Chapter Five

 

I carefully popped the cork on a fresh bottle of champagne for the first-class passengers and then secured it in ice. My new co-worker, an older member of staff called Tara, had re-welcomed everyone on board and seen to the safety briefing for the new travelers who’d joined us.

I’d been busy in the first-class galley preparing hors d'oeuvres and silently panicking about First Officer Jones and his sleepless night—of all the luck to have him in the room next to me in Orlando. Usually we picked up new cockpit staff at Kennedy, but it seemed that wasn’t the case today.

Damn it. Of all the bad luck.

What if he found out it had been me doing all that wailing and banging? I should have considered that it might be a member of airline staff next door. HQ blocked out sections of rooms for staff who were on layovers, on-call or just passing through. It worked out cheaper that way for all involved.

“Cabin crew for takeoff,” First Officer Jones announced over the loud speaker. I glanced at the cockpit door. With a bit of luck he’d stay in there until his anti-fatigue rest.

Tara appeared in the galley and pulled the privacy curtain flush. Our first-class staff area was adjacent to the galley and out of view of the passengers.

“Is everyone settled?” I asked.

She tapped her hair, making sure no strands had escaped the French pleat. “Yes, fine. Nothing untoward, no crumb crunchers or special diets.”

“That’s a nice change.” It was always a more settled fist class cabin without kids or faddy eaters.

We sat on our flip-down seats for takeoff. The engines revved and we began to hurtle along the runway.

“So what happened to Harmony?” Tara asked, glancing out of the small window.

“Bad shrimp,” I said, pulling a face.

“Yuk.”

“Indeed,” I replied.

“So Patrick sent you to step into her shoes.”

I grinned. “Well she did buy a very nice pair of Vera Wangs last month that I’ve got my eye on.”

Tara laughed as we took to the air.

Within minutes we were leveling out and First Officer Jones switched off the crews’ seatbelt sign and I unbuckled.

“Action time,” Tara said, standing.

I did the same and reached for the drinks tray. I carefully secured three champagne cocktails within the spread of my fingers and headed out of the galley and into first class.

Here the chairs were large and deep and well spaced out so the passengers could stretch in their own private space complete with screen and power sockets. Right now it was midday and they were all plugged in or flicking through magazines.

“Champagne, madam?” I asked, holding the tray before a well-made up business woman.

“Thank you,” she said, taking one. Her fingernails were a beautiful pearlescent pink and she wore a large ruby on her ring finger.

“I’ll return with pre-dinner snacks in a moment,” I said, “but don’t hesitate to call if you need anything in the meantime.”

She smiled and I moved to the customer at the window seat. He took a drink but barely lifted his face from his book. Nervous flyer, I suspected. Speed reading to keep his mind off the ascending plane.

The engines were still working hard, the floor on which I stood sloped heavenwards.

I moved to my next passenger with a bright smile on my face and words of welcome on my tongue.

My heart rate stuttered. I caught my breath. I reached out and gripped the headrest of the nearest chair.

Staring straight at me, from beneath a green cap, was my sexy hockey-playing Russian boy, Vadmir Arefyev.

His blue-velvet eyes were wide and his mouth slack. He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

And Jesus was I surprised. What the fuck was he doing here? Wasn’t he supposed to be skating around a rink or something? Hitting pucks into a net?

“Champagne?” I asked, holding out the tray, my thumb still over the base of the glass to keep it secure. My whole arm was shaking and my throat was tight.

He took it without saying a word. The stem looked ridiculously delicate in his grip.

God, was it really him? Perhaps it was a lookalike?

“Sammy?” he said, twisting his mouth into that amused half-smile he was so damn good at.

Oh, it’s him all right.

“We have beef in ale for main today or salmon with hollandaise,” I said, swallowing. My mouth was dry and my knees a little wobbly. “And a selection of desserts to choose from. It’s all on your inflight menu.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked quietly and leaning his bulk forward in the seat.

“And if you need any assistance with working the personal screen, just let a member of crew know,” I said, taking a step backward, toward the galley. “We’re all happy to help.”

Fuck. As if it wasn’t bad enough that the First Officer had heard me wailing with ecstasy all night long, the man I’d been riding hard was here, sitting on our plane and would be for the next eleven and a half hours.

This couldn’t be happening. Vadmir and I were supposed to be a one-night stand—never to see each other again and left only with toe-curlingly, sumptuous erotic memories.

He frowned and with his free hand gripped the arm of his seat, his huge fingers curling around the end.

