A Mile High

by Bethany-Kris

  “I guess you’ll have the second seat to yourself as well, Miss Carson,” she informed, smiling tightly and looking like that was even a struggle for her. I wondered if she had done Botox, too. Surprise, surprise if she had. “The last-minute passenger put on the flight list didn’t seem to make it in time before takeoff. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

  “Yes, he did,” a gruff voice interjected.

  The attendant turned just as I looked up at the man who spoke, blocking most of my vision. All I could see were large arms tanned a light caramel and banded with muscles that flexed as he placed a small black duffle bag into the overhead compartment. The grey t-shirt he wore was tight to his skin, showing off the definition and curves to his side in a way that made my heart pound. I swallowed at the sight.

  “I’m sorry,” the attendant breathed.

  She sounded as flustered as I felt, hands waving erratically as she moved to the side to let him through to his seat. Standing well over six feet, the man’s brown eyes met my green ones as he settled into his seat across the three-foot space from mine. The front of his body beneath the t-shirt looked just as toned and hot as the side view had been and I let my gaze linger longer than I should have, not caring a single bit that he was watching me doing it.

  With a strong jaw, thick, dark lashes that framed brown eyes, lips quirked into a smirk that said he knew something I didn’t, and black curls that were just long enough to be considered decent instead of in need of a haircut, he caused an immediate effect on my body. Turned on, hot to the extreme, and bothered from the tips of my toes to the ends of my wavy brown hair—that’s how he made me feel. There was no doubt in my mind the black thong I had on was already damp from just being close enough to smell the clean scent of this man, not to mention physically looking at him. He stared back at me, eyebrow cocked and sporting that same playful smirk while my blatant gawking continued.

  My reaction could have had a great deal to do with the wine in my hand, or maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t been thoroughly fucked in over a year. All my time was spent put into my company and work, trying to make it bigger and better, to get my name out there for others to consider and then actually be reflected as a worthy competitor to other companies. I didn’t have the gift of going out and meeting men, not to mention having an actual relationship. The occasional one-night stand was good enough to satisfy me, usually, but even that hadn’t been happening lately. Nevertheless, if this man was my penance for apologizing to Natalie, I was going to start making a better effort to like the girl…seriously.

  “Is there anything I can get for you before takeoff?” The flight attendant’s voice broke me from my ogling. My mouth felt a little dry as I looked back at her only to find she was staring at him. I didn’t blame her. “We’re going to taxi down the runway soon, so it can’t be anything major until we’re at cruising level.”

  The man shrugged, then looked at the plastic glass in my hand. “Water,” he finally said, then with a nod at me he added, “And bring this pretty woman another one of those, would you, please?”

  The accent in his words told me he wasn’t from around Maine. I couldn’t seem to speak to ask him exactly where he was from though, so instead I just sank back into my large, comfortable seat, and buckled my belt.

  “Of course, Mr…”

  “Sal,” he answered, looking down at the silver watch wrapping his wrist. I bit down on the inside of my cheek as my gaze caught onto the hand the wrist was attached to. Big, strong, with long fingers I bet could grab so hard and sink knuckle-deep to make me scream. “Just call me Sal.”

  Chapter Four

  The vibrating of my phone under my thigh reminded me that I still needed to turn the device off. Shooting a coy look back at the man across from me who quirked an eyebrow and gave me a salacious smile at the vibrating coming from between my legs, I pulled out my cell and looked at the message lighting it up.

  Apparently, Sylvia had called my brother again. The fixes I had managed to do before needing to leave my house weren’t good enough as some customers were still having issues at the checkout page. Aggravated, I asked him to message me back with her number so I could call her myself before shutting my phone off and tossing it into my purse under my seat.

  “Rough day?” Sal asked, sipping his water and looked at me through thick lashes that framed brown eyes.

  He had no idea. “Rough enough,” I replied. “Rougher, actually. I’m so frustrated I could cry.”

