Sinful Love (Sinful Nights #4)(33)
Noelle said something about medicine, but Annalise was simply lost in this moment, her face lingering near his lips, as if all the travelers, all the noise, all the sounds of the world had blurred. These few seconds next to him were bright, crisp, and achingly real, turning everything else mute.
When Michael stepped away from her, she completely lost her train of thought, as well as the words she’d meant to say to Noelle. Her sister rattled off details about milligrams and twice a day. The sound of her voice jarred Annalise back into the reality of the phone call.
She blinked and refocused, but she was still lightheaded, just from the brush of his lips and the sight of his face. “Take care of Mom. I’ll be back soon to help out. Just a few days in New York for the shoot,” she said.
“Fly safely, mon petite papillon,” her older sister said. “Keep me posted on everything. Love you. Miss you. See you soon.”
Annalise ended the call, slipping the phone into her back pocket.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Silly grins and knowing looks passed between them.
“Fancy meeting you here.” Her voice was laced with flirtation, and she loved the way it sounded as she talked to him. She thrilled at the way it felt to slide into this kind of woozy chemistry.
“What a surprise. I had no idea you were on this flight,” he said, playing along, as if they’d just met.
“Perhaps we can sit together and catch up on the plane,” she suggested, as if the two of them hadn’t already made those plans.
“I like that idea.” He leaned closer, his lips dangerously close as he said, “Maybe then I can whisper filthy things in your ear as we fly.”
She wobbled, his words making her hot. Her hand darted out, and she gripped his shirt, holding on. He looped an arm around her waist, making sure she didn’t fall.
“You’d want that, wouldn’t you?” he murmured, as he roamed his eyes over her. She wore skinny jeans and heels, and a silky tank top that dared to show a peek of cleavage.
“Yes. So much. Would you?”
His eyes blazed darkly—his yes. “I would absolutely love getting you hot and bothered.”
She brought her lips closer to his ear. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’m already there.”
A few minutes later, the gate agent’s voice warbled across the tinny speakers, calling for first-class passengers. Michael swept his arm to the side, letting her lead the way.
As they stepped onto the plane, he asked, “How’s your mom?”
The question surprised her, but she answered quickly, “She’s okay. Well, she’s not great. I was talking to my sister about her,” she said and shared some more details. She figured he must have heard the tail end of the conversation, picking up a few French words that she’d taught him once upon a time. Back when they were younger, he’d helped her with her English slang, so it was only fitting that she taught him some of her language. Mostly she’d taught him naughty words.
Which reminded her…
“I need to work on your French again,” she teased as they quickly found their seats, comfy gray leather chairs in the second row.
“You think so?”
“Like I did before,” she said, jogging his memory. “Have you forgotten it all?”
His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Why don’t you try me and find out?”
“Perhaps I will.”
The flight attendant strolled by and asked if they needed anything.
“All set,” Annalise told her, then carefully tucked her camera gear under the seat in front of her, meticulously taking the time to make sure it was positioned against the leg rests.
Michael tipped his chin toward the bags. “What’s the job in New York? More bikinis?”
“We have one more day in some very iconic New York locations for Veronica’s. We’ve actually booked the New York Public Library, and we have some fantastic shots planned of the girls lounging in their PJs on these leather couches, reading old books. It’s going to be very cool.”
His eyes twinkled. “Can I have your job?”
“You want to lounge in your PJs and read in the library?” she said, nudging him with her elbow.
“Yeah, that’s it. Exactly.”
“When Veronica’s adds boxer briefs, perhaps I’ll suggest you model them.”
He leaned his head back and laughed, a deep, hearty sound that warmed her soul. She loved his laugh; he’d been so laidback and carefree when she knew him before, quick with a joke or an easy comment. When his chuckles slowed, he lowered his voice to a dirty whisper, “But you don’t even know if I wear boxer briefs.”
She arched her eyebrow in a challenging stare. “No. But I fully intend to find out the answer to that, and to discover it…” She let her voice trail off, watching him linger on her every word with parted lips before she added, “So very soon.”
He drew a sharp breath, and she zipped right back into the conversation. “Then after that, I have a boudoir session with a private client.”
“Private client?”
“Just a woman who wanted to have some shots done as a gift for her husband.” She’d secured space for the shoot in a studio with a gorgeous, sumptuous bedroom set. The woman was the CEO of a sex-toy company, Joy Delivered, and she’d found Annalise through a mutual contact—her brother worked and lived in Paris with his wife, and Annalise had met them a few times at dinner with friends.