by Claire Adams
I pulled back a little and wrapped my arms around myself, not at all understanding the need to dig into her slight frown. I wanted to know what put it there and why she was on a vacation that she wanted nothing to do with.
Was she in college or had she graduated? Was she adventurous or safe? Demanding or giving?
She glanced at me, and I couldn't help but smile again.
"What?" I asked.
"You don't look like the type of guy who would want to have a conversation on a plane with some unknown woman." Her expression softened as she scooted back in her seat.
"I don't? What kind of guy do I look like?" I lifted an eyebrow at her.
"The kind that has a dog. A puppy maybe? Travels a lot and hasn't found the right woman just yet, but whose mother is adamant about you continuing to try?"
Her words left me speechless for a minute. "How did you know all that? Now you're creeping me out."
She laughed and reached toward me, pulling a piece of dog hair from the jacket laid across my lap. "I love dogs, and it was a stretch on the puppy, but your jacket is covered in hair."
I glanced down and started to brush it away. "Oh, man. I must have left it out on the couch this morning. Eli's just figured out how to get up on the furniture."
"What kind of dog do you have?" She cupped her hands in her lap and watched me in a way that left my heart picking up speed.
I'd not wanted to ask a woman out for a while, but she was already pushing me toward wanting to spend at least an hour or so getting to know her better. Too bad I didn't have time, nor would it be appropriate.
"He's a Maltese. My mother breeds them, so I took the runt of the litter. He's a great pup." I picked up my phone to see text message after text message from my mother. "Let's see...no ring means I'm not married, or so you assumed, right?"
"Correct, and your mom's texted ten times." She nodded toward the phone smiling. "My mom's been far too busy lately to call like she used to. She's in a bit of a funk." She shrugged in a noncommittal way.
Funny how people often opened a subject that they really have no desire to dig into in the company of a stranger.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I could have my mom berate you. I'm the oldest, and my two younger brothers are completely shielded by me." I stopped myself from reaching out to touch her hand. She was perceptive and beautiful.
Score a few more points for her.
"It's alright. The air will clear soon, I guess." She turned to look out the window as the plane pulled back. The flight attendants were already seated, but the cute blonde with Vivian poked her head up above the seats and called out, catching my attention.
"Viv, you need gum. Catch." She threw it just before glancing over at me. "No freaking way."
I reached up and caught it as Viv moved to do the same. My elbow smacked into her shoulder, and she let out a yelp.
"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry." I turned and pressed my hand to her shoulder, rubbing softly as concern filled me. "You okay? I just didn't want the gum to hit you, and damn if I didn't do it instead."
"It's okay." She carefully moved my hand off of her and rubbed it as she nodded to the gum. "Unwrap it for me?"
"Of course. I'm so sorry." I worked on the gum as she barked at Casey to sit down before they got thrown off the plane. A smile tugged at my lips as I pulled out a stick of gum and handed it to her. "Your ears pop too?"
"Like crazy." She rubbed her shoulder once more before taking the gum and giving me a weak smile. "Feel free to have a piece if you want."
"Thanks." I took a piece and shifted a little, wanting to study her. "Alright, so you got a few things about me from just looking at me. It's my turn now."
She chuckled. "Why did I just fill with dread?"
"No clue, but there is no reason for it." I pressed my fingers to my lips and watched her watch me. There was something almost too comfortable sitting between us as we sat in silence together. The plane lifted, and she flinched and gripped her armrest, her little knuckles turning white.
"Don't say I'm scared of planes and my ears pop, either." She gave me a look, and I laughed abruptly, loving her sharp sense of humor.
"You're an art major. In your junior year of college, and you model on the side for money. You're the oldest of two or three kids and your favorite thing to do is sky dive. A total risk taker." I lifted my shoulders, half expecting her to laugh at me. Instead, tears brimmed her beautiful blue eyes. "Oh shit. What did I say?"
She lifted her sweater and pressed it to her eyes, sniffling a little.
