CHAPTER 19
Ian
“Why the rush? Aren’t we flying private?”
“We are.” Ian impatiently tapped his foot as the hotel VIP van stopped at yet another traffic light. He rolled his shoulders, willing himself to relax. “But we’re cutting it really close, and we have to take off within the assigned departure slot, or we’ll lose it.”
“And what happens if we lose it?”
“If we don’t take off on time, we have to wait for another slot. It can be ten minutes or ten hours.”
“Oh.”
Claire shifted in the leather seat, looking gorgeous in white slacks and a light green silk blouse. Through the sheer fabric, he could make out the lacy bra he’d fastened for her this morning.
And unfastened last night.
He tore his gaze away, choosing instead to focus out the window. Not looking at her would make what was coming much easier for him, he hoped.
Her reaction to getting to fly home on a private plane hadn’t been what he’d anticipated.
In his experience, people were thrilled and excited for such an opportunity.
Claire’s response had been a wide-eyed look bordering on panic, and he suspected she only accepted because she wanted to get home to her mother six hours sooner.
He’d learned that this would be her first time on a private jet, and by how she was sitting upright and wringing her hands, she wasn’t looking forward to it in the least. He almost reached to take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze but changed his mind.
“Everything will be fine, I promise,” he offered instead.
She smiled tightly. “It was nice of your brother to come pick us up.”
“It was.” He inhaled a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “But his motive was not entirely altruistic. There’s a good reason for it.”
“What’s the reason?” She sounded wary but quit wringing her hands.
“My brother owns a charter jet company. I told you about it a while ago, I think.” He paused for confirmation.
She nodded.
“Finding pilots is always a challenge for owners of this type of business, and recently, he lost two.” He halted as her eyes widened with alarm. “They left and went to work for Emirates,” he clarified.
“I see.” She exhaled a breath and searched his face, her green eyes still wide and questioning. “What does all this have to do with us?”
“I’m a pilot.”
Claire looked positively thunderstruck. “You’re what?”
He chuckled, trying not to look at her parted lips. Too tempting to slip his thumb between them. “Don’t look at me as if I’ve grown a second head, Penny. My family has had aviation businesses for decades. We all grew up in it and learned to fly as soon as we were tall enough to sit at the yoke.”
“Why don’t I know this?”
Because you didn’t feel the need to get to know me?
He shrugged. “It never came up.” He glanced outside, relieved to see the van had finally entered the drive to the FBO. “Anyway, he’s short on people, and it has been a problem for a while. He’s been after me for months to join his crew.”
“But … you’re an attorney!”
“I am. I also have a commercial pilot’s license, which I got when I was twenty. I’ve kept it current and am qualified to fly several planes, including—” He looked beyond the gate, where a Cessna Citation CJ4 was on final approach, coming in for a landing. He pointed to it. “—that one.”
Claire looked up at the gleaming white, gold, and blue plane that rapidly descended, its gear down. “Oh my God,” she murmured, “That’s the plane?”
“It is.”
“It’s so …” She pressed her lips together.
“So …?”
Ian raised a questioning brow, noting that her breasts were rising and falling with her increased breathing rate. The van stopped at the FBO entrance, but Claire made no move to unbuckle her seat belt.
“Small.” She gulped. “It’s small.”
He chuckled at the notion that this Cessna was small. She should have seen Betty, the 182 Skylane in which all the Larssens had started their flying lessons. “Trust me, it’s not the smallest private plane out there. Actually, the CJ4 is quite comfortable. It seats up to nine passengers.”
Her eyes were saucers. “Nine? Only nine?”
The seat belt clicked as he unbuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll be in good hands.” He couldn’t help lowering his voice in innuendo. “Mine.”
Now, her mouth dropped open. “You will be flying that plane?”
“According to my brother, yes. Takeoff to landing. He said he wants to see just how rusty I am.”
“How long has it been since you’ve flown one of those?”
“A year, but it’s like riding a bicycle.” He smiled. “With wings.” The van’s back doors opened, and uniformed handlers began pulling out their luggage. “We need to go. We’re cutting it too close.”
“Flying”—her hands shook slightly as she unfastened her seat belt— “is nothing like riding a bicycle.”
He grinned. “You’re right, Penny. It’s a lot more fun.”
She didn’t crack a smile. “You say you’re joining his crew?”
“Yes.”
“And what does that entail?”
“Flying whatever routes he needs me to take, for now. It could lead to a permanent position if I decide I want it.”
