“Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. The local time is seven-thirty p.m., and the temperature is seventy-six degrees. For your security, please make sure your seats are back and remain seated with your belts firmly fastened.

When the captain turns off the fasten your seat belt sign, we will be stationed at the gateway. This would be the optimum time to use your cellular devices if the need occurs.

Be sure to examine your area compartments for additional luggage, and please use caution when opening the overhead bins. If you’re headed to Salt Lake City, Utah, you have the option of exiting the aircraft to take care of any needs you may have or you’re welcome to stay on board. Flight 59B will be re-boarding again in one hour. On behalf of Kinship Airlines, I’d like to thank you for flying with us.”

Corinne placed the intercom’s receiver back on the wall and waited patiently for the fasten your seat belt sign to dim. When it did, she unbuckled her safety strap and made her way along with two other stewardesses to the main cabin. She helped direct the crowd to the exit while thanking them for flying Kinship Airlines. There was a smile on her face and cheer in her eyes, and although it was perfect for her job description, the excitement she felt had nothing to do with the airlines or the passengers.

Hearing Xavier tell her last night that she was important to him in so many words thrilled and scared her to death. Apparently, Xavier was fond of her, and while Corinne would’ve like to believe she already knew this, she wasn’t one to assume. Their blind date had been great, their phone conversations albeit light always ended to her satisfaction. Him showing up with Hunter to rescue her like a damsel in distress did add a level of delight to their communications, but to outright say she was important was next level. As the last passenger exited so did Corinne, deciding to stretch her legs, use the ladies’ room, and grab a quick bite to eat.

She mused as she went about her tasks, wondering what Xavier had in mind when they arrived in Utah. Corinne smirked. She knew he was a traveler, but Corinne could hardly imagine him in Salt Lake City. When Corinne thought of Xavier, she imagined glamour and big city lights. When she thought of Salt Lake City, thoughts of the Mormon church and Kentucky Fried Chicken came to mind, mostly because the city was known for being the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the original home of KFC.

Still, out of all of the traveling Corinne had done, she’d never felt so charmed to make it to a destination. Corinne left the bathroom and headed for the sink. She washed her hands and checked her appearance then readjusted the uniformed shirt that represented her as an employee of Kinship Airlines. Drying her hands, Corinne continued to muse, then left the restroom for food. After thirty minutes, Corinne made her way back to the aircraft where she boarded and headed to the break room. She was still transfixed in thought when a familiar baritone voice reached out to touch her skin.

“Good evening, mademoiselle.”

Corinne’s steps halted, and she twirled to the side. Surprise registered on her face as her eyes lit up, and her mouth parted slightly. Xavier Valentine seemed to get more attractive every time she saw him if that was even remotely possible. He was casually dressed, wearing an all-white premium-fitted crewneck T-shirt that kissed the brawniness in his muscles and stretched over his immense chest. The pullover rode down his chiseled abdomen into a pair of denim jeans that kissed his robust thighs before extending down to a fresh white pair of classic Reeboks. Around his neck a simple gold herringbone necklace draped; in his ears small diamond studs cast a soft sparkle. But behind all of that, Xavier’s mahogany skin lured her, looking so sweet Corinne caught an instant toothache. His gaze brimmed, partially suspended as he took in her almond-shaped eyes, full lips, and smooth brown skin. Her uniformed attire may as well have been absent for all the good it was doing. Xavier could see straight through the fabric, and his imagination tortured him with thoughts of what she could look like underneath.

“Xavier, how did you…?”

A smirk tugged his lips, and he withdrew his hands from his pockets as he closed the distance between them.

“Sometimes, I can be an impatient man,” he admitted, gazing down into her eyes. Hypnotized, Corinne stared back as his lips moved and his extended beard waved across her chin, tickling her skin. Reacting to the sensation, a smile cruised across her lips. “And I couldn’t wait,” he lifted two fingers to her chin and pulled her in, “to do this.”

