Chapter Two
Kayla settled into in her window seat, pulled the tray down, and swiped a Wet One over it. She wasn’t a certified germaphobe or anything, but lots of disgusting things crossed airplane trays. From snotty hands to spilled food…and beyond. How many people had joined the mile high club on this very plane?
She shuddered just thinking about it.
Once she finished cleaning, she got her emergency flight stuff in order. The flight might only be a few hours long, but she’d be spending it with her eyes shut to the world. Sleeping mask? Check. Sleeping pills? Check. Now all she needed was one of those cocktails they offered in first class—she’d already ordered a vodka cranberry—and she’d be done for the night.
When she woke up, she’d be back in North Carolina with her parents, and the real fun could start.
Yeah. Not really.
Every time she saw them, they harped on her. Asked why she hadn’t settled down yet. She’d argue with them, telling them she was young and single and free. And they would proceed to ignore her explanations for her life choices. They did it every visit. It never varied.
But this visit wasn’t going to be the same old scenario.
Hence the fake boyfriend.
A gear kicked into place, or a door shut somewhere, and she jumped. Though Cooper had managed to keep her distracted in the boarding area, nothing could stop her from panicking now. Although the image of him getting gutted with a candy cane did bring a smile to her face. And, holy hell, the man was hot…even with a sticky sweater.
Those green eyes, paired with that light brown hair that had curled just right at the ends, had been a hell of a welcome distraction. And his lips…man, they’d been so sensual and full. It had made her wonder if he was a good kisser.
If he sat next to her on this flight, she might not even care that they were thousands and thousands of feet up in the air with nothing to save them when their deathtrap crashed to the earth below. Maybe she’d even discover if those lips were as kissable as they looked.
Okay. Enough of that line of thought. She didn’t even know the guy. It was probably a good thing he wasn’t sitting next to her. If he was, she wouldn’t be able to pass out through the flight until safely back on the ground again.
Because if she slept, she might snore. Or worse…drool all over his shoulder.
That would be an unforgiveable offense.
The flight attendant walked up to her with the double vodka cranberry she’d requested the second she’d boarded the plane, and Kayla was grateful that being in first class meant the drinks were mixed for her. Her hands were shaking so badly there was no way she could have done it herself.
“Thank you.” With jerky movements, she lifted the glass to her lips and gulped down three big swallows. “I needed this.”
Come on liquid courage.
If the flight attendant was shocked by Kayla’s desperate display, she didn’t show it. “Can I get you anything else, or would you like some peace and quiet now?”
Kayla eyed the passengers in front of her. Hopefully they wouldn’t be too noisy. “Quiet is good. I plan on passing out shortly so I’m not alive as we crash down to our fiery deaths,” Kayla blurted, her heart racing and her mouth drying out while her hands inexplicably got all sweaty. Trembling, she set her cocktail into the drink holder next to her seat. “I’m scared of flying. Really scared.”
The flight attendant blinked at her. “Don’t worry. We have one of the best pilots flying us today. You don’t have a thing to worry about.”
“Does he drink? Or do drugs?”
She laughed. “No. They’re pretty strict about that stuff nowadays.”
“I hope you’re right.”
The flight attendant smiled one more time, then backed off. “I’m going to check on the others now.”
Kayla bit her lip and watched the attendant leave. The woman probably thought she was one brick short of a house. Well, she could think what she wanted as long as she kept the drinks coming. Kayla put the sleeping pills on the travel table, thankful she didn’t have to worry about driving once she landed. After her self-medication, she’d be in no shape to operate heavy machinery.
Or to talk about anything, really…which was why she would be taking a shuttle to the hotel. Once there, she would spend a peaceful night alone, catching as much sleep as she could before the insanity of the wedding preparations consumed her.
She muttered, “I’m going to toss back this drink. Then off to sleep I go.”
Soft laughter sounded beside her, and she stiffened. “You’re adorable when you talk to yourself. You know that? But you don’t have to anymore. You’ve got me.”
“Cooper?” She blinked up at him, trying to put two and two together. “You’re in first class, too? But you said you weren’t.”
“I thought wrong. My, uh, travel agent told me I had to fly coach, but when I saw first class wasn’t booked, I switched.” He rubbed the back of his neck and shuffled his feet. “Your purse is in my seat.”
“Oh.” Swallowing hard, she moved it over so he could sit next to her. Snatching up the sleeping pills, she tossed them in her purse before he noticed—no way would she be taking them now—and threw the dirty wipe in with them. “Sorry about that. I forgot I’d have company.”
“It sure looks like you planned for company,” he said, with a pointed look at the nearly-clear-it-was-so-strong drink next to her. God, his eyes were so freaking green she couldn’t help but wonder if they were contacts. No one had eyes that color naturally. “Drinking to get rid of the nerves?”
Hell yeah.
