“Very well.”
I heard a click and then felt him move away. Was he leaving me? My eyelids snapped open.
Yes, he was! He was walking away.
“Where are you going?” Oh wow. So my voice was about three octaves higher than normal. That was terror, right there. Pure terror.
He returned to his seat. “I was just going over here.” He pointed to a couch-like seating area. “Would you like to come with me?”
“Is it safe?” I asked.
“Of course.”
I looked down at the seatbelt, snugged reassuringly against my pelvis. I touched the buckle. It was only a couple of strips of woven material. If we crashed, it wouldn’t do much to keep me alive. So why was it so hard to unfasten it?
Kent pushed the button and eased the two pieces away from each other. Then he offered his hand. “I’ll help you.”
I placed my hand in his and our gazes tangled.
My heart jumped around in my chest. Not because I was unbuckled. But because of the expression on Kent’s handsome face.
It was no use. There was no way I would win this bet. Absolutely none. Zip. Nada. I was cooked. If I could swoon at just a simple touch while in the midst of terror, there was no hope.
Tempted to throw up the white flag and hurdle myself into Kent’s arms, I stood. My legs wobbled. My knees were soft, like marshmallow.
“You’ll be more comfortable over here,” he said, gently pulling me toward the couch.
I hoped he was right. Seven hours was a long time to feel this awful. How I wished I could blink and be there.
Kent turned to face me, the couch behind my legs. “Have a seat. I’ll call for some drinks.”
I plopped down. “Thanks.”
He pushed a button on the wall and within seconds a uniformed young man was standing in front of us, eagerly awaiting our requests. Two sets of male eyes focused on me.
“Water, please,” I said.
Kent’s brows lifted. “Are you sure that’s all you want?”
“No. I want a big glass of that champagne you had earlier. But I know that would be stupid. So I’ll stick with water for now.”
“Very well,” Kent said then asked for some coffee. The flight attendant scampered off to get our drinks. Meanwhile, as Kent settled in to do some work on the laptop he pulled out of a pocket on the side of the couch, I tried to get comfy. The couch was an improvement over the chair, there was no question of that. But it was still a little on the hard side, and there were no pillows and no coffee table on which to rest my feet so I couldn’t stretch out my legs. Kent sighed then said, “Here, try this.” He set the laptop aside and maneuvered me by my shoulders, coaxing me to lay lengthwise, my head resting on his lap.
That was better in one way, worse in another. I was much more comfortable. But my face was inches away from his groin. And every time I inhaled, I smelled that intoxicating combination of man and soap and cologne. He smelled so good.
I turned onto my side so my back was resting against the back of the couch and I was facing out into the cabin and watched the flight attendant bring our drinks. He handed them to Kent then left without saying another word.
“Drink?” Kent offered.
I didn’t want to move now that I was comfortable. “No thanks. Maybe later.”
He gently smoothed a hand over my hair. “That’s it. Just relax. If you can fall asleep, the flight will seem much shorter.”
“I don’t think I can sleep.”
“I can help you with that.”
I snorted. “I’m sure you could.”
“No, I don’t mean that. I mean…” He lifted my head then stood. “Flip over onto your stomach.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Trust me.”
“Trust you? Really?”
He grinned. “So far I’ve behaved, haven’t I?”
I grunted a reluctant acknowledgement. He hadn’t outright seduced me. But I kind of felt like a lobster, having a nice swim in a big pot. He was slowly turning up the heat so I wouldn’t notice and jump out.
He made a rolling motion, and I complied. Somewhat reluctantly. I had a feeling I was making this too easy for him.
He swung a leg over my body, wedging it between my hip and the couch back. Now straddling me, he set his hands on my shoulders and began rubbing.
Oh, did that feel good.
I let my eyelids fall shut and relished the sensation of his strong fingers working the tension out of my muscles.
“You’re tense,” he informed me.
“I’m on a plane for the first time. With you. What do you expect?”
