AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ouch. “D’you ever get tired of being a grump?”
A groomed brow rises above the oversized frame of her glasses. “You ever get tired of thinking you’re God’s gift to women?”
“Darling…” I smirk. “I am a fucking god.”
The sudden lift of the aircraft cracks her voice. “Really?”
“Really. And you know, if you weren’t a pessimist looking for the worst in people, you’d see it.”
“You don’t know me for shit, and—” She stops suddenly when the plane jolts around, heading through the bad weather system on the steep incline into the dark clouds.
Fear pinches Cassidy’s face so tightly that her eyes scrunch shut at the same time as the lights go out. In this moment, I don’t care what she thinks about me, whether she likes me or despises me, or if, in her eyes, I’m nothing more than an asshole aggravating her. All I care about right now is making her forget about all the bad case scenarios bombarding her mind with every second we’re enduring the dark turbulence.
Reaching across, I forcibly pry her hand from her thigh, holding it tighter when she tries to snatch it away. Cassidy fights a moment longer until the turbulence worsens, making even me question whether we are going to be okay.
“It’s just a little atmospheric pressure,” I tell her, lacing our fingers together.
Her skin is soft, and her small hand fits perfectly in mine when I close my fingers around it, squeezing until she turns her face to me. Her tight eyes soften when I offer her a smile and bring our joint hands onto my lap.
“I’m good with numbers and risks. It’s what I do. I take measured gambles for a living, so I can tell you that, statistically, this flight is a safe bet.”
“What do you do?” Her nails clawing into the back of my hand feel a lot better than they should, even with the sharp bite of pain that fizzes up my wrists to my elbow. The buzz clouds my head, making me wonder what the sensation would feel like elsewhere on my body.
“I’m a banker,” I tell her, disguising the hoarseness in my voice with a low cough. I try to shake myself from my lust-filled haze as a knowing smile tugs at her lips. I’m not sure what it is she does or doesn’t know about me, but it spurs me on to keep telling her about myself. “I got promoted recently to head of trading. It wasn’t my first career choice, but I love the rush that comes with it.”
“Trading? Like the stock exchange?”
“Yeah. It’s unpredictable and throws all kinds of challenges my way. I love a challenge.”
A low, shaky chuckle escapes her.
“The highs can be beyond exhilarating, and I like chasing them hard. The harder the deal, the bigger the thrill. The pay-off isn’t terrible, either.”
“I bet,” Cassidy murmurs, her eyes flitting down to my lips as I adjust in my seat to bring myself a tad closer. The hint of alcohol on her breath is sweet and enticing, making my mouth water with the desire to steal a taste. Meeting my stare again, she asks, “Are you celebrating your promotion?”
“Kind of. I’m meeting my brother and his girlfriend. They’ve just had a kid, so it’s my first time meeting him, too.”
“You’re excited,” Cassidy whispers, a barely noticeable sigh releasing some of the tension in her shoulders.
The way she acts so standoffish, trying to put on a cold front, didn’t have me thinking she’s a family type. However, the mention of my yet-to-be-named nephew has her thawing out.
“You know what, Nova?” I draw closer so that our faces are ghosting each other as we rest our heads on the edge of our headrests.
I’m desperate to reach up and remove her glasses so I can look straight into her eyes without the glare from lights or the reflection of my own eyes staring back at me. I just want to see all the different shades of her gaze and feel the depth of her stare bore into mine.
“What, Maximus?”
I have to think fast and hard to tap back into our conversation. “I’m going to make you believe.”
“Huh? Believe what?”
“Believe in fate. Believe that everything happens for a reason. Like you and me back at the bar and on this flight. Not a single bone in my body says it's a coincidence.”
“Maybe your bones are lying.”
“They never have before today. So, statistically, the odds are in their favour.”
“You’re crazy.”
