Читать книгу First Class Sin - Cara Lockwood, Cara Lockwood - Страница 11

LAW KNEW HE was playing with fire. What was he doing, flirting with Juliana Hart? He’d had one goal, and one goal only, to evaluate the independent consultant working for AM Air, trying to figure out if she knew her stuff or if her work could jeopardize the sale of Blue Sky to AM Air next month. Law, the reclusive majority shareholder at Blue Sky, and acting CEO, wanted very badly for that sale to go through. He’d spent nearly fifteen years in the airline business, and he was done. He was ready to focus on his charity, and spend the rest of his forties enjoying life a little, maybe even starting a family. He’d spent his whole adult life up until this point working seventy hours a week, and that had to change.

That all started with the sale of Blue Sky, and the only thing potentially standing in the way was this little independent report, commissioned by the board of AM Air, to prove the merger would be beneficial. That report would be written by this troublemaker sitting in 34G.

She smiled at him, pink lips inviting as they broke to show him the hint of her perfect smile. Nobody told him the woman would be drop-dead gorgeous. That little detail had been left out of all the meetings when his senior VPs had cried into their beers and wrung their hands about the hard-charging consultant who didn’t take no for an answer. She even had a nickname: the ice queen. Distant, hardworking, demanding. He could see why so many of his colleagues were intimidated by her. Though, looking at her now, he couldn’t for the life of him understand why anyone would think she was cold. He’d known she was whip-smart, because she’d run circles around his entire management team. She intrigued him, and he was here to find out more about her.

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t ask you out right now.” He couldn’t help himself, actually. Apparently, he liked flirting with danger.

“Because I’d say no.” She grinned, softening the blow.

“Ouch,” he said, splaying his fingers across his chest. “That hurt.” He faked a cough. She’s tough and doesn’t need every man’s approval then, he thought. I like that.

“Come on. I’m sure you get turned down all the time.” Juliana’s smile grew bigger, her light brown eyes teasing. He was so intrigued by her. He suddenly wanted to know everything about her. The nearly three-hour flight seemed too short suddenly. How was he really supposed to get to know her during such a short time?

“Hey! Are you trying to make me feel better...or worse?”

“Worse,” she admitted. He had to laugh. She was surprisingly quick, and she kept him guessing. Few people managed to surprise him, but Juliana did.

Above their heads the seat belt light flicked off. They’d reached cruising altitude. She looked far more relaxed than when they’d begun takeoff. His mission to distract her from the ascending plane had worked, clearly. He’d been worried there for a minute. She’d been wound so tight, he thought she might burst. That little chink in her armor took him by surprise. She was afraid of flying but had taken on the report from AM Air, anyway, knowing that she’d have to crisscross the country on Blue Sky flights for months. He admired her more in that moment. That took nerve.

“Besides, I don’t date random strangers I meet on planes. Especially ones who believe in soul mates.” She rolled her eyes again. He had to laugh at her disdain for all things romantic. Still, what was her beef with true love? He’d never met a woman so insistent that it didn’t exist. It made him want to figure out just why she was not a fan of love. Broken heart in her past, maybe? Or was it a defense mechanism? Lord knew he’d spent a lot of his professional life not wanting any personal entanglements. He thought they got in the way, until he realized one day that he had an entire airline empire but no one to go home to at night. He wanted that now for the first time. But he realized that to get it, he’d need to scale back his work, make room for a woman in his life.

“You are the least romantic woman I’ve ever met,” he managed, not quite keeping the surprise from his voice. He actually didn’t know they existed. The women he’d dated were always clamoring for commitment, to settle down. Maybe that was because they knew how much he was worth, he thought sourly. Juliana didn’t know who he was. As far as she was concerned, he was just another business traveler, a stranger. She didn’t know how many zeroes he had in his bank account. Too many, really, when he thought about it. Growing up middle class, he’d never imagined he’d have this much wealth at his disposal, that he’d own one of the world’s biggest airlines. Yet here he was.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and he admired the slimness of her neck. He loved how quick she was, how smart. He admired that she had strong opinions and stuck to them. He found himself wanting to ask her personal questions: does she have a family? Does she ever want kids? But those questions weren’t the ones he was supposed to ask. He ought to be focusing on her consulting work for AM Air. This is business. Just business. Don’t make it personal.

He doubted Juliana would ever guess she was sitting next to the man who ran the company she was evaluating. Law didn’t like the spotlight, and shunned social media, so few outside Blue Sky even knew what he looked like. He knew it was unfair to keep Juliana in the dark, but he’d been tasked with evaluating how competent she was, and that was what he’d do. He’d never had a problem keeping his professional life separate from his personal one before. He wasn’t about to start now.

