Authors: Trista Ann Michaels
I didn’t know he had a daughter.
They were dressed in matching Atlanta Braves T-shirts. Steve had a Braves ball cap
on, the little girl held hers in her hand. The adoration in her eyes as she smiled
at Steve made her heart melt. There was no doubt she loved her daddy.
A knock sounded at the door, and she strolled over, picture in hand, to open it. Steve
stood on the other side, a grin spreading his lips and her white silk camisole dangling
from his outstretched hand. Her heart nearly jumped from her chest. The man was an
absolute dream, and a sudden surge of jealousy filled her chest at the woman who was
lucky enough to have his child.
“I called the other flight attendants. By process of elimination, I figured out this
was yours,” he said.
“Oh.” She quickly snatched the material from his fingers. “Thanks. I just realized
I had yours.” She held up the picture. “I didn’t know you had a daughter. She’s beautiful.”
“Thank you, but she’s not mine.”
“No?” For some reason, relief swept through her. “Niece?”
“No, that’s Nicole. Nick and Lindsey Shaw’s daughter.”
“Captain Nicholas Shaw?” she asked and looked back down at the snapshot. Now she could
see the resemblance. She had Nick’s brown eyes. He and Steve were best friends and
usually flew all their flights together until Steve upgraded to captain two years
ago.
“Yeah, she looks just like him, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, she does.”
Kayla stepped aside, allowing him to enter, and pointed toward the luggage stand.
“Your suitcase is over there.”
“Thanks. What made you think she was mine?” He zipped his suitcase closed and moved
it, placing hers on the stand in its place.
She stood mesmerized by the sight of his firm ass and wide shoulders. For a fleeting
second, she imagined what it would feel like to have his powerful hands stroking her
flesh. That’s all it took to set her heart racing and her pussy throbbing. Turning
away, she remembered his question.
“She stares at you like an adoring daughter.”
A deep chuckle sounded from his chest, and her whole body tingled. “The feeling is
mutual.” He took the picture from her hand and smiled as he studied the image. “I
love this little girl like she was my own. She says she’s going to marry me when she
grows up.”
Kayla smiled. “How old is she?”
“She’ll be four this month.”
His gaze bore into hers, holding her captive. With a start, she realized she’d been
holding her breath and tried to break away from the smoldering look in his deep green
eyes, but found she couldn’t.
“You have the prettiest blue eyes.”
He said it so softly, she wasn’t even sure she heard him correctly.
He took a small step toward her. Her body wanted to meet him halfway, but her common
sense won out. He wasn’t for her. She didn’t want to get involved with a pilot. She
saw how lonely her mother had been, not to mention all the pilots she worked with
who she knew were married but still had fun on the side. She didn’t want that for
herself. She didn’t want to have to always worry.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped back, twisting her fingers nervously.
Damn, she wanted to fuck this man. Had for a long time. This was the only time they’d
ever really been alone, and her desire for him hit her like a wrecking ball. Her senses
were in overdrive, picking up his musky scent like a dog picks up the scent of meat.
The pounding between her legs screamed,
take me, fuck me till I can’t walk
, so she took another step back for good measure. “I told Jordan I would meet him
downstairs for a quick lunch, so I should probably get changed.”
Steve nodded. “I should probably go then.” But he didn’t. Instead, he stood there
as though he wanted to say something more.
“Steve—”
“Kayla—”
They both started to speak at the same time. Smiling, she waved her hand. “Go ahead.”
“I have to go into town later. I didn’t bring enough street clothes, and I wanted
to see if you would like to join me. I’m afraid I’m lousy at shopping and could use
a woman’s opinion.”
A woman’s opinion my ass.
Steve was a great dresser, and she was certain he could pick out clothes without her
help, but as she met his expectant gaze, she wondered what would be the harm? She
and Jordan needed to shop as well. “Jordan and I were going to grab a quick lunch
and then do some shopping. You're more than welcome to join us on the shopping trip.
Jordan has great taste in clothes."
“Sounds like a plan to me,” he replied with a charming smile.
If he gazed at her like that too much, he could have her out of her clothes in a flash.
