Not now.

  Not with her.

  Not when this gorgeous female was as close to me as she could get with our clothes on.

  “Oh, God. I’m so sorry,” Nicole muttered as she started wriggling to get up.

  “Don’t!” I insisted. “Don’t. Move.”

  The more she squirmed, the more my cock responded to that motion. Maybe I was a masochist, and I liked being tortured, but I knew I hadn’t had my fill of anguish just yet.

  “Damian, I have to get up,” she said firmly. “I’m sorry. I guess I got dizzy from the cocktails. I don’t usually have more than one.”

  Fuck! I loved the breathlessness of her voice, a sound that told me that she wasn’t totally immune to the insane sexual attraction between us.

  “You’re fine right where you are,” I argued. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not hurt,” she answered softly. “But I feel ridiculous.”

  Strangely, it bothered me that she felt uncomfortable. “It’s not like anybody noticed except me, Nicole. And I’m sure as hell not complaining.” The business section was dark. Most of the passengers were sleeping, or resting with earbuds in as they watched their small television with their overhead lights off.

  The flight attendants were unobtrusive and quiet somewhere in the galleys to give passengers their sleep time.

  Nicole’s arm crept around my shoulders to steady herself as she said, “I’m heavy, Damian. I need to get up.”

  Heavy? She felt incredible to me. “You’re perfect, Nicole.” My voice was far hoarser than I’d like.

  “You’re insane,” she accused.

  “I think you’re making me that way.” I blamed her, only half joking. I’d never experienced this kind of chemistry with anyone, so it was, in fact, fifty percent her fault, right?

  I had no idea why I was reacting to Nicole this way, and quite honestly, I wasn’t sure I liked it. I wasn’t an insta-lust kind of guy.

  Before she’d fallen into my lap, I’d been trying to figure out why the real Damian Lancaster had fled my body, only to be replaced by a guy who couldn’t control his reaction to some random female sitting next to him on a plane.

  Bloody hell! I’d certainly never felt any kind of instant desperation to shag any female. I planned my liaisons carefully, and never with a woman I didn’t know.

  Normally, I’d be on my laptop right after we’d gotten airborne. It didn’t usually matter if my seatmate was male or female, young or old, attractive or unattractive. I simply…didn’t notice.

  This particular flight had been different since the second I’d laid eyes on Nicole. I hadn’t been myself since I’d given in to some strange compulsion to look at her texts.

  For fuck’s sake, I’d actually read those messages like they were the most fascinating reading material I could find. And then, to make things even worse, I’d actually tried to make her feel better because she’d looked so damn disheartened.

  Oh, and let’s not even mention the fact that I’d cajoled her into telling me about her sex life.

  I released a heavy breath as I tried to figure out what in the hell was so different about Nicole.

  I was attracted to the female I was holding in a way I’d never experienced before, and honestly, wasn’t comfortable with, either.

  It was something instinctive.

  Like a hard kick to the gut that I couldn’t ignore.

  My brain hadn’t functioned properly since I’d gotten on the flight.

  And my cock was in overdrive.

  Shit! I wasn’t a guy who let his cock rule his goddamn brain!

  “I can’t just sit here for the entire flight,” Nicole whispered loudly next to my ear.

  She sounded nervous, but not in a frightened sort of way. “A few more minutes,” I persuaded as I pressed my face against her hair like a man fucking desperate for the scent of a woman. But I wasn’t frantic to breathe in any female. Just. Her. “You smell so damn good, Nicole.”

  She snorted lightly. “I’m not wearing anything. It’s probably my shampoo or body wash. I showered right before I came to the airport, thank God. I had no idea I’d get drunk and fall into the lap of the attractive man right next to me.”

  I wrapped my hand around the fat braid of her hair, and gently turned her face toward me. “Are you attracted to me, Nicole?”

