Curve Struck (A Celebrity Stepbrother Romance) by Christa Wick Page A
Authors: Christa Wick
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felt the drag at her center of gravity and the tickle it produced low in her belly. An enjoyable tickle, but unwelcome with Declan nearby.
She risked a side glance and damn her if he wasn't still watching!
Jerking her head in his direction, she glared at him. It wasn't as if he was going to make the pilot circle the airport, land again and kick her off. Now that they were airborne, she could call him on his rudeness.
Although maybe she should apologize first for her behavior that morning.
Nope, she thought, shaking her head at the idea while still looking at him. He no longer deserved an apology. He'd been rude so many times over, embarrassing her in front of the stewardess about the alcohol, directing her like she was some disobedient dog that had peed on his thousand dollar rug, and letting her hang in the airport while he made up his mind to have someone fetch her at the last minute.
Before her stomach could finish unknotting, the captain announced they were at their cruising altitude and could use their devices, including texting on their phones. He also told them they were free to move around the cabin.
Melanie got up before she could lose her nerve and walked over to Declan. A smirk lit up his face and grew bigger with every step she took.
If he thought she was coming over to thank him or grovel, he was misreading her face. Right at that moment, she wanted to kick him in the balls. But first she needed to know if Cammie could pick her up at the airfield.
"My roommate was supposed to pick me up at LAX--"
Declan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you trying to mooch a ride home from me now?"
Her hands landed on her hips and she answered with a snort. "No. I need to know if the place will allow mere mortals to park their decrepit, non-luxury cars there so she can pick me up."
The gray eyes got all flinty again and his mouth danced a thin line. "How are you going to explain landing at a private airfield?"
"Right," she said, realizing she was facing the same dilemma as when she had wanted to let her mom know she would be on a different plane. She couldn't do so without lying or mentioning Declan.
She shrugged. "I suck at lying. What do you think I'm going to tell her?"
He shifted in his seat, his head tilted as he eyed Melanie's body from top to bottom and back up again. It felt weird having his eyes crawl over like that, especially since there hadn't been an ounce of interest flickering in them, just cold calculations -- like he was measuring her for a casket.
"What time is your scheduled flight supposed to land?"
"It lands at three-thirty," she answered. "I got bumped, so I assume it's still landing about then."
"That should give me plenty of time to drop you at whichever baggage claim area at LAX."
Finished talking, he pointed his chin at the loveseat, dismissing her all over again.
She didn't obey like a good little girl. She kept her feet planted and her hands on her hips, her stance anything but conciliatory as she started to apologize despite all the arguments running through her head against doing so.
"I'm sorry about what I said this morning--"
"You said a lot of things this morning," he reminded her, his words stiff and his gaze boring into the back of her skull.
"I'm sorry I freaked out when I woke up and saw you in bed--"
"So, that's not a regular occurrence after you drink -- waking up next to a man?"
Damn him! He was trying to get her riled up and it was working. She mashed her lips together.
"I'm sorry I asked whether it was you or Bujo who peed on the couch..."
She thought she detected a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his sensuous lips, like he was laughing on the inside.
Which meant he was laughing at her, not with her.
Melanie pulled a long breath in before she launched into the last of her apology.
"And I am particularly sorry I implied that you are the kind of person who would take advantage of someone after they've had too much alcohol."
Declan pushed into the back of
She risked a side glance and damn her if he wasn't still watching!
Jerking her head in his direction, she glared at him. It wasn't as if he was going to make the pilot circle the airport, land again and kick her off. Now that they were airborne, she could call him on his rudeness.
Although maybe she should apologize first for her behavior that morning.
Nope, she thought, shaking her head at the idea while still looking at him. He no longer deserved an apology. He'd been rude so many times over, embarrassing her in front of the stewardess about the alcohol, directing her like she was some disobedient dog that had peed on his thousand dollar rug, and letting her hang in the airport while he made up his mind to have someone fetch her at the last minute.
Before her stomach could finish unknotting, the captain announced they were at their cruising altitude and could use their devices, including texting on their phones. He also told them they were free to move around the cabin.
Melanie got up before she could lose her nerve and walked over to Declan. A smirk lit up his face and grew bigger with every step she took.
If he thought she was coming over to thank him or grovel, he was misreading her face. Right at that moment, she wanted to kick him in the balls. But first she needed to know if Cammie could pick her up at the airfield.
"My roommate was supposed to pick me up at LAX--"
Declan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you trying to mooch a ride home from me now?"
Her hands landed on her hips and she answered with a snort. "No. I need to know if the place will allow mere mortals to park their decrepit, non-luxury cars there so she can pick me up."
The gray eyes got all flinty again and his mouth danced a thin line. "How are you going to explain landing at a private airfield?"
"Right," she said, realizing she was facing the same dilemma as when she had wanted to let her mom know she would be on a different plane. She couldn't do so without lying or mentioning Declan.
She shrugged. "I suck at lying. What do you think I'm going to tell her?"
He shifted in his seat, his head tilted as he eyed Melanie's body from top to bottom and back up again. It felt weird having his eyes crawl over like that, especially since there hadn't been an ounce of interest flickering in them, just cold calculations -- like he was measuring her for a casket.
"What time is your scheduled flight supposed to land?"
"It lands at three-thirty," she answered. "I got bumped, so I assume it's still landing about then."
"That should give me plenty of time to drop you at whichever baggage claim area at LAX."
Finished talking, he pointed his chin at the loveseat, dismissing her all over again.
She didn't obey like a good little girl. She kept her feet planted and her hands on her hips, her stance anything but conciliatory as she started to apologize despite all the arguments running through her head against doing so.
"I'm sorry about what I said this morning--"
"You said a lot of things this morning," he reminded her, his words stiff and his gaze boring into the back of her skull.
"I'm sorry I freaked out when I woke up and saw you in bed--"
"So, that's not a regular occurrence after you drink -- waking up next to a man?"
Damn him! He was trying to get her riled up and it was working. She mashed her lips together.
"I'm sorry I asked whether it was you or Bujo who peed on the couch..."
She thought she detected a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his sensuous lips, like he was laughing on the inside.
Which meant he was laughing at her, not with her.
Melanie pulled a long breath in before she launched into the last of her apology.
"And I am particularly sorry I implied that you are the kind of person who would take advantage of someone after they've had too much alcohol."
Declan pushed into the back of
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