She strolled to the door and opened it. “Great. I’ll see you downstairs.”
With a nod, he left the room.
She let go of the handle, letting it slam shut with a bang. For a moment, she just
stared at it trying to settle her racing heart.
What the hell am I doing?
* * * *
“Afternoon, Cap. Where are you off to?” Jordan asked in his usual chipper attitude,
making Kayla grin.
She and Jordan had just finished lunch and she hadn’t had a chance to tell him they
would have a third for shopping before Steve joined them. Actually, she’d had numerous
chances, she’d just not said anything because she knew Jordan would spend their entire
lunch teasing her about it.
“I’m off to shop with you two,” Steve replied.
“Really?” Jordan turned and gave Kayla his best you-go-girl look.
Kayla returned his look with a scowl. “Our suitcases were switched and while we exchanged
them back, he mentioned he needed to go shopping.”
Jordan’s grin widened. “So you just thought what the hell, right?”
“Right,” Kayla replied through clenched teeth. Sometimes she wondered what she saw
in him as a friend.
“Well, sounds good to me.” Jordan gave Steve a once-over. “I can dress a man almost
as well as I can undress him.”
Steve’s brow rose and his lips twitched as though fighting a smile. “If you don’t
mind, I think I’ll dress myself.”
Jordan shrugged in nonchalance. “Your loss.”
Kayla shook her head, a small giggle erupting from her chest. Steve glanced in her
direction and her whole body heated. God, the man was such a dream—a hot, wet dream.
Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, “But now if you would like to dress me…”
Dressing him was the last thing on her mind and she had a sneaking suspicion he knew
that. Without comment, she walked toward the counter and ordered a cab for their trip
to the market. From what the concierge told her, anything and everything you could
possibly want could be found there. From flea-market type finds to elegant shops,
they had it all.
The short drive to the market went quickly, which made Kayla sigh in relief.
Jordan had jumped in the front, leaving her and Steve in the back sitting way too
close for comfort. The cab was hot, which only served to intensify the heat she felt
coming off Steve’s skin. His scent, woodsy and musky, invaded her senses and sealed
itself into her memory.
As soon as the cab came to a stop, she jumped out, trying to put distance between
her and her gorgeous captain—although he looked nothing like a captain in his jeans
and T-shirt but more like a sexy stud. A sexy stud she’d had a huge crush on since
the day she met him.
Kayla led the way down the sidewalk, the warm afternoon sun heating her skin. Thin
clothes were definitely in order. Something sleeveless would be even better. She could
hear Steve and Jordan talking behind her. At one point Steve laughed, and the sound
was so deep, so masculine it made her skin prickle in desire.
Inwardly she was impressed. Most of the male pilots she flew with kept their distance
from Jordan. They were too afraid being around him would make other people think they
were gay. But not Steve. He seemed to genuinely enjoy Jordan’s company and gave Jordan
as good as he got. The flaming flight attendant had been her best friend for almost
three years now, and her heart melted toward Steve a little more.
“No. No. No,” she mumbled.
“What was that, Kay?” Jordan asked.
“Nothing,” she threw over her shoulder.
Her face flushed in embarrassment, and she was glad she could use the hot sun as an
excuse. She really needed to stop letting him get to her and stop thinking sexual
thoughts about him. He wasn’t melting her heart. He was a playboy, and she really
needed to steer clear.
In an effort to get her mind off him, she turned her attention to her surroundings.
The street was cobblestone, the store fronts made to look like shops would in colonial
times. It was very beautiful with large shade trees and potted plants lining the sidewalks.
“This looks like a good shop.” Steve stopped and pointed toward one of the many buildings.
Jordan snorted as he stared at the pricey clothes covering the mannequins. “And you
say you’re not gay.”
Steve raised his brow. “Excuse me?”
A giggle escaped Kayla’s lips as she watched Steve stare down a non-plussed Jordan.
“You apparently have the same taste in clothes as Jordan.”
Steve shrugged, a shocked expression on his face. “If the type of clothes you wear
determines if you’re gay or not, then people have probably mistook me for gay for
quite some time.”
