“Take care, my lovely!” she shouted from the doorway. I gave her one last wave, smiling.
Lucy and Olivia had made themselves at home in the back of the limo. Olivia was deftly opening a bottle of expensive champagne she’d somehow procured as if by magic, and Lucy was sitting with her legs stretched out on the long leather couch that nearly took up a whole side.
Lucy raised her eyebrows at me, nodding her head towards Cruz sitting in the front seat. “Aren’t you gonna talk to him? Or are you struck dumb by his big muscles and gravelly voice?”
I started to protest, but as if on cue, the tinted privacy glass slowly lowered. There was an awkward moment as we waited for it to fully descend. I saw Cruz sitting in the driver’s seat, his huge frame filling his half of the car. He was wearing some black tinted aviator sunglasses, which made him look even more badass.
He had started the engine and was either looking straight forward or at us through the rearview mirror. “You gals all set?”
“Yes!” I replied excitedly. “Just let me grab a seat.” I had to bend over to get to my seat, my shapely ass a few inches away from the lowered privacy glass. I didn’t get a chance to see if there was any reaction from Cruz, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Olivia wolf-whistled at me. “He’s supposed to be driving, not staring at your pretty butt!”
I ignored her and gratefully took a glass of champagne, draining half of it in one satisfied gulp.
“This is it then! Let’s get going!” I said, turning back to Cruz. I put on my sweetest voice. “Oh, I mean to say, please may we be on our way to the airport, sir?”
We all burst out laughing.
Cruz
I set off for the airport, only momentarily distracted by the sight of Alexandra’s shapely and pert butt mere inches from my face, her tight jeans all too revealing. But as we set off, my mind was on other more important matters, like getting to the airport safely and wondering if we were being tailed.
I kept an eye on the traffic behind us. The trick was to see if there were any cars that joined the journey soon after departure, and if they kept a discreet but consistent distance from us.
The last trick was to take a slight detour, changing tack suddenly, if possible, and keeping an eye on what the cars did behind you. If they were really good, they would appear and disappear with two or three cars doing the tailing to reduce suspicion.
I couldn’t see any sign of a tail though. Having said that, the car I was driving wasn’t exactly inconspicuous and would be easy to tail without giving much away.
Thing is, if they were that good, they wouldn't need to follow us. They would know we were going to the airport, and now would not be their perfect opportunity to strike. If they knew where we were headed, they most likely knew our destination.
I relaxed somewhat, with the odds of no immediate danger stacked hugely in my favor.
I’d had the privacy glass down for a while, mainly so I could catch glimpses of Alexandra through the rearview mirror, my dark sunglasses hiding my wandering gaze. She was smiling and joking with her friends, in her element.
God, she was so damned beautiful.
Part of me hoped that she felt the same way. I’d seen her look at me a few times in the house, but I couldn’t tell if she was just in awe of my strength or slightly scared of me. Or if she was actually attracted to me.
The girls’ chatter increased in volume over the next few minutes, and I then saw a second gold bottle of champagne being procured from the fridge near Olivia. I decided to wind up the privacy glass for the remainder of the journey.
Without the distraction, I turned my attention back to the traffic around me. My eyes flicked to the wing mirrors every few seconds out of habit, looking for a sign of something I knew I was unlikely to find.
I settled into the drive, my mind on the traffic around me, the impending check in and flight, and the trip to the destination. I thought over the route, visualizing landmarks and events, and analyzing possible danger.
Basically, keeping my mind off of Alexandra, at least for a little while.
Chapter Eight
Cruz
We arrived at the airport about twenty minutes later. As the girls were flying first-class, the airport staff had known in advance of our arrival, through the booking process. A few attendants waited for us near the fast track check in, which led directly to the fancy, first-class lounges.
At least I ain’t gotta lift those fucking suitcases again, I thought, looking on the bright side.
With the attendants helping the girls out of the car and struggling with their cases, I had time to survey the traffic surrounding us and took reassurance in the weight of the revolver in my jacket.
The girls rushed off to check in, babbling excitedly, my presence momentarily forgotten.
I turned my head slightly toward them, and saw Alexandra looking back at me over her shoulder. She smiled briefly, her face lighting up. I nodded back, smiling awkwardly and hoping I wasn’t going mad and imagining the whole exchange. Yet, the thought of it having happened for real was scary in its own right because I needed things to stay professional between us.
I couldn’t afford to get my hopes up.
I grabbed my bag from the back of the limo, slinging it over my back. I took one last look at the crowd behind me, waiting until I thought the girls were likely to have checked in. Once through security, they were would be safe. And by then, I’d be right behind them.
I dumped my knife and gun in the glovebox and parked the limo, ready for it to be chauffeured back to the depot. I then grabbed my passport and ticket from my bag, and headed through to check-in.
I walked through the crowd with ease, people subconsciously parting for me as I walked directly to the checkout desk. I fucking hate crowds.
After checking in my single bag and going straight through security, I went through to the business-class lounges adjacent to first-class lounges. It was nice, but not quite as luxurious.
