Instantly, I felt better. I wasn’t sure why, maybe it was her smile. Or her calming voice. Whatever it was, I knew I would be forever grateful for her.
A ping sounded across the plane. Tara gave me a wink and said, “Let me double check the flight crew doesn’t need anything and I’ll be right back. We are taxing and will be taking off here in a minute.”
My hands grabbed onto the arms rests as I nodded my head and said, “M’kay.”
Think something positive, Adaline.
Emmit’s smile when he saw me.
Emmit’s dimples.
Emmit’s gray eyes.
Emmit’s soft lips.
Emmit’s hands on my body.
Emmit’s perfect brown hair.
“Holy shit. What in the hell?” I whispered as I shook my head. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking of Emmit since he dropped me off at the hotel last weekend. Of course, it didn’t help that we had been texting non-stop since that night.
“Did you say something?” Tara asked as she sat and buckled up.
“No. Talking to myself.”
Tara smiled and began talking. “There are two guys on Mr. Elliot’s race team that are a bit nervous to fly. It’s pretty funny trying to calm them down.”
With a nervous chuckle, I glanced out the window as I watched everything fly past faster and faster. “Oh yeah? Which drivers?”
“Doug Adams and Emmit Lewis.”
My head quickly snapped back to look at Tara. She was looking out the window with a slight smile on her face.
“Emmit Lewis?”
Without looking at me, she nodded. “Yeah, he needs to be preoccupied when we take off.”
My heart dropped as I looked Tara over. Blonde hair pulled up neatly in a bun. Killer legs that went on forever. Blue eyes that sparkled when she looked at you. I quickly looked around the plane.
What if Emmit had screwed her on this plane?
In a chair?
Slapping my hands over my mouth, I looked down at the chair I was sitting in.
“Miss Morgan, are you feeling sick?”
I dropped my hands and shook my head as I said, “So what do you think of Emmit?”
Tara tilted her head and gave me a curious look. “Um, well he’s a nice guy. I don’t really know him all that well. If he travels by air, he is usually in his own plane.”
My mouth dropped open. “Emmit owns a plane?”
Tara laughed. “Yes! He’s like the second-highest paid driver in NASCAR. I mean with all of his other gigs he has. You know commercials and all that kind of stuff.”
“Oh,” I barely said. “So, um, when he does fly, what do you do to calm him down?”
Tara didn’t blink an eye when she said, “Texas Hold ’em.”
“Excuse me?” I said as my mouth dropped open . . . again. I wasn’t sure why I reacted that way. I knew it was a poker game, but in my mind all I heard Tara say was . . . I screw him until we both scream out each other’s names.
Shit. I need to snap out of this jealousy thing.
Tara’s eyes widened. “The card game! It’s just a card game. Oh, my . . . no it’s not what you’re thinking. Mr. Lewis has always been a gentleman. He likes to play poker when he’s nervous, that’s all.”
I waved my hand and played it off like I knew what she meant. “Oh, I knew that. I think I’m just unnerved right now.”
Giving me a sweat smile, Tara said, “Well, we took off and are flying. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes,” I said as I gave her a thumbs-up. “Doing great! No worries here. I am flying high.”
Tara narrowed her eyes at me and gave me a look of worry. Holding my hands up, I said, “No no no, that’s not what I meant. No drugs here. I am not flying high on drugs; I’m flying high in the air. On life. Happy as a clam. Doing wonderful.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “I also ramble on when I’m nervous.”
Tara placed her hand on my shoulder and gave it a light squeeze as I opened my eyes. “You and Mr. Lewis should get together sometime. You’d hit it off.”
A bemused look moved across my face as I let out a chuckle. Tara made her way back toward the front of the plane as I pulled out my phone. Shaking my head, I let out a chuckle. If Tara only knew.
The private plane had Wi-Fi and I had already logged into it before we took off. I was hoping to catch up on Facebook when my heart dropped as I saw his name scroll across my screen.
Emmit.
I opened his text as a smile grew across my face.
Emmit: What are you doing this very minute?
I felt the heat move into my cheeks as I decided to play with Emmit.
With a giggle, I hit Send.
Me: You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. It’s something naughty.
Closing my eyes, I tried to keep my heart from racing. Up until this point, Emmit and I had been very cautious and slow. As much as we were both feeling the pull toward each other, we had stayed more in the friend-zone this week. I had just taken a giant leap right on out of that comfort zone, and I felt giddy as hell.
Emmit: I just choked on my water. Tell me.
Me: Tell you what?
Emmit: What are you doing that’s naughty, Addie!
Peeking up, I looked to see if Tara was on her way back out. Taking in a slow deep breath through my nose, I tried like hell to calm my beating heart. Three years it had been since I’d had these feelings. Only Emmit could pull them out of me. A huge part of me was excited to be feeling that pull in my lower stomach that I’d been longing for. I was tired of being careful. Tired of trying to do what I thought was the best thing for both Emmit and me. I knew what the best thing was.
Us.
Together.
Looking over my shoulder, I grinned when I saw the door to the private bedroom. Unbuckling, I walked toward where Tara was.
“Tara?”
Her head popped around the corner as she smiled and asked, “Is everything okay, you look flush again?”
“Um . . . would you mind if I went and took a short nap? My head is killing me.”
Tara’s eyes filled with worry. “Of course not. You go right on ahead. Mr. Elliot said he wanted you to be as comfortable as possible. Do you need some aspirin?”
“No thank you. I just need to lie down I think.”
Tara motioned with her head toward the back of the plane. “You go right on ahead. I won’t bother you unless I need to.”
I gave her a weak smile and made my way back to the private bedroom.
“Good lord, is it just dawning on me there is a freaking bedroom on the plane,” I said to myself as I opened the door and let out a gasp.
“Please dear God, let Emmit have a bedroom on his plane. Please.”
Pulling my phone back out, I sent Emmit another text. Time to kick it up a notch.
Me: All I can think of is you, Emmit. I can’t hide it anymore.
Emmit: Holy living hell, Addie. Hide what?
Giggling, I knew Emmit was probably getting himself all worked up but I couldn’t help myself. Shit, I hope he wasn’t about to qualify.
Me: What are you doing this very second?
Emmit: Running back to my bus!
I chuckled as I pictured Emmit doing just that.
Me: Have you qualified yet?
Emmit: Yes! Yes! Yes! What can’t you hide anymore, Addie?