Page 25 of A Lot Like Love
She laughed at him, draining the rest of her champagne. “Settle down, cowboy. One kiss doesn’t mean I’m yours. And I’m only yourpretendgirlfriend, in case you’ve forgotten. There’s no way in hell anything’s happening between us.”
The jet roared down the runway and took off, lifting high into the sky. Ryder watched as Chloe shut her eyes, gripping on to the armrest until they were no longer on such a sharp ascent. When she opened them, her eyes found his and she didn’t look away.
“No, it doesn’t,” he answered. “But it’s a damn good start.”
“Ryder, about our accommodations…” she started.
“What, it’s not good enough?”
She smiled. “That’s the problem, it’s too good. We can stay there but we won’t be gambling in their big game room.”
Now he was the one confused. “Why the hell not?”
“We might hit the Orleans, off the main strip. The games have lower limits and I can slip under the radar. I don’t need to play the pros or gamble a ton of money, I just need practice.”
“You’re in charge,” he said, draining his champagne.
She just smiled, and it took every ounce of his restraint not to storm the distance between them and wipe that smile of her face with his mouth.
Chloe rinsed her hands and stared at her reflection in the mirror. This whole experience was insane. Everything she’d ever imagined about a private jet had been wrong—it was more luxurious and then some. The bathroom was two times as large as the one in her apartment, dark timber panels glossy and lavish. Even the white hand towels looked expensive, embossed with the same rearing horse logo that was emblazoned on the side of the plane.
She could get used to this and the thought terrified her. Because she knew how easy it was to get used to luxury, and how easily it could all disappear. Hell, if Ryder was in charge of his family’s money, he might have lost the jet in a bad bet and she wouldn’t be on board right now. Unless, of course, she believed him that he wasn’t a gambler. Which she didn’t.Not yet. He struck her as reckless and the kind of guy who didn’t think twice about putting everything on the line—until he proved himself otherwise she was going with her first impression of him.
Chloe dried her hands, refolding the towel so everything still looked perfectly in place, and let herself out. She glanced around, admiring the mahogany serving area complete with bottles of champagne and whiskey, as well as some plates of food she guessed they were to help themselves to.
She turned back around to where they’d been sitting and when she saw Ryder, every hair on her body stood on end. Chloe narrowed her eyes and marched over to her seat, placing one hand on her hip as she glared at the flight attendant half-bent over the sofa toward Ryder. In her short skirt and high heels, with a red scarf tied around her neck and long hair tumbling over one shoulder, the attendant was far too attractive for Chloe not to react. Ryder might be her pretend boyfriend but she sure as hell wasn’t putting up with every woman within a hundred foot radius of them hitting on him so blatantly. And the look on his face…damn.She shouldn’t have sworn to herself that she wouldn’t touch him.
“Excuse me,” Chloe said, voice loud and clear.
The other woman turned, gasping like the last thing she expected was to be caught. There were only three of them on the plane, except for the pilot—it wasn’t like she could have forgotten Ryder was traveling with a female passenger who was clearly his partner.
“Sorry, ma’am. Can I get something for you?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to snap back that she damn wellshouldbe sorry. Instead she slipped past her and sat down beside Ryder, way closer than she would have otherwise. Chloe placed one hand on his thigh, stroking for a second then pausing as she stared up at the other woman.
“Another glass of champagne,” Chloe said, meeting the flight attendant’s gaze, refusing to blink as she stared her down. She might not be used to flying private, but she sure as hell knew how to stake out her territory.
“And you, ah, Mr. King?”
Chloe hadn’t even looked at him yet, but when she glanced at him now she could see he was amused. The smirk on his face was impossible to ignore. She almost wondered if he’dwantedto make her jealous.
“Just a beer for me. Thanks.”
When she turned to go, Chloe dug her nails hard into Ryder’s thigh.
“Ouch!” He pulled away but she kept her claws in. “You want to play rough…”
“I want you to myself,” she hissed. “No wonder you’ve never had a proper girlfriend before. You have no goddamn idea how to behave.”
This time he laughed when she ran her nails down his thigh before digging them in deeper. She saw the girl coming back with their drinks and she leaned in closer to Ryder, using her other hand to push his face around so his lips were only inches from hers.
“Well you sure know how to get a guy excited,” he mumbled, reaching for her hand and yanking it away from his leg. “And how to make your point.”
Chloe pressed a long, slow kiss to Ryder’s lips, keeping her eyes open so she could watch him. She’d met plenty of alpha men before, but she’d never been up close and personal,intimate, with a guy like Ryder. His hooded gaze, the calm inhale and exhale of each breath, the way he held himself—there was nothing about the man that didn’t ooze confidence. But right now she was calling the shots—he might be richer and more powerful than she was, but she was in charge and she liked it. She wanted a break from being the good girl? Then this was definitely the way to do it.
“You make your point yet, or do you want to climb on board and pin me down?”
Chloe let him murmur against her lips, aware they were being watched, then grabbed a handful of his short hair and tugged him forward.