His chuckle vibrated through my body. “I apologize if this is stressful. I didn’t mean it to be. I genuinely thought you’d enjoy the trip. I hadn’t realized you’d never flown before. I guess I should’ve asked before making the plans. But I wanted to surprise you.”
“It’s okay.” I sighed. I was in heaven. Really. Kent’s hands were magical. “I appreciate the thought. It really is very kind and generous. I’m being a bit of a baby about this. I really should be more grateful. After all, you’ve gone to a lot of expense and trouble--”
“It was my pleasure,” he said, cutting me off, fingers pressing into the knots in my neck. “I figured I owed you more than a dinner at a restaurant after last night.”
“For the record, I was a bit of a baby about that too,” I confessed. “I shouldn’t have gotten so upset.”
“I should have at least texted you.”
I looked over my shoulder to smile at him. Our gazes tangled. My heart fluttered like a newly hatched butterfly.
A thought popped into my head and out my mouth, “Wow, things sure have changed between us.”
His brows drew together. “They have? How?”
“Well, at least for me,” I admitted. The intimacy of this moment was inspiring me to be honest. “I hated you for a while.”
There was another of those deep, rumbly chuckles. “Really? Hated?”
“Despised. Deplored. Detested.”
“I’m shocked to hear this.” He didn’t sound shocked.
“No you aren’t.”
“Okay, maybe shocked is an exaggeration.”
“You wanted me to hate you.”
“No, I didn’t. I just wanted you to keep your distance,” said the man who was now on top of me, not far away at all. And he was rubbing my shoulders and making me feel relaxed. And warm. Very warm. Everywhere.
“Yes, because you’re so bad.” I said, making sure to slather on a thick layer of sarcasm.
“I am.”
“You are not.” I rolled my eyes. “Please. Don’t even try. Sure, you tend to let your dick lead you around. But don’t most guys? You’re very generous. And giving. Look at all you’ve done for my mom and your dad. And for me.”
“Don’t let that fool you. Spending money is easy. I have so much of it I couldn’t spend it all if I tried. I’m still the irritating, despicable bastard you hated.”
Irritating, despicable bastard who was the best masseur in the world. “You’re selling yourself short.”
“No, you’re giving me too much credit,” he said as he worked a painful knot out of my back.
I lifted my arms over my head to make it easier for him to get to the tightest knots. “You practically ripped all the skin off your hands, smashing down the door to get my mom and your dad out of the carriage house when the tree fell on it.”
“Sure. But I also slept with you. Not once. But three times. And I’m shamelessly trying to get in your pants again to win a bet. See?” He heaved a long sigh. “Deplorable.” To illustrate how deplorable he was, he slid his hands south, stopping just short of my butt. My muscles clenched for an instant. My skin tingled. If they moved any lower, the bet was over.
“At least you aren’t lying about your motivation,” I offered.
“Not sure that counts for much.”
“Well, I think it does.” I wanted to roll ov
er and look at his beautiful face. I wanted to see if the spark of desire I thought I heard in his voice was shimmering in his dark eyes. In my mind, I imagined it was there, gleaming. But I couldn’t look to see for sure. He held me in place with his knees, caging my pelvis, keeping me from lifting or twisting.
I kind of liked this feeling, of being under his control, unable to move unless he let me. “Anyway,” I added, “I’m entitled to my opinion.”
“Of course you are,” he acknowledged, hands kneading my lower back muscles. “Feeling more relaxed?” he asked, stopping after way too few minutes.
“No. You need to keep doing that. For at least another six hours.”
He laughed swung off the couch and smacked my ass. I jumped and squealed. The strike didn’t hurt. It startled me. I glared.
He grinned. “You liked that, didn’t you?”
“What?” My face flamed. “The back rub? Yes, I liked it. Who wouldn’t?”
“No, the smack on the ass. You liked it.”
I kind of did, now that I had time to register the flurry of sensations careening through my body. The nerves on my backside were still firing hot, sizzling pulses buzzing up and down my spine. My reaction was so unexpected, I didn’t know what to say, what to do.
