Chapter 27: The picture
Naomi hadn’t expected him to say such a thing. Of course, it was natural for them to... consummate, but not in the... Oh, heavens help her. She glanced everywhere but at his face, her cheeks deepening to a darker shade of pink.
"Don’t be silly! What are you even saying?" she murmured, attempting to brush off his words. She sounded unconvincing, even to herself, as her heartbeat quickened in her chest.
But Zylan’s expression remained serious. "What I’m saying is, do you want us to have s—"
Before he could finish, Naomi unbuckled her seatbelt in a flash, leaning over to cover his mouth. Zylan stilled, clearly caught off guard, as her small hand pressed firmly against his lips.
"I know what you mean! D-don’t say the word," she stammered, her blush deepening from her neck to her cheeks, a warmth spreading across her skin that felt all too telling.
Zylan’s eyes glinted with amusement. She felt a jolt of surprise as he pressed a kiss to her palm, his warm breath against her skin making her freeze. She pulled her hand back, eyes widening as he chuckled at her reaction.
"So, what if I just wanted to say it?" he teased, watching her squirm. There was that mischievous gleam again, the look that always left her flustered. Naomi shot him a look that was meant to silence him, though she knew it was hardly intimidating.
She realized, in the awkward shuffle of reaching over, that she’d half-knelt on the plush leather seat to reach his mouth before he could say more. Embarrassed, she quickly sat back down, straightening herself and securing her seatbelt. Just as she did, Zylan reached over to unbuckle his own, relaxing into his seat with a smug look.
The airplane was now airborne, the steady hum of the engines filling the cabin with a sense of calm. Yet, despite the gentle sound, the tension between them felt anything but calm. Every subtle shift in his posture, each amused glance, seemed to draw her closer to a realization she wasn’t quite ready to face.