Heat rushed up my chest and neck and onto my cheeks as I recalled him ripping my panties off and sliding those fingers into my slickness. Damn, he’d known just how to make my body sing.

Quickly I retreated into the safety of the galley and pulled the heavy curtain across the archway. I needed a moment to gather myself before I served the other passengers. Tara was hosting the right-hand side but this section, but here, on the left, these travellers were mine. He was mine. My responsibility.

Why the hell didn’t Harmony warn me?

I set the tray down and buried my face in my hands. Harmony hadn’t even known I’d spent the night with Vadmir. We’d barely said a few words to each other all day and then she’d become sick. How could she have known to warn me?

The curtain swished back and I startled, pressing my hands to my chest.

“You okay, Samantha?” Tara asked, coming to an abrupt halt. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“No, I’m fine, really.”

If only.

She frowned. “Don’t tell me you ate the same shrimps Harmony did.”

I shook my head. “No, not at all. No shrimps for me. I’m okay, honestly.”

Quickly I re-loaded my tray. I’d just have to wear my most professional mask and get through this damn flight. Shit. If only I’d stayed in standard class with Patrick. I wouldn’t have ever known Vadmir was on board. Not only that, I wouldn’t have had to see First Officer Jones and find out about his sleepless night.

What a mess. Could I feel any more embarrassed?

Tara had gone again, serving her passengers drinks and snacks with her usual efficiency.

I took a deep breath and stared at the curtain. Much as I wanted to I couldn’t hide in the galley for an entire flight. And why should I? We’d both known what we were doing. No strings sex, that was all. Really fucking good sex but still, no ties afterwards. We were both adults, right? We could move on from this with no ill effects.

With my chin tilted I moved down the aisle again. I tended the man opposite Vadmir with a smile and a polite remark. He took his drink and I promised to return with water so he could take a pill.

As I spoke I could feel Vadmir’s gaze on me. If he reached out, across the aisle, he’d be able to stroke my ass, the way he had in the corridor the night before as we’d tumbled into my room. But now I didn’t wear hotpants—now I had on a navy, pencil-straight skirt that fitted me like a second skin and a tight-fitted jacket that nipped in at my waist and skimmed neatly over my breasts.

Now I was in work mode, a professional and he’d have to accept that.

I worked my way farther along the aisle, tending everyone, and then slipped back toward the galley. When I walked past Vadmir, so close I could smell that damn gorgeous cologne he wore, again I knew he was staring at me—at my ass as my hips swayed with each step.

Was he remembering how he’d bent me over the bed and fucked me as he’d gripped my hips to keep me just where he’d wanted me? Damn, I reckon I had two sets of bruises from his fingertips. We’d gotten pretty carried away on that particular occasion.

Hurriedly I pulled the curtain across, glad to be out from under his scrutiny. A mass of memories were billowing in and out of my mind like a jumbled blur from a porno movie. I was hot and flustered.

Tara was heading out with a tray of pre-dinner snacks. I was behind with my serving but that didn’t matter.

I moved to the window and flapped the top section of my blouse, breezing it beneath my jacket. Why was it so warm in here?

I stared downward. Beneath me cotton wool clouds ballooned together, an undulating surface for us to skim over. Below the clouds the Atlantic was stretching out before us, a vast expanse of water waiting for us to cross.

The hostess buzzer pinged and I glanced at the screen. It was my passenger who wanted the water. Patience clearly wasn’t his strong point.

After reaching for a bottle of Evian and a tray of snacks I moved back into first class. I delivered the water and then set about handing out hors d’oeuvres. The business lady took two and the nervous flyer waved his hand at me, refusing even a nibble.

Bracing myself and plastering on my most professional smile, I turned to Vadmir.

Damn, the guy was sexy. He’d done a casual destruction of his clothing since I’d last looked at him. His cap was twisted to the side, the top button on his black Polo shirt was undone—the collar a little curled—and he’d un-tucked the base of it from his jeans. I itched to straighten the collar but resisted. Last night I’d had permission to run my hands, and my tongue, all over him.  But that was last night and this was now. Now he wasn’t mine to touch.

“Would you like something from the tray, sir?” I asked, lowering it in front of him.

He didn’t even glance at the carefully prepared canapés, instead he stared, unblinking, straight into my eyes.

“Sir?” I asked as my heart thrummed and that scorching flush of heat moved back over my chest. I tried to beat it down but he was soul-achingly handsome and I was finding it hard to speak, hell, breathing was difficult. “Can I tempt you with something?” I managed.

