Incognito

“Yes,” she said calmly. “Much.”

“What were you doing in there?”

“Ah—meditating,” Lily replied. “It’s great for relieving stress.”

Aidan couldn’t believe the change in her. She seemed to have conquered her nerves and he suspected she might have gulped down a Xanax or two while she was in the bathroom. But as the plane turned onto the end of the runway and the wing flaps whirred, he saw her stiffen, proof that her calm demeanor was only skin-deep.

Aidan reached out and took her hand, lacing her fingers through his. “Look at me,” he said. She turned and met his gaze. “Just keep your eyes on mine and listen to my voice. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ve taken this flight a hundred times and I’m still here.”

“You—you have beautiful eyes,” she murmured. “And long lashes.”

“I was just thinking that about you,” Aidan replied. “And your mouth. It’s…”

“What?” Lily asked.

“Very…kissable.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Aidan said, his gaze dropping to her lips. “Really.” He felt the plane begin to accelerate down the runway and he reached out and took her face between his hands. Leaning forward, Aidan kissed her gently, his tongue tracing along the crease of her lips until she sighed and opened beneath his assault.

As the plane gained speed, the kiss became more intense, Aidan exploring the sweet recesses of her mouth, drinking in the taste of her. He drew her closer, but her seat belt got in the way. He was almost frantic for more, the sensation of the plane lifting from the ground adding to the rush of adrenaline that surged through his veins.

The engines roared, obliterating the sound of his pulse pounding in his head. A tiny moan slipped from her throat, but the kiss continued. Aidan knew they were probably making a scene, but he was past caring. Instinct had taken over and he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

A ping sounded over the PA system and the bell startled them both out of their sudden lapse into passion. She slowly pulled back, her mouth damp, her lips twitching. “What was that?” she asked.

“If you have to ask, then I guess I didn’t do it right,” he said.

“No, I—I meant that bell.”

Aidan pointed to the light panel above their heads. “The seat-belt sign,” he said. “You are now free to get up and move about the cabin.”

“I’ll be right back,” Lily said, grabbing her bag again and unbuckling her seat belt.

He stood up and stepped into the aisle, then decided to take the window seat after she’d left. A few moments later, the flight attendant stopped by, returning the drinks that she’d collected before takeoff. She also set a plate of cheese and fruit on Lily’s tray table. “I’ll be back to get your dinner order in a few minutes,” she said.

He grabbed a grape and popped it in his mouth, chewing slowly as he considered all that had happened since he’d stepped on the plane. Aidan had never been one to indulge in anonymous sexual encounters, but then, he’d never met a woman like Lily Hart. His first intent in kissing her was merely to distract her. But the moment her lips parted beneath his, Aidan’s intentions had changed.

He couldn’t deny the attraction and he couldn’t help but be a bit curious as to what would happen if he acted on it. This was dangerous territory, the kind of scenario that most men found arousing, yet never experienced in real life.

Lately, Aidan had tried to be more cautious with his sex life, more discerning. He’d grown tired of having his social life splashed across the pages of every Hollywood magazine. Though his publicist loved it, Aidan was frustrated that his personal life had become better entertainment than his films.

If he were smart, he’d get up and move to another seat. If he indulged in this little scenario, it was sure to be all over the press in a few days and though most of his other girlfriends enjoyed the coverage, he wasn’t sure Lily Hart would feel the same.

When he’d first kissed her, he hadn’t expected her to return the kiss with such enthusiasm. Nor had he predicted his own reaction. Aidan cursed softly. This was crazy! He’d made a decision to find something real in his life and here he was considering a superficial sexual encounter on an airplane. The Mile-High Club was such a cliché!

He opened his eyes, then pushed out of his seat. When he got back to the bathroom, he knocked softly on the door. This time, when Lily opened it, he recognized her. Aidan glanced both ways, then pushed inside, closing the door behind him.

The bathroom was tiny with barely enough room for the two of them to stand. His body pressed against hers and he was forced to grasp her waist to maintain his balance. “About what happened,” he murmured. “I—I was just trying to distract you. I didn’t mean to—” He swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean to enjoy it…so much.” He paused. “Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes,” she said, watching him through wide eyes. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, then flitted back up to his eyes again.

