AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s a two-hour flight, Trevor!” She settles between a whisper and screech, her beautiful body trembling, green eyes glossing over with a sheen of defeat. “Even if we leave right on time, that puts wheels on the ground at nine-thirty. Then there’s the whole roll as slowly as possibly to the gate thingy, and then we wait for everyone to, again, as slowly as possible, get their kids, crap and out of my way, run to baggage claim by maybeten, only to wait some more for my bag to finally appear — ‘cause we both know it’ll be the last damn one thrown on the cart. And to round out the slow-motion circus, and only if I’m extremely lucky, I find a cab within another half hour.” Thankfully, she pauses long enough to drag in air, patting down her hair… somewhat askew with all the wild head-shaking and quite animated gesturing.
And then she’s back at it.
“Yeahhh, that’s not gonna work for me. If I’m not at th… where I need to be, by nine o’clock tomorrow morning… everything”— she’s shaking, gulping in more oxygen— “is over. Done. And I lose everything. Again.”
It undoes me, seeing her beyonddistraught, so it’s without thought, particularly unmindful of boundaries, that I haul her against me and whisper upon her soft hair. “Lily, where is where you need to be, and what will be even worse? Let me help you, sweet girl. I’m quite capable of… making things happen. Tell me what it is you need, and I’ll make it so.”
She eyes her bag, and I sense her panic rising, approaching an overwhelming level. “I’ll just drive. It’s what, six hours? I can do that,” she spouts, though doing her best to hide reality. She’s scared.
I’m somewhat “scared” myself — that I won’t be able to insert a modicum of rationale in my response. “You’re going to drive through the night?” I jeer, not ask. “Six hours? While you’re upset? That’s your plan?” I manage to cage my scoff, but not my growl. “No.”
“No?” She parrots, hedging for affronted… accomplishing intrigued.
I slowly shake my head.
“No?”
I repeat the motion.
I’ve had eyes on her from the moment she stumbled onto the plane, and has continued to bobble, obviously also aboard an emotional roller-coaster, her way through the day. As long as there’s a beat to my heart, this woman is not navigating anywhere solo. Especially in the dark, route unknown, no closer to “settled” two flutes of champagne later.
Not happening.
“Well then, Mister Kincade, you’ve got another thing coming. I admit, the bossy man thing’s pretty hot, when it doesn’t include you telling me what I can and can’t do!”
“Lily,” my unavoidable laugh joins, “that’s what ‘bossy’ means, beautiful. And ‘man’ means that over my cold, dead body are you driving six hours, alone, at night, While. You’re. Upset!”
Done arguing, I grab our bags, and her hand… then drag the lot toward the exit.
“Trevor,” she hisses, digging in her heels to slow us down, which I ignore. “Trevor.” And still, I simply tighten my hold on her hand and quicken our steps. “Trevor!”
NowI stop dead in my tracks and whirl around to face her.
“What?” I ask, louder than is gentlemanly. When she doesn’t respond, her tiny mouth agape and green eyes wide, I take a moment to assess… then grin, surprisingly amused to realize that here I, Trevor Kincade, am — having a somewhat boisterous, wholly enlivening, argument with a gorgeous, all-but stranger in public. Just as quickly reaffirming my grim expression, I say, “You get my attention and fall silent? All right, then, allow me. What, Lily, could possibly warrant you hopping into a rental car at this hour? What plans can’t be rescheduled until later in the day tomorrow? And what will then be even worse? I can find out, you know. Very close to anything, about anyone, at any time. But I’d much rather you tell me yourself.”
“You can find things out? Private things? About people you hardly know?”
I give an easy nod, and easier smirk.
“You’re an ass. Sitting beside each another on a flight, well, what was supposed to be a flight, does not make us pals! Not sure why it matters to you so much, but I’m positive it’s none of your business. By the way, the bossy thing only works, marginally, when you’re being sexy bossy, not nosy bossy. Thought you should know. And with that, this is where I say goodbye, adieu, nice to meet you…” She reaches for her bag, only to try again, as I hold it up and away. “Are you kidding me?”
“Far from it.” I close the gap, and her mouth, with a gentle finger under her chin. “You’re in a strange town, it’s dark outside, and I’ve made myself clear. You will not be driving anywhere this evening. I can’t, in good conscience, let you leave, Lily. It’s just not in me; not the kind of man I am. But, again, if you tell me what’s so urgent, I will help.”
She fidgets from foot to foot and bites the corner of her lip. Simple, quite common in fact… yet it intrigues me in ways I may never fully comprehend. “It’s personal,” she mumbles.
“What isn’t? Tell. Me.”
“Oh, my God, Trevor, no! I realize you probably don’t get told ‘no’ very often, but surprise! I’m telling you, no, and I mean it.”
“Stubborn.” I grind my teeth and move closer. “Mouthy.” I weave my fingers through the hair at her temple, brushing it away from her neck. “Mysterious.” I dip my head to nuzzle said neck, inhaling her innocent essence. “Not a thing I don’t like, sweet Lily. If you trust me, I. Will. Fix. It.”
Unable to resist, she leans, just slightly, into me and answers in a breathy whisper. “I have to be in court.”
“I can work with that.” I grin against her soft skin, pebbled with goose bumps. “Any court will allow rescheduling if you have a valid excuse, and though I’m neither an attorney or judge, I believe being stranded by a delayed flight is indeed a valid excuse.”
“Not for this.” As I’m starting to suspect is habit, she frantically shakes that head of hers.
“Unless I’m dead, which, I’m obviously not, he’ll pitch a fit to proceed. And he’ll win. He always does. So, I have to make it on time. Plus, I really want to get it over with, before I lose my nerve.”