I found Alexandra standing there outside the lounge, waiting. She faced me, her face lighting up again. “Hey, big guy!” she said.
“Hey, miss. First-class too fancy for you?”
I noted she was still smiling at me, studying my face. A prickle of apprehension went through me, wondering what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.
“Listen, I just wanted to say thanks. And to apologize for my two bimbo friends. It’s just their way of having fun.” She looked at me, expectantly. “And once they realize you’re not interested, they’ll get bored and find something else to amuse them, I promise.”
“Don’t worry, Lex. Your friends ain’t my type,” I said. I consciously didn’t include her in my statement, letting the suggestion that she might be remain unspoken. Her eyes widened slightly as she continued to study me for a second.
“Good,” she said and then paused for a moment. “I can take a guest into the first-class lounge with me. You interested?”
“Lead on,” I said, not wanting to admit that I had planned to spend the hours ahead of me loitering outside the lounge, keeping an eye on the comings and goings. “Bet they have nicer whiskey in there.”
I almost flinched when she hooked her arm into mine, guiding me back to the first-class lounge. I felt a building of sexual tension as her hips and thighs pushed close to my leg, and fought hard not to get aroused, only halfway succeeding.
Alexandra
I looked over at Cruz, sitting on his own in a big leather chair in the corner of the lounge. He had a large whiskey in front of him that he took occasional small sips of. And although he was making a show of reading a newspaper, I kept feeling his gaze wander towards me.
After bringing him into the lounge, we’d both grabbed a drink and chatted awkwardly for a moment. I could feel that his attention wasn’t completely on me, his eyes surveying the small pockets of passengers dotted around the spacious lounge. And I hadn’t liked it. I wanted his full attention; I needed to know if he was interes
ted in me.
He was so frustratingly hard to read, especially when in his bodyguard mode.
When our awkward conversation ended, I had returned to my friends. Now that we were in the airport, the excitement had died down somewhat for them, and they had both grown bored.
I tried to engage them in meaningful conversation, so we chatted about our plans. But my gaze kept wandering back to Cruz’s scarred and chiseled, yet handsome face.
After a while, we were called personally to board the plane, escorted by airport staff. Unimpressed, Olivia yawned and Lucy was glued to her cell phone.
Cruz
I followed along behind the girls as they left for the plane.
Alexandra had asked if I could board with them, and the staff were all too happy to oblige, which wasn’t surprising considering the amount her dad had paid for the tickets.
We were first onto the plane, which meant I’d be able to keep tabs on everyone entering by business or economy. I’d checked out the rest of the passengers in the first-class lounge already and none of them had struck me as remotely dangerous. They were mainly just rich families and high-ranking executives.
I left the girls to their huge personal suite in first-class and took my seat in business-class, which was comfy enough. The seat reclined flat, boasting a length of two meters, which gave me just over two spare inches.
I sat at the front of business, as close to Alexandra as possible. When a pretty air attendant approached, I waved away the champagne she offered. “I’ll take a whiskey, darlin’. On the rocks.”
She smiled and hurried off to oblige.
I made a show of setting up my seat, standing regularly to survey the other passengers as they boarded. I even helped a few older ladies with their suitcases so that I could get a better look at everyone around the cabin.
Only one guy stood out. Grim-faced and observant, he was sizing me up with a calculated look in his eye, trying to gauge if I was a threat.
Don’t worry, Mr. Air Marshall. I ain’t a threat. Not to you, at least.
Having decided there was no one worth spending any more time inspecting, I settled into my chair and pretended to relax. I just needed to walk through economy and take a look upstairs, if they’d let me. Then I could fully relax.
The last few passengers boarded, and the crew made the final flight checks. The bustle of noisy activity washed over me, waves on an immovable rock. I thought things over, re-planning my route to the Paris hotel. I’d memorized the location of the safety deposit box and would go there as soon as possible to collect my guns.
Alexandra
I had watched Cruz walk down to business-class, wishing I could have upgraded his ticket to first-class, but there was no room left. Resigned, I sighed and settled into my seat, getting comfy in my mini-suite as an attendant asked if I would like some food or drinks.
My mind flicked back to Cruz, sitting on his own down in business-class. I couldn’t stop thinking about him and felt a desperate need to be near his big protective frame. I so badly wanted to know more about him.
Needing something to do rather than just sitting around thinking about him, I decided to take a quick shower in the suite, applying a bit of makeup and brushing my hair afterwards. As I dressed, I left my top button undone, deciding to show a hint of cleavage. And then, unable to resist, I headed down to business-class.
When I got there, Cruz’s seat was empty. My shoulders slumped slightly, and I crossed my arms, wondering how I had managed to lose my bodyguard. He wasn’t exactly inconspicuous.
I surveyed the rest of the cabin, feeling the eyes of a few men on me, though none of them were Cruz. So I decided to sit in his seat and wait, fiddling with the controls of the entertainment system.
Cruz
I wandered back into economy after a while, trying my best to not look suspicious as I headed for the rear bathrooms, hoping the cabin crew would assume the other cubicles were occupied.
