they soared high above the plains. They’d talked for hours. He’d never heard about the accident that changed her life—and that of the rest of her family—when she was fifteen. Her mother had been hit by a car and left in a coma that she recovered from three years later.
Ashton had been shocked to hear about the awful dilemma her parents had faced when her mother awoke to learn her father had fallen in love with someone else. Although her parents were still close friends and had long been happily remarried to Andi and Aidan, it wasn’t a story Jill told often or to just anyone. However, it seemed natural to share it with him.
He’d talked about losing his mother in a car accident when he was barely two years old. It had pained her to experience his dismay over having no memory of the woman who’d given birth to him and to realize they shared an awful bond of car accidents changing both their lives.
The cocoon of the cockpit and the isolation of soaring through the sky had given their conversation a level of intimacy that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else.
Reliving it now, Jill tried to remember how she’d gotten from the plane to the house.
“Ah, you’re finally awake,” Ashton said from the doorway as he came in holding two mugs of coffee. His hair was wet from the shower and his face freshly shaven.
Noticing that he wore a T-shirt and shorts had Jill realizing she was wearing only a T-shirt of his and a pair of panties.
“You conked out on me,” he said.
“Did I?” she asked as she took a mug from him.
“Totally. I didn’t know how you liked your coffee, so I guessed on the cream and sugar.”
“Perfect.” She glanced at him, embarrassed to know he’d undressed her and put her to bed. “Care to explain how I lost my clothes?”
His sheepish grin was far too adorable. “I wanted you comfortable. You were so tired.” He traced a line from her cheek to her ear, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.
“And there was nothing in it for you?”
“I was a perfect gentleman. When I get to see the goods, I want you wide awake and fully aware.”
Jill nearly choked on her next sip of coffee. “Thanks for the warning.”
“No problem.”
That smile, those green eyes, those cheekbones, the thick blond hair… He was absolutely gorgeous, and all his attention was directed at her. A flutter of nerves hit her belly. What was she doing here? What had she been thinking coming all this way with him when they’d never had so much as a date before this?
“Don’t do that,” he said sternly.
“Do what?”
“Start second-guessing everything.”
Annoyed that she was so easily read, she said, “That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Maybe a little,” she said, amused.
“Well, don’t. We’re two friends spending some time together. Nothing more, nothing less.”
She glanced at him over the rim of her mug. “Nothing more?”
His eyes flared with desire. “Only if it’s what you want.”
“What about what you want?”
“I want to see you relaxed and rested. Anything else is a bonus.”
“So you’re not after a vacation fling?” Jill couldn’t believe she was being so blunt with him.
Apparently, he couldn’t either, because his mouth fell open in surprise. “Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?” The lawyer in her needed to know the terms before she agreed to the contract.
“It means,” he said, combing his fingers through her tangled hair, “I want more than a vacation fling.”
She hadn’t expected him to say that. “With me?” she asked, hating how her voice sounded so squeaky.
“Yes, with you, silly,” he said, laughing.
“I, um… well… oh.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t had enough coffee for this conversation.” She glanced down at the other pillow, which was smooth and not indented, and then forced herself to look at him. “Where did you sleep?”
“In the
Ashton had been shocked to hear about the awful dilemma her parents had faced when her mother awoke to learn her father had fallen in love with someone else. Although her parents were still close friends and had long been happily remarried to Andi and Aidan, it wasn’t a story Jill told often or to just anyone. However, it seemed natural to share it with him.
He’d talked about losing his mother in a car accident when he was barely two years old. It had pained her to experience his dismay over having no memory of the woman who’d given birth to him and to realize they shared an awful bond of car accidents changing both their lives.
The cocoon of the cockpit and the isolation of soaring through the sky had given their conversation a level of intimacy that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else.
Reliving it now, Jill tried to remember how she’d gotten from the plane to the house.
“Ah, you’re finally awake,” Ashton said from the doorway as he came in holding two mugs of coffee. His hair was wet from the shower and his face freshly shaven.
Noticing that he wore a T-shirt and shorts had Jill realizing she was wearing only a T-shirt of his and a pair of panties.
“You conked out on me,” he said.
“Did I?” she asked as she took a mug from him.
“Totally. I didn’t know how you liked your coffee, so I guessed on the cream and sugar.”
“Perfect.” She glanced at him, embarrassed to know he’d undressed her and put her to bed. “Care to explain how I lost my clothes?”
His sheepish grin was far too adorable. “I wanted you comfortable. You were so tired.” He traced a line from her cheek to her ear, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.
“And there was nothing in it for you?”
“I was a perfect gentleman. When I get to see the goods, I want you wide awake and fully aware.”
Jill nearly choked on her next sip of coffee. “Thanks for the warning.”
“No problem.”
That smile, those green eyes, those cheekbones, the thick blond hair… He was absolutely gorgeous, and all his attention was directed at her. A flutter of nerves hit her belly. What was she doing here? What had she been thinking coming all this way with him when they’d never had so much as a date before this?
“Don’t do that,” he said sternly.
“Do what?”
“Start second-guessing everything.”
Annoyed that she was so easily read, she said, “That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Maybe a little,” she said, amused.
“Well, don’t. We’re two friends spending some time together. Nothing more, nothing less.”
She glanced at him over the rim of her mug. “Nothing more?”
His eyes flared with desire. “Only if it’s what you want.”
“What about what you want?”
“I want to see you relaxed and rested. Anything else is a bonus.”
“So you’re not after a vacation fling?” Jill couldn’t believe she was being so blunt with him.
Apparently, he couldn’t either, because his mouth fell open in surprise. “Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?” The lawyer in her needed to know the terms before she agreed to the contract.
“It means,” he said, combing his fingers through her tangled hair, “I want more than a vacation fling.”
She hadn’t expected him to say that. “With me?” she asked, hating how her voice sounded so squeaky.
“Yes, with you, silly,” he said, laughing.
“I, um… well… oh.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t had enough coffee for this conversation.” She glanced down at the other pillow, which was smooth and not indented, and then forced herself to look at him. “Where did you sleep?”
“In the
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