“I hope chicken is okay. I had wanted to go with lamb, but wasn’t sure yet of your tastes.”
“I’ve never had lamb.” The thought of eating one didn’t appeal to her.
“Glad I made this decision.” He pulled his napkin from the table and placed it on his lap.
The stewardess appeared. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
Neil eyed Krista. Krista looked up at the woman. “Uh, I think I’m good.”
“Same here.”
The woman turned and walked away, returning to wherever she’d been hiding all this time.
Neil had something to him that she couldn’t pinpoint. He was older, yes, but the way he spoke, people simply responded. Oh crap, maybe he was a Dom. She’d hopped on the book craze recently with every other woman and read a few of the popular BDSM books. But never in her life had she thought she’d encounter a man like the Doms she read about.
“Are you okay?” He took a sip of his wine.
“Are you…are you a Dom?”
Neil chuckled. “A what?”
Oh, she was embarrassed now. If her cheeks hadn’t been red before, they were now. She picked up her glass and took a big sip from it.
With an amused expression, he said, “No, I’m not a Dom. Why would you think that?”
“You just have this way about you and you’re in such control. I just thought…that maybe you were.”
“I assure you, I’m not. Though, you are correct. I do like to be in control. But when it comes to the bedroom, I don’t want to be in full control. I like to be touched as much as I like to touch.”
Thank God. Because if she got into the bedroom with him, she’d want to touch. It’d be absolute torture not to.
Silence ensued and the awkwardness began to set in. Grabbing her fork, she stabbed a green bean and slid it into her mouth. A sweet and tangy flavor hit her tongue.
She thought about asking him what he did for a living, but then wasn’t sure she wanted to know, not with the amount of money he had. She didn’t want to come across as a gold digger. Then again, he was the one pursuing her.
“Do you have kids?” she asked.
He cut into the chicken. “No.”
“How come?”
After he finished a bite of chicken, he set his fork down. “Never made the time for that. Now at my age, it’s out of the question.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” she lied, even though it was a problem. A very big one.
“It isn’t that I don’t like children. I haven’t met the right woman, and well, now at my age it’s sorta out of the question. I’d be in my sixties with a teenager.”
“I understand.”
Neil set his napkin on the table. “Would you like to dance?”
Dance? Now? “Aren’t we eating?”
“I think we’re more picking at it like birds.” He leaned closer. “To be honest, I need an excuse to be close to you. I want to feel your body in my hands.”
Krista took a moment to imagine it. They’d be intertwined; his hand would be on her bare back, right above her ass. He’d probably rub his hand up and down her spine, and it would send chills. She was turned on just thinking about it. But he had a point, she wasn’t going eat each much. Her nerves were on the high end.
“Sure,” she answered.
From his phone, he did something and soft music started to play. Neil stood and offered his hand to her. He led her to the middle of the plane and pulled her into his embrace. Both of his hands settled on her waist, and hers laced around his neck.
It felt right. Like she was where she was supposed to be. She stared up into his eyes and wondered if he tried to kiss her, would she let him? The feel of his lips on hers. Ugh, she was falling in much too deep. But how could she not? An older—and obviously rich man—had her on his private jet for a date. This didn’t happen every day.
She might as well enjoy it, because this could be the only time this happened.
“You feel so right in my arms,” he whispered against her cheek.
Krista nodded, knowing she couldn’t form any words.
She laid her head on his shoulder and almost moaned out loud when one of his fingers traced her spine.
“It’s taking every ounce of my control to not kiss you right now, Krista.”
It was taking everything in her not to shove him down on this floor and have sex. If his hand even went inside of her dress, she’d throw all inhibitions out the door and get down and dirty with this man.
The plane jerked and she clutched his shoulder. “What was that?”
“Just turbulence.”
But then it jerked again, and she almost lost footing.
The pilot’s voice sounded over the intercom. “Mr. Clark, we are hitting some extreme weather conditions. You and your companion may wish to take your seats and buckle your seatbelts.”
Oh my God! We’re going to crash! The plane jerked again and Krista practically sprinted to her seat to buckle.
“It’s okay.” Neil squeezed her hand.
The stewardess retuned. “I apologize. We’ve hit a thunderstorm. Would you like us to land as soon as we can?”
Neil glanced at Krista, then back at the stewardess and nodded. Krista let out a sigh of relief. She couldn’t wait to firmly plant her feet back on the ground and get home to EJ.
Chapter Three
Krista sipped her morning coffee. She’d tossed and turned all night. Once the plane was back on the ground, they’d taken the limo straight back here. The storm had been her wake-up call.
Neil had walked her to the door and left with only a kiss to her cheek. All night she did her best to find the peace of sleep, but it hadn’t come. She hated to admit it, but she really liked the guy. It would never work, and she wasn’t the type of girl who played. She needed something serious and real.
Setting the mug down on the table, she propped her head on her hand and sighed. What fun it would be to be whisked away by a rich man to all sorts of places for dinner. They could easily head to Paris for a day and spend the next in China. It would be a thrill in life, until he got bored of her and moved on to impress the next woman. And she’d be left broken hearted. However, that type of life didn’t fit into hers.
