揂ster is her mom??I don抰 know if I should point out the name he mentioned, but I do.
For a second, he rakes me with that harsh blue-eyed lightning. I think I抦 about to get chewed out until his expression abruptly softens.
揥as her mother, yes,?he says numbly.
There抯 a new tension in my shoulders.
Does it mean anything that he called her by name? Or that he didn抰 say 搈y late wife.?
揑抦 sorry for your loss,?I whisper.
揟hanks. It was a long time ago.?
揧ou抮e a good dad, Lump,?I add, not daring to meet his eyes.
揂nd still a blackhearted lump of coal, apparently. What would I do without your constant reminder, Miss Angelo??
I roll my eyes. 揌ey, you get an exception with Destiny. With her, you抮e no lump of anything but love.?
He smiles at me so sincerely my heart flips over.
揃adger Lady, that抯 the nicest thing you抳e ever said to me. This trip is off to a damn good start already.?
揇on抰 get used to it,?I throw back, feeling my face heat.
揥ouldn抰 dream of it.?
Kate boards the plane last after a few other staff and settles into a recliner. From their chatter, she made a last-minute decision to join us on the trip. There are a couple other senior staff types I recognize by face but not by name.
From the looks of it, I抦 the only person aboard who isn抰 part of the c-team except for the flight crew. 揥ho do we have with us??
揗ost of my executive team, you, and Destiny,?he answers, staring at his phone.
Hmm.
Why did he pull me in over Gina with her seniority? What we抮e really doing jetting off to Hawaii has still been awfully vague, aside from the 'lucrative new opportunity' mentioned in his email the other evening.
Goosebumps form on my arm when he says 搚ou and Destiny.?
This is also new.
Referring to us梩o me梥o casually.
Eliza, stop. It抯 not personal.
He抯 not playing you like Derek梐nd even if he wanted to, he抯 still your freaking boss.
Cole Lancaster is not that stupid.
Every better instinct I have tries to choke the dreamy side of me trying to read way too much into mundane changes in his word choices.
But if I抦 being honest, his age, chiseled appearance, and dangerously overconfident attitude aren抰 my biggest problems.
My fingers were practically in his mouth.
Our mouths were inches apart when I tripped and crashed into his chest.
We lived the awkwardly funny setup of every bad romantic comedy and?
梐nd Commander Snarlypants wasn抰 even interested.
He ran off to go plan this trip like I was radioactive.
What do you even make of that?
No one likes rejection. But I抦 lucky that he isn抰 interested in me that way梤ight?
Otherwise, I抎 just get played again, and this time wind up jobless.
I inhale sharply梐nother thing I instantly regret.
His scent is flipping intoxicating today. Citrus and dark roast and raging testosterone.
He抯 sexier than ever without even trying to be.
This man抯 very presence is determined to complicate my life.
Something about his immaculately pressed grey suit against the spotless white leather of the jet feels tantalizing. It抯 like I抦 seeing him in his natural habitat, like a tiger relaxing under a tree between hunts.
I抦 sure I抦 about to regret asking this, but I have to know.
換uestion.?I wait for him to look up from his phone.
He抯 not annoyed. Good sign, I guess.
揥hy am I the only person along for the ride who isn抰 part of the executive team??
揑t抯 your coffee, Miss Angelo. Only you know if the beans are absolutely right, how much to use, and how to roast them,?he says, returning to his reading.
Oh. That makes sense.
My stomach drops with shame. I抦 not sure what I was expecting.
Would I have really liked it better if he抎 said, 揃ecause I couldn抰 handle a week without seeing you.?
You know the answer, idiot.
Sweet agony, your name is Eliza.
Four a.m. flights weren抰 meant to be shared with Big Daddy incarnate lounging across the table from you, his long legs splayed out casually, his fingers stroking his beard in a way that抯 almost obscene without even trying to be.
Even when he changes seats several times, he抯 always too close. Looming too large in my field of vision.
I抳e got to get this billionaire incubus out of my head.
Also, I need a cup of coffee.
I don抰 know how these things work on a private jet. People knock commercial airlines, but at least you know that half an hour after takeoff, you抣l get a mediocre cup of joe. Bad as it may be, it抯 still coffee.
揧ou抮e quiet today,?he says just as I抦 about to get up.
揑 wish you were.?