“Excuse me,” Sasha asked the brunette woman. “How long is the flight?”
The woman smiled. She was well put together with immaculate makeup and a dark navy suit. “It’s twelve hours.” She had a plummy English accent, one that Sasha knew meant she was wealthy and well educated. “There are bunks out the back if you need to rest.” She consulted her watch. “We’ll be eating in four hours. I can wake you if you want.”
“Thank you,” Sasha said. “That’s very kind.”
The brunette woman rested a hand on her arm. “Really I should be thanking you. I’m Philippa Wutherington but everyone calls me Pippa. I’m Thomas’s publicist.”
Pippa seemed very nice and polite, a far cry from the brash journalists like Kelly and Alicia who Sasha had worked with during her brief internship at Atomic magazine. Sasha found herself warming to the woman.
“There’s nothing to thank me for,” she said. “Believe me, you’re doing me a favor, practically air lifting me out of Chicago.”
Pippa laughed. “Let’s agree we’re both helping each other out, shall we? You’ve left behind your life to help Thomas. I know he might not seem like the most gracious man in the world but trust me, he really appreciates it.” Pippa lowered her voice. “Actually, you’re the only woman he’s ever told me about.”
Sasha frowned. “What do you mean?”
Pippa crossed one of her long, slim legs over the other and leaned closer. She smelt of sandalwood. “I mean he doesn’t usually talk about the women he spends time with. But he talked about you. You made an impression.”
Sasha nodded. It was nice to hear but ultimately futile. Thomas didn’t seem like he would ever forgive her for her betrayal. He was a temperamental actor, used to getting his own way, not to mention having a dark history of being deceived and used. It must have wounded him deeply to find her with Chris like that.
The emotion of the day began to overwhelm Sasha. “I think I’ll go for that nap after all,” she said to Pippa.
“Good idea,” Pippa said calmly. “I’ll wake your for supper. I hope you like lobster.”
‘Lobster?’ Sasha thought. Could Thomas’s choice have been any more decadent? It reminded her of the way he’d ordered oysters for her at the restaurant. Clearly, he was a seafood fan.
Sasha stood. But the large glass of wine and the motion of the plane made her lose her footing. Pippa grasped her arm to steady her. Then suddenly, Thomas was standing on the other side of her.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. Thank you,” Sasha said from one to the other.
Pippa nodded and let go. She sunk back down into her seat with a sideways glance at Thomas and Sasha.
Thomas’s arm was still clinging to Sasha’s arm. Bolts of desire raced through her from the place he touched.
“Are you okay?” he said.
She nodded. “I’m fine. The plane just made me slip. I was going to go for a nap.”
“Take my bed,” he said. “The bunks aren’t very comfortable.”
Sasha frowned. “Don’t you need it?”
“Not until after dinner,” he said.
“Okay…” Sasha replied tentatively.
Only then did Thomas remove his hand from her arm.
Sasha walked down the aisle. At the back of the plane were several bunks, three in a column and very narrow. Just past them was a door that led to Thomas’s room. Sasha entered.
The room was as grand as the suite in the Hilton hotel where they’d first made love. The bed was large and low to the ground. It had silk sheets, the sensation of which against her skin would always remind Sasha of Thomas.
As she pulled back the sheets, she realized that she didn’t have anything to dress in. She hadn’t brought any spare clothes with her at all. No possessions, just her purse. Pippa had assured her that they’d get everything she needed sent to the house on the island, but no one had seemed to consider the airplane journey.
With no other option, Sasha stripped and discarded her clothes on the floor. The carpet was cream and soft under foot. As she slid under the silky covers, she listened to the whirr of the airplane’s engines, and considered the surreal situation she had somehow found herself in.
Chapter Ten
At some point, she must have fallen asleep because the next thing Sasha knew, the door was opening and a shard of light burst into the room.
Sasha sat up abruptly, disorientated by her strange surroundings. “Pippa? Is that you?” she said.
Then she realized the silhouette in the doorway was Thomas’s.
Sasha pulled the covers up to her armpits as Thomas staggered in.
