Somewhere above continental USA

Nick couldn’t believe how well everything was going.

Sure, he was a pro who’d done this many times, but the slickness of his communication with Nicole, as well as how all the cards played out on the table of his dealing, had his mind reeling. This case was easy enough for him, one where all he needed to do was simply gather information and watch the mark, but his instincts told him there was something more going on and all of a sudden, he now wanted to protect this woman.

Not even a woman, really. She was young, fresh and girlish. Twenty-four. Just starting out life on her own. Yet, she was independent, headstrong, and able to take care of herself.

Nick blinked hard at the thought because he wanted to take care of her.

It was one thing knowing another person’s bio, dossier, and background information. It was yet another to actually hear them tell the story from their own lips with all the personal details and emotional inflections that came along with it. He never told anyone else about his parents, yet sharing that detail with Nicole was an easy part of their conversation he didn't mind sharing at all.

The similar family experience and knowing the pain and heartache involved putting them on a somewhat even playing field. They were alike. Familiar. Sympathetic and empathetic to each other at the same time. Or, at least that was what Nick was going for with his confession.

Something turned, though.

The woman with the shiny brown hair and the deep chocolate eyes was starting to get to him. Faster than anyone he’d ever met. Quicker than it actually made sense to him.

Nicole was cute, sexy, sassy, smart, and in some deep shit. But he’d keep her safe at all costs.

He wasn't sure if that meant he would have to pay with his job or his own life, neither of which sounded like perfect endings. However, he’d been in the military so long and had lived such a strict, controlled, orderly life, followed by his time in The Company, Nick Taylor, the man, had almost been lost underneath the uniform, camouflage, medals, bravado, and pretense.

Had this sassy and sexy brunette completely done something to the inner workings of this very disciplined and straightforward man? He could try to blame it on the two beers, but that would be fooling himself, given that he could drink most people under the table. Something he’d found to be very convenient when he had to go deep into a mission, blend in with a crowd of potential informants.

Even though she was small in stature, thin, and healthy-looking, Nicole was enjoying her drink. No girly fruit drink or designer cocktail for her. Straight liquor. Fifteen-year-old scotch. Hell, he respected any woman who could drink with the best of them. It was quite apparent that she was relaxing into her seat as the tension surrounding her was beginning to lift even as their aircraft climbed higher and higher into the clouds.

Now, his body tensed. Perhaps a shift from her or simply because he didn’t know what the hell was going on. What was he going to do about this situation? There were so many what-ifs floating about in his brain, fighting each other to be heard over the other thought. All he could think about was the feel of her hand against his and the spark it caused deep within his gut as their fingers intertwined on takeoff.

The plane wasn’t the only thing lifting off.

His dick had a mind of its own, wanting to come out and play with the sassy chick in the seat beside him.

It had been a while for him—longer than usual—and his urges were starting to take over his common sense. This shouldn’t ever happen, not with his Army Ranger training. He was supposed to be more disciplined than that. The guy who had a mission, a purpose, orders, and directions.

But that was right up until he got a delicious view of her tight ass in those jeans. Having her slide up against him like that certainly didn’t help to quench the fire within him. No, it made him want to peel the denim off her and maybe get a peek at that crescent moon birthmark she’d mentioned after he got to take her hard.

He squeezed his eyes tightly and groaned at the arousal he’d managed to stir up in his own mind. How was he going to get through this flight?

“Hey there…” Nicole’s sweet voice interrupted his mental musings. “Where did you go just now?”

Nick scanned her face with his eyes. He didn’t really want to lie to her too much. It would only come back to bite him in his ass in the end. No pun intended. “Oh, sorry. I was scrolling through my mental ‘to-do’ list,” he said. Sure, that sounded good, he thought. Everyone traveling on a plane was either going somewhere for business or for pleasure, so playing along with the whole busy entrepreneur song and dance made sense.

She dragged her finger along the rim of her empty glass. “What is it you do, Nick?”

“I don’t want to bore you with that.”

Figuring she wanted something else to drink, Nick flagged down their flight attendant and signaled for another round for the two of them.

“I don’t think you could ever bore me,” she said, peering up through her long lashes.

Chuckling, he said, “You’re sweet. Maybe you do need another drink if you ask me things like that.”

Nicole let out a half sigh, half giggle, and continued toying with her drained beverage. “I haven't had much to drink lately,” she admitted. “I've been working so many late nights and extra hours that I barely had a social life.” She thought for a moment and then added, “Strike that. I don’t have a social life. Period.”