His glorious lips sank into hers and spread Corinne’s mouth to allow his tongue a place to rest. The moan came from the depths of her soul, and Corinne lifted feeling light as a feather on her toes. As his lips devoured her slowly, Corinne sank into the closeness of his chest with her hands sliding up his muscle-toned barricade. Her body’s heat index was aflame, but another sheath of warmth shrouded her when his arms glided around her waist and covered her back. She was lost, in a space and time where only Xavier could reach her. Their tongues slipping and sliding, then sucking as they both tasted the inner recesses of their apertures. A thumping in the seat of her panties made Corinne’s entire nervous system come to life, and she was discreetly aware of the painful pushing against Xavier’s zipper.

“Ahem.”

Someone cleared their throat, and it severed the spellbinding allure that had fallen over Corinne. She snapped her head back, and their lips parted on a mouthwatering smack. However, Corinne didn’t glance to the newcomer right away; instead, she stared up at Xavier with wonder and a heartwarming appreciation. His gaze lingered on her mouth before returning to meet her eyes and there, he detained her.

“We’re boarding,” the female voice came. Corinne recognized the voice as Monica’s, another stewardess on board.

Pulling herself with significant force to acknowledge Monica was more difficult than anything. But when she did, Corinne nodded and stepped slightly away from Xavier.

“Thank you,” Corinne said to Monica.

Monica lingered with a huge grin and a conspiratorial wink in her eye. Monica moved off, going to the main cabin to welcome passengers on flight 59B. Corinne cleared her throat.

“Maybe you should have a seat,” she whispered, still trying to reclaim her voice. “It looks like we’ll be taking off soon.”

“Is it possible for you to share a seat with me?” he asked.

“Um, no, I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think?”

“That’s never been a request before, but we have safety rules in place that would most likely prevent it.”

“I see.”

Xavier slipped his hands back into his pockets, needing to keep them hidden so not to grab Corinne again and haul her into his arms.

“I have another request,” he said.

“Okay,” she said, waiting.

“I’d like to change my seat. I’ll pay extra if it’s needed.”

Corinne swept her eye around the cabin.

“Where would you like to sit?”

“Near you,” he said.

Corinne smirked then giggled, dropping her head in a sway then looking back at him. “You never give up, do you?”

“You’re just noticing that?”

Corinne giggled again. “I sit in the corner seat up ahead.” She pointed to the area the stewardess sat. “The closest you could get would be this window seat, and it wouldn’t be extra.”

“All right then.” Xavier retrieved a suitcase she hadn’t noticed before and followed behind Corinne to the seat in question. He sat down and got comfortable, stretching his long legs to relax.

“Would you like anything, Mr. Valentine?” He looked at her with a mischievous grin, and Corinne added, “Anything from the airline’s menu?” She was tickled when his delight turned into a frown.

“Only from the menu?”

“For now,” she said.

Xavier smiled wide. “Then no, I’m good,” he added, “for now.”

It was the most intense flight Corinne had endured thus far. After making her rounds to check on each passenger, Corinne returned to the stewardess seat and crossed her legs. The plane had been airborne for an hour, and Xavier was fast asleep. Corinne knew he must’ve been exhausted, but he refused to rest like a normal human being and recharge. She surmised he was a machine, driven by adrenaline and the basic key nutrition that would keep him invigorated. Corinne drove a lackadaisical eye over Xavier. With his head inclined against the seat, and his eyes drawn to a close, she drew a blueprint of the schematics of his charming face, leaving no detail excluded. It held a soft edge in his sleep, and his chest pushed and pulled quietly as he breathed. Her eyes rode down the colossal mastery of his muscular arms that were propped on the rests of the chair at the elbows. In his lap, Xavier’s hands gathered, and his fingers linked to rest against his brown leather Saint Laurent belt.

