One Hot Chase (Hot Brits #12)

Chapter Twenty-One

Sabrina

I wake up to an empty bed, the sheets cool beside me. Confusion clouds my mind as I blink away the remnants of sleep. Where's Declan? Stretching, I sit up and scan the room. His clothes are gone, his bags no longer sit by the door. A knot forms in my stomach as realization dawns. He's left me.

Then my gaze lands on a folded piece of paper on the nightstand. Why are my hands trembling? Sheesh . It's not like I'm in love with Declan. Am I? Of course not. The paper crinkles when I reach for it, thanks to my unsteady fingers, as I unfold the note to reveal Declan's elegant scrawl.

It's your turn to chase me, darling .

Conflicting emotions cascade over me---frustration, confusion, and a spark of excitement I can't quite squelch. That sneaky snake. I can almost hear his deep, accented voice speaking those words and see the mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

I flop back onto the bed, groaning into the pillow. Naturally, he'd pull a stunt like this. Just when I thought I had him figured out, he goes and throws me another curveball. Classic Declan. But I've got a few tricks of my own that he's never seen. So, I sit up and lift my chin. If he thinks I'll run after him, he's mistaken.

"Okay, Your Knightliness," I declare, swinging my legs off the bed. "You want a chase? I'll give you a damn chase."

But I am not doing this to get him back. No way. It's not like I...care about him. Only Declan would do an obnoxious thing like this.

I grab my phone, firing off a quick text to my sister. Sorry, Tabby. Slight change of plans. Might be a teensy bit late to the opening festivities, but I won't miss your wedding. Cross my heart.

As I toss my phone onto the bed and dash to the bathroom, my mind is already plotting my next move. While brushing my teeth, I glimpse my reflection in the mirror---hair a mess, eyes faintly red, dark circles under them too. Despite my appearance, I grin around my toothbrush which makes foam dribble down my chin. This is insane. I'm about to embark on a wild goose chase across who-knows-where, all because of a man I've known for less than a week. A man who drives me batty. A Brit who makes my heart race and my knees go weak, but still.

I splash water on my face and start throwing clothes into my suitcase while I mutter to myself. "Focus, Bree. Where would he go first?"

No frigging idea.

Within an hour, I'm walking out of the suite. The desk clerk flags me down to tell me that Declan had paid the whole bill for our steamy night in Marrakesh. He also asked the clerk to give me a note. As I'm rushing to hail a taxi, I read his words.

Come fly with me, Sabrina.

Huh? I don't get it. Is he saying I should fly somewhere and chase him to...wherever? Or does he mean that he will join me on Diana's get? The whole point of the cat and mouse game has been to conclude each search with us being together in a beautiful city somewhere in the world.

Come fly with me, he said.

Okay, I'm rushing straight to the airport.

I can't find a car quickly enough, so I dash through Marrakesh's bustling streets as I weave through the crowd. My heart races, not just from the exertion but from the thrill of the chase. Declan's words echo in my mind once again, and I experience a sense of exhilaration like none I've felt before in my entire life. I'm flying high without an airplane, that's how excited I am to find him and kiss him and tell him...I don't know what.

Finally, I flag down a taxi. Breathing hard, I leap into the car and ask to go to the airport. Luckily, the driver speaks English.

Once I reach the airport, I scan the departure boards. My eyes flick from one destination to another. Where might Declan go? I close my eyes, trying to channel his thoughts, letting all the chatter of the terminal fade away. What would an adventure-seeking, thrill-loving Brit do next?

Like a flash, it hits me. Fly , he'd said twice. I'd assumed he meant that as a metaphor, but I wonder...Could he have meant it literally? Worth a shot. So, I sprint to the nearest information desk.

"Excuse me," I pant, "do you have any flight schools nearby? Or, I don't know, places where you can book scenic flights? Anything like that?"

The woman behind the desk gives me a bemused look. A name tag identifies her as Lajin. "There's a small airfield about thirty minutes from here. They offer scenic flights over the Atlas Mountains."

"No, I think I'd better stay here until I find my...um, boyfriend." Wow did that sound weird when I said it. "I doubt he'd leave the area without me."

Lajin puckers her lips, seeming to consider my problem. "We do have a private flight that's scheduled to take off soon. Perhaps they would take you on as a passenger."

"Perfect!" I exclaim, already turning away. "Thank you!"

I'm halfway to the exit when I realize I have no idea how to get to wherever I'm going. Spinning on my heels, I rush back to the desk. "Sorry to bother you again, Lajin. How exactly do I get to that airplane?"

