Jill Shalvis - Superb And Sexy

Brody had a couple of ideas, but none that appealed. “Is Dani planning on stalling her?”

“Yes, and if she finds out I’m a narc, I’m never going to get to have sex again.”

This from the man who only a year ago, would have gotten hives at the thought of having sex with the same woman for the rest of his life. “Just stall her when she gets there.” Brody shoved his phone back in his pocket and stared at the car he was locked out of.

He had no idea what was going on, but it was more than that. Maddie hadn’t trusted him. It was unbelievable to him that she hadn’t. She’d kissed him like he’d been better than air. She’d let him strip her, let him make her goddamn tea, but she hadn’t trusted him with this, and on top of that, she’d stolen his keys, and that sucked.

Maddie walked through the lobby at Sky High. She needed a direct flight to New Orleans, pronto, because if Leena got too far ahead of her, if she said her good-bye to Ben and vanished, Maddie might never catch up with her.

There was no better way to get a direct flight than through her world.

It was a risk coming here, definitely, but as she’d personally made sure, the place specialized in making customers happy. As a customer, she needed a flight out like yesterday, and only speed would make her happy.

But she had to get out of here before Brody showed up. She wondered if he’d tried calling her. It was likely.

More than likely.

But as she’d discovered on the drive down the mountain, Leena had grabbed Maddie’s cell phone.

Which meant Maddie had Leena’s. She’d used it to call her own cell, trying to get Leena to no avail. Leena had turned it off.

So Maddie had called ahead to Sky High, specifically to Dani, and now she walked through the lobby, soaking up the place that had been her home away from home, knowing that it very well might be the last time she set her eyes on the place.

The building was new, all steel and glass, with a wall of windows looking out on to the tarmac lined with millions of dollars worth of planes. Beyond that lay an incredible view of the LA skyline.

Hard to remember that only a year ago, all of Sky High had been housed in a single leased hangar with borrowed planes and boatloads of debt.

But the three guys, her three guys, had built this place from sweat and guts and sheer determination. Now they ran a luxury jet service to the stinking rich, and she was a part of it.

Or she had been.

That was the thing about burning bridges. And she’d burned a big one when she’d left Brody in the mountains with his keys in her pocket.

Even having lifted his keys, she knew she had a limited amount of time before he figured out a way to get here and went all Neanderthal on her. So she left the lobby for the tarmac, waiting for her plane. She was financially stable, thanks to a great paycheck, but even with that paycheck, she wasn’t in a position to afford a charter flight. With Dani’s help, she’d shamelessly used her employee status to deeply discount the flight.

Once the plane was rolled out, she could board, and since she would do so under an assumed name, Brody would never know. She wondered how many times he’d called. Was he worried or just plain pissed off? God, she wished it didn’t have to be this way, that things had turned out differently, but she didn’t have time for regrets.

Too bad her heart didn’t seem to get the message.

When her sister’s phone vibrated, she jumped on it, expecting it to be Leena, but she was about as wrong as she could get.

It was Rick.

Good to know you came to your senses about protecting Maddie. We’ll expect you on the island at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to do the job.

Oh, God. Did that mean…no. Leena hadn’t gone to New Orleans. Somehow, some way, she’d spoken to Rick and was headed to the island.

To protect Maddie.

“No. No, no, no, no…” As quickly as she could make her fingers move, she hit send, entered her own number, and typed in, DON’T DO IT!

But Leena wasn’t exactly on a roll of listening to Maddie, was she? Which meant she needed to stop Leena from getting to Stone Cay.

Where was her plane? Just as she thought it, two linemen finally came out of hangar two, towing the Learjet she’d ordered, but before she could board, Shayne exited the lobby.

Crap.

He strode down the tarmac toward her in his easygoing, long-limbed gait, looking for all the world like any one of the wealthy, sophisticated clients they served on a daily basis.

But she knew that was just the veneer he pulled on like those designer duds he favored. His family might be wealthy and sophisticated, but on the inside, Shayne was a guy’s guy, a regular blue-collar type, holding his own with the streetwise Noah and Brody.

Shayne didn’t say a word, just pulled her into his arms. He was tall and lean but strong as hell, and for a moment, she absorbed his strength and affection while fighting a stupid urge to cry.

“You scared the hell out of us,” he murmured, pressing his cheek to her hair, holding her tight. “All of us.”

