Her lips pinch until the edges are white. “Without hearing any details about these mystery deals, I’m not confident there’s much to gain.”
“I’ll tell you on the flight.” Putting this entire interaction behind me is top priority. A cold shower is next on the list. Flames are still coursing under my skin and becoming a greater distraction. I’m starting to itch under the confines of my suit. Not that anyone would be able to notice the annoyance prodding at me.
Vannah crosses her arms, staring me down with a familiar glint. “Is that code for ‘we’ll do whatever the hell you want, no matter what I say’?”
I tug at my tie, loosening the knot enough to breathe freely. “That’s a good enough translation.”
She sniffs the air. “Do you smell that?”
“No.” I don’t bother taking a whiff.
Her posture doesn’t ease from its stiff hold. “It’s the stench of suspicion.”
“That sounds like a personal problem.” I offer a shrug. It goes without saying that her concern is warranted. There’s just nothing she can do about it.
Vannah pokes me in the chest, not assisting with my overheating issue. “You’re planning something sneaky.”
“I don’t always have a hidden agenda.”
She scoffs. “Yes, you do.”
I allow a smirk to greet her insistence, crumbling my recently recovered indifference. She’s just too damn demanding to ignore. “Then I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
The spacious cabin goes silent after the pilot finishes his mandatory update about reaching cruising altitude. Three flight attendants stand from their docking stations and hustle down the wide aisle to fetch the drinks Landon demanded upon takeoff. Other than the crew, it’s just the two of us as passengers. To be fair, there are only ten spots to begin with. I have a feeling nine are often empty. Unless he’s in the habit of bringing company, which I find hard to believe.
There’s still a zing zipping through me that he has me aboard in the first place. We’re confined in tight quarters with no means to escape beyond emergency procedures. This is another tactic in his expensive arsenal, but he didn’t consider the consequences of trapping me in this situation. I have a solid hour before we land, which gives me more than enough time to interrogate him. It’s not like he can get farther than fifty feet away from me.
Silly Landon. You’re a stuck duck.
But the conditions couldn’t be better. I shift on the plush seat that’s cocooning me in a cozy hug. The material is softer than melted butter. There’s no funky odor trapped in the cushions from too many travelers. The recycled air smells too crisp and clean. Every surface sparkles as morning light filters through the small windows. A mimosa appears on the table as if conjured by magic. I don’t know how the lady managed to set down the glass without me noticing. It’s all just so… fancy. I’m not a stranger to witnessing the benefits of money, but this is an entirely separate scale. Being surrounded by such opulent luxury makes my skin prickle. I’m afraid to get the freaking carpet dirty.
Landon is busy tapping away at his laptop, happily ignoring my presence. His purpose for this trip has yet to be revealed. I’m almost convinced he just wants to contain me by any feasible means. I’ll admit that tingling temptation is urging me to jump on his lap and take a detour to Pleasure Valley. He’d probably be more than willing after our rendezvous yesterday. I’ve never been a self-deprecating kind of girl, though. Sexy and a damn good kisser he might be, but that doesn’t mean I should sleep with him. The pleasure he’s capable of delivering is difficult to deny. Our chemistry might as well be sparking between us, begging for an outlet.
I twirl my champagne flute, watching bubbles fizz in the orange juice. We haven’t discussed the tonsil hockey incident. Landon seems content to pretend it didn’t happen. Not that I’m overly shocked that he’d prefer to forget the moments his guard fell away and passion flowed freely from him. He’s packing loads of pent-up lust among the baggage I can’t begin to weigh.
The guy is emotionally stunted. Whether on purpose as a defense mechanism or engrained by his upbringing, pulling genuine feelings from him is proving to be challenging. He’s a vault—and not a cheap knockoff I can find at Fleet Farm. No, this guy is top of the line. All tough steel and impenetrable force. Burglars