All the blood drained from my face as I forgot about the phone in my hand, and dropped it to my bare thighs. It was a trick of my ears. There was no way that deep voice that sent shivers down my spine was who I thought it was. It was too cruel to truly be him.
I winced and squeezed my eyes closed, willing it away. It was a bad dream, that was all. I heard the soft chuckle I knew so well.
“You gonna move your bag so I can sit down, or are you gonna make that nice stewardess yell at me for clogging the aisle?” Leo’s sultry voice filled my ears once more and my eyes sprung open.
I turned my head in his direction so fast my neck nearly popped at the motion. It was real. He was really here.
He stood with his bulky body leaning nonchalantly against the opposite seat from me. His tattooed hands were crossed in front of him as were his ankles, as if he had all the time in the world.
The worn work boots on his feet looked like they had seen better days with the number of scuffs that marred the toes and sides. His holey faded jeans had also been well worn. I swallowed hard as I gazed at those powerful thighs hidden away under the tautly stretched light-blue denim. I diverted my eyes from the slight bulge at his fly as I continued my trail north.
His maroon-and-blue flannel, long-sleeved button-up was left open to expose the white shirt underneath. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, revealing corded forearms and thick dark ink that traveled up under the fabric. Those biceps were thick under the soft fabric, a testament to his physical fitness. His beard was little more than overgrown stubble, but it was well-maintained and still looked just as luscious as the last time I’d been forced to interact with him.
His hair still tickled the tops of his ears in wavy, light-brown locks with threads of sun-bleached highlights throughout. His longer hair partially covered the tops of those honey-colored eyes that were taking in my every detail, as I did his.
I watched as he pulled a plump lip behind his teeth and sucked it slightly before releasing it with a small tsk. The movement reverberated straight to my core and I felt a distant throbbing form down low. I squeezed my thighs together to ward off the sudden ache and that bright gaze shot right to my exposed limbs as his nostrils flared slightly. A lazy grin creased his lips as he met my eyes again.
As if his smirk had broken the spell he had captured me under, I scowled at him. I sucked in a large breath and turned in my seat to face him.
“What the fu—”
A small little slip of a woman came up to the two of us and interrupted me. The short brunette smiled at Leo with dazzled eyes and I nearly vomited on the spot. Of course, she thought he was hot. Anyone who wasn’t blind would say the same thing. I tried not to snarl as he returned her smile with a soft grin of his own.
“Excuse me, sir, the captain has put on the “Fasten Seatbelt” sign. I’m going to have to ask you to take your seat.” She blushed, actually blushed at the fucker.
His stupid grin widened as he regarded the delicate female. “Yes, ma’am. I was just asking my traveling companion if she wouldn’t mind moving her bag.” His slight Brooklyn accent drawled from his lips before he winked at her. I swear she sighed before turning her eyes to me.
She squinted as if sizing me up before speaking. “Ma’am, it’s the airline’s policy you stow all carry-ons in the overhead bin. If you need assis—”
“I got it,” I said from behind my clenched teeth, cutting her off.
She hardened her stare at me before returning her attention to Leo, who happened to be grinning back at me. I nearly saw a tinge of red when she grabbed his biceps in an overly friendly gesture before telling him to let her know if he needed anything further. He never took his eyes off me when he nodded. With one last scowl in my direction, Ms. Skanky Stewardess walked back toward the front of the plane.
Leo and I locked eyes again as I continued to throw daggers at him. If looks could kill, he would be dead a hundred times over.
He smirked at me again before finally moving. He extended his hand toward me before he spoke. “Give it here, I’ll put it u—”
“I said, I got it,” I repeated.
He held his hands up in defeat but otherwise didn’t move.
I huffed loudly as I moved my phone from my lap into my seat and stood. I grabbed my heavy bag before I turned my back to the solid slab of muscle in front of me.
Even though we were technically in first-class, like most airplanes, space was cramped. I managed to get the overhead bin open without touching Leo, but when I raised my bag above my head to shove it in the tiny cubby, I felt my overly curvy backside graze against the front of his jeans. I heard Leo’s sharp intake of breath and couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips.
Paybacks were always a bitch.
I may have wiggled my ass more than necessary as I tried to shove my bag into the tiny space above my head. I stood on my tiptoes as I pushed it a little further, making sure to expose a little of my midriff as my shirt rose with my stretch.
Leo didn’t attempt to move at all but I could feel the tension rolling off him in thick palpable waves as I moved against his crotch. Not a lot, just enough he could feel. The surge of feminine power that rushed through my body was giving me a crazy high. That was until I felt his hands circle my hips, halting my wiggling.
I sucked in a sharp breath of my own as he stepped closer to me. His calloused fingers touched my bare flesh at my hips as I felt his breath fan across the hair that draped down the back of my neck. I just barely stalled the shiver that tried to wrack my body as he spoke softly.
“Careful, Princess. Wouldn’t want to get something started you’re not ready to finish,” he whispered as one of his hands trailed from my hip up my side.
