Page 76 of Savage Temptation

Jamie noticed my non-answer, her polite side smile giving her disappointment away. I had to say something reconciling, pull her towards me again.

“And you are far from being a girl, Jamie. Don’t belittle yourself. You're a woman with all the glory that word holds. And my God, what a woman!” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, my thumb caressing her cheek.

This time her smile was wider, stained with a deep blush and a new sparkle in her eyes. It was short-lived, though.

“Boss, it’s time to board. One of the Massimo men will see that you get some steel on you as soon as you land.” Carl said, oblivious to his misstep, while Jamie swallowed a new lump that had formed in her throat at the sound of his words, her hand returning to its tight grip on the chair.

For every brick I knocked down on her wall, a whole damn bailey grew, reinforced with a pit and no bridge. Fuck.

“Thanks, Carl. We’ll be right in.” I let him walk away before turning back to Jamie, picking up our previous subject in an attempt to reel her in again. “To answer your question, those novels of yours might have gotten a couple things right. I just thought you’d feel more comfortable with other people around instead of stuck in my jet alone with me.”

“I’m okay with being alone with you, Liam.” Her voice was small and far from convincing. Jamie disregarded the fact that I had just told her we owned a jet, showing me that contrary to many of the women I’d been with in my life, status and wealth meant nothing to her.

She was as real as they got, which only made her reaction sting harder.

“I doubt that. See?” I replied, peeling her fingers from gripping the chair. “You’re still afraid.”

“It’s just that I don’t–”

“You don’t like airplanes.” I interrupted her, the hope she’d built before crumbling to dust. As true as it might be, I couldn’t help but feel she was hiding behind her fear of flying. “I’ll give you all the space you need, Jamie. I’ll give you time to wrap your head around my reality or set you free if you’d prefer, but I need honesty.”

We hadn’t kissed since Jamie came to my office a couple days ago, and somehow now there was this huge space between us that just made it awkward.

I felt her pulling away from me while her words said the opposite. The mixed signals were driving me insane. We abided by a code of honor, one where honesty and truthfulness played a central role, so having Jamie hiding her true feelings was grinding on my nerves.

“This is your seat, Mr. Dornier, and your assistant’s is by the window.” The flight attendant said, stopping Jamie in her tracks as she made her way further down towards the tail of the plane.

The woman’s hand lingered on my arm for longer than warranted, dragging her fingers up in a trail Jamie’s eyes followed. All the way from my elbow to my shoulder. “I’ll be at your service, Sir. Whatever you need.”

The suggestion in her tone and choice of words was clear, Jamie’s eyebrows shooting up into her hairline as she heard the blonde woman. My eyes were stranded on Jamie’s, her frown as dire as looking down the barrel of a gun.

“First class, Liam? This must have cost a fortune! We would have been just fine in coach. Maybe the service wouldn’t be so personalized, but it would have been fine. For me, at least.” Jamie didn’t hide her disgust, talking through clenched teeth. I wasn’t sure her words expressed what really bothered her.

“Jamie, I told you the only reason we didn’t bring the jet was so you wouldn’t be overwhelmed. I’m taking a huge risk as it is. Money is of no consequence. Besides, AD pays for all this.”

“A little much for your assistant.” She huffed and took her seat by the window, turning her face away from me.

Her annoyance didn’t take away from her anxiety as she sat there folded into herself, her arms constantly covering her chest in a protective stance. Her eyes darted all around her several times as if she was looking for a way out.

We were about to hit the runway and there was no way out now, so I tried easing her mind by making trivial conversation.

“What color is your gown for the gala tonight?”

“Shit!” Jamie cussed, her eyes wide and her hand covering her mouth. “I left it at home. Shit, shit, shit.”

I quickly shot Alison a text asking her to have the hotel pick up a few dresses and set them up in Jamie’s room. I knew she’d have me covered.

“Done. You’ll have a couple to choose from when we get to the hotel.”

“That was easy.” She spat, her voice dripping in venom and taking me by complete surprise. “It’s as if you’ve done it several times before.”

“What?”

“I don’t need to travel in first class, Liam. I don’t need you to buy me expensive phones and dresses. I’m sure you’re used to doing that with your lady friends, but you can’t buy me.” Her tone was clipped, the anger simmering under her surface making her cheeks blush in anger. What the hell got into her?

“Woah, woah. I was just trying to help. I never thought I could buy you! Where did you even get that idea?” I replied, my hands up in surrender.

“I’m not all your other hookups. So don’t treat me like one.”

---