On the Flights

by Ellen Hutton

  On The Flights

  A Second Chance Romance

  By Ellen Hutton

  Copyright 2018 - All Right Reserve

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination. Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18.

  Synopsis

  When courier, Kari Thomas can’t get a sitter to watch her three-year-old daughter Ashley, she is forced to take her on her rounds to deliver packages. On the last stop of the day, Kari meets the foreign entrepreneur, Stefan Ulrich, who owns a top clothing line and modeling agency. Kari tried to hide the true nature of her identity in the presence of Stefan, a man with such a notable reputation. What Kari doesn’t anticipate, is the enigmatic billionaire to offer her a position within his modeling company.

  When Stefan Ulrich meets the young and feisty Kari, he is impressed with her fortitude and strength of character. It has been a long time since a woman hasn’t succumbed to his will based on his reputation and money, and he is delightfully surprised to be turned on by a woman who is average compared to the fashionista’s he deals with on a daily basis in his modeling company. Stefan is intrigued by Kari’s quick wit and blunt honesty, and he is refreshed by her friendship. But when the friendship develops into the passion between two lovers, will the secret Kari has been keeping about her daughter, threaten to destroy the relationship they have built, or can Stefan find it in his heart to love not only Kari, but her daughter as well?

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  CONTENTS

  Copyright 2018 - All Right Reserve

  Synopsis

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  About The Author

  Bonus Story: Home Lust

  Bonus Story: I Found Love

  Bonus Story: Trapped in Mind

  Bonus Story: Bright and Red

  Bonus Story: Doctor in The West

  Chapter 1

  “What do you mean you can’t come?” Kari demanded into the phone. “Kayleigh, this is the third time, what am I supposed to do with Ashley?”

  Kari rubbed her forehead in frustration. She was so sick of Kayleigh bailing on her when she needed a sitter. She should have known better when someone recommended she get a high schooler to babysit for her when she had to work.

  Kari barely heard the ready-made excuse. Kayleigh wasn’t coming and that was the truth of it, she was just going to have to take Ashley with her. The little three-year-old with golden hair and blue eyes toddled over to her and tugged on her pant leg.

  “Up!” She commanded. Kari bent and scooped up her daughter who immediately began trying to press the buttons on her cell phone. Kari had Kayleigh on speaker, so she didn’t have to press the phone to her ear, but that just meant Ashley thought it was a toy.

  “No, no sweetie. Mommy’s talking to Kayleigh.” She whispered to her daughter in a soft tone. Ashley started to cry and Kari found her patience with Kayleigh’s babbling to begin to wane. “Look, Kayleigh, it’s fine. I really need to go though, ok?”

  She barely waited for another excuse or a goodbye, but instead hung up the phone and locked the screen. She shoved it in her pocket and stooped to pick up the small plastic play phone on the floor at her feet.

  “Here baby. Here’s your phone.” Ashley didn’t seem interested but instead, cried harder.

  Kari had no choice. She set the toddler down with her toy phone and rushed around the room, throwing items into a bag and crooning to her the entire time. The toddler wailed louder and Kari’s heart bled for her baby’s displeasure.

  “You’re going to come with Mommy today, sweetie. Would you like that? If you rode around while Mommy delivered packages? And then we can go to the park and see the ducks!” She tried her most sing song voice and happy tone. Ashley paused her crying as Kari latched on to the break in tears.

  “That’s right sweetie. If you’re a good girl for the ride, we will go see the ducks.” She encouraged. Ashley clapped her hands together gleefully.

  “Ducks!” She cried happily. Satisfied that the sadness was over, Kari was able to dash into the kitchen and throw some snacks and sippy cups into the diaper bag and then return to scoop up Ashley.

  “Alright baby, here we go!” Kari left her apartment and secured Ashley into her car seat in the back. She turned the car tv on and put in Ashley’s favorite cartoon Disney princess. Once she was satisfied the toddler was equipped with food, drinks, and happily ever after’s she climbed into the front seat of her blue van and checked her courier list. She had double checked the inventory last night and had locked it away in the back so that it would be all ready for today.

  Kari put the van in drive and set off for the day to do her deliveries. Day’s that she had to tote Ashley along were the longest, and this one seemed to drag on even longer, as it was always the question of, could she leave Ashley in the back seat with the air conditioner on, if the front door was only a few paces from the van, or like every supposed responsible adult, she had to upset the flow of things and unbuckle Ashley from her seat, and take her with her whilst she delivered a package.

  Kari was at her wits end, and with only one more package left to deliver for the day, and she knew Ashley had had enough as well. She had been crying for an hour about the ducks and the sun visor to the back window was broken, causing the sun to be in her eyes. Kari gave her the ball cap from the courier service, which the toddler promptly threw on the floor. She had been fussy all day, not wanting to get back into the seat after each stop, and Kari was pretty sure she was teething, as she preferred to chew on the sippy cup, rather than sip the liquid.

