Keeping Her Read Free Page B

much more competition in that arena here.”
    I laughed. “I hadn’t even thought of that! Just think, a whole country full of British men! I could—­”
    He tugged me forward and silenced me in my favorite way.
    “That’s not funny,” he said. “It’s bad enough that I’m about to have to share you with my family.”
    Ugh . I was going to ignore that whole family thing. I’d been enough of a Debbie Downer already to last the rest of the trip.
    “Remember that time we met and you said you weren’t the jealous type? Remember the time that was a big fat lie ?”
    Ah well. Jealousy looked really good on him.
    “It wasn’t a lie. I just hadn’t ever met anyone worth getting jealous over until you.”
    I slid my arms around his waist. “Are all British men such smooth talkers?”
    “No. Just me.”
    “And James Bond.”
    “Right. Of course.”
    “Fine. I guess since James is fictional, I’ll have to keep you .”
    “You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”
    “I’m not trying.”
    A flight attendant tapped me on the shoulder and asked us to please prepare for landing. I guessed what she really meant was to stop molesting my boyfriend in public.
    God, airlines. Stingy with the peanuts and the fun.
    I wasn’t sorry, but I blushed anyway because that’s the only thing my traitorous body was good for. I faced forward, but noticed a woman sitting across the aisle staring at us. She had her elbow on the armrest and her cheek propped up on her hand, gawking at us like we were her in-­flight entertainment. My small blush spread like a wildfire across my whole face and down my neck.
    Maybe we had been making a bit of a scene.
    Garrick didn’t seem to mind the attention, his chest bouncing with silent laughter. I flicked his arm, and tried to ignore the woman, who was still staring.
    Garrick said again, “Marry me.”
    Oh, now he was just showing off.
    I heard the woman aww next to us, and I swear to God I expected her to pull out a bag of popcorn or something.
    I flicked his arm again, and he just laughed. I leaned my head back against the seat as the plane began to slow and dip, and I tried to get my blush under control.
    Garrick stayed smug beside me as we landed and taxied to the gate. I was glad we were near the front of the plane, so that we could grab our things and get away from our audience. I pulled my purse from under the seat in front of me, and moved to flee.
    “Wait,” the woman said. “Aren’t you going to answer him?”
    Garrick chuckled and added, “Yes, aren’t you going to answer me?”
    My chin dropped, and I floundered like, well, a flounder.
    He was really going to make me do this with that woman watching. And now that she’d said something, a few others were paying attention, too. I pressed my lips together, and glared at him. As an actor, I should be better at handling attention, but it was different when I was playing a part. I got to turn off my brain and think like someone else.
    Reluctantly, I said, “Yes.”
    “What was that, love? I couldn’t quite hear you.”
    Cue eye roll. “I said yes .”
    Garrick turned to the ­people surrounding us and practically yelled, “She said yes!”
    Gradually, the cabin broke out into applause, and I threw him a look that was one part I’m-­going-­to-­murder-­you and three parts get-­me-­out-­of-­here-­now-­kthxbye.
    Garrick soaked up the applause with a charming smile while I looked on, probably barely more attractive than a radish. I turned to flee and tripped over something. I couldn’t actually see anything, but I swear there was something.
    I power-­walked off the plane and resisted the urge to run down the walkway and into the terminal. Garrick caught up to me just as I passed through the door, and looped an arm around my neck.
    “You know I love it when you blush.”
    “And you know I hate it.”
    “It reminds me of your face the second time we met, that morning in my classroom. The most inappropriate time and