“He’s already looked at us. He has no idea who you are. If you act like you’re afraid, you’ll draw attention. Now walk.”
She moved, but reluctantly. Her body trembled as he held her close against his side.
He bent his head to her ear. “I told you I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you. Trust me.”
She relaxed marginally as he led her past the man and then to a seat a couple of rows over where they could see any moves this guy might make.
Chase tugged her down and tucked her against him. She still clutched the magazines and her chest rose and fell a little too quickly. He reached over, took the bag, and set it down on the seat beside him. Then he tipped her chin up so she could look at him—and instead of telling her to calm down, he let his gaze slide to her mouth.
Those red, plump, cherry lips that had tempted him earlier. That he hadn’t stopped thinking about since he’d kissed her at the rest stop. Every thought he’d had about keeping his hands off her evaporated.
He wanted her. Wanted to strip her slowly, discover all her delicious secrets, and eat her up from head to toe. It didn’t matter that he shouldn’t do it, that she was his stepsister, that any involvement with her could bring his father back into his life. And what about his mother? Would she be hurt if he got involved with Tyler’s stepdaughter? She’d never said a negative word about either Justine or Sophie, but then she’d never been forced to endure their presence in her life either.
Guilt ripped through him even as desire followed hard on its heels. Chase glanced up at the people in the surrounding gate area and then did what he wanted so badly to do.
The instant his lips met Sophie’s, she moaned. It was a small sound, but it pounded through him like a summer squall on the Chesapeake. Her mouth slipped open and he thrust his tongue inside, stroking hers. She stroked back, and his cock took notice.
He knew he was getting that damned lipstick all over him again, but he didn’t much care. It wiped off. The cherry flavor of her lip gloss was sweet as he moved his mouth against hers.
Her hands came up and slid around his neck. He tugged her in closer, almost on his lap, and bent her backward, kissing her with the kind of desperate passion he’d held in check earlier.
“Get a room,” a male voice said.
It was precisely what he needed to hear. He gentled the kiss and carefully extracted himself before things got any more out of control than they already were.
Sophie looked up at him with wide eyes. Her lips were wet, and her lipstick was smeared. He knew it was smeared on him too. For some reason, that made him grin.
Sophie grinned back. “You look like a clown.”
“And you look delicious.” She hadn’t dropped the British accent at all. It turned him on more than it should.
“I’d better get out the wipes again.”
“Yep.”
She didn’t bother looking at the man sitting with his back to them, but he knew she hadn’t forgotten he was there. She fished in her purse, handed him a wipe, and then took out a mirror and her lipstick.
“You’re gonna go through that tube mighty fast,” he grumbled. “And the wipes.”
“Not if you’d give me warning first, darling.”
“Hard to warn you when I don’t know I’m going to do it until I do.”
She finished slicking on the red lipstick and put everything back in her purse.
“Feeling better?” he asked as he finished wiping the stain off his mouth.
She glanced toward the man and then smiled. “A little bit, yes.”
“You’re pretty fucking sexy, Beth Chandler,” he said, and she dropped her gaze as if she were embarrassed.
He put a finger under her chin and tipped it up until she had to look him in the eye. “That’s the honest truth, baby. No lie.”
She swallowed. “Thank you. That’s very nice of you.”
He leaned toward her so only she could hear what he said. “I’m not being nice. It’s the truth—and if we were still in that house, I’d sink into you and not come up for hours.”
Her breath hitched and her skin flushed a pretty pink. “Then I wish we were still there.”
He leaned back against the chair and pulled her into the curve of his arm. He told himself it was because they were supposed to be on their honeymoon and they needed to look the part, but in truth he liked having her there.
She sighed and settled in, her hand drifting up to twine with his where it hung over her shoulder.
“Why do you think he’s here on this particular flight?” she whispered after a few minutes.
Chase didn’t take his eyes off the man. His back was still turned and he still seemed oblivious to their presence. Chase’s instincts told him there was no way the dude knew Sophie was here.