Until Lilly (33 page)

               When I walk into the middle school I’m not surprised when the security guard ask who I am, and what I’m doing here. I tell him that I’m looking for a librarian by the name of Sophie. He doesn’t know who she is so he sends me to the
principal’s office for someone there to help me out. I’m used to being judged for my appearance. I’m covered in tattoos, have a fohawk, and gadgets. I basically look like a person you should run from. When I get to the office I look around.

“Can I help you?” I look down at an older woman with lite purple hair.

“I’m looking for Sophie.”

“Sophie that works in the library?” She questions with a smile.

“Yes, can you point me in her directions?”

“Oh!
She’s not here today.”

“Why are you looking for Sophie?” A male voice asks and I turn my head over my shoulder.

“She’s a friend.” I tell him turning back around.

“Sophie doesn’t have friends.” He says in a way that makes it sound like he has tried to be her friend but she wasn’t interested. I turn to face him looking him over. He’s dressed like he works here most likely a teacher. His
khaki pants and button down shirt give him away.

“She has me.” I tell him. His eyes look me over before speaking again.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Is that so?” a raise a brow.

“Honey she will be here tomorrow.” The lady says and I look at her and smile. She smiles back.

“Thanks.” I tell her tapping on the top of her desk before walking past the guy, out the door down the hall and out to my car. I have to wait another day but that’s okay.            

                The next day when I get to the school I go directly to the office.

“You came back.” The same lady as the day before greets me.” I’m Sue by the way. Then leans forward like she is going to tell me a secret. “Mr. Rasmussen was not happy yesterday.” She wags her finger then smiles like the cat that got the canary before sitting back in her chair and claps once. “So I guess you need directions to the Library.

“That would be helpful.” I smile.

“You sure are pretty.” She laughs. “If I was a few years younger I would have been a jaguar for you.”

“A Jaguar?” I chuckle

“You know an older lady with a younger man?”

“A cougar.”

“Sure whatever you say honey all I know is that I would have given Ms. Grates a run for her money.”

“Sue if you want me you got me.” I tell her leaning in.”

“Oh no honey I wouldn’t even know what to do with you.” She smiles, her eyes sparkling. I shrug and she laughs. “Alright Mr. Go to the library. Take a right out the door walk until you get to the end of the hall and take a left it’s the last door on the left.

“Thanks doll.” I say smiling as I walk out of the office. I have to say that’s the first time I have ever been hit on by a woman my grandmother’s age. When I get to the library doors I look through the small window I spot Sophie right away. She is on her tippy toes putting away books. Today she is wearing navy blue slacks that have a wide leg and a high waist that ends
under her breast that are covered in a bright red short sleeve button down top that matches her heels. Jesus her in heels looking like she does was going to be the death of me. I open the door and I’m bombarded by the smell of books. She turns her head to look at me and her eyes go wide her mouth opens and closes a couple of times.

“What are you doing here?” She finally asks before looking around like she is waiting for someone to jump out at her.

“I told you that I would see you when I got back to town. I’m back in town.” I state the obvious.

“Um… Okay but what are you doing here?” She repeats pointing to the ground.

“I don’t have your number. I wanted to take you out to dinner.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes, a meal that you eat at the end of the day.”

“I know what dinner is. I just don’t do that.” She mumbles.

“You don’t eat dinner?” I ask confused.

“No I don’t do dinner with other people.”

“You don’t do dinner with other people?”

“Like date, I don’t date.” She says crossing her arms over her chest accentuating it. My eyes are
drawn there and she immediately lowers her arms.

“
It’s not a date its dinner.”

“I know, you said that.”

“So what would you like to eat at our not date dinner?” I ask taking a step closer to her. The smell of apples and cinnamon getting stronger the closer I get.

“Nothing we’re not having dinner together.”

“What time do you get off work?”

“Six. I mean I don’t know.” She chews her lower lip, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.

“Alright so no dinner then.” I shrug. “Can I get your number?” She shakes her head no, her cheeks getting even darker. Fuck me she’s cute.

“Sorry.” She whispers looking away. For some reason alarm bells start going off in my head.

“It’s all good.” I beat back the urge to hold her. My mind warring with my body, I watch her for a second then come up with a plan.

“I have to get back to work.” She tells me looking at the floor.

“Alright sweet Sophie I’ll see you around.”

“Bye Nico.” She says softly I turn giving her a chin lift, my chest feeling tight at my name
leaving her mouth. I leave the school knowing that this wasn’t over not by a long shot.

Acknowledgements

First, I want to thank God.

Second, I need to thank my fans. You are all amazing! I couldn’t ask for any better; I love you all. Your messages, comments, and love of the Mayson boys has been mind-blowing! Thank you so much.

Next, I need to thank my husband for being my biggest fan and supporter. Your love and encouragement and daily inspiration means the world to me, and without you, I would not have followed my heart and started writing.

To my all of my friends and family I love you all and couldn’t be more grateful to you.

To my mom, I love you thank you for being such a great mom and fan.

To Mommy and Daddy, I'm grateful to god every day for giving you to me as inspiration on what love really is.

I need to give a special thanks to all my adoptive family your support means so much. I also need to thank Hot Tree Editing. You have been amazing to work with.

