He gave one last swipe to his hair with a handful of paper towels and looked up. "Smells great."
"What does?"
He pointed at the tray of food in her hand.
"Oh, uh, yes. It, uh, does." She placed the tray on the counter.
He tossed the paper towels into the trash and bit back a smile.
"Why didn't you use hand towels?"
He stepped back out of the way. "Not a lot of towels on board. You have more hair than I do. You'll need more towels to dry it." He pulled his shirt over his head.
Capri swallowed the urge to shout. "Don't put it on." Instead, she placed her focus on putting their meals onto plates and their plates on the table.
Thall lit the candles and pulled out a chair. Capri smiled and sat. "It's been a long time since a man held a chair for me."
"A woman should always be treated with respect." He slipped onto the chair across from her and picked up his wine glass. "Bon appetit."
Capri lifted her glass, nodded and sipped her Gevrey-Chambertin. "Oh my. Grapy goodness." Lifting her fork, she said, "If the meal is half as good as the wine, this will be wonderful." She slipped a portion of the Beef Bourguignon onto her tongue. "Mmm."
~ * * ~
Thall's nose twitched at the wonderful fragrance that emanated from his plate. He scooped a scallop onto his fork and wrapped his lips around it. Having no other experiences with mortal food, he had no words to describe the flavor sensations bursting in his mouth. He closed his eyes and savored the moment.
"How are your scallops?"
He swallowed. "I can't describe it. I've never eaten these before."
"Do you like them?"
Nodding, he scooped up another forkful. "This has got to be one of the best things I've ever eaten. Even better than the wine covered pretzels I had earlier."
They continued their meal in silence. Capri seemed to enjoy her wine and beef while Thall bordered on ecstasy with each mouthful. She picked up the dirty dishes and Thall followed her into the galley. He read the directions on the coffee maker and set a pot on to brew then placed two slices of the hazelnut torte onto plates, set them on the table and sat.
"So, Ms. Gray, while the coffee is brewing, tell me your life story in fifty words or less."
"I was born in Michigan. Parents still live there. Two older brothers. Went to U of M and got a degree in business. Got hired right out of college. Married. Divorced husband. Kept job. Promoted to Chief of Operations, South Pacific Region, and lastly crash-landed who knows where." She recited her narrative in her head and ticked off her fingers. "Forty-eight words."
"I guess for your prize, I'll go get the coffee."
"Cream. No sugar."
He chuckled. "I remember."
Thall placed a coffee cup and a small silver coffee creamer beside her dessert. A dark roasted Columbian fragrance wafted up her nose. Capri could only nod her thanks as her mouth was full of hazelnut torte. She swallowed. "Oh my God, this is exquisite. It's so wickedly sweet."
Breaking a slice off with his fork, Thall popped a bite into his mouth. "Mmm. It is good." He waved his fork at her plate. "You gonna eat all that?"
She pulled her plate closer and wrapped her left arm around it. "People have died trying to steal my dessert."
He coughed and covered his mouth with his hand.
"Notice in my description of family, I didn't mention younger brothers." She pointed her fork at Thall. "They tried to take my dessert and were never heard from again."
Thall threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Point noted."
When dessert and coffee were finished, Thall poured two snifters of brandy and escorted Capri to a couch. She swirled the amber liquid around in her glass and raised it to her face. A bouquet of distilled fruit teased her nose.
"So Captain T. Hall, what does the T stand for?"
Chapter Eleven
"Taboo." He chuckled.
Capri raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Your parents named you Taboo?"
"Titanic."
Swallowing a large mouthful of brandy, Capri shook her head. "What was your previous job? Failed stand-up comedian? Why won't you tell me your name? Hiding from the FBI or something?"
"No, I'm not hiding from anything." Thall closed his eyes for a moment. His eyelids fluttered open. "Taren. The T stands for Taren. It means warrior."
"I thought you just passed out." Capri patted his arm. "Let's try another question."
