kids.”
She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them, looking at him now. “ I expected more,” she said on a whisper, then shifted to the front of the seat and levered the back to an upright position. Without saying anything else, she shrugged out of her suede jacket, then grabbed the hem of her top and started to tug it up without saying anything to him.
That’s when he did keep his promise and closed his eyes. He didn’t open them again, until he heard her say, “All done.”
When he looked at her, she appeared pretty much the same, except she’d either taken the tie off her ponytail, or her hair had come free in the process of changing clothes. Either way, her thick hair fell a few inches past her shoulders, and even in the dimness, he could catch the coppery streaks in it.
Her seat back went down again, and she scooted into a comfortable sitting position. She looked at him expectantly. The soft waves of her hair framed her face, and he didn’t even try to rationalize why his only thought right then was that she was stunning. No fancy clothes or makeup, and she looked incredible there on the seat, watching him.
“Okay, let’s get ready,” he said, and as her expression seemed a bit strained, he was almost thankful for the heaviness in his eyes. He needed to sleep, despite her worries about a concussion. “There’s a side panel back here. Open it and get out the blankets and a thermal wrap, then we’ll turn the heater off for a while.”
He pushed himself to keep an eye on her, until she’d retrieved the items he’d asked for. “Got them,” she said a few moments later.
“Good,” he replied as she faced him with the supplies in her hands. Yes, she sure was beautiful.
CHAPTER SEVEN
W HEN M ERRY HANDED him a blanket, she was so close to Gage that she could see the pulse beating in the hollow of his throat. She quickly looked away and accidentally dropped the blanket on his lap. His eyes were on her, measuring her in some way she didn’t understand, but she could tell that the medication was having an effect. “Sorry,” she said, reaching for the blanket.
His hand moved to hold it where it landed. “Let it be,” he almost whispered. “Now, we need to figure out the food situation.”
“There are energy bars and suckers in the first-aid kit,” she offered.
“If you could shut down the heater first, and then grab some bars and a couple bottles of water, we’ll move on to the blankets.”
She moved carefully to the console and soon returned with the water and snacks. Putting the bottles of water in the cup holders, she found the seat lever, and tilted it as far as possible, making the seat not as flat as the front seats, but enough to make things much more comfortable for both of them.
She stretched out by Gage and could tell that any heat she felt had to be from his body. The air in the rest of the cabin was cooling off quickly.
He looked so much more peaceful now than he had before, and she felt a degree of relief, then he whispered something she didn’t quite hear. She leaned closer to him, asked, “Pardon,” and heard him say softly, “Listen.” Frowning, she stared at him, his eyes closed.
“To what?” she asked, then knew.
Nothing. She couldn’t hear the wind or the snow blowing against the plane anymore. To check she looked out the side window. “Oh, wow,” she breathed. “Storm’s over.”
As she turned back to Gage, his eyes opened and his mouth curved into a slightly goofy smile that she suspected had a lot to do with the medication.
“Wonderful, isn’t it?”
She wondered if he meant the current weather conditions or the pain pills. Either way, his smile was endearing, and if his ribs hadn’t been broken, she knew that she would have hugged him then and there.
“Absolutely wonderful,” she agreed and hugged herself. “Now we just wait,” she said, feeling a tiny spark of renewed hope.
“And stay warm,” he added softly.
“Yes,
She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them, looking at him now. “ I expected more,” she said on a whisper, then shifted to the front of the seat and levered the back to an upright position. Without saying anything else, she shrugged out of her suede jacket, then grabbed the hem of her top and started to tug it up without saying anything to him.
That’s when he did keep his promise and closed his eyes. He didn’t open them again, until he heard her say, “All done.”
When he looked at her, she appeared pretty much the same, except she’d either taken the tie off her ponytail, or her hair had come free in the process of changing clothes. Either way, her thick hair fell a few inches past her shoulders, and even in the dimness, he could catch the coppery streaks in it.
Her seat back went down again, and she scooted into a comfortable sitting position. She looked at him expectantly. The soft waves of her hair framed her face, and he didn’t even try to rationalize why his only thought right then was that she was stunning. No fancy clothes or makeup, and she looked incredible there on the seat, watching him.
“Okay, let’s get ready,” he said, and as her expression seemed a bit strained, he was almost thankful for the heaviness in his eyes. He needed to sleep, despite her worries about a concussion. “There’s a side panel back here. Open it and get out the blankets and a thermal wrap, then we’ll turn the heater off for a while.”
He pushed himself to keep an eye on her, until she’d retrieved the items he’d asked for. “Got them,” she said a few moments later.
“Good,” he replied as she faced him with the supplies in her hands. Yes, she sure was beautiful.
CHAPTER SEVEN
W HEN M ERRY HANDED him a blanket, she was so close to Gage that she could see the pulse beating in the hollow of his throat. She quickly looked away and accidentally dropped the blanket on his lap. His eyes were on her, measuring her in some way she didn’t understand, but she could tell that the medication was having an effect. “Sorry,” she said, reaching for the blanket.
His hand moved to hold it where it landed. “Let it be,” he almost whispered. “Now, we need to figure out the food situation.”
“There are energy bars and suckers in the first-aid kit,” she offered.
“If you could shut down the heater first, and then grab some bars and a couple bottles of water, we’ll move on to the blankets.”
She moved carefully to the console and soon returned with the water and snacks. Putting the bottles of water in the cup holders, she found the seat lever, and tilted it as far as possible, making the seat not as flat as the front seats, but enough to make things much more comfortable for both of them.
She stretched out by Gage and could tell that any heat she felt had to be from his body. The air in the rest of the cabin was cooling off quickly.
He looked so much more peaceful now than he had before, and she felt a degree of relief, then he whispered something she didn’t quite hear. She leaned closer to him, asked, “Pardon,” and heard him say softly, “Listen.” Frowning, she stared at him, his eyes closed.
“To what?” she asked, then knew.
Nothing. She couldn’t hear the wind or the snow blowing against the plane anymore. To check she looked out the side window. “Oh, wow,” she breathed. “Storm’s over.”
As she turned back to Gage, his eyes opened and his mouth curved into a slightly goofy smile that she suspected had a lot to do with the medication.
“Wonderful, isn’t it?”
She wondered if he meant the current weather conditions or the pain pills. Either way, his smile was endearing, and if his ribs hadn’t been broken, she knew that she would have hugged him then and there.
“Absolutely wonderful,” she agreed and hugged herself. “Now we just wait,” she said, feeling a tiny spark of renewed hope.
“And stay warm,” he added softly.
“Yes,
Similar Books
