Stolen Kisses (The Sterling Brothers #1)

Chapter One

Chase

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“Uncle Chase, you’re the best, thank you.”

“Don't thank me, buddy. I haven't found the game yet.” My ten-year-old nephew, Jeremy, had recently gotten into video games. I’d promised to find him one that was hard to come by, and I intended to do just that. “I've got to go, okay? I'm at the airport.”

"Yes! I'm going to tell Grandma that you’re my favorite uncle." He hung up before I got to say goodbye.

I immediately sent an email to my assistant, instructing her to start searching for the game. I’d also asked her to look into a surprise I was preparing for my parents, but she hadn’t gotten back to me yet.

I pocketed my phone and helped myself to a glass of champagne in the business lounge. My flight from San Diego to Cape Cod was boarding in twenty minutes. That gave me just enough time to relax a bit.

I still couldn't believe my best friend was getting married, and I was his best man.

Josh and I went way back. We met in college and had been thick as thieves ever since. He was almost like a sixth brother to me. I'd been shell-shocked when he announced his engagement two weeks ago, because he only met his bride-to-be four months earlier. Josh was a good guy, but sometimes he could be naive about things. He came from a wealthy family, and that was one of the reasons I was worried. The Hansons were prominent in the business world. I didn't know this Blair person from Adam. What if she was a gold digger? What if she was only interested in his last name? Josh had nearly gotten married a few years ago, before he found out his girlfriend was only after his money.

I was obviously not going to voice any opinion on that. He was my best friend, and I was going to support his decision. Besides, I wasn't one to give advice. I knew my strengths. I’d built one of the country's most successful brokerage and financial service companies with my brothers, and I could do it again just as successfully. But romantic relationships weren't something I excelled at, so I withheld advice.

When Mom found out about the wedding, she warned me not to make any snide remarks to Josh. She knew I was a relationship cynic. Then again, she and my dad separated when we were still kids. They were on good terms now, although still divorced, but back then, it had been a shit show. None of my brothers were in relationships. Duncan had been for a while, and he got his son, Jeremy, out of it, but the relationship didn’t last.

I decided to head to the gate early, needing to check if they’d tracked down my luggage. Yesterday, I’d flown from San Diego to Seattle for a meeting. This morning, I came back from Seattle, but my bag didn’t make it. They’d promised it would be waiting for me at the gate.

I would've gone from Seattle directly to Cape Cod, but I had a meeting here in San Diego.

I gathered my things and headed out of the lounge. As I went past other gates, I realized several flights had been delayed or canceled. What the fuck? Granted, the weather was pretty bad for San Diego standards. The wind was blowing like mad, and the rain had intensified since I arrived, but it still didn’t seem like they’d need to cancel flights.

When I reached my gate, I headed straight to the airport attendant who was manning the counter. There was no announcement about the flight, but I asked just to make sure.

We’d better be on time.

"Are we going to leave as scheduled?" I asked her.

She looked up at me. "I don't have that information yet."

"I need to know." I was being pushy, and I was sure I wasn't the only one who had plans, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn't miss my best friend's wedding, damn it.

"It will certainly be delayed with this weather, possibly even canceled. I really can't give you any more information because I just don’t know. The storm is strong, and as of now, we don't have permission for takeoff for several flights."

I took a step back, swearing, "Fucking hell."

As the best man, I had a long list of to-dos for today and tomorrow, and this would complicate things.

I didn't want to worry Josh, but I had to tell him there was a possibility I wouldn’t make it to Cape Cod tonight. I called him, but he didn't answer, so I called my brother Duncan instead. All my brothers, except Wyatt, were attending the wedding too. Wyatt’s flight from London had been delayed, so he missed his connection and would arrive in Cape Cod after the wedding.

Duncan answered right away.

"Hey, are you boarding already?” he asked instead of hello.

“No. That's why I'm calling. The flight's delayed."

"For how long?"

"They aren't telling us."

"Did you call Josh?"

"He's not answering."

"Okay, I'll tell him. Want me to jump in for you and do the stuff on your list for tonight?" Duncan asked.

