Blood Song: Refrain (Blood Song Series Book 2)

by Charli B. Rose

  “Celesta, this is my main pilot, Captain Jake Thomas. Jake, this is my girlfriend, Celesta.”

  “Nice to meet you. Mr. Adams, we’re right on schedule to leave in fifteen minutes. All pre-flight checks have been completed, and she’s ready to fly. There’s a minor storm we may have to fly through, but it shouldn’t delay us too much.”

  My heart rate stuttered, then stalled at the mention of a storm.

  “Thanks, Jake.”

  “Your bags have been placed in the bedroom,” Jake called over his shoulder. “I’ll see you on board.”

  “We’ll be right there.”

  Toven drew me closer to his side as we strolled toward the waiting jet. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and asked, “Are you OK?”

  Chuckling, I replied, “I keep forgetting how you can hear every subtle change in my heart rate.”

  “Yeah, so are you OK?”

  “I just don’t fly very well. I’ve only flown a couple of times, and both times were through storms. So, flying makes me nervous,” I admitted around the lump in my throat.

  “You should’ve said something. We could’ve left days ago and driven to LA instead.”

  “I’ll be fine. You just might need to distract me,” I said flirtatiously.

  Dipping his head into my line of sight, he planted his lips on mine. “I’d be happy to oblige you with a distraction.”

  “I may hold you to it.”

  I climbed the steps and into luxury I never realized existed between the wings of a plane. Inside, the plane was cool and dimly lit. Plush-looking, beige, leather seats were scattered about the main cabin. A pair sat with a table between them, while another set of two was on the left side of the plane. A couch lined the right-hand cabin wall. I trailed my fingers over the smooth fabric. The softness of the leather surprised me. Gleaming wooden accents added an understated elegance to the atmosphere. A large, flat screen TV was positioned on the back wall. I was overwhelmed by it all.

  “Wow. Toven, it’s beautiful in here. I had no idea planes could look like this inside.” I spun around, taking it all in.

  “You haven’t seen my favorite part yet.” He stepped around me, into the aisle. With my hand in his, he pulled me behind him to a closed door recessed into the wall next to the TV. Toven opened the door and stepped through.

  I understood immediately why this was his favorite part. The door had concealed a bedroom. And not just a bedroom, but a music room. A sanctuary.

  The queen-sized bed took up a large portion of the space. It looked like a cloud encapsulated in a plane, swathed in dark gray covers that were swirled with musical staffs and notes. Our suitcases laid on the end of the bed. To the right of the bed was an open doorway, through which I caught a glimpse of a glass cylinder that ran floor to ceiling of the plane. The same swirling pattern from the bedspread adorned the glass door of the shower. A marble-topped counter and polished fixtures completed the look of the plane’s bathroom.

  My gaze traveled to the left side of the bed. A keyboard was set into a recessed cabinet, and a guitar was anchored to the wall above it. Next to the instruments was a built-in bookcase with a few leather-bound books like those which filled the shelves at Toven’s home. The last piece of furniture in the room was a desk with cords tucked into the corner for hooking up a computer.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  “I think I can see why this is your favorite part of the plane.”

  “I often have to travel for work, and I never know when musical inspiration is going to strike me. So, as soon as I had enough money, I bought this plane and had it outfitted with a musical retreat. Usually whenever I fly, I lock myself away in here to see what flies from my mind.” He rocked back and forth on his heels, moving to the rhythm of a song in his mind.

  “How can you work while you fly?”

  His eyes took on a faraway look. “When a song starts simmering in my mind, it consumes me to the point where I lose track of everything around me, even if I’m surrounded by only clouds.”

  ♪ When I Look to the Sky by Train

  “How is it safe to sit at the piano or desk or even lie in bed while flying? There are no seatbelts on the bed or piano bench.” I couldn’t imagine being thousands of feet in the air and not tethered to a seat.