"Oh, goody." He lifted his brandy glass to his lips. "We're playing twenty questions."
"When's your birthday?"
"Stardate 34087.9."
Capri choked on her brandy. She sputtered and coughed several times then blinked back a tear. She pinched her fingers under her nose, blinked again and stared at Thall. That sounded weirdly familiar. His voice reminds me of someone. "What would that be in Earthling?"
"August fifteenth."
"You're a Leo."
"I'm a what?"
"Leo the Lion. Your astrological sign."
Thall stood and held out his hand. "Why don't you explain this to me as I wash your hair?" He lifted his glass, swallowed the last of his drink and placed it on the nearby table. "And we'd better do this before the brandy hits me. I don't know if I can wash hair, drunk."
Capri jumped up, grabbed her suitcase, and rifled through it until she found her shampoo and conditioner. She held the bottles and followed him into the jet's small bathroom.
Standing toe to toe with his back against the counter, Thall grinned and reached for the shampoo. "If I'd known we were going to open a hairstyling salon here, I'd have gotten a bigger jet."
Capri snickered. "We're gonna need a bigger boat."
Thall shifted to the right, turned on the water and checked the temperature. "Why do we need a bigger boat? We're in a plane."
"Bigger jet. Bigger boat. You know, Jaws. The movie with the big shark." She placed her hand above her head like a shark fin and sang the theme song. "Dunuh. Dunuh. Dun. Dun. Dun. Du…oh, never mind."
"Must have missed that one." He popped the top on the shampoo and pointed to the sink.
Capri pulled a towel out of the storage area under the sink. She lowered the toilet seat and placed the towel on it. "Uh, turn around."
Thall's brow wrinkled, and he completed a full circle.
She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a laugh. "No. I meant turn away from me."
"Clearly two bottles of wine and a glass of brandy are making communication difficult. How am I supposed to wash your hair, if I'm not facing you?"
"I have to take my blouse off. I don't want to get it all wet."
"Once you take it off, I'll see you without it, so why do I have to turn around and not watch you take it off? Or am I really confused?"
"Oh, what the hell." Capri undid the top button. She glanced up at Thall. His gaze was focused on her fingers. Do I do this? Yes? Well, obviously that's the brandy talking. How about the common sense side of me? Hell, yes. The guy's hot. You're stranded here. He's going to wash your hair. Maybe he'll slip and his fingers will work on something else. It's been a while. Quite a while. Yes, it has. Listen to us, your nipples are talking to you here. Go for the gold!
She dropped her hands. "If I have to take my top off, you have to remove yours."
In a heartbeat, Thall pulled his t-shirt up and over his head. He stepped past her and tossed it out the door into the main cabin.
Capri's blood pressure rose as her pussy clenched. Oh, my God.
"Your turn." His grin stretched across his face. "Or would you like me to undo that for you?"
Capri blinked. Thall raised his hands and undid the second button. A shiver shuddered through her. He lowered his hands to the next one. Her gaze followed his hands. When the next button was released, the blouse fluffed a bit, and the top of her right breast was exposed. She caught the dilation of his pupils and the quick flick of his tongue across his lips.
He popped the fourth button. Her top o
pened more, showing the edges of her Victoria Secret white lace Bombshell bra. His fingers hovered over the fifth button.
Capri closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She reached behind and gripped the edge of the counter. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her pussy was meowing for attention. She felt the button release. One more to go.
The blouse fell open as the last button was undone. "There. All done." His brandy-scented breath tickled her ear. She opened her eyes and gazed into his dark chocolate eyes.
He lifted his right hand and slid his fingertips over the skin on her shoulder and down the back of her arm as he removed that sleeve. Tingles exploded down her skin. She inhaled again. Her chest strained against the lace of the bra.
Repeating the same move with his left hand, he slipped the blouse off and tossed it onto his shirt. Their chests, mere inches apart, raised and lowered in unison. He tugged at the shoulder strap of her bra. "Does this need to come off too?"
