Weekend Fling with the Surgeon

“Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce,” she spouted, thinking her hand would soon be so clammy it would slip right out of his hold. “I should just take my chances that this won’t last, and she’ll think me brilliant for not wasting my time.”

“Such a cynic,” Ryder mused, studying her so intently that for a moment his looking at her rivaled her aviophobia.

“A realist.” The plane started moving, building momentum as it sped down the runway. Unfortunately, McKenzie’s stomach stayed behind. “Oh, God.”

“Praying is good.”

If McKenzie wasn’t sure she was about to die, she’d scold Ryder for making fun of her.

Only her heart was beating as if it thought it had to power the engine to lift the plane off the ground and was doing its best to meet the burgeoning demand.

Five hours.

Five hours she’d be stuck inside this plane thirty or so thousand feet in the air, defying gravity.

Hopefully defying gravity.

She sucked in a breath.

Or more like she tried to suck in a breath, but nothing happened. No air filled her lungs. Just more and more panic taking over as her stomach was lost somewhere on the airstrip.

She couldn’t breathe, felt increasing light-headedness.

She was going to die from lack of oxygen on a 747 Jumbo Jet.

Her mind started going hazy as her lungs refused to adjust to accommodate her body’s need for oxygen.

“Help,” she squeaked out, trying to convey to Ryder that she was a goner.

Not sure what he could do, what anyone could do at this point as they barreled down the runway, she let go of his hand and went for her seatbelt, thinking maybe if she loosened it from where it constricted around her waist, she’d be able to get in a breath.

It didn’t make sense that the strap at her waist prevented air from entering her lungs, but she fumbled with the latch, planning to free herself, and do who knew what?

Ryder’s hand covered hers before she could work the latch loose.

Still, her insides shook as panic threatened to implode within her.

She couldn’t do this.

McKenzie lifted her gaze, planning to tell him as much.

She stared straight into honey-brown eyes that were close, closer than they’d ever been, and they stared back.

Eyes that momentarily stole her breath even further, sparking a new plethora of emotions deep inside her.

They searched hers, seeing everything within her, she was sure, knowing she was wondering what it would feel like to lose herself in those eyes while kissing him.

His lips were even closer. As close as they could possibly be as they covered her own in a kiss.

She should pull back.

She should slap him or do something, right?

Wasn’t she supposed to be clamoring for freedom from the plane? For oxygen?

Only oxygen didn’t seem so important with Ryder’s mouth covering hers, coaxing her to return his kiss as his gaze stayed locked with hers.

She hadn’t planned to kiss him, but her lips were doing just that. How could they not when he was so irresistible?