I didn't know her well enough to reach out and touch her, pull her into a hug, or really offer any type of consolation, so I just sat in an awkward position waiting for her to tell me what I'd done wrong.
"Nothing," she whispered and pulled her sweater back down. She had to have been the cutest woman I'd ever seen in my life when she cried. Her thick bottom lip poked out as another stream of tears rolled down her flawless skin.
I reached out and brushed away the tears on her cheek closest to me, using the back of my fingers. "I'm sorry I upset you. We can just read magazines and ignore each other if you want."
She laughed through her tears. "It was really sweet."
"Oh." I relaxed and let out a tight breath. "I thought I'd hurt your feelings or offended you. You women are difficult, to say the least."
She laughed again. "Yeah, and I'm one of the worst, I'm sure. I was just thinking earlier that I wished I were a risk taker. I want to live again, to find myself again...to be beautiful."
Her rawness in front of me was a little overwhelming, and left not only my heart swelling, but also my body hardening rapidly. She was beautiful, and the fact that she wanted to be the woman I'd described was a little exhilarating.
"You are beautiful. Breathtaking actually." I smiled as she glanced at me under a shy expression. She didn't believe my compliments at all.
"Right. Anyway..." She brushed away the rest of her tears. "Forgive me for the tears. Life's been a little shitty lately."
"I understand completely." I cleared my throat. "Now, tell me if I got anything right about you, and if not, correct me."
The flight attendant stopped by our aisle and offered us a drink before Vivian could respond. I turned my attention to the beautiful redhead, feigning interest in her drink. The opportunity to study her for a minute more was one I wasn't passing up. The need to know where she was staying in Miami bubbled up inside of me, but I pushed it back down. The girl didn't need to feel like she was sitting next to a creeper, and in all actuality, she was far too much woman for me. If she was anywhere as needy and demanding as she was beautiful, the world was in trouble. I didn't need it in my life, no matter how entertaining and appetizing she was.
"Jack and Coke?" She asked, her pretty blue eyes moving from the attendant to me.
"Same," I mumbled, not looking away from her. "Alright. Spill."
"I have two brothers, both younger than me, so you win there." She smiled.
"Yes, I pegged you as the bossy older sister."
She swatted at me playfully, causing me to laugh. "Hey! Watch it. I'm a business major, and am a senior. I graduate from NYU in May this year. I honestly can't wait. College has officially worn out its welcome."
"I understand that completely. Marketing or general business?"
"Hotel restaurant management. I want to be a food critic when I grow up. I've taken several courses at the culinary institute as well. More than the ability just to know when something tastes great, I want to know why and what comprises the various flavors. I need to be able to express it."
I sat in shocked silence. My degree was in hotel restaurant management.
She continued. "I've never been a model, but it's flattering that you think I could be. Unless it's a hand model. Is that what you meant?"
Her smile had me melting on the inside. I figured her for an underwear model, but there was no way I was divulging that information. "No, silly woman."
"I'm not a r
isk taker, but I want to be." She let out a long sigh and turned to look down at her hands.
I glanced up as the flight attendant handed me my drink and offered her hers. "Then start taking a few risks. What's one thing you could do in Miami to live on the edge? To breathe danger into a normal everyday spring break trip?"
"I guess I could get drunk and walk down a dark alley?" She glanced up with a serious look on her face, but only held it for a minute before she smirked. "That what you mean?"
The need to protect her from herself rose up inside of me. "No, and don't do that. Miami is dangerous as hell. Make sure you and Casey stay together and don't be walking in any dark alleys."
She took a sip of her drink and watched me. "I'm not looking for that type of thrill."
It was the first glimpse I'd gotten of the sarcastic, sensitive beauty that said there was more to her than a silly college girl with a chip on her shoulder. I witnessed a woman with the need for an emotional risk, the desire to spill herself out on a bed and cry out in pleasure. A chill ran down my spine. I wanted to offer all of it to her.
