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“You could call him, you know.”
“I’m not calling him from the airplane, João.” God, did she want to.
He gave her an overexaggerated sigh combined with an eyeroll. “You better not ruin my chance to have an NBA star as a best friend.”
Rolling her head on the rest so she could see him better, she stuck her tongue out at him. “That’s why you’re pushing this so hard? Because you want the ex-NBA player as a friend?”
“What did you think I was in this for? Because I didn’t know you were going to be knocking boots with one of my favorite players in the league? And because you won’t be my woman? Yes, this is why I’m in it. Not for our friendship. I will sell you on the black market if it means I can get closer to him.”
Hope didn’t speak until he looked at her. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot Portuguese for a moment because you were spouting some shit I didn’t want to hear.”
He pinched her cheek like she’d seen him do numerous times to his sisters. “You need me to tell you again how much we are in love and how you want to move to Brazil with me?”
She burst into laughter and kissed the tip of his fingers. “Do I need to get the oxygen mask for you? There is a definite lack going to your brain.”
He wrinkled his nose and pinched hers. “You, my dear, I love, and I too would protect you from anything.”
“I want to believe that, João, but you didn’t even try to stop him when he kidnapped me.”
His eyebrows went up. “Kidnap? Is that what you’re calling it?”
“He drove off with me.” She scowled at him. “What do you call it?”
“A man who wants to get his woman back.”
“Of course you’d admire him,” she bit off.
“And you are in love with him. Please call him.”
“I’m not going to do that.” She wanted to speak to him but wasn’t about to do that on an airplane where there were a lot of ears.
“Fine. Take away my enjoyment.”
“Take a nap, you seem a bit cranky.”
“So do you. You need sex.”
She smacked a hand over his mouth. “You need to stop announcing things like that.”
João waggled his eyebrows and muttered, “Move your hand or I will lick it.”
She yanked her hand away. “I hate you.”
He grinned. “No, you don’t.” He shifted so he faced her. “Tell me you’re going to talk to him when we land.”
“I’m going to. I merely need to figure out what I’m going to say.”
“Practice.” He propped his hand beneath his chin. “Pretend I’m him. I mean I look like him. Tall, sexy, handsome, tattoos, blond hair, hopelessly in love with you.”
She shook her head. “Whatever I’m coming up with to say, he will hear it first.”
João shrugged. “I’m here if you change your mind. I’m always here for you.”
Hope knew that and she appreciated it. Right now, though, she simply wanted to be lost in her own thoughts. When they touched down in California, she was fighting to stay awake. She’d not been able to sleep for the racing thoughts in her mind and on the helicopter, well, that wasn’t going to happen.
“I have to meet Mulligan about our trip to Cambodia. You going to be okay heading to the hotel?”
She accepted her terracotta bag from the pilot with a smile. “Thank you. Yes, João, I’ll be fine. I’ll order a car and head over.”
“We’ll meet for dinner?”
“Sounds great,” she said around a yawn. “Want me to take your bags?”
“Do you mind?”
“Of course not. Say hi to Mulligan for me.”
“He may want to join us for dinner.”
“The more the merrier.” She waved him toward the waiting vehicle. “Off you go. I’ll see you later.”
He climbed in with a wave and a hollered, “Call him!” as she waited for the ride she’d called to arrive. Rubbing the nape of her neck, she shifted her weight as she kept an eye on their luggage.
A low rumble pulled her eyelids up. She spotted a dark blue SUV driving across the tarmac of the smaller airport.
Thank God because I’m pretty much dead on my feet.
It didn’t help to have the hot sun beating down on her. She longed for a cool shower and a bed in a dark room. Hell, it didn’t even have to be a dark room. The blacked-out windows made her snort.
Like I’m a star.
The vehicle stopped before her and the wind picked up, whipping the uncomfortable dry air over her skin. Bending at the waist, she grasped the handle of João’s suitcase and swung her bag strap over her shoulder.
Dark gray Timberlands appeared and her heart thudded. The echo in her mind was louder than even the planes moving around overhead.
It couldn’t be. Her palms grew sweaty and her mouth became drier than the desert. Long, muscular legs covered in medium indigo jeans followed. She didn’t even have to finish looking up the hard physique of the man standing in front of her to know who it was. Her body wasn’t lying.
