“Actually, it sounds like fun,” Lenna cut in.
Braxton drew in a breath and then, in a stunned voice, said, “Really?”
She rolled her eyes again even as she grinned. He could be the sweetest man when he was in shy-and-insecure mode. “Sure. I’ve worked for some people in the past, and they owe me one, so I’m positive I can get someone to take my place at Renneys. I love the idea of going to a surprise, mystery place with you. Besides, I’m sure I can coax the secret out of you before we leave.”
Braxton sounded more like his confident self when he answered, “Oh, we’ll just see about that.”
As Thursday approached, Lenna grew increasingly energized about her mystery weekend with Braxton. He called at least once a day to make sure she hadn’t backed out of their plans. Then he threw in a tidbit of advice on what to pack, which only added more intrigue. By Thursday, she had concluded they were not headed toward a remote cabin in the mountains.
Braxton had instructed her to pack at least one formal dress, leading her to believe they’d be going out into public and somewhere fancy at that.
But on his next call, he recommended she bring along a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Trying to get a bead on their destination, she asked if she should pack for a warm or cool climate. Maybe they were going to Florida. But Braxton had been clueless as to what the weather would be like there, so he told her to prepare for both extremes.
By the time he arrived to pick her up Thursday afternoon, she still didn’t know their destination. And when he drove them into the airport, she was even more perplexed.
She sent him a confused smile. “We’re not driving?”
“Nope,” was his smug answer. Then he froze. “Oh, God. You’re not afraid of flying, are you?”
Lenna flashed her dimple. She was tempted to tease him and tell him she was terrified. But at the moment, she couldn’t lie; she was too energized. “I love flying.”
They were flying
!
“So, where’re we headed?” she asked calmly.
Braxton shook his head, his blue eyes glittering with mischief.
“Oh, come on. We’re at the airport. It’s not like I’m going to find out in a couple of minutes anyway. I mean, I’ll need a ticket to board the plane and that will definitively name where—”
“You won’t be getting a ticket,” Braxton said, cutting her off smoothly. He sent her a cocky grin. “We’re taking the company jet.”
Lenna’s mouth dropped open. “A private jet?”
Holy cow. She had no idea where she was going, but she was definitely going to get there in style.
Braxton pulled up to the main front door and found an attendant to load their luggage onto a cart. As he stood by, overseeing the ordeal, Lenna sidled next to him and crossed her arms. “We’ll it’s not like we’re leaving the country. I mean, I’d need my passport if we were exiting the states.” Then she paused with a thoughtful frown. “Wouldn’t I?”
Braxton flashed her another smirk, lifting one eyebrow. “And you think it would be impossible for me to sneak your passport out of your top desk drawer in your apartment, huh?”
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “We’re leaving the
country
?”
A chuckle left him as Braxton shrugged. “I didn’t say that.” He took her hand to kiss her knuckles. At Lenna’s frown, he laughed again. “This is just killing you, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she complained. “Why can’t you tell me—”
“And spoil the surprise?” he asked in a scandalized whisper. “I think not.”
* * * *
Nicer than Lenna had even begun to imagine, the Farris company jet put her dinky studio apartment to shame.
“Oh, my God,” she said, turning in a circle to gape opened-mouthed at the bedroom—yes, there was a
bedroom
right there in the plane. “Can I live here?”
Behind her, Braxton slipped his arm around her waist before he playfully tossed her onto the mattress. Grinning, Lenna bounced once and then rolled onto her back, spreading out her arms; silk satin greeted her skin. Lord, even the queen-sized bed was nicer than any she’d ever owned before.
Unable to hide her enthusiasm, she grinned up at Braxton. He stared back with a gleam in his eye. Lenna’s smile faded.
Had she ever met anyone as wonderful as Braxton Farris in her entire life?
He set a knee on the bed, slowly joining her.
Lenna’s stomach dropped. This was crazy. It was completely insane. All he had to do was look at her, and she went wet and tingly, wanting him to touch and lick every inch of her.
His other knee hit the mattress, and he crawled over her, never once taking his eyes off hers. His smile turned predatory.
