CHAPTER ONE
Saskia Cullen tucked closer into the warmth beneath her cheek. She tried to
shift her body, seeking a more comfortable position, but didn’t get very far.
She yawned and stretchedout an arm.
“Hi.”
Her eyes flew open, the deep voice so close to her ear taking her by
surprise.
Oh. Heat burst into her cheeks, her eyes darting to the side
before she recoiled back into the seat and hit her head on the window. “I’m
sorry, I must have…” What had she done? She was so exhausted she could hardly
even recall boarding the plane.
“It’s fine. I figured you were really tired.” The guy seated to her
right, the guy she’d been snuggled into like he was her own personal love
monkey, was grinning at her. His eyes crinkled ever-so at the corners, brown
irises somehow smiling as he watched her.
It didn’t stop her embarrassment and her cheeks were still on fire.
“I don’t usually do that sort of thing, I promise,” she started, rubbing
the back of her head where she’d hit it. “I remember taking my seat and then I
must have fallen asleep before you even boarded.” The last week had been so exhausting,
and then the thought of the long-haul flight back home… Saskia looked down,
pleased she’d changed back into her civilian clothes. The last thing she needed
to do was embarrass herself and the army.
“Look, you don’t snore and I didn’t mind, so it’s no big deal,” the guy
insisted, holding out his hand. It was awkward, given how close they were
seated, but she grasped it anyway. “I’m Luke.”
“Saskia,” she managed, still tongue-tied. “And I am sorry.
Honestly, it’s beyond embarrassing and I have seriously never done that before.”
He laughed, a big grin spreading across his face. “What, fall asleep with
strange men?”
Saskia knew her face would be a furious kind of red by now. Let myself
not be in control was what she wanted to reply, but she kept her mouth
shut.
“Just to warn you, we’ve been having some turbulence.”
The plane started to shudder and Saskia looked up to see the seatbelt
sign flashing. She instinctively touched her buckle to make sure it was
fastened.
“You mean to say I slept through more of this?” she asked, resting her
head back on the seat as the plane thumped and rocked like a bad rollercoaster
ride.
Luke nodded, hands planted to his thighs. “Yep, sure did.”
She watched the way his fingers thrummed back and forth and then stopped,
digging into the denim of his jeans. Her eyes skipped to his face. It wasn’t outwardly
obvious, but she was pretty sure he was nervous. She’d seen this sort of thing
plenty of times before, especially with her new recruits.
“You okay?” The plane lurched some more.
Luke met her gaze. “I’ll be fine as soon as we land.” He paused and
slowly unclenched his fingers, crossing his arms instead like he’d realized how
she’d found him out. “This doesn’t bother you?” he askedwith a grimace.
Saskia shrugged. “I’m used to flying, that’s all.”
She wondered if that’s why he hadn’t minded her sleeping on his shoulder.
Perhaps it had taken his mind off the turbulence. Saskia fought the urge to
check her breath, horrified that she might have been breathing all over him.
“You fly for work a lot?” he asked.
Saskia hesitated. Did she tell him the truth or lie? She glanced at him,
still not sure. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“So are you flying home or for work right now?”
He was just making polite conversation, and since they were going to be
sitting side by side for a while yet, she either needed to open up or somehow
maneuver the conversation away from her. She was used to being around men 24/7
– the kind of men that’d make plenty of girls swoon. So the fact that this
broad shouldered, dark eyed stranger was making her stomach flip more than the
turbulence? It told her she didn’t want to spoil things by telling him what she
did for a living, not when so many civilian
Saskia Cullen tucked closer into the warmth beneath her cheek. She tried to
shift her body, seeking a more comfortable position, but didn’t get very far.
She yawned and stretchedout an arm.
“Hi.”
Her eyes flew open, the deep voice so close to her ear taking her by
surprise.
Oh. Heat burst into her cheeks, her eyes darting to the side
before she recoiled back into the seat and hit her head on the window. “I’m
sorry, I must have…” What had she done? She was so exhausted she could hardly
even recall boarding the plane.
“It’s fine. I figured you were really tired.” The guy seated to her
right, the guy she’d been snuggled into like he was her own personal love
monkey, was grinning at her. His eyes crinkled ever-so at the corners, brown
irises somehow smiling as he watched her.
It didn’t stop her embarrassment and her cheeks were still on fire.
“I don’t usually do that sort of thing, I promise,” she started, rubbing
the back of her head where she’d hit it. “I remember taking my seat and then I
must have fallen asleep before you even boarded.” The last week had been so exhausting,
and then the thought of the long-haul flight back home… Saskia looked down,
pleased she’d changed back into her civilian clothes. The last thing she needed
to do was embarrass herself and the army.
“Look, you don’t snore and I didn’t mind, so it’s no big deal,” the guy
insisted, holding out his hand. It was awkward, given how close they were
seated, but she grasped it anyway. “I’m Luke.”
“Saskia,” she managed, still tongue-tied. “And I am sorry.
Honestly, it’s beyond embarrassing and I have seriously never done that before.”
He laughed, a big grin spreading across his face. “What, fall asleep with
strange men?”
Saskia knew her face would be a furious kind of red by now. Let myself
not be in control was what she wanted to reply, but she kept her mouth
shut.
“Just to warn you, we’ve been having some turbulence.”
The plane started to shudder and Saskia looked up to see the seatbelt
sign flashing. She instinctively touched her buckle to make sure it was
fastened.
“You mean to say I slept through more of this?” she asked, resting her
head back on the seat as the plane thumped and rocked like a bad rollercoaster
ride.
Luke nodded, hands planted to his thighs. “Yep, sure did.”
She watched the way his fingers thrummed back and forth and then stopped,
digging into the denim of his jeans. Her eyes skipped to his face. It wasn’t outwardly
obvious, but she was pretty sure he was nervous. She’d seen this sort of thing
plenty of times before, especially with her new recruits.
“You okay?” The plane lurched some more.
Luke met her gaze. “I’ll be fine as soon as we land.” He paused and
slowly unclenched his fingers, crossing his arms instead like he’d realized how
she’d found him out. “This doesn’t bother you?” he askedwith a grimace.
Saskia shrugged. “I’m used to flying, that’s all.”
She wondered if that’s why he hadn’t minded her sleeping on his shoulder.
Perhaps it had taken his mind off the turbulence. Saskia fought the urge to
check her breath, horrified that she might have been breathing all over him.
“You fly for work a lot?” he asked.
Saskia hesitated. Did she tell him the truth or lie? She glanced at him,
still not sure. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“So are you flying home or for work right now?”
He was just making polite conversation, and since they were going to be
sitting side by side for a while yet, she either needed to open up or somehow
maneuver the conversation away from her. She was used to being around men 24/7
– the kind of men that’d make plenty of girls swoon. So the fact that this
broad shouldered, dark eyed stranger was making her stomach flip more than the
turbulence? It told her she didn’t want to spoil things by telling him what she
did for a living, not when so many civilian
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