Before I can think to school my expression, I scrunch my nose.
“I’m so sorry,” he blurts out. “One of the airlines had a major outage and had to ground flights all over Europe today. Leslie asked if she could add these crew members to my flight to avoid delaying their arrival.” He runs a hand through his hair, his jaw ticking. “I couldn’t very well tell her no.”
I gnaw on my bottom lip, considering what this means. Who is joining us? What are they going to think when I get on the plane?
An insidious wisp of panic swirls low in my belly.
“How am I supposed to explain why I’m on this flight with you?” I worry. “What will Leslie think?”
With one hand, he rubs his temple. “She won’t be on the flight,” he says. “She went home to spend a few days with her wife and kids. That’s the second reason we chose to put these people on my plane. I didn’t want her working when she should be spending quality time with her family.”
Hands on his hips, he blows out a breath.
“The cancelations happened early this morning, before the crew had even headed to the airport. We can tell them you were supposed to fly out this morning as well.”
I cross my arms, slumping against the open door. “I’m so bad at lying.”
I get all jumble up and start stammering. I don’t want to mess this up, especially with what’s at stake.
Alaric cups my face, his expression beseeching. “So don’t lie. I doubt anyone will ask questions, honestly. Mick is joining us, along with a few people from his team, and someone from the PR department who was heading to Monaco early to make content. None of them have any reason to question your presence on the flight.”
I blow out a long breath.
“You’re sure this is okay?” I hedge.
Aside from the logistical nightmare, the consequences that would come if this plan fell apart could be severe. What we’re doing suddenly feels so much riskier.
He lifts one shoulder. “I’ve stopped concerning myself with what’s logical when it comes to you, angel. This is what I want. And honestly, if we’d been spotted traveling alone, that would have raised more questions than a handful of Granata employees joining me on a private jet.”
I nod, letting his reassurances soothe the frayed edges of my nerves. “So I guess this means no funny business on the plane, huh?”
One brow cocked, he shakes his head. “As much as I trust my team and the pilots, my concern for your general well-being makes most funny business a nonstarter.”
I roll my eyes, and he responds with a look filled with warning.
Now that the mood is lightened, he steps into my room. “Come here,” he murmurs, pulling me into his arms.
With the closed door at my back, he kisses me deeply. His mouth moves against mine in a steady rhythm. With each passing second, my worries melt away, the anxiety replaced by hunger and the growing throb between my legs.
“You look beautiful.” He scans me from head to toe when we finally break apart. He catches my chin, tipping it back in a position that’s becoming all too familiar. “I cannot wait to get there and get you alone,” he tells me, hungry eyes searching my face.
“You’re sure about this?” I ask for what must be the tenth time since he invited me.
“So sure,” he tells me without hesitation.
Galvanized by his confidence, I pop up onto my tiptoes and plant a soft kiss on his cheek.
“Okay, then. Let’s go.”
We arrive at the tarmac first and settle in across the aisle from each other. Like this, we’re close but not too close.
He’s growly and a little cranky, like he’s frustrated by the situation. I get it. Because not only are we not alone, but now he has to be in team principal mode for the duration of the flight.
Still. There’s something ridiculously hot about this in-control, domineering man glancing over at me with quiet desperation, turning salty every time a flight attendant or the copilot comes to speak to him and breaks our connection.
Mick and two other people I recognize from the cafeteria—Vinnie and Ian—arrive together. That makes sense. The culinary team is one of the very last to leave any location, but they’re also needed at the next location quickly so Mick can source local ingredients and start working on menus.
A young woman from the PR team named Kara is next to arrive. She smiles politely but quickly takes a seat, puts her headphones on, and closes her eyes.
