by Cindy Stark
His lips were whisper soft against hers. Gentle, comforting, but they sparked a fire deep in her soul. She pressed harder against him, deepening their kiss.
It was like a wild fire on dry timber. Once kindled, there was no stopping it. She needed more. His tongue mingled with hers as he slid a strong hand around the back of her neck, tilting her head and holding her there. Her world spun out of control, and she could think of nothing but the sweet taste of him. It was so right. She slid her hand up his neck, touching his face, her fingers close to where their lips met.
"Jase," a man hollered.
Jase pulled away, and she immediately felt the loss. Couldn't they be left alone? Jase looked over her head and waved at someone before he refocused on her. Her heart thundered in her chest and her entire core was on fire. She had no idea how a person could know she was in love with someone, and then two days later, find herself falling for someone else. The only thing she could think was a lot of stuff had happened during those two days. Crazy stuff. Ugly stuff. But one good thing. Jase.
She smiled at him. "Sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen." But she was so glad it had.
He stared at her for a hard moment, his expression not mirroring hers. It was as though the second they broke apart aliens had snatched her sexy, warm Jase and switched him with a stranger. "That can't happen again." His voice wasn't as steady as his gaze, but his words still stung. He took his sunglasses from her hand and placed them over his eyes.
She took a step back, confused. "Okay." She raised a hand to her lips where his had been only moments before. Had she completely misread his signals? Had she just thrown herself at him? No, she might have initiated the first kiss, but he'd been the one to push it further. "You know, I wasn't the only one involved in that kiss. You—"
"Forget it. It's better for both of us if we don't go there." He put another step between them.
Forget it? He thought they could kiss and then act as though nothing happened? She tamped down her irritation. That wasn't fair.
Realization hit home. What had she been thinking? She moved farther away, too. "No, I get it." It made sense now. He didn't want to kiss a woman who carried another man's baby. Who would? Embarrassed, she turned and headed toward the SUV.
"Allie—" Jase instinctively reached for her, but then he stopped and let her go. She'd totally misunderstood why he'd ended their kiss. But it was better this way. A few hurt feelings now would save her a ton of grief later.
For him, there was no hope. Holding her in his arms, tasting her lips had been sweeter than he'd imagined. The feel of her hand on his cheek had knocked out his defense system. By the look in her eyes, he'd known she wanted him, and he hadn't been able to resist one small kiss. He should have known he'd never be able to take a tiny taste without wanting to gorge himself.
He clenched his jaw, watching her hips sway as she walked away with Boo at her side. He wanted her more than ever. And he had to admit he was more than a little jealous someone else had gotten her pregnant. He'd begun to think of her as his. His to protect, his to want, his to love. But, of course, she'd had a life before him. She hadn't invited him into her life. He'd just jumped right in and assumed she'd want him there.
Shit. He exhaled. He'd really messed things up, hadn't he? He headed back toward his car and the airport manager waiting near the building. One second, he'd patched things up with Allie, and the next, he'd screwed them up again. Could he be a bigger jerk?
When he reached his vehicle, Allie was leaning against it, looking down at Boo. Her arms were across her chest and her teeth clamped over her bottom lip. The same sensuous lip he'd owned only minutes before.
"I'm sorry, Allie."
She glanced past him into the distance. "Can we please not talk about this anymore?"
He sighed. "Fine." He needed to get things settled with the airport. "I'm going to talk to Sam. Our plane should be here any minute, and then we can go."
Boo tried to follow Jase as he walked away, but Allie held his leash. "Don't worry, he'll be back for you."
She was an entirely different matter. Jase might come back for her now, but before long, she'd be on her own. Going to a new college, living in a new city. She put her hand on her belly. Her baby would be on to a new life as well. With a mother and a father, maybe a brother or a sister.
She'd always wished she'd had a sibling. The closest thing was her three cousins who never seemed too happy to have her taking a share when there wasn't enough to go around. What would her life have been like if her father hadn't taken off and her mother hadn't died? What would it be like to have doting parents?
She sighed. At least her baby would have the chance to know. Jase would help her take care of that.
She still loved Jase despite the fact he'd pushed her away. It had hurt, but she didn't blame him. He'd given her so much, had been so good to her, what right did she have to ask for more or get angry with him when he didn't give it to her? He was obviously attracted to her, but she didn't need to be told they weren't meant to be together. She was probably trying to fill the hole Joey had left.
She watched from the corner of her eye as he sauntered back across the parking lot toward her. It had felt so right to be in his arms, to kiss him. She still felt the sizzle of his lips on hers. He might have pushed her away, but when they'd kissed, he'd responded. He'd held her so tight against him. She shivered as she remembered the feel of his hand on her neck, holding her, kissing her as though he'd never let go.
He took Boo's leash from her. "Everything is set."
She caught his gaze before quickly looking away. She didn't dare hold it this time, afraid of what she might or might not find there. She'd do what he asked and close off her feelings. She had no right to them anyway.
The SUV chirped as Jase engaged his locks, and they headed around the side of the building. Just as they did, an overhead engine grew louder, and Allie watched in awe as a sleek white plane touched down on the runway before them. Never in her life had she been so close to an airplane.
