“Are you and Jo together?” Lana asked.
I looked down at her and answered truthfully, “No.”
“But you want to be?”
When I didn’t respond fast enough, she sighed. “Lucky girl,” she said and quickened her pace to catch up with another attendant.
Once on board, I spotted Jolene alone. I made a beeline in her direction.
“Jo—”
Big brown eyes met mine. “Mr. King—”
Mr. King. What had Carter said to her?
“We have a busy flight. Jack will be in to take your drink order in a minute.”
Jack. So she wasn’t going to attend to us this flight?
“Grant, what can I help you with?”
I turned my head and spotted the speaker, Jack. “Nothing,” I muttered and walked away.
She wasn’t going to make this easy. Game on.Twenty-ThreeJoleneMy decision might have been final when it came to Grant. That didn’t make it any easier to keep to it, especially when the flight attendants were circling. Cammie and Lana had both been vying for his attention, and Lana had won that battle.
Every time I glanced around she was there with her bright smile, practically shoving her tits in his face.
“Calm down, girl.” I glared at Jack. His response was, “I have to find a spot for the passenger’s jacket. You’ll have to take the coffees to the pilots.”
He winked at me and sashayed off. If I didn’t know better, he was playing matchmaker. Still, it was my job. I took the tray and headed for the cockpit door, which was open.
“Just tell me what you said to her,” I heard Grant say.
“I believe it was your rule that what was between her and me wasn’t any of your business,” Carter said.
I stopped mid-step. Did Grant know about Carter and me? Did he think me some kind of pilot chaser?
His gaze found me. Instead of standing there looking foolish, I took a breath and continued forward.
“Your coffee,” I said to Grant. “Though you just had one.”
His smirk was proof I’d misspoken. I’d just admitted that I’d been paying attention to what he’d been doing.
“Thanks for your concern,” he said with a wink.
I went to hand Carter his coffee, but he wasn’t looking at me. His glare was all for Grant. That didn’t make sense.
Carter had just admitted to me that he’d fallen hard for a woman named Kendall I’d met several months ago. She’d been sitting on the plane next to me. It now made sense, as she’d asked me a lot of questions about him. She’d been pretty and nice. I was happy for him until he let me know they weren’t together. I could tell he wasn’t over her yet. So why was he mad at Grant?
“Carter,” I said.
He finally turned the weight of his gaze on me before it softened.
“Thanks.”
I nodded, but we would have to talk. I didn’t need Carter playing big brother. I could handle Grant.
The flight went fine, even with Sophia on board. She didn’t speak to me unless she had to. I didn’t want to feel bad for her, but I did. What she’d said about Gran bothered me. I didn’t want to be the reason she didn’t have a relationship with her. Although it wasn’t my fault directly, it was a result. Could I blame her mother for being resentful of me? No. I wish she didn’t.
Dad’s call also weighed heavily on me. I’d tried reaching Gran and had only gotten her voicemail. Calls to my father and mother had also gone unanswered. Worry nagged at me, but there was nothing for me to do until we arrived in New York, as Sophia had nothing to say to me either.
It was past the meal hour and all the passengers had been attended to. It was my unofficial break time. Dumbly, I opened my meal and burned my fingers. Shaken, I made my way to an unoccupied bathroom, the one closest to the cockpit.
Before I could close the door, I was pushed into the compact room by a large body.
“What are you doing?” I asked Grant as he locked us in.
Every inch of his front touched mine and I was far from unaffected.
His hand came up and wiped a tear I hadn’t noticed from my cheek.
“What happened?”
There was a bite and an undercurrent of a growl when he spoke as if he was prepared to fight for my honor.
“I… I,” I stammered as I lifted my fingers. “I burned them.”
He took my hands in his and brought them to his lips. “A kiss then.” I licked my own as he kissed the fingertips of each. His impenetrable eyes never left mine.
I might have floated as I raised to my toes and pressed my lips to his, opening on a gasp. His tongue slid into my mouth as he took it deeper.
Then I was being lifted. My ass landed on the tiny counter edge as he shoved my skirt up to wedge himself between my legs.