Chapter Seven
Seven
“You can stop holding your breath now, Leslie.”
She glanced over at Sloan and couldn’t hold back her chuckle. She’d never liked small planes, and although he knew how to operate one, she couldn’t help the nervousness floating around in her stomach.
He’d told her years ago that the Outlaws’ corporate pilot had taught them all to fly. Now Sloan had his personal plane, a Cessna, and according to him it took him wherever he needed to go in the United States.
“It wasn’t snowing when we took off, but it is now,” she said.
“It’s light, and this baby can handle it.”
Why at that moment did she recall him saying that same thing to her the first time they’d made love?
She had been a virgin, and the moment she’d seen him without clothes—especially that part below the waist—her expression must have said it all.
He’d strolled over to her with his sexy walk, touched her between the legs and said, “This baby can handle it.”
“Leslie?”
She glanced over at him. “Yes?”
“I asked if you slept well last night.”
Leslie figured he’d asked the question while her mind had been preoccupied with memories from the past. “Yes. It was the best sleep I’ve had since Dad died. It felt good knowing my company won’t be taken from me. I’m grateful to you for making that possible.”
“I don’t want your gratitude, Leslie.”
She didn’t say anything, because she knew what he wanted. He’d told her plainly. He wanted her...for Christmas...in his bed. Deciding to change the subject, she said, “Is it true your family located relatives you didn’t know you had in the lower forty-eight?”
He glanced over at her. “Who told you that?”
There was no way she would tell him that Keosha had told her. Then he would know she’d asked about him. So she said, “I think during one of our conversations you mentioned it.”
He nodded. “Yes, but we didn’t find them, they found us.
The Westmorelands had evidence leading them to believe their great-grandfather Raphael Westmoreland fathered an illegitimate child.
They hired a private investigator to determine if it was true, and the man’s investigation led them right to our doorstep. ”
“And you’re sure they are your kinfolk?”
“You wouldn’t ask me that if you’d ever seen us together. We share some strong Westmoreland genes. Practically every Westmoreland has an Outlaw cousin who looks almost identical to them. The resemblance is so uncanny that Cash swapped places with Bane Westmoreland in a government sting operation.”
“So, there’s a Westmoreland who looks like you?” She couldn’t imagine another man having similar sexy features.
“Yes. Derringer Westmoreland. We honestly do favor, but I’m sure you’ll be able to tell us apart.”
Leslie thought about what he’d said. Had he just hinted there was a chance she would meet his cousin one day? She honestly didn’t see that happening. “You’ve gotten to know these Westmorelands?”
“Yes, and it’s the oddest thing. Although we only met around five years ago, we act as if we’ve known each other all our lives. There are a lot of Westmorelands living in Colorado, Texas, California, Montana, Georgia and North Carolina. You ever heard of Thorn Westmoreland?”
“Of course. He’s that celebrity who builds and races motorcycles.”
“Yes, and he’s a cousin. And do you recall reading a few years back when an American woman married a sheikh from the Middle East?”
“Yes. There was a huge spread about it in several magazines. I believe she was a doctor.”
“Well, that was Delaney Westmoreland, Thorn’s sister. Now she’s a queen, since her husband, Jamal Ari Yasir, has become king. She won’t be visiting this year since she’s expecting.”
“She is?”
“Yes, twins. They have two older kids and waited years before deciding to have any more. I heard they always wanted at least four, so now they will get them.”
He paused a moment to move one of the controls. “I also noticed you had a Rock Mason novel on your coffee table.”
“Yes, what about it?”
“He’s a cousin as well. His real name is Stone Westmoreland.”
“Honestly? I went to a Rock Mason book signing at Howard. I still have that autographed book.” She then asked, “How does your father feel about all these new relatives?”
“Bart is pretty much in denial. He refuses to believe his grandfather was adopted and claims we’re Outlaws and not Westmorelands.”
She lifted a brow. “Even after seeing the resemblance in all of you?”
“Yes, even after that. It’s the strangest thing how he refuses to accept them as kin. But it doesn’t matter if he accepts them or not, because we do.”
“There has to be a reason he feels that way.”
“Maybe there is and maybe there isn’t, or it could be Bart is just being Bart. You’ve met Dad, and I would tell you all the time how ornery he is. Bart likes controlling every situation, but he can’t control this one. My siblings and I are adults who refuse to let Dad tell us what to do.”
Sloan chuckled. “Doesn’t really matter since most of his time these days is spent courting Claudia.”
“Charm’s mom?”
“Yes. She’s the one woman who refused to marry him.”
He reached up to adjust a control near the top. “We’ll be landing at the Fairbanks airport in less than thirty minutes.”
She knew they would get a rental car from the airport and drive to North Pole. “How far is North Pole from Fairbanks?”
“Twenty minutes. And just so you know, the landing might be a little rough, since there’s a lot of snow. The runway has been deiced, so we should be okay.”
She glanced over at him and drew in a nervous breath. “Okay, Sloan. I’ll take your word for it.”
A couple of hours later, Sloan and Leslie had checked into the hotel in North Pole. The landing of the plane was just like he’d warned her it would be, but she hadn’t complained. A rental car had been waiting for them, and they’d driven to the only hotel in town.
