“Don’t,” I warned.
“Who made you boss? I’m Sophia Sky, remember?”
I reached for the patience I didn’t feel. “FAA rules trump you being part owner of this airline.”
“Fine. I just want to talk to my boyfriend.”
I almost bit my tongue, shoving it against my teeth to keep me from saying my initial response. “If you tell me, I’ll pass him a message for you.”
She stared at me several seconds before speaking. “Tell him I have a car for us to ride to the hotel when we arrive.”
“I will.”
She glared at me a moment longer as if in warning before walking away. Though it made me ill to think of my sister with the guy I thought there might have been a connection with, I would pass on her message. His reaction would be telling for sure.
I finished making coffee and poured two cups of hot water for tea before I took the tray and knocked on the cockpit door.
Grant opened it and I quickly glanced toward Carter. “Coffee or tea?” I asked.
Carter lifted a hand and Grant turned so I could step in. The area was too small for me not to brush against him, which I tried to ignore.
I’d equipped the tray with all the fixings like tea bags, sugar, and shot glasses of milk.
“Thanks, Jo,” Carter said.
I had to turn carefully, as I didn’t want to spill anything on Carter or the flight instruments. Grant was still standing there.
“Would you like a cup?”
Our eyes held, but I couldn’t read him. His expression was blank as he continued to stare at me. When he moved, I shivered, but still I managed to keep the tray steady as he took a cup of coffee.
His eyes never left mine, leaving burning questions in my soul. I couldn’t reconcile that gaze with a man burdened with a girlfriend.
When his next word left his mouth, it was like a lightning bolt.
“Thanks.”
The shock sent me moving because I was rattled to my core. There was an undeniable intenseness between us. Was it attraction or hate?
He’d almost closed the door between us when I remembered the message I was supposed to give him.
“Your girlfriend wanted me to tell you that she’s arranged transportation for the two of you to the hotel once we arrive in Dubai.”
The door was mere inches from being closed and his face was nearly hidden. But I caught the narrowing of his eyes before I turned away.
“What was that about?” Jack asked. “I felt the heat between you all the way over here.”
My nemesis arrived as if she’d been watching from her seat, waiting to pounce.
“Did you tell him?” she asked. I nodded. “What did he say?”
“Nothing,” I said and moved toward the first-class cabin to begin taking meal orders.
When I delivered dinner to Carter and Grant, Carter had been the one to answer the door. I tried not to be disappointed. It was as if Carter was onto me. He’d given me their orders and he stood blocking my view of the other man.
If I wasn’t one hundred percent sure Carter wasn’t interested, I might have been mistakenly confused by his protective actions.
His statement when I returned to clear out their dishes was baffling.
“You’re a great girl, Jo. One guy will be the luckiest guy on the planet to get you, but he won’t deserve you.”
I stood there blinking and trying not to cry. I was so stunned, I couldn’t utter a proper thank you before once again I was left on the other side of the door.
There was no way to completely avoid Grant. There were drinks, snacks, and breakfast that I had to serve, and Carter couldn’t intercept all our meetings. However, he’d managed to cool them.
It was as if I’d become radioactive to Grant. His eyes no longer lingered on me, and it was probably just as well.
By the time we landed, I was worn out from being on my feet, trying not to throttle my spoiled sister, avoiding wandering hands from the handsome passenger, and by the sheer mystery of Carter’s first officer, the one and only Grant.
We stood in line, wishing the disembarking passengers thanks for flying Skyland Airlines. Grant was way too close and I refused to look up at him.
Sophia came and stopped the foot traffic to put her hand on Grant’s arm.
“See you later,” she said, her big blue eyes holding his long enough for everyone to notice.
I was so focused on her, I didn’t notice Mr. Wandering Hands. As tall and handsome as he was, he was no match for Grant, who moved so quickly I couldn’t counter it. Grant shifted in front of me as the man approached.
“Thanks for flying Skyland Airlines.” The words may have been pleasant, but Grant’s tone was not.
The passenger’s glance flickered my way a second before he stepped off the plane.
I wanted to tell Grant I could handle myself, but now was not the time. I was just happy when it was all over. I grabbed my things and headed for customs amid the other flight attendants with Carter and Grant somewhere behind us.
The one thing good about the job was that our transportation and hotel stays were arranged by someone else. All I had to do was settle in the van and close my eyes for the ride to the hotel. It was hot, so the cool air that blew through the van was welcomed. I might have fallen asleep except I was all too aware when a warm body pressed next to mine in the seat.
My heart galloped like his touch was the starting gun at the derby.
Why was he here? He was supposed to be riding with Sophia, at least according to the message she had me give him.
Unable to completely ignore him, I fiddled with my phone, activating my international calling plan so I could access the internet.
From there, I checked into the hotel with my app so I could use the smart key feature, avoiding the lines at the front desk. When I was done, I was adjusted to the cramped quarters next to Grant. He was sandwiched between Carter and me and had no choice but to be so close.
