Free Queen’s Knight (Invitation to Eden) by Sara Fawkes Page A

Instead, she rolled over in the bed, burying her face in the pillow to hide her tears.
    *
    H is feet felt heavier with every step away from the castle, but Evan followed after the trio of businessmen in front of him. Jeremiah’s plane was ready to take off, the pilot and crew in place, it just needed passengers. Their time was up, they’d all checked out, but Evan wasn’t ready to leave the island.
    He wasn’t ready to leave her.
    Ahead of him, Griffin had his arm around the woman who was friends with Dani, talking softly to her. She was subdued, hanging onto the rotund older man, her head on his shoulder. Rose , that was her name. Watching the two of them made Evan’s chest hurt.
    For the third time, Evan looked back, hoping to see familiar blonde hair seeing him off. The castle rose against the island, lit softly by the rising sun. The sight was magnificent, but not what he wanted. Nobody had followed them onto the tarmac; no familiar blonde-haired women ran to him crying their goodbyes.
    I’m an idiot. He should go back and, if not drag her to New York with him, at least give her a proper goodbye. Yet, he kept walking, the plane growing larger until he was at the foot of the steps.
    Jeremiah and the others had already disappeared inside; apparently, Evan had lagged further behind than he realized. Beside him, the woman Rose crossed her arms and glared silently at Evan.
    He very obviously didn’t have one fan, at least.
    Sighing, Evan started up the steps as the workers put the few suitcases into the bottom of the plane, then closed it up. He took his seat, looking out toward the castle.
    “God, I can’t wait to get out of here,” Preston muttered, but everyone ignored him. His nose was still swollen from his last conversation with Evan, and a dark ring sat beneath one eye.
    “I could have stayed a while longer,” Griffin said a moment later, staring out the window. His voice was wistful as he waved again to Rose. “What a woman.”
    The plane pulled out and began taxiing down the runway. Jungle lined one side of the asphalt, as wild and beautiful as anything they’d seen on the island. He remembered her words, that the island was alive and constantly showing new sides of itself.
    Then, from somewhere over the roar of the small plane’s engines, he heard the familiar sound of a two-stroke engine.
    A dirt bike appeared out of the jungle and made a beeline for the plane. Blonde hair streamed out from under the helmet, and a white flag with black writing was duct taped to the rear subframe of the motorcycle. The red bike curved slightly, accelerating until it was racing parallel with the aircraft and Evan’s window. The rider stood up on the pegs, twisting her upper body and raising one hand in a farewell salute.
    Evan’s heartbeat grew almost too hard for his chest. The flag billowed in the wind, the wind whipping it to and fro, making words difficult to read. His breath caught in his throat however when he finally got the message.
    You’re still invited, Prince Charming .
    Why don’t you quit and come riding with me. Her words echoed in his head, and Evan flattened his hand beside the window.
    Dani never got very far ahead of Evan’s window and the pilot probably didn’t see her, because he continued to accelerate. He watched her throttle hand twist down, and the nose of the bike shot into the air. She held that wheelie, one hand raised in the air, and Evan returned her wave.
    Then the plane pulled forward, wheels leaving the tarmac, and the bike and flag disappeared from sight.
    His heart in his throat, Evan gripped the arms of his chair, wondering if he’d made a huge mistake. Across from him, he saw Lucy watching him. Her seat was on the same side of the plane as his and, from the sympathy Evan saw in her eyes, she’d noticed the bike. She reached out and took Jeremiah’s hand, and the CEO, without looking, hugged her hand to his chest, staring out the opposite window. If he’d seen the motorcycle,