“He sounds like a pussy,” I groused.
“What was that?” she intoned in that sweet, almost innocent voice of hers.
“Nothing. I have to agree with you onOutliers. Lack of cultural competency often leads to miscommunications which can cause entire deals or planes,” I waved my hand, gesturing to the plane we were in, “to come crashing down.”
She tsked. “Tell me about it. I’ve seen some mess ups in my career due to bungled communication. But that’s whyTalking to Strangersis one of my favorite books. He sheds a lot of light on how our preconceived ideas overshadow how we approach others or people we deem others, right?”
“Agreed,” I replied. “But often it’s necessary to do thatotheringif they pose a threat.”
“But that’s kind of his point,” she jumped in, adjusting her body to face me as she made her point. “When we ‘other’ someone, we automatically make them out to be the bad guy or the enemy. Not everyone is your enemy.”
I snorted. “Not everyone is a friend, either,” I countered. A hint of skepticism stained my comment.
At that, she frowned, and honestly, I enjoyed her frown almost as much as her smile. It wasn’t a malicious downturn of her lips, but more of a contemplative, taking my statement under advisement before she spoke, type of frown.
And goddamn it when she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, that itching feeling in my fingers started again. I wanted to drag that plump lip from between her teeth and suck on it. I felt the need to pinch her chin between my thumb and forefinger, holding her in place while I attacked her juicy lips with my own.
Fuck, this woman had me rattled already.
We made it halfway through our three-and-a-half-hour flight before I realized we hadn’t stopped talking the entire time. By that time, I’d found out that she was also from and lived in Williamsport and her final destination was to Tulum, Mexico. Same as me.
I didn’t talk that much. I hated talking too much, but with her, it was easy. Hell, more than easy, it was something I wanted to do and keep doing. Right until the time our plane landed.
CHAPTER3
Mia
“I seriously had higher hopes for you,” I told Brutus as we exited the walkway that led into the Cancún airport.
A deep chuckle passed through his lips, and I had to force my body not to visibly shudder at the smoky sound.
“I’m serious,” I teased, turning in his direction. “How could a person read just about every Malcolm Gladwell book and then turn around and sayThe 48 Laws of Powerwas their favorite book of all time?” I grimaced at the thought.
He pinned me with those deep set, hazel eyes of his. I felt my body’s temperature rise a few notches. This man was huge, probably like double my size in height and at least two-fifty. And it was all muscle. The gray T-shirt he wore clung to his body for its dear life. And Lord help me if it didn’t look good doing it.
He had a head full of dark brown hair that he kept short at the sides and back but longer on top, with a beard to match. A beautifully sculpted jaw on a man was one of my weaknesses. And Brutus had it.
He was handsome, no doubt, but honestly, intimidating too. His size, combined with the way he sometimes scowled, I think any average person would do well to stay clear of getting on his bad side. Yet, something almost gravitational felt as if it pulled me to him.
“I never said it was my favorite book of all time,” he replied. His voice reminded me of silk and smoke and late nights.
The kind of late nights that were bound to get a woman into trouble.
“I said the author made some good points.”
I threw my hands up into the air. “That’s the same thing.”
Another rush of euphoria passed over me when the crack of a smile appeared on his lips. But it quickly disappeared. I noticed that throughout the flight. A smile would creep onto his mouth like the sun peeking out from behind the mountains in the morning. Then he’d tuck it away even quicker, not wanting to give too much away.
It made me want more.
“Hardly the same thing,” he said. “You can’t tell me there weren’t some valid points in that book about power and influence.”
I stopped right in the middle of the airport and the traffic of people, folded my arms across my chest, and pursed my lips.
Brutus stopped short, his eyes widening in surprise.
“I can and will.”