Aidan knew what he had to do, what she wanted him to do, and what he found impossible to resist. Without a second thought, he brought his mouth down on hers. This time, it wasn’t to distract her. This time, his thoughts were completely focused on the sensations of her sweet mouth beneath his.

He’d kissed a lot of women, but it had never been quite like this. There was something forbidden about what they were doing, something dangerous, that made the simple act of kissing seem so much more intense. He felt her fingers tangle in his hair and a groan slipped from his throat as he pulled her against him.

Maybe that was it. Had they been standing at her front door, this would be just an ordinary kiss. But the anticipation of what might happen between them next was making this all more thrilling than it really was. It made sense, but at the same time, Aidan didn’t want to believe it. Maybe he’d simply found a woman he could trust—at least for the next six hours.

He drew back and smoothed her hair away from her face. “We should go back to our seats,” he said. “Someone is going to want this bathroom.”

She didn’t speak, just nodded. Lily grabbed her purse from the sink, then slipped out the door. When he returned to his seat, her eyes were fixed on a book in her lap. He watched as she turned a page, noting the tremor in her hand. Reaching out, Aidan drew a finger across the soft skin below her wrist and she turned to look at him.

“Later,” he promised.

2

THE LIGHTS in the first-class cabin were dimmed a few minutes after the dinner service ended. Most of the passengers took the opportunity to catch some sleep. With the time change, they’d arrive in New York just after six in the morning, the beginning of a brand-new day.

But right now, Lily wanted the night to last forever. She and Aidan had shared a bottle of champagne during dinner and to her surprise, she was feeling remarkably relaxed. She suspected the company had something to do with that, as well.

Their dinner conversation had been light and teasing, Lily carefully weaving her web of mystery around her handsome companion. He’d kissed her. Obviously, he found her attractive and that thought gave her the confidence she needed to continue with her “experiment.”

If she expected to have a social life, she was going to have to learn to operate like the other women in L.A. She needed to be able to use her seductive powers to get what she wanted. After all, competition for men like Aidan Pierce would be relentless. Lily knew she’d probably never be able to compete for a guy like him in the real world, but right now, he was sitting next to her—and touching her—and kissing her.

Though he was curious about her life, he wasn’t bothered by her evasive answers. Telling him the truth about who she was and what she did would prove just one thing—her life was incredibly dull.

But Aidan wasn’t reluctant to speak about his life. He amused her with little stories of his travel adventures. He’d been all over the world, staying in exotic locales she’d only read about. When he talked about Tahiti, she commented on the beaches and didn’t correct him when he assumed she’d been there. When he asked, Lily simply said she’d visited many interesting and exotic places in the world.

“You haven’t told me what you do for a living,” Aidan said.

Lily took a sip of champagne, attempting a coy smile. “I write,” she said. It was the truth. A simplified version of it, at least. “What about you?”

He seemed surprised by the question. Of course, she knew exactly what he did for a living. But she could pretend she didn’t. Wouldn’t that add a little more mystery to the attraction between them?

“Forget that question,” she said. “Let’s not talk about work.” Lily studied him for a long moment. There was another question that needed to be answered. “Are you married?” Lily knew he wasn’t, but he could be involved in a relationship that hadn’t been reported in the magazines.

“No,” Aidan said. “And you?”

“No,” she admitted. “But let’s not talk about relationships, either.”

“So we can’t talk about work or relationships. What’s left?”

Lily smiled. “I don’t know. Tell me about your childhood.”

He picked up her right hand and carefully studied her fingers. Then he drew her hand to his mouth and kissed each fingertip. No man had ever done that to her before and Lily found it strangely provocative. “I had a normal childhood,” he said. “Nothing dysfunctional, nothing traumatic. What about you?”

Lily hesitated. She never talked about her childhood, not even to Miranda. She’d managed to bury all the emotions so deeply that they barely even touched her heart anymore. “Mine was perfectly idyllic,” she lied. “Next topic. How about favorite color?”