Fat chance. His flirting with the flight attendants showed her that all the times he’d come on to her, it’d been an act. Just Riley Nash, football star, looking for more attention. Well, he wouldn’t receive any more special treatment from her, she decided, and after takeoff, Sophie buried herself in a book and outwardly ignored her traveling companion.
Inwardly, she was completely aware of him. Once again, it didn’t matter that her emotions were bruised or that her mind warned her to steer clear. Every feminine instinct she possessed was on high alert. Riley’s body was big and snug in the next seat and his arm constantly brushed against hers, disturbing her peace. More than once she glanced over to see if he’d noticed the sparks and heat she felt so strongly. Not a flicker of emotion showed in his expression. There was not a hint of a reaction to touching her, damn the man.
And she damned herself for wanting anything from him at all. She shut her book and closed her eyes but the simmering awareness remained, made more potent by his alluring cologne. She sighed and shifted in her seat, trying to get more comfortable.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” a female voice asked.
The flight attendant’s question was a welcome distraction. “Red wine, please,” she said.
“Another Scotch, thanks.” Riley winked at the woman who flushed pink.
“Be right back,” she promised, placing a hand on his shoulder and letting it linger before striding down the aisle.
“Oh, brother,” Sophie muttered, unable to control her reaction.
He glanced over. “What are the chances that this drink’ll take some of the starch out of your shorts?” he asked, his Southern accent coming through.
“Excuse me?”
He turned toward her, his arm leaning against hers, his amazing eyes studying her through thick lashes. “You’ve been sitting there like a prima donna from the minute I got on this flight. You haven’t said two words to me, including hello, and your pretty little nose is so high in the air I’m surprised you don’t have altitude sickness. Drop the attitude and we might have some fun on this trip.”
She opened her mouth then closed it again. She ought to be offended by his words, but she knew he had a point. She’d been a bitch from the get-go and not just because she was uptight about Spencer being gone.
She hated to admit it but she was hurt by the realization that she was nothing special to Riley Nash. And the sad fact was, if he did corner her and turn that potent sex appeal her way, she’d be a goner for sure.
She looked at his freshly shaven face and imagined how her hand would feel caressing his skin. “Do you really think my nose is cute?” she heard herself ask and almost cringed.
He chuckled, flashing one dimple in his cheek. “Cuter than your personality at the moment. Elizabeth with PMS is more pleasant than you’ve been and, trust me, that’s saying a lot.”
She swallowed. “Who’s Elizabeth?”
He paused a beat. Then another. Finally he said, “My thirteen-year-old daughter.”
Sophie breathed out a sigh, promising herself it wasn’t one of relief that he’d been referring to a daughter and not a girlfriend. She racked her brain in an attempt to remember what, if anything, she knew about Riley’s past and surprisingly she came up blank.
Like father like son, she thought. She didn’t know much about Spencer’s past, either.
Riley was her uncle’s client and her sexual nemesis and verbal sparring partner, but he was an enigma. An athlete she’d always opted to stay away from, mostly because he shattered the illusion of control she held on to. The illusion that allowed her to function without worrying about either the people she loved leaving her or the important things in her life falling apart.
“Here you go.” The flight attendant returned. She placed their drinks on their tables, pausing by Riley’s aisle seat. “Can I get you anything else?” The woman barely offered Sophie a glance and when it came to Riley, she wasn’t talking about food or drink.
“No thanks, but I’ll be sure and ring your bell if I think of anything,” Riley said in that sexy voice of his.
The flight attendant smiled and headed to the row behind them.
Sophie tried to relax and took a long sip of her red wine, savoring the flavor when suddenly the flight turned bumpy, the plane jostling in the air.
Riley laughed. “Isn’t that the way? As soon as they serve drinks, the turbulence starts.” He lifted his cup and took a large sip to lower the amount so that it wouldn’t slosh over the top.
Sophie did the same with her wine, more for fortification than need. Riley wore a short-sleeve T-shirt that showcased his muscular forearms and tanned skin. Obviously he’d been on vacation recently, she thought as she admired him all the way down to his gold Rolex watch and long, tanned, ringless fingers.
His dark lashes fringed his eyes, which looked more hazel than brown today. But he was the same man who easily tossed out sexual innuendo and caused her hormones to go wild. She just couldn’t reconcile this sexy, carefree man with one who had responsibilities as a parent.
Parents were warm and loving, soft and caring. At least those were the fuzzy memories Sophie had of her mother and father before the plane crash took them from her for good.
“So how’d you become a father?” she asked, steering her mind off the ever-painful topic.
“The way most people do.” He shot her an amused look. “You do know about the birds and the bees?” He nudged her elbow with his.
A heated flush burned her cheeks. “I meant I didn’t know you were a father.”
“Whew. I’d hate to think I needed to teach you the facts of life,” he said, still grinning. “Though I suppose that could be fun.”
This conversation was definitely getting out of hand. Her hands trembled and she placed her wine on the tray, still holding on to the cup because of the turbulence.
She bent over, searching for her MP3 player and headphones just as the plane bounced once more. She grabbed for her cup and missed, knocking over the lightweight plastic, causing the red liquid to spill. The wine traveled across the tray, onto her lap, and splattered on her white shirt.
“Damn!” She tried to blot the mess with paper napkins, but it wasn’t working. She needed the bathroom to clean up.
As if anticipating her next move, Riley stood so she could exit the row and head back to the restrooms. His coloring was ruddy as he tried without success not to laugh at her.
So far, this wasn’t a flight she wanted to remember and she just hoped it wasn’t an omen for their quest to find Spencer. Holding on to the seat tops to steady herself, she walked quickly down the aisle toward the lavatories. Thank God one of them was vacant and she let herself inside.
“Wait.”
At the sound of Riley’s voice, she paused, giving him time to place his foot inside, preventing her from closing the door.
She looked at his sexy face and her heart rate picked up speed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Joining you.” A hint of a challenge tinged his voice and a teasing smile curved his lips.
“No!” She summoned outrage when she was really intrigued.
“Come on, sugar. I want to help you.” He leaned a broad arm against the small opening.
This wasn’t the first time she’d heard a hint of a Southern accent and she wondered where he was raised, but inquisition and conversation could come later.
She licked her too-dry lips. “Thanks but I can handle cleaning up all by myself.”
“So you clean and I’ll watch. It’ll give me a chance to talk to you in private.”
She panicked, not from fear but from the overwhelming desire to get up close and personal with this man who was everything she normally avoided.