Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(37)

She’d wanted to share this with Will. She’d really wanted that last couple of days with him.

“Ms. Slaten, would you care to board? We leave in five minutes. The other guest is already in place,” the driver said, gesturing toward the stairs that would lead her to the plane.

She nodded and started up them, her mind on Will. What was he doing? He’d obviously decided to let her leave without him. Maybe he was with Starr. Maybe he’d knocked on her door to tell her that he was happy he had his serial-killer-helping ex-submissive back. Maybe he was far too busy screwing her right now to even think about the fact that he’d seriously f*cked Bridget over.

Guest? She looked back at the driver to ask him about the other guests. There was supposed to be seven other guests. Serena and her husbands, Chris and his Dom, and Ian and Charlotte Taggart were supposed to be on that plane. The McKay-Taggart crew was coming out to talk to her father and ensure security for the wedding. It was precisely why her dad had sent the big jet.

Shit. She looked at the freaking plane. It was the smaller of the two her dad used. Damn it. There had been a mistake. She and her sister called this one the love jet because it was the one their dad used when he escorted his mistresses around. It came complete with a bedroom.

She groaned as she walked up the stairs because the driver had taken off. She would have to get answers from the pilot or the attendant. They couldn’t fit everyone in this stupid plane.

And she still hadn’t figured out what she was going to tell her sister. The day was turning into one massive cluster f*ck and she wasn’t even looking forward to yelling at someone.

Her cell trilled, signaling a text was coming through, and she pulled it out of her bag as she entered the plane.

Shit. Speak of the devil. Her sister. Damn, but she hated the fact that she’d let Amy down. She touched the screen to read the message.

Can’t wait ’til you get here. Frankie is fabulous. You’ll love him like I do. And we both love your guy. So sweet. Have a great flight and give Will a big kiss for me. I know this is a fake engagement, but after talking to him, I think it should become the real thing. That man is a keeper. See you soon.

Bridget frowned. When the hell had Amy talked to Will?

She stepped on the plane, ready for some answers.

“Hello? Does anyone realize this is the wrong plane? Where are we going to put the seven of us and the baby? He can’t go in the damn cargo hold.”

A polished and perfectly made up flight attendant greeted her with a glass of wine in hand. She had to give it to her father; the man did know how to fly. Oh, he’d gotten there on the backs of the little people, but he wasn’t chintzy with the good wine. “Ms. Slaten, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Your sister is a favorite of ours. She’s asked us to take excellent care of you and we’re happy to do so. Dinner will be served once we reach our cruising altitude and you’ll find I’ve already turned down the bed. Our flight time is seven hours and fifty minutes. I’ll make sure you’re awake an hour before we land. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Yeah, I need to know where everyone else is.” She took the wine though. She would need it to get through the whole shebang. Maybe if she stayed drunk for the next week, it would fly by.

The flight attendant shook her head. “The other party went out on the larger jet about an hour ago. Your sister changed the plans last night. This is her gift to you. Privacy. Enjoy.”

She shook her head as she made her way into the luxurious lounge. To the back of the plane would be the kitchen, bar, study, and bedroom complete with thousand thread count sheets.

Yeah. Why had Amy thought she would need privacy? Well, at least she knew now when Amy had talked to Will.

“How did you know her phone number, Daley?” She wasn’t a complete idiot.

He stepped out of the hall that led to the bar. He looked utterly delicious in slacks and an open-necked white dress shirt. “I called Serena last night and told her I wanted to set up a surprise for you. She was willing to help. Do you like the wine? I made sure they had the Sauvignon Blanc you love.”

She took a drink because it was not the grapes’ fault and they shouldn’t go to waste. “You should leave now.”

She heard the thud as the airplane door was closed and sealed. Well, that was her fault for almost being late. He’d used that to his advantage, too.

He stared at her with big, gorgeous dark eyes. Stupid eyes that made her want to melt at his surprisingly attractive feet. She normally didn’t like feet, but his were the exception. “I understand you’re angry, but you don’t have any reason to be. That woman means nothing to me.”

She’d meant enough to him to blow up their evening. “She did once.”

“And she doesn’t now. She has no effect on us whatsoever. I understand why you locked the door.”

That surprised her. Now that she thought about it, he was very tolerant of her emotional reactions. “What? You’re not going to accuse me of being childish?”

“No, I’m not. You often overreact to situations, but once you calm down, you see reason. I’ve gotten used to it. You’re a passionate woman. It’s one of the things I like about you. You needed to show me how you felt. Well, I understand. I can promise you that it won’t happen again. I’ve taken steps to make sure she never bothers us again.”