Krista wasn’t sure if she’d hear from Neil again. When he’d left, he hadn’t mentioned calling on her. Perhaps her little freak-out on the plane chased him off and he realized what a loser she was.
The front door opened and shut. Jamie and EJ must have arrived. She pushed back in her chair and stood. She watched from the kitchen doorway as they kicked their shoes off in the foyer. Jamie smiled at her and as soon as EJ had his shoes off, he turned and ran toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“I missed you, Mom!”
Squeezing him back, she said, “I missed you too.”
“I had so much fun with Ms. Jamie though. She let me stay up late and play video games.”
It warmed her heart to have such a good and dependable friend who loved her son almost as much as her. “She did. Well, that’s awesome.”
“Oh, yeah. It totally was.” He released Krista and turned to Jamie. “Can I have the Legos you bought me?”
Jamie handed him the bag. “Sure thing.”
EJ removed the box, discarding the bag on the floor. “I’m going to go to my room and do these, okay?”
She picked up the bag. Usually she’d scold him for the mess, but not this time. “Sounds good.”
As soon as EJ was out of sight, Jamie grabbed Krista’s hand and led her back to the kitchen.
“Dish.” She made herself at home—like usual—and got a coffee cup out of the cabinet and a few moments later joined Krista at the table, steam rising from the mug.
Where to begin? Her friend would never believe the date she’d had. “Last night was something. Dinner was on a private jet in the sky.”
Jamie’s mouth dropped open. For once, her friend was speechless.
Rubb
ing her nails along the table, she continued, “We talk and danced, but then a storm hit and I panicked. He brought me home and that was it.”
“Did you kiss? Are you going out again?” her friend questioned. “Can I add that I’m jealous?”
Krista giggled. She wanted to kiss him while on the plane. It would’ve been romantic the way the candles lit the room. “No, we didn’t kiss. I don’t know if we’ll go out again or not. His life and mine are so different.” She paused and scrunched her nose. “And he doesn’t want kids.”
Jamie moaned as she set her cup down. “Did you tell him about EJ?”
“No. Once he said he was too old for kids, I kinda dropped it. But come on, that’s a deal breaker. I have EJ and that isn’t changing.”
She ran her finger around the rim of her mug. “Maybe he just doesn’t want his own, but wouldn’t mind that you do.”
Krista sipped her coffee. They way Neil had made it sound, to her at least, was a child in anyway was out of the picture for him. “You’re getting ahead of this anyway. No one mentioned marriage. Besides, I can’t be going on these extravagant dates. I have EJ.”
“And the bestest friend ever who loves to babysit.”
Krista would be lost with the help Jamie provided. “I know, but I don’t want a broken heart.”
Jamie lifted her mug to the edge of her lips. “How do you know it’ll be broken?”
He’s a rich bachelor, for starters. “Let’s be serious. It isn’t going anywhere. I’m sure he’s a great man, but if he’s going to the type of club we went to the other night, then he isn’t looking to settle down. And I’d like to.”
“I see your point.” Jamie set her mug down. “Too bad I don’t get to live vicariously through you.”
“Too bad.” Krista smiled.
She stood to refill her coffee when she heard the sound of a car door upfront. Her ex and EJ’s father had mentioned stopping by, but it was awfully early. She set her cup down on the counter and went to the front. A van was parked in her driveway. She peered out until finally a man appeared carrying a large vase of flowers.
Flowers? She opened the door.
A tall man in a white uniform stood straight. “I have a delivery for a Krista Michaels.”
“That’s me.”
“Here you go.” He handed the large vase of assorted flowers to her. “Have a wonderful day.”
She turned, went back inside, and kicked the door shut.
EJ greeted her with wide eyes. “Whoa. Who are those for?”
“Me.” She set the vase down on the end table by the couch and removed the card, eager to see who sent them.
Krista,
I had a lovely time last night. I hope to do it again real soon, on land this time of course.
–Neil
She put the card back in its place with the colorful flower arrangement. Jamie was by her side, her eyes lit up.
“I don’t want to hear a word about it.” Krista brushed past her, her cheeks flushed and heart beating fast. She was in over her head.
A few days had passed since Neil’s date with Krista. He’d sent flowers the day after and since decided to give her some space. He wanted this to work. There was something about Krista that caught his attention and didn’t let go. A girl-next-door persona to her, mixed with that sultry smile.
She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. She had long red locks and emerald-green eyes he could stare into for hours. She had the perfect hour-glass shape. And he’d definitely noticed her rack. She’d been blessed with a nice one, ass too.
Pushing away from his desk, he set his pen down. He’d like to see her again soon and he’d been meaning to call her, but he kept putting it off so as not to scare her away. It amused him that at the age of forty-five, he was actually nervous to call a woman.
“Mr. Clark,” his secretary Tana said from the door, “you’ve got a meeting in ten minutes. Are you ready?”
He pulled back up to his desk and looked at his calendar. Crap. He sure did have a meeting. It looked like he’d have to put off calling Krista until after he met with the construction crew about the new hotel.