Kayla crossed her arms, studying him with amusement. “I guess that would explain it
then.”
He crossed his arms as well, mimicking her stance. “Explain what?”
“Why the women like you so much.” He raised a brow, and she smiled. “They’re trying
to convert you.”
Steve laughed. “Joke’s on them, I guess, huh?” He nodded toward the open doorway,
a cool breeze flowing out to entice hot and weary shoppers. “How about you help me
find something that’s a little more masculine?”
She snorted and walked past him into the store. Like he needed anything to make him
look more masculine.
He came up behind her and whispered suggestively in her ear, “Then maybe later we’ll
find something for you that’s sexy.”
Her rising desire for Steve made her think it. The little devil riding on her shoulder
made her say it. “I don’t need sexy clothes. I’m my sexiest in nothing at all.”
She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of his heated expression. His eyes
darkened, his nostrils flared, and the muscle in his cheek jerked. As she walked away,
a smile of pure female satisfaction spread her lips.
* * * *
Steve ran his hand down his face, trying really hard not to make a fool of himself.
He’d spent the better part of the last couple of hours watching Kayla try on outfits.
Damn, the woman had a body. One that the flight attendant uniform didn’t even come
close to hinting at.
When she came out of the dressing room shaking her ass, deliberately he was sure,
it took everything in him not to reach across the short distance that separated them
and pat that adorable mound. Jordan would laugh and egg her on. Much to Steve’s torture.
She still seemed uptight around him, like he made her nervous, but he was slowly making
progress. Occasionally, she would flirt back with him, which made his heart flutter
in his chest like a randy teenager.
His stomach growled loudly, making Kayla and Jordan stare at him in amusement.
He shrugged. “I’m hungry, okay? We’ve been shopping forever.”
Jordan shook his head. “And I’m assuming you want us to stop and get you something
to eat?”
“The two of you have more than enough clothes to do you. How about we head back to
the resort for dinner?”
“That actually sounds like a good idea. Come on, Kay. Let’s go eat.”
Steve didn’t miss the fact that Jordan seemed a whole lot happier about the idea than
Kayla did. He wasn’t giving up, even if he had to dog her this whole trip. Eventually
he’d make sexy Kayla his.
* * * *
Kayla walked into the restaurant with Steve and Jordan in tow. The casual atmosphere
was noisy and festive. The scent of grilled chicken and seafood hung in the air, making
her all the more hungry.
Much to her chagrin, she enjoyed the afternoon with Steve, more than she wanted to
admit. It was a terrible thing to have a huge case of lust for a guy you knew was
totally wrong for you.
Steve placed his hand at the small of her back, sending a shimmer of awareness up
her spine. The heat of his touch scorched her flesh beneath the silk top she wore
as he escorted her to a small table in the corner.
He pulled a chair out for her and smiled. “Is this okay?”
“This is fine. Wouldn’t you rather have dinner with Carl?”
Steve nodded toward the other side of the room. “He’s with his wife.”
Glancing around, she spotted the first officer and his wife at a corner table.
Well, I guess there goes that idea.
“She got here fast,” Kayla observed.
“Carl called while I was waiting on you to change for dinner. He said she caught the
first flight she could and got here a couple of hours ago. My guess is, we won’t be
seeing much of him this layover.”
“Ya think?” Jordan drawled.
She sat and Jordan pulled out the chair next to her and sat down as well.
“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be, Jordan?” Steve asked waving his hand. “Some
unsuspecting man you need to seduce?”
Jordan quickly turned to Kayla, and she shook her head ever so slightly. It was enough
that Jordan caught the hint. She just didn’t trust herself alone with him.
“Oh, there’re lots of men here to play with.” Jordan shrugged. “But Kay says no.”
The toe of her shoe caught his calf under the table. “Oouch,” he whined and glared
at her.
“I don’t bite…Kay.” Steve grinned and her breath caught in her chest.
Oh, God.
What she wouldn’t give to be bitten by him.
Jordan snorted and picked up his glass of water. “Now where’s the fun in that?” She
stared at him in shock, and Jordan raised a well-shaped eyebrow. “What?”