I gripped the arm rest of my seat. How in the world did I let this woman get me on a plane?

“It’ll be quicker this way.” Her words stung my ears because I’d rather spend ten hours in a car with her than two on a plane, twenty thousand feet above earth, without soil under my feet. And why in the world was I feeling weak in my knees? Maybe because as odd as it might have sounded, I’d never been on a plane before, let alone on a luxury private jet suitable for the President himself. From leather seats to couches and tables – the bathroom had a frickin’ shower and marble counter tops! Most people lacked half of those accommodations on ground.

“Ease up there, Cowboy, or you’ll rip these off.” She touched my hand, gently uncoiling my fingers, and my grip loosened as if on command. Her soft palm was so small compared to my large hand, yet so strong and caring and full of confidence. I’d never seen a woman with so much poise.

“Why do you keep calling me Cowboy?” I asked.

“Aren’t you one? I’m very perceptive. It comes with the job. And if you tell me you’re not, then that means you’ve hired the wrong person.” She grinned with certainty glowing through her eyes, knowing very well that I was a cowboy.

“I am. I guess the hat and ranch and all would have been a clue,” I teased, slightly letting go of the flying nerves. “Not quite the city slick boys you’re used to dealing with, am I?”

I wasn’t ready for her next words. To say they surprised me would be the understatement of the century. Emma Cross seemed to shock me more often than I was used to.

“No, you’re definitely not. You’re much better.” The hunger in her eyes was the same as the day we’d met at the strip club. She leaned in closer, her eyes nearly begging me to take her right on that seat. I might not have been a private investigator, but I knew a come on when I saw one. Up until now I’d tried to restrain myself. I wanted her like no other woman, but I didn’t want to push her too far, too early. While I didn’t want to scare her by showing what I felt for her (which I wasn’t too sure of either), I wouldn’t have been surprised if she reciprocated my feelings.

“So explain this to me. You’ve got a great job, looks like financial security, pretty much everything most women seek in life. Why would you dance at a strip club? Why such an outrageous bet? There’s plenty of stuff you could have done to feel free and alive and unrestrained. Getting naked on a stage seemed…”

“Pointless?”

“Exactly. Not that you weren’t amazing and beautiful. I’ve never seen anyone as gorgeous as you.”

The memory of her glistening body revived those long forgotten primitive needs.

Emma let out an exasperated breath as if she was about to bare her soul to me. “Thank you. You’re very kind. Cross Enterprises is a serious business I’d known I’d be part of ever since I can remember. I mean, you’ve met my family. They’re my everything. I guess sometimes I just feel like doing things no one will expect me to. Doing them because I choose to. Whether it’s a bet or a dare – I’m still the one who’s making that final choice. And don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but the work I’ve been assigned thus far didn’t exactly fulfill my need to do something more worthy and important. My brothers get to chase the bad guys all the time. They got to go undercover for all sorts of assignments when they were younger; why can’t I? I’m trained just as well.”

“But you’re a woman,” I blurted, immediately regretting my words. There was no way Emma would take to any kind of male chauvinism.

“Seriously, you’re gonna go there? I know you’re from the country, Cowboy, but this is the twenty-first century, where a woman can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and whomever she wants.”

That last part nearly caused my balls to contract. Her forward nature and strength would definitely take getting used to, yet was so stimulating. And most of all, I loved how easily we could carry on a conversation, taking my attention away from the fact that we were going at ten times the speed of an average car. I leaned in, tucking the stray hair behind her ear.

“I bet there are things women still prefer done the old-fashioned way,” I countered.

“Like what?” She swallowed nervously. The evident pulse at the side of her neck drew me closer to her, until the sweet smell of her breath reached my face.

“Like opening car doors for ladies, pulling their chair out when getting ready to sit down to dinner, or letting her know politely when the button on her shirt has popped so she can cover herself up.”

I gently touched the hem of her shirt where her breasts spread the fabric outward, revealing the see-through laced bra underneath. Even if I’d already seen much more of her body, this way, a little bit covered up, was much sexier.

My finger brushed the curve of her cleavage, and she held her breath. I lifted my other hand toward the shirt and fastened the misbehaving button. Sitting this close to her was infuriating. The smell of her floral perfume filled me from the bottom up, propelling my pulse to rush. Her scent was that last ingredient needed to drive me over the edge.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.” I leaned back in my chair again. This would be one hell of a week. Could I really be the gentleman I was taught to be? With Emma around, all bets were off. She was like a drug I needed. I longed to hear what would come out of her intelligent mouth next. Some men would call it a smart mouth, but I found it clever and intriguing. The need to protect her from the work she sought grew with each second. As much as I didn’t think the job I’d hired her for was dangerous just yet, with my past and what John Huntz was capable of, it definitely had the potential to be.

