Page 16 of Burning Beauty

Yet too simple to refuse.

"Okay, I can do that." She took the leap into the unknown.

Chapter Nine

Maria started to lean toward him, feeling awkward and unsure. Like she'd never kissed a guy before, when in reality she had plenty of experience. Once she'd discovered kissing as a teenager, and particularly how much she could get a guy to do for her by using kisses, she'd had her share of kissing practice. For some reason though, kissing Nic was a whole other ball game. She felt like an awkward newbie.

Luke saved the moment by climbing into the driver's seat and slamming his door hard enough to snap the tension happening in the back seat. He fired the engine while Maria jerked back into her seat and lifted a hand to her forehead. She was so out of her league here.

She jumped when she felt Nic's hands on her, reaching for her seatbelt and latching it across her waist and chest. He leaned in and kissed her neck, then spoke in her ear. "Not now, little hellion, but soon."

The breath caught in her throat and she moved her hand to her neck where his lips had scorched her skin. Nic settled back into his seat and Luke pulled the car out of the motel parking lot and onto the freeway.

Maria sat in a haze until they reached the airport. She woke up to the continuing craziness of her situation when Luke drove the car onto the tarmac and pulled up to a private jet. Her jaw dropped as she peered at it through her window. She'd never seen anything like it. It was huge compared to the private planes she'd seen, though it wasn't as big as a commercial jetliner.

Nic didn't give her time to collect herself. He unlatched her seatbelt and pulled her out his side. He straightened his jacket and then towed her toward the plane. Luke walked a few steps behind them. Nic nodded brusquely to the two men and one woman standing at the base of the plane and then ushered Maria up the steps with a hand at her back. She twisted around to get a better look at the people and realized the two men were pilots. She assumed the woman must be a flight attendant. Luke was giving one of them instructions to collect their bags before he climbed the steps behind Nic and Maria.

"So, we don't have to go through airport security or anything like that?" she asked Nic as she stepped through the open door of the airplane.

"No," Nic said shortly.

He strode through the plane, pulling her with him. She twisted this way and that trying to get a good look at everything she passed. She'd never been on a private plane before and probably never would again. When they reached the back, Nic pointed at a cluster of seats.

Maria rolled her eyes but didn't argue. She plopped into one of them and watched intently as he dropped into the one opposite her. Luke handed Nic a leather bag, which Nic placed on a table next to him.

"I'll be up at the front if you need anything," Luke said, obviously familiar with some sort of routine.

"We'll need to have a discussion about this new security situation before we land," Nic told Luke before sending him away.

"Am I the new security situation?" Maria asked boldly.

"Put your seatbelt on," Nic told her, ignoring her question.

She put on her seatbelt and then looked at him while he did the same. "So, is it easier to transport drugs when you're able to get in and out of airports without having to go through security? Do you even have to go through customs when you travel internationally? I assume you do travel."

Nic raised an eyebrow at her. "What makes you think I'm into drugs?" The slightest hint of a curl to his lips told her he found the idea distasteful.

She shrugged and looked at him from beneath her lashes. "You're a mafia guy right? Isn't that what you guys are into?"

He gave her a sharp look. "Do you really think that?"

She thought about it for a moment, eyed his expensive outfit, the jet, his staff. No, he probably wasn't into drugs, or at least if he was, he wouldn't be dealing with any aspect of the product personally.

"Okay, maybe not drugs," she capitulated. "So what are you into then, arms dealing, real estate scams?"

He sighed and rubbed the groove between his eyebrows before pulling his cell phone out and settling into some kind of reading. She frowned but didn't push him for answers. Probably mafia type guys didn't talk much about business since they didn't want to get busted doing illegal stuff.

She settled back into her seat and waited for the airplane to take off. She'd rarely flown, but always enjoyed the experience. She loved the sensation of soaring, of her tummy dropping and her ears popping.

She grinned as the plane began taxying faster and faster and leaned into the window to watch as the ground dropped away. She wasn't happy about leaving her brother behind and she was worried for her future, particularly in the hands of the cold, dark stranger sitting across from her. But she had to admit, she was happy to be leaving Las Vegas, the city that had ensnared her, beat her up and spit her out. She was also the type to look on the bright side of things. She was flying to the east coast of the United States, she was in the company of an incredibly wealthy man and she was about to collect a whole bunch of new experiences. Providing those experiences didn't kill her, she might actually enjoy some of them.

Once they were in the air and heading toward cruising altitude, Maria sat back in her chair and wiggled until she was comfortable. Maybe in a few minutes she would ask if there were magazines, books or a TV onboard. Otherwise it was going to be one long boring ride.

Her gaze was ensnared by Nic's, who was watching her intently, his eyes on her mouth. "You look beautiful when you smile."

Uncomfortable, Maria countered with, "I'm always beautiful." Her tone was light and teasing.

He nodded seriously. "I have no doubt about that. But you are really very stunning when you relax and smile. You should do it often."

---