Hell, yes. And then your mouth latches on to my nipple as I rake my fingernails up your back. Capri blinked. "Uh, no. I mean, that's okay. Thank you." She grabbed the towel, wrapped it around her shoulders and turned toward the sink. She glanced at her reflection. You chicken.
Thall turned on the water. Capri lowered her head. He turned off the taps. "Hmm. Just a sec."
She waited while he returned holding an empty glass. "Let's try again." She placed her head close to the sink. He stepped in behind her. His groin bumped her bottom. Capri gripped the towel. He reached around, filled the glass and poured the water onto her head. "Too hot?"
"No. Just fine. Everything is just fine."
When her hair was soaked, Thall poured shampoo onto his hand and worked it into her hair. Fragrant gardenia scented bubbles burst around Capri's head as strong fingers massaged her scalp. She closed her eyes and wallowed in the fragrance of the shampoo and his presence pushing against her ass. His fingers are so strong. Like invisible hands, washing away all my…invisible hands? She sighed. I miss Thall's massages. They were so erotically awesome. Goose bumps covered her arms.
Water dribbled down her face. She wiped the drip with the edge of her towel. More water splashed over her head. "The directions say rinse and repeat."
"Yes, please."
Again, his fingers massaged the shampoo into her hair and she noticed the gardenia-like aroma. He drew small circles against her scalp, gradually increasing in size, then he'd move to a new location and begin again. As his fingers neared the base of her neck, Capri's toes clenched, and she stifled a moan.
Warm water dribbled over her hair as he fluffed the soap away. "Done. Now what?"
Without rising, she waved her arm in the direction of the counter. "Conditioner. The white bottle."
"Your wish is my command."
My wish? My wish is for you to…get a grip, Capri. It's only the brandy talking. Like you'd have a one night stand with a stranger on an airplane. She sighed. Damn. When did my common sense wake up? Need more brandy.
Having finished conditioning and rinsing her hair, Thall reached for another towel and draped it over her head. "Okay, you can stand up."
Capri stepped back, started to rise, but bumped into Thall and lost her balance.
"Umph." He landed on the toilet seat with Capri on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
The warmth of his arms on her belly and the pressure of his chest on her back forced a giggle out of Capri. "Oops."
He leaned forward and placed his mouth by her ear. "Kind of tight quarters here."
She wiggled her butt. "Yes, but at least it was a nice landing." She stood, turned and offered a hand to help him stand.
He interlocked his fingers with hers and lifted up. Their movements made the towel on her shoulders drop down her back. His chest bumped into hers. He dropped his gaze. "Yes, definitely a nice landing."
Neither moved. Warm flesh pressed against warm flesh. Capri licked her lips and swallowed. A cool drip dribbled down her cheek. Thall wiped it away. "I guess I should let you dry your hair, before you get cold."
"Oh, okay. Yea, sure." Capri rustled the towel against her hair and watched Thall's tight butt disappear out of the bathroom. Another moment lost.
She slipped into her blouse, wrapped the towel around her hair, exited the bathroom and grabbed her suitcase. "I'm going to change." She dragged the case into the room and dug out her nightgown. Holding up the silk garment, she shivered at the thought of his hands sliding up her body as he pulled it off her. She dropped it and grabbed a sweatshirt and baggy, blue plaid pants.
When she stepped into the main cabin, Thall had lowered the lights and spread a blanket on each couch. His jeans lay in a pile next to the couch. Standing in his boxers, he pointed to the window. "The right side or the scenic left side?"
"Scenic left. I always go first class." She dropped onto her couch. Lightning illuminated the room. She turned and glanced out the window. "Is this storm never going to end?"
"It should blow itself out soon." He settled under his blanket and placed his hands behind his head.
Capri combed the tangles out of her hair and dried the ends. She heaved a relaxed sigh.
"Everything okay over there on the scenic side?"
"Yes, thank you. I'm much more relaxed."
