Broken Together Read Online Free Page A

six
weeks that had passed since Cenia’s wedding.
    Rafael
smiled. “I purchased the jet while I was in Paris, ordered a few modifications,
and had it delivered here.” He was climbing the stairs directly behind me.
    “Ms.
Stone, Mr. Garcia,” the flight attendant greeted warmly. “Welcome aboard.”
    The
pilot stepped out of the cockpit. “Mr. Garcia. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’d
like you to meet my co-pilot, Robin Tatman. We just completed the pre-flight
inspection and checked the weather. You picked a perfect day to fly. We may hit
a few bumps during the climb out, but it should be smooth en route. We’ll have
about a hundred knot tail wind, which should shorten the time.” He glanced
adoringly at the flight attendant. “If there is anything we can do to make the
flight more comfortable, please let me or my wife, Kari, know.”
    Rafael
shook the pilot’s hand. “Captain Anderson, you and your wife came highly
recommended.” He shook Kari’s hand before greeting the co-pilot. “Ms. Tatman,
it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for assisting Captain Anderson.”
    I
tried to exchange pleasantries with the flight crew, but I was rendered
speechless by the décor inside the jet. A sleek leather U-shaped couch cradled
a deep mahogany table with an inlaid chess board. Three plush leather chairs
flanked each table on either side of the couch. The furniture had a
contemporary feel. The upholstery was white with dark brown trim. Recessed
lighting glowed softly along white walls, just above the windows and from within
the tray ceiling. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the couch faced a large,
contemporary gas fireplace, framed on all four sides with the same dark
mahogany wood. The fire was already lit and glowing brightly from within. “There’s…
there’s…”
    “A
fireplace?” Rafael finished as he stepped behind me. He pulled me flush against
his chest. His chin rested briefly on top of my head, but he shifted so he
could press his lips to my ear. “That fireplace extends into the room on the
other side of that wall. Would you like to see it?”
    My
breath rushed out all at once. “You didn’t.”
    A
laugh rumbled from deep within his chest. The vibration tickled my spine, which
was still pressed to his chest. “Didn’t what?”
    I
spun in his arms. “You did not buy a jet with a private bedroom.”
    Rafael
locked his arms around me as he stepped forward, forcing me to walk backwards
while he made his way toward the back of the jet. He snagged a bottle of wine,
a corkscrew, and two wine glasses from the table when we walked by, pressing
them all against my back. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”
    “We’ll
be departing in twenty minutes,” Kari warned. She coughed, trying to stifle a
laugh.
    “We’ll
be seated by then,” Rafael replied.
    My
legs nearly buckled when I caught sight of the bedroom. A queen sized bed
dominated the room. A dresser lie beneath the windows on the left, but there
was still enough room to walk around the bed. The dresser and the bed were
carved from the same dark mahogany wood that framed the fireplace, which was,
as Rafael promised, visible from the bed. Glass shelves and lights were tucked
inside the headboard. A white suede duvet covered the bed. White and brown
pillows lined the headboard, and a plush, dark chocolate blanket lie at the foot
of the bed. “This bedroom is… incredible.”
    “I’m
glad you like it.” Rafael pulled the cork out of the Chianti and handed me a
glass of wine. “Would you like to see the bathroom before we depart?”
    I
took a sip of wine while running my fingers along the soft duvet. “Yes, please.”
    Rafael
opened a door to the right of the bed. The white door blended in with the wall,
so I was surprised to see him open it. He waved me inside.
    Had
the lid been open, my jaw would have fallen inside the toilet. The bathroom
held a mahogany vanity with a dark brown, black, and bronze marble countertop.
A brushed