Riley laughed. “Isn’t that the way? As soon as they serve drinks, the turbulence starts.” He lifted his cup and took a large sip to lower the amount so that it wouldn’t slosh over the top.
Sophie did the same with her wine, more for fortification than need. Riley wore a short-sleeve T-shirt that showcased his muscular forearms and tanned skin. Obviously he’d been on vacation recently, she thought as she admired him all the way down to his gold Rolex watch and long, tanned, ringless fingers.
His dark lashes fringed his eyes, which looked more hazel than brown today. But he was the same man who easily tossed out sexual innuendo and caused her hormones to go wild. She just couldn’t reconcile this sexy, carefree man with one who had responsibilities as a parent.
Parents were warm and loving, soft and caring. At least those were the fuzzy memories Sophie had of her mother and father before the plane crash took them from her for good.
“So how’d you become a father?” she asked, steering her mind off the ever-painful topic.
“The way most people do.” He shot her an amused look. “You do know about the birds and the bees?” He nudged her elbow with his.
A heated flush burned her cheeks. “I meant I didn’t know you were a father.”
“Whew. I’d hate to think I needed to teach you the facts of life,” he said, still grinning. “Though I suppose that could be fun.”
This conversation was definitely getting out of hand. Her hands trembled and she placed her wine on the tray, still holding on to the cup because of the turbulence.
She bent over, searching for her MP3 player and headphones just as the plane bounced once more. She grabbed for her cup and missed, knocking over the lightweight plastic, causing the red liquid to spill. The wine traveled across the tray, onto her lap, and splattered on her white shirt.
“Damn!” She tried to blot the mess with paper napkin
s, but it wasn’t working. She needed the bathroom to clean up.
As if anticipating her next move, Riley stood so she could exit the row and head back to the restrooms. His coloring was ruddy as he tried without success not to laugh at her.
So far, this wasn’t a flight she wanted to remember and she just hoped it wasn’t an omen for their quest to find Spencer. Holding on to the seat tops to steady herself, she walked quickly down the aisle toward the lavatories. Thank God one of them was vacant and she let herself inside.
“Wait.”
At the sound of Riley’s voice, she paused, giving him time to place his foot inside, preventing her from closing the door.
She looked at his sexy face and her heart rate picked up speed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Joining you.” A hint of a challenge tinged his voice and a teasing smile curved his lips.
“No!” She summoned outrage when she was really intrigued.
“Come on, sugar. I want to help you.” He leaned a broad arm against the small opening.
This wasn’t the first time she’d heard a hint of a Southern accent and she wondered where he was raised, but inquisition and conversation could come later.
She licked her too-dry lips. “Thanks but I can handle cleaning up all by myself.”
“So you clean and I’ll watch. It’ll give me a chance to talk to you in private.”
She panicked, not from fear but from the overwhelming desire to get up close and personal with this man who was everything she normally avoided.
Sophie dated men who were safe. Men who didn’t flirt with every woman they met. Men who weren’t demanding. Men who didn’t put their feet into her personal space and insist they get their way. Yet, though it galled her to admit it, there was something inherently arousing about his dominance.
“There’s no room in here.” She gestured to the small space behind her in a last feeble attempt to do the right thing.
The safe, expected thing.
He pushed the door open farther with his knee and wedged his big body inside, forcing her to step back. Then she heard a loud click as the lock slid into place and the dim light went on overhead ensuring the sign outside the door read Occupied.
They were completely alone and very, very close.
RILEY DIDN’T KNOW what had gotten into him. One minute he’d been ignoring Sophie and her pissy attitude and the next he was enjoying making her squirm. She couldn’t handle the sexual banter without blushing a hot shade of red, which only made him want to push her buttons even more.