  “But you’d ruin that pretty makeup of yours,” he joked lightly.

  My head shot up at that. “I’m not wearing makeup.”

  His smirk returned. “I know. You sure don’t need it, either.” My gaze caught his, not so much surprised at his compliment, but more the blatancy behind it. “So someone made the pretty girl cry, did they? You couldn’t bat those lashes and get what you wanted?”

  I snorted. “Ouch. Low.”

  Sal looked down at my legs. “I’d like to go lower.”

  Feeling more flustered than I was accustomed to, I asked the first thing that came to my mind. “Did you know Newfoundland is the new Barbados when you book a flight now? I sure didn’t.”

  Brows rose in speculation, full lips drawing to a line as he appeared to seriously consider my statement. “Really? Love the place, but I never would have guessed that.”

  My quiet giggle felt light and carefree as I turned to look out the porthole window. “Yep, so now instead of white sand beaches and a hot tan, I’m not sure what to expect.”

  Sal chuckled, drawing my attention back to the lips touching down to his glass again before he swallowed and said, “Nice people, clean ocean air, quiet time, and beautiful countryside.”

  I bit the corner of my lip. That actually sounded pretty nice, and certainly like something I could use to relax and forget about my life for a week. “You’ve spent some time there, I assume?” I asked.

  Sal nodded, stretching his long legs out into the large space between our seats and hooking his booted ankles together. “It’s where I grew up, and for the most part, still call home. I was just in Maine visiting an old friend. Something unexpected called me back sooner than I anticipated.”

  My sound of understanding didn’t escape his notice as he shot me a look. “Your accent—I noticed, but wasn’t sure where it was from.”

  “Ah.” He laughed deeply, broad chest rocking from the action and drawing my attention in again. The saliva gathering on my tongue was swallowed back as I cleared my throat and forced myself to look away. “Sometimes I can hide it well enough, but usually I don’t care to. You’ll hear a lot thicker ones than mine, I promise you that. We have some funny words and phrases for things. Confuses people.”

  I couldn’t help myself. I wanted this man to keep speaking. “Like what exactly?”

  He hummed low under his breath, looking up and taking his time to think. “How about…lassy?”

  My brow furrowed. That wasn’t confusing at all. “A woman, you mean? Look at that pretty lassie, kind of thing?”

  “Nope. Not even close.” He grinned at me and I felt myself giving him the same expression back. “Like molasses, girl. Lassy.”

  I laughed. “All right, give me another.”

  Sal contemplated for another moment, placing his empty glass to the attached table beside his seat. Arms crossed over that broad chest, arms flexing and muscles straining beneath the thin t-shirt. He shifted in his seat, the dark wash jeans he wore showcasing the thick bands hidden under that fabric as well. I had a feeling this man was no stranger to hard work. I couldn’t help but watch his movements, thoroughly enjoying the show in front of me and thanking whatever gods had decided to be my friends for the day that this was the flight I had somehow managed to get put on instead of some other one with less likeable, or good-looking, characters.

  Screw Barbados, this Newfoundland islander was better looking than anything I could have met there. And I had a few hours of him as my first-class partner, to
o.

  The plane had already begun its taxi to the runway, the two flight attendants at either ends of the plane talking over the speakers and giving the usual safety precautions and rundown. I blocked their droning out as Sal still sat silent, leaning over the side of his seat to look down the aisle at the woman who looked like Barbie in the flesh. Jealousy raged a war through my blood. There was no way in hell that woman looked better than I did.

  I cleared my throat again to get his attention. Giving me a sideways glance, he nodded at the flight attendant ten feet away. “Shit-picky.”

  Wine choked in my lungs. “Excuse me?”

  “That attendant up front, that’s how she looks. Shit-picky.”

  Unhinged giggles were muffled by my hand. “Does that mean like a plastic doll or something, because…” Trailing off, I snorted and shrugged, “…yeah, that’s the impression I got.”

