Without giving her a chance to say anything, Mac got up and balanced himself on the seats as he went back up the aisle.
Casey blew her bangs off her face and visibly relaxed.
“Well, that went well. I thought he’d give me more of an argument, wish he had. I’m beginning to suspect he’s got something up his sleeve and it’s making me nervous.”
“You don’t mean—”
Mateo was approaching, so she stopped mid-sentence. She’d have to ask later what Casey was going to say. Right now, she was too engrossed in the man who made her heart flutter a bit too fast.
“May I?”
He was pointing to the seat, and at Allie’s nod, he dropped down.
“What was that all about?”
“Mac knows about her dumping Greg.”
“I’m sure most of the team will soon enough. Seb is bound to zero in on the ring finger.”
Allie leaned across her friend and asked, “What did he say?”
He smiled at her, an exaggerated one that morphed into a grin. “That would be breaking the Alvarez pledge, and I thought we both agreed I had to keep it. You don’t want me taking sides, now do you?”
She huffed, “A teaser isn’t fair.”
“I’m thinking it’s more of a warning than a teaser.”
Casey kissed his cheek. “On behalf of me, I thank you.”
He took her hand in his. “Is this going to make it stickier for you?”
She gave him a shrug.
Allie offered, “Probably should have kept the ring. Just for appearance sake.”
“That wouldn’t have been right. Besides, he might have taken the move as half-hearted, and my whole heart was in it.”
Mateo asked, “No going back?”
Allie glanced up to see Seb, pretending to take something out of the overhead bin, watching them. She had a feeling that even if there was no going back, there might be the chance of another turn around the block. She could just imagine the fireworks if that happened.
“Not in that direction.”
Allie knew her husband got the message when he said, “I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks, I just might.”
He hooked his finger at his wife. She leaned in closer and he bobbed up to kiss her. “That’s what I really came for. The other was just my way of getting it.”
Before she could stutter out an answer, he was walking back to his seat. She swallowed, rose out of her seat, and savored his ass, knowing that, against her better judgment, she’d see it without his jeans on before the night was over.
It was only as the plane began its descent that her mind freed itself from unruly thoughts of Mateo. When she saw the palm trees swaying along the runway, the blanket of green grass to her right, the sky a brilliant blue, she inhaled anticipation of warm days and cool nights. And a sexy Cuban in her bed.
As the passengers began to disembark, Allie gathered up her belongings, stuffing her laptop back into her satchel, tucking her empty drink cup into the pouch of the seat in front of her. She didn’t bother to get up until the plane was almost empty. While they waited, Casey asked, “Is everyone staying at the same condo complex?”
This was her first year with this team and she was still navigating the ins and outs.
“Most of us are. I made sure that our place was on the opposite side of certain individuals.”
Allie knew the set-up, having stayed there last year. It worked so well, she’d reserved thirty of the townhomes for this season before leaving. There were twelve buildings with six units per building, and they were situated over several streets. For as much as she wanted to be close to Mateo, she thought it best if Casey wasn’t anywhere near Seb. And that was before Casey’s broken engagement.
“Where are my parents staying in relationship to us?”
“Only a mile away. Mac was hired so late I didn’t have much time to do an in-depth search, but it seemed to fit the requirements your mom gave me. They wanted a house nearby with three bedrooms, a pool, good neighborhood, and a yard big enough to throw the barbecue you worked so hard on.”
“It’s not on water, is it?”
“Near enough the harbor to walk there but without the fear of alligators.”
“Okay, good. I don’t want to have to worry about that.”
After getting up, shouldering everything she could manage, handling the rest, Allie followed Casey out and off the plane, to find Mateo there waiting for her, her briefcase in his hand.
He reached out and relieved her of another one of her bags before walking companionably beside them out toward the exit. A couple of staff members would get all the luggage and transport it to the complex, so they didn’t have to bother waiting at baggage claim.
“There are many people here. I would not think it was such a big airport.”
“Home of Disney World. Next week will be worse. Everyone and their brother comes during school vacations. We make it a point to arrive before the mad rush.”
“We are close to there? I would like to see it, this magical place.”
“If we have an off day, we’ll go.”
Being there with him might be double the magic. Just seeing his reaction would be worth the time away.
They got in line to board the bus that was waiting at the curb, and she gave her assistant a thumbs-up. Things were moving like clockwork, just the way they’d arranged it. Now if she could get her personal life in the same kind of order as her professional one, she’d be batting a thousand.
Lyra Morales, the woman who’d been working with her since she’d taken over the role of VP, had done most of the follow-up for the Greenies’ mass exodus. She was sitting in the front seat of the bus, a clipboard in hand.
Allie stopped to check in with her.
“You have everyone listed?”
“Marked them off as they got on.”
“Good. You want to take this one?”
Lyra’s eyes went to Mateo and she smiled. “My pleasure.”
Allie very rarely
