“That’s what this was about? My tours?”

“Yeah, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Jackson told me that Aubrey likes to tease you about them sometimes. We figure Sasha overheard something and that’s what she told her mom about. Some stupid inside joke she didn’t understand that got all twisted up by the time my dad called me.” He knelt down on the floor in front of me. “Please try to understand why I freaked out. You know how I am about you. I don’t even like other guys looking at you. The idea of someone touching what’s mine… I lost it.”

I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to brush his hair from his forehead. As soon as my fingers touched him, he leaned forward to wrap his arms around me and rested his head in my lap. It felt so good to have him close to me again. My phone beeped, and I realized that it was Aubrey checking to make sure I was okay. “Will you take me back to campus when we’re done talking?” I asked.

He squeezed me even tighter. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. Just don’t leave yet.”

I tapped out a quick reply to Aubrey, letting her know she could leave. “Okay.”

He sat back down on the floor and looked up at me with so much love in his eyes that tears started to leak from my eyes again. I hated the distance between us right now.

“After Jackson and I talked, I called my dad back to explain, but he had already figured it out. He pulled up your dad’s website and saw the link for the Mile High Club. He had tried calling me to tell me what he’d found, but I wasn’t picking up because we had already fought. I was focused on finding you and getting you to talk to me.”

I was horrified by the idea of his parents knowing about the flights. “Your parents must think I’m horrible,” I cried out.

“No, baby. My dad thinks you’re brilliant. He’s a businessman, and there’s nothing he respects more than good business decisions. When he finally got me on the phone, he raved about your idea and how you should franchise it.”

“And your mom?” I asked. I hadn’t gotten to know his dad very well yet, but I really liked his mom. I hoped she wasn’t disappointed in me.

He chuckled under his breath at my question, his eyes twinkling with humor again. “My mom told me that if it wasn’t so damn awkward to think about you flying the plane she’d book one of the flights herself so she and dad could join the club.”

I giggled at the thought of his mom as one of my customers. “Really?”

“Yes, really. She also told me that I’m an idiot if I let you get away from me because we’re perfect for each other.”

I beamed down at him, happy that his parents still approved of me. “Are you?” I asked.

He looked confused by my question. “Am I an idiot?”

“Are you going to let me get away?” I asked.

A look of such relief crossed his face. “Do you want me to?” he asked.

“No, I really don’t,” I sobbed out, starting to cry as a rush of emotions hit me.

Drake held me close as I broke down. “Fuck, Alexa. I’m sorry I messed up. I never meant to hurt you like this. You’ve gotta know that, baby.”

I nodded my head and burrowed even closer to him. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have stormed out the way I did. It just hurt so much to think that you’d really believe those things about me.”

He lay back onto the bed, cradling me against his chest. “No, you were right to leave. I don’t want you to take shit from anyone, not even me. Wish I didn’t have to lose two days with you to learn that lesson, but it’s true just the same.”

“I should have at least told you about the Mile High Club stuff. Maybe if you had known, this wouldn’t have happened,” I admitted.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I was kind of embarrassed. They really aren’t as bad as they sound. Most of my customers are bored wives looking to spice up their marriages. I don’t hear or see a thing. To me, it’s just more time up in the air. And they pay really well for it, too. But how do I bring it up in conversation? ‘Oh, by the way, I’ve got to be at the airport early tonight because my sightseeing tour wants to make sure they have plenty of time to screw’?”

Drake laughed at my crass question. “You had more than three months to figure it out. Gotta admit I didn’t like that Jackson had to explain to me what was going on in your life. I’m your boyfriend, Alexa. There shouldn’t be secrets like that between us. Especially not stupid shit. You’ve got to fucking know that I would understand about this.”