Page 17 of One Night Stand After Another
Fix this, Clara.“I need to call the airline and re-route.”
“Where are you going, anyway?”
“Los Angeles.” Just saying it gave her a burst of pleasure. And panic. The Fiber Kingdom rarely had openings in the financial department. She couldn’t miss that interview. She tapped into the app on her phone. Maybe that would be faster.
“What airline? Where’s your connection?”
“Magna Air. No connection. Direct flight.” Stupid, stupid, stupid. She had to fix this, but all she wanted to do was crawl back under Zane’s warm covers.To hide, she mocked herself.Not quite, another voice challenged.
Zane had risen from the bed and was getting dressed. As he covered his body, part of her mourned. That firm ass. Those strong thighs. Those sculpted abs. Wide, strong back. Well-muscled arms that had carried her to ecstasy and held her there all night, which was the reason she couldn’t move or think straight this morning. She should be way more upset about this.
But it was difficult to freak out with great-sex chemicals filling her body and almost a week to get to Los Angeles. She wasn’t going to blow the meeting just because she’d missed a flight. As long as she got herself back on course right damn now, she could afford to cut herself some slack.
Reluctantly, she forced herself out of bed and evaded his attempt to embrace her. She shivered because his clothed body brushing against her nakedness reminded her of last night, which provoked an instant response at the juncture of her thighs. If he touched her, she’d be wet. If he did that thing with his eyes and that other thing with his fingers, she’d come. Instantly.
Again.Ugh.
It was time to wake up and get back on plan.
She gave him a brief squeeze and bent to grab her dress from the floor. Her panties. Her shoes. It took her a second to remember her bra was in his jacket pocket, but she retrieved that, too. Then she carried everything to the bathroom. Coming to his place had been a mistake. Now she’d be doing the walk of shame in last night’s dressandshe’d missed her flight.So stupid.
She kept her back to the glassed-in shower, where they’d spent one of their hours last night, and dressed quickly. Then she closed the lid on the toilet, sat down, and dialed, too frustrated to navigate the airline app.
After a five-minute wait, she learned that she was screwed. Unless she switched airlines, she’d just missed the only flight that would get her to California in time to make her meeting on Friday. Why she’d chosen an airline with a single, weekly direct flight to Los Angeles mystified her, even if the price had been incredible.
She hurried out of the bathroom, deciding to leave everything she’d packed at the hotel. Maybe she could still make her flight if she went straight to the airport. If there was no traffic. If there was no line at security. If she could get an Uber. Or a taxi. If, if, if…
She jogged back to the bedroom and grabbed her purse.
…
“Let’s go,” Zane said when Clara entered the kitchen.
“What? Where?” She was headed for the front door at a fast clip, panic carved into her face. Was she even going to say goodbye?
“Philadelphia.”
“Huh?” She stopped.
“You aren’t going to make your flight, and Magna doesn’t have another one out of New York this week.” He’d explored the paltry flight schedule in the app while she was in the bathroom.
“What does that have to do with Philadelphia?” she asked.
“There’s a direct flight from Philadelphia to LAX that leaves at two p.m. Switch your flight to Philly, and I’ll drive you to the airport.”
“Why on earth would you do that?”
“Because I can? And you need a ride? It’s less than two hours. Plenty of time. There isn’t another Magna flight to Los Angeles until next Sunday.”
“I just figured that out.” She pressed her palm to her forehead. “Driving is a great idea. Maybe I can rent a car at the airport.”
“But why would you?” He couldn’t let that happen, not after last night. “I can run you by your hotel to get your things, and we’ll get on the road. You can rebook on the way.”
“I’m not letting you drive me to another state. You must have work to do.”
“I can take the day off.” And tomorrow. The rest of the week, if he had to. When she’d fallen asleep on top of him last night, his entire world had changed shape. One night was bullshit. He needed to understand why she was so determined to leave him behind. “It’s only two hours, Clara. I don’t mind. Time’s wasting. Plus… I love Philly cheese steak.”
“What?”