I stared out the window, ignoring the conversations around me. Introspection was key and I decided Carter’s words weren’t encouragement but advice. I could continue to be second-best, or I could decide I deserved better in all aspects of my life. And I did decide it was high time for me to put myself first, starting now.
When the van came to a stop, I ignored Grant’s hand to help me out. Though it was a nice gesture, touching him was a weakness I couldn’t indulge.
“Thanks,” I said in passing to soften the blow of my rebuke.
Then I walked briskly to the elevator, looking forward to taking off the confining uniform and watching a movie and falling asleep.
What I didn’t expect was a hand to stop the elevator doors from closing and Grant to step through when they opened again.
Tongue in cheek, I braced myself for him to say something, anything. Yet, he said nothing. Though I felt his burning gaze on me, I continued to look forward.
It wasn’t until the door opened on my floor, did he say, “We need to talk.”
That was when I noticed he hadn’t chosen a floor. It wasn’t inconceivable that his room was on the same floor, but the odds were against it. This hotel was one of the tallest buildings in the city.
“There’s nothing to say.” I exited with that remark, but I was dismayed when he appeared to follow me.
“There are some things we need to clear up.”
“Why? You don’t even like me. I heard your comment to your dad about me.”
He froze. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
I held my phone to the door and the lock disengaged. I spun around in the process of opening the door.
“I think I’m perfectly clear on your exact phasing— You think I’m interested in her? You don’t have to worry about that.”
It surprised me that I remembered it as if he’d said it ten minutes ago.
“You don’t understand,” he said, but I wasn’t hearing it.
“What I understand is that you have a girlfriend you really
should be with. Sophia isn’t one to take kindly to being ignored. I’m surprised you didn’t ride with her to the hotel.”
With that, I took my leave, stomping through the short hall that opened to the main room and tossing my uniform jacket onto the bed. I yanked at the scarf around my neck so I could undo the top button of my shirt. I needed to breathe.
“First, she’s not my girlfriend and she doesn’t rule my movements.”
Too late I realized I should have slammed the door in his face. I turned to face him, feeling like I would blow my stack at any minute.
“Funny, I couldn’t tell for the great impression of cling wrap she did.”
“More like static cling,” he muttered, or so I thought.
“Whatever you want to call it.”
“Jealous?”
I wanted to slap the smirk off his face.
“Of what? That you’re like every other man out there?” I said.
His chuckle was chock-full of everything not resembling humor. “I could say the same, Highness. Here I thought you belonged to the man that paid for your charter to New York. But what I saw with that passenger, you’ll take the highest bidder.”
My jaw didn’t just drop, I marched forward and did what I’d wanted to do. I slapped him, and hard.
“I can’t be bought, asshole,” I said.
He caught my hand before I could pull it back. He tugged and I was thrust against him.
“Good, that’s all I needed to hear.”
His mouth crashed down on mine and I was powerless not to melt, taken off guard as I had been.
My senses came back online when we heard a knock at the door.
Eighteen
Grant
Way too soon, she slipped out of my arms and I was left cold yet burning with rage for whoever had interrupted us.
I was on the verge of telling her to ignore it, but she was already swinging the door open.
When I saw who it was, I wondered if the girl had a tracker on me.
“Sophia,” Jolene said.
The woman in question didn’t notice me until she pushed her way past Jolene.
“Grant,” Sophia said, looking at me before turning to glare at Jolene who moved to stand next to me. “What are you doing here?”
There was no mistaking the sneer as her rage-filled stare landed back on me.
Jolene crossed her arms. “The real question is, what do you want?”
Damn, I shouldn’t find Jolene’s stubborn and snarky remarks sexy as hell, but I did.
“I wanted to talk to my sister,” Sophia said, blowing my fucking mind.
Sister?
“Sister,” Jolene echoed as if she stole the word from my head. “Convenient really for you to acknowledge our blood relation for the first time ever.”
Sophia mimicked Jo and crossed her arms over her chest. “And I shouldn’t. Because you, Jo,” she sneered, “can’t let me have anything. First, you steal Nana and now you’re taking my boyfriend.”
My teeth ground together as I spoke. “We’re not together.”
“Shut up,” they both said before their eyes locked like nukes pointed at each other.
“First, I didn’t steal Gran,” Jolene defended. “You were invited to every vacation I went on.”
“Yeah, like Mom really wanted me to travel with Dad’s fuck child.”
Jolene’s hands balled into fists and I prepared to step between them.
“Your parents were separated when Dad and my mom got together.”
“More like hooked up. Like mother, like daughter. You’ve stolen my boyfriend.”
My protest against Sophia’s use of the word boyfriend landed on deaf ears.
Jolene stepped forward. “I haven’t stolen anyone.”
“Really, because your lipstick is on his face.”
Sophia pointed to me and my hand went to my mouth as I turned to get a view of myself in the decorative mirror hanging on the wall. Sure enough, lipstick was smeared on my mouth.
There was a shift in the air and Sophia felt it. She moved toward the door, or so I thought. She stopped near the in-house phone.
