Just keep breathing

Chapter 83

Katie's perspective

"Have I mentioned how much I really, truly detest flying?" I ask Harry, gritting my teeth as the engines rumble louder beneath us and the plane picks up speed on the runway.

"It might have come up once or twice babe," He chuckles back kissing my temple in a pitiful attempt to relax me

"And if I had any doubt, the bruises you are going to leave on my fingers from your death grip will certainly make it clear."

"Oops, sorry." I apologise, trying to loosen my hand a little

"I just, I don't know how you do this. Jump on and off planes like it's the most normal thing in the world and surrender yourself to the mercy of the pilot, I mean, we're literally putting our lives in his hands here. And, whilst I appreciate the private plane, could you possibly have found one that's bigger than the average family car?"

I say sarcastically gesturing around me at the tiny cabin which holds just half a dozen plush white leather seats. There is a minibar at one end, next to which a bored-looking hostess sits, trying and failing, to stare at Harry without us noticing.

"I love it when you get all nervous like this, its the only time I really get to hear what you're thinking," Harry smirks at me

"It's just a puddle jump, there was no need for a bigger plane, but if it would make you feel more comfortable, I'll make sure to charter a seven-forty-seven next time."

Finally, having had enough of my hand crushing his, Harry untangles our entwined fingers and throws his arm casually around my shoulders, pulling me close to his side as he speaks. I take a deep breath and inhale the scent which is so... Harry. Warm and musky, yet fresh and inviting all at the same time, and try to slow my racing heart.

As grateful as I am for his attempt at reassurance, I'm positive a puddle jump means very different things to us both. I know I should be getting better at this, after all, I managed our flights to both LA and Japan, but I was medicated on both occasions.

After spending so long forcibly unconscious very recently, I decided I wouldn't take any pills to get me through this flight, a decision I am regretting more and more as the plane finally reaches altitude and levels out. The seatbelt lights flickering off.

"How long are we going to be up here for?" I ask Harry, glancing out the window at the clouds below us and feeling my stomach tie itself into knots.

"Not long, I'm sure I can think up ways to distract you..." He says nuzzling his face into my hair and finding the soft skin of my neck before beginning to nip and suck at it gently.

I close my eyes and try to surrender myself to his touch, but even his magical lips seem unable to distract me from the fact that I am hurtling thousands of feet above the ground.

Less than an hour later, the pilots' voice booms over the speakers to alert us that we will shortly be reaching our destination, and requesting that we fasten our seatbelts.

The fact that he has not mentioned where our destination actually is like all other pilots do on regular flights has not escaped my attention, and I crane my neck to look out of the small window to see if I can spot some kind of landmark or something to indicate to me where we are.

My knowledge of flight times is limited, so although I am fairly sure we can't have gone any further than Europe, I am still none the wiser as to where we'll actually be spending out four precious nights away.

It's not until we reach passport control that I finally realise that I know where we are, it's one of the very few places in the world I have visited before, and by far my favourite.