Page 16 of Playing with Temptation

“Relax. I’ve got it.” Nate knelt in front of her, his large hands covering hers, stilling their movement.

The warmth of his skin penetrated hers and trailed up her arms, her heart beating faster and her breath quickening. Her skin tingled, electricity zipping along her spine.

Even kneeling, Nate’s large body loomed over hers. His broad chest and wide shoulders invaded her space as he leaned forward and buckled the seat belt effortlessly.

Nate’s gaze met hers and one corner of his mouth curved, his eyes twinkling.

Kendra’s hands shook as she inhaled his scent. Her body remembering when last he’d been this close to her on his knees. Her nipples pebbled and a small, inadvertent gasp escaped her mouth.

Nate grinned, then licked his lower lip.

Maybe he was remembering that night, too.

Kendra shut her eyes briefly and exhaled.

No, no, no. This is strictly business. Nothing more.

“Thank you.” She settled back against the headrest. “But you’d better get back in your seat.”

Nate gave her a knowing grin as he returned to his seat and fastened himself in.

Kendra released a small sigh, missing his nearness, yet thankful for the distance.

“This flight is nearly five hours, and these smaller commuter planes…well, the ride can be a little bumpier than on a commercial flight. You sure you want to do this?”

Kendra nodded in response as she focused on taking long, deep breaths. She wasn’t terrified of flying, it just wasn’t her preferred mode of travel.

Nothing a rum and Coke or two couldn’t resolve.

Only this wasn’t a pleasure trip. It was strictly business, and she needed to keep her head clear. That meant toughing it out.

Nate regarded her with apprehension. “Look, I appreciate your commitment, but you don’t need to do this. I can handle this on my own, so just say the word and we’ll get you off this flight. But I need to know now. Before we take off.”

“No.” Kendra shook her head vehemently. “I’m fine.”

“All right.” Nate settled back in his seat, his eyes glued to her, as if he expected her head to start spinning.

“I appreciate you looking out for me, despite the fact that you’d rather I not be here.”

He shrugged, looking out the window again as the plane taxied down the runway. “Maybe I just didn’t want you killing my vibe with your projectile vomiting.”

Kendra couldn’t help laughing. She dissolved into a fit of giggles that escalated to a laugh so hard it made her belly ache.

Nate laughed, too. He wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. “Better now?”

She stopped laughing long enough to realize that the tense muscles in her back and neck had relaxed. They were airborne and the plane was leveling off. She nodded. “Much. Thank you.”

He winked at her. “Good. Now, I assume that in addition to being assigned babysitting duty, you tagged along so we could go over a few things.”

She nodded, pulling her portfolio from her bag. “How far outside the box are you willing to go?”

Nate crooked a brow and shifted in his seat, folding his right ankle over his left knee. “What do you mean?”

“A popular home improvement show is looking for a few celebs who want to surprise a family member with a kitchen redo. Marcus suggested they do your mom’s kitchen.”

“That means my parents would have to be on the show.” He ran a hand over his head. “Don’t know if I like that. They don’t like being in the spotlight.”

“Marcus said your mom loves these shows and she’s always wanted to be on one.” She tapped her pen on her pad. “This is a great opportunity for you to do something fabulous for her, Nate. Something you’ve always wanted to do. The bonus is it would be great for your image, too.”

Nate groaned as he pressed his head against the headrest. “If Marcus thinks Mama will go for it, fine. I’ll do it. Anything else?”

“By the end of the day, your brother should have more info on those guest spots to discuss the play-offs and a finalized list of media personalities that we’ll pitch additional guest spots to.”

“Great. Make sure I get a copy of that list.”

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