Then, out of nowhere, the plane hit a serious and unexpected patch of turbulence. He clutched his armrest as the nose dipped. Without warning, they seemed to fall ten feet and Law felt his stomach leap to his throat.

Whoa, what was that?

Law knew turbulence could pop up unexpectedly but there was barely a cloud in the sky, and weather forecasts had been clear almost all the way to Chicago. His mind instantly clicked into survival mode: assess the danger, form a plan, act. But of course, there was nothing he could do. He was wearing his seat belt, and Juliana had on hers, and someone else was flying this bucket of bolts, and all they could do was wait and hope for the best. He glanced at Juliana, who’d lost all the blood in her face, looking a shade paler than the tray table stowed in front of her. He reached out and clasped her hand. She let him, glancing at him with fear in her eyes. How he wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that she shouldn’t be afraid, but the hairs standing up on the back of his neck told him maybe that was a promise he couldn’t make.

The plane jostled again, one overhead bin flying open and a backpack falling out into the aisle with a hard thud. Gasps and one shout went up from nearby passengers as Law held Juliana’s hand, pulling her arm closer to his, worried that all his bragging about Blue Sky’s accident record might have cursed them. He glanced around the cabin, looking at the panicked faces around them, many with eyes squeezed shut in prayer, and saw he wasn’t the only one who thought this contraption might fall from the sky. Goodness, the irony: Blue Sky President and Majority Shareholder Dies in Own Plane Crash. He was pretty sure all his shares would be worthless after that. Although, who cared if he was dead?

He realized in that moment the stark truth: no one. He had no one to leave his fortune to other than a couple of distant cousins he rarely saw, and his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. The Ivy League school would be getting a substantial portion of his estate. If he went down with this plane, he’d be a tiny blip in history, one soon forgotten.

He looked at Juliana, who had pressed her lips into a grim line.

“We’re going to be fine,” he told her, glad he sounded authoritative, and hoped it wasn’t a lie.

The cabin rattled once more, hard, the nose of the plane dipping down. Another round of shocked gasps pierced the air, and this time one high-pitched scream. She squeezed his hand hard, holding on with all her might, her grip surprisingly strong. Not a sound left her clenched jaw, but Law could tell she was using all her strength to keep the panic in check. Law found himself running through all manner of different scenarios—none of them good. He heard the ceiling rattle and prayed the cabin stayed in one piece. Once bits started flying off, the cabin pressure would be done for. He tried to think of ways he could protect Juliana, but he knew if the plane really did go down, his options would be limited.

The plane dipped twice more as the cabin rattled and his armrest vibrated. Now a man shouted from somewhere behind him. Much more of this, and none of the passengers would be able to hold it together. He could feel the pilots struggle to get control of the nose once more. Then, after another harrowing few seconds, the plane righted itself. Sheesh. What the hell had that all been about?

The pilot came on the intercom seconds later. She sounded calm, and completely collected. “Sorry about that, folks. We hit an unexpected patch of turbulence, but we’re all okay now.”

Law made a mental note to find out the pilot’s name and send her his own personal commendation. Not only had she gotten the plane back on track, but she’d made it look easy, too.

Applause rippled through the cabin as collectively everyone let out a sigh of relief. “We’ll be keeping the seat belt sign on for just a little bit to make sure we’re out of it.”

He damn well wasn’t taking his seat belt off this whole flight at this point. He glanced over at Juliana, and he could tell by the look on her face she wouldn’t, either.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, realizing her breathing came in rapid, staccato breaths. She kept a viselike grip on his hand, nearly cutting off his circulation.

“I think so.” Her voice sounded shaky. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her until she stopped shaking. A flight attendant darted down the aisle and grabbed the backpack that had fallen onto the carpeted floor. She grabbed it and tucked it back up into the open overhead bin and then shut the door.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I need a drink.”

Juliana laughed a little, still holding his hand tightly. “Yeah, for sure,” she said. “But now? We’re at the back of coach, and there’s no beverage service.”

“Actually, sitting at the back of the plane is the best place to be,” Law said, sharing a little-known secret. “Flight attendants are more likely to give you special treatment, because the other passengers can’t really see.”