"Yes, I'd really appreciate that. I don't know when I’ll find out anything about the flight, but even if we fly out later tonight, I'll miss most of it."

"I got you covered."

"Thanks," I said and ended the call. It was a good thing my brothers were already there. In hindsight, I should’ve taken the earlier flight with them, but I didn’t want to miss my meeting.

We all worked together at Sterling Investments, and each of us also had separate ventures in various industries. I saw my brothers on a regular basis, but this weekend would be a chance for us to let loose. We’d had a tumultuous week on the stock market and were exhausted—I’d personally spent half my time trying to calm down clients—and we were looking forward to hanging out together and relaxing.

I turned back to the attendant at the counter and asked, “One more thing, miss. I flew in from Seattle this morning, and my luggage got lost. I’ve been assured it would be waiting for me at the gate. It was a carryon and I made the mistake to check in.”

Her eyes widened, which was not a good sign. “Let me check.”

I waited while she made frantic calls.

Fuck! I hoped she found it, or I’d have to do some shopping tomorrow morning.

I turned around and noticed a line was already forming to board the economy passengers.

Just then, I looked up to see the word “Delayed” appear on the screen. Damn it. I tried calling Josh again. I had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

***

Hannah

“I can’t wait for you to get here,” my sister said into the phone. My heart swelled. My little sister, Blair, was about to tie the knot.

“Just a few more hours, okay?” I replied.

“I’m so excited, and also terrified. I can’t believe I’m getting married, you know?” she murmured.

Neither could I. She’d only met Josh four months ago. I’d introduced them after he and I met at a finance conference. Blair had come with me to keep me company. One thing led to another, and now they were getting married. And despite the fact that my divorcée heart was still bleeding, I thought this was amazing. Love at first sight and all that. My parents’ story began that way too. At twenty-nine, I was still an incurable romantic. I only hoped it would really happen for me one day.

“You’ll be the most beautiful bride,” I said. I rose on my toes, trying to look over the crowd to the counter. The line wasn’t moving at all. I glanced at the screen and my heart sank. “Crap, the flight is delayed.”

Blair gasped. “By how long?”

“No clue. Let me find out more and I’ll text you, okay?”

“Sure. Mom and I are waiting for you.”

“Okay, have fun. I’ll text you when I know more. Love you. Can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t either.”

We were born and raised in San Diego, but my sister had been living in Cape Cod for a few years. Our mom had moved to Ontario after retiring. It had been Gran and me for the last three years in San Diego. Now it was just me.

The crowd began to disperse as the announcement of the delay was made, and everyone went to sit down. I hurried to the counter while the attendant was free.

Balancing my phone on my shoulder, I grabbed the handle of my carryon, pulling it forward. I was holding my maid of honor dress in my left hand; I'd put it on a hanger and was still hoping to find a place to actually hang it in the plane. I didn't want it to get too wrinkled.

“Hi!” I said.

The airport attendant looked at me wearily. “Listen, there is nothing we can do about the delay.” She sounded exasperated.

“I know that. I’m just wondering if you know how long the delay is.”

“Not yet. I suggest you sit down while you wait for the news. It might take a while.”

I bit my lip. “Is there any way I can hang this dress somewhere?”

“Why don’t you pack it in the bag?”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I would rather stand on my feet the whole flight and just put the dress on my seat rather than pack it in my bag.

“It'll get all crumpled. It's very difficult to iron or steam. It's for my sister's wedding."

She looked up at me, giving me a conspiratorial smile. My stomach soared.

“Give it here. I’ll hang it along with our coats. Just don’t forget to request it before boarding.”

“Thank you so much.”

After handing her the dress, I sighed and messaged my sister.

Hannah: The flight will be delayed, but hopefully not too long.

Blair: That sucks. But Josh says he can get you a voucher for the lounge. He’s got lots of miles or something.

Hannah: That would be amazing. Thank you!

As I looked for the signs directing me to the lounge, my phone beeped with yet another message.

Blair: His assistant is fast.

She’d sent me the voucher already.

I found the lounge quickly. It was extremely crowded inside, but that was to be expected considering how many flights they canceled.

