Stay with Me (Return to Haven 1)

A sliver of curiosity had crept up, but she had the willpower to ignore the unwanted emotion.

“I thought we were going to talk about this sale.” There, she just needed to steer the topic back to the reason she was here. “We can do that just as easy in the office.”

“Probably so, but I never get to just fly at night for my enjoyment.” He leaned in closer, keeping that dark, mesmerizing gaze locked onto hers. “Fly with me, Livie. You won’t regret it.”

Oh, he could tempt the last piece of chocolate cake away from hungry women at a packed Weight Watchers meeting. He was too charming for his own good, and she truly needed to keep reminding herself she was here for one purpose . . . and it wasn’t to get swept into his web.

“You can fly,” she informed him. “I’ll just enjoy the view.”

He raked his eyes over her once more and Olivia braced herself for another of his comments. But after a moment, he nodded and headed back toward the plane. She pulled in a deep breath and marched ahead. She didn’t want to think about the last time she sat in the tiny leather seat. She didn’t want to flash back to the first time her father let her have the controls. And she certainly didn’t want to spend more time in Jackson’s company than she had to because . . . well, just because.

Olivia opened the passenger door, used the step on the wing, and climbed inside. That familiar scent surrounded her. The leather, the oil, the metal. There was no dodging the assault of memories. She gripped her hands in her lap as she waited for him to start the engine and do a final check.

Nerves swirled inside her. Not from flying, never from that. She’d actually loved the sport. So many people assumed the worst because the only press aviation received seemed to be when they crashed. But flying was safe, it was beautiful, peaceful. It calmed her in ways she couldn’t explain.

But right now, being back in the plane she’d learned to fly in, the plane her father had babied for years, was a bit difficult. Not to mention being inches from her sexy rival worked over her nerves pretty well too.

“You’ve taken great care of her,” Olivia stated, needing something to break the tension.

“She’s paid my bills, so it’s only fair I pamper her.”

He maneuvered down the runway, radioed his takeoff information through the headset for any surrounding planes to hear, and got into position. The engines roared to life, and then they were jetting down the paved lane flanked by bright blue lights. Within seconds, they were airborne and Olivia looked out her side window. The tiny town of Haven was breathtaking, all glistening in various shades of light.

Jackson was right in saying the night was the most beautiful, the most peaceful. She’d taken this plane out a few times when she’d needed to think or when she just wanted to get away. Her time alone in the plane was limited considering she didn’t get her pilot’s license until she was sixteen, but she’d fallen in love even more once she got behind the controls.

“I wasn’t aware you’d brought an entourage when you came to town.”

Jackson’s words sliced through her thoughts. “Jade and Melanie are hardly an entourage. They’re my best friends.”

“I remember you and Jade were always together. How did you meet Melanie?”

Olivia focused on the town below and not the way Jackson’s aftershave or cologne seemed to mess with her senses. Couldn’t he just smell like grease and sweat? That would make this so much easier. But no. She was enclosed in this tiny space with a man who smelled sexy and had charm dripping off nearly every word.

“We actually met at a marathon a couple years ago,” she replied. Melanie’s history was her story to tell, so Olivia wasn’t getting into all of that. “She twisted her ankle right before the finish line and Jade and I ended up carrying her over it so she could finish. We’ve been friends since.”

“Impressive,” he muttered. He turned the plane toward Savannah. “So what is it you do in Atlanta?”

Olivia adjusted the mic on her headset. “I’m an accountant for a marketing firm, but I’ve been doing some work in PR as well.”

“Sounds boring.”

Olivia clasped her hands in her lap. “It’s not boring. I stay busy and I have a very important position.”

“Staying busy and being needed isn’t the same thing as doing something you love,” he retorted.

“I enjoy nice things, so I like my income.” That may have been a vast understatement. “And I enjoy working somewhere that recognizes my talents.”

“So you need material things and praise with your job?” he asked.

Olivia gritted her teeth. She wasn’t shallow. She wasn’t. Couldn’t she be proud of the hard work she’d done? Why did he have to make her feel remorseful for having goals and reaching them?

“You won’t make me feel guilty for my lifestyle.”

When his whiskey-smooth tone didn’t come back through the headset, Olivia glanced back out the window. She couldn’t deny that she missed this. Flying was ingrained in her blood and no matter the person she was now, she was still the daughter of Paul Daniels.

“You remember Cash and Tanner?”

His abrupt question had her turning in her seat. “Of course. Tanner was in my grade, but Cash was a couple years younger. How are they doing?”