She knew. And she hated it because they were her family here. They were her life, but she’d done what she had to.

“Why didn’t you return any of my calls? Are you okay?”

Throat tight, she nodded.

“So what’s going on, Mad?”

At that, she went from nodding to shaking her head in the negative.

Still gently holding on to her, he pulled back enough to search her gaze. “Tell me this much. Are you quitting? Because I need to schedule in hanging myself if you are.”

That tugged a laugh out of her, and he smiled. “Okay, so you’re not quitting. Do you need help?”

“Obviously, you know I ordered a flight.”

“Yes.”

“Am I going to get out of here without a problem?”

“This is Sky High. The customer never has problems.”

She laughed, but it was bittersweet.

“Jason’s flying you,” he said, referring to their new pilot. “And he’s good. Better than good. But I’m working on switching my flight so I can fly you-”

“No.” Her heart all but stopped. Just what she did not need, Shayne flying her. “Don’t do that. It’s no big deal. Brody completely exaggerated anything he said.”

“I don’t think I told you what Brody said.”

“He is who he is. He said something.” She smiled and did her best to make it real. “Look, I’m fine, everything’s fine. I just need that flight. Though I need a destination change.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll work it out with Jason. Where is he?”

“He’ll be here any minute, I’m sure. Where are you going then?”

She looked into his eyes and wondered if he was stalling her. “The Bahamas.”

“Interested in telling me why?”

“No.”

He sighed. “Women never tell me anything.”

She laughed. “Dani apparently tells you everything. Is that an engaged thing?”

“It’s a respect thing.”

She sighed.

“You saw Brody.”

Her smile faded, and so did Shayne’s. “Ah, hell,” he said. “What did the big lug do now?”

“Nothing.”

He just looked at her.

“Nothing,” she repeated.

“Really? Then why is my bullshit meter ringing?”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Stop.”

Shayne let out a breath and hesitated, which was very unlike him, so much so that she braced herself. “What?”

“Okay.” He offered a smile meant to charm. “I’m the one who sent Brody to see you because to be honest…”

Oh, God. No. Don’t be honest…

“I sensed there was something going on between you two.” He watched her very carefully for a reaction, and she did her best not to give him one.

“Why would you think that?” she eventually was able to say.

“Because when you were in the hospital, I’ve never seen him so absolutely devastated. Never.”

“That was guilt.”

“Maybe. Partially. But there was more.”

“I doubt it.”

Shayne wasn’t buying it. “Look, we both know our boy has had it rough from the get-go.”

Yes. She did know. Just as she knew that Shayne had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Not Brody. Anything he’d ever had, he’d had to fight for, physically and mentally, and it’d molded him.

She knew it now more than ever.

And secretly, she admired that about him. Brody didn’t take any shit from anyone, and she admired that, too.

“Really rough,” Shayne said again quietly. “And for the most part, he’s let it all go, lets it all bounce right off him. He does that because he’s tough as nails-”

“You mean he has the hide of an elephant.”

A smile fought for a place on his mouth. “Yes, exactly. Nothing penetrates. It’s how he functions. But you…”

Don’t say it…

“You penetrated.”

“I drive him crazy,” she corrected.

“Crazy hot, maybe.”

Maddie’s composure took a hit at that because back at her house, Brody had made her pretty damn crazy hot, too. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No? I would have thought the kiss would explain things pretty good.”

And the direct hit…“What kiss?”

“Yeah, now see…” Shayne looked amused as he rubbed his jaw. “Brody gave me that same look. I’m thinking you two aren’t so different after all.”

“I do not have the hide of an elephant.”

“No, you most certainly do not,” he agreed with great appreciation. “At least not on the outside. And see that’s what I’m getting at…” Reaching out, he squeezed her hand. “It’s the inside I’m worried about. He doesn’t show it, Mad, but he’s vulnerable, especially to you.”

“He’s not vulnerable to anyone. Or anything.” But even as she said it, she knew that wasn’t true. She’d seen a flash of that vulnerability at her place when she’d brought up his past. The man had far more layers to him than she’d ever guessed.

“He’ll never admit it,” Shayne told her. “But you get inside. You get past that thick skin like no one else ever has.” Leaning in, he brushed a kiss over her cheek. “So be gentle with him.”