Chapter 1

Every single molecule in my body is screaming at me to get out of here.

Except I can"t. I"m trapped.

I know about turbulence…in theory…but this much bouncing just cannot be normal. The loud ping of the "Fasten Seatbelts" sign doesn"t apply to me. I haven"t unbuckled mine once since I first sat down.

My seatmate returns, and I"m startled to register a huge, heavy body sinking into the chair in my peripheral vision. I glance over; it"s not the teenage girl who was here before. It"s a very large man who looks very pissed off. I stop staring straight ahead in blank terror and turn to take a better look at him.

Oh. My.

He"s straight from a poster for some super-stylish European spy movie. Rugged. Masculine. Brooding and mysterious. Thick black hair, with a few threads of silver at the temples. Wide shoulders and…wow. I blink at how sexy his muscular, tattooed forearms are under his rolled-up shirt sleeves. With strong hands that look like they could handle absolutely anything. Handle…me.

Looking up, our gazes lock, and I feel like I"ve touched a live wire. His eyes are smoky, deep midnight blue, like the darkening sky just past sunset. Beautiful, and yet he looks downright grouchy.

If I weren"t so white-knuckle terrified, I"d be fixing my hair so that such a gorgeous man didn"t see me at my worst. But there"s no energy to spare for that now. My eyes clench tightly shut as another jolting wave of fear hits me.

"You"re stuck with me, sorry. The girl moved to sit with her aunt," he grumbles. His voice is deep and dark: it"s almost unnerving coupled with that stern expression. He looks at me carefully, quickly realizing I"m a complete mess.

"Hey." His hand lands lightly on mine on the armrest. "Look at me." A shudder runs through me that has nothing to do with the turbulence. My eyes go to his, and somehow I feel steadier.

"Easy." It seems like he"s trying to soften his gritty voice. "Deep breath in." I obey without even thinking. He holds up his left index finger, keeping his right hand pressed gently over mine. "And out. Blow slowly, like it"s a birthday candle."

Pursing my lips, I can"t believe I"m exhaling onto his finger. Something about this stunning older man makes me need to please him. I"m rewarded with a smile that looks a little out of place in the center of his scruffy, unshaven face.

"Good. Old anxiety trick. I"m Riggs." His voice is rich and dark. "I"m a pilot. I know this plane. I also know Captain Nazaroff, who"s flying us today. You"re safe."

We lurch to the left, my body falling into his. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close as he caresses my back. Since we"re in the bulkhead row at the front, nobody can see us. It feels like we"re totally alone.

"I"m Olivia. I"m so sorry?—"

His strong hand slips up the back of my neck, sending all sorts of inappropriate and ill-timed sensations swirling through me as his fingers tangle in my hair. "Don"t be. I"ll take care of you."

I don"t know which is worse, for Riggs to think I"m trembling because I"m terrified, or because I"ve never been held by such a sexy man before. Though really, both are true. So does it matter?

He pulls away just enough to look into my eyes. Maybe the poor guy was hoping for a quiet flight and now he"s stuck with me. "Would leaning up against me help, Olivia?"

I"m already nodding. "Yeah. You"re, um, warm."

He looks over his shoulder, but the flight attendants have disappeared, probably strapped in themselves. One strong hand massages my knee, and the other caresses my back, making me feel enveloped by this huge man.

"Do you always fly first class?"

I stifle a snort. "Please. This is my first flight ever. The check in lady saw how nervous I was and upgraded me so I"d have more room."

"Here." He moves the armrest up and out of the way so that I can slide closer to him.

"Thanks." It"s like I"m in another world – normally I would never just cuddle up with a stranger. Yet as the plane lurches again, it feels natural to take comfort in the arms of a strong man who really does seem to think everything is fine.

"Big breath in, then blow it out slowly."

Mmm… Why do I love that commanding tone so much? Something about it makes me tingle in deep places that I"ve never paid any attention to. I"ve been told what to do and controlled my entire life, but Riggs is very different from my father"s overbearing suffocation. So again, I obey without thinking.