Uncomfortable and awkward, I sat up and grabbed the untouched glass of water the flight attendant had brought me, using that as an excuse not to talk. While I gulped, Kent settled back down beside me and unfolded his laptop.
Really? He was going to work? Weren’t we on a date?
I gave him a raised-brow what-are-you-doing look and he folded the screen down.
“I thought maybe I’d get a little work done while we were flying,” he reasoned.
“We’re on a date. Remember?”
“Yes, I remember. However, you already shot down my suggestion for how to spend the time.”
“What suggestion was that?”
He raised his brows and jerked his head toward the back of the plane. “The bed? Or did you change your mind? Because we have roughly six and a half hours to kill. If you want to call me the winner of our little bet, we could both have what we want…”
Chapter 7
My face was on fire. Seriously. If I touched something flammable to it, I was sure that something would ignite.
Kent knew the answer to that question. The jerk. He knew I wanted to go back to that bed, throw myself on it and say, “You win.”
But no, I couldn’t do that. I had to win the bet. It was more important to get some honest answers from him than to have more sex. Even if it was great sex. Mind-blowing sex. Sex that would leave a smile on my face for days.
It was still just sex. And I wanted this thing between us to be more than that.
So I had to stay strong. Which meant I had to do whatever it took to keep Kent’s hands off me.
“Okay,” I conceded. “You’re right.”
Beaming, like a little boy who’d just learned he could eat ice cream for dinner, he jumped to his feet. “Let’s go.”
“That’s not what I meant. Now is the perfect time to get some work done. Go ahead.” I made a shooing motion. “I’ll…” I searched the plane’s cabin for something to entertain myself. “find some way to occupy myself...”
No longer grinning like a total goon, he sat and flipped up his laptop screen again. “If you change your mind, just give the word. I’d be happy to oblige.”
I made a pouty mean-face. “I’m sure you would.” Then, needing to get as far away from temptation as possible, I forced myself up from the safety of the couch and, bracing my hands on anything within reach as I walked, paid a trip to the nearest bathroom. It happened to be adjacent to the bedroom, which did, indeed, look mighty comfortable. So after taking care of business in the bathroom, I stretched out on the bed, pulled the sheet over me, and closed my eyes.
With any luck I would sleep half the trip away. I would be losing the opportunity to talk to Kent. We were trapped together in this flying tin can. It was convenient that he couldn’t run away. But neither could I. And that was the problem. Also a problem: I was tired. I hadn’t slept well last night. My mind wasn’t as sharp as it should be.
Sleep. It was my best option for now.
I was falling. Tumbling through the air, careening toward the ground. Alone. No parachute. The world was zooming at me. Closer. Closer.
No!
I jerked up and the plane bumped against something, jarring me and sending me sprawling back down on the mattress. Were we crashing? I grabbed the bed frame and clung to it. Sweat prickled my scalp and nape. Another bump and then another. I braced myself, sure the end was coming. But it didn’t. I felt the ground beneath the plane. We were rolling.
We’d landed.
The plane slowed and I sucked in a deep breath. I’d not only survived the seven hour flight; I’d managed to do it without having sex with Kent.
Score one for me! Maybe I could win this bet.
I stumbled off the bed and made a bee line for the bathroom first. In there, I took care of the most pressing matter first then tidied myself up, making use of the toothpaste and brand new, wrapped toothbrush I found. When I exited, I felt like a new woman. Minty breath. Rested and refreshed. Ready to face whatever adventure Kent threw my way.
He was, as usual, looking devastatingly handsome. Still sitting on the couch, an arm slung over the back, long legs stretched out in front of him, he was sleeping. A soft snore buzzed from his slightly parted lips. I admit, I stood there for several moments and just watched him. This was a rare opportunity. To look at him without being seen. To admire the angle of his cheekbone, the strength of his jawline, the thickness of his eyelashes.
But my stalkerish staring was cut short when the flight attendant hurried in from wherever he’d been hiding to announce our arrival.
Kent’s head lifted and his gaze met mine. His lips curled into an adorable lopsided smile. “Ready for some adventure?”
