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6

HOSTAGE

Emma

“ O h! Lookie here, I have great news! You’ve been upgraded to first class.”

I blink at the agent who’s checking in my luggage. “Excuse me?”

“Damn. I didn’t get bumped,” Ross mutters behind me. “Maybe you should move to Vegas. You’re killing it here.”

“It’s not like I have points or tons of miles.” I look from my new travel bestie to the agent. “I don’t understand.”

She narrows her eyes on a frown and stares at me like I’m crazy. “You don’t question the first-class gods. You bow down, thank them, and accept the glass of champagne they offer you when you board.”

I glare right back. I know what first class is like. I was raised by Asa Hollingsworth who does not mess around when it comes to travel accommodations. If he doesn’t charter a private jet, we ride in first. “I know that. What I mean is, I feel bad. I’m traveling with my work associate. Can you upgrade both of us?”

“Sorry,” she sing-songs and goes back to pecking on her keyboard. “That was the last seat. And since you’re in first class, I won’t charge you for your suitcase weighing in two pounds over the limit. You should get on your way. You’re late. Your plane will be boarding soon.”

“It’s fine, Emma. I’m so tired, I’m going to sleep the entire flight. Let’s get through security.”

“Next!” The agent looks over my head to the travelers behind us who look like they have the patience of an overtired toddler.

I have to double time it to catch up with Ross. “I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. I’m half your size. You should be able to stretch out. I’ll see if they’ll let us trade when we get to the gate.”

He waves me off and proves that a long week in Vegas chasing around professional football players and their coaches hasn’t worn through his kindness, even though he continues to tease me about my viral interview. “I’m not worried about it. Maybe they know you’re the next big thing in sports broadcasting. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet, and you’re already being treated like a superstar.”

“Hardly. Whatever luck I had yesterday in front of the camera wore off. Not one player or any of the Founders staff will talk to me today.”

Ross shakes his head. “Their star is in a shitload of trouble. Yesterday at this time, they were talking about his new contract. Today, a suspension is the least of his troubles. Don’t get your feelings hurt. They weren’t talking to anyone.”

Yeah, I know intimately from Brett’s agent how much trouble he’s in. “I tried my best. That’s all I can do, which means my big break is about to come to an end. When we get home, I’m sure I’ll be sent back to hauling around my own camera at high school games. It’s what I was hired on for. That’s fine, but I’ll miss you. I’ll always have my days in Vegas.”

Ross glances down at me as we walk past a slew of passengers heading to precheck. “I’ll put in a good word for you with the big boss. You’ve got a knack for getting people to talk.”

Ross and I get through security and hurry to our gate. We hung around the resort as long as we could hoping to get a few words from anyone in the Founders organization about Brett Sullivan. I have a feeling everyone is utilizing the Jack Hale approach to manage the storm created by his client.

Silence.

Ignorance.

Complete and utter disregard for reality.

When we arrive at the gate, there are only a few stragglers in front of us boarding. I turn to Ross one more time. “I feel horrible sitting in first class.”

“I bet you’re the only news reader at the station who would feel bad about that.”

I give him a light punch on the shoulder. “Wow. You just called me a news reader. I see how it is. And here I thought we were friends.”

He laughs as he steps onto the plane before me. “We are, but you’re still a news reader.”

I’m about to tell him how happy I am about being in first class while he sits in the back and eats flavorless pretzels and stale cookies with the commoners when I stop dead in my tracks.

Sitting on the aisle of my row is none other than the man I can still feel between my legs.

Having three orgasms and sex two times in the matter of a couple hours will do that to a girl.

He looks up at me with a hiked brow. “Is this your seat?”

I forget all about Ross who’s continued on to the back of the plane and double check my seat number.

Yep.

That’s my seat.

Instead of taking it like a normal, gracious person would, I stand here and block the aisle. “Did you do this?”

“What? Pay a premium to upgrade your ticket at the last minute so I could have your undivided attention for the next four hours?”

“Yes,” I hiss. “Did you?”

“Fuck, yeah, I did.”

