I shiver in anticipation at the thought, but the moment is ruined by Erin walking up behind us. 揝hall we board??she purrs as she sashays past in cream pants and a cashmere cardigan. Even dressed for travelling, she is the picture of elegance, while I抦 dressed in skinny jeans, a tank top and a hooded sweatshirt.
Shane rolls his eyes, but he takes my hand and follows her to the steps of the plane. He looks effortlessly classy too. In dark jeans and a white polo shirt, he looks just as hot as he does in a suit. I wish that Erin wasn抰 on this flight with us. No matter what Shane says, I can抰 help feeling inferior whenever I抦 around her. And I know that she hates me. Even when I try to be nice to her, she just looks down her perfectly shaped nose at me.
I hold onto Shane抯 warm hand and remind myself that this is just an eight-hour flight, and after we land in Ireland, I抣l get him all to myself, and hopefully we will have to spend only a minimal amount of time in Erin抯 company.
As we board the plane, Shane introduces me to the pilot and co-pilot, Theo and Andrew, who give me a quick tour of the cockpit because I have never seen one before. Shane comes with me while Erin rolls her eyes at my lack of culture and goes to take her seat. Theo is young for a pilot, or so he seems to me, given that I抳e never met one before. He is tall and dark and handsome, while Andrew is slightly older and has sandy blonde hair. Both of them are charming and cute, but they have nothing on my Irish bodyguard who keeps his hand on my waist or my ass the whole time I抦 in there. I can抰 help but smile to myself because I love his possessive side.
As we walk into the cabin, I nearly bump into the stewardess. She is almost a carbon copy of Erin. Tall, blonde, skinny. 揓essie, this is Wendy,?Shane introduces her.
She smiles widely. 揑t抯 a pleasure to meet you,?she says as she extends her hand.
揧ou too,?I smile back.
揟his your first time flying??she asks.
揘o. I抳e flown coach a few times, but I抳e never left the States before and I抳e never been on a plane quite like this,?I look around at the spacious cabin which is tastefully decorated in cream leather, walnut and chrome.
揧eah, this plane is quite something,?she giggles softly and I realize she is nothing like Erin. 揑f you could take your seats and I抣l be along to take your drinks order before we take off.?
揟hank you, Wendy,?Shane says.
揘o problem, Mr. Ryan,?she purrs and I wonder if he has that effect on all women.
When we抮e settled in our seats, which are as big as armchairs, Wendy comes back through. 揅an I get you anything??she asks.
揑抣l get a large Jameson on the rocks,?Shane says.
揓essie??
揢mm.?I shrug. 揂 Coke??I don抰 drink a lot and I get giddy enough flying without having alcohol too. My stomach grumbles loudly and Shane chuckles. I was too excited to have anything to eat before we left the house.
揂nything else??Wendy smiles. 揥e抣l be serving a meal in a few hours, but we have snacks??
揅heetos??I arch an eyebrow.
She nods her head. 揚erfect.?
I sit back in my seat and look out of the window. I could get used to this kind of living. I can hear Wendy taking Erin抯 order now. 揂 Dry Martini and some green olives,?she purrs and I roll my eyes. Even her order is classy. If that isn抰 a perfect example of how different she and I are, then I don抰 know what is.
After Wendy serves our drinks, the plane takes off and I watch out of the window like an excited toddler while Shane and Erin talk about some land he wants to sell now that his father is dead. I listen at first, until they start to discuss deeds and property law, and then I switch off and concentrate on the view.
揧ou okay??Shane says as he leans forward and places his warm hand on my knee.
I turn to him. 揧eah, just admiring the view.?
揗e too,?he says quietly and my pulse quickens. Why is everything he does and says so damn hot? 揧ou didn抰 eat your Cheetos.?He nods to the bag on the small table beside me.
He reaches over and picks them up before opening the bag and eating one. He hands them to me and his fingers brush mine when I take them from him, sending sparks of electricity skittering over my skin.
揟hose things will turn your insides orange,?Erin snipes as she pierces an olive with a cocktail stick before sucking it into her mouth.
揗aybe,?I shrug, 揵ut they taste pretty good.?
揌mm,?she sniffs as she looks at me.
If only to try and make this entire journey more bearable, I try to make conversation with her. 揑抳e never tried olives,?I say as I toss a Cheeto into my mouth and chew, swallowing it before I add, 搒ome guy I once worked with told me they taste like pussy.?
Shane was in the unfortunate position of having just taken a mouthful of his whiskey and the sound that he makes as he almost chokes on his drink, while simultaneously laughing and coughing, makes me giggle.
I look over at Erin, who simply rolls her eyes in disgust as Shane tries to stop whiskey from running out of his nose. It is a beautiful sight to see the usually cool, calm and collected alpha I have come to love, so completely undone, and I don抰 think he has ever looked sexier.
When he finally regains his ability to breathe normally he looks at me. 揊uck, Jessie,?he says as he shakes his head.
揥ell, do they??I ask with an arch of one eyebrow.
揘ot like any pussy I抳e ever tasted,?he replies as he starts laughing again.
揥ell, you would know,?Erin says, almost inaudibly. 揧ou抳e tasted every pussy on this plane.?
Shane stops laughing and scowls at her as I blink at him. There are three women on this plane. I think of the beautiful, tall, blonde stewardess who just served us. Damn! He really does have a type.
揈rin!?he snarls.
I blink at him in confusion. 揧ou and Wendy??
He takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to answer but Erin speaks first. 揙h, yes. You and she had quite the trip to Italy, didn抰 you??she says over the rim of her martini glass.
揑taly??
揑t was an extended layover.?
揂n extended lay,?Erin snorts.
揈nough!?Shane barks to her.
I sit back in my seat feeling wounded. I know that Shane has slept with plenty of women before me. It shouldn抰 be a big deal. But the fact that, once again, Erin has been allowed to blindside me, stings. Not to mention he took her to Italy! Like one of the most romantic places in the world.
He leans forward and places a hand on my knee. 揑 didn抰 realize she抎 be on this flight, or I would have told you before,?he says quietly.
I turn my head to look out of the window and hear him sigh as he leans back in his seat.
Only a few minutes have passed when he stands up. He holds his hand out to me so it is practically in my face and I can抰 ignore him.
I want to, but then I see Erin watching us from the corner of my eye. I know where Shane wants to take me. There is a bedroom on this plane and isn抰 that how we always work out our differences? A part of me would like to tell him to take one of his other conquests in there instead, but if only to wipe the smug grin of that woman抯 face, I take his hand and follow him to the back of the plane.
I step inside the room and he closes the door behind us. He reaches for my hand but I back away from him.
He frowns at me. 揑 didn抰 know she was going to be on this flight. I haven抰 seen her for years.?
揧ou should have told me once you knew that she was,?I say as I fold my arms across my chest.
揜eally? How would that have gone? Jessie, meet Wendy. We used to fuck back in the day.?
揧ou don抰 have to be sarcastic,?I snap.