Page 39 of Trusting His Heart

Everything started with a conversation on a plane. Call it fate, karma or opportunity to be taken when she arranged for them to be trapped on a plane for three hours to sort out whether they had a future or not.

She peered around a post, watching him in the waiting area as their boarding was announced. Dressed in his lecture suit and tie, not even with carry on luggage. He didn’t seem confused or stressed at the sudden need to fly from Sydney to Brisbane on a Thursday.

“Last call for passengers on flight QX673 to Gate 13,” the short distance to the boarding gate were the longest and shortest she ever walked. Bec fiddled with the strap on her handbag, anxious to see Geoffrey, to see his reaction when she sat next to him, but what if he rejected her. What if he thought this gesture too little and too late?

“Sorry, Professor, I forgot to tell you,” nothing made sense Geoffrey thought. Layla was more organized than to forget to tell him she arranged for him to be in Brisbane of all places. Filling in for the Vice Chancellor as a guest speaking at a lunch for major university donors.

Luckily, she had a cab waiting for him after class and ensured he made it to the airport with half an hour to spare. In such a rush, he forgot to ask her if Bec called.

Of course, she wouldn’t have called – why would today be any different to any of the other days this month. He needed to face the ugly truth. He finally found love again and lost it because of his own fear of facing the dragon. His own fault and even though he tried to show Bec how much she meant to him, her silence meant it was too late.

At least, the seats were in first class and with luck, there would be no one to sit next to him. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck in a plane having to make small talk with a stranger. The last time he did that, he fell in love and look how that turned out.

“I believe this is my seat?” a familiar voice and a familiar body claimed the seat next to him.

“What the hell are you doing here? Did Layla call you?” Damn his secretary for pushing them together when he was the last person Bec wanted to be with.

“Actually, I called her. I thought we needed to talk.”

“About what.”

Her kiss answered everything. They crushed together, with Bec as hungry for him as he was for her. They only parted when the hostess politely suggested Bec take her own seat for take off.

The first time they met, Geoffrey talked about his past, and how it clouded his faith in the future. Now they talked about the future and how they would face it together.

“You know, I’m going to want to marry you,” he said as they were leaving the plane

“You know you are going to have to ask me, not just get Layla to send me flowers.”

He spun her into his arms, cupping her face with his hands, eyes burning. Now or never.

“What if the dragon wins?” He needed to hear her to reassure him that no matter what, they would face it together.

“What if we win?” She didn’t answer his question.

“What if the fight is long and hard?” Her reply was a smile warmer than the drugs they ran through his body. “Could you be happy fighting with me, knowing how bad things could get. Knowing the worse that can happen?”

Bec shook her head in disbelief. “You realize this is the most insane conversation to have in an airport.” Surrounded by strangers in a hurry to wherever they needed to be, time stood still for Geoffrey and Bec.

She tossed her head and ran her hands down his chest, remembering how he felt underneath the shirt.

“I’m used to long and hard, remember,” she kissed his neck up to his cheek and across to his lips. “I like it hard, and I can fight harder if I need to.”

He pulled her close, taking her hand and kissing the palm. “I can’t lie to you, you are the only truth I have.”

“What truth are you talking about?”

“I love you. The only reason I pushed you away was because I didn’t want you to watch me fight and die.”

“Let me remind you – I don’t need your protection. I pick my own battles and I like to win.”

“Baby, I love you and no one knows more than I do what you went through before. It didn’t seem fair to put you through everything again – I didn’t want to hurt you.

“What about the flowers? What did they mean?”

“No matter how much I wanted you to walk away, I couldn’t let you go – the flowers my way of saying I cared.

She laughed, “I don’t want your flowers – I never have. I want you.”

All her questions and fears were answered, and her future assured with one perfect kiss.