Electric Impulse

chapter 26 | blue skies

Nine Weeks Ago

Thursday Early Afternoon

Pulling my luggage on the tarmac, I glance at Mia and Penelope. "We're about to be MIA, chickens!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

Everyone laughs and breaks into spontaneous conversation.

Phoenix walks beside me as we get closer to a navy-and-white jet. "There she is," he whispers in my ear.

"It's beautiful." The turbine engines and tail end of the jet are covered in a sleek, navy splatter design, while the rest of the plane is white.

"I call her Skye," he tells me as we climb the stairs.

The light flooding the stairwell alludes to a well-decorated cabin, ultra-modern like everything else he owns.

When I step inside, it gives me the feeling of being on a futuristic movie set. The space-age, dove gray leather seats and couches complement the light birch wood tables and jade stone Chinese character wall accents. The Asian influences in the art and décor, give the cabin a sense of tranquility.

The flight attendant greets everyone as we board the jet. She takes drink orders and preps us for takeoff.

Phoenix and I sit off towards the back of the cabin, in our own little oasis. He playfully grabs a coil of my hair and stretches it, then releases it. It springs back to its original shape.

"Enjoying yourself?" The sly smirk on my face and smug tone are an invitation to play.

Shaking his head, he teases me. "Smartass. Got me going to Miami just because you say so. What are you doing to me?"

"What are you doing to me? Now that's the real question."

"See, that's what I'm talking about. Always a little quip, always saying something slick. I love that you don't hold back. Don't ever hold back from me." He wraps his arm around me. "Stay one hundred with me. Be real with me. That's what makes you sexy. You're an intelligent woman that speaks her mind."

Slightly uncomfortable under the weight of his compliments. I laugh. "I don't know any other way to be."

"And that's what makes you perfect. God, you drive me crazy." He presses down his growing bulge and smiles at me. "See what I'm talking about?" He grabs a magazine from the back of the seat in front of him and, hiding his erection, he looks at me. "You want to know what I'm doing to you? I'm just treating my girl to the best in life. What's wrong with that?"

"Not a damn thing." In a flash, I reach for his neck and pull him towards me. Our lips touch igniting sparks. I'm breathless. My lips throb as he softly nibbles on my bottom lip before enveloping my mouth in a full on, pulse-racing kiss. His hands find their way around my waist. My hands find their way up his broad shoulders, along the back of his strong neck as I cradle his head in my hands, prompting his kisses to go deeper. Nudging him into me. He follows willingly.

I forget where we are until I hear the sound of footsteps walking towards us. My arm brushes against his glorious erection as I pull back for cover. Our lips touch one last time as we both pull away and straighten up in our seats. The idea of getting caught heightens the fun.

The flight attendant walks to the back of the cabin.

"Damn, you got me." He presses the magazine down over his crotch and sighs.

I would grab it too, but who knows what kind of fire I'd be starting if I did.

One you know you'd have to ride to put out.

I suppress the urge to stoke the flames, knowing that we'll be stuck on this jet with our family and friends for a few hours. But every inch of me screams for him. Every inch of me yearns for a closeness that only he can give me. The infinite kind. The kind that's hot and messy. Wild and untamed. Sweaty and breathless. I grab the arms of my seat and cross my legs to contain myself. Excitement mingled with fear of the unknown permeates my being. This is new territory.

He's beautiful and strong and sexy. Independent. Has his own mind. He has my back and he's down for me. I feel safe with him knowing he'll never let anyone hurt me again.

Who would've thought? I mean, look at how we met. I stare out the window amused at how far we've come.

Now, it's off to Miami in high style.

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Roughly three hours later, we land in Miami. When I get off the jet, I immediately notice the difference in the air. It's hot and humid. Feeling relaxed and ready for fun, I take the stairs to the tarmac, and I'm welcomed by a balmy breeze. I look back and see Phoenix on the phone. He's telling someone he's made it here.

Who is he checking in with?

I soak up the delicious sun and palm trees. Even the airport looks tropical.

Leon, Phoenix's driver, must've flown in earlier. We're greeted by him in an all-white Range Rover stretch limo. Leon gets out, opens the door and helps everyone with their luggage.

I get in. The inside of this bad boy is ridiculous. Plush, black leather seats, mini bars highlighted in neon blue lights positioned in the center and on both ends of the limo and a DJ station centered in the middle of the limo. It's a club on wheels. As soon as we get in, the party is on.

Phoenix takes over the DJ station. He puts on Usher's "I Don't Mind."

And I want to dance!

"You like that?" Phoenix looks through the digital sound system to line up his next selection.

"I can show you better than I can tell you!" The stripper pole in the center of the aisle is the perfect place to show off.

As soon as I start dancing, Penelope finds her way to the other stripper pole on board.

"It's a twerk off." I hear one of the guys yell. They get loud and rowdy. JC starts throwing bills.

The vacation hasn't even started yet, but if the limo ride is any indication, this vacation will be one to remember.

We arrive at a stunning ocean-front building. Phoenix takes my hand and I exit the limo. The architecture of this building is unique and impressive. From the bottom up, each successive level is a smaller version of the level below it, reminding me of Russian nesting dolls. The smooth, fluid design is seamless, like a spaceship. We could walk inside and jet off to the stars, if we wanted to.

"We're headed to the top. Twenty-first floor." Phoenix tells me as I stare at the spaceship in awe.

"The penthouse?"

He looks down at his feet, then directly into my eyes with a cocky smile. "Yep."

He's gonna charm your pants right off.

With raised eyebrows, my eyes go from the building to Phoenix and back to the building again. As the doorman piles our luggage onto a bellhop cart, I hear Mia and Penelope chirping like excited birds.

Grand in every sense of the word, these majestic condos boast floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek wrap-around terraces and glass balconies. Many don't appear to have curtains or shades.

I guess there's no shame when you've got bread like this.

We go inside and get into the elevator. The ride up is a smooth one. Standing in an all-glass box, we view the gorgeous Miami skyline as we ascend to the top floor.

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A/N: Hey Lovers! So this is the end of chapter 26. It looks like Aria is off to an awesome vacay! After everything she's been through, I'd say she deserves it. Please Vote, Comment and Follow! I love you guys!