She lifted the glass and tried to sip demurely, but she was pretty sure it sounded like a loud slurp instead. “It won’t get rid of them, but it will make them a little more bearable. I apologize in advance for any drunken rambling I’m about to make. Though it probably won’t sound much different from my nervous babbling.”
God, she needed to stop sounding like a fool.
If they’d met under any other circumstances, she would have remained cool and collected the whole time. Flirted with all of the ease and confidence she could muster.
Instead, he got this.
Luckily, he didn’t seem to mind the half-wit state she was currently stuck in. Grinning, he shoved his bag in the overhead. As he reached up, his sweater lifted, showing off his taut abdomen peppered with the same color light brown hair that was on his head. Only this time, the hair led down below his beltline to his…
Never mind where it led, thank you very much. She curled her hands into fists at the ridiculous urge to touch the thin strip of skin.
“If you’re going to have a party, the least I can do is join you.” He looked over his shoulder at the attendant who hovered in the corner. “Excuse me? Could I please have what she’s having?”
“Of course,” she said, the appreciation for the fine male specimen in front of her clear in the attendant’s enraptured expression. This was not lost on Kayla. Miraculously enough, Cooper didn’t seem to notice, though. “I’ll be right back with that.”
“Thank you.”
As the attendant hurried off to make his drink, Cooper sat beside Kayla, dragged a hand through his hair and turned those bright green eyes her way. When he looked at her like that, all concerned and warm, her insides went all gooey and hot. She wondered if he knew the effect he had on her.
Not if she could help it. She lifted her chin and clenched her teeth together, flashing him a smile. She would not lose herself in him like some foolish besotted schoolgirl. “So…?”
“So…?” He smiled back, those lips she was so obsessed with parting to show his perfect white teeth. The man was flawless everywhere. So not fair. “Are you topping this drink off with some sleeping pills? I saw you had something out earlier.”
Crap. She hadn’t moved fast enough. “Uh, no. They were vitamins.”
He cocked a brow. “Vitamins? On a plane?”
“Yeah. Haven’t you heard of them before?” she teased, tugging on a piece of hair and looking at him through her lashes. “They’re good for you—unlike the vodka I’m about to down. I figured I’d balance out the bad effects of the alcohol on my liver with something good. Life is all about ratios, after all.”
The attendant brought him his drink but he didn’t tear his eyes from Kayla. Having his full attention made her tremble. She looked out the window, needing a respite from…well, him.
The attendant set the drink down—along with a refill for Kayla, bless her heart—and cleared her throat. “Here you go. If you need anything else, just press the call button.”
“Could you bring us a blanket? Besides that, we should be fine,” Cooper said. After the attendant left, he shifted closer to Kayla until his leg pressed against hers. Then, with his voice low and his gaze locked on her mouth, he said, “You looked cold.”
The shudder? Yeah. That hadn’t been from the cold. But let him think it was. “Yeah, a little.”
“I’ll do my best to distract you from the flight,” he promised, taking a sip of his drink. “You know that, right?”
She furrowed her brow. “Why do you want to? You don’t even know me. What’s in it for you?”
“Does there have to be something in it for me?”
“There usually is.” She met his eyes. They looked as kind and open as they had earlier. Was it all an act or what? “Most of the time, anyway. What’s your play?”
He shrugged. “I like you. I like talking to you. That’s about it.”
“And now you want to sit with me and make me happy?” She crossed her arms. “It sounds like you’re trying to fill the role of my make-believe boyfriend for the next couple of hours.”
“Yeah, maybe something like that.” He reached for the vodka cranberry and his woodsy scent teased her senses. “I find you intriguing and I enjoy your company. Isn’t that enough of a reason to try to help you? To talk to you?”
“I guess.” She watched him closely, taking in all his perfection with the eye of a cynic. Guys that looked like him usually weren’t the selfless type. That might be stereotyping a bit, sure, but it was true. “And yet, not really.”
His gaze fell to her lips. She could practically feel his mouth on hers already, kissing her until she forgot all about her fears. This was bad. Really bad. He might be here out of the kindness of his heart, but her body was far too drawn to him.
How long had it been since she wanted a man? Months? Years?
As if he could read her thoughts, he leaned closer. “I still don’t see how someone like you would have to make up a boyfriend. How is that possible?”
“I told you.” Her pulse increased. “I haven’t met anyone worth the trouble of a relationship yet. I’m picky when it comes to men.”
“Hm. Maybe you’re looking in the wrong places.” He reached out and touched her hand, his fingers light on her skin. She knew she should pull away, but instead her gaze clashed with his and she didn’t move. “Have you ever thought of that?”
Oh, so he was playing that game, was he? All right, she could flirt with him too. Maybe it would even take her mind off of her flying fears. He’d certainly helped in the terminal before the flight boarded. She looked up at him through her lashes, leaning in just right. “Or maybe the man for me has been hanging around in airports all this time.”