Corinne’s tongue tasted the corners of her mouth as she continued to peruse him, and his toned thighs made the jeans, not the other way around. At his feet his ankles were crossed, and the Reeboks were so crisp they appeared as if he’d just pulled them from the box. Corinne had never felt so turned on by a man resting peacefully in his slumber, and for a long minute, she contemplated what it must be like to be the leading lady in his life. Could she withstand the lens they would surely be under once word spread that they were dating? Could she compare to the women he’d dated previously, models, actresses, and a royalty?

Corinne drifted off in such a daze that she didn’t notice when Xavier’s eyes fluttered open, and his lids hovered, just slightly taking in her full beauty. He watched her watching him without Corinne’s awareness. He wondered what was going on in that pretty little head of hers as his gaze journeyed over her face. The uniform she wore didn’t own her, and although it was professional, her curves would not be hidden. Corinne sat posed with a silky brown leg crossed over the other. The fullness in her thighs traveled to her hips, and they curved like the stroke of a painter’s brush. Xavier’s skin tingled with a sulfuric heat, instantly, like he’d been smacked with it. Her beauty was unparalleled to anyone he’d ever laid eyes on, but what stirred him the most was her unmoving attitude, and he wanted to know her inside and out.

“What’s on your mind, beautiful?”

Corinne’s daze was snagged when his profound voice scurried over her skin. She squirmed in her seat, and her eyes met his thick, penetrating stare.

“Oh, nothing,” she said. “I didn’t realize you were awake.”

Xavier didn’t respond immediately, needing to let her risqué voice filter the drum in his ear.

“You’re not being honest with me,” he said. “Why?”

Stirred, Corinne’s brows rose before ruffling in a frown.

“I wasn’t trying to be untruthful, I just.” She sighed. “I was just thinking about how tired you must be after all the work you do and wondering why you would trade your rest to be here,” she added, “with me.”

Xavier hung on to her gaze for another long moment, then the corner of his lips curved. “But you know why.”

Corinne cleared her throat and shifted again in her seat. “I still wonder.” She decided to change the subject to something that wouldn’t make her nervous system a wreck. “So, we’ll be in Utah in about thirty minutes. You’ve slept most of the trip. Can I get you anything?”

Xavier glanced toward the window but could only see dark clouds. When he pulled his attention back, he pulled his legs in and lifted himself properly in the seat.

“I could use a bottle of water.”

Corinne moved quickly, happy to get him the cold water he needed. She needed a cold shower with the way her body continued to flame. How would she be able to endure a day with him, never mind a night? There was a quick trot in her footing as she dashed into the kitchen and rumbled inside the refrigerator. While getting his water, Corinne grabbed her one, too. She hadn’t thought this thing through. Yes, she wanted to spend some time with him, but at night? Doing what?

“Shit,” she cursed, worried that she’d given Xavier the wrong impression. He thought she was important, he’d said as much, and she was holding on to that sentiment. It helped her not feel like she was leading him on with this trip he’d taken to get to her. But what if he wanted sex when they made it to their destination? As if you don’t want it. She shushed her inner thoughts. That was beside the point, she mused. If she were being realistic, she and Xavier had been communicating for about three weeks now. It wasn’t necessarily normal everyday communications, but the text messages count. Didn’t they? Corinne almost moaned with frustration. Truthfully, she wanted him, and she couldn’t deny that she’d imagined all the ways that he could please her sexually.

But what if that was his endgame? What if he told all the women he bedded that they were important? She didn’t want to be his fool, and Corinne was still feeling him out. As she stood frozen with the aircraft’s refrigerator door open, a soft click behind her pulled her attention. She glanced over her shoulder and found Xavier standing a mere foot behind her. He mounted there, hosing her down with a stentorious inspection. A ripple coursed down her flesh, and the water bottles in her hands were squeezed tightly as her gut constricted.

She went into defense mode immediately. “Xavier, you can’t be back here,” she blubbered quickly. “I could get in trouble if anyone saw you.”

He took a step toward her. “If that happens, I’ll have a talk with the pilot,” he said.