I walked down the plane on the right, surveying the passengers along the way. No one caught my eye until I reached the end of the plane.
Sneaky bastards…
There were three men sitting in a row on the right near the end of economy. All three looked hard and grim-faced. Eastern European or perhaps Russian, it was hard to tell. They all spotted me as I’d been walking up the plane and were trying their best to look nonchalant. But I wasn’t fooled.
The words of one of my contacts rang in my ears—the warning I’d been given about a Russian crew out to get their hands-on Alexandra’s dad’s software. Possible high level organized crime, or even secret military.
My gut told me these guys were serious. That they were mean, scarred, and vicious.
Why would three Russians be heading to Paris from San Francisco? Flying right at the back in economy, no less. As far as possible from my seat as they could get.
I looked around. The majority of the people near me were asleep or watching a film. I approached the three men, putting my hands on the seats on either side of the aisle in front of them.
“Having a nice flight, comrades?” I said.
They looked up at me, their expressions blank. One of them smiled cruelly for a second, letting me know he’d understood. The Russian in the aisle seat waved his hand at me dismissively, saying something in Russian that didn’t sound very nice.
“What’s that, Dmitry? Got a problem?” I paused and leaned forward toward him. “Because if you do, that means I’ve got a problem. And I don’t think you’ll fucking like that very much,” I said, grimacing menacingly, feeling the adrenaline pump into my muscles. I tensed my arms, gripping the seats tight.
My gaze flicked to the bathrooms on either side of the aisle. Both were unoccupied.
The Russian rose to his full height, a good few inches shorter than me. He didn’t look intimidated. He shrugged as if to dismiss me and pushed me in the chest. He turned his back and headed for a cubicle, likely thinking I was just a random angry American who didn’t like Russians.
Well, he was right about the latter, but my approach wasn’t random.
As he stepped into the cubicle, I swiftly forced my way in, locking the door behind me. In the small confines, he was no match for my brute strength. I lied into him savagely with body blows, a series of powerful punches to the chest, abdomen, and stomach with one final uppercut into his solar plexus. He collapsed, winded and pained.
“Listen, you fuck,” I spat, my finger an inch away from his face. “I know why you’re here. I know what you want, and you ain’t getting it. If I see you or any of your friends again, you won’t be breathing next time.”
He nodded, gasping for air and clutching his chest.
I pushed the cubicle door open to find the other two Russians staring at me. They made no move, aware that now wasn’t a good time for them to show their true colors.
I snorted at them derisively and walked back to my seat, my blood boiling.
As I walked away, I heard the door of the cubicle open. After a moment of bemused silence, the two Russians started laughing heartily at their colleague, who was presumably still half collapsed on the cubicle floor.
I arrived back at my seat to find it occupied. I could see a head poking above the seat, with headphones on. I approached quietly to see who had snuck into my seat, but if I had to guess…
Looking over the top of the seat, I got a view straight down Alexandra’s shirt and found myself staring at the mounds of her breasts and the top of her frilly pink bra. The fight had made me feel alive, and the view of Alexandra’s large breasts, rising and falling gently, had awoken a feeling within me that I’d long suppressed.
I stood still, not wanting to move my gaze. I couldn’t tell if she sensed me. But if she had, I knew the longer I waited, the more of a pervert I looked.
Deciding she hadn’t sensed my presence, I placed a large hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She jumped.
“Oh. Hi Cruz.” She looked up at me and put her hand on top of mine,
trapping it in place on her shoulder. I felt a tingle of pleasure at her touch. “Sorry for stealing your seat. I just came down to check on you.”
Who’s looking after who here, beautiful? I thought.
“I’m all good, Lex,” I said. “Just had to take a look around, you know. No trouble to be found.”
We locked eyes for a few long seconds, holding each other’s gaze. I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to kiss her…
“How are things up there?” I asked, gesturing towards first-class and trying to redirect my attention.
She gazed into my eyes for a few long seconds. I got the impression that the minutiae of the first-class experience was definitely not what was on her mind. Each time she stared at me, I got the feeling that she was trying to see straight through me. Trying to figure me out. It thrilled me and made me want to squirm at the same time.
“It’s great, thanks,” she said. “Oh, apart from Olivia and Lucy. They’re starting to grate on my nerves already.” She chuckled. Her hand was still on mine, she squeezed it gently. “Why don't you come back up to first with me since there’s no trouble down here? They’ve got a bar there. Plus, we still have about three hours left until we get to Paris.”
She looked up at me expectantly, her large brown eyes sparkling.
I considered her offer, thinking about how the only trouble was those Russians, who wouldn’t be trying anything any time soon.
Fuck it, could use a drink, I thought. And wouldn’t mind looking at Alexandra for a few hours, either.
“You got yourself a deal, miss,” I said with an attempted smile that was really more of a rough grimace. But she smiled back nonetheless.
I frowned, looking up at the curtain between us and the stairs to first class. I put on a serious, hard face, my big jaw muscles bunching. “One thing though. If they don’t let me up there, there’ll be trouble.”
March Heat: A Firefighter Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 48