Just like he’d told Leslie, they had separate rooms; however, his room was next to hers. Her expression had been unreadable when he’d told her they would join the Yules for dinner at five. Other than lifting a brow at the older couple’s last name, she merely nodded before entering her hotel room.
Moving over to the window, he looked out with his hands shoved in his pockets.
Although a thick blanket of snow covered nearly everything, it was easy to see that North Pole, Alaska—population of a little more than two thousand people—was a beautiful small town.
One of his fondest memories was visiting here around the holidays as a kid with his classmates.
He recalled the huge gift shop located in Santa’s House that had some of the neatest items.
Moving away from the window, he went to his duffel bag to unpack.
He was excited to share North Pole with Leslie.
And little did she know that having her sitting next to him in the cockpit had placed temptation solidly at his feet.
For starters, she had worn that perfume he liked so much.
He also noted she liked keeping the conversation going whenever she was nervous about something.
He figured what had her anxious had been them flying in bad weather.
Was that the reason he had shared more about his family than he would normally have done to someone who was not a close friend?
Granted, she had met everyone years ago and had been considered a close friend of the family then.
He didn’t consider her one now. However, how should he refer to a woman he’d traveled over three hundred miles to help?
A woman you’ve been thinking a lot about since running into her again?
Every time he looked at her mouth, he recalled how sweet her lips could be.
Whenever he saw her hands, he remembered her touch and how he had taught her to stroke him in certain places.
Whenever they’d made love, it had propelled him to a level of ecstasy he’d never been to before and, to be honest, hadn’t been to since her.
He had dated a lot of women over the years, but none had come close to fulfilling his needs, wants and fantasies like Leslie. But thanks to her he had learned a valuable lesson—to never give his heart to a woman or she was liable to crush it.
He rubbed his hand down his face. Leslie meant nothing to him now, and he hadn’t done any more for her than he would have for someone else in her predicament.
The Yules were a prime example of that fact.
But on the other hand, he didn’t want the Yules for Christmas.
He didn’t go to bed thinking of them and wake up doing the same thing.
It hadn’t been the Yules on his mind during the flight here, and his anticipation of five o’clock had nothing to do with meeting the Yules and everything to do with seeing Leslie again.
Every muscle in his body tensed. He had to stop this right now before his attraction to her got out of hand.
He had to remember the pain she had caused him when she’d left without a trace.
Left because of a lie she had believed. How had she honestly thought he could have betrayed her the way Sarah had claimed?
Hadn’t his words of love, his actions, proven anything? Obviously not.
He glanced at his watch. He would rest awhile. Hopefully by dinnertime he would have reclaimed complete control of his senses.
“How are things going with you and Sloan?”
Leslie sat on the edge of the bed. “Why do you have to make it sound as if we’re a couple, Carmen?”
“A little wishful thinking on my part, maybe.”
“Let’s not go there.”
“Well, you did fly to North Pole with him. I never knew there was really such a place. I thought it was made up.”
Leslie smiled as she got up to walk over to the window. “I’m sure a lot of people think the same thing, but the town does exist. This is where all those letters to Santa end up, which is why their post office is the most popular in the world. I imagine it’s pretty busy this time of the year.”
“I’m going to add that place to my bucket list.”
“You do that, and the next time you come visit me in Alaska, I’ll make sure we come here. It’s a beautiful little town, and it’s so Christmassy. I’m looking out of my hotel window, and it’s so picture perfect. Even with all the snow.”
“Please take pictures,” Carmen begged.
Leslie chuckled. “I will.”
“For you as an Alaskan, I’m surprised it’s your first time there.”
Carmen recalled Sloan had said the same thing when they’d met years ago.
He’d teased her and said he would take away her Alaska card.
“Dad was always too busy, and the drive to North Pole from Wasilla is over three hundred miles. There was no time. When we did take vacations, we went to check on Aunt Ella.”
“And just think, it’s your first time and you’re doing it with Sloan.”
Leslie frowned. “You’re trying to make us into a couple again, Carm.”
“I can’t help it. How did your employees react when you told them you wouldn’t be losing the company?”
“They were happy. Some have worked for my parents since the time they started this company over thirty years ago.”
“I’m glad things turned out the way they did, Leslie. You should be forever grateful to Sloan.”
“And I will be. Can we change the subject?”
“I thought we had. Not my fault that all the talking points, regardless of the conversation, come back to Sloan Outlaw.”
Leslie glanced at her watch. “I want to take a nap before dinner.”
“Okay. When do the two of you leave for Sloan’s cabin?”
Carmen would have to remind her of that. “A week from today.”
“You’re going to enjoy yourself.”
Leslie rolled her eyes. “How would you know?”
“Because Sloan is a nice guy.”
“You’ve never met him, Carm.”
“I saw a glimpse of him before he left that wedding reception. Besides, as far as I’m concerned, he proved just how nice he truly is by saving your company. And another thing, Les.”
Leslie knew Carmen was on a roll, although she wished otherwise. “What?”
“There’s something you tend to forget.”
“And just what do I tend to forget?”
“That you hurt Sloan when you believed that woman’s lies. He didn’t hurt you, you hurt him. So the way I see it, he’s entitled to be a little salty about it. I’ll talk to you later.”