Jase held tightly to Boo as they watched the plane drive around and head back toward the building. She let Boo walk between them, now wanting the distance as much as Jase did.
"Is that ours?" It didn't seem very big to her, but he'd said their plane was on its way.
"Yeah." When the plane drew closer, he started walking toward it, and she followed behind.
A door on the side opened, and a thin man with graying hair and a worn leather jacket descended the stairs. Jase shook his hand. "Hey, Rick. How was the flight? You didn't have any trouble, did you?"
The man smiled. "Not a bit."
Allie hoped not. The last thing she needed was an airplane that wasn't safe to fly in. She smiled back at the pilot when he nodded to her.
Jase turned. "Ready?"
"Sure, I guess." She headed up the stairs, holding tight to the handrail. She had to admit she was more than a little excited for her first airplane trip. Nervous, too. Planes did crash sometimes. But she'd be safer in the air than she was in Chicago.
She ducked into the cabin, not prepared for what she found inside. Instead of an aisle dividing rows of seats like she'd seen on TV, it looked more like a living room. The front of the cabin held four luxurious white leather seats. Beyond them was a white leather couch opposite a large screen TV. It was spacious and lush, and even had a phone hanging on one of the walls. Jase must have paid a pretty penny to get them seats on this airplane. He kept giving more and more to her, and it suddenly felt stifling.
Perhaps she needed to strike out on her own. She'd be okay. She was tough. When they reached Oregon, she could thank him for his generosity. She'd find a way to a woman's shelter where she could stay until her baby was born. Then she would get a job and put herself through school. She didn't need Jase. Didn't need the awkward strings that came attached to his gifts. She'd wait until they were in the air, and then she'd tell him.
She found a spot next to a window and sank into the buttery
leather. Jase sat across from her, releasing Boo from his leash to wander the cabin. The pilot came in and shut the outside door. He sent her another quick smile before disappearing into the cockpit and closing the door that separated them.
"Where's everyone else?" She raised her gaze expectantly.
"Who do you mean?"
Was she missing something here? "The other passengers."
"There are no other passengers." He gave her a confused smile.
"Why not?"
He snorted. "Allie, this is my plane. It's just me, you and Boo."
She swallowed as heat flooded her cheeks. "Oh." She paused. "Oh." He had a plane, too. She leaned back against her seat and looked out the window. There was obviously a lot about him she'd didn't know, but this went a long way in explaining how much he had to fund his operation. It might also explain why someone like him wouldn't be interested in someone like her.
The engine rumbled to life beneath them, sending her heart racing a little faster. Jase seemed completely relaxed as he opened a cubby next to him and pulled out a can of cashews. "Want some?"
Allie grabbed a handful of salty nuts, still trying to grasp the fact Jase owned his own airplane. "You must have a lot of money."
He shrugged. "I suppose."
"You suppose?" How could he be so casual about it? "You say that like it means nothing to you." She popped a nut in her mouth.
"It's just money." He gestured to the cabin. "Stuff. It means nothing without the people you love."
The pilot interrupted her response by announcing they were ready for takeoff. Allie twisted her head toward the window, not wanting to admit how excited she was for her first plane ride. The small jet taxied down the runway and a few moments later, they lifted smoothly away from the ground. Butterflies fluttered about in her stomach. She released a breath. Flying was better than the Dark Knight Coaster at Six Flags.
"You okay?" Jase must have heard her sigh.
She turned away from the window. "I've made a decision. Once we reach Oregon, I'm going to take off on my own."
Jase shook his head. "I don't want you to do that. We agreed I'd help you get settled and get into school."
"Well, it's not your choice, is it?" She bit her bottom lip, trying to stop the flow of emotion rushing inside her. It hurt that Jase had pushed her away, and now she wanted to complete the separation.
"What's this about, Allie?"
"This is about me needing to stand on my own two feet."
Jase studied her with dark eyes. "You're mad because I ended the kiss."
Tears flooded to the surface. Damn hormones. "I'm not mad. It's just too confusing for me. I like you, and I shouldn't. I thought you liked me, too, but..." She raised her hands in frustration. "You said it was better if we don't go there, and I agree. It's better if I leave now. We would be separating anyway before long, and I just want to be on my own and take care of myself."
Jase released a tired sigh. "This is my fault." He started to say something, and then stopped. He looked down as though contemplating what he wanted to say and then caught her gaze. "I'm going to be honest here." He nodded. "I feel a connection to you, too."
Her heart tripped. She'd wanted so badly to know what she felt wasn't her imagination.
"But here's the deal. You've got a price on your head."
"I know."
"No, you don't know. The Trasattis have offered a hundred thousand if you're brought in, preferably alive."
Her throat constricted. That much? She forced a swallow. "Wh-why?"
He released a frustrated sigh. "We're back to the same old question. Why. I have no idea. You have no idea. But I know this, you can't stay in Chicago and I need to be there. You're pregnant. You and your kid need some place safe. I can't offer you that. You've already seen how deadly it is to hang around me."