The corners of his mouth tilted up. “Perhaps.”
She tapped her fingers on her thigh, inwardly rejoicing at his reaction to her. “So, you’re all mine tonight?”
“All yours,” he repeated, smiling wolfishly at her. “However you’d like me.”
The attendant came back, carrying a plastic package with a blanket in it. Cooper accepted it, thanking her quietly, and Kayla just watched him.
Why did his words sound so naughty? Maybe he’d meant them that way. Or maybe she just wanted him to have meant them that way. The words were innocent enough, yet desire spiraled in her stomach. There was something about Cooper…
She liked him.
Picking up her almost empty glass, she held it out for a toast. “To vodka and not dying?”
“Especially to the not dying part.” He clanked his cup against hers. “You know, I have a very effective way to make you forget your fear that I would love to show you—if you’re willing to trust me, that is.”
She swayed closer. “Oh? And what would that be?”
He shifted in his seat, closing the distance between them until his lips were a breath away from her cheek. He tucked her hair behind her ear, and she shivered at the light touch. “Distraction. I’m going to make you forget all about how high we are in the sky. By the time we land, you’ll be sad to see the flight end because you’ll have to say goodbye to me.”
Such confidence…but damn if she didn’t think he was right.
“Oh, really?” Swallowing hard, she said, “How do you propose to do something as impossible as that? You did hear the part about me being super picky, right?”
“Oh, I heard you all right.” He settled back into his seat. “As far as how I plan to distract you? Well, that, my dear, is for me to know and you to find out. But first, we drink.”
She chugged back her drink, her heart racing the whole time. Only, instead of fear of flying being the guilty culprit, it was the man sitting next to her. Damn, he was good. They both set down their empty glasses, and she shuddered. “God, that’s strong. I should’ve asked for more juice.”
His lips twitched, and he trailed a finger down her jawline. “Know what chases a strong drink better than the cranberry juice?”
The contact of his hand on her face sent shivers of lust through her blood, making her feel weak and dizzy. Or maybe it was the strong cocktail she just drank as if it were water instead of almost straight booze. Or perhaps it was because she had no idea what he’d do next—and liked that about him.
Oh, the hell with it. She pressed her face into his palm, relishing the touch instead of ending it. “No. What chases a strong drink better than cranberry juice?”
“This.”
Before she could so much as blink, his lips were on hers, and the harsh taste of vodka was replaced with his mouth. Those lips she’d been fantasizing about closed over hers, taking the breath right out of her. She gasped at his unexpected move, and he took full advantage of her surprise.
When his tongue swept inside and touched hers, she moaned. Actually moaned.
She should have been shoving him off, but instead she pulled him closer. Dear God, the man knew what he was doing. It had been a long time since she’d been kissed…or anything else, for that matter. And he was fabulous.
Groaning, he tilted his head so he could have better access to her mouth, held her face still with his hand, and proceeded to ravish her. There couldn’t possibly be another word for what he did. No doubt. No hesitation. He assumed he was welcome to seduce her…a stranger he’d met moments ago in an airport.
And, damn it, she wanted more than a kiss. She wanted it all, God help her.
She’d never been so turned on by something so simple before. She clenched her thighs together, desire dampening her panties. She rubbed against the seat and slid her tongue into his mouth, flicking it against his. Pulling back slightly, he took a deep breath and rubbed a thumb down her lip. “You taste even better than I thought you would.”
Then he reached across her. His knuckles brushed against her lap as he tightened her seatbelt strap, perilously close to where she ached for him to touch. Teasing her, scandalizing her, before settling in his own seat as if nothing had happened.
What. The. Hell?
The flight attendant approached them, a pleasant expression on her face. Kayla searched for any signs of awareness that her two passengers just had their tongues in one another’s mouths, but saw nothing. “I’ll collect your drinks, and you’ll need to put your trays up. We’re about to take off.”
“Of course.” His voice even, he handed off his empty glass with a steady hand and then grabbed Kayla’s as well. “Once we’re in the air, we’d like another round—but a quarter of the strength.”
“Certainly.”
She headed off. When he turned to Kayla and looked at her with the unmistakable intention to reenact the make-out session from a few moments ago, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Are you trying to get me drunk so you can kiss me again?”
“Perhaps.” His lips quirked up a little bit. “Though, a more accurate description of what I’m trying to accomplish would be to get you drunk enough to forget about the flight, but not so drunk that I’m stuck cleaning vomit off my shoes. It’s a thin line I’m walking here.”
“You might have to clean it up anyway,” she muttered, looking out the window. Clinging to the armrests as if they would possibly save her in a crash, she closed her eyes. “Oh, God, we’re moving. Aren’t they supposed to do that stupid drill about floating aircraft seats and escaping out the emergency door to die in the ocean before we take off?”
