ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Bad Boys of Sports: A Complete Collection (Alpha Male, Football, Hockey Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Sports Romance) (29 page)

Chapter 2

Allison nearly dropped the phone. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Her fingers grabbed the slipping device and forced it again to her face.

“Y–you want to hire me?”

The voice on the other line was enthusiastic: “Yes! We loved your portfolio. Will you do it?”

“Yes! Of course!”

Thirty minutes later, she collapsed on her couch with a wild smile spread across her face. This couldn’t be happening. She pinched her arm and let out a yelp, which turned into a gleeful scream.
Definitely not dreaming
. She grabbed her phone to dial a number.

“Chloe,” she breathed.

“Have you been running?” The other woman asked. “You sound out of breath.”

“They hired me!”

“Who hired you?”

“The guy from the resort that we met the other night! At the gallery opening.”  Allison danced through her living room.

Chloe squealed so loudly that Allison had to rip the phone away from her ear. “That’s incredible!” She could hear the other woman’s voice while holding the phone three feet away.

“What are you doing? Where is it? When is the shoot?”

Allison reeled. “One at a time! They said they wanted to arrange it as soon as possible. I’ll be taking all of their photos and they’re letting me stay at their five-star resort for
free
. It’s located...um, on a remote island off the Indian ocean somewhere?” Her voice trailed off, unsure.

“A tropical island?” Chloe’s interest rose. “Oh my god, Alli! That sounds amazing!  They’re basically paying you to go on a luxurious vacation. Except for the part where you have to work, of course. How are you getting there?”

Allison let out an excited laugh. “That’s the best part! They’re going to fly me on a private jet!”

“
No way
,” her friend said in a breathy gush. “And you’re sure they’re not going to actually kidnap you and sell you to the sex trade?”

“
No
!” Allison laughed. “They’re legitimate.”

Chloe hummed. “Well, you are a bit too old to become a sex slave. Those bastards like them young, don’t they?”

“Thanks,” Allison said with a snort as she headed over to her laptop. She refreshed her e-mail to see one from the resort group and opened it excitedly. “I’m reading the follow-up e-mail she sent me now. Let’s see...two days? Oh my god.
My. Flight. Is. In. Two. Days
.”

“Don’t hyperventilate,” Chloe barked and Allison heard the sound of keys jingling. “I’m coming over now to help you pack!”

Before she could argue, Chloe hung up the call. Allison stared at the phone and then her computer with the e-mail pulled up with all of the details.

Boarding would be at 6:00 AM in two days. There wasn’t a lot of time to plan. She eyed the pile of dirty clothes that she’d let grow too tall in the corner of the room. Time for a to-do list. She opened a notebook and picked up a nearby pen to start a very long bulleted list.

***

Chloe agreed to take Allison to the airport even though she knew that the brunette swore violently anytime she had to get up before seven in the morning.

“You’re a true friend,” Allison told her as they approached the airport in the distance. The morning was hazy with an odd light fog, but the radio assured that it would disperse in by the time the sun began to peek over the horizon.

Chloe took a swig from her to-go coffee cup. They’d stopped at a coffee shop to fuel Chloe’s basic driving skills.

“You’ll call when you get there?” She asked, though it was already the third time she’d directed the question at Allison.

“Yes, yes, yes. I had no idea you could be so maternal.”

Chloe laughed. “Um, you’re only travelling in a jet over an ocean…and did I mention you’d be in a tiny private jet?  Don’t you know that’s how the rich die? Make sure to pay attention when the attendant gives the safety instructions.”

“Actually,” Allison said as she recalled her last phone call with her new employer, “It’ll be just me and the pilot.”

“Hmm,” Chloe murmured. “You sure you’re okay with that?”

“Yes. I mean, I really can’t argue. There’s no way I could afford to travel to the resort on my own money. Plus, the pilot has to be good to fly for a private company.” At least, Allison hoped that was true. She tried to remember if the woman on the phone had given her the pilot’s name, but nothing came to mind.

The airport was fast approaching.

“Just don’t accidentally knock the pilot out,” Chloe said, wearing a sly grin.

Allison blushed. “I’m not
that
bad.”

“If I see a picture of you on television saying that your plane went down over the Indian Ocean, I will flip my shit...and probably laugh a tiny bit too, no offense.”

She snorted. “None taken ‘cause that’s not going to happen.”

Her eyes roamed to the airport, which was fast-approaching and growing larger by the second. Chloe gave an excited whistle as they pulled towards the signs that advertised the drop-off area.

“Call me if you need anything,” she said as the car pulled up to the curb. Her eyes met Allison’s stare with a serious weight. “Please be careful and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun.”

Allison beamed back at her. “Thank you!”

They hugged as best as they could manage with a console between them. Allison slid out of the car and tugged her two bulky suitcases from the trunk.

“Bye!”

