CHAPTER 101: DID I HURT YOU?

Winn Kane suddenly looked... breakable. His knuckles whitened around the armrest as the jet’s engines roared to life. He shut his eyes tightly, every line of his body drawn taut.

Ivy had seen this look before.

The memory came back in a rush — the day they’d gotten stuck in the elevator together. The power had gone out, plunging them into darkness. Now she understood — it wasn’t just elevators. It was the loss of control.

Her heart squeezed painfully at the sight.

Without thinking, she reached over and placed her hand over his. It was a gentle, hesitant gesture, but the reaction was immediate. Winn’s hand shot up and gripped hers, hard, lacing their fingers together. His palm was warm and slightly damp, his grip desperate — but she didn’t mind.

She didn’t speak. Instead, she let him have the silence he needed. She watched the way his chest rose and fell, the muscle in his jaw twitching with every subtle shake of the aircraft.

The plane began to speed down the runway, the pressure building. The hum turned to a roar, the force pushing them back into their seats. Winn’s breathing grew heavier, his fingers tightening around hers until she could feel her pulse against his skin. But she didn’t pull away. She squeezed back — firm, reassuring.

When the jet lifted into the sky, the vibration changed. The pressure shifted. The engines steadied to a softer, constant hum.

Slowly, Winn’s grip began to loosen. His breathing evened out, the tension draining from his shoulders. He opened his eyes and exhaled.

Winn finally looked down at their entangled hands. Her fingers were small against his, trembling slightly from the cold hum of the jet’s air system. The tension in his chest eased by degrees. His thumb brushed her knuckles before he realized what he was doing. "I’m sorry," he murmured. "Did I hurt you?"

He started to pull away, embarrassed by how tightly he’d held on.

"No." Ivy’s whisper was barely a breath. Her hand tightened around his before he could withdraw, her grip almost pleading, her eyes fixed ahead. She didn’t look at him, didn’t say anything else—but the small act was enough. He stayed still, uncertain what to do with the warmth blooming in his chest.

Winn glanced at her and smiled faintly. She was looking out the window now, her reflection outlined by the low cabin light, and he found himself studying her profile.

He realized, with quiet awe, how much of an exceptional woman she was. He wondered if she had any idea what she did to him just by being there.

******

Five hours later, as the jet began its descent, Winn’s shoulders stiffened again. The engines’ pitch changed, the pressure in the cabin shifted, and the old panic crept back.

Ivy noticed immediately. Without speaking, she reached across the narrow space between them and slipped her hand into his again, her touch light but certain. He turned his head, met her eyes for half a second, and then closed his own.

When they finally landed in California, it was almost midnight. Winn exhaled as though he’d been holding his breath for hours. They stepped off the jet into the waiting breeze.

The car ride from the airfield was quiet but comfortable. California unfurled around them in long stretches of ocean road. Ivy pressed her face to the window, her eyes widening at every turn that revealed a new view of the coastline. Winn couldn’t help but smile at her excitement.

When they finally arrived, the driver stopped in front of a small beach house perched on a hill overlooking the ocean.

Porters hurried around them, unloading luggage. She turned in a slow circle, taking in the view, her mouth parting in quiet wonder. "Please don’t tell me you own this place too?" she said.

"Only for the next few days." Winn’s smile tilted. "It’s rented. I promise."

"It’s beautiful," Ivy breathed, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The ocean stretched endlessly before her. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the sound of the waves calm the chaos inside her chest.

"I could buy it," Winn said casually beside her, hands buried in his pockets, as if he were commenting on the weather. "If you want it."

Ivy turned her head sharply to look at him. The breeze caught his hair, and he looked so effortlessly put together, so dangerously charming, that she forgot to roll her eyes in response. "I thought you said you were broke."

"What can I say?" He shrugged, that infuriatingly confident grin curving his mouth. "Marrying you is going to get me a shit ton of money. Why not spend it on you anyway?"

Ivy gasped dramatically and swatted at his arm. "Oh, you absolute gold digger!"

He laughed then bent to press a soft kiss to the top of her head.

Ivy sighed, leaning into him, her arms snaking around his waist. She could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his shirt, the familiar scent of him filling her senses. "I only want what you want," she said softly.

Winn stilled, his hand instinctively brushing her back. A small chuckle escaped him. "That’s going to be weird," he murmured.

She frowned against his chest. "Why is that?"

He looked down at her with mock seriousness. "What I want is you. If you want what I want, it means you want... you."

Ivy leaned back slightly, blinking up at him. "Oh my god," she groaned, shoving him playfully in the chest. "You are insufferable. I give up."

He laughed again as she turned and walked toward the house. She couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips. Her heart felt light, her chest warm.

The porters were just finishing unloading their luggage. Ivy thanked them as they handed over the keys. Winn tipped the men generously before waving them off, his gaze never straying far from her.

When the car finally disappeared down the winding drive, the world seemed to grow quieter. The ocean was louder now, waves breaking softly against the rocks below. The house itself was beautiful.