Page 177 of What Remains

“Nope, but it’s not too bad of a drive.”

“I remember, seeing as though you’ve had me blindfolded since we left the hotel,” she says with a chuckle. “It was kind of fun to go down on you while you⁠—”

“Gwen,” I cut her off before I have a heart attack. I twist around to see how much distance is between us and her father. Wyatt’s hanging back where I signaled him to stay. Thank you, God.

I stop walking to stand in front of her. For a second, I just stare at her—blindfolded and in my favorite flight jacket.

My fingers slide behind her head, loosening the knot, and I pull the blindfold free.

She blinks hard against the sunlight, lashes fluttering as her eyes adjust. Then she goes completely still.

In front of us, rolling green hills stretch out toward the Blue Ridge, the late-day sun turning the grass to liquid gold. A long gravel drive winds down toward a stand of old trees, and beyond that, there’s an open pasture that falls away for what feels like forever.

Her hand finds mine without looking. “Easton . . .”

“The Sapphire is great and all,” I begin, nervous as fuck, “but I was hoping we could have a place that’s just ours, too.” I swallow. “All sixty acres.”

She takes in the full sweep of the land, from the high ground where we stand, to the lower fields beyond as the trees form natural borders.

“Dad’s here?” She uses her hand like a visor, squinting his direction where he’s standing against the side of his truck.

“He helped me scope out the place. Among many.” I grin, waiting for realization to dawn on her. “This was our fifth and final stop on our mission to find the safest location for us to make a home.”

“That was the op the four of you went on?” Her mouth drops open as her hand falls to her side. “You were on a rooftop to⁠—”

“To ensure even the world’s best snipers didn’t have any line of sight to our property from the nearest homes,” I finish, smirking. “We also had to check into the backgrounds of any neighbors within five miles of us, and I had to get a lay of the land by flying over it. This was the best choice.”

She fists my shirt.

“Love the idea or hate it?”

“I love it. Under one condition.” A sexy smile slips across her lips as she unhands me and steps back. “We build a hangar here. I want you to have a helo or plane to take me up in.”

“I, uh . . .” I clear my throat. “I kind of emptied my savings on this property and the down payment on building a house.” I lift a shoulder. “A bird can wait, don’t worry.”

“Or . . . hear me out.” She waggles her brows a few times. “We tap into that trust fund I never use and you let me buy you a plane.”

“Buy me a plane?” I choke on the words.

“Come on.” She rests the back of her hand on my cheek. “You may be old school and traditional—which I do adore—but you’re still in love with a modern girly.” She tucks the edge of her lower lip between her teeth and shrugs. “Boss babes buy their men planes.”

“Oh do they?” I laugh and capture her wrist to draw her against me.

“They do.”

“Well, maybe one day, I’ll⁠—”

“Fine, I’ll buy myself a plane and seduce you into piloting it for me. I can be very convincing when I want to be.”

“As long as you don’t take off your clothes while we’re in the cockpit so I don’t crash us . . . you’ll get your way. I can’t say no to you.”

She drapes her arms over my shoulders. “Unless it’s about my safety.”

“Of course.” I cover her mouth with mine, my heart racing for what I have planned next. When I finally let her go, I shoot a quick look at her dad patiently waiting for us, then dig into my pocket.

“My stickers!” She’s beaming. “Finally.

I fix the stack, ensuring none of the stickers are out of order, then open her hand and place them in her palm. “Got a few more than two.”