She waved back to Chloe as her car pulled away from the airport entrance and headed back towards the street. Allison heaved an exhausted, but excited sigh as she turned to the massive building. Time to navigate her way to the private liner area. The thought of her flying on a private jet sent a series of giggles from her mouth. If her parents knew, they’d be freaking out. Not that she was planning on telling them yet. They could wait until she landed.

The path to her flight was a convoluted mess. She was panting by the time she made it to the right area, or at least what she thought was the correct place.

An attendant smiled at her with pearly white teeth. “May I help you?”

“Yes,” Allison breathed with relief, “My name is Allison Wright. I have a flight at six AM.”

The woman typed something in and then looked up. “Yes, I have you down here. I’ll grab an escort for you and he can take you out there.”

Allison waited until a man rolled up in a large golf cart-like vehicle. He smiled and grabbed her suitcases while she got on. The trip was quick. He drove them out to the take-off area.

She tried to stifle her gasp as they approached the jet she was taking. “That’s for me?”

He chuckled. “Of course.”

They parked beside the jet and she tried not to ogle it with wide eyes. The stairs were lowered and he gestured for her to go first. She walked slowly up the staircase while the attendant hauled the suitcases up behind her.

She couldn’t keep the awe in any longer. “Wow.”

The cream leather-covered interior of the jet screamed wealth. While the cabin was small, it was more than enough room for six people to lounge comfortably. A small refreshment area was located towards the front near what she assumed was the cockpit for the pilot.

“The pilot will be with you shortly.” With a smile, the attendant left her to keep looking around the interior with awe.

She nodded, barely listening, as she sat in the middle seat. The soft material brushed pleasantly against her skin. She sighed and closed her eyes, regretting that her excitement wouldn’t let her sleep at all. Her watch reminded her that she was early.

She leaned back into the seat and curled her legs up to her chest, grateful for choosing to travel in her coziest pair of yoga pants. Her eyes shut as the sounds of the faint bustling airport lulled her into sleep.

A hazy image faded into view of her on the clear blue beach. She stretched lazily on the sand, dipping her toes into the waves as the tide came up and down. The sunshine was intoxicating. Her blonde hair spread out like a shroud around her and she lifted her arms to melt into the beach.

Paradise
. She smiled.

A shadow fell over her. She cracked open her eyes to see a storm cloud gathering overhead and frowned. Where had that come from? A snap of thunder cracked.

She flew upwards with open eyes. The tip of her nose brushed something–someone else. Her vision came into focus.

“I don’t remember you being quite that forward,” a familiar voice told her. The color drained from her face as she realized who was before her. This wasn’t a dream.

“
Jack
.”

Chapter 3

She drew back when she realized how close she was to Jack’s face he laughed wildly, throwing his shoulders back.

“Surprised?”

Her mouth opened and refused to shut. “I...you...why in the world are you here?”

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten my profession already. You’re a colder woman than I thought.”

A pilot.
Of course, he’s a pilot! Her sluggish brain rushed to catch up. She gasped, reeling to look at his pressed white shirt and navy slacks. A badge was clipped onto his breast pocket. He grinned.

“Looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together,” he said as he locked the cabin shut. She stared at her only exit, now closed.

She could run, abandon her awesome new job, but her heart squeezed in her ribcage.
No, no, no
. She watched as he sat across from her in love seat styled number. His wide arms stretched over the tops of the couch. His smile cut into his face with a naughty edge.

“The mile-high club is always looking for new members.”

Her cheeks grew heated, but she managed to narrow her eyes at him. “Not interested.”

He shrugged one shoulder, the motion pulling his shirt tight against his biceps. She swallowed.

“I didn’t know you’d be my pilot.”

“I only read your name yesterday,” he said with growing amusement. “I thought I’d keep it a surprise.”

Her eye twitched. “How sweet of you.”

“What can I say?
 
I’m a very sweet man,” he replied with a grin. She rolled her eyes, trying to remind herself that this was the man who’d cheated on her. Regardless of how handsome he looked in a pilot’s uniform, she was
not
interested in speaking to him. She couldn’t be.

“When do we leave?” she asked in a short voice.

“When I say so.”

“Lovely.” She sent him a withering look, but he only seemed to grow in ego underneath her heated stares. “How long do we have to spend together?”

“You sure you want to know? It’s longer than you’d like, from the looks of it.”

“Wonderful,” she mumbled and stood up and looked around the jet. “Where’s the bathroom?”

But, he wasn’t listening. He was grinning while he admired her yoga pants, his eyes lingering on her bum. She huffed and turned around to face him. He ran a tongue over his sharp canines, but motioned with a jerk of his head towards the back. She stalked quickly to the door and locked it behind her.

The mirror reflected her flustered face. She gripped the edge of the white sink and slid down to the ground in a crouching position.
Damn, damn, damn
. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Of all the things to happen to her after such great news.

