Take Me Away (Cockpit Series Book 2) Read online

  “Am I that bad?” I grin at her.

  “Heaven, you know I’m your best friend, so I’m going to answer that honestly.” She pauses to eye me up and sighs hopelessly, making me want to punch her.

  “You’re not a complete lost cause,” she locks eyes with me and finishes off her analysis with, “but you're also not a thirteen-year-old boy.”

  I throw a French fry at her across the table. “That was uncalled for.”

  “But, also true. You’re wearing Sketchers tennis shoes for God's sake.”

  “Camila Cabelli wears Sketchers,” I fight back.

  “She’s a pop star, honey, it’s not the same,” she mumbles with a mouth full of burger.

  We finish up our lunch, and I get back to my apartment as quickly as I can to make some more phone calls. Those happen to turn out fairly successful, and I manage to secure three more sizable donations to our charity gala, including a year’s supply of cleaning products. It was a slightly unconventional donation, but I can’t afford to be choosy, and it would do for a raffle prize.

  After closing up my laptop for the evening, I pop into the shower and freshen up and arrive at Brianna’s place with wet hair, ready for her to work her miracles on me.

  I let myself in by using the spare key, which she’d given me a few years ago, so I could come and go. She has one for my apartment, too. If we weren’t so opposite, we would have moved in together, but as much as I adore my best friend, the thought of living with her fills me with anxiety.

  When we first met, at our freshman year sorority party, we thought we had life all figured out. She’d play on the women’s soccer team, and I’d set up my own rescue center. Now, here we are at twenty-nine, still trying to make sense of it all. There were so many decisions that I still needed to make. Whether to travel and see more of the world outside of China, settle down… not settle down. The pressure to have life mapped out and neatly organized on a Pinterest board is just as real, as it was in our late teens, the only difference is now age is no longer on our side, and we are both aware the clock is ticking in terms of life choices.

  “Thank God you’re here, there’s a lot to do. I’ve got everything ready to go. By the time I’m finished with you, Mr. Perfect will be on his hands and knees begging for a second date,” she says while she starts shuffling through her closet and throwing clothes out over her shoulder left and right.

  “We’re calling him Mr. Perfect now? And this is not a first date, Bri.”

  Completely ignoring me, she passes me a cute blue wrap dress, with a pair of tights and ankle boots. I wouldn’t have picked it out myself, but I don’t hate it.

  Two-what-felt-like-ten hours later, my hair is piled up on my head in a gorgeous mass of loose curls with a few left down to frame my face. My makeup is a perfection collection of nudes that give me a natural glow without making me look overdone, she knows I hate that fakey cakey look.

  My mani pedi is a fun bubblegum pink to match my mood, and from the look on Brianna’s face when I step out of her bedroom to see what she thinks, tells me I’m good to go.

  “Oh my goodness, look at you!” She admires me from afar before crossing the living room to wrap her arms around. “You are absolutely beautiful.”

  “I think you might be the teensiest biased,” I say, holding my finger and thumb a centimeter apart in front of my face.

  She shakes her head. “Nope. You really are that gorgeous, I just hope you can see it for yourself one day.”

  5

  Liam

  I finally make it out of the office just in enough time to fit in a run with Sullivan, my youngest brother and certified favorite. He’s like me, only cockier than I was at his age, twice as much a player and with three times the charm. I taught him everything I know, and although I'd never admit it, I’m pretty sure he can run circles around me now. With our work schedules, it’s not often we get to hang out, so we’d agreed to make the most of it while he’s back this weekend.

  “Hey.” I nod as I jog toward him.

  “Sup.” He nods back.

  “How’s things?”

  “If you mean that chick from Ohio, don’t fuckin’ ask.” He grimaces as if the mention of her is more than he can stomach.

  “Already?”

  “The bitch went psycho when she saw I was texting someone else.”

  “How did she find that out?”