  I already knew the answer to my question. There was no possible way I was in crazy-town alone. As our eyes met, I could feel the red-hot chemistry flowing between the two of us, but for some reason, I wanted to hear her admit that she felt the same damn indescribable pull toward me that I was experiencing with her.

  She nodded slowly. We were so close I could see her swallow hard before she answered. “Yes. How could I not be? You’re the entire package, Damian. Tall, dark, and handsome. With a sexy British accent, too. Okay, maybe you’re a little arrogant, but as long as you’re not doing that really bossy thing you do, even your ego is kind of hot.”

  I felt a smile tug at my lips as I insisted, “I don’t do a bossy thing.”

  Her snort was louder this time. “You’re seriously bossy sometimes.”

  I had no doubt that she was probably right. I was used to being the boss. The fact that she didn’t seem the least bit daunted made the woman even more attractive.

  I was Damian Lancaster, and all I heard was “yes, sir” from all of my employees as they scrambled to do what I needed done, every single day.

  It was probably a little twisted that I actually liked the fact that Nicole had no idea who I was, or that my life was far from normal. I knew her attraction to me was real. It had nothing to do with the obscene amount of money or power I had.

  I toyed with a lock of her blonde hair that had escaped from her braid. “I’m just a guy with all of the regular faults.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince her that I wasn’t different, or myself.

  She smiled. “Just a guy who can get any woman to drop her panties because he’s way too attractive to ignore, and very charming when he wants to be?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve never been charming, Nicole. You probably just think I’m charming because you’re more than just a little pissed.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “I’m not pissed at you.”

  I chuckled. “Not pissed as in…angry. Pissed as in…drunk.”

  I’d forgotten that she wasn’t exactly a world traveler, so she might not recognize some British-isms.

  She nodded. “Shitfaced. Definitely.”

  I grinned. “I think I like ‘pissed’ better.”

  She tilted her head adorably. “I think I like that word better, too. So I guess I am…pissed.”

  I had to wonder just how open she would have been if she was completely sober right now. Nicole was at the perfect point of drunkenness, when her inhibitions were low and she wasn’t quite steady on her feet, but she wasn’t completely out of touch, either.

  I stroked the flawless skin of her cheek, mesmerized by how incredibly soft she was…everywhere. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  She slapped my shoulder. “See. I was right. You’re totally charming. I’m not beautiful. My mother was beautiful, though. I always wished I looked more like her. She was petite, and never carried an extra pound—”

  I put a finger to her lips to stop her from saying anything else negative about herself. “You’re fucking perfect.”

  I knew she wasn’t fishing for compliments. She really thought she was highly flawed, and I hated that. What kind of tossers had she dated who had made her feel like she was anything less than wholly desirable? Some primitive instinct made me want to punch every single one of them for not appreciating Nicole.

  She made a face at me. “No need for flattery. I decided a long time ago that I’d rather be smart than hot.”

  I ran a thumb over her luscious mouth, tracing her lips. “Lucky for you then that you’re both of those things.”

  She opened her mouth to voice what I already knew would be a denial.

  Since I didn’t want to hear it, I knew I was about to do what any red-blooded man would do with a smoking-hot blonde sitting in his lap.

  I put my hand firmly behind her head and did exactly what I’d wanted to do since the first moment I’d laid eyes on this woman.

  I swooped in and captured her mouth so she couldn’t say anything at all.

  CHAPTER 6

  Nicole

  IT WASN’T LIKE I’d never been kissed before. I had. Plenty of times. I’d had boyfriends, and dates that had never turned into anything more than a goodnight kiss.

  Kisses could be pleasant.

  Kisses could feel good.

  Kisses could make a woman feel wanted.

  But holy hell, kisses had never felt like an all-consuming claiming of my body and soul.

  Not until…now.

  Not until…him.

  Not until…this.

  Not until…Damian.

  Yeah, an embrace could lead to a sexual act.

  But with Damian, his kiss wasn’t a subtle prelude.