She wanted to mention she'd been the target of all the recent violence, but he continued on. "If I dump you on the street, it's only going to be a matter of time before they find you. They have connections, government ties. They'll trace you through your social security number or something else. They'll find you." He paused, and she could see his jaw working. "Then you'll disappear. Forever."
Allie curled into herself, folding her arms across her chest.
"So, you see why this can never work? Either way you look at it, we're dangerous to each other."
He was right. He was absolutely right. She nodded. "I just don't want to be a charity case any longer."
He held his hand out to her across the aisle and she took it. "Consider it a down payment on my soul. I've done some pretty bad things. Yeah, it's been in the name of justice. But if you accept my gift, maybe God will have some mercy on me."
Allie wanted to cry at the injustice of it all. "Okay." She wiped the stray tears from beneath her eyes. "Thank you."
He sent her a half-grin as he leaned back against the cushioned head rest. "I'm glad we're in the air and someone else can be in charge for a while." He yawned.
He was exhausted, Allie thought. She'd napped in the car, but he'd had a rough morning, too. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and she could see the toll everything had taken on him. She wanted to ask about Jenna. But later. It could wait. They'd found their way back to comfortable ground, and she didn't want to mess it up. She owed him that much.
"You should sleep. We're safe up here." She liked watching him as he relaxed. It was good to see the tough guy being a bit vulnerable. Not that she wanted to see it when there were guns around, but since it was only the two of them flying high in the blue sky, it was nice.
"I'd like to sleep if I could get my brain to shut off."
"I could give you a hand massage." She hoped he wouldn't take her offer the wrong way. "As friends? It would help you relax." It would also give her a chance to give back to the man who'd risked his life for her.
Without waiting for his reply, she undid her seatbelt and stood. "Do you have any lotion?"
He raised an interested eyebrow. "There might be some in the bathroom." He indicated the rear of the plane.
Allie smiled and walked past Boo who'd found his bed on the side of the leather couch. She should have known it was a private plane. Who else would have a dog bed onboard? "You should come lay where you can get comfortable," she said to Jase.
The bathroom was rich. Plum carpet and towels gave the room a luxurious feel, and the plane even had a shower. Awesome. She opened the cabinet and found a bottle of pear-scented lotion. Perfect.
By the time she returned, Jase had found a pillow and had stretched out on the couch. The length of him took up the entire space, and he gave her a lazy smile as she approached.
"You don't look like you'll need that massage after all," she teased. He looked pretty comfy, and she wished she could curl up next to him while he slept.
"Oh, yes, I do. You promised a hand massage, and I'm looking forward to the experience."
That made her happy. The awkwardness after their kiss had disappeared, and it was nice to know he welcomed her touch. She knelt on the floor in front of him and put a squirt of lotion in her hands.
She took one of his strong hands in hers and began to rub. The scent of spiced pears rose between them.
"Mmm," he muttered as she pressed her thumb into the palm of his hand. "Where did you learn to do that?"
"My mom. Before she died." Thinking of her mom was always bittersweet. She loved the memories, but it hurt to know she wouldn't see her on earth again. "She always gave me hand massages when I was sick or sad." Allie smiled. "Sometimes, she'd do it for no reason at all."
"What happened to her?"
"Breast cancer. She was thirty-five." She glanced at Jase's face, liking the way he watched her. "What about you?" She hoped she wasn't pressing the issue. "You've mentioned your sister...and others. Does that mean all of your family is gone?"
He paused, and, for a moment, she was afraid he wouldn't answer. "Yeah, they're all gone. My mom, my dad and my sister, all in one fell
swoop." He looked away and focused on their hands.
She massaged the length of his thumb from the wrist all the way to the tip. "You don't have to talk about them if you don't want." She looked at their hands, too, avoiding a visual connection with him. When he didn't respond, she risked a glance.
He watched her with heavy-lidded, dark eyes. "They were murdered."
"Oh, my God." She stopped rubbing. "That's horrible." His whole family? "How old were you?"
"Nineteen."
The same age she was now. "What happened?" she whispered, not wanting to force him to talk, but needing to know all the same.
He wiggled his hand, and she started rubbing again. "The Trasatti family murdered them."
She couldn't imagine his pain. "Like a mob war or something?" His hand relaxed again in hers.
"Everyone always assumes."
She wrinkled her brow. She'd obviously missed something. "What do you mean?"
"People assume that's how they died. They think my family was corrupt, too, and somehow they asked for what happened." He held out his other hand to her. "My family had nothing to do with the mob. My parents were good, honest people. I grew up in a town in Oregon where it's still safe to leave your doors unlocked. My sister was only fifteen years old." He swore under his breath. "I didn't even realize mobsters were such a force until they wiped out everyone I loved while we were visiting Chicago. My family didn't deserve what happened to them. Nobody does. Except the Trasattis."
"Were you there on vacation or something? What happened?" She squeezed more lotion into her hand.
"Yeah. Wrong place. Wrong time." Jase scrunched his shoulders and then relaxed, as though it was a technique he'd used many times. "I try not to think about it too much."
"So you decided to stay in Chicago after that?"
He nodded his head, his eyelids almost completely shut, his breathing growing more even despite their conversation.
"Why?"
"To make them pay." His drowsy whisper left her shivering.
