Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Nursing an ice water, I watch from the darkened corner of the airport’s VIP lounge as Raina carries her oversized Louis Vuitton travel bag over to an empty couch.
It’s early morning—not even dawn—and this part of the airport is a ghost town.
Raina hasn’t seen me yet, and I hope to keep it that way.
Let her squirm a little. Make her think I’ve changed my mind.
In all actuality, I’m dead tired after spending the vast majority of the night digging up everything I could on Javier Moreno and his family. Mostly, I came up empty-handed, but at least I feel more equipped going into this long weekend.
Also weighing me down mentally is the Henry Winston engagement ring inside the zippered compartment of my carry-on.
A real ring for a fake engagement. The irony isn’t lost on me.
An announcement comes over the speaker relaying our flight is ready to board, and I glance at my watch, seeing that we’re right on time. Raina stands immediately and hauls her bag over her shoulder. Staring down at her phone, her fingers dance across the screen as she walks to the gate.
Seconds later, mine vibrates.
Royal Pain
The plane is boarding.
I don’t give her the satisfaction of a response and, in fact, I wait until the final boarding call before I meander to the gate, flashing the attendant the boarding pass on the screen of my phone.
“Enjoy your flight, sir,” she says coyly, her cheeks heating in a blush as though she’d just whispered dirty things in my ear instead of offering well wishes for a seven-hour flight.
Inwardly, I groan as I remind myself how long I’ll be stuck on this flight for.
At least the bastard had the good sense to spring for first class. I would have upgraded us had he not.
I take my time walking onto the plane, and when I finally settle in the seat next to Raina, I paste a smile on my face and get into character. “Darling.” Leaning over, I press a kiss to her cheek.
All my blood rushes south.
“I was hoping you changed your mind, or maybe had explosive diarrhea or something.” Raina groans as she places a neck pillow around her and pulls earbuds from her purse. “There’s still time for you to deboard.”
My voice is flat when I settle into my seat and answer, “And miss this exciting time with you?”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” She tosses a glare in my direction before rummaging in her black hole of a bag for something.
“Then think of me more as a bodyguard. Maybe with me following you around, you won’t end up drunk and married to anyone else.”
“You're an asshole.”
“I never claimed to not be.”
Just then, our steward appears in the aisle. “Hiya folks, please stow your carry-ons, the captain will have us in the air shortly.”
Tipping my head, I nod. “Thank you.”
Raina lets out an exasperated huff beside me. “I’m not your only client, you know. You can’t just abandon them.”
Her comment makes me stop scrolling on my phone.
Quirking a brow, I look at her from my peripheral.
“My client list is none of your concern, and need I remind you it’s the weekend?
I’m not tethered to my office day in and day out.
And if you must know, I’m not due in court until midweek”—I pluck a cashew from the trail mix she just opened—“so I’m all yours, RP. ”
“RP?”
“That’s you. Royal Pain. Actually, short for Royal Pain in My Ass, your official title.”
She rolls her eyes. “Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more of an asshat.” Raina smirks with her use of the word asshat. Must be what she calls me under her breath.
“Let’s just try to get through this weekend, shall we? What’s the plan?”
“The plan?” she repeats as she buckles her seatbelt.
Unbelievable.
“Yes, the plan. What’s Javier’s objective of bringing us here this weekend? How are you planning to execute the fake fiancé scheme?”
“I…put your seatbelt on.”
“Don’t deflect, the seatbelt sign isn’t even on yet.”
Raina swallows thickly, leaning to pull something out of her bag. A large champagne-colored fuzzy blanket with black polka dots. Her fingers curl into it so deeply, her knuckles turn white.
It’s then I notice that’s not the only part of her that’s white. Her face has paled, and her chest is rising and falling rapidly as her eyes dart around the plane, but avoid looking out the window.
She’s…scared.
“Raina, breathe,” I soothe, wondering where the fuck this need to comfort her has come from. “You’re afraid of flying?”
Nodding her head, she breathes out and squeezes her eyes tight. In that same moment, the seatbelt sign illuminates, and a female flight attendant starts her announcement.
“Okay…didn’t see that coming. It’s okay.
Focus on the sound of my voice,” I continue, turning my body toward Raina.
Blanketing her hand with mine, I run my fingers through the seams of hers until they loosen and I’m able to lace them together.
It releases her grasp on the blanket, but now she has me in a death grip.
“We’re going to take off soon, and once we’re in the air, it’s just like being on any other method of transportation.
Better, really. You’ll eat breakfast, and lunch, and take a nap or two.
Maybe watch a movie. It’s just like being in a car, or on a train. Do you hear me?”
She nods her head adamantly, her eyes still clamped shut. “I just hate it so much.”
“Which surprises me for how often you’ve been to Europe.”
“Usually”—she blows out a shuddering breath—“I take an anxiety pill, a sleeping pill, and fly red-eye.”
“Ah, I see.” Rhythmically, I rub my thumb over her knuckles in a way I hope is soothing.
In a way I hope is soothing? Fuck.
“Cleared for takeoff,” the pilot rumbles over the plane’s speakers, and the sound of the engines roar louder.
Raina squeezes my hand tighter.
“It’s okay,” I reiterate. “You’re fine. We’ll be in the air shortly. You’re okay, Raina. Are you hearing my words?”
Her head bobs in a nod, but there’s still tears lining her lashes, and it pulls on my fucking heartstrings like nothing ever has before.
Scooting closer, my knees knock into hers, and I pull her hands into my lap.
“You are Raina Jean Lancaster. You’re a force to be reckoned with, and of all the time I’ve known you, you’ve given no fucks about anything.
An airplane isn’t the thing that gets you down, do you hear me?
You are bigger than your fear of flying. Say it.”
The words are caught in her throat as she continues to nod. Bringing our clasped hands to my mouth, I kiss her knuckles—a move that surprises us both, if her widened eyes and my stuttering heart are any indication.
“Say it,” I say again firmly, staring her down.
“I–I’m bigger than my fear of flying,” she repeats back, her voice barely a whisper as the words leave her lips.
“Say it louder, Raina. I don’t quite believe you yet.”
“I’m bigger than my fear of flying,” she recites louder this time, but as she does, a single tear rolls down her cheek.
Releasing one of my hands from the hold I have on hers, I brush the tear away with my thumb, and as I do, I can feel the final stages of the plane evening out. “You did it.”
Staring at me through tear-soaked eyes, her bottom lip trembles slightly. I should let go of her hand I'm still holding and reposition myself, but there’s a current between us—thick and heady, and I can’t pull away even if I tried.
My gaze dips to her lips, and the urge to kiss her softly overcomes me so intensely, I feel my body lean forward more, but I know this is a line I can’t cross.
I shouldn’t cross.
And more importantly, I don’t want to cross.
This woman sitting next to me—this beautiful, bullheaded, bright light of a woman sitting next to me is the last person I need to bring further into my life.
So, I clear my throat and release her hand, placing it back on her own lap before I face forward in my seat and try to settle in and ignore my racing heart.
Raina Lancaster needs to stay at arm's length—exactly where I’ve always kept her.
She’s my sister's best friend.
Someone I’ve successfully avoided any sort of relationship with—friendship or otherwise—for years.
But more importantly, now she’s my client.
Which means I have a whole fucking code of ethics to abide by.