“Really?” Juliana seemed skeptical. No matter, Law would show her. CEO or not, passengers at the back of the plane did get a few perks. The studies at his airlines showed flight attendants were twice as likely to respond to a call button at the back of the plane than the middle. This was part convenience, but also practicality. There only existed so many blankets and extra drinks on a plane. If staff gave them out where everyone could see, there’d be more demand. Besides, if he needed to, he’d pull rank.

“Trust me. What’s your poison?” he asked.

“Wine, normally, but I’d say this deserves a vodka soda,” she murmured, taking a deep breath.

“Coming right up.” He signaled the flight attendant sitting in the jump seat behind them, realizing he knew her. He’d met Sari on her first day a few years ago when she’d accidentally spilled soda on his pants. She’d spent the rest of the flight profusely apologizing and near tears after another flight attendant told her who he was. He’d told her that as long as she treated every customer as if they were the president of the airline, then she’d do just fine.

Her face broke out into a smile when she saw him.

“Law! So nice to see you,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

“You and the crew okay? Anyone banged up after that little bit?” he asked, concerned. After all, these were his people and he wanted to make sure they were all right.

Sari shook her head. “We’re fine.” She flashed him a brave smile. Juliana still held his hand and he was almost afraid to move it for fear she’d realize they were still touching. He liked the feel of her hand on his, her long, delicate fingers wrapped around his.

“Good.” He nodded. “Could you do me a huge favor? Would you mind grabbing us two vodka sodas?”

“Right away, sir,” Sari said, not missing a beat as she turned around and disappeared into the plane’s galley.

“How do you do that?” Juliana exclaimed, watching the flight attendant shuffle off. “Normal, non-first-class passengers don’t get to order up drinks whenever they want.”

Law shrugged. “Well, it’s the magic of the back of the plane,” he improvised. Juliana shook her head, clearly still skeptical. “Plus, I’ll admit, Sari owes me a favor,” he said. “She spilled soda all over me on her first day a few years ago.”

“Do you know everyone on this airline?”

“Almost,” he said.

Juliana seemed to realize that she was still clutching his hand, because she glanced down as an “Oh!” escaped her lips. “I’m sorry... I...” She hurriedly withdrew her hand, and his felt cold suddenly, empty. He’d liked comforting her. “I didn’t mean to...”

“Comfort me? I thought I was going to chuck a piss.”

“Chuck a...?”

“Pee my pants,” he added and grinned. Law flashed Juliana a smile and she laughed a little.

“Thanks, but I think I was the one about to panic. I almost thought I was going to hyperventilate there for a minute.”

Sari reappeared almost instantly then with two bubbling plastic cups, tiny slices of lime floating in each one. “Here you go, sir,” she said, handing one to Law and the other to Juliana. Law reached into his pocket for his wallet, but Sari held up a hand in protest.

“No, no. On the house, sir.” She bustled away, leaving Juliana with another perplexed look on her face.

“Apparently, I should make a note always to travel with you,” she joked.

“You’re welcome anytime.” Law realized he meant this. It wasn’t just formality as he held up his plastic glass in a toast. “To not dying.”

“Yet,” Juliana breathed as she touched her cup to his and took a big sip. “We still have...how much time to go?”

“I think one patch of bad luck is probably all we’re allotted this trip,” he said, swallowing the crisp, but potent, vodka down.

“I hope you’re right.” Juliana sounded rueful. She took another long drink, her hand still shaking slightly. He wanted to comfort her but wasn’t sure how. Crack a joke? “I was supposed to do work on this flight.” She nodded toward the laptop stowed under the seat in front of her. “But...”

“Work can wait,” Law said, voice firm. “We almost died. So, work can wait.” He clinked his plastic cup against hers. Before he knew it, they’d both downed their drinks, though it still hadn’t taken an edge off his nerves. Even when the pilot turned off the fasten seat belt sign, he still felt a tad uneasy.

“My life just flashed before my eyes and, I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t like what I saw,” Law admitted.

“Why?”

“All work. No play. Hardly anything real about my life. Find the person I’m supposed to spend my life with,” he said, taking another deep dreg of vodka. That’s why I need to sell Blue Sky. Get on with my life, my real life. Make something real. Preferably with a woman who hates corporate spreadsheets. “Somehow, feels like a wasted life.”

“You think love is the answer?” Her light brown eyes showed skepticism.

“What’s the point of life, if not love? To make real connections with people.” The cabin around them darkened as the pilot dimmed the lights for those wanting to sleep the evening flight away. Juliana glanced around and so did Law. He saw all the people staring at the screens of their small devices, now seemingly back to normal after the plane nearly fell from the sky. It amazed him that something so profound could happen, and then normality snapped back; people acted as if nothing important had happened.