  He looked confused. “No, she’s turning green up there, like she isn’t well or whatever.”

  Wondering what in the heck he was talking about, I turned around in my seat to look as well, but the plastic partition behind my seat meant for privacy blocked my view. Leaning over my seat to look down the aisle, I could plainly see the flight attendant from earlier was indeed turning a sickly shade, and the more she spoke, the worse she looked.

  “I think she’s…” I didn’t get to finish my sentence before the woman ripped off her headphones and disappeared behind the curtain that led to the front section of the plane. “…Sick,” I finished lamely. “Damn it, now we’re going to have to return back to the airport. This day couldn’t get any worse, I swear.” Sitting back in my seat, I unbuckled the belt just as the flight attendant who had been in the coach section rushed by our seats. “And I need to use the bathroom.”

  “Doubt it,” Sal put in quietly. “Pilot’s all ready to go, we’re away from the gates, and there’s another plane bussing in to take off behind us right now, probably. We’re taking off. Her friend will likely give her some Gravol, set her up in their little section there, and we’ll be on our way.”

  A quick, vague apology sounded over the plane’s announcement system, informing the passengers it would be another minute before takeoff. Given I had a bit of time to do whatever, I decided to use the bathroom. Excusing myself from our comfortable little cubby, I made my way through to the back of the plane, ignoring the questioning gazes of other passengers in coach who were likely wondering what had happened up in first class.

  In the panic-worthy, small as hell bathroom, I washed my face and hands, checking my face out in the mirror as a ding sounded above me. I looked up to see the seatbelt sign had appeared just as the pilot’s voice sounded over the speakers, asking everyone to buckle up and ready for takeoff.

  Making my way back to my seat as quickly as possible, I had just moved in to sit down—Sal drawing in his stretched out legs to let me through—as the plane jerked forward. I yelped under my breath, trying to catch myself but between the black, peep-toe pumps with a four-inch heel on my feet, and the sudden movement, I ended up on something warm…and hard. Something that breathed, chuckled, and touched me.

  Sal.

  My brown hair created a curtain over my face. Huffing a breath and blowing strands out of my line of vision, Sal laughed in my ear, rocking both our bodies. I felt his hands skim above my knees where the flimsy material of the skirt I wore had risen up. Gooseflesh pebbled at the motion and I tried hard not to shiver when fingers grasped tightly to my legs.

  “You okay?” he murmured. “Because I think you’re just fine.”

  I nodded, trying really hard not to be embarrassed. I didn’t want to show how turned on I was by his palms to my flesh and the suggestive tone to his words. “Yeah, just surprised. I’m so—”

  “Don’t be,” he interrupted, voice turning huskier than I expected. “Unless you plan on moving, that is.”

  Teeth cut into my bottom lip as I fought the urge to exhale harshly. “I have to. We’re just about to take off, right?”

  The dismissive sound he made under his breath didn’t help the lust raging through my senses. Those warm hands of his skimmed a little higher under my dress, making me groan quietly, grinding my backside shamelessly against his jeans when he whispered, “You ever join the mile-high club?”

  Chapter Five

  “No.” I didn’t recognize the sound of my own voice. Turned on, breathy, and lost in want and need. Damn, it made me hotter just hearing it. “Never.”

  I felt him smile against the back of my neck. “You wet thinking about it? Fuck, I’d love to find out. Pretty little thing like you…” He trailed off, whistling too low for anyone else to hear. I looked off to the side of our partition, seeing no one else in front of us seemed to notice anything unusual and the section like ours across from us was empty anyway. Sal’s hands drove higher again, finding the black thong I wore damp from arousal.