Corinne gawked then closed her mouth. “And say what?”

Xavier shrugged. “I’ll donate to the charity of his choice for keeping it our secret.”

A throaty but vibrant laugh ballooned from Corinne. “You’re serious.”

“Do I make you nervous, Corinne?”

His question stumped her, and while she thought about telling him the truth or being vague with her response, Xavier moved closer to her.

“No,” she lied, “why would you ask that?”

“No?”

He knew she was lying, and instead of repeating the fib, Corinne simply shook her head but sealed her lips just as he made it into her personal space.

“Your body language says something different, sweetheart.” With his left index finger, he drove a line down her arm. “You’re holding on to those bottles mighty tightly.”

Just as he mentioned it, the tops on the bottles popped from the death squeeze she had. Corinne jumped, and a shriek slipped from her mouth. Embarrassed, Corinne tried to step around him, but he locked her between his massive frame and the open refrigerator. Corinne was relieved about one thing, at least the coolness from the icebox helped calm her raging hormones. She pushed out a breath.

“Okay, yes,” she said, going for the truth this time. “You do make me nervous.”

A grin slipped across his mouth. “Why?”

Corinne sighed heavily again. “I don’t know maybe because I like you, but I’m still not sure about your intentions with me.”

That paused his questioning, and he straightened from the hovering he was doing. “I understand,” he said. “Do you think I’m an honest man, Corinne?”

“I—”

His gaze bore into her, letting her know that she should continue down this path of truth.

Corinne squeezed out a breath. “I want to believe you are. In business, I don’t doubt it, but in your personal, or dating life, I’m not sure who you are yet.”

Xavier nodded. “That’s fair enough.”

Corinne was relieved to hear that.

“Will you give me the chance to show you who I am before you judge me?”

That just made Corinne feel like an ass. She had, after all, judged him immediately.

“I’m sorry, Xavier, I never meant to question your integrity.”

“It’s quite all right. You have every reason to. Like you said, you’re still getting to know me, so it’s normal for you to feel this way. But, will you give me the chance to show you who I am and possibly who I can become to you?”

Corinne swallowed hard, and her body’s nerves went crazy. She leaned into him without realizing it as if she were pulled magnetically forward. Her short approach caused Xavier to react with one arm slipping around her waist and the other gliding up her neck to grip the back of her head.

“And another thing,” his thick voice ticked. “If you get this close to me, I won’t stop myself from tasting you. Here is some of my honesty. I’m attracted to you, Corinne, thoroughly. And I can tell that you’re attracted to me.” His hand slipped up her waist and combed over her arm, shoulder, and closed in on the other side of her neck. He pulled her so close their lips were separated by a wisp of air. “So I won’t regret kissing you, and I won’t regret touching you. And unless you tell me you don’t want me to, I will.” He waited for her to object, giving her optimal time to consider his words. When she didn’t, he took her lips to his with a slow delicate tasting of her mouth. Corinne’s entire body shuddered, and the water bottles slipped from her hands and hit the floor.

It didn’t disturb them. In fact, Corinne’s arms glided around his toned waist and her acceptance of his kiss caused him to suck her in wholly.

“Mmmm,” she moaned, as her pussy thumped, completely taken by him. Her body writhed as the energy around them struck her like a flash of lightning, and she liquified into his embrace.

Bing! “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I hope you’ve enjoyed your flight on board Kinship Airlines. As we are approaching Salt Lake City International Airport, please be sure that your seat belts are securely fastened. Flight attendants, prepare for landing please. Cabin crew, please take your seats.”

Heeding the captain’s request, Xavier pulled from their erotic kiss but not before placing a few down Corinne’s chin and an animalistic bite at the edge of her jaw.

“We should probably—”

“Yeah,” Corinne interrupted, still dazed and unsure her legs were steady enough to move.

Xavier kissed her cheek one last time then stepped to her side and slipped his hand in hers.

“Shall we?”