“Thanks for reminding me. Please tell me the meeting is here.”
Tana winked. “You’re in luck and they’re already in conference room three.”
“I’ll be down in a moment.” He closed down his computer then rummaged through the files on his desk until he found the one he was looking for.
He typically prided himself on his organization, but this week it had gone out the door. Krista had taken over all his thoughts.
“Tana, which room?” He stepped out of his office.
She gave him a strange look and he got the sense she’d already told him this info. “Three. Are you okay, sir?”
“Fine. Never been better.”
Todd would be there any moment to pick up EJ. He’d gotten tickets to a local baseball game and he was taking EJ to see it, plus keeping him overnight. Krista was thankful. Her son had kept her busy with all the activities he wanted to do for the summer. She couldn’t get him to understand that they had many days of summer and didn’t need to pack each day to its fullest.
“Dad’s here,” EJ called from the living room.
“Okay. Don’t run out without giving me a kiss.” Krista set the towel down on the counter and jogged to the living room just in time to see Todd enter the house.
“Hey.” He rubbed his hands together and glanced around nervously.
“Hi.” She leaned against the couch. She and Todd weren’t on the worst of terms, but it was always awkward when he came inside. Typically she had EJ ready with a kiss, opened the door, and they were on their way.
“Nice flowers,” Todd said, his expression hard to read.
She looked at the assortment Neil had sent. “Thanks.”
“Mom got those from a guy,” EJ announced.
Krista glared at her son and began to speak but was interrupted by her son.
“What? I heard you and Ms. Jamie talking about it.”
Todd stared at her a moment before turning his attention back to EJ. “Go hop in the car. I’ll be there in a minute.”
EJ picked up his overnight bag and pushed open the glass door before he paused. He ran back over to Krista and wrapped his arms around her. “Bye, Mom. Love you.”
Even though he drove her crazy, she was going to miss him not being here. “Love you too, bud.”
EJ returned to his path out the door, leaving her and Todd alone.
“Do I need to know anything about the flowers?” Todd crossed his arms.
Seriously? He’d sent their son outside alone to ask about the flowers? “Are you wanting to know the florist or what kind they are?”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a smartass. Are you seeing someone? Is it serious?”
Krista sighed. “No, I’m not seeing someone. It was one date and it won’t be happening again.”
Todd nodded and relief washed over his face. “If it does turn serious, I’d like to meet him before EJ does.”
Krista rubbed her temple. Neither she nor Todd had really dated since their divorce. This was new territory for them. But as she’d said, she wouldn’t be seeing Neil again. “I understand. EJ’s waiting on you and I need to finish the dishes.”
“Have a good night.” Todd turned without another look and left.
Krista returned to the kitchen to finish the task at hand. After the dishes were done, her only plan was to plop her booty on the couch and not get up. She loved her son dearly, but she always enjoyed watching a show or two without being interrupted.
An hour later, she had finished one show and decided to look for a movie. She scrolled through the menu looking for some sappy chick movie about love. Pretty Woman was on. She smiled and hit the button to go to the channel.
Krista pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and got ready to snuggle in. On the coffee table in front of her, her phone vibrated as the screen lit up. Reachin
g forward, she grabbed it.
“Hello,” she answered, not sure who it was because of the word private on the screen.
“Krista, it’s Neil.”
“Neil.” She was shocked.
“I’m sorry to just now be calling. Work has been crazy. I had hoped this weekend to see you, but I’ve got an unplanned business trip I leave on tomorrow. And as crazy as this sounds, I was hoping you were free tonight. I’d love to see you.”
Oh, she was free all right. “I was just getting ready to watch a movie, actually.”
“Are you at the theater? I’m sorry for interrupting.”
The Michaels’ Theater of Comfy Couches. “No, no. I’m at home actually.”
“Could I join you?”
Tell him no! Tell him absolutely not; you can’t see him anymore. “Uh, I guess.” Of course her mouth betrayed her thoughts.
“Great. I’m just finishing up at the office and then I’ll be over.”
No, no, no. He couldn’t come over here. “Oh, well, the movie’s starting now.”
He chuckled. “I’m not coming to see the movie. I’m coming to see you.”
The called ended. Krista set the phone in her lap. What had just happened? She then noticed she had on sweat pants and a tank top. Crap. She needed a shower as well. Looks like I’m going to miss the first few minutes of the movie.
Forty-five minutes later, her doorbell rang. Krista had makeup on, a pair of jeans, and a nice blouse. Her hair was still damp though; she hadn’t had a chance to get to the blow dryer. Her hair had been last priority since she had a living room of toys to pick up. Guilt took over that she was hiding her son from him, but he didn’t want kids. This relationship was doomed before it even began.
Taking one last look in a mirror, she figured this was the best she could do. She proceeded to open the door and the sight of Neil nearly took her breath away. He was dressed in a charcoal-colored business suit with a bright blue tie that brought her focus to his Adam’s apple. In his hand he held a brown bag.
“You look as lovely as ever.” He smiled.
She smirked; if only he’d seen her an hour ago. “Thanks. Come on in. It’s a mess.”
What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 9) Page 53