Chapter 11
That kiss. Ernie stood frozen in the alley long after Millie left, wondering what had come over him. Never had he felt like that. He had kissed his fair share of beautiful women. Some of those kisses were intense and passionate. Nothing prepared him for kissing Millie Aldrich.
That kiss shook him to his core. It robbed his mind of reason. It sent him soaring into the heavens. And for God’s sake, it was Millie Aldrich!
He could just imagine Mr. Dickson’s reaction if he found out there was anything going on between the two of them. He’d be fired on the spot.
This whole business was a disaster waiting to happen, and yet all he could think in the aftermath was, When can I kiss her again?
When could he taste her, feel her pressed up against him, touch her softness, which was so at odds with her feisty personality?
She was a study in contradictions with the personality of a porcupine and the sensuousness of a cat.
Never had another woman melted so absolutely in his arms, tasted him with such desperation, or left so him helpless with wanting.
Ernie needed to seal this memory up, quarantine it, and never revisit it. Nothing could come of this. In the morning, he and Millie would have to pretend nothing happened and keep a safe distance from each other.
Composing himself, he left the alley where he’d been hiding and walked to his car. The drive home to Brooklyn was mercifully quick, and before he knew it, he was sneaking up the steps to his bedroom, hoping nobody noticed the late hour of his arrival.
As he passed the sitting room, though, he heard the steady clackity clack of a typewriter. Constance. She shouldn’t be working herself this hard, staying up late doing homework. He stepped into the sitting room, and she looked up.
“I thought it was you. Who else would sneak into the house at this hour?” she said with a smile.
“A thief? I suppose I’m lucky you didn’t bludgeon me over the head with a poker.”
She laughed and shook her head. “How was your date?”
“What makes you think it was a date?” She couldn’t possibly know. She must be guessing.
“Isn’t it always a date?”
“Not always. Sometimes I go out with friends. Sometimes I go out to hear a band I like.” He had other pursuits besides chasing skirts.
“And by the end of the night, you have a lady on your arm every time, I’m certain. You’re a rascal, you know that, Ernie?”
He took a deep breath. “I am, but I’d rather my sister didn’t know that.”
“As if you could hide it from me.”
He never was any good at hiding from Constance. Her kind and gentle demeanor belied her sharp, inquisitive brain. Constance never missed a thing.
“Ernie, don’t you ever get tired of it?”
“Of what?” He took a seat on the sofa.
“Of stringing along these poor young ladies that lose their hearts to you. Don’t you ever think about doing the right thing and settling down?”
He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, searching for an answer that wasn’t sharp or flippant. “You know I can’t afford a wife right now.”
“That’s nonsense. Of course, you can afford a wife.” She turned away from her typewriter to look at him. “Don’t you dare use your family as an excuse for being a cad.”
“I can’t afford another household until you and the twins are independent.”
She crossed her arms. “Who said anything about another household? What’s wrong with bringing her here?”
Oh, so many things. More than he could list. How could he make love to a woman while in the same household as his sisters? How could he subject a woman to the constant chaos that reigned here? What woman would want to share her household with her in-laws?
“A new wife would expect a home of her own. Why would she want to move in with a house full of people she barely knows?”
“If she marries you, we’ll hardly be strangers.
You may carry on your affairs in secret, but when it comes to matrimony, I fully expect you to bring her around so that we can get to know each other before you tie the knot.
If she’s not a match for us, she’s not a match for you, regardless of the finances. ”
Dear God, did she think he would ask for their approval before proposing? “Constance, if I decide to marry, I’m not giving you and the rest of the family veto power. It’s my choice who I want to spend my life with.”
“And you love your family. We’re a part of your life, whether you like it or not.
And I know deep in my heart there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for us.
That’s what makes you the very best of brothers.
I’m not demanding that you seek our approval.
I’m merely observing that you would never marry without it, not because of us but because of you. ”
As she said it, he knew it was true. He could never bring himself to tie the knot with someone who would be at odds with his family. They meant too much to him. He could hardly imagine life on his own without them. But none of this mattered because he wasn’t anywhere near ready to marry.