  “Everyone has to be properly fastened in until the plane reaches cruising altitude just like a commercial plane. And if we encounter bad weather, I have to return to a regular seat. One of my attendants makes sure to let me know when I need to go back to my seat.”

  A light tap on the door halted any further questions I had.

  “Yes?” Toven called out.

  The door opened, and a pretty, dark-haired girl poked her head in. She was heavily made-up and wore her black skirt a little too tight and short to be comfortable working service on a plane. Her heels were high and thin, making my feet hurt just looking at them. Her button-up shirt had one too many buttons undone to be considered professional attire.

  “Toven, it’s good to see you again. Just wanted to let you know the pilot is preparing for takeoff. You need to get to your seats and fasten in.”

  “Thank you. We’ll be right there,” he said dismissively.

  The flight attendant turned and sashayed away.

  “Who was she?”

  His shoulders lifted. “I don’t know her name. My company contracts with an agency for co-pilots and flight attendants. We use whoever is available for flying at the time I need them. There are so many attendants employed by the charter service that I can’t keep track. Why do you ask?”

  “I thought she must be one of your regular employees because she called you by your first name.” Irrationally, jealousy had reared its ugly head at her assumed familiarity with Toven. I was slightly appeased by his indifference to her and knowing that every time he boarded his plane, he wasn’t serviced in any manner by this woman.

  Oh God, what if some of them have seen him bring other girls on the plane? Do they think I’m just some opportunistic slut, looking to latch on to a rich, handsome man?

  “No. I don’t have any regular in-flight staff except for my main pilot. I do employ a regular mechanic and staff at the hangar. But otherwise, I just use whoever they send.”

  Something unchecked must have crossed my face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I stared at the pattern on the bedspread. “It’s nothing.”

  He tilted my chin up, so I had to look into his eyes. “It’s not nothing. I can see it on your face.”

  “I’m just worried what those who’ve worked for you before will think of me,” I admitted softly, wringing my fingers behind my back.

  Confusion covered his face. For all his years, sometimes he was really naïve in the ways of the world. “What do you mean?”

  “Are they going to think I’m just a cunning tramp looking to take advantage of you? Or are they going to see me as just another girl in a long line of girls who’ve followed you onto this plane?”

  “What?” his voice was dubious as he stroked my cheek. “If anyone dared to think something negative of you, that person would be looking for a new job. As for a long line of girls onto this plane, there have never been any girls on this plane—I’ve always flown alone. So, there may be some murmurings about you being here, but it’ll be because they’re curious about what exceptional woman has made me stray from my normal solitary existence. So, quit worrying. You let me worry what people say. OK?”

  I nodded my head in acquiescence.

  His thumb traced my downturned mouth. “Now, put a smile on those lips of yours.”

  I couldn’t resist smiling back at his beautiful face just before he touched his lips to mine.

  “Let’s go sit so we can fly into the sun.”

  As we came out of the bedroom, I noticed Ms. Busty was waiting by the pair of seats. She held out her arm, indicating we should sit there.

  “I think we’ll sit on the couch for takeoff. We may move once we rea
ch cruising altitude, but for now we’ll sit over there,” Toven said.

  We stepped by her, and Toven nudged me toward the couch with his hand on the small of my back.

  I settled into one of the spots on the couch, and Toven sat next to me. Ms. Busty leaned over, promptly displaying her cleavage directly in front of Toven’s eyes. Surprisingly, he immediately averted his gaze and reached around me to fasten my seatbelt. Once I was snuggly fastened in, she tried to assist him with his seatbelt.

  His words stopped her. “I’ve got it, Miss.”

  Once he was fastened in, he rested an arm behind me and used his other hand to trace patterns on the sensitive skin of my wrist. His touch sent my head spinning and my pulse thundering. For a brief moment, my world narrowed to just the small space in the world inhabited by the two of us. I forgot my nerves, my ire. Forgot we were on a plane, waiting for takeoff. Forgot I was about to face one of my biggest fears. The bubble we existed in shattered when a throat cleared in front of us. Toven and I both glanced up to the waiting attendant.

