Page 5 of Stick Work

She laughs and it curls around me. “Says the guy afraid of flying. Maybe I should be the one reassuring you.”

The flight attendant closes and secures the door, and I shake my head. “That’s not how it works.”

Lifting her head an inch, the way she always does when she’s about to challenge someone, mainly her brother, I brace myself. Honestly, I love a woman who has a mind of her own, and isn’t always pacifying me. She’s going to give my parents a run for their money, that’s for sure.

“Oh,” she begins. “You think because you’re a guy?—”

“No, Taylor. I think because I’m older and your brother is my best friend, that it’s my job to take care of you.” The words are a good reminder that I need to keep my hands to myself.

She sags a little and folds her arms across her chest. “I’m a grown woman, Elias. I can take care of myself.”

I exhale, and while I know she’s all grown up—believe me, I do—I promised her brother I’d take care of her and that’s what I’m going to do.

Does that mean take care of her in bed, too?

Jesus.

The flight attendant, who looks to be about the same age as Taylor, comes up to us, and I’m grateful for the distraction. Her smile is wide, her blue eyes full of recognition as she glances at me. “Can I get you something to drink?”

I glance at Taylor, and she grabs the menu from the back of the seat and gives it a quick glance. She puckers her full lips, the lips I recently kissed, and says, “I’ll have red wine.”

I clear my throat. “Rum and coke.” I resist the urge to ask for a double.

The flight attendant puts her hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be right back with those.”

I settle in and Taylor pulls out her e-reader, tucking it into the back of the seat in front of her, as the plane moves, and behind closed doors, the pilots go through their checklist.

“Whoa,” Taylor says excitedly when the engines rev, and it brings a smile to her face. I kind of love that this is her first time and I actually get to experience it with her.

What other first can you experience with her, dude?

Jesus.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I crack open the water bottle beside me and take a long pull. The flight attendant comes back with our drinks and on the screens in front of us, the safety video begins. Taylor adjusts her ear buds and watches closely, and while she’s excited, I can sense her apprehension. A glass of wine or two will do her good.

She takes a sip of wine. “A girl could get used to this.”

After the flight attendant delivers more drinks to the rest of the first class customers, she comes back and asks what we’d like to eat. She brushes against me when the plane turns toward its designated runway, and her hand lands on my shoulder again. This time she doesn’t pull it away.

Taylor and I both order the salmon and I turn my attention to the screen, but Harper, according to her nametag, doesn’t step away. I lift my head, slightly uncomfortable, because I know where this is going.

“Are you headed home for the holiday?” she asks when I focus back in on her.

“Yeah, visiting my parents.”

“I’ll be doing the same.” She gives an exasperated sigh. “It’s fun for the first ten minutes, but playing games and going to bed at eight every night.” She rolls her eyes playfully. “Not my idea of fun.”

“No, I guess not,” I agree. At thirty, I’m hardly old, but damn, the idea of going to bed at eight sounds just about right. Once again that reminds me that the woman seated beside me is young and needs to get out and enjoy herself when she can. Will she be bored over the holiday? Shit, probably. The least I can do is try to make it fun for her. She is, after all, doing me a huge favor.

Thick, dark lashes fall seductively over big blue eyes as Harper gives my shoulder a squeeze. “If you get bored, maybe we can go out, do something.”

I wish Roman was on this flight. He’s more her type. He’s more Taylor’s type too, but he knows better than to touch that. “I’m not sure?—”

Refusing to take no for an answer, she hands me a napkin with her number on it. “If you get a chance.”

I nod, and she steps away. I shift in my seat, and steal a fast glance at Taylor, and while I expect her to be offended, upset that Harper completely ignored her, or hit on me anyway despite the fact that I’m with another woman, she’s none of those things. In fact, she looks indignant, offended on my behalf. Behind all that outrage, however, there’s a hint of sadness.

---