“Want to join the mile high club?”
Lenna couldn’t help it; she threw back her head and laughed. She was just so...giddy.
Braxton kissed her throat as if he were trying to consume the joyous sound by sucking it straight from her voice box. He must have succeeded because her giggle broke off, and a hoarse moan erupted from her lungs.
“Braxton,” she managed to rasp as she laced her fingers through his hair. He lifted his face from her throat and met her eyes. Man, how those blue eyes affected her.
“I want you,” he told her in his own slightly choked voice.
“But we’re still on the ground. What about the mile high—”
“Can’t wait.” He kissed her, feasting on her mouth.
Lenna closed her eyes and sank into the kiss, wrapping both arms and legs around him. He had such artful hands. They created magic wherever they touched. His voice was low and seductive as he murmured sweet nothings, telling her how soft she felt, how delicious she smelled. When she was with him, she forgot about everything else.
“Have I mentioned how much I love that you went on the pill for me?”
He stripped off her shirt, and his soon followed, landing across the room in a heap on the plush carpet.
Lenna grinned over his shoulder as he dipped his head and kissed his way down her throat until he hovered over her breasts. “Only every time we get naked.”
“Mmm.” His tongue teased the top edge of her bra, and she arched, needing more.
“Braxton,” she gasped.
“Hmm?” was his evasive answer. His teeth nipped at her bra, tugging the cup down until he exposed—
“Mr. Farris?”
Lenna screamed as the deep voice that spoke above them. Braxton flattened himself on top of her to cover her. Their wide eyes met before he lifted his face toward a speaker box in the corner of the ceiling.
Fumbling and cursing under his breath, he rolled his eyes then leaned across her toward the nightstand to push a button. “Yes?”
“Good afternoon, sir,” the voice from the speakers answered. “This is Captain Wesley. I just wanted to welcome you aboard and let you know we’ll be taking off now.”
“Thank you,” Braxton answered, glancing down at Lenna as he spoke.
“If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to call,” Captain Wesley informed them.
“Thanks,” Braxton repeated. “Will do.”
“Have a pleasant flight, sir,” the captain added and then signed off.
Braxton and Lenna stared at each other for a moment. Then they broke into simultaneous bouts of laughter. Lenna buried her face in his shoulder and couldn’t stop shaking; tears of mirth filled her eyes.
“He scared the crap out of me,” Braxton managed to say between chuckles as he sat back on his haunches and held his stomach.
“You?” Lenna sputtered. She sat up and wiped her eyes. “I just about peed my pants. It sounded like the guy was right here in the room with us.”
Around them, the walls hummed and vibrated as the engines started. Braxton tucked a piece of hair behind Lenna’s ear. Lenna met his eyes and realized he’d grown serious.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Lenna shifted slightly as the plane began to move—probably rolling down the runway—and touched his face. “Why?”
“I thought everything would be more romantic than this.”
Glancing about the room, Lenna took in the fanciest arrangement she’d ever seen: wood-paneled walls, velvet-plush carpet, top of the line decor. There were even roses in a vase on top of the dresser.
She turned back to Braxton. “Are you kidding me? I’m in a private jet, getting ready to go on a mysterious weekend getaway with a devastatingly handsome man. God, Braxton, I can’t stop smiling because I’m having the time of my life. Trust me, it doesn’t get any more romantic than this.”
He smiled softly. “I want it to be perfect for you.”
“It is,” she assured him, then grinned and pushed him back onto the mattress. As she crawled over him and straddled his hips, she gazed into his solemn eyes. “You know, I always thought if I were to ever join the mile high club, it’d be in a cramped third-class bathroom with some impatient passenger needing to pee pounding on the door.”
She leaned down and nipped at his lips, then teasingly pulled away before giving him a full kiss.
But Braxton caught her face and tugged her back.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered and crushed his mouth to hers.
* * * *
Braxton couldn’t say how long the flight lasted. He was too wrapped up in Lenna to notice.
They never left the bed. Well, he did once to fetch them a snack of cheese and crackers and a bottle of wine. Then there were a few bathroom trips, but they always seemed to find their way back to the silk sheets.