“You bet.”
He stood and offered a hand. “Hold on, baby. You’re in for the time of your life.”
I giggled because he was being so dramatic and slipped my hand into his. His hand was big and warm and strong, and I felt protected and safe as we clattered down the metal ladder and climbed into the waiting limo. The car drove down long two-lane roads cutting through scrubby fields with skinny evergreens. Ahead the white peaks of the mountains loomed. Snow covered and scraping the sky. The sun was hanging heavy, hiding behind trees. Disorientated, I asked, “What time is it?”
“Just after nine o’clock.”
“Is it evening or morning?”
“PM. This part of Alaska is four hours behind Michigan. They have double daylight savings time.”
I did some quick math and figured it was about one in the morning at home. “It’s still so bright,” I remarked, remembering what I’d heard about Alaskan summers. “Does it really stay light all night long?”
“You’re about to find out. I hope you got plenty of sleep on the plane.”
“I did.”
“Excellent.”
The car bumped down a narrow gravel road before finally lurching to a stop outside a massive two-story home on a wooded lot.
I didn’t wait for Kent. I climbed out of the vehicle and inhaled deeply. The air smelled so fresh and sweet. I’d expected it to be sterile like Michigan’s winter air. But no, it was far from it. Life abounded in the air and all around me. The forest lacked the thick undergrowth I was accustomed to in Michigan in the summer. Tall grasses abounded where thick shrubs would in Michigan. And the forest trees were more uniform in shape and type where in Michigan it was more varied. Michigan lacked one thing: the absolute vastness of this place. It felt so wide open and huge. I was awe inspired.
“Do you want to come inside?” Kent gently tugged on my arm, leading me into the house.
“Um, if you insist. Though it’s so gorgeous out here…” I said as I tripped along beside him. The house was lovely. Soaring ceiling
s, exposed rafters, polished wood floors. The living space was open, with a wall of windows bringing the million dollar view of the forest and mountains into the living space. Kent led me through the house and outside to the deck. On a table sat covered dishes full of fragrant food. It was a wonder the wild animals hadn’t helped themselves.
“I thought you might be hungry for a little snack,” Kent announced.
“How did you arrange this?”
He didn’t try to hide his guilt. “It’s a secret.”
“I hope it’s the only secret you won’t share with me.”
He gave me a look that said it wasn’t, and my mood wilted slightly. But I hoped after spending some quality time one-on-one it wouldn’t be long before he would feel comfortable enough to share all his secrets.
We sat out there, amidst glorious nature and ate a meal that was so divine I stuffed myself. It was no snack. And everything, from start to finish, was delicious. When I was through, I sat back and groaned, admitting, “I ate too much.”
“A walk will cure that,” Kent suggested, once again offering his hand.
I accepted it gladly and we set off, taking the deck stairs down to a gravel trail arcing into the woods. I hesitated when we stepped into the shadow of the trees. “Is it safe? Are there bears?”
“There may be. But I’m prepared. No need to worry.” The chill of the shadow made my skin prickle as we walked. Releasing Kent’s hand, I folded my arms over my chest to warm myself. Kent scowled. “You’re cold.”
“A little.” I shivered. “I’m not dressed for hiking.” I indicated the dress I’d donned many hours ago, thinking we were heading to a restaurant. At least the seriously outdated and ugly dress was long-sleeved. In the Michigan late summer heat the lack of exposed skin hadn’t been so great, but out here it was somewhat helpful.
“We’ll go back. I arranged for food, supplies, and clothes to be stocked in the house for us. You can change into something warmer. Maybe freshen up if you wish.”
He didn’t have to offer twice. I loved going for a walk as much as the next girl. But this was different. This wasn’t a stroll down the sidewalk. I wasn’t dressed for it, for one. And, for another, from what I’d read and seen on TV, this was a foreign land, full of large, dangerous, carnivorous animals. Like bears. Big bears.
Stepbrother Romance 3 - Addicted: A New Adult Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 5