I dip my head to exhale into the broad chest of this total stranger who is caressing me as if he already knows me. As if he"s dreamed about touching me for years.

"I shouldn"t be doing this," he murmurs, reading my mind. "I should stop."

"Please don"t." I look up to meet his midnight eyes. "There"s something…" I trail off, lost for words. I can almost smell the forest around him. He"s definitely a mountain man.

"I feel it too." His eyes tighten. "But I shouldn"t be taking advantage."

He tries to pull away, but I yank him closer. "Please. The way you"re touching me… It"s taking me away from all this."

"Being on a plane?"

"Being trapped." I try not to moan as his arms pull me back against him. "That"s why I"ve always been afraid of flying. You can"t just step out of the plane for some fresh air and a quick walk around the block if you freak out."

Riggs nods. "Makes sense." His lips skim across my temple, making my breath catch. "Still doesn"t mean I should be behaving this way with a gorgeous young girl." He pulls away again. "How old are you, Olivia?"

"Twenty-one. Why?"

His forehead falls to mine. "I"m thirty-four. So I should stop thinking these thoughts immediately."

Lightly pulling at his ear, I pretend to whisper straight into his brain. "Hello? What thoughts are in there that are so terrible?"

Riggs chuckles. Damn, I wish we were having this conversation on a nice safe couch, or in a restaurant. Or in a forest, surrounded by trees. Not thousands of feet up in the sky with nothing to hold us up.

"Dreams of finding a beautiful girl like you," he confesses, staring deeply into my eyes. "Now that I"ve found you, I"m going to have to find a way to keep my hands to myself, at least until we have dinner or something."

I don"t know why this is pushing all of my buttons – heck, I didn"t even know I had buttons to push! But my tight nipples are not due to the overly enthusiastic air conditioning in this stupid plane cabin. And my thigh muscles tightening have nothing to do with nerves.

I want this sexy man more than I"ve ever wanted anything in my life.

I know that a psychologist would probably say that I"m grabbing onto a lifeline of some kind since everything in my world is chaos and shambles. I don"t care. I"ve never done anything purely for myself before, and touching Riggs, or more to the point having him touch me, feels incredible.

The way he"s taking charge of the situation stirs something dark and desperate in me. A deep fantasy of wanting to be – not controlled, I"ve been there. Possessed. Yeah. I keep that whisper tucked away most of the time, but this man is pulling it out into the light.

"But I"m a damsel in distress," I whisper. "Don"t you want to be my knight in shining armor?"

A deep shudder runs through him, followed by a grinding sound at the base of his throat as his eyes darken. "I can"t tell if you"re a total tease, or supremely innocent."

My lips press together firmly. "Definitely the second one."

I love the fire in his eyes. This man is hypnotic. He"s drawing me into his orbit, and I never want to leave. Something about his woodsy, earthy energy makes me trust him.

The plane lurches again, sending me even tighter into his arms. This time Riggs doesn"t even try to keep a bit of space between us. Crushing me to his chest, his lips are almost on mine. "Tell me to stop, Olivia."

"No."

His hand skims over my knee and up my thigh all the way to my hip as I turn my entire body toward his. He almost sounds angry as he growls, "If I start, I won"t stop until you scream out your satisfaction to the whole damn plane."

I gasp at the intensity of his tone. Apparently Riggs has buttons that need pushing too.

I never take chances. Actually taking Beth up on her invitation to come to her birthday party in New York was the first time I"d ever done something so adventurous in my life. And now…

Stretching forward, I brush my lips against his, instantly feeling transported to another dimension.

His response is immediate. Riggs pulls me against him, shifting in his seat and slipping his hand under my shirt to roam over my fluttering stomach as our kiss becomes deep and rough.

His lips part, his warm mouth possessing mine as his tongue begins to explore. Everything starts to overheat. My muscles are melting and my skin is on fire everywhere he"s touching me. All I can think of is more. I want more. Of him, of this incredible feeling…

For the first time in my life, I genuinely feel like I"m flying.