  Kari hated going into her last client’s place of employment. It was a high-end office that pertained to modeling of some kind, and the women, even the secretary were haughty and rude. She always felt like the lowest of the low in her green and brown delivery suit, but they paid their account on time, and it was cheaper to use the delivery service, rather than the normal postal service.

  Kari’s job as a private courier, was to handle all packages of her clients. The main office dictated which clients and accounts she had, but the way it worked was that the packages would be delivered to her, and she in turn would deliver to the clients. It was usually faster this way and offered more privacy for the clients, and it was cheaper, as in the case when the clients needed to return something.

  Kari pulled into the driveway and sighed. This was going to be one of the clients where she had to bring Ashley with her. She hated the knowing looks she received when people saw her toting her toddler along. She always felt like they were judging her for being a single mother. But the courier service didn’t pay well enough to support daycare, and her baby sitters kept flaking out, so what the main office didn’t know since she was using her own personal van, wouldn’t hurt them. She only prayed Ashley, who was napping, would remain asleep when she lifted her out.

  Kari carefu
lly unbuckled the toddler and lifted her into one of her arms. She grabbed the box and tucked it under the other and made for the front door.

  When she stepped inside, she was beginning to sweat from the weight of it all, and she was grateful that there was a nice plush couch sitting beside the front desk. No one was in the front office when she entered, so she carefully set Ashley down, who didn’t stir in her sleep thankfully, and she leaned against the desk, looking left and then right. She stood there five minutes before she heard footsteps coming down the hall. A man appeared, tall and muscular. He had startling blue eyes and a strong angular jaw. His suit was well-tailored and it was evident it was expensive.

  Kari subconsciously tugged at her uniform and swept her hair back from her face. She didn’t know why she did it, but something visceral tugged at her and she realized, she wanted this man, whoever he was; and so she stepped in front of her sleeping child so that he wouldn’t see her when he asked,

  “Can I help you?”

  Chapter 2

  Kari giggled nervously when she heard his accent. It was rich and foreign and somehow it warmed her blood. She lifted the box on the desk, and was grateful the lip of the desk covered almost everything from the waist down. He hadn’t noticed Ashley sleeping on the couch, and he was staring intently into her hazel eyes when he asked.

  “I have a delivery for Mr. Stefan Ulrich.” She said.

  The man pulled the box toward him and looked at the label. She wondered for the briefest of moments if he didn’t believe her, she giggled nervously again. What was wrong with her? If most men had done that to her, she would have been incensed.

  “Would you mind getting him for me please?” She asked, not knowing what else to say. She wondered where the secretary was that was usually here.

  The man took a pen from the desk and signed the slip. Kari was about to say something when he handed it back to her and the slips signature read, Stefan Ulrich. She stared at him in shock. Here was the man himself. The one who was never present when she walked in. She had heard of his clothing line and modeling industry, who hadn’t? But she had never seen him in person before. She had never worn his clothes either, as they were way too high end for her.

  “You’re Stefan Ulrich?” She didn’t mean to sound so skeptical, and she hated her nervous tittering when his eyebrows shot up.

  “That’s my signature, yes.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t sign for packages.” She blurted out before she could stop herself.

  “What do you mean by that?” He asked.

  “Well, it’s just that the secretary always signs for your packages. Where is she?” It wasn’t that she was keen on seeing the leggy blond who looked like she had just smelt something foul. She hated that the woman was all plastic and no personality save for arrogance. She was just curious.

  “She was let go this morning.” He responded, although he still looked quite surprised that she asked so many questions.

  “Oh, it’s just that she always signs.” Kari’s nervousness was making it so that she just couldn’t shut up.

  Stefan smirked at her, knowing the effect he had on women, and so he decided to toy with her a little.

  “My sincerest apologies Miss. I was unaware I had to consult the courier before making decisions regarding my staff. Would you like the parcel back? I would be more than happy to give you her address, so you can go to her, have her sign it and bring it back.” He slid the package across the desk toward her, and Kari felt her cheeks burn hot with embarrassment. She didn’t handle humiliation well, no one did, so she pushed the package back at him and huffed, fumbling with the straps on her bag to put the packaging slip away so that she could file it.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you!” She snapped. “I was only curious.”

  Stefan remained silent and watched her fumble with the bag. She had mistaken him, but he found her fiery temper to be refreshing. With his amount of money and his looks, most women tripped over themselves to please him to get a taste of his lifestyle. Yet here was a woman in a hideous green and brown delivery suit, not cow-tailing under the reputation of his name.

  “My apologies, where you were only curious, I wa also only making a joke. I’m afraid it was at your expense, and that was rude.”