She waves toward an attractive man. "Abad! Come here, we have a passenger in need."

The man obeys, jogging over to us. "How may I assist you, Lajin?"

His tone of voice suggests he's got the hots for her. She seems a touch flustered by him but remains professional. "Abad, could you please escort this lovely woman to the tarmac? She needs to board a jet. I believe you know the one. It will be taking off soon, and I'm certain the pilot won't mind taking on a passenger."

"I'm happy to help." He offers me his arm. "Allow me to assist you..."

"Sabrina."

He nods crisply.

I let Abad guide me through a maze of corridors. As we approach a small private hangar, I get a glimpse of a sleek aircraft waiting on the tarmac. A tingle races over my skin as I spot a familiar figure leaning against the plane's fuselage, arms crossed, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

Declan.

Abad discreetly returns to the terminal.

"Took you long enough, Sabrina," Declan calls out. "I was beginning to think you'd given up on the chase already."

I squint at him, torn between the desire to kiss him senseless and the urge to smack that smug look off his face. "You are such an ass, Declan Wilde."

"Am I? You had much more complimentary things to say about me last night." He taps a finger on his chin. "Let me see if I remember the exact words. 'Oh, Declan, you rock.' Yes, you said that. And there was---"

"Ugh, I don't need the instant replay," I huff, marching toward him. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

His grin softens into something more tender as I approach him. "Please forgive me, pet. I didn't mean to cause you anxiety. I simply wanted to surprise you."

I halt just short of him, crossing my arms. "Well, mission accomplished. I'm surprised. And annoyed. And..." I trail off, unable to find the right words to express the whirlwind of emotions I'm experiencing.

Declan reaches out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "And what? You didn't finish your thought."

I throw my arms up, then let them flop back down again. "And exhilarated. Happy now? I can't believe I'm about to get on a private jet with a man I barely know."

He pulls me into his arms. "Oh, I'd say you know me quite intimately by now, Bree. But there's much more to discover. For both of us."

I shiver at his words, desire pooling in my belly. But I force myself to step back, fixing him with a stern look. "Hold on, mister. You don't get to just whisk me away without an explanation. Where are we going?"

Declan's eyes twinkle with mischief. "That, my darling, is part of the adventure. Don't you trust me?"

I snort. "About as far as I can throw you."

He clutches his chest in mock hurt. "You wound me, Sabrina. After all we've been through? But I don't believe you, pet. Our intimacy last night proved you're lying now."

"Oh, please. All we've been through is a week of incredible orgasms and questionable decision-making," I retort, even as my lips twitch with the effort of suppressing a smile.

"Ah, but what a week it's been."

I can't argue with that. My body tingles at the memory of our passionate encounters. But I'm not ready to let him off the hook just yet.

"Fine," I concede, poking him in the chest. "But I have conditions. One, you tell me where we're going. Two, we make it back in time for my sister's wedding. And three..." I pause, searching for a third demand.

Declan raises an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. "And three?"

I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "And three, you teach me how to fly this thing."

He tips his head to the side as a slow, sinful gring spreads across his face. "Deal."

Declan claims my hand, leading me toward the sleek aircraft. It isn't as large as I would have expected, but it's quite elegant. "Your flying lessons begin now, Miss Remington."

My heart races as we approach the plane. It's smaller than I expected, gleaming white against the tarmac with splashes of bright red here and there. Declan helps me up the steps, his hand on the small of my back.

Inside, the cabin is luxurious, all soft leather and polished wood. But Declan doesn't pause, guiding me straight to the cockpit.

"Alright, darling," he says, settling into the pilot's seat. "First rule of flying---always check your instruments."

I slide into the co-pilot's seat, overwhelmed by the array of dials, switches, and screens before me. Declan's voice is low and steady as he walks me through the pre-flight checklist, his hands moving confidently over the controls. I try to focus on his words, but I'm distracted by the way his muscles flex under his shirt and the intensity of his focus as he explains each step.

"Are you listening, Sabrina?" he asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I blink, realizing I've been staring at his lips. "Yes, of course. Checking instruments. Very important."

He chuckles, patting my thigh. "You know, if you wanted to stare at me, you could have just asked."

I roll my eyes, pushing his hand away playfully. "Just fly the plane, Captain Wilde."

As we roll down the runway, I feel a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling up inside me. The engines roar to life, and suddenly we're hurtling down the tarmac at ever increasing speed. I instinctively reach for Declan's hand but then realize that might distract him. I don't want our plane to crash because I'm feeling him up. As the plane lifts off the ground, he gives me a reassuring smile.