“She’s about to start. See? Besides, we’re just getting in line on the tarmac.”
The attendant started her spiel about what to do in case of a crash, and it took all of Kayla’s control not to laugh hysterically. As if they stood a chance if they crashed.
Puh-lease.
The aircraft turned onto the runway, and she grabbed the armrest tighter. “Oh. God.”
The flight attendant stopped talking and went to sit down. She looked so calm. How could she be so freaking calm at a time like this?
“I’m here.” He grabbed her hand and pulled it into his lap, right above his knee. Instead of pulling away, she held on tight. As if he could keep her safe or something. “I’ll keep you safe.”
And he’d read her mind again. “Oh really?” She opened her eyes so she could glower at him. “Are you really Superman in disguise? You’re going to catch the plane as it plummets to the earth?”
He snapped the fingers of his free hand. “Yep. You figured out my secret. Underneath my sweater, I’m hiding spandex and a cape.”
“That’s kind of hot.” She pictured him in the Superman outfit, tight fabric hugging every muscle. “Okay, really hot.”
He snorted and squeezed her hand. “Talk to me. I’ll distract you as we climb.”
She let out a half-groan, half-laugh and looked out the window. Though they were only taxiing down the runway, they might as well have been going three hundred miles an hour from what she could see. “I heard once that almost all plane crashes occur on takeoff or landing, but they rarely occur in mid-flight.”
“Actually, only fourteen percent of accidents occur during takeoff. Fifty-seven percent happen while up in the air,” he said. “It’s a myth that takeoff is the most dangerous part. I know that for a fact.”
“What?” She shot him a surprised look. “Don’t tell me. Are you an actuary, too?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m an ex-Marine, currently on my way to my new job.”
“Oh.” She relaxed a little bit. “Okay. That makes me feel a little safer. I’ve always had a thing for a man in uniform.”
“Good.” He stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “I’ve always had a thing for pretty little actuaries.”
Her heart skipped a beat even though it was so clearly a pickup line. But he’d called her pretty. Her inner schoolgirl was totally squee-ing all over the place right now. “Have you ever met an actuary before me?”
“Nope.” He grinned. “But I don’t need to.”
“Is that so?”
“Mmhm. I now know I always had a thing for them. Especially ones who wear skirts and taste like heaven.” He leaned closer and brushed a soft kiss against her lips again. She barely had time to react before he pulled back, making a sound deep in his throat that was more erotic than she could ever explain. “Yep. Definitely heaven.”
The urge to fan her cheeks was strong. She needed to cool it right now. This man was way too good.
As they started to gain altitude, she clung to his hand and scrambled for something to talk about besides kissing. “Oh, God. Distraction. Distraction is good. You said ex, right? So, you’re out of the Marines? Were you in for four years? Did you know thirty-nine percent of new recruits quit after the initial four years?”
“No, I didn’t.” He laughed. “Buy, yep, I got out after four years. Now I’ll be working for a private sector security company that’s going back to Afghanistan into enemy territory next week. I start Monday.”
“It’s sending you overseas?”
“Yep.”
Oh, great. So her mysterious benefactor would be gone from the country after this weekend. For some reason that didn’t sit well. “Well, I wish you good luck. Where do you live when you’re not rescuing women in airports?”
“I’m from Maine.” He kissed the back of her hand. “But the company I work for is in North Carolina, so I guess I’ll be spending most of my free time there. How about you?”
“I’m the opposite. I grew up near Charlotte but I live in Maine.” Shivering, she shifted closer to him. She knew he was only touching and kissing her to make her forget about the flight, but if he kept that up, she’d be climbing in his lap before it was over. “I live in Cape Elizabeth, to be exact.”
He turned her hand over and nibbled on her wrist. “My parents live there, too.”
“Mm,” she murmured, not really listening.
He flicked his tongue over her palm this time, his gaze on her the whole time. She watched, mesmerized, as he nibbled at the spot he just licked. Even though she should pull away—she didn’t.
“You taste delicious.”
“You look delicious,” she blurted, and then wished she hadn’t. “I mean, uh…never mind.”
Apparently, he didn’t find her ridiculous at all. He smiled at her and moved his lips to her wrist. Pressing another soft kiss there, he looked up at her through his eyelashes—incredibly thick, long eyelashes that could make a woman weep with jealousy. “Here come our drinks.”
“Wh-what?” She blinked and shook her head to clear the hazy fog of desire. “What did you say?”
He raised a brow. “I said our drinks are coming.”
“It’s been long enough for that? That’s not possible.” She turned towards the window. There was dark sky and…clouds. Freaking clouds. Not a city light to be seen. “But that’s not possible.”
“I assure you, it’s quite possible.”
Her jaw dropped. “How did I miss ten minutes like that?”
With a smug grin, he shrugged. “Distraction.”
Oh, God, he was really, really good.