Page 183 of Daddy, Take Me Away
His Little Flight Risk
Highland Daddies Series Book 1
By Rogue London
Chapter One
Luna
I was overwhelmed by the size of the airport and although I had a book on my device to read, there were way too many comings and goings for me to disappear into my head. On top of that, I hadn’t downloaded the app to keep me updated on the flight. Every thirty seconds my eyes would stray to the board closest to me to find out when we would be boarding. As it had changed several times already, I couldn’t control the trigger that kept my body on high alert.
I groaned inwardly thinking about the cortisol release from the stressful situation, and here I was wanting to shed pounds. I should be thanking my lucky stars I was going to Scotland and finally seeing the land of my ancestors. And I would be, I told myself, once my feet were firmly planted on Scottish soil.
My mind had been busy with visions of the plane landing and me making a sweeping exit, dropping to my knees, and kissing the ground, and what the conservative Scots would think of my blatant display. I was making myself crazy and took some deep, anti-stress breaths to help calm my racing heart.
I glanced up at the screen to see the boarding information had changed. The front ten rows were finally boarding. Wait! When did that happen? I looked at the line which was nearing the end and jumped to my feet, sliding my heavy pack onto my back. But the arm strap caught on my wrist and my bracelet fell to the floor, scattering beads in a thousand directions.
Crap! The only piece of jewelry I’d brought for my backpacking Scotland trip had just fallen apart and there was no time to collect all the freshwater pearls. Finally getting the pack on my back, I begrudgingly left the pearls behind, and tried not to think this was a sign of more chaos to come. I practically jogged to the stand. At least I had my passport and ID ready.
“Have a nice flight,” said the gate agent as she closed my booklet with my stamped boarding pass nestled inside. I glanced up to see who the beautiful Dutch accent belonged to. The blonde was perfectly coiffed, with ruby-red lips. Ugh! In a word, gorgeous, and a reminder I’d been flying for hours and probably looked like it. But she wasn’t looking at me, but at someone behind me.
I turned to look, my pack throwing me off balance. I would have fallen if strong hands hadn’t reached out to steady me. “Thank you, sorry, I’m having a tough time, but you don’t need to know that. Oh, sorry, Ugh, I’m rambling.” I stopped talking long enough to take in the handsome stranger who’d kept me from falling.
Holy Hannah! The man was tall, like tall-tall but wasn’t the slumpy type of body that often came when someone was taller than everyone else and tried to slouch to fit in. This guy was not that. His tight-fitting dress shirt showed off large biceps and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing more muscles and a tattoo that wrapped around his arm. It may have been a dragon but some of the ink disappeared beneath the fabric.
My face was hot as my eyes traveled up to take in the rest of him. Gazing down at me were eyes that looked amused and were the color of midnight blue with a golden limbal ring that served as a frame around the irises. I was stunned, I’d never seen anyone with that color before, as they usually followed the color of the eye, or were black. On him they reminded me of a predator. Maybe a lethal cat, or perhaps like the dragon snaking up his arm.
“Oh, um, hello. Sorry to bump into you. Thanks for the rescue.” I quickly turned my back to leave and walk down the boarding bridge, my pack half hanging when I felt the weight suddenly disappear.
“Now, now, lass, where are your manners?”
I knew my mouth was hanging open, when I turned back around, my eyes instantly locked on his commanding gaze. “I’m sorry?”
“Are you?”
“Huh?”
“Are you sorry?” he asked in a thick brogue accent.
“For what?”
His lips quirked up in what I assumed was a smile. “That is the question, indeed.”
I had to hand it to him. He’d kept me so engaged I’d forgotten all my angst. It was like a holiday from myself, but like all holidays, it came to an end. Before I could say another word, he’d taken my pack onto his back and made a scooting motion with his hand, prompting me to continue walking. It was just the two of us left and I could feel his gaze on me as I walked ahead. Who the hell was this guy and why was he carrying my bag? I handed the flight attendant my ticket when I boarded and she directed me to a seat, just on the other side of business class. I turned to look at the handsome stranger who seemed to instinctively know what I was thinking.
“Go sit, lass, I will place your bag in the overhead for you.”
Sweet relief filled me. I wasn’t all that tall and couldn’t reach the bin. He must have sized me up on the walkway and figured that out.
“Uh, thank you, Mr…?”
He smirked in the most beautiful way. His lips were perfectly formed, not too thick or thin, just sheer perfection. When he licked them, I imagined him running his tongue over my body and making me clench with pleasure.
“Artair is fine, lass, no need for Mister.”
Huh? His words literally startled me back from la-la-land. “Arthur?”
“Close but this is the Scottish Gaelic form, pronounced, AHR-ter.”