  It was raw, hungry, and sexy as hell. It was a main event.

  He ravished my mouth like it was something he had to do or die.

  I was so stunned that it took me a moment to react, but when I did, I had no choice but to give back exactly what he was giving.

  His hungry mouth was way too compelling to do anything else.

  I released a small moan of surrender against his lips, closed my eyes, and allowed myself to fall into the molten embrace. It was so irresistible, so urgent, that I couldn’t possibly stop it.

  I let my tongue duel with his, absorbing the taste of Damian like he was a highly decadent dessert.

  When he pulled back a little to nibble on my bottom lip, I whimpered from the loss of all of that male passion, craving it like a drug until he stopped teasing and covered my mouth again.

  I speared my hands into his hair, luxuriating in the feel of the coarse, short strands sifting between my fingers.

  Maybe I was a little…pissed. But I was downright drunk with the scent, taste, and feel of this man, who was completely devouring me like I was the tastiest thing he’d ever sampled.

  Heat flowed between my thighs as he stroked one of his large hands up and down my spine, and I was stunned by my reaction. I wanted him so much that I wanted to crawl inside him, be surrounded by his essence, and never come out again.

  My instincts felt like they were being guided by some kind of feral desire I never knew existed.

  It was as frightening as it was exhilarating.

  I didn’t know what in the hell was happening to me, but the sensations he was wringing from my body were so exquisite that I didn’t want them to end.

  He pulled away abruptly, and I squeaked from the loss. “Damian.” I said his name, breathless and panting as I leaned back to look at his face.

  “For fuck’s sake, don’t move.” His voice was a husky demand.

  The light was dim, but I was so close that I could see his face.

  His eyes were a deep, swirling green, a color way different from the light peridot they’d been earlier.

  Damian was breathing just as heavily as I was, and his tormented expression made my heart ache.

  “Are you okay?” I asked softly, my pulse still racing.

  He pinned me with his gaze. “Give me a minute. It’s not like I can get you naked and shag you right here in this seat.”

  My eyes grew wider. I knew what it meant to shag someone. Was that really what he wanted to do? Did Damian really want to fuck me right here, right now? “You want to do that?” I asked hesitantly.

  “Do you really have to ask that question?” he queried in a dangerous tone.

  I took a deep breath that came out in a shaky exhalation.

  No. I probably didn’t need to hear him confirm that. Not after a kiss that had shaken me to my core.

  “Never mind,” I said hastily.

  Maybe it was just really hard for me to understand how a man like Damian could kiss me like that, like he really…wanted me.

  Like he needed me, even.

  What the hell?

  Granted, my head was a little fuzzy from too many cocktails, but I knew no guy had ever consumed me with a single kiss. In fact, no man had ever moved me that way with any kind of touch, sexual or not, like Damian had just done.

  When had anybody ever wanted me that much?

  Umm…the answer to that would be…never. Ever.

  I looked around the business section. All of the other pods were dark, or the occupants busy with their own distractions.

  I’m sitting here, shaken and destroyed, and not one single person in the area even noticed that Damian was rocking my entire world.

  “Hell, I’m sorry, Nicole,” Damian said gutturally. “I’m acting like a tosser.”

  I shot him a small smile. “I take it a tosser is a bad thing?”

  “An asshole in American terms,” he informed me. “A huge asshole.”

  There was no way for Damian to know that I was actually kind of flattered that he wanted to rip off my clothes and fuck me.

  I shrugged. “It’s okay. I guess it’s just strange. Nobody has ever really wanted me that much.”

  Okay, maybe that sounded pathetic, but my mouth hadn’t really had a filter for the last few hours. I’d probably said quite a few things I wouldn’t normally say to a near stranger.

  But was Damian still a stranger, though? After we’d had our tongues down each other’s throats and all?

  “I’m fairly certain you can feel the proof of my attraction against your ass,” he said dryly.