After a few minutes, she gathered enough strength to re-emerge. The door swung open and her companion appeared bored, studying the dirt underneath his nails with interest.

“Okay, Jack,” she began. He didn’t lift his head, but she pressed on. “I don’t want to fight the whole way. Please just take me where I need to go. I’m really excited about this job.”

He looked up with an appraising look and then sighed. “I suppose I could do that.”

Her heart lifted in relief. “Thank you.”

“But,” he cut in, “I do need some form of compensation for the emotional trauma you inflicted upon me. How could you tell a man to go to hell and expect him to fly in a few days?” His eyelashes fluttered in feigned innocence. She felt a twist of anger in her stomach.

“What do you want, Jack?”

His eyes flashed. “A kiss. Then we can take off.”

“I don’t think so, Jack.”

“No kiss, no pilot.”

She gaped. “You’re being an absolute ass.”

“You seem surprised? I thought you had me all figured out,” he said, voice dropping low. Almost sincere. She clicked her tongue. They both knew the answer. His smile stretched with victory and he pressed a finger to his lips.

“I won’t tell anyone,” he cooed. She glared, but moved forward. She saw his fingers twitch with anticipation. Her blood pressure spiked violently as she leaned down to hover above him, face leaned down to regard his cold glory.

She remembered why she fell for him. How could she forget? The dark honey eyes. The hard rolling muscles underneath that golden tan skin. His dark untamed locks. He had the makings of a movie star, but he was too raw for the part.

The night they’d made love was one her body refused to let her forget. His touches, the way they burned into her skin–she never thought a man could mark her memory, but her skin remembered his hot breath. The way he grabbed her and threw her underneath him to be dominated.

“You’re a bastard,” she said coolly before pressing her lips lightly against his own.

Her body remembered. He breathed in sharply. A predator’s warning.

He snapped her hands up and over her head, flipping her underneath him on the couch before she could understand. His hips grinded into her own with an agonizing pleasure as his hungry eyes drilled into her. She hated the moan that slipped out from her mouth. His smirk was cruel.

“Do you remember how good I made you feel?”

She trembled and turned to the side, refusing to look him in the eye. His laugh sent vibrations through his body, sending heat rushing between the valley of her thighs.  Even now, she wanted him–a crushing blow to her pride, but a welcome realization for her flesh.

And then he was off her. Her body froze and then she wrenched herself upward as he headed towards the cockpit. He’d gotten her hot and bothered, only to toss freezing water on her. 
How symbolic
.

“What the hell was that?” she asked darkly. She tried to suppress the knowledge that her anger mostly stemmed from the fact that he’d stopped.

He shrugged his broad shoulders and turned to stare at her with sharp eyes. “I wanted to remind you of what you left.”

The door to the cockpit closed. She stared at it in disbelief.

That was Jack. Anger rose up within her as she retreated to her original seat. She couldn’t help but sit there, seething as the plane began to take off.  When would they get there? How soon could she get away from him?
Not soon enough
, she thought. She made a note to call Chloe when she landed to tell her what had happened. Her eyes drifted shut as she muttered terrible curses under her breath.

When she woke, the windows revealed a gorgeous blue sky. She jumped up to peer out of the jet and looked down to see fluffy white clouds passing beneath them.
Wow
. She sank back into her seat and looked around the cabin.

The memory of their takeoff returned with full force as her eyes landed on the couch. She scowled.
That asshole! Who did he think he was?
She hated how he could still pull her strings on a whim.

A ding sounded and her head lifted to notice the speakers in the ceiling of the jet. The charming voice of her pilot greeted her: “The pilot requests you stop snoring. He’d also like a glass of water.” Another ding sounded.

Her ears burned as her focus turned to the shut door.  It was surprisingly light and it slammed loudly, or maybe she was stronger when she was angry.  She opened it again hastily.

“Like hell I’m going to get you water,” she said with a glowering look. He sat before a thousand shiny buttons and dials. The sight was overwhelming. She blinked and he turned his head to glance at her.

“I’ll send us down.” His voice was serious. His grin was half-joking.

“Whatever,” she said and disappeared into the back. Begrudgingly, she dragged herself back into his domain with a water bottle from the fridge. “Here you go.”

As she went to hand it to him, the tip of her foot caught on warped flooring. She let out a scream as she tumbled forward. Suddenly, the temperature dropped as everything seemed to happen in slow motion. This wasn’t a joke. This wasn’t a clumsy goof. This was serious.

He yelled as her body collided into his and the force sent him careening into the steering. The plane suddenly dove forward. She screeched in a terrible fright as the world around her went black as the movement sent her careening backward, slamming her head against the door. She tried to train her attention on Jack in the pilot’s seat, frantically trying to salvage the situation, but her eyesight was going in and out of focus.

A distant roar sent her off into complete darkness.