“Is it time for dinner?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Thomas replied. “I just drank too much.” His voice was slurred. He reached the bed and slunk onto it beside her. “Think I need to sleep it off.”
Sasha wriggled further towards the bed board. ”Of course. I’ll leave you to it. Shall I get Pippa to wake you when it’s time to eat?”
Thomas waved his hand dismissively. “No. No. Let me sleep. I’ll eat when we get there.”
Sasha slid out of the bed, the sheets wrapped tightly around her, and bent to pick up her discarded clothes. But as she did so, the silky sheets slipped to the floor, exposing her bare behind to Thomas. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath.
“I forgot how fucking hot you were, intern,” he said.
Sasha’s cheeks flamed red. It seemed like a million years had passed since he’d last called her that. It used to annoy her until she realized he was doing it because he got off on her telling him not to. It turned him on when she was dominant and bolshy. Had he said it then to provoke her?
She left the sheet on the floor and turned around, completely naked, and stared him down.
“Don’t call me that,” she said.
A spark ignited behind Thomas’s eyes. “Why don’t you come here and tell me not to?” He patted the bed.
Sasha looked at the space beside him. She wanted to slip into it, to touch him again, to feel his body against hers. But he was drunk. Did he really mean it, or did alcohol make him horny in the same way it did with her?
But there was no point rationalizing it. The pull of Thomas was magnetic. She couldn’t resist, no matter how many reasons she could conjure up telling her not to.
She paced over to him. He stretched a hand out, skimming it against her bare thigh, making the tiny, white blonde hairs stand on end.
Sasha inhaled sharply. Thomas’s fingers began inching up her leg, drawing closer and closer to her throbbing clit. With her eyes squeezed shut in anticipation, Sasha tipped her head back. Her lips parted. Her heartbeat quickened.
But just before his fingertips reached the place she was yearning for him to touch, she felt his hand move abruptly away. She looked down. Thomas Lloyd had passed out cold.
Sasha’s pent up arousal left her with one disappointed exhalation. She collected her bra and panties. By the time she was fully dressed, Thomas was snoring loudly.
Chapter Eleven
“I’ve got you a fashion deal,” Pippa said as Sasha re-emerged into the main part of the plane.
It was bright in here and she squinted. The change was abrupt from the dreamy, romantic lighting in Thomas’s room. The two burly security men seemed to have gone, leaving just Pippa in the main room.
“I’m sorry, a what?” Sasha said.
“A fashion deal!” Pippa seemed delighted.
“That was quick.”
“It’s with Amore. They’re a British brand. Very trendy. Very East London. Tina, the lead stylist, is flying out this afternoon and will be joining us a few hours after we land.”
“That really was quick!”
“It’s a fast paced world, darling,” Pippa said. “So, they’re bringing fifteen outfits and twelve pairs of shoes from their new collection. You’ll get to keep it all, of course.”
“Of course…” Sasha mumbled under her breath. It was all so surreal, to spend your whole life under the
radar then suddenly be thrust into the limelight. “I’m sorry but, why? Why do they want me to wear their clothes?”
“They said they saw your smoking hot body on the sex tape and your appearance and dominant sexual prowess completely fitted with their brand image.”
“Um, okay,” Sasha replied, feeling a little awkward. She’d never thought of herself as having a smoking hot body and she certainly hadn’t considered that the sex tape could become something that would fit it in with a company’s “brand image.” But she guessed this was just the way the world of the rich and the famous operated.
Pippa handed her some papers to sign. “Just a contract to say you won’t be wearing any other brands for the next two weeks. There’s a couple of pages to sign. Make sure you get them all.”
Bemused and slightly befuddled, Sasha wrote her name on the documents.
“We need to get you a better signature,” Pippa said, examining the paper. Then she tidied them away into her folder and beamed. “We ought to celebrate.”
Pippa went to the fridge and started pulling out bottles, pouring, stirring, squeezing limes. When she returned, she had a pitcher of mojitos.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sasha said, thinking of the way alcohol broke down her inhibitions.