The captain came onto the speaker yet again before they landed, to inform them they were thirty minutes from their destination. As they dressed, Braxton cleared his throat and glanced toward Lenna.
She sat at a vanity, staring at her reflection as she brushed her hair. He had never seen a more beautiful sight. He sat on the edge of the bed behind her so he could see both her elegant back and the reflection of her face in the mirror. Double perfection.
“Your father’s mentioned you took a few French classes in school.”
Lenna paused in her brush strokes and met his gaze in the mirror. She was never comfortable when Tom’s name came up. Braxton wondered if he should’ve even said the words, “your father.” He didn’t want anything to ruin the next few days.
But Lenna merely sent him a curious look. “That’s right. It was my minor.”
He straightened. “Really? So, you’re pretty fluent then?”
“I’m decent.” She shrugged. “I’m better at French than I am Spanish.”
“You know Spanish too?” Braxton’s mouth fell open. “Wow.”
“Some. I’m trying to learn a little Italian as well.” She blushed. “I actually wanted to be a linguist once. But it took so much work to learn French that...” She let her words die off, not finishing the response.
“You decided public relations was more the thing for you,” Braxton completed the sentence for her.
“I don’t know.” Lenna’s smile fell. She set the brush down and turned to face him. “I really have no idea what I want to do. It’s just that...the spoken word is so fascinating to me. I love learning about the history of each language, how it was formed, and how it differs from the others. I love trying to figure out how to say something another way. It’s like a puzzle.”
“Sounds like you should be a translator,” Braxton said, feeling as if he were meeting her for the first time. But, man, he loved discovering new facets about this woman.
Lenna, however, didn’t look so thrilled. “No, the only language I’m passable at speaking is French, and I’m probably not translator quality. I mean, I could get through a conversation with a Frenchman, no problem, but there’s still so much I don’t know.”
She sighed. “Sure, I’d love to do something like that. But a translator? I just don’t think I could.” Then she groaned and closed her eyes. “I don’t know.”
Braxton reached for her. “You’ll figure it out. And I know whatever you do, you’ll be amazing at it.”
Lenna opened her eyes and looked at his outstretched palm. When she took his fingers, he experienced a connection he’d never known existed in the world. He was almost overwhelmed by the power of it.
Not wanting to delve too much deeper into emotional territory, he cleared his throat and said, “Are you ready? I think we’re landing.”
“Oh! Sure.” Her eyes flew wide, and she popped to her feet. “I need to put my shoes on.”
Braxton helped her, slipping on one sneaker as she pulled on the other.
She grinned at him. “Thanks.”
He took her hand and assisted her to her feet.
After pressing a quick kiss to her nose, he walked her to the main seating area. Twenty minutes passed before the aircraft came to a complete stop. As soon as a crew member opened the hatch, Lenna hurried forward. Entertained by her excitement, Braxton followed.
When she reached the doorway, she fell to a halt and stared out. Lips parting, she pressed a hand to her chest. “Well, it’s definitely a different country,” she said. “But...” Turning to Braxton, her eyes filled with question. “Where...?”
He stepped next to her and held out a hand for her to precede him. “Welcome to Paris,
chéri
.”
Lenna couldn’t wrap her mind around the concept. She was in Paris. Paris,
France
! She was sitting in the back of a stretch limousine, riding through the streets of Paris, France.
Completely ignoring Braxton beside her, Lenna pressed her nose to the window and gawked.
It was beyond amazing. The fact that it was night and she couldn’t make out anything they passed but flashes of light didn’t even bother her. At the moment, all that mattered was that she was in Paris!
“Hey. There’s the Eiffel tower!” Braxton said.
Lenna turned, surprised to discover he was pressing his nose to the opposite window. He glanced over his shoulder at her and grinned as he motioned out his side. Quickly scooting toward him, Lenna snuggled against him when he wrapped an arm around her waist. Then she peered out and sucked in a breath. It was outlined with millions of tiny lights...the one and only Eiffel Tower. She could see its magnificent steeple rising over land and building. “Oh,” she whispered.
“I know,” Braxton murmured.