“I know. And I’m sorry. I would have sent someone for you, but …”
“It’s not a problem. I’m just bitching. You know what I’m like.”
Dan didn’t reply.
“Are you busy? Do I need to shut up and leave you to it?”
“No. It’s not that.”
The way he said it made her wonder what it was then. Dan wasn’t much of a talker, but she could tell there was something off with him.
She looked up when the gate agent announced that they’d be starting boarding in a few minutes. “That’s my call. I’ll see you when I get there. Or will I? Will I see you tonight or at the office tomorrow?”
“How about you call me when you get to town?”
“Okay. Are you sure everything’s okay, Dan?”
“I am. See you later, Lee.”
“See ya, and don’t forget to send me that confirmation email. I don’t want to have to hitchhike up to your lake.” She ended the call and checked her emails before going to join the line to board.
~ ~ ~
Ryan threw his empty coffee cup in the recycling bin and went to join the line. It felt good to be going home. It made him smile to even think of the place that way—home. He’d never had one of those. Never even wanted one. Well, apart from during the time that he and Leanne had been together. Her apartment here had been home. And he’d wanted them to build a home and a life together. He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out with a sigh. He needed to get over that shit. Okay, so he’d seen a fleeting glimpse of her. He didn’t need to let it drag him back down into the memories.
He looked up when the gate agent announced that first-class passengers could now board. He did a double take when he saw a blonde head at the front of the line.
It couldn’t be.
It was.
Leanne stepped forward and handed her boarding pass to the gate agent before disappearing through the doors. He couldn’t help watching her ass. She had the greatest ass. The only trouble was that seeing it again only brought the memories flooding back. Every time he’d held her ass in his hands. Every time … No. He had to stop. He shuffled forward with the other passengers until his turn came to show his boarding pass.
The gate agent smiled at him. “Have a wonderful flight, Mr. Brady.”
He nodded. There was no chance of that happening. Not while he was cocooned in the same space as Leanne. He almost wondered if he should ask the flight attendants if he could move back into coach. The first-class cabin on these commuter flights only had twelve seats. That wouldn’t be enough distance to put between Leanne and him.
He stopped once he was inside the cabin and shook his head in disbelief.
“Is everything all right, sir? Can I do anything for you?” The flight attendant’s smile told him she’d be happy to do whatever he suggested once they landed.
He shook his head and looked down at his boarding pass. His seat was 2B. Leanne was sitting in 2A. “Is the flight full?”
The flight attendant nodded. “It is.” She reached to check his boarding pass. “But you’re up front here with me.” She smiled. “I’ll take care of you.” She glanced back at the passengers waiting to come on board. “If you could take your seat.”
“Thanks.” There was nothing for it. He was going to have to go and sit next to Leanne. At least, she hadn’t seen him yet. She’d been looking down, he assumed at her phone, when he got on. Now all he could see was the top of her head.
His heart raced as he covered the short distance to the second row. He could think of nothing worse than to spend the next hour of his life sitting next to Leanne. Why? Because he wanted nothing more than to spend the next hour of his life sitting next to her.
She looked up as he slid into his seat. Her gaze met his. Her blue eyes were still as beautiful as he remembered. Her mouth formed a little round O of surprise and he had to drag his mind away from all the memories that stirred.
He sat down without looking away from those big, beautiful eyes.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
He had to laugh. Not the wisest move; he knew that. She hated to be laughed at, but he just couldn’t help it. He held his hands up in a helpless gesture and shook his head. He didn’t speak. He didn’t know what to say, but even if he had, he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to. His breath caught in his chest and his heart hammered at being this close to her again.
She glared at him. “What are you playing at?”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head. He needed to get his act together. “Same thing as you and everyone else on this plane. Taking a flight. Trying to get home. And by the way … hello, Leanne.”
Her nostrils flared as she continued to glare. She was so damned beautiful when she was angry. She reached up and stabbed her finger at the overhead call button.
People were still boarding and making their way down the aisle. The attendant by the door gave Leanne a stern look. “I’ll be with you as soon as I can, ma’am.”
Leanne turned on the charm. “I’m so sorry, hon. I don’t mean to be a pest. It’s just …” she glanced at Ryan. “Is the flight full? Are there any seats empty? I don’t mind going back into coach.”
The attendant smiled before she too glanced at Ryan, apparently putting two and two together. “I’m sorry. The flight’s full. I’m afraid you two are stuck with each other.”
Leanne slumped back down in her seat. Ryan didn’t know what possessed him—other than it was the same kind of crazy that came over him whenever he was around Leanne. He patted her hand and smiled at her. “Sorry, babes. It’s like she said, you’re stuck with me.”
She glared at him and snatched her hand away. “We don’t have to talk.”
He chuckled. “Why not? This will be a great chance for us to catch up.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “There’s nothing for us to catch up about. Why do you think I would even want to talk to you?”
He shrugged. He didn’t. He just wanted her to. “I thought you were over it.”
Her lips pressed together into a thin line before she spat out, “Of course, I am! I’ve been over you for years!” She looked so indignant. If he didn’t know any better, it’d give him hope. In his experience, when a lady protested a little too much, it was because she was trying to hide her truth. He did know better though. Leanne was well and truly over him. He hadn’t realized that he still riled her this much though. The cool indifference she’d shown him in Vegas was gone. She was rattled.
He smiled. “It’s been a couple years. You must have a lot to tell me about since Vegas.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “You really think I’m just going to sit here and chat to you?”
He shrugged. “Why not?”
She held her phone up. “Because I need to make the most of the Wi-Fi before they make us switch off.”
Ryan looked up at the sign above his seat; beneath the seat belt symbol was the Wi-Fi symbol. He smiled to himself and pulled his own phone out. He could wait.