  She reached out a hand and rested it on Toven’s shoulder. “My name’s Sarah. I’ve worked your flights a few times before, don’t you remember?” A flirtatious smile curved her full, red lips, and a finger twirled a lock of hair.

  Damn. I didn’t want to think of her as Sarah. I preferred Ms. Busty in my mind. I wanted to break her hand which still rested on Toven’s shoulder and wipe that suggestive smile from her face. I was his girlfriend. The thought of him enjoying the attentions of another woman, any other woman, was making me totally irrational.

  A light chuckle fluttered the hair by my ear. Toven’s rich voice interrupted my petulant musings, “Sorry, I don’t. I fly so often and the staff changes so frequently that I don’t keep track of everyone.”

  “No problem. Perhaps my service on this flight will be enough to help you remember me next time,” she purred in a provocative tone.

  I understood her interest and desperation to get Toven to notice her. He was such a unique find. He was thoughtful and creative. Handsome and talented. Sexy and knowledgeable in how to please a woman. My mental listing of all his good qualities stopped as I heard him answer her.

  “Actually, I’m pretty sure Celesta and I won’t need anything during the flight. We’ll only be flying for a couple of hours.” Toven turned to me to confirm. “Celesta, is there anything you want—beverage or snack—before Ms. Sarah retires to the staff quarters?”

  The look Sarah shot me would’ve frozen the blood in my veins had it not been on fire at Toven’s proximity and his hands still tracing patterns on my skin.

  “Um, some water and a snack maybe?” I said to him.

  “What snack options are on board today?” he asked her.

  “Today we have assorted cookies from the local bakery—a cheese and cracker platter, some fresh fruit. And direct from the source O-positive.” She trailed her fingers along the slender column of her neck as she mentioned the last option.

  “We’ll take some of everything—” Her face lit up at Toven’s words, until he continued, “—except for blood. I’m oh-so-positive that no blood will be necessary on this flight. Celesta and I will share the snacks you bring. You can deliver them once we get in the air.”

  “Very well. Would you like a pillow or a blanket?”

  “Sure. I don’t know that we’ll need them, but it won’t hurt to have them handy just in case.”

  Without another word, Sarah flounced away.

  “She wants you,” I stated matter-of-factly, shaking my head in annoyance. “That seems to be the perpetual state of women around you.” I knew I sounded a tad pouty, but I didn’t know how to tamp down my jealousy.

  “Well, it’s too damn bad for her because she isn’t even a blip on my radar. It’s cute that you’re jealous though.” He tweaked my nose with a grin.

  “I don’t think it’s cute. I hate it.” Crossing my arms, I looked around the plane while he chuckled at my mini tantrum.

  The pilot’s voice came on over the intercom, “Preparing for takeoff.”

  As the plane began rolling forward, I took note of how small the cabin suddenly felt. It seemed like I could reach out and touch the other side of the plane.

  Small planes crashed all the time.

  The plane’s engines screamed as the small craft barreled down the runway. My stomach lurched as we left the ground. I drew in a few short, shallow breaths as my eyes watched the trees fall away in the moving picture window in front of me.

  I wasn’t ready to die.

  The landing gear thumped up into the underside of the plane. My breath stalled in my chest, and my heart stuttered. I couldn’t draw in enough air.

  “Celesta?” Toven’s voice was fuzzy in my ear like he was speaking to me from underwater. Words wouldn’t come out of my mouth to answer him.

  “Celesta, what’s wrong?” He gripped me by the shoulders and turned my body, so his face was mere inches from mine. My vision swam, and stars pricked the edges. A distant ding sounded in my ears. I felt something grappling with the constriction I felt around my waist. The tightening confinement added a new layer of panic to my rapidly rising levels.

