The Arrangement Anthology 2(37)
“I wish I had a brother or a sister, even if we didn’t get along. I envy you.” Sean makes a sound of disbelief. “No, I’m serious. Having crappy siblings is better than having none. You’re not alone. I am. Besides, Peter seems to have forgiven you. Jon will understand sooner or later.”
Sean doesn’t say anything, he just holds me tighter and stares out the window until the limo pulls up to a little jet parked on the tarmac. The lights glow softly from inside and the door is open with a staircase beckoning us to board. Sean takes my hand and leads me onto the plane. When I step inside, I don’t know what to do. There are eight huge leather seats that look as if they spin around. There’s a table, a bar, and a huge paper-thin television on the back wall. Everything looks pristine and has that new car, uh, new jet, smell.
“Sit wherever you like.” Sean gestures for me to continue into the back by myself. He disappears behind a curtain in front and speaks to the pilot before returning. By then I’m sitting in the last row and looking out the window.
“This is weird.” I’m on a plane—a really posh one—and without going through the airport or dealing with security. No one groped me as if my underwire could be used as a weapon. The TSA confiscated my cannoli once because it wasn’t sealed. I think the organization has a serious pastry problem. As soon as Sean is seated, we’re taxiing down the runway. No waiting.
He smiles at me, enjoying my amazed expression. “I’m going to spoil you to the point that you don’t think anything is unusual.”
“I don’t think that’s possible, but I don’t mind you trying.” A lazy smile lines my lips. It’s nearly sunrise and I’m exhausted.
“Sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.” Sean hands me a blanket and a pillow, and I snuggle up and before I can badger him about where we’re going, I doze off.
CHAPTER 15
The constant vibration of the plane has stopped and roused me. Okay, it’s more of Sean’s fingers poking my ribs. “Avery, wake up.”
I want to roll over and stay here. I must mutter something to that effect with an expletive on the end for emphasis, because Sean laughs and says, “You can’t stay here. Come on.” He scoops me up and I get a dopey grin on my face. He’s going to carry me like a bride over a threshold. Internally I sigh, because he’s the most awesome man alive, but it’s short lived. Sean drops my legs so I’m upright. They slam into the floor of the plane and jar me awake. I thought he was going to drop me.
“Hey!” I rip my shoulders from his grip and spin around in time to see a light smile lace his lips. Damn it. Why does he have to look so beautiful? I bite back the slew of nasty things I was going to say and resort to something less insulting. “Asshat.”
That makes him laugh, full dimples and all. Sean must be hysterically tired because that wasn’t all that funny. “I’ll wear your ass any way you’ll let me.”
My face flames red and I glance around, assuming that we aren’t alone, and we’re not. The pilot heard him, and whoever is standing in the open doorway of the plane. I punch his arm, which makes him laugh more. Note to self, stop calling Sean an ‘asshat.’ Apparently it makes him think about doing sexy things with my butt. Psh. What a child. The expression must cross my face, because Sean’s blue eyes go wide.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me?”
“No, Mr. Jones,” I answer sarcastically, “I’d never roll my eyes at you. Once I started, I’d just keep going and God knows they would have fallen out by now.”
Sean’s smile vanishes as he leans in close to my ear, “You’ll pay for that.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” We’re eye to eye, nose to nose, and a kiss apart. Sean is charged, like a huge magnetic field and it feels impossible to keep the tiny bit of space between us. As he breathes, the rise of his chest brushes against mine and shoots tingles through my body. A smug look crosses my face, and I tilt my head to the side and whisper in the most seductive voice I can manage, “Asshat.”
His eyes darken and this primal look comes over his face, before he presses those lids shut. I want to kiss both of them and hold him in my arms, but the look he has says things won’t be like that tonight—or today. I’ve lost track of time.
When his eyes open, there’s a jolt that travels through me when that wicked smile lines his face. Sean raises his fist to his mouth and bites it for half a second and then gives me a gaze that makes my heart pound fast and furious. “Let’s get your ass inside, Miss Smith, and I’ll see what I can do.”