A GIANT, over-the-top, crazy-huge Thank You to Kayla Robichaux also known as the amazing Kayla the Bibliophile. You are crazy-awesome. (
Sometimes just plain crazy but I wouldn’t have it any other way.) Thank you for not only being an amazing editor but an awesome friend.

To each and every blog, reader, and reviewer this wouldn’t be anything without you. Thank you for taking a chance on an unknown author. I wish I could name all of you but this would go on forever just know that I love you guys.

To Love between the Sheets, Thank you for working so hard. Last, but not least, to my Beta Readers Jessica, Carrie, Marta, Laura, Jenny, Rochelle and Midian, Natasha, Lesley. I love you ladies. I know I have the best betas in the world. Thank you, girls, for telling me what I need to hear, not what I want to. And thank YOU for loving the men who live in my head as much as I do.

And a special thanks to the ladies of S- IRACG you know who you are. You have all become amazing friends I'm so happy to share this journey with you all. 

XOXOXOXOXO,

Aurora Rose Reynolds

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PUSH THE ENVELOPE

ROCHELLE PAIGE

PROLOGUE

Flowers…check.

Chocolates…check.

Champagne chilled and ready to go…check.

Noise-canceling headphones so I didn’t have to listen to whatever noises were going to float up from the rear cabin…check.

This was so totally not the normal pilot’s checklist. When I talked to Dad over the summer about offering Mile High Club charter flights so we had some extra money coming in to cover my room and board at college, I had no idea how the idea would take off. I’d figured I would take a couple flights out each month so Dad wouldn’t have to scrimp on anything so that I could live on campus. He really wanted me to get the whole college experience, especially since I had chosen to stay in town for school.

Who knew there were so many middle-aged housewives looking to spice up their marriages? I usually had three to four flights booked each week now. At a cool grand per booking, we made enough to cover my room and board and maintenance on the planes, and we even had money left over to pay off my student loans and to cover my tuition for my next two years. I guess they’re right when the say sex sells! 

Since the flights were offered in the evening, they didn’t interfere with my classes. Dad wanted as little to do with this venture as possible. He had told me that this was my idea, and he expected me to run with it. Talking about anything connected to sex with his daughter wasn’t really high on his list of things to do. I figured I was lucky that he was willing to let me use the Cherokee for the flights. I just had to make sure I booked them when I was able to be in the pilot’s seat. The last thing I wanted to do was screw my grade point average over because I was skipping too many classes to pilot the flights I was only offering so I could pay for school in the first place.

Today’s flight was due to depart in about thirty minutes, so the lucky couple should be here any minute now. I needed to get my butt in gear so I would be ready when they arrived. The plane was set up for their romantic rendezvous. I was dressed in my charter pilot gear of loose khaki pants and a Hewett Charters polo shirt. I’d pulled my long brown hair back in a low ponytail. This
appearance seemed to help the wives feel more comfortable with the idea that their pilot was a twenty year-old girl. Add into the equation that I am passably attractive and I could have a problem on my hands with my paying customers. So I did what I could to make sure I presented myself as a capable pilot and nothing else.

I know it’s crazy for some people to picture me piloting a plane, but I started flying with my dad before I ever got behind the wheel of a car. He lived to fly and taught me to love it as well. I had my permit when I was sixteen, earned my private license when I was seventeen, and got my professional license when I turned eighteen. Some days it felt like I spent more time during my life up in the air than I did on the ground. 

Yet another reason Dad wanted me to live on campus this year—so I could hang out with girls and act my age. Dad and I had been two peas in a pod forever, and now he worried that I needed to have a normal life with girlfriends, parties, and boys. I admit that my upbringing wasn’t exactly orthodox, but I was happy with the way things were. I just wished Dad would understand that.

Damn, it sounded to me like my housewife of the day had gone all out for this trip based on the click of her stilettos hitting the tarmac. I didn’t understand how women could walk on shoes that looked like skyscrapers to me. Guess that was just the tomboy in me, much to my best
friend’s dismay. Time to get my head in the game so I didn’t scare off the paying customers.

“Welcome to Hewett Charters,” I greeted the middle-aged couple as they made their way towards me. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Williams?”

“Yes, that’s us,” tittered the platinum-blond woman as her husband looked at me quizzically. I guessed that she hadn’t used their real name in the hope that they could keep their trip private. She needn’t have had that concern since I offered complete confidentiality.

“Thank you for booking your flight with us today,” I said. “Everything is all set, and we can be in flight as soon as you are ready to go. Did you have any questions before we board?”

“Ummmm, are you our pilot?” asked Mr. Williams.

“Yes, I’m Alexa Hewett. Don’t worry. You’re safe with me.  I’ve been doing private sightseeing tours for a couple years and have had my pilot’s license for almost three years. I might be a little young, but I grew up with my dad in the cockpit of a plane. I can assure you that I am fully qualified to take you up,” I answered.

“And how does this work exactly?” he questioned.

I couldn’t help but smile at the question. It seemed that the wives always booked these
flights, and the husbands always seemed uncertain once they got here. I even had flights where the husband had no idea that his wife had booked the tour with the sole purpose of getting it on mid-flight. The expressions on their faces when they saw the bed in the cabin were priceless. It kind of cracked me up since I always figured guys were less shy about sex. Which may still prove to be true since I hadn’t seen a single guy yet turn down the opportunity offered by my special charter flights.