commented on it, so I was surprised to see genuine concern from him.
“Business.” I whimpered when the flaps on the wings started moving. “Meetings with new clients and some other stuff.”
“They’re doing safety checks. Keep looking at me.” He gave me a smile, one that bled into his eyes and made them come alive. “I’m going for work, too. In fact, I think we might be heading off for the same thing. The show.”
“What?”
“I’m one of the assistant directors assigned to Domestic Goddess.”
“When the hell did you get into the film industry?” Being an assistant director was a far cry from a medic in the army.
“After we broke up.”
“That’s a serious change in your career.”
“The last one didn’t work out so well for me. You should know that.”
I did. Even without him telling me, I knew something bad had happened to him on active duty. “Did you know I was working on it?”
“Found out yesterday when I spoke to Brian. I have to admit I was shocked to see your name on the judges list. How did you end up here?”
“My business partner and I were on a show last year. I did all the business stuff while she was on camera. Really, she should be here.”
“Why isn’t she?”
“Business negotiations aren’t her strong suit. Reality Life wanted one of us though, to keep the momentum going from Impact Load. So, here I am.” Which left me with a burning question. “Does Brian know? About us?”
“No. I figured it was best to keep the dirty laundry hidden. That means we have to pretend not to know each other. I’m Reid. Nice to meet you.”
He held out his hand for me to shake. I hesitated, but when the plane hit a bump, I took hold. His fingers were warm as he wrapped them around my hand. He didn’t let go; instead he rubbed my wrist with his thumb. My breath caught and I knew my eyes had widened at the intimacy of the caress, but I didn’t care. I’d missed his support—strong and gentle all at once.
“I’d forgotten how beautiful you are.” There was a surprised note in his voice.
“Are you seriously flirting?” Yes, comments like that from a hot guy were a good thing, but not coming from him. Anyone but him.
“Is that a problem?” He gave my hand a squeeze, sending a shiver through me. “Despite what happened during our last time together, you’re still hot. I’d be blind not to notice and stupid not to appreciate.”
“Dear God. I’d hoped you would have gotten better with time.”
“Come on, I’m working on my communication skills. I’ve expanded my vocabulary.” He paused for a moment, as though he was trying to take stock of my attributes. “Blond hair, like flaxen wheat. Statuesque, like a goddess. Dumb army boy has been taught.”
We hit another bump as the plane continued to taxi into place, which sent my heart racing. With all of my senses on high alert, my inner bitch took over. Attack was my only mode of defense when I got this way. “I never called you dumb. Arrogant bastard. Yes. Uncommunicative. Yes. Never dumb.”
He cocked his head. “I remember.”
He leaned closer and in an instant, I was caught in his spell. His gaze dipped down to my lips, hesitating before he moved to reclaim my gaze. “I had forgotten the way you moved. Strong. Confident. Beautiful.”
If anyone else had said that to me, I would have dismissed them as trying too hard. Even coming from Reid I was inclined to think he was simply putting me on. Maybe it was the fact we were on a plane that was now sitting in line and apparently waiting for takeoff. Maybe it was the sincerity shining back at me in those green eyes of his. My body became blindingly aware of Reid’s presence—the scent of his cologne, the way his brown hair curled around his ears, the fit of his black-framed glasses and how they highlighted his cheekbones—and wanted to melt against him.
He must have taken my silence as permission to keep talking. “I would love to see your hair down loose again. It’s long. Probably comes down to just about your breasts. Right?”
My body was clearly a traitor, because at the mention of my breasts, my nipples tightened and a shiver of adrenaline shot through me. “You need to stop.” Shit, even I wasn’t convinced by my scold.
Reid chuckled. “I remember how your hair looked against your body in bed. You’d be beautiful photographed that way.”
“Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff.” The captain’s voice crackled through the PA system.
My breath caught in my throat and I tried to pull away. Reid gave my hand another soft squeeze. “Don’t worry, everything is fine. Just keep looking at me.”
“Let me go.”
“I will if that’s what you want. Or I can keep talking. I can tell you how soft I find your skin. I can feel your pulse racing under my thumb. I know it’s because you’re nervous, but I remember it being the same when you were aroused. Beating just as strong as if I were to kiss you there.”
The plane engines roared as we accelerated down the runway. His gaze still held mine, his thumb still circling, bringing my body to the edge of awareness. The quickness of my breath had as much to do with Reid’s intensity as it did with my fear. The twist of my stomach was a mix of nerves and desire.
With a gentle bump and a not-so-subtle tilt of the floor, the plane was finally off the ground. The grinding noise of the wheels being pulled into the underbelly punctuated the fact that we were airborne. A silent count started ticking down in my head, my mind wondering how much longer this moment would go on before he’d pull away. It wasn’t until the copilot came on the intercom to welcome us that Reid finally relaxed his hold, allowing me to place my hand back in my lap.
“There, that wasn’t so bad.” He gave me a wink before turning back to face front, settling his long frame as comfortably as he could in the seat. “You let me know if you need anything.”
Wait, what? I hadn’t engaged in eye fucking that intense since my first year of university, and now I was getting a brush-off? Not that I had any interest in doing anything with him ever again.
Still. Asshole much?
“I would have managed fine on my own.” I wasn’t one to sit around and wait to be rescued, and it annoyed me he thought otherwise.
He opened one eye, his grin still firmly in place. “I remember. You always liked to be the one in charge.”
Great, we were back to this. I didn’t want to start the show on this note. If it got out that there was something going on between me and Reid, there was a chance it would hurt my reputation. The last thing I wanted was for the decision makers at Reality Life to start questioning my integrity as I was bidding on a major contract.
I sat up straighter in my seat and ran my palms across the tops of my thighs. Better to put an end to things immediately rather than encourage something that
