Page 96 of Sin City Lights

Adam turned to her, his jaw tight.“Sims just called in sick. I have to take his flight to Tokyo.”

“Aren’t you the CEO?”

His smile was tight.“I am.”

“Then why would you be the one they’d call when someone gets sick?”

He pushed back his chair and stood.“Because we have a dozen planes and not enough pilots. Besides, I love to fly. It’s why I started this business in the first place. Now that we’ve grown so much, instead of doing that, I get to sit in an office all day long. It’s the last-minute notice I don’t like.”

Adam

Not fifteen minutes later, Adam stood in his doorway in full uniform, with Eve on tiptoe, hanging onto his neck.

This was the second lingering kiss, and he still was loath to go. He pressed his cheek to her hair, inhaling deeply. She smelled of his shampoo but also of the mouthwatering fragrance that was all her own.

She splayed her fingers over his jacket, hand inching toward his tie.“Don’t touch that,” he quipped, “or there’ll be trouble.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.“How long will you be gone?”

“Ten days.”

“Ten days?” She looked dismayed.

He nodded.“The plane needs to stay there for the duration. The client also has side trips scheduled, to Singapore and Hong Kong.” He kissed the top of her head.“Even if that weren’t the case, I still couldn’t fly it back and forth. Wouldn’t be cost-efficient.”

She kissed his jaw.“I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

Her hands slipped down, sliding into his jacket pocket, taking his phone and handing it to him.“Unlock it.”

His lips curved up as he entered his passkey, then gave it back to her. He watched as she quickly found the phone icon, her slender fingers flying over numbers.

She tapped send.“There you go. Now you have me.”

His heart beat a bit faster.

Yes, he had her. For now.

He pocketed his phone. “I’ll text you when I land.”

“You’d better. Oh!” She grabbed a small blue-and-gold shopping bag from the side table by the door and pressed it into his hands.

He gripped the handles.“What’s this?”

“I had Trevor pack you a to-go breakfast while you were changing.”

He eyed the restaurant logo on the bag, then smiled at her.“Thank you.” He pecked her on the forehead because he couldn’t take another heated kiss.“I really have to go.”

Her pretty face was somber.“Safe flight.”

He gave her his cockiest grin.“Don’t worry, it will be. I know the captain. I hear he’s pretty good.”

That earned him the sunny smile he wanted to leave with. He bent to pick up his flight bag, then forced himself to head for the elevator.

•

“Good morning, sir. Great day for flying.”

---