In Flight (Up in the Air #1)(6)

He ran a long finger down his own tie the way he had done to mine. “I’m not sure if that one was a lie or if you just don’t know how pleasurable ‘that stuff’ can be. Or how well suited you are to it. I can show you. I would love to show you. When I’m done with you, I’ll know your body better than you do, and you will be begging me for it. Every inch of your body is submitting to me, even as you’re turning me down. Can you honestly tell me that the thought of submitting to me in bed doesn’t make you wet?”

The question made me press my legs together, but my traitorous body would not shake my resolve. He obviously knew what he was doing, knew which buttons to push, knew how to control me sexually. But that was exactly what I didn’t want. Wasn’t it?

He seemed to read my mind, or more likely, my expression. He grinned. “I meant it about the spanking, Bianca. And the submission. You’re going to learn very quickly that I always mean what I say.”

“Please leave my galley, Mr. Cavendish. I won’t change my mind.”

He pulled out his wallet, never looking away from me as he pulled out a business card. He touched it to my cheek, running it lightly down to my chin, then to my neck. I shivered as he reached my collar bone. There was a tiny pocket on my vest, right over my right breast, and he slid the card into that pocket. “The number on the back is my cel. I would love to hear from you. Anytime, night or day.”

I just waited stiffly until he finally left the galley to return to his seat.

I was still standing there, taking deep, calming breaths, when Stephan joined me a good thirty minutes later.

He was eyeing me curiously as he shut the curtain. “You ok, Buttercup?” he asked me carefully. I smiled a little at the ridiculous nickname he’d given me back when we were fourteen year old runaways. It always made me smile, which was why he used it.

I nodded. I’d tell him about the whole Mr. Beautiful fiasco, but just not right then. Or even that week.

“What do you think of Mr. Cavendish?” he asked carefully, even innocently. Too innocently.

My eyes narrowed as I looked at him. “Have you been talking to him?”

He did a little non-committal head bob. But he only did that bob when the answer was a yes. “I think he has a crush on you. Did he like ask you out or anything?”

I just glared at him. “What did he say to you?”

“Are you gonna go out with him?” he shot back.

“Of course not. You know I don’t date. What’s gotten into you?”

He shrugged, still looking too innocent. “You’ve gotta start sometime, Buttercup. A young, beautiful woman can’t just ‘not date’ indefinitely. And it’s not gonna get any better than that guy. I have a good feeling about him.” He waved a hand in Mr. Cavendish’s general direction.

I pointed a finger at him. “We’re not doing this again. Everyone in the world does not need to date. I don’t interfere in your life choices. You don’t get to interfere with mine.”

He raised both hands in surrender. “Just a little friendly advice, Bee. But I’ll drop it now. You know I can’t stand it when you’re mad at me.”

I was more than happy to drop it. He gave me a tight hug. “Love you, Bee,” he murmured against my hair. It was just his way of being affectionate. It was how he showed love and sought comfort. It was not my way. Not with anyone but him.

I hugged him back. “Love you too, Steph,” I murmured back.

The rest of the flight passed as slowly as I had expected it to. The red-eyes weren’t my favorite. I liked to stay constantly busy. These flights were all about killing time. Even Mr. Cavendish was dozing when I checked on my cabin. I watched him sleep for a long time. Watching such a restless person at rest was fascinating. He was almost too pretty in his sleep, with no tension in his face. His long, thick, dark lashes making dark shadows on his face even in the near darkness. I could have watched him sleep all night. I admitted that fact to myself, though I didn’t like it. And I wanted to touch him, badly. A stray lock of hair had fallen across one of his cheeks. I wanted to brush it away, and rub it in my fingers. I thought, with no small amount of regret, of all of the parts of him I’d wanted to touch, but that I would never allow myself to. The moment had passed, and I was determined to move on. I shook myself out of my ridiculous reverie as I realized it was time to prep the cabin for landing.

I found myself watching him again as we took our seats to land. He was still dozing, and I couldn’t seem to look away, even when his eyes opened, and he blinked awake, disoriented. His gaze found me quickly, the sleep leaving his eyes as he met my stare and blinked. I schooled my face into neutral lines as he stared back at me. Eventually, I broke the stare, looking at Stephan instead. He was studying me as well, his look strange.

“You like him,” he whispered to me, a fair amount of shock in his voice.

“Don’t,” was all I said in response.

CHAPTER THREE

Mr. Unnerving

The jet bridge at JFK-New York was different than the one in McCarran-Las Vegas, so the passengers departed out of the first door, having to make their way through the first class cabin. This meant that I had to hustle to get the passengers their jackets quickly so that the first class passengers wouldn’t be delayed getting off of the plane.

I nodded politely at Mr. Cavendish as I handed him his suit jacket. “Have a nice day, Mr. Cavendish.”