"Breathe, love," he tells me, his gaze fixed on the sky ahead as we climb higher.

I force myself to take a deep breath, my grip on his hand loosening slightly. As the ground falls away beneath us, a sense of wonder replaces my initial anxiety. The sprawling city of Marrakesh shrinks into a patchwork of terracotta and sand, the Atlas Mountains rising majestically in the distance.

"It's beautiful," I breathe, unable to tear my eyes away from the scenery.

Declan glances at me, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Not as beautiful as you."

"You don't need to romance me anymore. I'm already yours." I can't believe I said that, but I meant it. As I relax in my seat, I allow myself to enjoy the high-altitude scenery. "So, are you going to tell me where we're headed now?"

Declan squeezes my thigh gently. "Patience, darling. All will be revealed in due time."

I huff, but secretly, I'm thrilled by the mystery. As we soar higher, I can no longer see the bustling city we left behind us, and I feel a sense of freedom I've never experienced before.

"All right, co-pilot," Declan says, interrupting my thoughts. "Ready for your first lesson?"

I sit up straighter, trying to look more confident than I feel. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He guides my hands to the yoke, his touch awakening my body. The softness of his voice doesn't help me focus either. Everything about him gets me horny, but I try to pay attention to his commands.

"Gently now," he murmurs, his hands covering mine on the controls. "Feel how she responds to the slightest movement."

I follow his directions and feel the jet shift tack minutely under my guidance. Being in control of a massive machine gives me both a heady sensation of power and the scary feeling I might send us plummeting to the ground with one false move.

"That's it, love," Declan encourages, his voice low and intimate in my ear. "You're a natural."

I grin, a rush of confidence flowing through me. "Maybe I missed my calling. Sabrina Remington, man hunter, has become Sabrina Remington, ace pilot."

Declan chuckles, the sound vibrating through me. "I'd fly anywhere with you, darling."

The moment feels charged, intimate in a way that goes beyond physical attraction. I turn my head slightly, meeting Declan's intense gaze. For a moment, we're suspended in time as if the rest of the world no longer exists, and we are the only two people in the universe. He sets the autopilot so he can lean in to cup my face in both hands. The moment his mouth meets mine, my eyes flutter shut. When he slips his tongue between my lips, I sag against him and moan.

The kiss lasts only for a moment. But it felt like forever. And the longer we gaze into each other's eyes, the more I realize I need to tell him the truth.

"We haven't been together for very long," I say, "and I know I've been skittish about getting tangled up in another serious relationship. But I now know I want to be with you forever. Is that too crazy for you? Am I too crazy for you?"

"No, love, it isn't barmy at all." He lays his hands over mine. "I've known I want to be with you for the rest of my life since the night we met. I couldn't admit it to myself at first."

The time has come, and I don't even flinch at what I need to say next. "The chase is over. You've got me. I'm yours, Declan, body and soul."

"You've owned my heart, my soul, and my body since that night at the Savoy when I took you to my suite."

My heart soars higher than the jet we're flying on. I press my forehead against his, loving the way our breaths mingle. "So, what now?"

Declan's hands slide down to my waist, and he lifts me onto his lap. The yoke is behind me now, but he doesn't seem perturbed by that fact. "Now, my darling Sabrina, we embark on the greatest adventure of all."

"And what's that?" I ask, my fingers tracing the strong line of his jaw.

His eyes sparkle with mischief and something deeper, something heady and sweet and as irresistible as the man himself. "Life, Bree. We live it together, to the fullest."

The joy bubbling up inside me is almost overwhelming. "That sounds suspiciously like a proposal, Sir Declan."

His lips gradually slide into that heart-stopping, knee-weakening grin that first drew me to him. "And if it was?"

Every hair on my body lifts and stiffens, but it's not from fear. I've never felt safer in my entire life than I do with Declan. "Then my answer would be yes. A thousand times, yes."

Declan's face lights up, his smile so bright it could outshine the sun. He pulls me into a kiss that's tender and passionate all at once, filled with promise and hope for our future together.

When we finally separate, both breathless and giddy, laughter bubbles out of me. "I can't believe this is happening. We're engaged, and I don't even know where we're flying to."

Declan smirks and winks. "Well, future Mrs. Wilde, allow me to enlighten you." He gestures to the horizon, where I can just make out the shimmering blue of the Mediterranean. "We're headed to Japan."