low, wishing she had the confidence to reach
out and touch his hair. It was long, too long for a military guy, but she
wanted to touch it anyway. Almost all the guys she served with had buzz cuts,
and there was something about being so close to a man with thick blond hair…
She gulped and tried to pretend that she was still on duty. That he was out of
bounds.
It wasn’t so easy .
“Saskia, do you want to have dinner with me?”
He was sitting back in his seat now, but he was still watching her.
“You mean at the airport?”
He nodded. “I have a feeling we’re going to be stuck a while, but having
a meal with you might just about make up for it.”
Saskia’s cheeks flared with heat again. “Do you say that to every girl
you meet on a plane?”
Luke shut his eyes for a second as the plane jolted. “I don’t usually
travel on commercial airlines, so no, you’re the first.”
Saskia couldn’t help but smile. She was used to men being charming, but
this man was something else entirely. Maybe it was a SEAL thing. Those guys
probably all had massive egos.
“If we’re grounded I’ll say yes, but if not I’ll be running like a mad
thing to the other terminal,” she replied, hoping her voice sounded as confident
as she’d meant it to.
“Deal.”
The speaker above them crackled to life.
“ Once again we apologize for the large pockets of turbulence. We have
been cleared to land, however those of you waiting for connecting flights will
need to make alternative arrangements as there will be no further flights
departing until the snow has cleared.”
Saskia shut her eyes, tight, biting her lip to stop tears from forming.
“At least I get to have dinner with a beautiful woman.”
Luke’s honey-laced voice should have made her smile, but for some reason
it only made her feel more emotional. A few tears escaped down her cheeks,
falling too fast for her to stop them, and her breath shuddered in her throat. She
wanted to get home so bad.
“Hey, come here.” Luke pulled her against him despite their seatbelts,
his big arms wrapping around her protectively. “You’re okay.”
Saskia was too overcome to feel embarrassed, but she did tuck into him.
Luke was warm and kind, and right now she needed the comfort, even if he was a
stranger.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled into his chest.
He squeezed her tighter. “You’re gonna miss something important, aren’t
you?”
Saskia nodded, eyes shut as he held her.
“We’ve all got something to miss when we’re away,” he told her. “Whatever
it is that you’re going to miss? I’ll do whatever I can to stop that
from happening.”
Saskia pulled back, not caring that her face was now probably tear-stained
and her hair dishevelled. “Really?”
Luke nodded, the corners of his mouth kicking up into a grin. “Yes
ma’am,” he replied. “After dinner, of course.”
She smiled. “Of course.”
Saskia had no idea if there was anything Luke could do to help her, but
she knew that if anyone could, it would be a Navy SEAL. He was used to making
the impossible happen, surviving what others couldn’t, so if she was going to
put her faith in anyone, she didn’t mind it being him. Besides, it wasn’t
exactly a difficult trade – dinner in exchange for his help.
“I need to get home to see my son,” Saskia confessed. “I told him I’d be
home for Christmas, and I don’t want to break my promise.”
Luke Gray stared at the beautiful woman seated beside him. Truth was,
he’d liked her sleeping on his shoulder. It had been too long since he’d had a
woman curled up next to him, felt the softness of a woman in his arms.
But seeing her cry had done something to him. Because he knew some of what
she was going through. “I wished I’d been able to come home for something
important, but I never made it,” he confessed. “So if you need to get to your son
in time for Christmas, there’ll be a way to make that happen.”
When his wife had died,
out and touch his hair. It was long, too long for a military guy, but she
wanted to touch it anyway. Almost all the guys she served with had buzz cuts,
and there was something about being so close to a man with thick blond hair…
She gulped and tried to pretend that she was still on duty. That he was out of
bounds.
It wasn’t so easy .
“Saskia, do you want to have dinner with me?”
He was sitting back in his seat now, but he was still watching her.
“You mean at the airport?”
He nodded. “I have a feeling we’re going to be stuck a while, but having
a meal with you might just about make up for it.”
Saskia’s cheeks flared with heat again. “Do you say that to every girl
you meet on a plane?”
Luke shut his eyes for a second as the plane jolted. “I don’t usually
travel on commercial airlines, so no, you’re the first.”
Saskia couldn’t help but smile. She was used to men being charming, but
this man was something else entirely. Maybe it was a SEAL thing. Those guys
probably all had massive egos.
“If we’re grounded I’ll say yes, but if not I’ll be running like a mad
thing to the other terminal,” she replied, hoping her voice sounded as confident
as she’d meant it to.
“Deal.”
The speaker above them crackled to life.
“ Once again we apologize for the large pockets of turbulence. We have
been cleared to land, however those of you waiting for connecting flights will
need to make alternative arrangements as there will be no further flights
departing until the snow has cleared.”
Saskia shut her eyes, tight, biting her lip to stop tears from forming.
“At least I get to have dinner with a beautiful woman.”
Luke’s honey-laced voice should have made her smile, but for some reason
it only made her feel more emotional. A few tears escaped down her cheeks,
falling too fast for her to stop them, and her breath shuddered in her throat. She
wanted to get home so bad.
“Hey, come here.” Luke pulled her against him despite their seatbelts,
his big arms wrapping around her protectively. “You’re okay.”
Saskia was too overcome to feel embarrassed, but she did tuck into him.
Luke was warm and kind, and right now she needed the comfort, even if he was a
stranger.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled into his chest.
He squeezed her tighter. “You’re gonna miss something important, aren’t
you?”
Saskia nodded, eyes shut as he held her.
“We’ve all got something to miss when we’re away,” he told her. “Whatever
it is that you’re going to miss? I’ll do whatever I can to stop that
from happening.”
Saskia pulled back, not caring that her face was now probably tear-stained
and her hair dishevelled. “Really?”
Luke nodded, the corners of his mouth kicking up into a grin. “Yes
ma’am,” he replied. “After dinner, of course.”
She smiled. “Of course.”
Saskia had no idea if there was anything Luke could do to help her, but
she knew that if anyone could, it would be a Navy SEAL. He was used to making
the impossible happen, surviving what others couldn’t, so if she was going to
put her faith in anyone, she didn’t mind it being him. Besides, it wasn’t
exactly a difficult trade – dinner in exchange for his help.
“I need to get home to see my son,” Saskia confessed. “I told him I’d be
home for Christmas, and I don’t want to break my promise.”
Luke Gray stared at the beautiful woman seated beside him. Truth was,
he’d liked her sleeping on his shoulder. It had been too long since he’d had a
woman curled up next to him, felt the softness of a woman in his arms.
But seeing her cry had done something to him. Because he knew some of what
she was going through. “I wished I’d been able to come home for something
important, but I never made it,” he confessed. “So if you need to get to your son
in time for Christmas, there’ll be a way to make that happen.”
When his wife had died,
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