MILE HIGH

63

Kiss.

Either or.

But it is almost midnight, and I wouldn’t mind starting my year with her.

“You’re awake, huh?”

My head snaps back to the dark area around me, finding one of the other flight attendants standing by my seat.

I don’t know her name, but it’s the one that has a problem with Stevie fraternizing with us. With me.

“Uh, yeah. Can’t sleep.”

She bends down, crouching next to my seat, and making herself eye level with me. “Can I get you anything?”

“Nope. I’m good.” My eyes dart to the back galley again, but I can’t see Stevie, though I know she’s back there. Indy, as Stevie reminded me of her name, stands in plain view in the rear of the airplane, her eyes flickering to my seat, watching.

“Any New Years’ plans?” the third flight attendant asks.

“You’re looking at them.”

“You haven’t been out much while on the road. There haven’t been any tabloid shots as of late.”

“Um, yeah. Not really into going out these days.”

“Well, that’s a shame because I was hoping—”

“Hey, Tara,” Indy interrupts. “One of the pilots needs one of us to swap him out so he can use the lavatory. If you want to go into the cockpit, I’ll watch the front and cover the door.”

“Oh.” Tara stands, brushing her skirt smooth, and acting as casual as can be as if she wasn’t dangerously close to teetering that fraternization line she’s so strict on Stevie about. “Yeah, we should do that.”

Tara turns on her heel, her shoulders straightening out and her resting b***h face coming back real quick as she heads towards the front of the plane.

Indy follows behind, but before she’s too far ahead, she shifts to look at me over her shoulder, shooting me a knowing wink. Turning back to realize the galley is empty sans one curly-haired girl, I offer Indy a cheeky smile before she’s up and out of sight.

Blondie is the captain of this ship, apparently.

As quietly as possible, attempting not to wake any of my teammates, I sneak my ass down the aisle to the back of the airplane, where I know Stevie is hiding away.

“Hey,” I softly say, unable to hold back my way too hopeful grin when I find Stevie alone. I place my hands on either side of the partition, separating the galley from the rest of the plane, casually blocking us from anyone else.

“Hey.” Her cheeks instantly flush under her freckles.

“Happy New Year.”

Stevie checks her watch. “You’ve still got a few more minutes.”

“So, this gala...”

“Yes?”

“You’re going.”

“Yes,” she giggles.

“That’s cool.” Nodding my head like an i***t. “Or whatever.”

“Or whatever.” Her smile is bright, clearly recognizing I’m way too happy about this.

I take a step into the galley, and Stevie’s expression instantly shifts. Her feet retract back, keeping the same distance between us.

The playful smile on her lips is gone, most likely because mine is too. I can feel the fire and want in my eyes as I corner her by taking another step forward. Only this time, she has nowhere to go, so her back hits the wall behind her as her mouth drops open. But still, I keep about a foot between us, not bombarding her space too much.

Not until she tells me she wants me to.

“And if you weren’t going with your brother, would you be going with me?” My voice is low and thick.

Stevie doesn’t respond, but I watch her throat bob in a swallow as the pulse in her neck pounds against the delicate flesh.

“If you couldn’t get in trouble, would you be going with me?”

Again, she doesn’t respond, her pretty eyes filled with all the words she wants to say but won’t.

“Say yes,” I whisper. “Tell me you’d go with me. Tell me you want to go with me.”

I need her to say yes, not just to inflate my ego, but because I need to know I’m not crazy. I need to know that she feels it too. That she likes being around me just as much. That she likes talking to me just as much. That she likes f*****g me just as much. That she likes teasing me just as much.

“Happy mother-f*****g New Year!” Rio yells from his seat, waking up the entire plane and startling me, causing me to jump back from the flight attendant who could get in trouble for our position.

Rio blasts his boom box as loud as possible, music blaring through the aircraft as cheers and shouts echo throughout the airplane. I peek down the aisle, seeing all my teammates wake up, a few of them dancing to the loud as f**k music.

Stevie slips her hand in mine, bringing my attention back to her as she hides in the corner of the galley for no one else to see, her back pressed against the wall.

She tugs the fabric of my shirt, bringing me to stand only inches in front of her. My palms find the wall behind her on either side of her head, caging her in.

I’m painfully aware that my chest is rising and falling more rapidly than it should, but this girl has had me off my game for months now, and I’m nervously breathing like there might not be any oxygen left on board soon.

What is she going to do? What is she going to let me do?

Looking up at me behind those dark lashes, Stevie’s eyes bounce between mine. There’s a touch of uncertainty in those blue-greens. Like she’s not sure what’s she’s doing. Like she’s not sure if she can say it.

But she seems like she wants to say it.

Say it.

“Yes.” She bites her bottom lip. “I wish I could go with you.”

“Good Day” blares through the aircraft, wafting from the boom box speakers as my mouth lifts on one side. My tongue slyly wets my lips as Stevie’s eyes trail the movement, asking them to come closer without saying a word.

And when she hooks two fingers into the gold chain around my neck, bringing my mouth to hers, I know it’s going to be a good day.

It’s going to be a good f*****g year.

My mouth covers hers, needing, wanting, taking everything she has to offer.