Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
There was an older couple to our right, and directly behind us was another older couple.
In fact, now that I was paying attention, the entire flight was filled with elderly people.
“What do you think, it’s some elderly convention in Hazard, Nebraska?” I wondered idly.
He shrugged from the aisle seat. “Want me to ask?”
“No,” I said, anxiety immediately assaulting me.
I hated drawing people’s attention. I hated even more talking to strangers. Which was hilarious seeing as I was currently sitting next to one. And I’d spent the entire last three hours with him from the moment I’d seen him in security.
He blew out a relieve breath. “Oh, good. Because I hate talking to people.”
I chuckled. “But you would’ve done it for me?”
“I would do just about anything for you right now,” he pointed out.
I smiled shyly at him, then ducked my head.
The flight attendant locked down the plane, and soon we were taxiing out to the runway.
One thing to know about me, I don’t like planes.
Helicopters were A-okay.
But not planes.
There was just something about them that gave me the creeps, which was why I reached for my stranger’s hand.
He looked over at me in surprise. “You’re scared to fly?”
“I’m scared to fly when I’m not flown by someone I trust,” I confirmed.
“That’s… ludicrous,” he admitted. “Do you trust the pilot that you’re about to start working with in Hazard?”
The worry that was in his voice nearly made me smile.
I nodded. “I only do stints with my friend. She was in the Army. A warrant officer. She flew in Iraq, and did all kinds of things there, giving her plenty of experience. We only work together or we don’t work.”
“That’s… pretty cool,” he admitted. “I like the sound of that.”
“I do, too,” I said, “because there are only so many people that I’m willing to give that kind of control over me.”
His eyes darkened as he said, “You don’t give up control often?”
Why did it sound like he wanted to be the one to force me to give up my control?
“Uh, no,” I said. “I have so many brothers that it was ingrained in me to never give up without one hell of a fight.”
“Good girl,” he murmured quietly, then squeezed my hand.
Why did those two words literally set every single nerve ending inside my body on fire?
The plane started to rev up, and my heartrate started to double time it.
I was seconds away from possibly hyperventilating when Keene called my name.
I looked over and up at him, then he kissed me.
I was too stunned to think about us taking off. Picking up speed and liftoff were a dream.
Mostly because I was kissing him, and he was making me forget what I was scared of in the first place.
He tasted like cinnamon.
I was so focused on that taste, and the way his tongue pressed against my own, I didn’t even realize we’d reached altitude until there was a soft throat clearing beside us.
Keene pulled away, bottom lip glossy from my lip gloss, and turned.
I blinked, surprised to find the flight attendant there with her cart.
We were in the air!
How had I missed that?
“What can I get you two lovebirds to drink?” she asked.
I felt my face flush before saying, “Oh. Just water for me, please.”
“Water for me, too,” Keene said. “Thank you.”
The flight attendant poured both of us nearly full glasses and placed them on our TV trays, then left, moving to the older folks behind us.
My face still felt hot when he said, “Let me know if you need distracting anymore during our flight.”
I felt my lips tip up at the corner. “We hit turbulence, and I’ll be in your lap.”
His eyes gleamed as he said, “I’ve never wished for turbulence in my life, but here I am… wishing desperately for it.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it, unsure what to say.
I did know that the idea of my ass being in his lap was incredibly exciting.
But he was right. I’d never wished for turbulence before, either, yet there I was.
CHAPTER 5
Life is just a series of interruptions preventing you from reading your book.
-Text from Ande to Keene
ANDE
It happened an hour and a half into our flight.
The lights were dimmed because we were on a red eye. The old people at our backs had all finished their bathroom breaks over thirty minutes ago. And they were all nicely ensconced in their chairs with the lights out throughout the cabin.
Keene and I were leaned together, sharing an ear bud, and watching Die Hard.
“Christmas movie or not?” Keene asked.
I snorted. “Christmas movie. Just as much as Home Alone.”
He knocked my fist with his and was just pulling back when there was a slight bump.
My heart lurched, and before I could think ‘oh, shit’ the plane evened out.
For the next ten minutes, we whispered quietly about the movie. Our thoughts on why the two lovebirds had split up, and whether or not they got back together after the movie ended.