He yawned. "The wine and the brandy."
"And the company."
He smiled.
She pulled her tablet out of her purse. "Do you mind if I read for a bit?"
"As long as you turn the pages quietly." He yawned and snuggled deeper under his blanket.
"I promise." She clicked the on button and settled back to enjoy her story.
By the third yawn, Capri decided it was time to sleep. The storm had moved off and the rain stopped pounding on the roof of the plane. She placed the e-reader on the nearby table and turned to peer out the window.
The blackness of the night made it difficult to distinguish anything, but she could see the road under the plane and the silhouette of nearby trees. A black lump moved out of the trees. She blinked and refocused. The lump moved again.
"Oh crap! Something's out there." She stumbled back from the window and tripped over the table.
Thall's strong hands grabbed her. "What?'"
"I don't know." She straightened herself and knelt on the couch. "Look. There." Her hand shook as she tapped against the glass.
Thall knelt in front of a window and pressed his face to it. "Where? I don't see anything?"
"There. Over by the—ah!" A streak of lightning shone down from above. "See. Did you see that? It's huge."
"Well, it can't come in. Unless it knows how to unlock the doors."
Capri looked around what suddenly seemed like a very small and vulnerable cabin. "Do you have anything to…you know, protect us?"
"Like a gun?"
She nodded.
"No. But like I said, I doubt it can get in here. I don't think it was human."
"It was humungous. What if it was someone trying to sneak up on us?" She turned her head and glanced back out the window.
"Come here." Thall opened his arms. "Settle down in here. You're too tired, and maybe a bit drunk to think clearly."
Capri bit her bottom lip. "Well, maybe you're right. It's been a stupidly long day, and I am rather tired." She moved closer and settled against him. With her face pressed against his chest, she inhaled the aroma of sandalwood. A small flutter in her belly made tingles shoot straight through her.
He pulled the blanket over her and encased her in his arms. "Close your eyes and relax. Remember, my name means warrior. You're safe."
With her head pressed against his chest, she felt the rise and fall of each breath. The scent of her shampoo lingered in the air. "I can hear your heartbeat."
"I have a heart?"
She giggled. "Of course you do."
"Well, several former girl….uh female acquaintances have suggested that I have no heart or parents, for that matter."
"Oh, you're a heartl
ess bastard?"
"Yea, something like that." His voice was drowsy. "So tell me about being this Leo lion thing."
"Your astrological sign is the lion and his name is Leo."
"Is that good?"
"It means you're courageous, dominant, strong willed, independent and self-confident."
He chuckled. "Yup. Every one of those things."
"On the not so perfect side, it also means you can be extremely arrogant, autocratic and really short-tempered."
"Yup. Every one of those things." He shifted and tightened his embrace. "What are you? Are you a lion too? Oh, sorry, a lioness?"
"A woman never reveals all her secrets on the first…at the first encounter."
He rubbed his hand up her back. "You revealed some wondrous secrets today, so I guess I can wait to find out what animal lurks inside you."
Capri flushed with embarrassed heat. "Have you figured out where we are?"
"I think we landed on a runway on one of the smaller islands. Not too far from where we were supposed to be."
"A runway. That's good."
"Not really." He leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes.
She pushed off his chest. "Why not? A runway means a city. Well, maybe a town. Which means people and help."
He pursed his lips and shook his head. "Nah, runway looks unused. I'd say we landed on some smuggler's strip. And if he finds out…"
"And if he finds out…what? You can't leave a sentence hanging like that."
"If he finds out, I may just have to live up to my warrior name."
Capri lowered her head to his chest and squeezed her eyes shut. No smugglers. No smugglers.
A loud snap made her jump out of his arms. She twisted her head around, checking the cabin interior. "What was that?"
Chapter Twelve
Thall opened his eyes and blinked. Capri knelt on the couch next to him with her arms wrapped around his neck. He pushed at her arms. "Having trouble breathing."
Capri's Fate Page 8