Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 199

Chapter 199

Daphne’s POV

By the time we reached the airport, the sun sat lower in the sky, painting everything in soft gold.

The private terminal looked nothing like the busy commercial one I’d flown out of before.

No long security lines, no crowds. Just sleek glass doors and a quiet driveway where luxury cars idled.

We pulled straight up to a gated entrance, and a uniformed attendant waved us through without a word.

The private hangar opened up ahead, revealing our jet waiting inside like it belonged in a magazine.

The exterior gleamed white with dark blue accents along the wings, the Tyrone family crest subtle on the tail.

It looked fast and expensive, the kind of plane that made you feel like you’d stepped into another world the second you boarded.

David ended his last call the moment we stepped out of the car.

He slid the phone into his pocket with a definitive click, his focus shifting entirely to me.

“Let’s go.”

His arm immediately found my waist, his hand splaying across my side with a familiar, possessive certainty.

I felt the heat of his palm through my clothes, and for the first time, I didn’t tense up. I didn’t try to pull away or build a wall of professional distance.

Instead, I let the feelings in, allowing myself to lean into him as we walked.

Inside the hangar, the air carried a faint smell of jet fuel and polished leather.

Crew members moved around the plane with quiet efficiency, loading the last bags.

We climbed the short stairs, and the moment I ducked through the door, the interior opened up around me.

Wide, cream-colored leather seats faced each other in cozy groups. Dark wood panels lined the walls, warm and rich.

A small bar area sat toward the back, stocked with crystal glasses a fridge I knew held whatever we might want, and a hallway that led toward the private quarters in the back.

Soft lighting glowed from overhead… everything felt spacious, like a tiny apartment in the sky.

There were no crying babies, no cramped legroom, and no overhead bins stuffed with luggage. It was quiet, luxurious, and utterly refreshing.

David settled into one of the captain’s chairs near the front, already pulling out his laptop. I chose the seat across from him. buckling in as the engines began their low buildup.

The flight attendant offered us drinks, but I shook my head. My stomach was too busy doing flips,

We taxied out smoothly, and soon the runway blurred past. The plane lifted, pressing me gently back into the seat,

Below, the city shrank away-tiny cars, green patches of park, the river winding like a silver thread.

I watched until clouds swallowed the view, then leaned my head against the window.

Hapter 199

The hours stretched. David worked quietly, typing and murmuring into another call.

I tried to focus on the book I’d brought, but the words kept swimming. I fought it, but it was proving to be a losing battle against the heavy pull of exhaustion.

My eyelids felt like lead; I’d force them open for a few seconds, staring at the words in my books until they blurred, only to feel my chin drop toward my chest a moment later.

Each time I jerked back to consciousness, the world felt a little softer, a little further away, until the line betwee jet and my dreams started to dissolve.

Suddenly, a warm pressure on my thigh made me jerk awake. My eyes snapped open, and I found David leaning over the seat across the aisle.

His palm was resting just above my knee, his touch steady and grounding against my skin.

He looked up from his screen, those blue eyes turning toward me.

In the cabin’s warm, recessed lighting, they held a softness that made my breath catch; a quiet, liquid look that felt far too intimate for a plane ride between a boss and his assistant.

The cabin was dim now, the overheads turned off to leave only the soft fluorescent glow of the jet’s interior tracing the lines of his face.

“Do you want to sleep, Daphne?” he asked.

I nodded vigorously, my voice too stuck in my throat to function

A half-smile crossed his lips-a genuine one this time, without a hint of the smirk he usually wore.

He stood up, his hand sliding off my leg as he gestured toward the back of the plane.

“You can come to the room,” he said. “The bed is made. “You’ll be more comfortable there.”

I started to argue out of habit-“I’m fine here, really”–but he rolled his eyes, the expression so familiar it made me giggle.

“You must not be stubborn every single time, Daphne,” he hissed standing and offering his hand.

I took it, smiling sheepishly, and let him lead me down the narrow aisle.

The private room sat at the very back; a door that opened into a pace bigger than I expected.

A large bed was tucked into the center, covered in silk sheets that looked like liquid cream.

There was a small vanity, a private bath, and a window that showed nothing but the dark, star-speckled expanse of the sky.

“Get comfortable,” he pressed, lingering in the doorway for a second. “I’ll be in the main cabin if you need anything. We have a long flight ahead of us.”

Then, he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

I stood in the center of the room, staring at the sheer luxury of all. The sweet smell of jasmine and expensive leather lingered in the air.

I walked over to the bed and sat down, the mattress dipping beneath me with a softness I hadn’t known existed.

I was a girl from a drafty apartment who had just been kissed on the cheek by a titan of industry and was now flying across the ocean in a bed made of silk.

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apter 199

The reality of it was so far beyond my reach that I didn’t even tr

I just pulled the covers up, closed my eyes, and let the quiet hum never wanted to wake up from.

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