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“Did you seriously just speak for me?” I asked, incredulously.
Mark barely glanced up when he replied, “You shouldn’t drink with the anti-nausea medicine you took to settle your stomach.”
Okay, so maybe he had a point, but I wasn’t about to let some man come into my life and take all of my decisions away from me. I unbuckled my belt and went after her.
“Um, hi,” I said, giving her a little wave.
The stewardess eyed me with some trepidation. “Yes, Miss Landry.”
“What are you doing, Sutton?”
I ignored the way his deep voice had my insides melting as he came up to stand behind me. I could feel the warmth from his body and refused to give into the automatic response of leaning into his hard frame. Visions of waking up in his arms danced through my mind, but I promptly squashed them.
I smiled at the girl. “You don’t need to call me Miss Landry. My name is Sutton. Did I hear Mark say that your name is Amanda?”
The girl nodded, looking from me to Mark and back to me again.
“Lovely.” I beamed at her. “Well, Amanda, I am nervous. This is my first flight.”
Mark’s hand shot out and rested at my hip.
When I turned to glare at him, he glared back, saying, “Turbulence.”
Turbulence, my ass.
It was a little bit harder to ignore him now that I could feel the heat from his fingers and palm through my clothes. But I did my best to pretend that he wasn’t there.
Amanda’s face softened as she responded, “Flying can be nerve-wracking if you aren’t used to it. My mom doesn’t care for it at all.”
I nodded. “Where are you from?”
Mark’s hand tightened as he growled low in his throat.
Amanda looked nervous again as she answered, “Georgia.”
My smile widened. “I thought I heard some southern country girl in there. Amanda, I was wondering if I could get a glass of that champagne you offered earlier. I am hoping that it might settle my serves.”
“Of course, Miss Landry.” She turned around and promptly poured me a glass. Then she bravely looked to Mark and asked, “Would you care for any, Mr. Williams?”
He must have shaken his head, because Amanda passed me my glass and then fled into the bathroom.
“You scared her,” he said wryly.
“I am hardly terrifying,” I replied, turning around and seeing that he was indeed very close to where I was standing. “If you don’t mind.”
I motioned for him to move. He stood there for a moment longer than was comfortable and then he sighed and moved back to where we were sitting.
“I still think the drink is a bad idea,” he said with his usual arrogant grace.
“I still think you don’t have any right to dictate what I can and can’t do in life. And I don’t want you getting upset with Amanda,” I added before taking a large gulp of champagne.
His eyes were locked on my face as he replied through gritted teeth, “Oh, I am not upset with Amanda. She was only doing her job.”
I lifted my chin. “Good. Will you please let me pass?”
My brow wrinkled in confusion when he didn’t move. I knew full well that he was mad as hell at me for defying him. But who was he to say if I could have a drink or not?
A muscle ticked in his cheek, but eventually, he moved back a fraction so that I could pass.