“You know... I...” Juliana shook her head. “I think I need to go to the bathroom. Do you mind?” She nodded toward the aisle. Law stood so she could shuffle by. As she did, he got a whiff of her perfume, something crisp and sweet. Grapefruit, maybe? Whatever it was, he liked it. As she brushed by him, her hip slid by his groin, making all his senses come to life. Down, boy, he told himself. Down. This is business, remember? Not play.

He watched as she slipped into the empty bathroom behind his seat, noticing how her hand shook as she turned the latch. He knew then something was wrong.

Juliana was not okay as she shut the bathroom door behind her and slid the lock into place. Her whole body felt like jelly, like it might melt into a puddle, and she was too addled to even notice this bathroom was extra-roomy, a detail she would have normally jotted down in her head for the future report. She’d never experienced turbulence that bad before and she’d been convinced she was going to die. The stress of it, added to everything else that happened this week, hit her like a falling concrete slab. She’d worked so hard to pretend everything was okay, that she could handle anything life and work threw at her, that she didn’t realize her body was trying to tell her she couldn’t, actually, do it all.

The panic that settled in her throat burst forth now as tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t control the sobs anymore as they racked her small frame. I almost died. This tin bird almost became my coffin. The thought choked her and she was powerless. Juliana felt like she couldn’t breathe. She clawed at the neckline of her tunic, trying to get some air to her collarbone. She prided herself on being in control of her emotions, cool and calm, and now they flooded her like a tidal wave. What would some of her coworkers say about her now? The ice queen has lost it. She cried now and felt like she might keep on crying.

I nearly died. She couldn’t get the horrible thought out of her mind. I nearly died, and the last man to touch me was Garrison. That thought made her sick, suddenly. Because Garrison had touched her without her permission. Without her invitation. It had been entirely on his terms. Everything was always on his terms. Her projects. Her promotions. And now her body? The unfairness of it ripped through her like a blade. The thought made her want to hyperventilate. Suddenly, she felt like she couldn’t get enough air.

Why was she panicking? The plane didn’t fall out of the sky. She’s fine. You’re fine, she silently told herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror as she swiped at the tears glistening on her cheeks. Garrison is a thousand miles away. Besides, he didn’t rape you. He just grabbed you and tried to kiss you. What’s the big deal?

Yet it had shaken her to her core. She didn’t know why.

Maybe it was she felt so out of control; everything seemed to be spiraling away from her. It was probably just lack of sleep, stress of the Blue Sky project. Maybe Garrison didn’t even have anything to do with it. She’d dealt with men like Garrison before. She could do it again.

Then she heard a soft knock on the door.

“Juliana? It’s me. Law. Are you okay?”

“Y-yes,” she sniffed, grabbing a wad of tissues from the bathroom dispenser and crushing them to her face.

“Can I come in?” he offered.

She felt white-hot panic. He’d see her like this—a mess. Her mascara was running down her face; her cheeks were blotchy and red. All she needed now was for the sexy Aussie to see her at her worst.

“Look, you don’t know me. But I know you’re upset. Let me help.”

His voice sounded strangely soothing, even through the door. She bit her lower lip, considering. When would she ever see the man again? Who cared if he saw her crying? The comfort he offered beckoned like the warm beacon of a lighthouse. She carefully slid the lock open. He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He opened his arms and she leaned into them, feeling his warm embrace, instantly feeling stronger, better, more whole. This human connection, as much as she wanted to deny it, meant something. She’d spent the past many months without anything more than polite social banter, or work-focused conversation, but nothing deep. Nothing meaningful.

He squeezed her tight, and she felt all the muscles in his chest, his strong arms around her offering the promise of comfort and security. She felt so small in his arms, so protected. Instantly, her tears dried as she hugged him back, thankful for the human contact. This was on her terms. She wanted this: Law’s arms around her. Suddenly, she very much wanted something for herself. Something on her terms. She realized, with a shock, she wanted Law.

Right here. Right now.

Her terms.

Her body screamed for something tangible, for a connection that went beyond just a hug.

She tilted her head up then. He glanced down at her and swiped a tear from her cheek. The gesture was so gentle, so inviting, that she wanted to show him how much she appreciated it. And she wanted...more. Juliana glanced at his lips, full, sensual, and suddenly felt consumed with the idea that she wanted to feel them. Taste them. Know them. She was doing this because she wanted to.

She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.