  I nodded. He’d been hard since the moment I’d landed in his lap, but I’d chalked that up to surprise or an involuntary reaction to any woman landing on top of a man.

  He rubbed a hand over his face, and responded like he’d read my mind. “I want you, Nicole. I’m not some randy adolescent who can’t control my dick.”

  I nodded again. “I think I’m starting to get that now.”

  And it was kind of scary.

  Men who looked like Damian generally were not attracted to a woman like me.

  In my thirty-two years of existence, no one, not even an average guy, had looked at me the way Damian did.

  “I was frustrated,” he admitted. “And I normally don’t get frustrated.”

  His voice sounded like he’d found some leashed control, and I wasn’t certain if I was sad or relieved about that. “I really need to get up now,” I told him.

  I had to be squashing the crap out of him, and I really, really needed to pee. All of those cocktails had found their way to my bladder, and it was getting very uncomfortable.

  He looked resigned. “I’m not going to apologize for kissing you. Just for the way I acted afterward.”

  “I really don’t want you to be sorry for something that felt that nice.”

  He lifted a brow. “Nice? That’s it? It was just…nice?”

  He looked so disgruntled that I had to hold back my laughter. Really, the man was arrogant. “Okay, so maybe it was a little more than nice,” I considered.

  He rested his forehead against mine. “I’m totally deflated.”

  I laughed because I couldn’t hold it back this time. “What do you want me to say about it?”

  He kissed my forehead. “Something a little more complimentary than just…nice. That word practically made my balls shrivel up and fall off.”

  I squirmed just a little. “Nope. They didn’t. They’re definitely still there.”

  He cupped my face and looked at me with a fiery gaze that sent a shiver of need down my spine. “Shall we try again so you can look for a better word?”

  “No!” I squeaked. “Not that it wasn’t lovely, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Lovely?” he said in a disgusted tone. “Is that supposed to be a step up from nice? Because I have to tell you, sweetheart, it really isn’t an improvement. I think we should try again.”

  My heart skipped a beat just from hearing a term of endearment aimed at me escape from those sexy lips of his. It sounded so natural. So unpracticed. I wasn’t sure if he’d even noticed that he’d said it.

  It was probably pitiful that I’d nearly melted into a puddle at his feet when he’d uttered it. “Once was more than enough,” I said firmly.

  No matter how much I wanted him to kiss me, I did not want to feel like I was about to spontaneously combust again on a crowded airplane, whether most of the passengers were sleeping or not.

  I’d gotten so lost in Damian, to the point where I’d wanted to straddle the gorgeous man and ride him into oblivion. And I didn’t ride anyone. It was way too awkward for a bigger woman like me.

  He moved closer, his lips barely an inch from mine. “Are you certain?”

  My body started to tremble as his husky baritone sent my female hormones into overdrive.

  He was so close I could almost taste him, and I wanted Damian so badly that I nearly threw caution to the wind and breached the tiny distance between his mouth and mine.

  “I’m sure,” I told him, my tone desperate.

  He kissed me softly, an embrace so brief that I barely felt it, and then leaned back with a masculine sigh. “You’re right. This isn’t the time or the place.”

  My heart sank with disappointment, even though I’d been the one to refuse. “I have to get up, Damian,” I insisted.

  “You will, just as soon as you admit that our attraction goes both ways.”

  “So I can feed your arrogance?” I was sort of joking, but there was a part of me that really didn’t want to be just a woman he’d kissed on a long-haul flight. A female who had been mesmerized with a single kiss, and then told him how incredible that encounter had been.

  He searched my face as he answered, “No. I just want to know that I wasn’t the only one who just experienced the hottest kiss I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

  And…I melted. I just gave up, gave in. His eyes were so sincere that I instinctively knew that it wasn’t his arrogance talking right now.

  In fact, I almost sensed that he was…insecure? Was it possible for a male like Damian to be vulnerable to any kind of self-doubt?