Hell in a Handbasket - The Journey (3 page)

He must have seen something in my eyes because the
next thing I knew he had put his thumb in my mouth. Oh God! If this is just a
preview, then I'm the one who would never be able to handle his works!

My eyes closed of their own will. I swirled my tongue
around his thumb and I heard a sound come from my throat that sounded something
like a sigh and a moan mixed together yet it was a bit of a strangled sound,
almost like a mewl.
A mewl? I was mewling
? I heard him groan deep in his
chest and I forced my eyes to open and look at him. He jerked his thumb out of
my mouth and smashed his lips against mine. That was it. I'd died and gone to
heaven.

His lips were forceful as his tongue traced my lips,
insisting to be allowed access into my mouth. I couldn't deny him anything. He
entered my mouth and sent shivers down my spine that settled into a raging fire
low in my belly. I could feel my panties getting wet and I froze.

As his tongue was still exploring my mouth, his left
hand went up my neck to gently cup my head and got tangled in my hair. The tops
of his fingers of his right hand trailed down the inside of my arm to my wrist.
Then he slowly made his way to the hem of my shirt. Before I even had
an inkling
as to what was happening, his hand was under my
shirt, rubbing my back and waist. A sudden spasm shot through me and I started
to shake. I couldn't breathe. I was practically dying here. All of my energy
was gone. I was exhausted and I hadn't done a damn thing but kiss him. Oh God,
I was in
big
trouble here. I placed my hands on his chest and pressed
into him, trying to get some space between us. I trembled and shook my head in
an effort to clear the cobwebs out. What in Holy Hell came over me? I don't do
the things I write about.
This isn't me…and in the airport
lobby
no less.
It’s
official, I have lost my
mind.

I dropped my head and tried to speak. It came out as a
kind of weird croak.

"Uhm…If I can…" cough
 
“ever think clearly again…" throat clear
,"Uh…I may very well write that…because, well hello…DAMN!"

He lifted my face to his and traced small circles on
my jaw with his thumb. "We have a lot more to write."

"Not here in the airport lobby we don't," I
choked out, sounding indignant. I shivered again.

He smiled. "Anywhere you want to go."

"Uhm…I don't really know this area and I'm still
not thinking very well. I don't even know if I can walk yet."

His smile broadened. "You have done this before,
right?"

"Not with a stranger and not in front of
people." I looked around nervously, afraid someone had seen our very
public display.

Now he was outright grinning from ear to ear.
"My apologies.
My name is Ryder Madsen, and you
are?"

With his thumb he began to trace my lips. Hell, there
went any chance for clear headed thinking…I could actually see it flying out
the window.

"Ryder. Ryder Madsen. What a unique and beautiful
name. It suits you." I gave him a lazy smile partnered with dreamy eyes.

He chuckled again. "And you are?"

"Oh…uh, I just…I thought…with the way you had
hired Gertrude, you knew who I was. Sorry, I'm Maeve Bendis. Damara Maeve
Bendis to be exact, but everyone calls me Maeve."
Why am I rambling?
"It's very nice to meet you." I offered him my hand to shake.

He smirked…again. "I think we're past the
handshake phase. But I was raised with some etiquette and manners."

He took my hand and kissed every fingertip in turn. He
kissed the top of my hand and then turned it over and kissed my palm.

Holy Friggin' Smokes…I was going up in flames and
fast! "Uhm…" I raised my eyebrows in an effort to open my eyes.
"Uhm…"

"Yes Maeve?"

"Uhm…" I shuddered hard.
"Oh,
Holy!"

He looked awfully pleased…with himself or me?

"Maeve…
intoxicating."

"Intoxicating?" The fog in my head eased a
little.

"It's one of the ancient Celtic definitions for
the name Maeve."

"Oh." The fog was starting to clear.
"You know ancient Celtic?"

"Some."

"You said one of the definitions. What are the
others?"

"Did I say I knew what they were?"

"Well no, but…I just…thought…"

He grinned. "Well Maeve, I think that's something
we can discuss later. I want to see just how true the definitions are before I
divulge their meanings."

"Oh, ok." I sounded like someone had put a
leaky balloon in my chest.

"Do you know what your other names mean?" He
looked serious, like a professor giving a lecture.

"No, I think my parents must have hated me when I
was born. I mean really, Damara Maeve Bendis.
Odd, dull and
boring."

"On the contrary Maeve, after today you'll know
your parents loved you a great deal!" Man, he looked so sincere.

"How odd that you know the Celtic meaning of my
name, you did all of
that
and you didn't know who I was."
Did I
just think that out loud?
I felt the blush creep up my face.

He turned his head slightly and gave me a sideways
glance with that upturned grin then uttered, "Everything happens for a
reason…
Intoxicating Maeve
." Sing~songing the last two words.

That made me smile a soft, shy smile highlighted with
a crazy blush.

"Well, we've taken care of the
strangers
part, now let's take care of the
‘
not in front of people
’
part."

I sheepishly looked up at him, knowing full well where
this was going and that I wasn't going to be able to back down or walk away.

"So tell me Maeve, have you joined the Mile High
Club?"

I was actually thrown off guard there for a minute.
"Uhm, no.
The
plane's
grounded
remember?"

"I didn't mean right this minute, I was asking in
general."