I downed my drink as my mind fragmented, turning our average, calm conversation into something edgy within seconds. She aged herself by a few years with the way she watched me and nursed her drink.
"Then what are you looking for, Vivian?" I turned to face her and lifted my cup back to my lips, taking in a piece of ice and rolling it around my mouth as I turned my full attention on her.
"Call me Viv." She rested her glass on her knee and inhaled deeply as she glanced out the window. "A thrill to remind me that life's going to go on. A high that leaves me breathless. An affair that pulls me in deeper than I've ever been."
I swallowed hard and was rather grateful that she was looking out the window and not at me. I crossed my legs and shifted away from her, not wanting her to notice just how much our conversation had turned me on. If we were in a bar and she was alone, she would be mine for a night, at least. That she was hurting put her off limits. I wasn't anyone's savior, but something about the beauty next to me wanted me to change that. I wanted to take a risk just to feel the things she explained so perfectly.
"So make sure you go dancing, eat at the best restaurants Miami has to offer, and get in a day of parasailing or hang-gliding. That should cover everything on your list, except the sex."
"Sex?" She turned her attention back to me. "Was sex on my list?"
Her cheeks colored, and I had no doubt that mine did as well. It was getting harder to breathe, but I had my façade locked into place. Being a businessman for the last two and half years had taught me good and well how to keep up a poker face. There was no way I was letting her know just how badly she affected me.
Beautiful, smart, and cheeky as hell?
She was scoring a hundred and fifty in my book. Too bad the scale only went to ten.
Chapter Five
Vivian
Sex? I didn't remember mentioning sex. I wasn't the type of girl who would casually talk about sex with a random guy. Hell, I didn't even talk about sex with Casey.
I took a long drink from my glass and watched him, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to backtrack enough to get us out of what could possibly become an awkward conversation.
"I assumed by affair you meant sex." He shrugged and sat his glass down before pulling out his phone. "Did you mean something else?"
I was more than grateful when he started to thumb through his contacts. He had to be as mortified as I felt, though we were both somehow playing it off quite well.
"Oh, yeah. My first love is food." I let out a soft laugh and glanced back out at the clouds, enjoying the way the sun played across the sky. "I dream of being a food critic, remember?"
"I like that, actually." He gave me a serious look.
I glanced over at him and smiled before faking a yawn. "I'm going to take a short nap. Wake me if I need to help you with your oxygen mask."
His eyes moved across my face as he gave me a cute smile. "I'll do just that. Sleep well."
Closing my eyes, I leaned back and enjoyed the subtle tones of his cologne, letting my mind slip into how nice it would be to have been with a man like him for the week. He seemed to have his shit together. That he was incredibly good-looking and a bit funny didn't hurt too much. Some part of me wanted to stay up and talk his ear off, learning more about him and divulging my secrets, but we would get to the part where I was cheated on, without a doubt. He would do as most people did and show me pity. I wasn't interested.
Sleep pulled me under, and waking to the sound of his voice and the gentle brush of his fingers along my arm startled me.
"Viv, we're here." He smiled and unbuckled his seatbelt before rolling his shoulders and standing. "You purr when you sleep. Has anyone ever told you that?"
Warmth covered my cheeks, and I nodded. "My brothers make fun of me. My nickname is Kat at home for that reason. Don't tell anyone on me. You promise?"
He chuckled. "Not for a million dollars. It was nice to meet you, pretty girl. Maybe fate will kick us back together again for a drink while you're here." His eyebrow lifted.
"Why wait on fate?" Casey moved up behind him. "Give him your number, Viv. We could use a handsome decoy if things go south sometime during the week."
"Don't be silly. He's here on business, no doubt." I turned my attention back to Easton and stood to move out into the aisle.
"I am here on business, but I'll take your number, and we can have a drink before you leave to head back home. I assume New York is home for you girls?" He glanced back at Casey, giving me a lovely view of his yummy neck. I could spend hours brushing my nose along it, nipping and kissing at it. Stop it. Now.
