“Fuck.” There’s the sound of Maximus releasing his seat belt, and then he’s doing the same to me. “Come here, Emilia.”
A mewl of protest is all I can manage. I know him undoing the safety belt won’t matter, but it serves to push me over the edge mentally. “Maximus, please. Please don’t. Don’t do this.”
He mutters under his breath right before he moves and grabs my hips, plucking me from my chair. I gasp, and by the time I’m ready to fight him, he’s placing me in his lap. He positions me sideways, his clean-shaven jaw touching my forehead and his muscled torso pressing against my hip and arm.
“You’re safe,” he whispers in my hair, his breath stirring the tendrils that came loose at the frenzied shaking of my head earlier. I’m still too scared to fully believe him, but I mentally cling to those words.
Then I’m clinging to him with a small shriek as the plane dips once more.
I snake my arms around his neck and bury my face in the warm space where his shoulder meets his throat, while tucking my legs so they’re close to my chest. There’s no logic to be found in my actions. Only my instincts, which drive me to Maximus.
He is strength personified, and if anyone can protect me, it’s him.
“Tell me the statistics of traveling on a plane,” he says. He wraps his arms around me, and my heart sighs. “You can compare it to that of any transportation, if you wish.”
Facts bombard my panic-riddled brain, and before I’ve had a chance to really think, they practically fall from my lips. I have yet to open my eyes, but I find keeping them closed helps tremendously. However, not as much as my husband holding me.
“Fact: More than 80 percent of the world’s population is afraid of flying. And only 5 percent has ever been on a plane.”
“Good girl,” he murmurs. “That’s very interesting. Anything else you want to add?” When I shake my head, he cups my face. His palm takes up the entirety of my cheek, as well as my jaw, once again emphasizing and reaffirming how much bigger and stronger he is than me. He traces my bottom lip with his thumb, coating it with liquid, the touch light and nonintrusive. “Taste that.”
The burning scent of the alcohol hits my nose, and I wrinkle it slightly before I flick out my tongue. Maximus swallows deep, his throat working against my forehead. A flare hits my taste buds. “Again,” he says, his voice now gruff. I obey, and after that the rim of a glass taps my mouth. “Drink this and don’t stop.”
He doesn’t give me time to rebel or comply. The liquid gathers at my mouth, and I have no choice but to part my lips or else the contents will spill onto us. I gulp down the liquor, ignoring the burning trail it creates going down. It settles in my belly, and the warmth collets there, heating me from the inside.
But it’s his praise that lights a fire in me.
“Good girl.” He removes my high heels and tosses them to the floor. It’s strange to have his hands on my feet, gripping my ankle in an almost tender way, and then him wrapping his arms around me once more. Against my better judgment, I snuggle into his massive frame, into him. “The alcohol should make you more comfortable, little one.”
All my terror from before is slowly morphing into something else. Something alluring like desire. My body all but melts into Maximus, and I sigh before I can stop myself. This moment in his embrace is everything to me. He may hate me, be my enemy, and hurt me, but I’ve never felt more cherished by a man. It’s fucked up and wonderful and insane.
And I don’t care.
He takes my chin between his fingers and nudges it up, causing me to shake my head in an attempt to dislodge his hold. I want to stay in this place of safety and comfort for as long as I can.
I may never experience it again.
“You can’t hide from the world,” he says quietly. “There are many bad things you won’t see coming, but you’ll also miss the things that are good. Open your eyes.” Just as I’m about to refuse, he turns his head and his lips brush my temple. The shivers racing through me are purely sexual. There is no fear to fall back on, to use as an excuse. “I promise you won’t regret it,” he says.
Perhaps it’s the seductive tone of his voice, which could get me to do just about anything right now. Or maybe it’s my curiosity. Either way, I nod and slowly lift my eyelids. He nudges my chin and stares down at me. There’s a shift, a softening in his gaze as he looks at me. My body recognizes it before my mind does, and my pulse turns rapid.
He breaks the connection by gesturing to the window. “Go see.”
I’m not secure enough on my own to brave facing my fear, so I adjust myself in his lap and then tentatively peek out the window. The clouds are so close I’m able to make out the texture of them, which looks like cotton.
“Fact: The National Transportation Safety Board gathers aviation data concerning accidents,” I say. “They say there is a one in 7,178 chance of death from flying.”
His lips skim my cheek. “What else?”
I can’t discern if he’s asking me because he wants to know or not, but I tell him anyway. Data has been a constant companion for me, and I have a fierce need to share it with Maximus. I don’t dwell on the reason for that, since it’s not something I want to acknowledge.
“Fact: Statistically speaking, flying is safer than driving.” I stop for a moment and drink in the breathtaking scenery thousands of feet below us. My fear has all but disappeared, and my love for experiencing new things swells. “And it’s beautiful.” I smile up at him and absently draw circles on his nape, just under his hairline. “Thank you for helping me see that before it’s too late.”
His eyes gleam, and I stiffen.
There’s no time to protect myself. My arms are still wrapped around his neck, leaving me open for anything, and it’s not as if I could truly escape anyway. Being on this plane ensures I’m more of a captive than ever before. When his cock hardens against my hip, I suck in a breath. Maximus’s gaze lands on my mouth, his intent clear.
Then his lips are on mine.