Pippa raised an eyebrow. “Oh please, darling. You’re not a small town girl anymore. This is your new life. Amore dresses and mojitos at lunch.”
She poured a glass for Sasha and held her own up to chink. There was a moment’s hesitation.
Pippa raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? You have to wake up early for work tomorrow?”
Her sarcasm made Sasha let out a short laugh. Pippa was right. No more career to worry about. She’d made the decision to follow Thomas so she may as well enjoy it.
Finally, Sasha shrugged and clinked her glass against Pippa’s.
“Cheers,” the British woman said. She smiled sweetly and took a sip. Then she placed her glass down. “Lobster time!” she cried.
Sasha looked around. It seemed as though no one else would be joining them. Just an awkward meal for two then…
Once the dinner was served, Pippa settled down. She was a vibrant woman, the sort Sasha aspired to be; engaging, with huge expressive eyes that drew you in; ambitious; vivacious. Like Thomas, she had the ability to make you feel like the most important person in the world.
“You must tell me everything about you and Thomas,” Pippa said.
“There is no me and Thomas,” Sasha replied. “I don’t think there ever really was. ”
“Pft,” Pippa said, flapping a hand. “You don’t believe that do you? He was raving about you for days, in his own Thomas way.”
Sasha couldn’t imagine the stoic actor raving about anything. “What do you mean?”
“Darling,” Pippa said. She was clearly becoming a little bit tipsy and spilled her mojito as she flung her arm out. “He’s crazy for you.”
“He doesn’t seem to be.”
“He’s just in a mood. It won’t last.”
“You mean…”
“I mean you’ll be back in one another’s arms quicker than you can blink. I’ll tell you a secret.” Pippa leaned in and her eyes sparkled. “This whole relationship charade, the PR stunt. It was not my idea.”
Sasha frowned. “You mean it was Thomas’s?”
“Yes!” Pippa squealed. “My plan was to bury the whole thing. Focus on the crime part, draw attention to the messed up sister, you know. Make it clear that Thomas was a victim. You didn’t enter into my plans at all, no offence. But Thomas insisted we protect you. That’s why he ran off to your house despite my protestations.”
“Oh,” Sasha said.
That was before he’d found her with Chris and her incriminatingly packed bags. That was before he’d learned of her betrayal.
Thanks to the mojitos, Sasha’s tongue had loosened somewhat. And she had so much to get off her chest. Plus, she liked Pippa, she felt able to confide in her.
“Things changed,” she said. “Once he was at my house. He found out about Chris.”
“Chris?”
“My ex. Thomas thought we’d slept together. But we hadn’t. Chris was just coming to drive me home. If my mother was well enough, it would’ve been her who’d come to collect me.” She thought bitterly of how different things would have been had it been her mother standing in her hallway asking her to come home rather than Chris. “Thomas doesn’t believe me that nothing happened.”
Pippa shook her head. “They’re so possessive, men, aren’t they? So jealous. Especially the ones like Thomas.”
Sasha couldn’t help but find herself enjoying Pippa’s company. She really put her at ease and made the drama of the situation seem insignificant. She seemed so put together and down to earth, like nothing could phase her, especially a man like Thomas Lloyd. Sasha couldn’t help but think the English woman would never be stupid enough to succumb to the charms of someone like Thomas; that was probably why she was so able to work with him and boss him around.
Sasha finished up the last of her drink. “You really think he’ll forgive me?” she said, smooshing the ice at the bottom of her glass with her straw.
Pippa took the cup from her hands. “Absolutely.” She poured Sasha another glass. “And sooner than you expect.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Sasha cocked her head to the side quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Pippa said in a hushed voice, “that if you went in there and seduced him right now, I don’t think he’d be able to say no. Thomas Lloyd has an insatiable appetite. Food. Drink. Work. Money. Sex. He’s driven by consumption. Such a visceral creature like Thomas is not going to turn down the chance to make love when it comes knocking.”
Sasha sat back laughing. “Well I sort of tried that already. He fell asleep.”
“One setback,” Pippa said with a wicked grin. “Are you going to give up after one setback?”
