Page 26

26

PENNY

“Holy shiitake. You weren’t kidding about how rich you are.”

Looking around at the plush cream interior of the jet, my eyes bug out with amazement. The floor is covered in a soft, thick carpet and the leather sofa is covered in white throw pillows, the letter E monogrammed in brown on every one. A damn sofa on a plane? This guy is obscenely rich.

I wrap my arms around my middle to try and get rid of the nerves swirling in my stomach. I know my brothers are all wealthy and successful, but that doesn’t mean I’m used to this kind of extravagance. Even though Jenson’s asked me to attend his away games before, my work schedule never allowed it. I mean, I would’ve made an exception if it was the superbowl, but the Spartans haven’t made it there yet.

As I make my way over to the sofa, A TV catches my eye, taking me out of my own head due to the enormous size of it. Slumping down to test the bounciness of the furnishings, I can’t hide the shock and awe on my face as I sink into the cushions. I don’t sit for long though. I’m itching to explore the rest of the little details that make this plane extraordinary.

Standing up and glancing around again, I notice the extra door at the end of the cabin and scoff in disbelief. “Is that a bedroom? This is ridiculous.”

His chuckle is closer than I expect it to be, and when I spin around to face him, he reaches out to steady me, placing his hands on my hips.

My breath catches in my throat as our eyes meet, and the butterflies in my tummy start to flutter in a frenzy. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. This is just… A lot.”

He shakes his head a little and lets his grin transform his face. “It’s fine, Penelope.” His fingers dig into my hips a little and sparks of arousal flick through my body. “Yes, it is a bedroom. When I travel back to England, I try to fly at night so I can be well rested when I land, and I like to be comfortable. And it is ridiculous, but it’s a way of life for me. Always has been. Come on, let me introduce you to our pilot today.”

He grabs my hand and leads me to the door furthest away from the sofa. The tingle that starts in my fingers at his touch and floods through my veins makes me smile like a goofy teen. With a gentle rap of his knuckles on the wooden door, he opens it and strides inside. His demeanour is full of confidence and swagger. God, he’s infuriatingly hot.

An older gentleman greets us with a smile on his face. “Edward, I’d like you to meet my assistant and very good friend, Penelope Richards. Penelope, this is Edward. He’s been my pilot for years now.” I offer my hand and shake his proffered one.

“Lovely to meet you. Any ‘friend’ of Ben’s is a friend of mine.” He winks and chuckles to himself as my back goes ramrod straight and an uncomfortable feeling washes over me.

How many ‘friends’ has he had on this plane before me? The idea of Ben sleeping with other women on this plane sends a flurry of rage and jealousy through me and I have to force the scowl from my face. Of course he’s had other women on here. He’s a billionaire, a drop dead gorgeous one at that, and can get any woman he wants.

So why the fuck does he want me?

I quickly push the thoughts from my mind. Apparently I’m not quick enough, though. Ben places his hand on my lower back and, with a small smile to Edward, quickly guides me from the cockpit and back to the seats for take off.

“What happened?” His voice is gentle as I clip the seatbelt in place and shake my head to let him know I’m fine.

I can’t let him know I’m jealous of the other ‘friends’ he’s had on here. Women he’s probably fucked in the bedroom, too. I listen intently to the air steward who is providing a brief safety talk to us, my nerves getting the better of me with each preparation for the worst case scenario.

I lift my hand from the arm rest to brush my hair from my face and quickly place it back down again when I realise it’s shaking.

“Are you scared of flying?” The earlier confusion is gone, replaced with concern on his beautiful face, and rather than of trying to hide it, I just shrug.

“I don’t know. I’ve never flown before.” Trying to feign nonchalance, I laugh a little. But it’s not a normal sound that rushes from my mouth. Nope, I sound like I’ve inhaled a ton of helium.

I try to shuffle on the seat, but my legs are frozen solid by fear as my heart races in my chest. Fuck. I’m going to have a fucking panic attack on a plane before we’ve even taken off.

“Penelope. Breathe with me. In through your nose and blow it out through your mouth.”

My eyes are squeezed shut, so I jump when a hand caresses my knee, gentle touches turning firmer as they land on my thigh. Circles trace over and over again as a voice continues to guide me in breathing through my fear.

It’s the second time he’s seen me like this now, and even though I hate being this vulnerable, I do love the fact he’s been able to spot my distress both times. It’s something I’ve been able to hide from my family on numerous occasions, but he seems to be focused on me exactly when I need him to be.

I manage to get a grip on the panic and let the gentle pressure on my flesh distract me from the nausea swirling in my stomach.

“Open your eyes, Penelope. Take a deep breath and come back to me. You’ve got this. I’d never let anything bad happen to you.”

The gentle tone of his voice soothes the rest of the anxiety away and I slowly peel my eyes open. The sheer intensity buried in his beautiful brown orbs nearly takes my breath away, but I take another deep inhale and blow the breath out slowly.

“Hi.” He smiles that devastatingly beautiful smile as I manage a wobbly grin back. “Why didn’t you tell me you were nervous?”

“I didn’t know I was. The safety talk got the better of me.” Whispering the words, I shift awkwardly as the air steward brings me a glass of water and smiles kindly before retreating back to their space at the front of the plane. “You must think I’m some sort of an idiot. I’m sorry, Mr. Elias.” I avert my gaze from him and sip the ice cold water.

“Don’t apologise for showing me your vulnerabilities, Penelope. I like the fact you trust me with them more than you know.”

My eyes shoot back to his. The look on his face screams affection, and I look away again, too scared to fall any deeper for this guy than I’m reluctantly willing to admit I already have.

“And I told you before, I like it when you call me Ben. Or are you just being a brat again?” The playful tone in his voice brings my gaze back to him, his grin diminishing the seriousness of everything and forcing me to relax into the seat.

“I’m always a brat, Ben. I thought you’d gathered that by now.”

His eyes darken and he leans a fraction closer to me, his hands still tracing circles on my thighs. “Maybe I like that, Penelope. Maybe I want to?—”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Elias, but we’re ready to take off and we need you in your seat.” The air steward nervously stands in front of us, and as Ben slowly drags his eyes away from me, I note the disappointment in them before he snaps them to look at the steward.

“Of course.” His tone is clipped and sharp, and I feel so sorry for the guy as he flinches back a little at Ben’s abruptness. I offer a small smile in his direction and he returns it with a nod of his head.

“Penelope.”

My head swivels to the right as Ben’s hand is stretched out toward me. My eyes ping between his hand and his face, and by the third look at his hand, he raises an expectant brow at me and flexes his fingers. I roll my lips to hide my grin and lean over and grip his hand in mine. He breathes out a sigh and relaxes back into his seat, his head turned to watch me as the plane starts to move and I grip his hand tighter.

“Take off and landing are the worst part. But don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

My heart’s racing and my mouth is drier than the desert, but it’s not because we’re hurtling into the sky. It’s because my hand is engulfed by his strong one, his eyes are watching me adoringly, and his words make me feel safer than if I had two feet placed firmly on the ground. I am in so much fluffing trouble, and I don’t seem to care about it at all.