Sinful Love (Sinful Nights #4)

“Her day was all right, but not great, to be honest,” Noelle said on the other end of the line, rooting Annalise to the present. Their father had passed on a few years ago, and their mother was alone in a small flat in Paris. That wouldn’t be a problem ordinarily, except she’d had a bad fall a year ago, and her hip hadn’t been the same since, so she relied on her two daughters. Noelle and Annalise did their best to stay near, check in on her daily, and help with whatever she needed. These efforts were complicated by Annalise’s travel for work, but she picked up the slack when she was in town. “Her doctors are switching her to a new medication,” Noelle added.

“What kind are they giving her?” Annalise asked, since she’d become far too familiar with drugs and dosages while married to Julien. He took several kinds each day to try to stave off the inevitable, and so when her mother had fallen ill, she’d poured her newly acquired knowledge into researching her mom’s meds. As she and her sister discussed side effects and dosage, Annalise wandered through the noisy crowds in the boarding area, weaving through teens slouched on blue upholstered seats, businessmen in rumpled suits hunched over laptops, pecking away at keys, and vacationers playing a final round of airport slots, hunting for that last-chance payout.

Somewhere by the Aladdin one-armed bandit, she spotted him.

Her stone-cold heart thawed again. It shed its jacket like a girl in spring, twirling in the sunshine.

A grin tugged at her lips as Michael walked toward her, dressed in crisp black slacks and a light green shirt with slim white stripes, the top button undone. The man was muscled and sturdy, his chest broad, his arms way beyond toned, his legs strong. Her eyes raked over him, snapshotting every detail, from his trim, tight waist, to his deliciously messy black hair, to the hint of stubble on his face. His jaw was square, his cheekbones strong, his lips so fucking kissable. His ice-blue eyes lit up when their gazes met, a match setting her ablaze with his heat.

As if a tropical sun caressed her, she warmed all over. A slow and sexy smile spread across his handsome face. That was when her focus on the call was officially shot to hell. Butterflies took flight inside her belly, surprising her. She’d expected lust, raging hormones, or the mad desire that Michael had unleashed in her the other night, but this was out of left field, this strange and new stomach flipping. It caught her off-guard, especially when the butterflies soared to the stratosphere as he stopped less than a foot away from her, said nothing at all, and instead just dropped a kiss on her cheek.

Oh God, how she wanted to cup her hand on that cheek, like a young girl capturing a first kiss.

Noelle said something about medicine, but Annalise was simply lost in this moment, her face lingering near his lips, as if all the travelers, all the noise, all the sounds of the world had blurred. These few seconds next to him were bright, crisp, and achingly real, turning everything else mute.

When Michael stepped away from her, she completely lost her train of thought, as well as the words she’d meant to say to Noelle. Her sister rattled off details about milligrams and twice a day. The sound of her voice jarred Annalise back into the reality of the phone call.

She blinked and refocused, but she was still lightheaded, just from the brush of his lips and the sight of his face. “Take care of Mom. I’ll be back soon to help out. Just a few days in New York for the shoot,” she said.

“Fly safely, mon petite papillon,” her older sister said. “Keep me posted on everything. Love you. Miss you. See you soon.”

Annalise ended the call, slipping the phone into her back pocket.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Silly grins and knowing looks passed between them.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Her voice was laced with flirtation, and she loved the way it sounded as she talked to him. She thrilled at the way it felt to slide into this kind of woozy chemistry.

“What a surprise. I had no idea you were on this flight,” he said, playing along, as if they’d just met.

“Perhaps we can sit together and catch up on the plane,” she suggested, as if the two of them hadn’t already made those plans.

“I like that idea.” He leaned closer, his lips dangerously close as he said, “Maybe then I can whisper filthy things in your ear as we fly.”

She wobbled, his words making her hot. Her hand darted out, and she gripped his shirt, holding on. He looped an arm around her waist, making sure she didn’t fall.

“You’d want that, wouldn’t you?” he murmured, as he roamed his eyes over her. She wore skinny jeans and heels, and a silky tank top that dared to show a peek of cleavage.

“Yes. So much. Would you?”

His eyes blazed darkly—his yes. “I would absolutely love getting you hot and bothered.”

She brought her lips closer to his ear. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’m already there.”

A few minutes later, the gate agent’s voice warbled across the tinny speakers, calling for first-class passengers. Michael swept his arm to the side, letting her lead the way.

As they stepped onto the plane, he asked, “How’s your mom?”