Fake Engagement, Real Temptation

The need for just one fantasy, one adventure, one day to go right.

The plane made a whoosh sound. She clung to his rock-hard thigh.

God, he was strong.

She couldn’t open her eyes, though, until they were in the air. She shifted in her seat just a tad. Yeah, the takeoff had her plenty afraid, but she’d been afraid for the last two days. Fear of the present, fear of the future. Look at her. She’d spent those years with Kevin so numb that now just feeling anything was like a wave so tall and so strong she felt like she was going to drown.

She just wanted this one trip to go right. Believed that Blake had a good point. That she needed an adventure. Hell, she just believed in Blake. Stupid, since she had a track record for believing in the wrong men.

But Blake was different. Easy to trust. And now she was sitting and waiting to be hurled into the air with her brother’s sexy best friend as her companion for over a week.

The plane plastered her body against the seat, causing her hand to accidentally slide up his thigh. She gasped and quickly eased it back down.

With the pressure of the plane rising, she didn’t open her eyes, but she heard the squeak of the leather seat next to her, felt Blake’s eyes on her. She pictured him leaning back in his seat, tilting his face so he could look right at her.

Then she felt his free hand come to lie atop hers. Comfort.

“Deep breath,” he said, his face so close to her ear that she could feel the scratch of his stubble on her sensitive skin. It lit her up, making sharp snaps of heat dance over her body.

If she let her mind drift and fantasize that this really was a fantasy, she could almost pretend he was really attracted to her. Not as a responsibility. But as a woman. Good thing she wasn’t fantasizing.

“D-does the plane feel normal?” she asked. The entire cabin was loud from the massive machine, yet void of any human noise.

“Yes,” he said against her ear so she could hear. “Engines sound smooth, and everything feels completely normal for a takeoff.”

She nodded and took that deep breath he urged from her. Again, she believed him.

“Okay, okay, okay,” she whispered to herself. Convincing herself that everything was fine and willing her fear of flying to dissipate. “Okay, totally fine. Okay…”

He groaned and she felt a tap on the top of her hand. That’s when she realized she was running her hand up and down his thigh, getting dangerously close to a zone she hadn’t been near on any man in over year. He was trying to stall her hand, and she instantly felt embarrassed.

“Oh God, I’m sorry,” she said.

“It’s okay,” he said, repositioning her hand closer to his knee and far away from the danger zone. Gentleman. My goodness, what was the matter with her? Maybe her body was starved. Maybe she was desperate. Maybe she was so distraught from the last few days she couldn’t think straight. But a year of no affection, or even sex, clearly affected a person. Plus the fear of the plane, and clutching to anything close for support.

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,?

?? he said. “We’re almost to altitude.”

As if Blake had a psychic connection with the plane, the ding sounded, and the stewardess addressed everyone over the speaker that it was safe to turn on electronic devices.

An exhale of relief hit her, and she felt Blake peel her hands off him. Embarrassment hit her again. Not exactly the mile-high club fantasy she had. Not that she’d actually follow through with that fantasy. But leave it to her to almost accidentally feel up her brother’s buddy in a plane. Yep, that’d be as close as she’d likely ever get to mile-high anything. Blake adjusted in his seat and leaned back, as the stewardess showed up with beverages.

“Champagne for the happy couple!” the stewardess said joyously, handing them the flutes of bubbling liquid. “You two enjoy the takeoff?” she asked pleasantly. “Captain said it was one of the smoothest ascents of his career.”

Blake smiled at her in the “see, I told you so,” kind of way, and Carrie had to check the urge to reach out and touch the dimple on his cheek.

“It was by far one of the best takeoffs I’ve had,” Blake said, and Carrie’s cheeks heated.

It was going to be a long flight, and an even longer nine days. She should set rules. Talk about how they should have distance. Because with him intent on being her shadow, she worried that left little room for her to be…well…herself. But he just drank down his champagne, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

“Wake me if you need another distraction,” he said with a smile, and she was terrified she might do just that.

Chapter Four

Blake had been to Hawaii before, but not this version.