  “Bro, she was checking my phone every time my back was turned; I’d only known the girl five minutes.” His exasperated tone makes me laugh as I close the door behind me and start up with a slow jog to warm up. Sully matches my pace beside me, falling into step.

  “So, we won’t be meeting her anytime soon then?”

  “If I see her again it’s likely to be in a dark alleyway when I find out she’s been stalking my ass.”

  God, he makes me laugh. I forgot how much I enjoy hanging out with my brother. It’s been too long since we were both in the same city, and I make a mental note to try and get us all around the table as soon as I can.

  “Let’s hope I have more luck. I’m meeting someone later.”

  “Shiloh?” he asks, throwing me a knowing look.

  “Actually, no.” I smile as he passes me a look of surprise. My sister was forever trying to set me up on dates. Well, me and the rest of my brothers. It drives us all crazy.

  “I set this one up myself.”

  “Like, through a dating agency? Have you finally joined the twenty-first century and signed up to Tinder?”

  “Obviously fucking not. I met her at our Christmas party last night.”

  “And you’re already seeing her again? What’s she like?”

  “She’s the opposite of everything I usually go for, which is exactly why I’m taking her to dinner.”

  “Is she hot?”

  “She’s small, blonde and tanned.”

  “Weird, I didn’t see anyone particularly smokin’, it’s not like me to miss a hot chick.”

  “You probably didn’t notice her.” I shrug, picking up the pace.

  “Why not?”

  “Because she wasn’t a guest. She was working it.”

  “No fucking way, tell me you didn’t ask out one of the waitresses? You’d have been better off joining Tinder or going on one of Shiloh’s blind dates.”

  “Don’t be such a snob, Sully.”

  “I’m not a snob, I’m just careful. You should be too, you can’t afford not to be, bro. It’s sad, but most of the women I date turn out to be gold diggers. That’s why it’s been so long since I gave anyone a serious shot.”

  “Well, I already know she’s after my money, but not in the way you think.”

  “Whatever you say, that sounds shady, just be careful, Liam. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “What’s new with you, anyway?” I ask, changing the subject as we the incline gets steeper, and we both begin to struggle for breath.

  “Work-wise, nothing. Woman-wise, you probably don’t want to know,” he mumbles, and we fall into a silent synchronized step for the next mile. He is clearly still up to his old tricks, and I am getting too old to hear all about them.

  “Not bad for an old guy.” He slaps me in the stomach as we come to a natural stop at the top of a fairly steep hill.

  “Who you calling old?” I grab him in a headlock and wrestle him long enough to remind him that I can still take him down if I wanted to, and we break apart, laughing like old times.

  We stretch out our legs for a second before parting ways and agreeing to meet again for another run. It’s not often I get to catch up with Sully face to face. Aside from the holidays, we all rely on FaceTime far too much because we are rarely ever in the same place at the same time.

  Back at my condo, I shower and change into something more formal. I settle on my Moschino dark denim jeans and a camel cashmere sweater that matches my Gucci loafers. You could tell I’d made an effort, but it is far from being overdressed. I want to impress her not intimidate her, at least not on o
ur first date. She might think this is all about business, but I’ll show her it’s definitely for pleasure.

  We’d agreed to meet at Orlando’s, a small Italian place that we both know. A hot brunette hostess greets me as I step inside. I tell her my name, and she pauses for a second, letting her eyes follow my shirt all the way down until they settle on my groin for long enough to let me know she’s mine if I want her. Her lack of decorum is an instant turn off, but I smile at the thought of Sullivan being here and elbowing me for my lack of interest.

  I flick my wrist to check the time and hurry her along. Her cheeks flush pink as she realizes I’m on to her, and her eyes quickly dart back to the list she’s holding to find my reservation. Avoiding further eye contact, she grabs the menu and mumbles something about today’s specials as I follow her toward the back of the restaurant.