As they scanned my voucher, an airport attendant was going around holding a tray with cups filled with water. I took one, thanking her, and immediately sipped from the cup. It was helping me cool down. The past few weeks had been like a rat race, and I knew that after the wedding, I'd have to pick up right where I left off.

Relax, Hannah. Your problems will be waiting for you when you get back. Now just enjoy your sister's wedding .

Opening my eyes, I turned around, looking at the seats. There was a single one free, next to a hot-as-hell guy who looked a bit familiar. I was sure I’d seen him at my gate. I hurried toward him, not wanting to risk anyone else snapping up the spot.

As I approached him, I realized he was talking to the airport attendant with the water tray. "This is unacceptable," he said.

"We are terribly sorry, Mr. Sterling. We’re trying our best."

"I need a better solution, so talk to whoever you need to in order to make it happen."

Well, hello, grump. His temper didn’t seem quite as attractive as the rest of the package.

She pursed her lips together. "Listen, I’m sorry but I don't have any control over lost luggage.”

Oh, they’d lost his luggage. If that was me, I'd probably be upset, too, though I would never speak to someone like that. I wondered why there was an airport attendant in the lounge at all, serving drinks. Maybe the waitstaff was overwhelmed by the sheer number of passengers here and could use the help.

“I promise we’ll track your luggage as soon as possible. Once we do, we’ll deliver it to you no matter where you are.”

I glanced around, but there truly was no other place to sit, so once the airport attendant left, I went right to the chair.

Up close, he looked furious. Anger was etched in every line on his face. His eyes were dark green and completely gorgeous, even though he was obviously pissed. I peeked at the rest of him. His tailored suit fit him perfectly. Perhaps he thought being drop-dead gorgeous gave him the right to treat others as if they were beneath him.

He huffed, and I startled, nearly dropping my cup.

"Watch it," he said.

I’d wanted to tell him a thing or two from the second he started being rude to the airport attendant. I took the high road then... but I couldn’t help myself this time. "You should watch that tone. You can’t talk to people like that."

He looked at me, narrowing his eyes. "Mind your own business."

Why was he so rude? Granted, the situation sucked—we were stuck at the airport, and they’d lost his baggage—but still.

"I was trying to, but you're making it really hard," I said. I didn't like it when people thought they were better than others. "It's not her fault they can’t find your luggage."

“They’ve been fumbling around since this morning. By now, I’m expecting something better than 'We're doing our best to track it.’”

I rolled my eyes and dropped it. He was obviously a pompous ass, so I kept sipping my water and ignored him while my oh-I’m-so-important neighbor kept typing on his phone.

I texted Blair again, letting her know things were still up in the air. I didn’t call her because I was getting antsy that I might not make it tonight after all. Blair always picked the anxiety in my tone. She didn’t need to worry about me.

Fifteen minutes later, several airport attendants were circulating with trays of champagne. There was a self-serve bar, too, but it was the first time I saw them serving drinks on trays. Perhaps they worried there were too many people to crowd around the bar at the same time. I took a glass, enjoying the bubbles. It was delicious.

Yet another twenty minutes later, I wasn’t just antsy. I was panicking.

Another airport attendant came by with water. As she passed me, her phone slipped out of her back pocket, landing on the floor. I immediately crouched down to grab it for her. Getting up was a bit more difficult than I anticipated.

I smiled at her sheepishly. “Sorry. I drank my champagne too quickly.”

Behind me, I heard the grump grunt. What is his problem?

“Thanks for the phone,” she said as I slid it on the tray.

The second my ass hit the chair, a ding resounded through the terminal.

"Attention please, passengers on flight 0S789 to Cape Cod. We need to wait for a thorough check of the runway before we receive permission to fly.”

There was a collective groan. Crap, what if we don't fly out after all? There was another plane going out tomorrow, but I'd planned to be there today for my sister. She had enough on her plate, and I wanted to help her out.

I glanced at my neighbor and could tell he was livid, but he didn't say anything. The airport attendant came to us with another tray of champagne. I took a second glass. He looked at me with a smirk.

"What?" I asked as the attendant moved to the person on the other side of me.

I took a second to really take in my ornery neighbor. His facial features were strikingly masculine. His nose was strong, his cheekbones and jaw defined in a very harmonious way.

