Penny preferred the alternative types, photographers and educators who couldn’t get their lives together and slept ontheir best friend’s couch but had big hearts. Gareth liked to call themlosersorgold diggersbecause, according to her brother, working fourteen hours a day was cool.
Whether Jack was a rich businessman or not, everything about him was attractive: His laugh, his piercing blue eyes, his dry humor, his honesty…and his body. Holy mother of God, what was going on with his body?
Penny sank into the soft seat, bit her lower lip, and let her gaze wander down Jack’s broad back as he stowed his backpack in the overhead bin. She studied his well-defined shoulder muscles, the cords that ran up his neck…and her mouth went dry. Maybe he was the head of a fitness empire after all? He was damn beautiful. Hey, after almost a year without an orgasm from someone else, a little superficiality was allowed, Penny thought. Besides, he had implied that he traveled a lot, and they probably wouldn’t see each other again once she was…well, done with him.
The corners of her mouth twitched at her own dirty thoughts, and she quickly looked away. What would her mother say if she knew what she was planning to do with this stranger?
But this wasn’t the place; they weren’t alone, for one thing, and they weren’t even sitting next to each other. They would probably spend the flight apart, then nod at each other at baggage claim, and never see each other again. Besides, she was dead tired, and just because they were flirting, didn’t mean that… Oh, she didn’t care. Shewantedhim!
“Excuse me?”
Penny blinked and glanced up. Jack was leaning over her, but wasn’t talking to her but to her bearded seatmate. “Would you mind switching seats with me? So I can sit with…” His gaze wandered to her. “My strange acquaintance?”
She had to smile as the man shrugged and moved four rows forward.
“Much better,” Jack muttered and sank next to her.
Penny was certain her smile could be seen from the airport tower. “Is it?” she asked, trying to cover up. “I must warn you, I am not a good flight companion. I’m sure I’ll fall asleep within the next thirty minutes.”
“That’s okay,” he said as the flight attendants recited the safety instructions and the metal monster they were trapped in started taxiing.
Uncomfortable, Penny pulled the belt tighter around her waist. “Jack?”
“Yes?”
“Do you mind if I dig my fingernails into your forearm? Just for takeoff?”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Fear of flying?”
“No. Fear of falling.”
He chuckled softly. “No problem. I understand irrational fears.”
Penny found nothing about being afraid of falling from a height of ten thousand feet irrational but decided not to go into it any further. Instead, she asked, “What’s your irrational fear?”
“I’m scared of clowns,” he said matter-of-factly.
She studied him. “Really?”
He nodded. “Yup. When I was fourteen, I fainted on a fun-house train when one jumped in my face. My brother was there and couldn’t stop laughing. He still talks about it today.”
“Watch out, that was almost personal,” she said, surprised. “Now I know you have a brother.”
He shrugged. “It would only be personal if we knew who the other was. Which we don’t.”
She grinned. “That’s true, too. Okay, then I feel completely comfortable confessing that I have a clown costume in my closet because when I was ten, I briefly considered joining the circus professionally.”
He laughed. “So, what stopped you from following your dream?”
“My mother. She made me understand that only ugly people can justify wearing so much makeup on their faces. And, unfortunately, I wasn’t one of the lucky ones.”
“Ouch. That’s harsh. So, now I know you have a mother,” he said reproachfully.
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone has a mother!”
“No, not everyone.” He turned his face away and stared out the window.
“Oh,” she said, and her heart sank into her stomach. Shit. He didn’t have a mother? But before she could open her mouth and ask him about it or maybe even apologize, he beat her to it.