  The hostess directs me to a small square table in the corner of the room seated right in front of a large picture window. Heaven is not here yet, so I sit and stare out at dark blue waves of water hitting the stone wall down below. It’s nothing but water for miles, and with the moonlight hitting the horizon, it’s actually real fucking beautiful. It’s not often I stop and sit down for a proper meal, never mind with a view like that.

  My thoughts turn to Heaven as I watch the waves ripple in the ocean, and I wonder how the night is going to play out. Even though I doubt this date will be different from any other, I run through the possible scenarios in my head. One would be, she’s even more sassy when she’s clocked off from her job, than she was last night, and I’ll have to cut the date short because I can’t bear to eat with her. What? You never know. Two, what if she doesn’t think I’m attractive… highly unlikely, but awkward, if it happens. Finally, there’s the third option. What if she turns out to be everything I hope she is, and we genuinely hit it off? Then what? ‘It was great to meet you; I’ll be sure to FaceTime you from time to time when I’m all over the world’. I can’t picture my dad saying that to my mom when they first met, and this was different. Mom had given up everything to be with dad. I wouldn’t want that for any girlfriend I had. Secretly, I wanted a woman more like Shiloh. Someone who’s not afraid to speak their mind and go after what they want. The trouble is a woman like that would never fit with my lifestyle and commitments, furthermore, I’m not planning on giving up my role of CEO anytime soon. If anything, I’m looking to expand not wind down.

  I know an airplane can't wrap its arms around me and keep me warm at night. It definitely cannot fulfill those itches that every hot blooded man needs to have scratched, but every time I try to picture an alternative, I draw a blank.

  6

  Heaven

  As I rush through the doors, I find the hostess waiting at her podium.

  “Reservation for Parker at six o’clock, please,” I say to her, slightly breathless from hurrying inside, so the wind didn’t wreck my hair. I didn’t want to show up looking like I’d been dragged through a hedge backwards.

  With a head nod, she ushers me back to the table where Liam is already sitting, staring dreamily out of the window. He’s even more gorgeous tonight in his casual sweater, and I actually prefer this look, to his suit from last night.

  We stand there for what felt like forever, when in reality, it’s more like a few seconds. Finally, the hostess clears her throat to distract him from his thoughts. He turns his head and immediately my eyes clash with the brightest green eyes I’ve ever seen, the ones I’ve not been able to stop thinking about. I’m frozen in place as I watch those eyes roam over my body slowly.

  He shakes his head, and it breaks both of us out of our trance state. I copycat, shaking my head as well, and look back at a large smile that meets his eyes, making them sparkle an even darker shade of emerald green. I wonder what he's thinking at this exact moment. Whatever that thought is, I want him to hold onto it, so I get to devour his gorgeous smile for the entire dinner.

  Or maybe not. Oh God, maybe not. He switches back to the more serious look, and I try to determine which one I like best. His combination of square stubbled jaw and full lips is lethal. Before I make my mind up, he jumps out of his chair, comes over to grab mine and pulls it out for me. Chivalry still a thing? This is new territory for me having only been on a handful of dates and the disaster that was Richie. I wince at the memory, and the very hot Liam Parker welcomes me, “Hi, thanks for meeting me tonight.”

  “Thank you for the invite,” I respond as I sit down, and he moves back to his seat. Our eyes meet again, and I quickly look away in case I drown in him.

  A light cough interrupts my thoughts, and I turn my attention back to Liam staring at me from across the table.

  “So, Heaven, it’s Panda Hearts, right?”

  Say something. Say anything. Anything would be good instead of the goofy grin you are giving him. Please get it together before he pretends to go to the bathroom and escapes through the fire exit, instead. The sound of my name on his lips shoots my thoughts to a fictional scenario where he’s saying it over and over again as I…

  “Yeah, that’s my charity. Well, not my personal charity. Although, sometimes it feels like that, but it’s not. I just volunteer there.” Oh, crappity-crap stop babbling, Heaven.

  “Would you like to see the wine menu to start off?” he offers.