"Oh, still no." I think there was a little
sound of panic in my voice.

The corners of his mouth tilted ever so slightly.
"Soon then."

He took my hand, helped me to my feet and gathered my
belongings. "We have a lot more writing to do. Shall we?"

Chapter Two

"Were you so certain Gertrude was going to help
you score?"

He chuckled, a deep sound that vibrated out of him and
into me, leaving me warm and shivering at the same time.

"No. You caught my attention on the plane here.
You were so into your laptop and I wanted to know what it would take for me to
hold your attention like that."

His smile left me feeling wet and on edge.

"Until I knew what you did with your laptop, I
wasn't interested in scoring, as you so eloquently put it. I was interested in
getting to know you. To be able to get and hold your attention like your laptop
does."

"So, my profession had you thinking I was an easy
score?" I know I looked and sounded hurt, because I felt hurt.

"No, Maeve. That was the farthest thing from my
mind. I don't think you're an easy
score
. I think you're an amazing
woman who hasn't been loved properly. Nor are you even aware of just how
sensual and alluring you are. I'm not really certain when the thought of making
love to you became my focus."

He continued. "I bet if I looked up the music
list on your laptop I'd find a bunch of songs speaking about lost love, love
being longed for, star crossed promised love."

"Hey, those songs help me write."

"I'm sure they do, but we're going to give you
something a little more substantial to write about."

Was he for real? I had to change the direction of the
conversation or I was in jeopardy of jumping him before we got somewhere
private.

"So…Gertrude?"
I gave him a sideways glance afraid of his reaction
at the change of subject and about the story of Gertrude.

"She and I…have met before and we have an
interesting friendship. Besides I
thought,
who better
to earn your trust than a kindly grandmother?"

"Well, that part certainly worked." I gave
him a look of scepticism.

"So Gertrude's grandson Dylan is a real spit fire
isn't he?" It was his turn to glance sideways at me.

"Dylan?" I felt like a kid who hadn't
studied for a pop quiz.

"Really Maeve, you need to be more observant. You
never know what little tidbits of information you might get from someone.
Information that might help in your writing."

I felt thoroughly and rightfully chastised. I didn't
know what to say or do next. Did I learn more about Gertie's grandson who
truthfully at this very moment I couldn't care less about? How, on the other
hand, did I steer the conversation back to his steamy glances and breathtaking
kisses?

"So what do you…? Uh…think about…Uhm…what held my
attention…with the laptop?"
Sheepish
?
Yep,
that was me.

Was that a
snicker
? Did he just snicker at me?

"It's easy to see what's holding your attention
now. Hhhmmmm…about what held your attention with your laptop…Well. Seeing as
how I'm helping you write, I guess it's safe to say I like it." He glanced
at me with a smile that promised going to hell in a hand basket and enjoying it
every step of the way.

Ryder held on to my elbow as he guided me through the
airport. How was it possible he felt so at home in an airport? How many other
women has he done this with?

He guided me past the lounge, the shops and toward an
isolated area near the rear of the airport. Where was security?

"Uhm, Ryder…"

"Yes, Maeve?"

"I thought we were going somewhere."

"We are somewhere, Maeve."

"No, I meant as in leave the airport."

His looked at me with a bit of suspicion. "Don't
you have a plane to catch?"

"Yes."

"Is it a flight you can afford to miss?"

"No, I…I ju-just thought, you know…privacy and
all." I stuttered.

"Maeve, do you trust me?"

"I'm trying to."

He smiled that hell in a hand basket smile again.

"Well, trust me just a little bit more. I promise
not to hurt you. You won't miss your flight and today will be one of the best
days of your life."

I swallowed hard. "With promises like that, how
can I say no?" I squeaked out at him. I still felt a little afraid.

He took me to a set of doors. Bathrooms…I'm guessing
employee bathrooms because most customers wouldn't have needed to be back here.

"Bathrooms?
Really?
"

"Live a little Maeve."

"It's not the living that has me
worried,
it's the catching something and dying that has me
concerned."

"Oh Maeve, you really make me smile."

"Seriously?
I'm worried about possibly dying here and you're
amused?"

"No, I'm amused because you have so little trust.
You haven't even begun to see your true potential and you're as skittish as a
kid. Adorable is what you are.
Adorably intoxicating."
We kept walking.

He stopped in front of a door without any markings. He
turned to me then. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"I think I might be," with a slight tremble
in my voice.

"Good, second thoughts are good. It shows you're
thinking with your head and not just your hormones."

"Uh-huh."

About that time a guy came out of the door. He was an
average guy.
Average height, build.
Hell, I was with
Ryder, every man was average now.

He stopped and looked at us and then grinned big.
"Hey, Ryder.
Man, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Tom, I have some work I'm attending to.
Would you mind terribly if I used your office for a while?"

"Sure go ahead."

"Listen Tom, I have a favor to ask."

"You mean other than using my office?"

Ryder smiled his oxygen-stealing smile. "Yes.
Could you please let me know when flight 187 to Boston is ready?"

"Sure…"

"Thanks, also…Maeve, hand me your plane ticket
please."

"Uhm…ok…why?" I handed over my ticket before
I got my answer…why am I so stupid?

"Tom
,
could you please make sure Maeve's ticket is upgraded
to first class and make sure her seat is beside mine? Thanks ever so
much."