Page 2 of Until Hanna

When they leave, I pop my head into the cockpit to check on George, then I do a walkthrough to pick up any garbage that was left behind, stopping to chat with the few passengers left in their seats.

Once I’m done, I check with the baggage guys to see if there’s anything I need to sign off on, because on occasion we have shipments stowed under the plane that require a signature, and then I wait for our next group of passengers to start boarding. With London Air, I do a lot of short runs all over Europe, with a few global flights thrown in from time to time. I love it, and I love it even more because I get to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world and it doesn’t cost me a dime.

A few minutes after Douglas and Joslyn get back on the plane, Matty steps on to let me know how many people are on the flight. Like when we landed, I stand back and greet everyone as they begin to board. But unlike when we landed, people take their time stowing their bags and finding their seats—much to the annoyance of the people behind them in line.

As I’m assisting an elderly gentleman stow his oversized carry-on in the bin above his head, the light from the door goes dark, the interior of the front cabin dimming significantly. I turn to see what’s going on and watch a man duck his head to step through the doorway, with two more men behind him that are just as tall and wide as he is. When the man in front lifts his head of dark-blond hair and his blue eyes collide with mine, my heart does an odd little jump inside my chest, causing me to fumble with the bag over my head. I spin quickly so I don’t drop it on the poor guy I’m assisting, but the weight is suddenly taken out of my hands as the scent of sun, mint, and musk wraps around me.

“Sorry,” I whisper, looking down at the elderly man who’s now taken his seat.

“It’s all right, lass.” He smiles.

Rubbing my suddenly sweaty palms down the front of my tight black skirt, I will myself to turn around and face the man I know is standing right behind me. And I know he’s still behind me, because the warmth from his large body is like standing in front of a radiator.

Swallowing, I turn and look up… and up… and…. “Oh goodness.”

“I think you mean ‘thank you,’” he says in an American accent while he grins, accentuating the scar slicing across his full upper lip and showing off a set of straight teeth that look bright white with his sun-kissed complexion and the thick layer of scruff covering his square jaw.

“Umm,” I breathe, and his grin widens.

“Hanna, are you okay?” Joslyn asks, snapping me out of my daze, and I blink up at the guy towering over me and shake my head.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“All good.” I glance back, shooting her a reassuring smile, then turn to look up at the stranger and clear my throat. “Um, thanks for the help.”

“Any time,” he says, and I swear it sounds like he’s laughing, but I’ve tugged my eyes off his and don’t look up to confirm.

“I’ll just….” I start to step around him but stop.

We’re standing in the aisle, and there’s not a lot of room—at least not with him in the aisle with me. And I can’t ask him to move, since there is a long line of people now gathered behind him. My cheeks get hot just thinking about how I’m going to either have my ass pressed into his front or my tits pressed into his chest.

“Sorry,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes closed as I move in front of him with my back to his front. My skin burns where his large hand wraps around my hip to assist, then I maneuver past the two men behind him that take up just as much room, mumbling apologies as I go. When I return to the front of the plane, my face feels like it’s on fire and I’m sure it’s as red as a tomato.

“Do not say a word,” I hiss at Douglas, who looks like he’s trying hard not to laugh.

“I wasn’t going to say anything.” A chuckle slips past his lips that he covers with a fake cough. “I’m going to go fly the plane.”

“That would be good.” I let out a breath and watch him disappear into the cockpit, wishing I could go with him. Unfortunately, that is not an option for me. I have a job to do.

When the last passenger is seated, Joslyn checks to make sure the door is secure, and I step into the safety of the small kitchen, where passengers are blocked from view, and I grab my bottle of water. I down it like it’s tequila, but since it’s not, it does nothing to help my rattled nerves.

I’ve never had that kind of reaction to a man before. I mean, sure, I’ve had a couple of guys cause my pulse to race, but I’ve never felt like this.

“Have you seen that guy before?” Joslyn asks quietly in her British accent as the plane backs out, and I shake my head. “He’s fit.” She peeks around the wall of the kitchen to look down the aisle, and I bite my bottom lip. “His friends are fit too.” She looks back at me. “Too bad I don’t have time for a man.” She sighs, then asks, “Are you ready?”

“Yep,” I lie as we start to taxi toward the runway, and she gives me a reassuring smile before heading to the middle of the plane.

I take a deep breath, then grab the mic from its place on the wall and press the button on the side as I exit my hiding spot, avoiding the man I swear I can feel watching me.

After I go through the entire spiel I have memorized about safety and seatbelts, I return the mic and start down the aisle to check that everyone has their seatbelt on and that no one is on their phone. Stopping at a young mom with her infant son on her lap, I smile and remind her that in case of an emergency to put on her own mask before she puts on his, and she nods.

My pulse begins to flutter as I feel the man behind her watching me.

Absolutely ridiculous.

I’m a professional. I will not let my strange reaction to a man distract me from doing my job.

When I reach his seat, I don’t look him in the eye, even though I can feel his gaze hot on my face. I check his lap to confirm his seatbelt is locked, then check his friends, who are all seated in the aisle seats around him and move on.

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