Sandra's Classics - The Bad Boys of Romance - Boxed Set Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Sandra Marton
decision, fast. The sun’s going to dip behind the mountains before you know it, and weather’s coming in.’
‘I’m not sure ...’
‘Fine,’ he said brusquely. ‘I’ll tell them you aren’t coming.’
My God, she thought, the man had no heart!
For a minute or two, she’d thought she had glimpsed the man who’d soothed her on the 1011, but now she realized he had just been jollying her along, doing and saying whatever it took to get her to sit with him…
Or to get her on that ridiculous plane.
And why wouldn’t he? He’d been hired to ferry in supplies and that's what she was.
On the plane from New York, she’d been a diversion.
Now, she was something to be delivered.
But she was neither; she was a woman with a job to do. She squared her shoulders and stared past him at the plane.
Great.
It was the size of a shoebox. And it had no steps or ramp.
She took a step forward and ignored the pounding of her heart.
‘How do I get into your sardine tin?’ she asked in a steady voice.
He grinned and held out his hand. ‘It’s easy.’
It hadn’t been easy, of course, she thought a short while later as she sat rigidly beside him in the cockpit of the little blue and white plane. He had tugged and pulled and hoisted her on board in ways that were as ungraceful as they were immodest, but she was past caring.
All that mattered was keeping her stomach and her nerves under control while he buckled her in—her fingers were too numb with fear—and hoping her teeth wouldn’t chatter while he turned on the engine and adjusted a million controls and dials . Finally, he put on his headset and spoke to the control tower.
Then he said, ‘Here we go, Jessie,’ and she was too terrified even to remind him her name was Jessica.
She closed her eyes as soon as they taxied towards the runway. They paused for only a little while. She heard him say something to her and suddenly they were rushing down the runway, gaining speed, moving faster and faster and then she knew by the thump of wheels being retracted into the fuselage that they’d left the ground and were in the air.
‘We’re up, Jessie. Why don’t you open your eyes and take a look?’
‘Soon,’ she said carefully, not wanting to explain that it would take her a while to work up the courage. She could feel the faint sensation of motion, but it wasn’t the bone-jarring ride she’d feared. The engine wasn’t as loud as she’d anticipated, either, although she could hear it, thank goodness. She swallowed hard. ‘How high are we?’
‘High enough for the view to be terrific.’
She swallowed again. Then with cautious slowness, she raised her eyelids and stared straight ahead.
‘Hi, there,’ he said cheerfully. ‘How’re you doing?’
Jessica turned her head slowly and looked at him. ‘Do you have a name?’ she asked finally.
‘Chad,’ he said, extending a hand to her, ‘Chad O’Bryan.’
‘Please, please, put your hand back on the wheel.’
‘It’s a control yoke. And it’s OK .’
‘Please, Mr. O’Bryan. It makes me nervous to see you let go of it.’
‘Considering how well we know each other, Jessie, I think you ought to call me by my first name.’
She glanced at him again, a quick blush rising to her cheeks, but he was looking straight ahead with no discernible expression on his face. She thought of their sudden, passionate embrace in the 1011 and the way his hands had touched her when he’d helped her board a few minutes ago and her blush deepened.
‘How much longer until we get there, Mr. O’Bryan?’ She put a deliberate emphasis on the name, pleased to see that his mouth hardened as she said it.
‘Not very long, Miss Howard. Just sit back and relax.’ He shifted his weight and a smile flickered across his mouth. ‘If you can, that is.’
She decided there was no point in answering. In a few minutes, they’d touch down at the Lodge—she wouldn’t dwell on the landing just yet—and she’d be among
‘I’m not sure ...’
‘Fine,’ he said brusquely. ‘I’ll tell them you aren’t coming.’
My God, she thought, the man had no heart!
For a minute or two, she’d thought she had glimpsed the man who’d soothed her on the 1011, but now she realized he had just been jollying her along, doing and saying whatever it took to get her to sit with him…
Or to get her on that ridiculous plane.
And why wouldn’t he? He’d been hired to ferry in supplies and that's what she was.
On the plane from New York, she’d been a diversion.
Now, she was something to be delivered.
But she was neither; she was a woman with a job to do. She squared her shoulders and stared past him at the plane.
Great.
It was the size of a shoebox. And it had no steps or ramp.
She took a step forward and ignored the pounding of her heart.
‘How do I get into your sardine tin?’ she asked in a steady voice.
He grinned and held out his hand. ‘It’s easy.’
It hadn’t been easy, of course, she thought a short while later as she sat rigidly beside him in the cockpit of the little blue and white plane. He had tugged and pulled and hoisted her on board in ways that were as ungraceful as they were immodest, but she was past caring.
All that mattered was keeping her stomach and her nerves under control while he buckled her in—her fingers were too numb with fear—and hoping her teeth wouldn’t chatter while he turned on the engine and adjusted a million controls and dials . Finally, he put on his headset and spoke to the control tower.
Then he said, ‘Here we go, Jessie,’ and she was too terrified even to remind him her name was Jessica.
She closed her eyes as soon as they taxied towards the runway. They paused for only a little while. She heard him say something to her and suddenly they were rushing down the runway, gaining speed, moving faster and faster and then she knew by the thump of wheels being retracted into the fuselage that they’d left the ground and were in the air.
‘We’re up, Jessie. Why don’t you open your eyes and take a look?’
‘Soon,’ she said carefully, not wanting to explain that it would take her a while to work up the courage. She could feel the faint sensation of motion, but it wasn’t the bone-jarring ride she’d feared. The engine wasn’t as loud as she’d anticipated, either, although she could hear it, thank goodness. She swallowed hard. ‘How high are we?’
‘High enough for the view to be terrific.’
She swallowed again. Then with cautious slowness, she raised her eyelids and stared straight ahead.
‘Hi, there,’ he said cheerfully. ‘How’re you doing?’
Jessica turned her head slowly and looked at him. ‘Do you have a name?’ she asked finally.
‘Chad,’ he said, extending a hand to her, ‘Chad O’Bryan.’
‘Please, please, put your hand back on the wheel.’
‘It’s a control yoke. And it’s OK .’
‘Please, Mr. O’Bryan. It makes me nervous to see you let go of it.’
‘Considering how well we know each other, Jessie, I think you ought to call me by my first name.’
She glanced at him again, a quick blush rising to her cheeks, but he was looking straight ahead with no discernible expression on his face. She thought of their sudden, passionate embrace in the 1011 and the way his hands had touched her when he’d helped her board a few minutes ago and her blush deepened.
‘How much longer until we get there, Mr. O’Bryan?’ She put a deliberate emphasis on the name, pleased to see that his mouth hardened as she said it.
‘Not very long, Miss Howard. Just sit back and relax.’ He shifted his weight and a smile flickered across his mouth. ‘If you can, that is.’
She decided there was no point in answering. In a few minutes, they’d touch down at the Lodge—she wouldn’t dwell on the landing just yet—and she’d be among