Lee Wilkinson - The Tycoon's Trophy Mistress

The best she dared hope for was that she had made enough of an impact that once in New York he might possibly renew contact to ask how she was getting on.

But when, having smiled and thanked him for the lift, she said goodbye and prepared to go, he shook his head. ‘Stick with me, Miss Michaels.’

‘But I have to pick up my ticket.’

‘That’s all taken care of. We’re both booked on the same plane.’

Before she had got over her amazement he had gathered her up and, a hand at her waist, swept her along with him as though she were his equal rather than his employee.

At five feet seven inches she was fairly tall for a woman, but he must be a minimum of six feet three inches, she guessed, and seemed even bigger because of the breadth of his shoulders.

Focused and powerful, he moved lithely and fast on the balls of his feet, a tight mass of coiled energy, and she found herself almost trotting to keep up with his long strides.

Travelling with Daniel Wolfe, she soon found, was a totally new experience. VIP treatment smoothed their path and added immeasurably to their ease and convenience.

After being whisked through the formalities, they were served with a tray of excellent coffee before boarding the big jet and being shown to a pair of First Class seats.

Charlotte was staggered. Surely it hadn’t happened by chance? She shot him a puzzled glance.

He raised a dark brow. ‘Something wrong?’

‘No…I just didn’t think… I mean, I hadn’t expected that we’d be on the same plane, let alone sitting together.’

His silvery eyes on her face, he queried mildly, ‘I hope the prospect of having me sitting next to you during the flight doesn’t seriously bother you?’

‘N-no, of course not. I’m just surprised.’

‘As we were travelling at the same time, I told my secretary to book adjacent seats. I found the thought of a little company welcome. I hope you do?’

‘Very welcome,’ Charlotte assured him with her most fetching smile.

So was the unaccustomed luxury.

Used to being crowded into economy, she was staggered by how very comfortable and spacious the First Class area was.

In spite of her tension, or maybe because of it, almost as soon as they were airborne she found herself having to stifle a yawn.

‘Tired?’ he queried, proving he missed nothing.

‘I didn’t get much sleep last night,’ she admitted.

‘Over-excited?’

‘Probably.’

‘Then why not have a little nap before lunch?’

She shook her head. ‘I have been known to fall asleep in cars and buses, but never on planes.’

Taking off his jacket he queried, ‘Any particular reason?’

Without intending to she found herself telling him the truth. ‘I can’t relax enough. I’m never really happy flying. My father was killed in a plane crash.’

‘I’m sorry. How long ago was that?’

‘Six years.’

‘I’m sorry. And what about your mother?’

‘My mother died when I was quite young and my father married again.’

‘His dying like that must have been hard on both you and your stepmother.’

Her generous mouth tightening, she said shortly, ‘My stepmother didn’t care.’

‘Oh?’

‘She was playing around with another man when it happened.’

Her companion waited, his eyes on her face.

Though she had had no intention of revealing any more, Charlotte found herself saying, ‘He was an oil company executive and barely a month after my father’s funeral she married him and went to live in the Middle East.’

Knowing Tim Hunt must have been just a schoolboy at the time, Daniel waited for her to go on. But once again she said nothing about her stepbrother.

After a moment, he probed, ‘I guess you were still at college?’

Wondering vexedly why she had told him so much, Charlotte answered briefly, ‘Yes, I was.’

Seeing she didn’t want to carry on the conversation and watching her smother another yawn, he said, ‘Nap time, I think.’

He adjusted the angle of the seats so that they were reclining comfortably and gathered her close.

‘Put your head on my shoulder.’ He settled her head at the comfortable juncture between chest and shoulder, adding, as he might have done to a child, ‘I’ll keep you safe.’

For an instant everything seemed to stop—her heartbeat, her breathing, her very lifeblood—and she froze into stillness.

Then, with a kind of backlash, she felt an almost uncontrollable urge to tear herself away and cry Keep your hands off me, you swine!

But the last thing she must do was let her true feelings show. She had to play-act for all she was worth.

Though for the moment any acting ability seemed to have totally deserted her.

Recalling Carla’s advice, she knew she should be snuggling against him, doing the ‘wide-eyed and helpless’ bit, but somehow she couldn’t.

Breathing in the clean freshness of his shirt, the faint suggestion of shower-gel and the masculine scent of his aftershave, all she could do was stay quite still, every muscle in her body taut.

‘Relax,’ he urged softly.

Only too aware of his overpowering maleness, the firmness of bone and muscle beneath her cheek, the sureness and strength of his arm holding her, she knew it would be impossible to relax.

But after a while, with a weight of warmth and tiredness lying over her body like a cashmere shawl, her tension drained away and she slept.

When she finally stirred and resurfaced for a second or two she had no idea where she was, or who was holding her so closely.

‘Feeling better, Miss Michaels…?’ a pleasant male voice queried.

‘Yes, thank you,’ she mumbled.

Looking into forest-green eyes still dazed with sleep, he added, ‘Or may I call you Charlotte…?’

‘Please do,’ she replied automatically as she gathered her wits and struggled to sit up.

His smile teasing, he said, ‘Somehow, I feel that watching over you while you slept has moved our relationship on to a more…shall we say…personal footing.’

Flustered by the thought of Daniel Wolfe watching her sleep, she drew hastily away.

Removing his arm and readjusting the seats, he pursued, ‘You must have been absolutely shattered. You’ve slept for almost two hours.’

A glance at her watch confirmed the truth of his statement. ‘I—I’m sorry,’ she stammered. ‘I haven’t been much company.’

In truth, he had enjoyed the chance to just hold her quietly and watch her sleeping face.

When Glenda, his younger sister, married and became a mother, she had once remarked how much time she and her husband had spent just looking at the cherished new arrival.

Finding it difficult to take his eyes off his companion, Daniel now knew exactly what his sister had meant.

Studying that glorious hair, the silky brows and thick, naturally-dark lashes that curled so enticingly, the pure curve of her cheek, he had felt a fierce desire.

Then noticing how, in repose, her soft mouth drooped a little at the corners, as though she’d forgotten how to be happy, he had felt an odd kind of tenderness mingling with desire.

Now seeing her look of genuine concern he shook his head. ‘There’s nothing to be sorry for, I do assure you.’

Tucking in a tendril of silky, red-gold hair that had escaped from its neat coil, Charlotte sighed inwardly. Though he sounded quite laid back about the lack of company she was vexed with herself. She should have been using that time to amuse him, rather than just sleeping.

Once they reached New York and went their separate ways, it would be too late…

‘About ready for some lunch?’ His voice broke into her thoughts.

Finding herself unexpectedly hungry, she nodded.