I hear a gasp from the seat behind Jack. An older woman with jet black hair glares at me.

I apologize for Jack. “I’m sorry. I promise he’ll be on his best behavior throughout the flight.”

“The hell I will,” Jack spouts and throws back the last of a Bloody Mary. He slams the glass down on the wide armrest, plucks a limp piece of celery from it, and chomps half of it in one bite. He looks up at me and talks with his mouth full. “Sit down so we can get this show on the road. I’m having a shit day and need a plan of action by the time we land on the other side of the continent.”

The woman’s frown deepens just as the flight attendant bends next to her and says, “May I offer you a set of complimentary headphones?”

Jack raises his voice but doesn’t bother to turn around. “I’d take those if I were you. My business imploded with one fucking internet post. This is going to be a long flight.”

I glare at Jack before turning my apologetic gaze to the woman who clearly isn’t used to R-rated passengers. “I recommend you accept the headphones.”

“Lady, take a seat so the rest of us can move through.”

I look back at the man behind me wearing an ugly expression. “Sorry.”

Jack doesn’t shift to make room for me, so I have to maneuver over him stepping between his legs as I go. When my ass falls into my wide, plush seat, the attendant leans down and directs her words at Jack. “I should kick you off since we’re still at the terminal. Consider this a warning to be on your best behavior.”

Jack smiles sarcastically. It’s not sexy or dazzling and it does nothing to make my panties wet.

Quite the contrary.

It makes me angry. And I rarely get angry.

He leans in close—which is a big lean since our seats are wide and spacious—and puts his lips so close to my ear, his breath caresses my skin. It’s warm and familiar and reminds me when I felt it elsewhere on my body last night. “You and I have unfinished business to talk about.”

I lean toward the window and frown at him since he’s boxing me in. “I can’t believe you upgraded my ticket. I feel like I’ve been kidnapped and am being held hostage for exactly four hours and forty minutes.”

His smile is triumphant, like he’s the one who scored the winning touchdown last night and not his client who’s up to his ears in drama—both the viral and legal kind. “Maybe lady luck will be on my side, and we’ll get stuck on the tarmac. Make it an even five hours. Maybe six if she’s not on her period.”

I glare at him. “Have you been drinking since I left you this morning? Lady luck hates you. The proof is all over the internet.”

He reminds me how comfortable he got with my body last night and wraps his hand around my thigh and slides it up two inches. “Lady luck was on my side last night.”

I grab his wrist and throw his hand back into his expensive seat. “That’s over. The moon is gone, and the sun shines bright. Welcome to reality, Jack. I’ve been running around Nebula trying to get someone to talk to me or utter some type of statement. But not one word. Not even a glance in my direction. Do you know how frustrating that is?”

“No one’s going to talk to you. Professional sports is a business . When shit hits the fan, the last thing any business is going to do is blab to the media. You’re spinning your wheels, Em.”

Speaking of wheels, the ones on the plane start to move. I realize the attendant is giving Jack and me the side eye for bickering during her entire safety presentation.

Like anyone pays attention to those anyway.

I lean back in my seat and close my eyes. The guilt nibbles at me since Ross has at least six inches and probably eighty pounds on me, but first class is so comfortable. I let myself sink into the seat and decide not to think about Jack holding me hostage for almost five hours.

I’ve been running on pure adrenaline since our phones blew up this morning. Chasing down professional football players, no sleep, and hours of flirting followed by vigorous sex sink in.

I’m exhausted.

The pilot breaks into my bubble to announce takeoff right before we start to speed down the runway.

“Em,” Jack calls for me right before his fingers touch my jaw and force me to face him. When I open my eyes, he’s right here in my space. I know for a fact how much sleep he got last night, but he doesn’t look the least bit tired when he announces, “I have a plan.”

“Good for you.” I yawn. “So do I. I’m going to put on my noise-cancelling headphones and shut my eyes. My plan is to catch up on my sleep and pretend I’m not grateful for this comfortable seat. Do not touch me or talk to me until we enter the Commonwealth’s airspace.”

