Rylie slip out of her coat in a hurry, resting it loosely over her arm. “We’re here.”
Brad murmured the words close to her ear as he descended the steps ahead of her, then turned back and extended his hand. Rylie set her fingers lightly in his, allowing him to guide her down from the aircraft with steady care.
Beneath their shoes, the sand felt warm and velvety, and the soft, steady rhythm of the waves wrapped around them like a lullaby. Tall coconut trees shifted elegantly in the tropical night air, and overhead, the sky shimmered with stars so vivid and low they seemed easily within reach, brighter than anything she had seen elsewhere.
.
.
.