I nearly closed my eyes at the sensation of his fingers grazing up the side of my stomach, across the side of my breast. He kept up his slow ascent to the ticklish flesh of my arm up to my hand, where he grabbed my bag and pushed it the rest of the way into the bin.
I could feel his aroused length against the curve of my ass as he closed the cubby and inhaled deeply at my hair. His voice seemed hoarse when he spoke again.
“You still use that coconut shampoo,” he rasped before his fingers tightened briefly on my hip.
My breath hitched. He remembered what shampoo I liked to use?
My phone dinged again and just like that the spell was broken. Permanently this time. I inhaled sharply as I pushed out of his embrace and stepped to the side. I didn’t look back up at him as I gestured my arm in front of me. I praying he would just take his seat and not speak again. That was evidently too much to ask for.
He bent slightly so he wouldn’t hit his head as he took his seat by the window. He grabbed my phone so quickly, I didn’t even have time to reach for it. He glanced at the screen and his jaw clenched ever so slightly, if I hadn’t been watching him I would have never seen it.
“Who’s Liam?” He glanced between me and the phone as he said his name.
I plopped down into my seat and snatched the phone out of his hand, pocketing it quickly before hastily gripping my seatbelt. I snapped it into place angrily and then faced the imposing male who sat so close to me.
“None of your damn business, that’s who he is,” I scowled. “Mind telling me what the fuck you’re doing here, Leo?”
His stupid smirk made another appearance before he answered me. “What do you think?” he asked. When I didn’t grace him with an answer he continued, “My job, Princess.”
I had to remind myself I was on an airplane with witnesses as I thought about strangling the cocky asshole.
“Stop calling me that!” I hissed. “What do you mean by your job? You mean to tell me out of all the airlines and all the flights, you just so happened to get on this one for some job?” I used air quotes when I said “job.”
He said nothing as he met my stare, letting me figure out the puzzle that was sitting between us like the elephant in the room. Dread curled in my stomach as I realized. “You’re the private investigator my parents hired to find Tanner, aren’t you?” It wasn’t really a question but I still waited for him to nod in confirmation. When he did, I turned back in my seat and let my head fall back against the cushion. The plane lurched forward down the runway and so did my stomach. I closed my eyes at the burning sensation I felt there.
Why would my parents be so cruel to do this to me? They knew exactly who Leo was to me and still hired him … again! Sometimes it felt as though Patricia and Frank Donaleigh had only been put on this earth to torment me until my last day.
“Emy, I—” Leo started but I cut him off as my head snapped forward. I was seeing red as I faced him.
“Don’t!” I snapped. “Whatever you’re about to say, just don’t. I refuse to hear it,” I growled. “I may not have had any choice of who my goddamned parents hired to do their dirty work, but I do have a choice to not speak to you unless absolutely necessary. Let’s just hope this time you’re better at doing your fucking job than you were three years ago. Maybe this time you won’t lie through your fucking teeth.” My chest heaved as I finished speaking.
A look of confusion crossed his beautiful face as I turned away from him. He opened his mouth but before he could try to speak again the flight attendant’s perky voice came over the intercom. I felt my heart beating wildly in my chest as I sensed Leo’s attention on my profile.
I adamantly ignored him as I dug my headphones out of my pocket and quickly put them in my ears. Ignoring the text from Liam, I turned on my music full blast and leaned back in my seat. I could still feel his gaze on me as I closed my eyes, shutting everything out.
As we ascended into the air, I felt intense exhaustion take root behind my eyes. I swallowed thickly, willing the rising emotions back down.
What had I done to deserve such cruel treatment from the people who brought me into this world? Chris had told them exactly what I had done with Leo after everything was said and finished between us. My father at least had the balls to tell me he was the one that had hired Leo in the first place. I remembered screeching at him so loud over the phone my voice broke.
They had told me to sit tight and they would deal with everything, I didn’t know that included hiring a PI. I still didn’t know why they had decided to flip the script and act as though I’d hired him when Chris found out. And I couldn’t fathom why Leo had flipped on me so easily either.
I’d been such a stupid little girl for ever believing anything Leo had told me. I guess in my defense, he’d been a good liar. I never once guessed he was being paid to fuck me. The sad thing is, I could have moved past the lie if any of it had truthfully been real for him. I thought he cared for me as much as I did him. That’s what hurt the most—the realization that I fell for someone who hadn’t felt the same way at all. He had been paid to fake that feeling for me.
I took a deep breath as my limbs became heavy. The motion sickness pills were kicking in just like I knew they would. I had traveled enough to know when exactly I should take them to where they would be the most effective. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or concerned about falling asleep next to my current company. On one hand, I wouldn’t have to talk to him if I was unconscious. But, on the other, I would be completely vulnerable next to him for long hours.
Either way, it seemed I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I took another deep breath and leaned my seat back as the captain gave the all-clear. Trying to ignore the smell of bourbon and cedar that surrounded me like a warm blanket as sleep took me against my will.