ONE
MAISIE
“Make yourself at home,” he said as I boarded his plane.
Against all logic, I’d decided to go to New York with him. Four days. That’s all I was giving him, and in exchange, he was going to make the hurt disappear for a little while. When the weekend came back around, he promised to ship me home, saying we’d both go on our merry ways, like it never happened.
I’d put up every single argument I could think of, and he quashed them all. He was going to buy me a new wardrobe. Any and all toiletries or makeup items I needed. Any singular item I needed would be fully provided for me. All I had to do was show up. Be there. Let him have his way with me and enjoy it.
I took a seat as the pilot secured the cabin. The engines fired up a short time later, and Sawyer threw me a devilish grin, as if he were thinking of all the things he wanted to do to me later. One look from him caused a flurry of anxious butterflies in my stomach.
Goddamn he was fine.
My heart galloped in my chest. “You know I’ve never flown before.”
“I didn’t know that about you,” he said. He stood up and walked over to where I was sitting, reaching his hands down around my hips and digging behind the seat until two halves of a seatbelt emerged. He buckled me in. “There. You’re safe now.”
He returned to his seat and crossed his legs, pulling his phone out.
“So what are we doing tonight?” I asked, nervously making idle chit chat. “I’m sure you’ve got big plans for me in that big, beautiful businessman head of yours.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, Mouthy Maisie, but I’ve got a very important business call to take,” he said. “Once we reach our cruising altitude, you’re more than welcome to head back to the bedroom and take a nap. I’d like you good and rested for tonight.”
Damn. No mile high club?
My stomach dipped as he turned away from me, and the loud engines prevented me from earing a word he was saying on his call. The pilot mumbled something over the speakers like “prepare for takeoff” and soon the plane was rolling toward the runway.
Deep breaths, Maisie.
I wasn’t afraid of much. In fact, I was pretty fearless for the most part, but flying on a plane for the first time and going home with some sexy stranger were two things I never thought I’d be doing at the same time.
***
His penthouse was incredible. Like something out of a movie scene. Thick, velvet curtains flanked floor to ceiling windows. Carefully placed lighting shone on priceless works of art. Enormous fireplace. Marble sculptures. Chef’s dream kitchen. Leather and reclaimed wood. Private elevator. Sweeping city views. Not a spec of dust to be found.
“What is it you do again?” I asked.
His lips curled into an amused smile, as if he got that question a lot. “I own a jet company. We make luxury jets for the world’s most elite jetsetters.”
“I’m pretty sure I could fit my entire apartment into your living room.” I walked over to the window, glancing below at the city. The cars were so tiny from where I stood. They looked like toys. And the people walking on the sidewalk were small as ants. “What does a guy like you need with all this space? Or do you just like to look down on the rest of the world?”
I was mostly teasing, but I liked to razz him up. It was fun getting a reaction out of him.
He said nothing, but I felt his presence come up from behind me, and it sent a shock of anticipation down to my core. A hint of his warm breath on my neck forced me to close my eyes as I awaited his move.
“This view. It’s beautiful,” I said. “I’m really surprised you don’t have anyone to share it with. What a shame…”
His hands gripped my hips as he spun me around to face him. “Mouthy Maisie, I really need you to stop talking right now.”
My lips parted to protest, but my words were stopped when his mouth claimed mine. Tension seemed to melt away as he pressed me against the cool glass of
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