“So you’re seeking adventure?” I asked.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Can you give me that adventure, Cowboy?”

“Maybe, if you stop calling me Cowboy.”

“What’s wrong with Cowboy?” She rolled her eyes.

“Please don’t roll your eyes at me.”

“Or what?”

“Or I may need to force you to close them for long enough not to roll them.”

“And just how would you do that?”

Like a tease, she rolled them again with a devious smirk. If I couldn’t stop her from doing that, I’d go nuts. And so I turned my head toward her and leaned forward. With our noses nearly touching and mouths a shiver away, her sweet breath was too much and not enough at the same time, and when she closed her eyes I knew I succeeded, but I wanted more. Much more. I wanted her lips, her entire mouth, her tongue – I wanted her everything – and I knew she’d give it to me – not because she was easy or someone looking for a fling, but because the attraction between the two of us could no longer be contained.

Still, I’d only take as much as she allowed. I wouldn’t push it – because I couldn’t push her away – ever.

I touched my lips to hers, taking them into my mouth, stroking the bow of her upper lip with my tongue before dipping in. Her mouth was so small and so warm and she worked it so well, moving her lips with mine. I tilted her head slightly, holding her steady because if I didn’t, I was afraid I’d lose my patience. Slowly tracing my hand to her neck, I held it there, smoothing my thumb over her pulsing vein. Her skin felt silkier than I expected. And when her tongue moved against mine, rubbing and teasing, inviting me even deeper, I knew she had me in the palm of her hand. She could ask me anything, and I would give her everything.

When I pulled away, I pressed my forehead against hers, breathing heavily. This was not an ordinary kiss. This was pure lust.

“Will this be a problem for you, Emma? Me wanting you so badly and being your client,” I asked.

“Consider this a service with a cherry on top. Besides, you’ve kissed one guy, you’ve kissed them all.” She shrugged and pulled away.

Playing hard to get, I thought.

I could see through her lies so easily. Her tiny nose wrinkled up and betrayed her. And her body language was another story. The way her breasts swelled when we’d kissed, and the feel of her pumping jugular underneath my thumb as I traced her neck told me I’d affected her as much as she’d affected me. And she was still panting. If her goal was to push me away or seem nonchalant, she’d have to try much harder than that. As much as she wanted to deny the truth – or maybe she was afraid of the truth? – she was mine the moment I’d laid my eyes on her a few nights back.

“And how many guys have you kissed, exactly?”

“Enough.”

“And have they kissed you back the way I did?”

“Why are you asking all these questions, Cowboy? It was a good kiss, I can’t deny it. But did it knock me off my feet? Did it make this plane come down? Nope, still sitting.”

“Then let me correct my mistake, my lady.” And I pressed myself to her again, this time with nearly my full strength, keeping a little back so that I wouldn’t crush her completely. Devouring her mouth like she was my life-line, taking every breath from her lungs into mine, I molded myself into her curves. I pushed a button to recline the luxurious leather chair, making her lie beneath me, her soft body writhing under my muscles. And once she was down, I couldn’t help but feel every luscious curve of her body, sliding my hands up her sides and along the outline of her breasts. Her hips were in full motion, grinding against my length. The feel of her pubic bone made me even harder for her. And her delicious mouth fit in mine so perfectly, I couldn’t get enough. At that moment, I knew that no matter how long or how often I kissed Emma, it would never be enough. And as much as I wanted to join the mile-high club on my virgin flight, this wasn’t the right time.

When we pulled away I traced her lip with my thumb, kissing her gently once more. Her eyes were wide open now, her heart pounding against mine so profoundly. I smiled and she smiled back, and I knew that this time I’d done it right. I gave her a kiss worthy of acceptance – even though in all honesty, the first one wasn’t bad either.

“I won’t make the plane come down and kill us both, but you’re definitely not on your feet, Emma. And there is much more where that came from,” I whispered, getting up and straightening her clothes, as well as fastening the three buttons which had now popped on her shirt.

She didn’t say anything, but the obvious flush on her cheeks told me I’d succeeded in knocking her off her feet.

Emma remained quiet for the remainder of the flight. She opened her laptop and began searching through a database. With a sidelong glance I caught Huntz’s name on the screen. He’d apparently made his way to Mexico quite often, but always returned to a different town you could barely find on a map. But there was only one little nest he’d come back to more than once. Emma focused her search on that part and was now reading through a page. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to clear my head. If I was going to get the answers I sought while keeping her occupied for more than a couple of weeks, the way I’d promised, I needed to make sure Emma could concentrate. There was no way she could find Huntz earlier, could she? If I was going to keep my promise to Hunter, kisses like the one we’d just shared would have to be postponed. The question was, how in the world was I going to do that?