Chapter 6 - Falling Off the Corporate CliffIt wasn’t a tentative, hesitant kiss. It was the kind of kiss that made every single rule, every corporate policy, every warning from Derek, and every suspicious glance from Sarah Jenkins instantly evaporate into thin air.
Her hands found the lapels of my shirt, pulling me closer, while my arms instinctively wrapped around her waist, lifting her slightly against the edge of the kitchen counter.
The world outside my apartment stopped spinning.
When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing heavily, Rebecca rested her forehead against my chest. Her fingers clutched tightly at the fabric of my shirt.
“We are making a catastrophic mistake,” she murmured, though she made no move to step away.
“Probably,” I whispered, pressing a soft kiss into her dark hair. “A career-ending, resume-burning catastrophe.”
“Derek is never going to let us live this down.”
“If Derek opens his mouth, I’m feeding him to the wolves.”
Rebecca laughed softly, pulling back just enough to look up at me. The severe corporate armor was completely gone, replaced by a warmth and intensity that hit me harder than any campaign pitch ever could.
“Good thing we’re flying to New York on Sunday, then,” she whispered.
“Why’s that?”
“Because what happens in Chicago stays in Chicago.”
“And what happens in New York?” I asked, a slow smile spreading across my face.
Rebecca’s dark eyes flashed with a dangerous, brilliant light.
“We’ll find out.”
Sunday morning arrived with a gray, drizzly Chicago sky.
O'Hare International Airport was packed with the usual weekend travelers rushing to catch flights, but VIP boarding lines moved a bit smoother.
I stood near the gate holding my carry-on bag, waiting for Rebecca to clear security. True to our carefully crafted public narrative, we had arrived separately, booked separate seats on the plane, and planned to maintain absolute professional distance until we landed at JFK.
As I scanned my boarding pass and walked down the jet bridge, I found my seat—an aisle seat in row fourteen.
I tossed my bag into the overhead bin, slid into my seat, and let out a long breath.
Two minutes later, a familiar figure in a long camel-hair coat walked down the aisle, her dark hair loose around her shoulders, holding a tablet and a cup of airport coffee.
She stopped by row fourteen, looked down at her boarding pass, and then looked at me with an expression of mild, professional surprise.
“Excuse me,” Rebecca said smoothly for the benefit of the businessman sitting right next to me in the window seat. “I believe you’re in my row.”
“Ah, my mistake,” I said, standing up to let her slide past.
She slipped into the window seat, setting her coffee down on the tray table. Once the cabin door sealed shut and the plane began to taxi toward the runway, she leaned her head back against the seat, closed her eyes, and let out a quiet sigh.
“Did you survive security?” I whispered, leaning slightly toward her.
May you like
Without opening her eyes, Rebecca reached across the armrest, her fingers brushing against mine in the dark space between our seats. She laced her fingers through mine, her silver thumb ring pressing gently against my skin.
“I survived,” she whispered back. “Now let’s go conquer New York.”