  Kari stopped trying to unlatch the satchel and looked up. She tucked a stray strand of her strawberry blind hair behind her ear and stared at him. Was a man like Stefan Ulrich apologizing to her? Was this another joke of his? Was he mocking her? Kari had had enough of men mocking her. It was her ex that brought out the worst in her whenever she was placed in a situation that made her uncomfortable. But she had a hell of a time keeping her temper whenever anyone else did now. She regretted snapping at him instantly. Here was a man who could make her life very difficult if he reported her to the main office. Kari needed this job, for her and Ashley. She was barely making ends meet with it, but it was still a job.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped Mr. Ulrich.” She mumbled. She finally released the clasp on the satchel and stuffed his paper inside. “Will you be signing tomorrow as well? Is there a specific time that works best for you?” She pushed a lot of respect and good customer service into her voice. He stared at her for another long moment and then murmured,

  “You have very nice cheek bones.”

  Kari had no idea what to say to this. How did one respond to such an offhanded compliment?

  “Umm, thanks.” She said. He chuckled, seeming to find her discomfort amusing, or his own fallacy, she couldn’t be certain.

  “What I mean by that Miss?” He asked

  “Kari. I’m Kari Thomas.” She responded. She didn’t know why, but she stuck her hand out automatically and he looked at it in surprise. He clasped her palm and instead of shaking her hand, he brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. It sent a jolt of heat through her arm and made her hand tingle. Kari suddenly had hot images barrage her mind of him kissing other parts of her. Her cheeks flushed, and she pulled her hand out of Stefan’s.

  “It’s nice to meet you Miss Thomas.” He murmured. “And what I meant by that is, you have a pleasant face. One that would look kind when greeting the people who walk through my front door for their appointments.”

  It took Kari a moment to catch up to what he was saying. “I already have a job.” She blurted. He smiled at her wolfishly.

  “Yes darling, but green and brown are not your colors. Be here tomorrow by eight.”

  Without waiting for her to respond, he tucked the box under his arm casually, and strode back down the hall.

  Kari stood staring after him for a long moment, before she turned and scooped up her sleeping Ashley, and brought her back to the car.

  Chapter 3

  Kari sat on the park bench for a long time wondering if she should call Stefan Ulrich’s office and tell him to stuff his job. She had so many things that she was confused about as she sat and watched Ashley play. On the one hand, her current job was secure. She was bringing in money and making rent, she had no details on the pay rate or benefits of working for Stefan. On the other hand, he was a billionaire. Even if he didn’t pay well, it was probably better than what she was making now. But what really got to Kari, was that she wasn’t sure she could work for someone as conceited as Stefan Ulrich. Her temper always got the better of her. She had tried the bad boy thing and look where it got her? She loved Ashley like nothing else in the world, but it wasn’t easy being a single mom and having to chase after her ex for child support, because he just wasn’t ready for a child yet.

  Kari sat and wondered if she should call Stefan and tell him…tell him what? That she could very well be passing up the opportunity of a lifetime?

  Kari sighed and got up from the bench, straying after Ashley who was determined to chase the ducks all the way up the stream from the bank. When it was time to go, she tried to avoid a melt down by helping Ashley wave bye bye and promising that they could come back and visit another tim
e. They made it halfway to the car before the overtired and overstimulated toddler had her tantrum.

  Kari hated the looks of the park patrons as she scooped up her screaming child and carried her kicking and shrieking back to the car. She buckled her in and got in the driver’s seat as she sniffled in the back.

  When they got home there was a message on her home machine, and it was the main office calling to question her why they had received a call from Stefan Ulrich informing them he didn’t need any references, but to hold any more courier packages they had intended for her, because she had passed her interview today and he was ecstatic to bring her into his modeling firm as his assistant.

  Kari stared at the machine, realizing, Stefan had quit for her. She hadn’t fully made up her mind, but it had been made up for her. Now she had no choice but to arrive at his business tomorrow.

  Kari stood over the stove and began making Ashley’s favorite, macaroni and cheese for dinner. All in all, she had been good, and it had been a long day for a toddler. Ashley was in the living room dancing and playing with her dolls, when she came into the kitchen.

  “Look at my pwetty dwess Mommy!” She twirled in the kitchen for Kari. Kari smiled and bent low, picking her up and twirling her in the kitchen. Ashley laughed and giggled at the play, and Kari somehow knew right then, it was worth it to give this new job a shot. She thought about all the times she envied the pretty girls for their perfect bodies and perfect makeup and hair. It wasn’t that she wanted to be an airhead, or fake with plastic implanted everywhere. But deep down, she knew that most women had that inner princess. The woman who wanted to be admired for how well put together she was. Even at Ashley’s age, society was grooming her to wear pretty dresses and fine things, because that would be noticed. Kari had no qualms over the fact that she wouldn’t be in the spotlight in this new position, but she did take extra care picking out her outfit, a frilly skirt that swished when she walked, and a simple blouse.