The back doors slammed. Brow furrowing, she exited the car, eyeing the attendant, who hurried ahead, pushing a trolley with their suitcases. “The luggage?”
“They’re taking it directly through security machines and to the plane.”
“Oh, OK.” She smiled a little sheepishly.
“Do you need to use the restroom before we go? There’s a lav on board, but most people would rather not use it.”
“I’ll go.” She started to head for the ladies’ room but only took two steps before turning abruptly.
“Wait. Didn’t you tell me your brother’s business is in Las Vegas?”
“I did.”
Realization dawned on her face. “You’re leaving.”
It was a statement, not a question, but Ian answered anyway. “LarsAir is headquartered in Vegas, so I will have to move there, yes.”
Her brow furrowed. “When? For how long?”
“Right away. I’m flying directly there after I drop you off. As for how long, I honestly don’t know.”
“You’re going to Vegas … today? But …”
She hesitated, and Ian held his breath, hoping for a protest, some sign that this would affect her as it did him.
“What about your job?” she finally asked.
I hate my goddamned job.
He pressed his lips together. “I’ve been training my junior lawyer for over a year. I’m giving him a promotion. If I decide to keep the pilot job permanently, he’ll be taking over for me.”
“Just like that,” she murmured. She looked to the floor, then shook her head. “I’ll only be a minute.”
With that, she opened the door and disappeared into the restroom.
·
Claire
“Hello, Miss Burns.”
Claire accepted Ian’s brother’s proffered hand. “Nice to see you again. You’re Adam.”
He smiled. “I am.”
“Thank you for doing this.”
“I’m sure my brother informed you that I’m doing it for entirely selfish reasons. Take any seat you like. You are our only passenger today. If there’s anything we can do to make your flight more comfortable, please let us know.”
“Thank you.” She only held his gaze a moment before she had to look away. Lord, but the man was intense. No other way to describe him.
Claire settled in a forward-facing seat, placing her purse on the empty one before her.
Looking through the oval window, she watched Ian walk around the plane, touching it now and then, apparently performing some sort of inspection.
She studied his uniform: navy slacks, a crisp short-sleeved white shirt, a navy tie, and epaulets with three stripes, gold on black.
Ian, a pilot.
In uniform.
This was surreal. She felt as if she should be waking up to discover she’d had a wild dream.
A strong wind ruffled his blond hair, reminding Claire of how he’d looked on the catamaran cruise.
How she wished she could go back to that day. She couldn’t believe Ian was leaving, and she felt a hollow in the pit of her stomach at the thought.
Yes, she had made it clear she didn’t want a relationship, and she didn’t. This was probably for the best. She couldn’t expect him to do what they’d been doing forever. This had been a prolonged one-night stand, and it was time to return to regular life.
Except she didn’t know what that was anymore.
Adam was now in the left seat of the cockpit, entering something on a keypad. Claire studied his profile, marveling at how much he looked like Ian. They could have been easily confused with one another. Save for a slight height difference, the two could have been twins.
Her phone chimed with a text.
Mom: When is your flight arriving this afternoon?
Claire: There’s been a change of plans.
Mom: ?
Claire: I’m flying into Kissimmee Regional. I should be there in a little over an hour.
Mom: Isn’t that a small airport?
Ian’s blond head appeared as he climbed the stairs and stepped into the cabin, his gaze immediately fixing on her.
Claire: I’ll explain when I get home. Have to go. Love you.
She quickly touched the arrow to send the text and tucked her phone back into her purse. Ian wasn’t smiling but was studying her, his blue eyes serious.
He turned to look out the open door of the plane. “We’re waiting for one more, and then we’ll be good to go.”
Another passenger? Adam had said she’d be the only one. Good. At least she wouldn’t be back here by herself on takeoff.
Ian raked a hand through his hair. “I forgot to tell you we have to land in Opa-locka first.”
“Why?”
“We need to clear customs there. It shouldn’t take long. Then it’s a short flight to Kissimmee.”
He looked as if he wanted to say more, but something outside caught his attention.
“There she is.”
Claire looked out the window to see a golf cart swiftly approach and stop adjacent to the wing.
And out stepped Angelina Jolie.
Claire blinked.
Good grief, it was Angelina’s doppelg?nger, wearing a smart royal-blue-and-gold uniform, the striped scarf at her neck fluttering in the wind.
She hopped onto the tarmac with the grace of a gazelle and shouldered a square blue nylon travel tote emblazoned with Fly Girl across the front in bold yellow.
She scrambled up the step and straight into Ian, an unmistakably flirty smile on her full cherry-red lips.