Love at First Flight Read Online Free PDF Page B

to join him for a drink. He watched her whisper to her father, who
nodded without missing a beat in his conversation.
    “Whew,” she said when they met at the
bar. “Thanks for the lifeline.”
    Michael chuckled. “My pleasure. Buy you
a drink?”
    “White wine, please,” she said to the
bartender.
    Michael ordered another beer. “Michael Maguire.”
    She shook his hand. “Paige Simpson.”
    They moved out of the party fray to sit
by the fire.
    She slid off her black pumps. “It feels
good to sit down.”
    Watching transfixed as she stretched her
long legs, he was startled when his penis sprang to life. Holy junior high! He quickly shifted his eyes up to find that her
porcelain complexion had grown rosy from the heat of the fire. In her blue eyes
he saw intelligence, laughter, and a touch of mischief. He cleared his throat. “So
what brings you to our exciting shindig?”
    “My father.” She nodded to the Admiral. “My
mother had a meeting, so he asked me to come along.”
    “Is he stationed at the Pentagon?”
    “No, the Naval Academy. He's the
superintendent.”
    Michael released a low whistle. “That
must be nice.”
    She smiled. “It's not bad.”
    “What about you? What do you do?”
    “My father says I'm a professional
student. I'm an undergrad here at Georgetown. I've switched majors a few times,
so I'm on the six-year plan. I'll finally be getting an art history degree in May.”
    That made her twenty-four, Michael
figured. She seemed both older than that and younger at the same time. The face
was that of a child but the eyes were those of a woman, and they were studying
him with interest.
    “And you're at the law school?”
    “Yes. Almost done, thank God. Just a few
more months to go.”
    “Then what?”
    “I don't know yet. I think about going
home to Rhode Island to open a practice. That's what I've always wanted to do,
but I love living in D.C. So the jury's still out.”
    She smiled at the legal pun.
    “Paige, honey, there you are,” a voice
boomed from behind them.
    “Dad, this is Michael Maguire, a third
year at the law school.”
    Michael stood to shake his hand. “Pleased
to meet you, Admiral.”
    “Yes, likewise.” The Admiral turned to
his daughter. “We need to be getting back to Annapolis. I have a faculty
meeting tonight.”
    “But my new friend Michael just asked me
to have dinner with him, so I can't leave yet,” she said with a sly smile and
wink for Michael.
    “You don't have your car.”
    “I'd be happy to bring her home after
dinner, sir,” Michael said. He was rewarded with a bright smile from Paige that
once again caught the attention of another part of his anatomy. Christ!
    “Well, then, I guess that's fine.” The
Admiral kissed his daughter's forehead. “Don't be out too late. You know how
your mother worries. It was nice to meet you, Michael. Drive carefully with my
daughter.”
    Michael shook his hand again. “Yes, sir.”
    They watched the Admiral consult with
his friend the dean and saw him nod with approval.
    “Looks like you just got the okay from
the dean,” Paige whispered.
    “It's a good thing because I was
thinking about asking you to have dinner with me.”
    She laughed. “That's a wonderful idea.
I'd love to.”

    ***

    A soft knock on the guest room door
brought Michael back to the present. Opening the door, he found Paige wearing a
pale pink strapless silk gown, her hair in a sleek French twist.
    “You look stunning.” Michael stepped
aside to let her in.
    “Thank you. Are you ready?”
    They had exchanged only a few tense
words since their argument in the mall.
    “Well, you know the tie always gives me
trouble.”
    “Let me,” she said, ushering him toward
the bathroom mirror.
    He squatted down so she could wrap her
arms around him from behind.
    She knotted the tie with quick, confident
movements and then rested her hands on his shoulders.
    “I don't know how you do that.” He
adjusted the tie into place on his tuxedo shirt.