“You know my name,” he said in a low, rumbling voice as he narrowed his eyes. “Quit the sir thing.”

“The thing is, sir,” I said, “Right now I’m handing out food to passengers and you’re a passenger.”

“I am more than a passenger.” His nostrils flared. “And you know it.”

I gulped. He hadn’t shaved—no doubt been in too much of a rush after our late start to the day—and he had a dusting of blond stubble over his jaw and chin, it was denser over his upper lip. It gave him a rugged, menacing look that combined with his accent and the steely glint in his eyes just made him all the more alluring.

“I take it you don’t want anything,” I said, refusing to think of him as alluring for another second. I was on duty and it just wasn’t professional. “But if you change your mind please call for a stewardess.” With my free hand I indicated the small red button set in the control panel on the arm of his seat.

Suddenly he dashed out his hand and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. He pulled me in close, so close so that I was leaning right in toward him.

I gasped and gripped the tray tight to prevent the contents from spilling. “What are you doing?” I whispered harshly as my nose almost touched his.

“You know my damn name, Sammy,” he whispered, his hot breath spreading over my neck. “You were screaming it last night. Screaming it as I made you come so hard you could hardly remember what planet you were on…” He paused. “So use it. Say my name.”

My stomach clenched.

He mashed his lips into a tight line, then, “Please,” he said, softer this time, “don’t make me feel like I was nothing more than a jock with a cock to you. That would be hurting my feelings very much.” He frowned and swallowed.

A full body tremble attacked me. I gulped in a breath. “V…Vadmir,” I said, nodding at his hold on me. “Let go of me…now.”

He flashed open his fingers and released my wrist.

“Thank you,” he said. “That was all I wanted.”

Hurriedly I straightened, glanced left and right, and hoped no one else had seen our interaction. My heart rate settled a modicum. I’d gotten away with it. Everyone was tucked into their own little worlds.

“Dinner will be served soon,” I said shakily and gripping the tray with both hands.

His gaze slipped downward to my breasts.

I stepped away and continued serving. I was glad it was nothing more complex than holding out fancy food. My nipples were tight, my body buzzing. My brain was on overdrive. Flashes of all the sweaty and naked things we’d done were holding my mind’s eye hostage once again.

Damn it. I hadn’t expected to see him for the rest of my life yet here he was, looking at me like he wanted a repeat performance and touching me in that sinfully commanding way of his.

I’d have to take a stern hold of myself and get through this flight. There was nothing else for it but to grit my teeth and cope.

For the next few hours I was glad to be busy, even though I could feel Vadmir’s gaze on me every time I walked past, at least I had things to occupy my mind. Tara was easy to work with and with well-oiled efficiency we soon had everyone fed and settling down with blankets, movies and after dinner drinks.

“Do you mind if I take first break?” she asked as the sky outside darkened.

“Not at all…oh, have you collected all three trays from the cockpit?” I asked. Tara had conveniently fed the pilots, which saved me facing the First Officer again.

“Yes, all done, but Jones has a headache. He’s going to the crew quarters for a lie down.”

Another pang of guilt attacked me. “Oh, okay, I gave him aspirin earlier. It didn’t help then.”

“No, but a rest will do him good. And me, I’m exhausted.” She reached for her small, airline issued purse. “See you in an hour.”

“Yes, get your feet up.”

Tara disappeared through the curtain, heading for a discreet, small door between first and standard that led to a cramped but adequate space for lying down and grabbing some sleep.

I turned to the window. The clouds had dispersed and the outline of Greenland was visible with startling clarity even though twilight was spreading fingers of orange red, and yellow over the horizon. Dragging in another deep breath, I stared at the ice crystals forming on the outside of the window.

There was a noise behind me—the swish of the curtain and footsteps.

I froze.

I could smell him again. His aftershave.

I spun around.

Vadmir was standing in the galley. His enormous shoulders almost spanning the gap between the stainless steel walls.

“You’re not allowed back here,” I said, folding my arms and frowning. “The cockpit is just there and this is for staff only.”

“I wanted to see you.” He tipped his head and raised his eyebrows. “Alone.”

He took a step toward me, hemming me into the tiny space at the end of the galley.

I took a step backward and felt the rim of the window press against my shoulders. “You can’t…it’s against the rules.”

He came closer still, pressed his palm against the fuselage wall by my right ear and leaned down until our faces were close. “The thing is, Sammy, I’m famous for many things and one of them is breaking rules.” He gave a sinful grin. “But I thought you would have guessed that by now.”