“This theory of yours is all well and good, but I have yet to meet the magical creature that stirs my heart and passes muster with you. And until I do, I’d prefer to keep my private life to myself.”
She sighed. “Fine. Suit yourself.” She turned back to her typewriter. “I have homework to finish.”
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? It’s late.”
“I would, but apparently my lack of independence is standing in the way of my brother’s behaving like a gentleman. The sooner you’re free of me, the better for everyone. And so, I must finish my homework.” She turned her back on him and started typing again.
Women. They were going to be the death of him.
In the morning, Ernie was at Heller Airport early.
He wanted to be out the door and up in the air as quickly as possible.
Up in the air, he was safe and alone. There was no pretense to uphold, no risk to fend off.
On the ground, a whole host of pressures plagued him as he braced himself for the awkwardness of seeing Millie again.
Yes, the sooner they were off the ground, the better.
Right on schedule, Millie appeared at the hangar.
For a moment, their eyes met, and then they both quickly looked away.
He was glad to see she’d dressed for the weather.
If the flights to Philly and DC had been chilly, the flights to Chicago, with stops in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio, were downright arctic.
She wore a thick, fur-lined peacoat, heavy woolen trousers, her usual fur-lined aviator cap, and a thick, cashmere scarf.
That should go far toward keeping her warm beneath the leather aviator suit.
At least, he hoped—he didn’t need to worry about her succumbing to frostbite.
They avoided each other as they performed final checks on their airplanes, readied themselves, and donned their aviator suits. At last, they were ready and could avoid each other no more.
Striding over to her as she stood in her oversized leather suit beside her plane, he cleared his throat. “Aldrich, are you ready to leave?”
Her eyes snapped to his, wide with alarm. Then she schooled her expression into one of cool professionalism. “Yes, I’m ready.”
He nodded and turned on his heel without looking back. The less he spoke to her, the better.
Several minutes later, he was on the runway at Heller, preparing for takeoff.
He went faster and faster, the autumn wind whipping against his face, and then lift-off.
He was airborne, free, safe. Now all he had to do was navigate to Bellefonte, not the easiest of journeys, for which he was grateful.
He needed the distraction of the Allegheny foothills today.
Anything that would keep his mind from wandering to the woman in the airplane behind him.
Speaking of which, he should have checked on her post takeoff.
He turned in his seat and glanced back. Sure enough, she was behind him, following at a safe distance. He nodded and turned his attention back to the flight ahead, ignoring the thread of awareness that was now tied to her.
What a relief it was to be back in the air. All his troubles were down on the ground. Except the one that was tailing him. And even she was at some remove.
It was good to have some physical distance between them because his thoughts were far too occupied with her.
He couldn’t stop reliving that kiss and dreaming about what might have come next if she hadn’t put a stop to things.
In his mind’s eye the scene melted from the alley to an elegant hotel room because, of course, he would bring her to the nicest place in town, expense be damned.
He’d have taken his time peeling that dreadful navy-blue dress off her petal-soft shoulders, tasting her sweetness as the cloth slipped to the floor.
He’d have slipped between her silky thighs and sunk into her heat, making her forget there was anyone else in the world besides him. Because he wanted all her fire, all her passion, all her spirit focused on him. And he never wanted to let go.
Never? That couldn’t be good.
Quarantine. Cut it off. Seal it up. He felt nothing at all for Millie Aldrich, damn it. Nothing at all.
Focusing on his instruments, he managed to rein in his thoughts. Mostly. Distractions at this altitude were deadly, and he couldn’t afford to make a mistake, especially with her following.
The flight went smoothly from New York to where the rolling hills began. As they soared over the foothills, though, puffy cotton-ball clouds gathered on the horizon. A storm must have been on its way. They were going to be in a heap of trouble if they didn’t beat it to Bellefonte.
Ignoring the chill, Ernie kept a close eye on the maps, the compass and the skies, determined to make it safely to their first stop.
There would be no avoiding Millie in the tiny town of Bellefonte, but he could only tackle one problem at a time.
First, he needed to get them down on the ground before the weather turned.