“Where are we going?” I ask as Lex parks in front of the hangar. He holds my hand tightly as we walk to his helicopter together, his expression different from usual. He seems nervous, and it’s so unlike him that I’m not sure what to make of it.
Lex is never nervous, no matter what the stakes are. He seems to always be calculating the odds of a scenario playing out a certain way, and nothing ever rattles him because of it. If he’s this nervous, it must be because he’s found himself in a situation with too many factors he can’t control.
“You’ll see,” he murmurs, strapping me in the way he did when he took me gliding. It seems like a lifetime ago, and so much has happened and changed since then. I’d felt so hopeful back then, and something about tonight fills me with that same feeling.
Last time, I watched the view, but this time, I can’t tear my eyes off my husband. He’s wearing black slacks with a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. Lexington is sexy in everyday life, but right now, when he’s in his element? Irresistible.
He promised me he’d change, and it’s clear he’s genuinely trying in a way he never did before. The difference in his behavior is stark — he wears his remorse on his sleeve, not letting his pride get in the way of saving our marriage. I just wonder if it’s enough, if it’ll last. It’s easier to modify behavior for a single purpose, in this case, in order to make amends. Will it last when he’s achieved his goal?
The sun begins to set all around us, and I look around wide-eyed as Lex lands his helicopter on top of the tallest building in town — a Windsor owned commercial building, with a rooftop bar at the top. He smiles as he reaches for me, his hands wrapping around my waist as he lifts me out like I don’t weigh a thing.
“Wow,” I whisper, my gaze roaming over the golden shades around us as the sun sets. The bar is empty, most of it cleared to allow Lex’s helicopter to land. The roof is filled with soft fairy lights, and yellow flowers of all kinds, a soft breeze making my hair dance. “Beautiful.”
“Yeah,” Lex sighs, and I look up to find him staring at me, seemingly mesmerized. Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I look away, flustered.
Just like on our very first date, he moves so we’re standing side by side, watching the view. “It’s still true, you know? Maybe even more so now than then.”
“What is?”
He reaches for me, his touch hesitant as he places his index finger underneath my chin. “Your eyes still keep me more captivated than anything else ever could, and I’m still very much under your spell.”
He remembers.
Lex offers me his hand, and I raise a brow as I take it. “Raya, if I dared you to dance with me, would you?”
I nod, unable to deny him when he looks at me like it’d devastate him if I said no. The sound of a violin has me looking over my shoulder, my eyes widening when I notice a string quartet standing in the corner, playing live music for us.
I bite down on my lip, my heart racing. I can’t believe he did this for me. The fairy lights, the hundreds of flowers everywhere, and the setting sun… this is beyond romantic, and I can’t quite tell what he’s thinking. He still seems every bit as nervous as he was before.
Lex pulls me close as we fall into step together, the two of us dancing the same amended version of the foxtrot as that night, the one I’ve come to consider ours. “I’ve given you a dare, so let me give you a truth too. I’ve always loved seeing the city in this beautiful golden shade,” he murmurs, the two of us dancing across the rooftop. “But nothing beats the way the setting sun caresses your face, the way it makes your hair look a couple of shades lighter, and the way it brings out your eyes, turning them into molten gold.”
My gaze roams over his face, and I try my hardest to read him, to no avail. “That’s not how the game works,” I tell him, my tone teasing.
Lex twirls me around, my yellow dress swaying. “No?” he replies, his eyes on mine. “Then ask me, Raya.”
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
My heart skips a beat as my arms slide around his neck. “Lift me up the way I like,” I murmur, my gaze roaming over his arms. I grin at him as I raise a brow teasingly. “You look like you could actually do it.”
He chuckles and places his hands on my waist, his eyes twinkling as he lifts me up above his head effortlessly, slowly turning me around, the biggest smile on his face. His expression shifts into something akin to wonder, and he slowly lowers me back down, holding me against his body, his arms wrapped around the back of my thighs. He looks up at me, his gaze tormented.
“Why did you bring me here?” I ask, my hands on his shoulders.
He gently lowers me to the floor, our arms still wrapped around each other. “To answer a question you asked me once.”
I raise a brow, and he draws a shaky breath. “Remember when I took you gliding and told you that I wanted to share the things I love with you? You asked me what I loved most of all, and I didn’t have the courage to tell you the truth.”
My heart begins to pound erratically, and he cups my face, our eyes locked. “I love you, Raya. More than anything — more than flying, more than breathing. I love you with every fiber of my being, with all I am, all I’ll ever be.”
My eyes widen, and he smiles ruefully. “I’m sorry it took me so long to admit it, to give you what you need. I know it’s not enough, that it’s too little, too late —”
I rise to my tiptoes and cut him off, my lips finding his. Lex freezes for a split second, and then he’s kissing me back, instrumental music all around us and the stars above us. He pulls me close, his touch filled with desperation, like he’s scared this moment will disappear if he lets go.
I tilt my head, and he parts my lips, kissing me in the way I’ve been craving. I’ve missed him more than I realized, more than I care to admit. Lex groans as he deepens our kiss, and my hand slides through his hair, my touch needy. “I love you,” he whispers in between kisses, over and over again, until his forehead drops against mine, both of us panting. “I love you, little fairy.”
I pull away a little to look at him, my hand on the side of his face. “I love you too,” I whisper, my heart aching. “I think I always will, but Lex… love isn’t the problem between us.”
