Page 35 of Jett

Where is she?

I dart back to our seats, and there she is—Brooke, sitting happily, coloring like nothing happened. “Brooke,” I breathe, relief flooding me, especially after her father told me to stay close to her. I don’t seem to be doing a great job of that. “I thought you were still in the washroom.”

She barely glances up. “I was.”

I sit down, feeling like a complete fool. I’ve lost my mind, and we haven’t even landed yet.

Just as I’m settling back into my seat, Jett walks over, a frown on his face. I shrink further into my seat.

“There you are,” he says to Brooke, his voice light with relief.

I force myself to meet his eyes, knowing I messed up. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“It’s a plane, Cari. She can’t go far. Relax.” His tone is calm, almost soothing, but it doesn’t stop the embarrassment from burning through me.

Then, the pretty woman who came out of the washroom appears beside Jett. “I see you have an empty seat next to you.” She nods in the direction of where he was sitting.

He smiles politely. “I do.”

She gives him a flirtatious smile and sashays past us. Has he already found a replacement for Alicia?

“I'll come by later, sprout,” he says to Brooke, and leaves us.

My stomach twists as I watch him. My torture begins, causing my mind to spiral as I imagine all sorts of scenarios—Jett, the pretty woman, the mile-high club.

Great, just what I need—more fuel for my overactive imagination.

I let out a long breath. This trip is going to be a disaster. I can feel it already.

Chapter 14

JETT

A woman who seems to think she knows me is hovering around my seat.

She’s vaguely familiar, though I can’t place her face or remember her name. The last thing I need right now is small talk. I hate interruptions. I hate people being familiar and forward. Huffing out a breath, I walk back to my seat. Her eyes slide to the vacant spot next to me and she gives me that overly familiar smile. “Mind if I join you for a bit?”

Irritation prickles under my skin. “I was working on something,” I reply, my voice clipped.

She flashes a smile that’s meant to dazzle, but it only grates on me. I almost shake my head, ready to give her a what-the-fuck-do-you-want look, but she keeps smiling. Coy, flirty, but something about it feels ... manipulative.

“Ah, come on, Mr. Knight,” she coos, sliding into the seat beside me without waiting for permission. “You can’t be working the entire time.”

I grit my teeth. “Actually, I can.”

Thankfully, first class seats have a good amount of space between them, so I’m not crammed up next to her. But she’s still too close.

She orders a martini from the flight attendant, while I try to ignore her presence and focus on the report in front of me. The flight attendant turns to me with a smile.

“Can I get anything for you, Mr. Knight?”

Every woman smiles like that.

Except Cari.

At the thought of her, my chest tightens. I should’ve just let Brooke down gently, told her Cari couldn’t come. Anything would have been better than this tension I’m going to have to endure for the next three weeks.

“Tomato juice with some Worcestershire sauce,” I mutter.

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