Free Hightower Affairs 2: Bedding the Secret Heiress by Emilie Rose

tarmac.
    She’d been tempted to play hooky from work even though she felt perfectly well. But she’d never skippedout on work before, and she wasn’t going to let her half brother and his cohort drive her into developing bad habits now.
    At any other time the assignment she’d picked up this morning would have filled her with excitement. Three days in San Francisco. Throw in the opportunity to fly a new-to-her model jet, and she was almost in heaven.
    Except the fates weren’t finished conspiring against her.
    She swept a regretful glance over the Sino Swearingen SJ30–2. A sweet, hot little number with a peach of a cockpit. And unless she could find an available mechanic with fast diagnostic skills, she probably wouldn’t get to fly her. She expelled a long, disappointed breath. Bummer.
    The long layover in San Francisco meant she should have time to finish her economics paper and sightsee, but for that to happen she had to get a different airplane or get the radio fixed.
    The terminal door opened as she approached and one of her current headaches stepped out—thirty minutes ahead of his ETA.
    Gage’s gaze ran over her, taking in her fitted black uniform jacket, pencil skirt and low heels. She’d never considered the HAMC uniform sexy, but the way he looked at her kicked her pulse up a notch. His attention settled on her mouth, and she could feel yesterday’s kiss all over again. Her stomach hit turbulence. Wasn’t it bad enough that she’d dreamed about that kiss last night? Repeatedly.
    She mashed her lips together and snapped to attention, trying to rein in her inappropriate response. “Good morning, Mr. Faul—” His shoulders stiffened and his eyes darkened with anger. “Gage,” she corrected quickly.So much for reestablishing proper protocol between them. “You’re early. I still have a few things to take care of. Why don’t you wait in the lounge and have a cup of coffee and maybe some breakfast?”
    HAMC always put out a continental breakfast for its clients.
    If she was lucky, he’d stay behind the bulkhead again today. Passengers, especially this one, belonged in the passenger cabin. She didn’t want Gage in the copilot seat and didn’t want to have to talk to him and edit every word that came out of her mouth.
    “I’ve already had breakfast.” His dark gaze shot beyond her to the aircraft then returned to her. “Is there a problem?”
    “The Internet connection is down on the jet. It’s probably just a loose wire in the transmitter. I’ll get a mechanic to check it out. If it can’t be fixed, I’ll request another plane. Our Mustang is in for routine service today.”
    His jaw set in that stubborn angle she’d come to recognize didn’t bode well for her. “I won’t need the Internet on this trip.”
    But she would. Her paper was due by eight Monday morning. She still had to verify some research, do a final edit and submit her work to the professor via e-mail. Without the Internet she couldn’t do any of those, and she didn’t know where they’d be staying or if their hotel had service. She also needed to check in with her mother, who’d suddenly decided to play hard-to-get by taking a trip to the Caribbean.
    Playing cat and mouse with Jacqui was getting tiresome. After two months of trying to get answers Lauren still had nothing. She was beginning to think her mother was avoiding her.
    “It won’t take long.” She stepped forward to cut around Gage and enter the building, but he didn’t move out of her way. She jerked to a halt, her shoulder touching his. A static shock skipped up her nerve endings, and his cologne invaded her senses before she could back away.
    “Did everything else check out?” The minty smell of his breath caressed her face. His jaw gleamed from a recent shave.
    “Yes, but—”
    “And we both know you’re thorough in your preflight check.”
    “Well, yes, but—”
    “Let’s stick with what we have. I’m short on time. Trent assures me this