"You said earlier that you drank your previous glass too quickly."

I pointed at him. "Don't get on my bad side, or I'm going to take a third, and then you'll have to put up with me for however long we still have to wait here. And I’m a lightweight."

"Christ." He shook his head. "This is not my day."

"Yeah, I'm not feeling so lucky either," I retaliated before taking a sip. I wondered if this seat was free because whoever was here before decided they’d rather wait standing up than sit next to him. I was considering it, too, but in the end, I chose comfort.

My grumpy neighbor had popped open the top button of his shirt, and the man looked spectacular. I could appreciate the view even though he was rude and clearly in a bad mood.

But I wasn’t going to let it rub off on me. I was drinking champagne, and my sister was getting married to a great guy. Life was good. I was determined to stay optimistic.

Half an hour later, I started to realize that maybe my optimism was misplaced. There was still no news. People were chatting among each other in hushed, worried whispers, and waiting personnel and airport attendants circulated with their trays again. This time I reached for the water—not to please my stubborn neighbor but because I knew my limits.

"We are so very sorry for the delay," she said.

Another fifteen minutes went by. My neighbor was fidgeting in his seat. Maybe I had champagne goggles, but he seemed even more handsome than before, even though he was so damn uptight.

“You know, a glass of champagne would help your mood,” I said as he flagged one of the airport attendants.

“Anyone ever told you that you’re a busybody?”

“Oh, yeah. More than once,” I replied with a smile.

The attendant clearly saw his attempt to get her attention but walked in the opposite direction. She was avoiding him. Good for her.

He abruptly got to his feet. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, watching him take off his suit jacket. His hotness factor just increased. And when he turned around and I had a glimpse of his very round, very defined ass, I almost sighed but caught myself in time.

The last thing his ego needed was to know he was hot as hell—though he was probably aware. He moved with the swagger of someone who knew exactly how attractive he was.

Whatever, I wasn’t going to see him again. I watched him intently as he strode to the counter, then glanced at my phone. My sister had texted me.

Blair: Don’t worry. Mom and I will stay up and wait for you.

Hannah: No way. You need your beauty sleep for tomorrow.

Blair: You can’t boss me around, big sis.

I laughed and knew there was no point insisting. Besides, I couldn’t wait to catch up with the two of them.

***

One hour later, we finally received permission for takeoff. I left the lounge and made a beeline for the gate to request my dress back. Then I waited in the line for economy class for about five minutes while they boarded the business-class passengers. My grumpy neighbor was among them.

Why couldn’t I look away from him? I’d seen hot men before, though none this hot.

During the flight, I watched a few episodes of my favorite series. Once we landed, I immediately ordered an Uber. The hotel was twenty minutes away. Blair had offered to pick me up, but I shut her down quickly. This was her weekend, and I didn’t want her worrying about me.

When the Uber pulled in front of the hotel, I sighed, smiling and texting my sister before getting out of the car. It was a gorgeous colonial-style building, the facade a mix of white and pink. The entrance had three huge arches and marble floors, and inside was more marble and five golden chandeliers with crystals. It was mesmerizing.

“Hello! I have a reservation under Chase Sterling,” a familiar voice said.

I turned toward the check-in desk. My grumpy neighbor was staying at the same hotel. What were the odds?

“Hannah, you’re here!” Blair screeched. She ran toward me, pulling me in a tight hug. Josh, her husband-to-be, was right behind her.

“Did you two come together?” Josh asked, looking from me to... my grumpy neighbor?

“What do you mean?” He straightened up, glancing straight at me. The weight of his gaze was almost too much.

“Chase, this is Hannah Levine,” Josh said. “And Blair Levine, of course. Blair, Hannah, this is Chase Sterling—my best friend and the best man.”

My sister shook hands with Chase. Then he extended his hand to me. I shook it out of instinct, trying to maintain a straight face. The contact electrified me. His green eyes were even more intense than before.

“This is so funny,” Josh said. “You two must have passed each other at the airport without realizing.”

Chase’s eyes glinted as I flashed a polite smile.

Oh, Josh. You have no idea.