Page 27 of On the Fly
“That’s pretty much what I’ve been wondering since we walked in here,” Ander said as Josh laughed straight out loud, pushing back in his chair. He rose, stretching his back muscles. Emma’s alarm sounded on her cell phone—they had fifteen minutes to get back to the bus on time.
Josh extended a hand, pulling her to her feet. “Emma, you’re wonderful to do all this. Thank you.” He pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek.
“It’s not a problem. You call me if you have questions,” she said, patting his arm before reaching for her purse and slinging it over her shoulder.
“Yep, I’ll call if I needanything…” His brows waggled at Ander. Emma slapped at his arm, rolling her eyes as she moved around the desk to where Ander waited.
“Okay, that’s enough. It’s time to go.” Ander snaked his arm around her waist, drawing her toward the gallery in a blatantly possessive move. One she liked entirely too much.
Chapter 12
Everything had changed for Ander. He no longer denied his goals, didn’t let the ramifications of employer/employee status dampen his desire. He wanted her and she appeared to have no idea of his motives, so he had to up his game. Ander intended to participate in the hours of structured game playing they had set up back at Whispering Winds, using that time to get closer to Emma.
He joined in for limbo, ran a three-legged race strapped to Emma’s side, and held the end of the rope for tug of war with her positioned between his arms to anchor her. After the first game he and Emma won, he saw yet another side to the woman. She loved winning, her natural exuberance shining through, so excited, jumping up and down while throwing herself at him in congratulatory hugs. His competitive little hellcat was a fierce contender and proved she was a heavyweight in the consumption of alcohol. She drank frozen margaritas steadily, let her silky hair down so to speak, and began giving him encouraging PDAs when she wanted him to do whatever it took to win. She played her part as his girlfriend so well that he felt certain her lines had blurred, swinging in his favor.
His mother had unwittingly helped in his current goals by creating an outstanding play area in the backyard. They’d had hours of fun on the open land as kids, but he couldn’t ever remember enjoying himself quite this much. His mom had set up the area as a fair-themed fun time covering the space of three acres. She had everything from theme-park type games to an obstacle course, keeping her guests entertained while the immediate family, minus Emma, sneaked off for the official rehearsal. He had to give his mother credit. She ran a topnotch B&B that seemed to be the anchor for the whole small town’s revival.
His mom kept shooting him meaningful glances throughout the day. Emma noticed, remarking on how much love Aurora had for her son. Ander agreed with her, but he suspected his mother was planning his and Emma’s wedding and most likely their baby nursery with all the gushing she was doing.
Whatever the reason, Emma looked at him differently, with interest, and he loved every minute.
“Next up for the wheel of fun, Emma and Ander!” an announcer called over a bullhorn.
“It’s our turn,” she said doing a half turn, wondering which game they were being summoned to.
“It’s that way,” Ander pointed her.
“Oh, I don’t know about that one,” she said, hesitating. This challenge was a giant wheel, much like on thePrice is Right. It was turned by way of a strong arm and the team was required to do whatever the block instructed once the wheel came to a stop. Some requests were easy like having to pick a couple in the wedding party to kiss in front of everyone. Other tasks were silly, asking them to show their best dance moves without music playing. But a few were rather personal, which likely accounted for Emma’s worry. One block ordered the couple to share a secret memory with everyone standing around them.
“Come on. We got this,” he said, pulling her along behind him when the wedding guests started chanting their names. “You spin. I’ll cheat.”
Her pretty smile instantly returned at his declaration. “Deal.” She was something else.
At the wheel, Emma made a show of pretending to spit on her hands, then did a series of cute little lunges to the delight of her family gathering around the game. When she used her whole body, reaching up on her tiptoes to send the wheel spinning, she got a rousing chorus of cheers. She tried to keep the crowd distracted by dancing and cheering the wheel on. The crowd wasn’t fooled, though, and cheered even louder when Ander moved the wheel down three spaces. When Emma turned back to read the square Ander had picked, her cheeks flamed red, the color traveling up her forehead and down her neck. He’d landed them on the dreaded Kiss Your Date square, and he couldn’t wait.
~~~
Ander’s sly grin and sexy cock of the brow told Emma he’d done this on purpose. The thumping of her heart rose to deafening levels. This wasn’t going to be good for her. She looked around, hoping to find someone to call his cheat. The twenty or so guests surrounding them started clapping and chanting, “Kiss, kiss, kiss.”
Suddenly, she felt like a sacrificial lamb heading to slaughter just to make the now malicious mob happy. Emma stared at Ander as butterflies took flight in her stomach. She flat couldn’t make herself do this. Ander had been too attentive, too charming, too everything right in a boyfriend since he had arrived this morning. Guys like Ander, who knew how to play the game so well, were dangerous.
She had decided a long time ago—all right, only twenty-four hours, but in destination wedding time, that should be calculated in dog years—not to have sex with Ander Jorgensen. She repeated the declaration to herself again:Don’t have sex with him. He’s your boss.
He crooked a finger, calling her to him. She shook her head and stayed rooted in her spot. He didn’t ask again as he took slow measured steps toward her. Her wayward thoughts immediately reprimanded her. Why had she had so much to drink? Damn, his mother for having the best margaritas she’d ever had.
His sexy grin spread, and his challenging gaze pierced her heart.Don’t do this, Emma. The embarrassment of a one-night stand with a man she’d be forced to see over and over for the tenure of her career with Rora Airlines was a bad idea. If she kissed him, she didn’t have to sleep with him, but resisting his charms…of which surprisingly he had many…would be harder if she let her lips touch his. Another barrier removed.
He came closer, teasing and tantalizing her, drawing his prey in to the utter delight of her family. She melted, her panties growing wet and her own smile spreading. Not giving in to Ander’s seduction, even in the name of pretend, seemed a far worse fate. Maybe he wasn’t even contemplating sex. Perhaps she was the only one with her mind on the horizontal mambo. Oh wait, then she’d be the seducer and Ander the seduced. That role reversal seemed so much better—it would be on her terms, not his. Emma tilted her chin as he took the last step forward. He was so handsome. His looks just did it for her. How he towered over her, all that strength and determination focused on her.
Her libido won this battle. Whatever. If it all went horribly wrong, she could find a new job. Rora Airlines didn’t pay that great anyway, right?
His arm came out, reaching for her as energy charged between them. He hauled her against his body. She placed her palms on his chest as his heat seeped into her body, making her all gooey. Ander oozed confidence and sex appeal. Jumpin’ june bugs, how bad did she want to swoon in his arms like a southern belle and have him carry her off to have his way with her?
He brought his hand to her neck, his thumb under her jaw tilting her head back as her eyes slid closed in anticipation. It took all her willpower to not actually swoon in his arms. How embarrassing would that be?
The world slid away as his lips touched hers. There was zero hesitation on her part, nothing else mattered but this kiss with this man in this moment. His fingers at her neck caressed the sensitive skin right below her ear, sending sizzles of anticipation over her skin. Emma stood on her tiptoes and wrapped both her hands around his shoulders as she opened her mouth to the gentle persuasion of his tongue caressing her lower lip.
Ander’s body was hard, much harder than it should be for a man who sat behind a desk for a living. The short hair at his nape was silky soft. His velvet tongue, sliding over hers brought to mind the hottest erotic dreams she’d ever had. Why she had fought this was beyond her, and she gave a greedy little groan, angling her head differently to deepen the already deep kiss.