"Yeah. We're New York City born and bred." Casey reached for his phone. "I'll put her number in your phone."
"You don't have to do that. We'll be fine." I slipped my hands into my pockets as Easton turned his dark green gaze back toward me, stealing my breath for a moment.
"Maybe I won't be fine." He wagged his eyebrows and took his phone back from Casey as first class started to get off the plane. "Great to meet you both. Have fun in Miami and remember what I said. No dark alleys, risk-taker."
I rolled my eyes before turning to Casey, who moved into my seat and pushed me back a little. Easton turned and walked toward the front of the plane as my best friend poked me in the side.
"Spill. What happened?" She glanced over her shoulder and let out a sound of appreciation. "God, he's so damn fine. I hope he calls. If you don't want him, I call dibs."
I laughed. "He's all yours. I'm not interested in anyone that good looking. If he's single, there is a reason for it."
"Maybe he's just not found the right woman?" Casey reached out and tugged on the strap of my purse as she moved back into the aisle. “Let's get out of here. I want to get the rental car and get to the resort. We're going to make memories and have one of the best weeks of our lives."
"You think?" I moved in behind her as a jolt of excitement raced through me. Maybe there was more to look forward to than I was contemplating. Just meeting Easton and talking to him on the flight for a little while was fun and scary, but exhilarating as well.
The flight attendant at the front of the plane smiled widely at me in a flirtatious manner and nodded. "Have a great stay. Black's Beach is where you want to be on Thursday night."
"That so?" I asked, being half-pulled off the plane by Casey.
"If you want a wild experience. Don't miss it." The guy called after me, but I was already too far away to respond.
"Black's Beach. Is that like the one in California?" I asked Casey as I repositioned my bag. "The nude beach?"
"I have no idea, but I'm totally down with it if you are." She gave me a sideways glance as we walked into the terminal lobby. The place was crawling with people who seemed to be in a serious hurry to get somewhere fast.
A woman bumped into my shoulder and sent me spinning around from the force of it.
"Excuse
me?" I mumbled and turned, getting my bearings and jogging after Casey, who was talking a million miles a minute to no one.
"So I think we can just hang around the hotel area tonight until we understand the lay of the land a little bit better. That okay with you?" She looked over at me.
"Yeah, but I didn't hear a word you said." I shrugged and pointed toward the car rental check-in. "Over there."
"I said I was good with the nudie beach, though the boys are going to all be staring at you. Men love gingers, especially drop-dead gorgeous ones." She pressed her shoulder against mine and hit my hip with hers.
"Shut up. I'm just average at best." I moved to the counter, ignoring her response. She was forever telling me how pretty I was, but that's simply what best friends were for. It was part of their job description, and she was good at it—too good, most days.
After getting the keys to the compact car we rented for the week, we grabbed our baggage from baggage claim and walked out into the cool, spring afternoon. I breathed in deep and reached out, grabbing Casey's shoulder and pulling her to a halt as a cab whipped past us, the driver honking and flipping us off out the window.
"Nice. Fuck you too, buddy," Casey yelled after him before tugging away from my grasp. "Stupid ass. The crosswalk is for people. People have the right-away."
"Hey, crazy. Over here." I moved toward the car that's lights lit up as I pressed the key fob. "Easton was pretty cute, wasn't he? I hope we run into a million more guys just like him."
Casey loved to talk about guys more than anything else. It seemed no matter what the situation was or how we were feeling, if I brought up men, she would quickly get back to being her normal, upbeat self.
"Yeah, he was smoking hot. Now, let's just hope that he calls you." She reached for the trunk as I popped it. "What did you guys talk about during the flight?"
"Not much. I slept through most of it." I put my bag in the back and glanced up at her, already knowing that I was going to get a look from her.
"What a waste of a great seatmate. I sat next to Father Time. He was snoring so loud that I honestly thought he might die any minute." Casey smirked before turning and walking toward the driver's side door. "I'm disappointed in you. Now, give me the keys, and I'll drive."