Chapter 9
Addison bounced her leg as the wheels of the small commuter jet returned to terra firma in Atlanta. The extra-large latte with the extra shot of espresso had been a great idea at four in the morning, but her bladder decided to wait until the last possible moment to make its needs known.
She judged the width of Devon’s legs in the aisle seat. She was going to vault over him as soon as the doors opened.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
He must have woken up when they touched down. She took in his tousled hair and sleepy eyes. That’s probably what he looked like in bed. Shit. She didn’t need to think about that. This trip was going to be complicated enough as it was.
“I really, really have to pee,” she said.
His eyebrows rose, and then he leaned into the aisle and back. “You could probably go now.”
“We’re still taxiing.”
“You gonna make it until we get to the gate?”
“Don’t really have a choice at the moment. Just block the aisle when we get to the gate so I can run out.”
He chuckled. “Will do.”
After an eternity, the plane finally pulled up to the gate and the seat belt sign turned off. Devon stood and took up as much space as possible without even trying, having to duck so he didn’t bean himself on the ceiling. He retrieved her small carry-on and set it in the aisle for her.
Squeezing in front of him, she bounced on her toes, waiting for the door to open. Thankfully, the three people in front of her appeared to be just as eager to get off the plane.
Devon bumped into her, throwing her off balance. His hand wrapped around her waist and splayed over her lower abdomen, pulling her flush against his front. His heat permeated through her clothes, and his fresh, woodsy scent enveloped her.
“You good?” he asked in a low voice.
No. No, she wasn’t. Because now all she could think of was him wrapped around her while he bent her over something. Like a bed.
Addison swallowed twice before she could speak. “Yes.”
He relaxed his arm but kept his hand high on her hip. The door opened, and she made a break for it.
“I’ll meet you guys in the lounge,” she said over her shoulder.
* * *
Bemused, Devon watched Addison do everything short of pushing the older woman in front of her out of the way before rushing off the plane. He wasn’t sure how he’d ended up with the seat next to her, but he didn’t really care. He’d planned to talk to her on the flight, but she’d rested her head against the window and fallen asleep. Oh, well. They’d have time on the flight to Vienna.
Graham, Paige, Jane, and Tinker were seated behind them, so Devon waited for them in the gate area.
“Where’s Addison?” Graham asked.
“Nature call,” Devon said. “I’ll wait for her if you guys want to go ahead.”
Paige checked her watch. “Make sure you’re there in the next ten minutes.”
“I didn’t think our flight left for another three hours.” Tinker pulled out his boarding pass.
“It doesn’t, but we have a short window for a private conversation,” Paige said. “Connie is meeting us there to give us an update.”
“You mean we get to meet the Shady Lady?” Jane asked.
Paige sighed. “Do not call her that when you meet her. She will stab you.”
She headed in the direction of the first-class lounge. In her blouse, slacks, and heels—with Graham beside her and Jane and Tinker following—she looked like a celebrity with her security detail. More than a few people turned to watch her as they passed.