He hikes a brow. “I wore you out, huh?”

His words remind me of last night and how much I enjoyed every moment. I don’t break from his hold or his intense gaze. “I was worn out before you found me in the bar. Let’s say you were the nail in my coffin.”

“I prefer to be the cherry on your sundae. You’ll like how I taste if you give it a try.”

Jack’s seat jolts as it’s bumped from behind.

“Enough up there!” the old lady pipes. “I’m going to tell the pilot, and you’ll get kicked off the plane.

I bite back a smile.

Jack doesn’t hide his. I wonder if he threw back espresso martinis before he boarded because he doesn’t look tired in the least. He looks like he could go another four rounds in the sheets. His smile is dripping with sexual energy.

My ears start to pop as the plane leaves the earth. I lower my voice to barely a whisper since we’re so close our noses would brush if we experience one bump of turbulence. “We’ll be at thirty-thousand feet soon. Don’t get yourself kicked off the plane now.”

“Have you ever had sex at thirty-thousand feet?”

I shift in my seat to face him as best I can without loosening my seatbelt. “Something to know about me, Jack. I’m a germaphobe. I will hold it until I’m blue in the face before I’ll even think about walking into an airplane bathroom. The only reason I didn’t flip out about walking around barefoot in your hotel room last night is because it’s a Black Resort property, and they’re just that clean and perfect. Otherwise, my bare feet do not touch a hotel floor. I even have hotel shoes.”

His lips tip on one side. “You were so distracted by me, you forgot all about the germs. I could do the same for you high in the sky if you give me the chance.”

I shake my head. “My guess is you paid a pretty penny for my seat. I don’t plan to leave it until we’re touching the earth again. I might sleep on your shoulder, but that’s all the action you’re getting from me.”

His fingers on my chin slide toward my jaw to cup my face. “Action with Emma … that’s something I can’t stop thinking about.”

“Please don’t think out loud. The woman behind us will bust a vein.”

He leans in and presses his lips to mine.

I don’t argue or try to stop him.

I’d say it’s because I’m too tired, but really, it’s because I like it. The morning has been too much of a whirlwind for me to process last night.

Jack and me—what a night it was.

He breaks our kiss but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he contemplates me, like he’s rethinking this plan of his.

When he finally breaks our silence, he announces, “You’re lucky I have fires to put out from coast to coast. Take a nap, but I’m not letting you sleep until we get to the Commonwealth. I’m waking you up over Kansas. You’re a part of my plan in more ways than one. And when we land, you’re coming home with me so we can put that plan into action.”

My eyes widen as I shake my head. “My dad is picking me up from the airport. There’s no way I can tell him I’m going home with you instead.”

His jaw goes taut. “Fuck. I can’t compete with Daddy Asa.”

“Can I get you something to drink?”

Thank goodness the attendant breaks into the conversation. I do not want to talk about my dad with Jack.

I smile. “Water, please.”

“I need my vegetables—one more Bloody Mary,” Jack demands.

I glare at him.

He turns to the attendant and settles back into his seat. “Please.”

Then he flips up the wide arm rest between us and reclines his seat. If we weren’t in first class with more than enough space, I’d berate him for being rude. He puts his arm out and motions to himself. “Come here.”

My frown deepens.

He rolls his eyes. “You slept on me last night. I’m here for you. But only until Kansas. Then we have shit to talk about.”

As much as I don’t want to admit it, I did enjoy the short time we slept together last night.

I tuck my feet in my chair and lean into him. His thick, heavy arm drapes down the side of my body, and his hand lands on my ass.

I’m too tired to complain.

And it feels good.

It must feel good to him too. I get a squeeze.

His lips hit the top of my head as he pulls out his cell and hooks up to Wi-Fi. “I’ll see you when we’re over wheat fields.”

I snuggle in deeper and ignore the fact Jack thinks he can tell me how long I can or can’t sleep.

I’ll deal with that when he tries to wake me. It’s been years since Jack and I spent time together. He has no clue who I am or what he’s dealing with.