EllaWearing her new dress, complete with underwear, bra and shoes, Ella had never felt more spoiled in her life. Her stomach was full, her heart was happy, and she was walking across the tarmac to a bright blue helicopter bearing the Connor emblem.Jace held her hand as the entered the helicopter. Ella had seen pictures of helicopters, but they were always of commercial or military styles. This was a luxury helicopter. Where other helicopters had simple black utilitarian seats, this one had leather. The pilot sat up front in his own cockpit area while the cabin area looked more like a luxury jet. The thing was so lavish it had wood floors and the leather chairs were so soft that Ella was tempted to rub her cheek against one.“Are you sure this is a helicopter?” Ella asked as they stepped inside. She looked around. Some of the rooms at the inn weren't even this nice. This was no ordinary helicopter.Jace laughed. “If you put on the headphones, you'll be able to hear the pilot.”Ella g
EllaElla blinked at the bright sunshine as she stepped out of the helicopter and onto solid land. Despite the beauty of the helicopter's interior, she was glad to be out of it. The blades were slowing as they exited, but she still felt the need to duck as they moved away.The country was lush and green, and Ella could see plants growing in rows upon rows. “Where are we?” Ella asked, looking around.Jace didn't answer. Instead, a smiling woman in jeans and a cowboy hat greeted them over the roar of the dying helicopter blades. “Welcome to Jacobson Vineyards and Winery. We're so glad you're here, Mr. Connor.”Jace shook her hand. “We're glad to be here.”“Excellent,” the woman replied, broadening her smile. “If you're ready, we can begin the tour.”Jace took Ella's hand in his as they followed the woman toward rows of green plants. Ella loved how natural it felt to have his hand in hers. Her heart fluttered with pure joy. It was a simple happiness. One that felt like it could endure fo
JaceJace wasn't sure why he suggested hide and seek. It just came to him and sounded like fun. He was amazed at how easily Ella agreed. The little boy in him grew just a little bit more fond of her, just for that. Not only was she sexy and smart, but she was fun, too.“Five, four, three, two, one, ready or not, here I come!” he shouted, uncovering his eyes. It took a moment to readjust to the bright sunshine, but he didn't care. “I'm going to find you!”Carefully, he weaved through one of the vines, being careful not to damage any of the growing plants but listening for the tell-tale signs of Ella's breathing. Considering that the rows were fairly short, he was sure she couldn't have gone far.He saw a glimpse of polka dot against a green plant and knew he had found her. Pretending not to know where she was, he casually went to the next row, walking slowly and cautiously. He looked for the polka-dot dress and instead met her hazel eyes.God, they were beautiful. How could green and b
EllaThe inside of the winery main house was deliciously cool after being out in the sun. Ella hadn't even noticed how warm it was until the air-conditioned air cooled her skin. She licked her lips, tasting salt. Whether it was from the heat or from running, she wasn't sure, but either way she was ready for something to drink.Their tour guide came out from behind a large bar that dominated the center of the room and greeted them once again. “Welcome to the winery. Did you enjoy walking through the grapes?”“Very much,” Jace answered for the both of them. “It was very relaxing.”Ella struggled not to giggle. Relaxing wasn't exactly the word she would have used.“Excellent.” Their hostess beamed. “I have everything set up for you in the private tasting room upstairs. If you'll follow me, please.”“Private tasting room? I didn't even know they had one of those,” Ella said quietly to Jace as they followed their guide up a metal staircase.“I told you, I rented the whole place out,” Jace
EllaElla snuggled her cheek against Jace’s chest, listening to the pounding of his heart. She loved the way it sang to her, thumping away with the passion they had just shared. For a moment, just one, she let herself imagine that she could listen to it again. That it was beating just for her and that this moment would be one of many, rather than just a weekend fling.She knew she shouldn't think of him as hers. He was a billionaire CEO, for heaven's sake, and she was just an overworked, underpaid servant for her stepmother. She was barely allowed to wash his sheets, let alone sleep in them.Yet here she was, wrapped up in his arms and the most content and happy she'd ever been.It wasn't fair. Ella closed her eyes, focusing on his heartbeat again. She wanted to save this moment up, store it in her mind for the rest of her life. For this moment, she was happy. She was loved. She wasn't sure when another moment like this would come again, so she was determined to keep it for as long as
EllaElla paused before getting back on the helicopter. Knowing what was coming, she wasn't sure how much she wanted to get back on the flying death machine. It wasn't like she had much of a choice though. It was a several hour long car ride back to the inn from here and she didn't have a car. Ella had no doubt that Jace would get her one, but she didn't want to go without him.A warm hand slid into hers, sending her strength. “Don't worry. It gets easier each time,” Jace promised her.She nodded. He helped her into the luxurious helicopter and sat down beside her. His phone buzzed.“I'm just getting on the helicopter,” he informed the person on the other side. “I'll take care of it once I'm in front of my computer. I can't do anything until I see the numbers.”“Sounds fun,” Ella remarked once he hung up. “Something wrong?”“The problem with running a conglomerate business is that there's always something going wrong somewhere.” Jace shook his head. “It's my job to put out the fires a
EllaThe helicopter landed just as smoothly as it did the time before. Ella didn't even make a noise this time. This time she even managed to smile. Granted, it didn't touch her eyes and the falseness of it hurt her jaw, but she did smile. There was hope for her helicopter flying days yet.Jace held her hand as they stepped out of the helicopter and hurried away from the noise of the blades. It was amazing to Ella just how noisy the machine was. As soon as they were clear of the landing zone, the helicopter took off again to return to the hanger, leaving them on the edge of the inn's property.“I'm afraid I have to go to work,” Jace informed her as soon as the helicopter was gone.“It's okay,” Ella quickly told him before he could say that he was sorry. She understood that he was a busy businessman and that he hadn't planned on taking today off at all. Despite his fine words that he was the boss, she could only imagine how many of his CEO strings he had to pull just to get the time of
EllaIt was close to midnight, and Ella couldn’t sleep. Her mind was racing from the day. Jace. The helicopter. What happened next. She couldn’t sit still, let alone lay in bed and try and sleep.So, she went to the lobby bar and took over for the bartender. The bartender was more than happy to get off a couple hours early and get out of cleaning up, especially since there was only two customers left.Everything was quiet after the hustle and bustle of the wedding the day before. Ella was glad. Wiping down the bar and putting everything into place was soothing. She wished she could clean and organize her thoughts as easily, but Jace had her completely tangled up.The tax man, still wearing the same dark suit and thin tie- or one exactly like it- stood up and left the perfect amount of cash with a ten percent tip neatly on the counter. Ella groaned as she remembered she hadn't given his card to Delores yet. The fact that he was still here troubled her. What kind of trouble was Delores