Jill Shalvis - Strong And Sexy

She had brandy breath, and he still wanted to kiss her.

“Shayne?”

“Yeah?”

“I also like it when you look at me like I’m someone special to you. Because you’re someone special to me.”

“You’re going to be sorry you admitted that when you’re sober.”

“Why?”

“Because when you’re sober you don’t like me as much, unless we’re in bed.”

Her smile faded as she stared up at him. “Then I must be a very stupid woman when I’m sober.”

He used his foot to open the door to the tarmac. A gust of wind rolled over them and he hunched over her to protect her from it, which effectively brought his face closer to hers.

She sighed. “Very stupid.”

He took her down to the first hangar, where he’d had his Cessna fueled up for their trip.

Inside the plane she looked around. “It’s tiny,” she said in an extremely small voice. “Very tiny.”

“It’s a six-seater.” He plopped her down across the two seats behind the pilot seat, then grabbed a blanket and spread it over her. “Plenty big enough.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m assuming you got yourself in this condition so you can sleep through the flight.”

“Well, there’s that…”

He turned back and looked down at her, so sweetly sprawled in the seats. “And what else?”

She covered her eyes.

Huh. He crouched beside her. “Dani?”

Uncovering her eyes, she hit him with the full potency of her gaze, which if he’d been standing would have staggered him.

“Can you handle the truth?” she whispered.

No. “Yes.”

“You’re freaking me out as much as this flight is.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because…” She shook her head. “I don’t think I’m drunk enough for this.”

“Talk to me, Dani.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that Sky High Air exists all because of you? That without you it wouldn’t exist?”

“Because that’s not true.”

“It’s your money.”

“And without it, we’d have come up with something else.”

“You handle all the client relations. You bring in all the clients.”

“I’m president of operations. You know that.”

“You are Sky High Air.”

He shook his head. “Why are we having this conversation?”

“Because you’re not who I thought you were, okay? Because you’re not just the laid-back, easygoing, fun-loving playboy who sleeps with anyone with a pretty smile. You’re…” She sighed. “More. A lot more. And I don’t know what to do with that.”

“You’re not making sense. At first you didn’t want to be with me because I was that guy. Now you’re pissed because I’m not?” He shook his head. “Maybe I should be the one drinking.”

She rolled away from him. “You know what? Don’t listen to me.”

“Now that’s a deal.” Rising, he turned away too, happy to not have this conversation, because he was this close to humiliating himself and begging her to want him for more than just sex. “I have to do the preflight check. Wait here.”

Grateful for the fresh air, he stepped off the plane, and as he did, a shadow stepped in front of him.

Michelle.

He bit back his sigh. She had a private jet that they housed here in this hangar. She was a frequent flier, a real jet-setter who lived and loved the lifestyle, so it wasn’t unusual for her to be here.

What was unusual was for her to be here and him not know it. Maddie usually kept him apprised of which client was on the premises.

But then again, Maddie had apparently clocked out early today to have shots with Dani.

In any case, Michelle smiled at him. A tall, gorgeous, stacked brunette who’d graced many a lingerie catalog in her modeling days, which she’d just recently left for higher, loftier aspirations-acting-she was so beautiful it actually hurt to look at her, and Shayne had definitely enjoyed their two dates.

And their activities on that second date.

But even as she lifted her gaze to his, he remembered what had driven him away-her naked, overwhelming ambition to have a diamond on the ring finger of her left hand.

And then there was the other thing. She’d never made him ache. She’d never made him think of her 24/7, even when he was in the air.

Even when he was sleeping.

And she sure as hell never drove him to complete and utter frustration the way the woman on the plane behind him did.

“I have a change in plans,” Michelle said. “I need a flight to San Diego.”

“I can’t.”

She arched a brow in surprise. Not many people told Michelle no. “You can’t?”

“I can’t. Did you talk to Maddie?”

“She said you were booked and that Noah could take me.”

“Great.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll check your takeoff status.”

“But I want you-” Michelle broke off and cocked her head at something behind him. “Hello. Who are you? A Sky High employee?”

Dani had poked her head out of the plane. “No. I don’t like planes.”

Shayne sighed and when Dani stepped down to the tarmac, he introduced the two of them, and when Michelle shook Dani’s hand, she asked, “So you’re a client?”

“Then…” Michelle glanced back at Shayne. “You’re his date.”

“I don’t think so,” Dani said. “Because I told him I didn’t want to date and he believed me, so…no. No, we’re not dating. We’re just…Well. I’m not exactly sure.”

Shayne felt Michelle’s gaze sizzling his skin. “Calling Noah,” he said, punching in Noah’s number.

“No, don’t. I can find him myself.” Michelle didn’t move, instead looking Dani over. “Good luck with him. You’re going to need it.” And with that, she turned around and walked away.

Dani arched a brow, or tried, but in her inebriated state, she couldn’t quite pull it off. “You really do have a special way with women.”

“Yeah. I’m a keeper, all right.”

She didn’t say anything to that, just sort of weaved, and then turned to take the few steps back up into the plane. On the last one, she tripped, abruptly vanishing into the plane with a thud.

“Dani?” Leaping up the steps, he peered into the interior of the plane.

She’d hit the floor. Rolling to her back, she waved a hand. “I meant to do that.”

With a sigh, he scooped her back up and got her into a seat.

“I’m okay,” she said, eyes closed.

His gaze touched over her face, and he felt his heart constrict. “Yeah. You are.”

Her eyes opened, and though they were more than a little glossy, she gazed up at him. “I like him, you know,” she whispered.

“Who?”

“The guy you really are.” Lifting a hand, she tried to cup his face, ended up smacking him instead. “You ought to show him more often.”

He just stared down at her.

She laughed a little, then closed her eyes again, and with a shuddery sigh, fell asleep.

Shayne landed in Tahoe, arranged for tie-down services, ran through his postflight check, and still Dani didn’t stir. He went into the lobby, grabbed a tray of food from the café there, and went back to the Cessna.

As he entered, Dani lifted her head, then winced and held it. “Is it morning? It feels like morning.”

“It’s seven. At night. How’s the head?”

“Concussion plus hangover. Not pleasant.”

Setting the tray down beside her, he watched with some amusement as her nose wriggled and her eyes lit. “Burger and fries?”

“It’s all yours.”

She dug in with gusto and a smile, and when she’d plowed through most of it, she sat back and sighed. “Thanks. You do good morning-afters. Or evening-afters.”

He never had. Normally he was running for the hills from any kind of “after.”