Sasha shook her head jovially. “Why are you so desperate for me and him to sleep together?”
“Because,” Pippa said, drawing out the vowel sound, “he’s been so much easier to handle since he met you. You make him happy. And when he’s happy my job is literally a thousand times better.” She patted Sasha’s arm with her perfectly manicured nails. “You’re doing me a favor, darling.”
Sasha smirked. She took a gulp of her drink and stood. “Well, okay then.”
Her chat with Pippa had emboldened her. But her heart still pounded as she paced across the plane to Thomas’s room. She paused at the door. Should she knock? No. The bold, demanding woman that Thomas desired in her wouldn’t knock. She’d walk in and take what she wanted.
She opened the door and strode in. Thomas was sleeping, lying flat on his back fully dressed.
Sasha leaned down over his ear, letting her hair tickle his face. She whispered, “Thomas.”
He stirred awake. “Intern?”
“Don’t call me that,” she purred.
Thomas woke up fully, abruptly. His eyes snapped open and the hungry passion she’d seen in them before was there again immediately. He knew what she was there for, he knew what she was offering, and he wasn’t going to turn it down. He rose up to a seating position and circled his hands around Sasha’s waist. Then he pulled her down onto his lap.
Chapter Twelve
Their mouths explored one another’s, tasting the alcohol each other had consumed. They breathed in perfect synchronicity. The passion was all consuming, the power of reconciliation driving it to a fever pitch.
Sasha’s hands were in Thomas’s hair, then scratching lines of desire into his back. His hands were on her breasts, her ass, her waist, feeling every part of her like he’d never felt a woman before. He tugged at her clothes desperately, as though she couldn’t be naked fast enough. Sasha yanked them off, discarding them on the ground.
As soon as her breasts were free from the constraints of her bra, Thomas placed her nipple in his mouth. He sucked and
licked, his tongue circling her nipple. All the while he pulled her into him so tightly it was as though he wanted to consume her.
Thomas reached for a condom in the top drawer of his bedside table. Sasha unbuckled his belt and slid his hard penis out, holding it in both her hands. Thomas groaned as she massaged the tip with her thumbs. He moved her hands away and rolled the condom down the length of his shaft.
The second he was ready, Sasha spread her legs apart and maneuvered over him. She slid down, enveloping his cock within her. Sasha groaned and Thomas sucked in his breath through his teeth. Feeling him inside of her again was like relieving a craving, like a junky getting a hit. It was heaven.
Thomas thrust his hands into her hair, twirling it in his fingers tightly. He was so gripped with pleasure his head was tipped back, exposing his throat. Sasha licked the flesh and was rewarded by his erection hardening even more inside of her. She looped her arms over his shoulders, squeezing the muscles beneath the fabric, and rode him hard and fast.
“Oh Jesus,” Thomas moaned. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
Knowing he was loving what she was doing made Sasha even more aroused. She knew it wouldn’t take long to reach where she wanted to be.
“I’m close,” she gasped.
She felt Thomas unwind his fingers from her hair. He cupped her right buttock with one hand, moving her body in a motion that made him grit his teeth with pleasure. He looked her square in the eye, licked the first two fingers of his spare hand, then slid them against her clitoris.
She cried out, unable to hold back. It felt so good and brought her right to the precipice of her climax.
“I’m going to come,” she murmured.
Thomas tightened his grasp on her ass, pulling her into him more deeply. She moved her hips faster, as fast as she was able. The pleasure was insane, amazing, all-consuming.
Her climax began. Silent at first, with every part of her body clenching. She held her breath and threw her head back. Stars danced across her eyes and then the burst came, the burst of pure pleasure.
She screamed out. The sound of her orgasming tipped Thomas over the edge. He grabbed both of her buttocks in his hands and wrenched her hard into him, pushing his penis into her as far as it could possibly go. He squeezed her flesh tightly. His eyes were closed, his teeth gritted as he thrust into her once, twice, three times. Each thrust made her scream out. On the fourth thrust his own cry of pleasure joined hers.
ROMAN (Lane Brothers Book 5) Page 96