  “You want?” he asked. In a hazy, lust-induced desire, I nodded. A single finger slipped under the fabric and sank knuckle-deep into my pussy, curling hard with the thrust against my sensitive walls. The hand grabbing my thigh released at the same time, reaching up to cover my mouth just before I whined low at the sensation that coursed through my hot center. “Shh,” he soothed, finger pulling out only to drive right back up inside my clenching, wet channel again. “And you’re waxed. I bet you’ve got a pretty little pussy, too, don’t you?”

  Air caught in my throat. I couldn’t speak from the hand covering my mouth to answer, not to mention the other one working fast between my legs, a second finger slipping in through slick folds to pump a fast rhythm that drove me insane. I swallowed convulsively, shuddering when his digits hit a sensitive, fleshy spot against my walls that made me ache in the best way.

  “Good God,” he whispered against my ear. “I wish you could feel the inside of you, girl. So fucking hot, like a damned fire. And soft…hmm, so wet. You’re tight like a vise on my fingers, soakin’ them. I bet you’re going to cum so hard for me, aren’t you?”

  The thick length of his hard erection pressed to my backside drove my lust a little higher. When he grinded against me, matching the rhythm he’d set to the thrusts inside my pussy, I moaned quietly against the palm of his hand. Sal moved, looking around my shoulder out the side of the aisle before sitting back, pressing tighter against my mouth with his hand, and curling those fingers of his hard and deep inside my clenching sex.

  Wetter than I’d ever been, his fingers slipped in and out of my center at a pace that burned in the best way. His thumb swept over my swollen clit once, then twice before pressing hard to the straining bundle of nerves that ached for release.

  No, nothing had ever felt quite so good. His fingers fucking me made me near delirious. I could feel a damp sweat beginning to form on the back of my neck the closer I came to my precipice, arousal fluid wetting my thighs with every movement of his hand between my thighs.

  “You’ve got to cum. The plane’s moving. Come on, girl—show me how well you can fuck my fingers and let it go.”

  His voice, so deep and throaty in my ear was an endorphin like no other. A third finger pushed into my pussy, driving hard with the other two and curling with every thrust against the spot that was making me shake on his lap. I matched his pace with the movement of my own hips, driving his fingers deeper into my wet sex that was throbbing with the need to cum.

  “Fuck yeah, just like that,” Sal growled in my ear. “How does that feel? You’re making my hand so wet. I’m going to smell like your pussy for days, baby.”

  My hips rocked into his hand, muscles clamping down and thighs closing around his arm as I panted through an orgasm so strong my heart stuttered and air rushed my lungs. Bliss washed my senses in waves of pleasure-filled jolts. There was no vibrator in the world that could compete with the orgasm he’d created for me in a quick minute.

  With wide eyes, I felt the momentum of the plane push me back into Sal’s arms. He laughed deeply as the plane began to lift and my
ears filled with pressure. “Goddamn, beautiful,” he told me. “Next time I want to see your face when you shake so nicely like that.”

  “The plane is taking off!”

  “Shh,” he hushed. “I got you. We’ll get you sitting back down before we reach cruising level, hmm?”

  Terrified that someone had seen or heard what happened, I was quick to check the partitions to make absolutely sure there were no cracks or holes for someone to look through. Then, I once again leaned slightly into the aisle only to find everyone in first-class seats with either their heads turned forward, or some tilted down, already fast asleep.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered.

  “Just Sal.”

  I cursed low under my breath. While I was worried about the people surrounding us, I was filled with adrenaline, too. The very thought of possibly being caught in such a way had the blood rushing to my ears as I swallowed again. Deviant, that’s what it was. Sinful, sexy, and so freaking hot. I was even more turned on than before, and I couldn’t manage to pull an ounce of shame or embarrassment out of myself for my behavior.

  “Really good start to my vacation,” I said, giggling and shaking my head in disbelief.

  Sal’s lips pressed to my neck again, making me sigh as I settled into his arms wrapping my waist. “You want to make it better?”

  “I’d rather it didn’t get worse again,” I replied, frowning as my ears filled even more and hoping to God they wouldn’t pop.