Page 96 of Twice as Tempting

Chapter 31

Kelly could hardly believe it. She and Damian were seated on the airplane that would take her home for Thanksgiving, and they would get to spend the next four days in the warm Florida sunshine. Damian had graciously offered her the window seat, while he got settled in the aisle seat. Kelly figured that he had wanted the aisle seat so that it would be easier for him to stretch out his long legs, but she was mistaken.

When the plane was speeding down the runway, Kelly glanced over and saw Damian’s hands clutching the armrests so tightly that she feared he might leave imprints. “Are you ok?” she asked.

His eyes were closed, and he didn’t so much as move a muscle. “Don’t talk to me until we’re in the air.”

Kelly placed her hand over his and didn’t speak again, until they had reached a “comfortable cruising altitude.” When the flight attendant’s voice came over the speaker, announcing that drinks would be served shortly, Damian finally opened his eyes.

“I’m good now,” he said and offered her a weak smile.

“Damian, are you afraid to fly?”

“I wouldn’t say that I’m afraid. I would just say that I don’t particularly like it.”

The man is chock full of surprises! “I would have guessed that you’d love to fly, since you love cars so much.”

He raised his brows at her. “What does one have to do with the other?”

“Duh. They’re both machines, they can both go fast, they both have engines, and all that other stuff.”

Damian chuckled. “There’s one very distinct difference. Cars remain on the ground, and if I’m the driver, I trust myself to be in control. I don’t know anything about the guy operating this plane.”

Kelly giggled. “I’m sure he’s highly qualified.”

“That may be, but who knows what his personal life is like. He might have gone to a class reunion last night and had too much to drink. His wife could have left him, and now he’s bitter and angry. We just don’t know!”

Kelly broke out in full-on hysterics, which she tried to contain when she saw the lady across the aisle glare at her. “Say the pilot did have a rough night. Isn’t that what the co-pilot is there for?”

“But we don’t know anything about that guy either! He could have an inferiority complex, and feel like he has something to prove. You know the saying, always the bridesmaid and never…”

“The bride. Yes, I know it well.” Kelly blanched a little at the implication.

Damian quickly covered up his error. “I wasn’t talking about you, Kell.”

“Oh, I know,” she said, waving her hand in the air like his comment meant nothing. Thankfully, right then, the flight attendant came by with the drink cart, and their conversation was cut short.

After they’d consumed their drinks and snacks, Kelly reached down into her tote bag and pulled out two books. “Here. I have something to distract you from your fear of flying.”

“I never said I was afraid,” Damian growled.

“Well, in any case, you need to start reading this book for our book club meeting. It’s only a few weeks away.”

Damian accepted the book from her and stared at the cover. “Wallbanger?”

The poor lady across the aisle was getting quite the earful! “Shhh…not so loud,” Kelly hissed.

“I’m supposed to read this here?”

“Well, you don’t have to, but you might want to get started on it. It’s a romantic comedy. I think you’ll like it.”

“But, is there sex?”

“Yes, of course,” Kelly replied, trying to ignore the woman across the aisle, who was blatantly staring at them now.

“Ok, then,” Damian said, and he cracked open the book.

He got more than a few inquisitive stares from passengers who moved up and down the aisles to stretch their legs or use the restroom, but Damian never noticed. He quickly became engrossed in the story, and since Kelly had already read it, she cracked open a new book.