“Come on. You have men lined up at your door, I’m sure.”

It was her turn to chuckle. “I wished. Nope. The only men I see regularly are on my Instagram.”

Nick leered at her. “I hate them already.”

The sound of their laughter blending together was strangely soothing, almost imprinting on his somewhere long locked away in his chest.

“I totally get where you’re coming from,” he said. “People like us tend to marry the job, at the expense of everything and everyone else.”

“So true.”

That wasn't a total lie. In the past month, he had been to China, Saudi Arabia, the countryside of France, and had slipped in and out of Russia unnoticed, undetected, and unsatisfied, since the mission he’d been sent to deal ended up being a non-issue as soon as he got there. He hated wasting time, but he managed to take in some of the beauty and history of Moscow before heading off to China for the assignment he just finished. His sleep schedule consisted mainly of snoozing between flights in rental cars or in the airport or getting to stretch out and get a few hours of deep REM those times The Company paid for his upgrade to first class.

He wished this flight had convenient sleep pods like the one he’d taken from China. His imagination ran into all sorts of wild directions as he considered the possibilities of getting tangled up with Nicole Hunt in one of the high-tech sleeping units.

But, he really needed to stop looking at her as an available female and remember he had been sent to do a job. This wasn’t simply intel. She was in danger. Grave danger. Seriously deep, fucked up trouble if the wrong people got their hands on her and whatever it was she carried with her.

Instead of focusing on her full, pink lips, he needed to devise a plan for getting that USB drive out of her purse or pocket or computer bag.

Before she boarded the plane, he’d considered dropping something into her drink to help her sleep, but that was too much of a dick move and not something he wanted to do to her, especially after all she’d been through. Besides, he would have been denying himself the pleasure of her company, witty banter, and sexy come-ons.

Then again, Nicole was doing well enough anesthetizing herself with the Chivas. Nick had a feeling a nap was in her very near future without any assistance from him.

The flight attendant returned and sat there refreshed drinks on the console between them. “Do either of you know what you’d like to have for lunch?”

Nick and Nicole exchanged glances with each other. He hadn’t even realized it was lunchtime. Now, his stomach growled out.

“I need to look over the menu,” Nicole said, and Nick nodded in agreement.

The perky flight attendant smiled and handed them each a laminated card with food choices. “I’ll come back in a minute after you've had a chance to decide.”

Nick watched as Nicole's eyes brightened perusing the menu choices that wouldn't generally impress anyone else. Nicole Hunt, on the other hand, was in hog heaven in her first-class princess’s chair and he felt like the king of the world having provided it to her.

“Holy shit, is this really the food they serve in first-class?” she asked. “All you get back in coach and economy are salads with wilted toppings, sandwiches with no condiments, or a half-can of Pringles that costs eight dollars.”

“What looks good to you?” Nick asked. He looked at the choices of duck confit pot pie, slow braised lamb, and grilled chicken with green beans and grain risotto. Nicole didn’t strike him as the “froufrou” food type and figured she'd much prefer a thick cheeseburger and steak fries.

Come to think of it, so would he.

“I'm going for the lasagna with red pepper crema.” Nicole screwed up her nose in a very childlike manner. “I don't really even know what a crema is, but I'm willing to give it a shot.”

He was mesmerized by every word that formed on her lips. He studied the way her mouth moved, how she spoke, smiled, emphasized what she said, and questioned almost everything. He was fascinated not only by her intelligence, but by her street smarts too, along with all the knowledge and experiences she’d racked up in her young age. He was also completely intrigued by her innocence, that smart mouth she had on her, and a more subtle thirst for life and adventure.

“So, have you decided?” Nicole asked him.

Hell yeah, I’ve decided.

Except Nicole wasn’t a menu option.

There was always dessert…

“Umm, yeah. I'm going with the duck confit pot pie. It sounds too decadent to pass up.”

“Speaking of decadent, I hope they have some killer desserts, too,” she wondered out loud.

Nick speculated about what her skin tasted like the base of her neck, what her skin felt like at the back of her thighs…

It was a good thing no one could read his mind or see his thoughts because the direction his fantasies were pointing would definitely get him in trouble right now. His cock strained against the fabric of his jeans, adding to his urge to do something about it. That need was unlike anything he’d experienced that he could remember.

She’s my mark…

He was at a crossroad and didn’t know which way to turn. His head said one thing, but his body did another.