  A growl and a curse filled my ears. Long moments passed. Finally, the compression around my waist disappeared. I wanted to sigh in relief, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. It was like I was outside myself. My mind vaguely registered the fact that I was being maneuvered from the soft leather beneath me. The blur of sky and clouds vanished from my sight as I was lifted and planted on something firm facing the other direction. I couldn’t comprehend the indistinct form in front of my face. I closed my eyes.

  This was the end. I was dying.

  “Celesta, look at me. Breathe with me, baby.” He placed my hand on his chest over his heart.

  His fingers were warm on my cold flesh. Somewhere in the back of my mind the oddness of that observation registered. A rhythmic thudding pulsed beneath my palm. A softness pressed to my lips.

  My name was whispered urgently again, this time it penetrated through the fog a bit more. Strong fingers cradled my face. More wet pressure against my mouth. A breeze tickled my lips causing me to part them slightly. I sucked in a deep, gasping breath.

  “That’s it, baby. Come on now. Breathe some more,” Toven urged.

  Miraculously, his command worked. My lungs obeyed him when they’d totally ignored me. Before I could utter a single word, Toven’s mouth crashed into mine. His tongue didn’t gently seek entrance; it demanded it. My fingers fisted in his shirt, still feeling the thundering beat of his heart. His fingers laced through my hair, binding me to him. The world fell away as he kissed me. When we finally broke apart, I panted for breath. His cool thumbs caressed my jaw, and he leaned his forehead against mine.

  “You scared me. What happened?” his words feathered across my skin.

  I licked my lips and took in a shaky breath before trying to answer him. “This is why I don’t fly very often. Panic attacks. I’m sorry, but I’m not normally this much of a basket case.”

  His fingers stroked my cheek soothingly. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

  My mouth was dry. When I worked up enough saliva, I answered, “I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I’d be so scared this time since the flight is short, and the plane isn’t so heavy. But when the pilot said there’d be weather on the way . . . well, it got my nerves skittering. The other times I flew there were storms.”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He pressed his forehead against mine.

  A clearing throat interrupted him.

  “You should really be in your seat,” Sarah admonished from just behind me.

  “Celesta wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t take her out of her seatbelt until the sign dinged off. She’s perfectly safe.” Toven’s tone was stern.

  “Are you feeling OK now?” she asked me in a voice filled with fake concern.

  I gave her a tiny smile. “Yes, thank you.”

  She set a blan
ket and pillow down on the seat next to us. “I’ll be right back with your snacks if you want to move to the table.”

  “Thank you. We’ll move over there shortly,” Toven assured her. “Can you ask Captain Jake to let the co-pilot take over for a moment and come speak with me as soon as he gets a chance?”

  “Certainly,” she replied brusquely and walked away.

  “Your color is starting to look a little better. Are you sure you’re fine now?” He surveyed every nuance of my expression, looking for more anxiety waiting to send me spiraling into panic again.

  “Yes, I just started thinking about how small this plane is and how if it crashed, the survivability would be much lower. And . . . well, you saw what happened when I let my mind go there.” My skin heated with the embarrassing admission.

  “I swear on my life, I’ll always do whatever I can to keep you safe. No harm will come to you.”

  “Toven, you can’t protect me from something like a plane crash or some other act of God.” I laughed at the absurdness of his vow.

  “I think God owes me one, and I’ll cash it in for you every day of my life.”

  Before I could ask him what God owed him for, Captain Jake strode over to us. “You needed to see me?”

  “Yes. I know we were going to take a direct route to LAX, but you mentioned there was a storm we might have to go through. Do we have enough fuel to divert around the storm?”

  “Of course. If arrival time isn’t pressing, then we should be able to fly around the storm without much issue. The storm is small, so we won’t have to go too far off course to avoid it altogether if you want me to.”

  “Yes, Jake. Please go around the storm as long as it’s safe to do so. Celesta hasn’t flown very much, and the couple of times she did were in stormy weather. So, she’s a tad nervous. I’d like for her to see what a joy flying can be.” His hand stroked up and down my spine as he conversed with the pilot.