  “Sure,” I reply, a little too eagerly. Wine could definitely help settle the tenseness.

  “Are you a red or a white kind of girl?”

  “Usually white, but with food, red is my favorite.”

  The waiter approaches and Liam orders a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Good, he ordered the strong stuff. It can’t arrive quickly enough; my nerves are all over the place. I cross my hands on my lap under the table just to try to quit fidgeting.

  I glance around the room, then study the view from the window again, looking everywhere except at Liam because I know what’s going to happen when I do. Every time our eyes meet my brain disconnects from my mouth, and I’m in danger of either saying something that makes me look stupid, or simply drooling.

  “What are you fancying?” Liam asks, and I stare at him wide eyed. “To eat, I mean.”

  “Let me check.” I open the menu to look it over and see all the normal Italian dishes. Then I internally debate whether to play it safe, or order my favorite, spaghetti. Can I really eat messy pasta in front of this guy? Deciding it’s a tad too risky for a first date, if this even counts as a date. “Do you know what you want?”

  He answers, “I was thinking spaghetti, but spaghetti can be kind of messy.” Shocked. I can't believe he said exactly what I was thinking, and I chuckle. He looks up at me from over his menu with his dazzling green eyes and cocks his head to the side. “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s just that you literally read my mind. I was about to order spaghetti, but played it safe with ravioli instead.”

  He laughs out loud. “Well, that’s settled then.” As he closes his menu and sits it down on the table he continues, “Two plates of spaghetti it is.” He flashes me one of those perfect smiles again, and it relaxes me a little.

  The waiter arrives shortly after with the wine, we order our food, and both sit back into our seats.

  “So, back to business, tell me about this charity that’s yours, but not yours.”

  And I do. I tell him about the pandas, my time in China, and the upcoming gala. I explain exactly why it’s so important not just to me, but to the environment, and he listens to it all without looking at me like I’m a total weirdo, the way men usually do when I get started on my favorite topic.

  The opposite in fact. When I stop to catch my breath, he looks at me with complete fascination and a touch of what I think is admiration, but it might be something else.

  The way he listens to me intently without interrupting is refreshing, and the more time I spend with him, the more I warm to his company.

  I was expecting an arrogant asshole, and instead, I am sharing a meal with Prince Charming. It was unexpected, and I�
�m even taking myself by surprise, by loosening up and being myself. Something I find incredibly difficult to do after Richie.

  7

  Liam

  Whatever it is that is drawing me to Heaven is stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced with a woman. Every time her full lips part, I want to press mine against them. It had crossed my mind just a millisecond ago, when our eyes met, that I could write a check, order everyone in the restaurant to leave, then fuck her, right here on this table.

  Instead, I’m struggling to think up a decent conversation topic. Why? Because I’m nervous, okay? This goddess of a woman is so beautiful that she commands the attention of every single man here, and the fact that she seems to have no idea is intriguing.

  “Enough about me, tell me about your job. You must get to see a lot of cool places as a pilot.”

  “It’s the best job in the world,” I say reaching across the table and wrapping my hand around hers, which is holding onto her wine glass.

  There’s instant heat between us. A spark that neither of us acknowledge, but both of us must know is there.

  Subtle, yet overpowering, all at once.

  “I didn’t just invite you here to talk about work, Heaven. The truth is, I just had to see you again.”

  I just sit there in silence and continue to watch her. She bites her lower lip like she’s thinking really hard, and it makes me want to sink my teeth into it, too. I wonder what she tastes like. She could say anything she liked at this point, and I’d still want to take her home with me.

  It’s unusual for me, but I didn’t want to rush this part. I wanted the dinner and talking. Outside of work, socializing is not really my thing. When you have to wine and dine people for a living, it becomes monotonous and boring, but this dinner was anything but.

  She releases that now plump lip, and her cheeks turn slightly pink. “You’re not what I thought you’d be, Liam Parker.”