“It’s time you reap the consequences of your actions. You should know better, Jolene, than to have an unmarried man in your room.”
She picked up the phone as Jolene and I moved to stop her.
“Don’t,” he and I said at the same time.
We were too late as she spoke into the phone. “There is something inappropriate happening in this room.”
I’d lunged for the phone and depressed the hook switch a second too late, ending the call.
“You’re wrong,” I said, even though it was far too late.
“Wrong about what? That you like screwing sisters.”
“He didn’t know,” Jolene said. “When have you told anyone that you had a sister?”
“Half,” Sophia spat. “Not that it matters. He shouldn’t be here. You’re not married.”
Technically, it was illegal for unmarried couples to share a hotel room in Dubai, something we’d been taught in the online training I’d been mandated to take upon my acceptance of the job. I hadn’t thought about it when I followed Jolene to her room.
I didn’t think. I acted. “But we are.”
Sophia’s anger dissolved into hysterical giggles. “Good one. But you’ll say anything to save her, won’t you?”
She was right about that. Broken rules like this one were harder on women if what I’d been warned about was true. I couldn’t let either of us be arrested.
“We are,” Jolene said, coming beside me and wrapping an arm around my waist.
Sophia wasn’t convinced. “Prove it.”
We were fucked until I watched Jolene pull out a necklace from beneath her shirt.
Nineteen
Jolene
There was zero recognition in Sophia’s eyes. Gran had been right. She didn’t know these rings weren’t ours.
“We were keeping it a secret,” I said, fumbling with the clasp because I wasn’t a great liar and I couldn’t look her in the eye as I spoke.
“It happened fast,” Grant said, taking the necklace from me and smoothly opening it and pouring the rings into my palm.
“It wasn’t planned,” I said, picking Grandpa’s ring and praying it would fit Grant’s finger.
He held out his hand and our eyes locked. For a crazy second, it felt I was trapped in a time bubble and maybe this marriage thing was real as I slipped the ring onto his finger.
I opened my hand as Sophia said, “Yeah, right. Where did this happen?”
“Vegas,” Grant and I said at the same time.
“There may have been a lot of drinks involved,” Grant continued and slipped the two rings onto my finger.
“We’re taking it one day at a time,” I said, though my meaning might have been different.
Someone banged on the door and I turned and finally looked at Sophia with a raised eyebrow.
I had to admit, she looked convinced and maybe a little sick as she opened the door.
Two security guards came in wanting to know what was going on. Sophia half-heartedly explained what she thought. Luckily, Grant seemed well at ease explaining our fictious marriage.
“You see,” he said, holding up my hand where Gran’s wedding set lay nestled on my finger while showing his.
“Where’s the marriage certificate?” Sophia asked in a last-ditch effort to not sound like a crazy woman.
Many suggested that if you were married and traveling to Dubai, you should have that certificate with you.
“Who walks around with that?” I asked, bluffing as best I could to sound sure of myself because it wasn’t exactly a lie.
Both officers turned to look at Sophia. “This is not funny. We don’t take kindly to crank calls,” one of the officers said to Sophia.
I breathed a sigh of relief. They could have demanded we produce it.
Sophia paled even further. “Sorry about this,” he said to us. “Tim
e to go.” He waved her out of the room and I almost felt bad for her. But she’d brought it on herself.
When the door closed, I let out an audible sigh.
“That was close,” he muttered.
“Yes, it was,” I agreed.
Then our eyes met. “So, you’re Mr. Sky’s daughter?”
“Yep,” I said, letting the P pop off my lips. “And you’re not Sophia’s boyfriend.”
“Nope,” he said, popping the P like I had.
For a split second, he didn’t move until he did. Good thing my reflexes were in working order. I stopped him with a palm to his chest.
“Not happening.”
“But we’re married,” he said, giving me a freaking wink.
It might have been cute if I wasn’t pissed.
“No, we aren’t, and it’s time for you to go.”
He straightened. “I can’t.”
I almost believed him, and then I gave in and laughed.
“No, really. Leave.”
When his serious expression didn’t change, I stopped.
“I didn’t check in yet. If I go downstairs and get caught checking into another room by those two security guys, they’ll know we were lying. Then what?”
I slid my hands up my cheeks to cover my eyes because he was right.
“You can check in with the app,” I suggested.
“What app?”
“Have you ever flown here?” I asked.
“This is my first flight with Skyland or any airline other than Dad’s charter service.”
I groaned and glanced at the king-sized bed before saying, “Fine. You can sleep on the floor.”
“So that’s how it is, Highness?” We were back to that. Then he shrugged. “It’s not like we won’t end up in bed together.”
I could have taken that another way, but I flashed back to our last two nights together. We had ended up in the same bed. And he hadn’t taken advantage. Blowing out a breath, I gave in. “You can sleep in the bed, just stay on your side.”
His grin was blinding as he strolled over to said bed and lay down, tucking his hands behind his head. He was pure sex and he knew it.
Arrogant Savior: A Hero Club Novel Page 9
