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“Don’t you worry yourself over him. I’m sure he’s happy as a clam sitting in first class.”

“First class?”You gave up first class to sit with me?

“Some say it’s the only way to travel.” His eyes rolled over her, lingering on her mouth before dropping to her breasts, making her body go ten types of crazy. “I think they’ve got it all wrong. I’ve got the best seat on the plane.”

Her mind was spinning. “You’re going to Denver?”

“Weston, actually, but Denver’s the closest airport.”

“Weston?” No way! That was where she was going.

“Yes. I’ve got business there. Where are you headed?”

“Weston.” Her stomach dipped, but her engine was revving again with the possibilities of what this could mean.

No. No. No.

She needed to nip these thoughts in the bud. No good could come from a guy who’d banged her in an airport bathroom.

“Vacation, work, or family?” he asked.

She shook her head, unable to clear her thoughts enough to answer. She didn’t want to talk about her plans. She needed him to know exactly where she stood. The sooner he returned to first class and sent the smelly guy back to his rightful seat, the sooner she could forget what she’d done. Although, she had a feeling that forgetting Eric was not going to be easy. If it was even possible.

“Eric, I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but”—she lowered her voice to a whisper—“I’m not looking for another hookup. I shouldn’t have done what we did. I’m really not that person anymore.”

“Anymore?” He arched a brow and lowered his voice. “We can visit that later. For now, I think I got the message pretty clearly when you said you intended to forget what happened between us.” He placed a possessive hand on her thigh and said, “But I don’t intend to let you.”

She was too shocked to respond, and embarrassingly, totally turned on by his aggressive behavior.

“You see, Kat, I like you. I like the fire in your eyes, the strength in your convictions.” He pressed his lips to her ear and said in a gravelly voice that made her insides melt, “I love the taste of you and the way you look when you lose control.”

Heat stroked over her. He lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug, his lips curving up in a sinful smile that made her wish his hand would inch up her thigh again. Holy fuck. Those eyes of his must be hypnotizing her. How on earth would she make it through a long flight sitting beside him? She glanced at his hand, currently possessing her thigh, and placed her hand over his, trying to lift it from her leg.

He laced their fingers together, still smiling, but with a clear challenge in his eyes as he said, “Tell me to leave and I’ll go back to my seat.”

She could barely think past the blood rushing through her ears and the fire heating up her veins at his audacity, which should have turned her off but was totally turning her on. He was controlling, but thoughtfully so, giving her an easy out with every step. Allowing her to be in control of her decisions.Sort of. Was there a woman alive who could resist his charms? She didn’t even know his last name, and she found herself relaxing her hand as he turned his so they were palm to palm, and laced their fingers again.

“What’s your last name?” she asked.

“James. Eric James. You?” His gaze never wavered as he waited for her answer.

“Martin.”

“Kat Martin,” he said under his breath, as if he were memorizing it or weighing the feel of it on his tongue. He raised their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of hers. “Tell me, Kat, what turns you on besides dirty talk and a hard cock?”

She bristled.

“I struck a nerve. So dirty talk is only okay in quiet conversations or intimate moments. Duly noted. My deepest apologies.”

Kat was seriously considering getting up and walking away, when he leaned in closer and said, “That tells me what you said is true. You’re not a typical hookup girl.”

“I think I made that clear,” she said sternly.

“Verbally. Yet you’re still here, holding my hand, and that flush on your cheeks isn’t caused by the altitude. I know it’s caused by me, because a girl who was interested in hooking up with any willing and able man wouldn’t have flinched at what I said.” His piercing gaze made her pulse ratchet up another notch—or ten.

“You have a strange way of getting to the heart of matters,” she said, taking her hand back from his, and—confusingly—she missed his touch.

“I think I’m pretty direct. Besides, there’s nothing more beautiful than the spark of confidence in your eyes right now.” He lowered his voice again. “And knowing that while your eyes are holding my gaze, you’re asking yourself, what do I want? Should I walk away? Do I want to hold his hand again? Does he want to hold mine?”