“Would either of you like some more snacks?”
Callum jumped and then quickly turned his face away from Gemma to glance up at the smiling flight attendant. He drew in a deep breath before responding. “No, thanks. I don’t want anything.”
He knew that was a lie the moment he’d said it. He did want something, but what he wanted only the woman sitting beside him could give.
The flight attendant then glanced over at Gemma and she responded in a shaky voice. “No, I’m fine.”
It was only after the attendant had moved on that Callum glanced at Gemma. Her back was to him while she looked out the window. He suspected that she was going to pretend nothing had happened between them a few moments ago. There was no doubt in his mind that they would have kissed if the flight attendant hadn’t interrupted them.
“Gemma?”
It took her longer than he felt was necessary to turn around and when she did, she immediately began talking about something that he couldn’t have cared less about. “I was able to pack my color samples, Callum, so that you’ll get an idea of what will best suit your home. I’ll give you my suggestions, but of course the final decision will be yours. How do you like earth-tone colors? I’m thinking they will work best.”
He fought the urge to say that what would work best would be to pick up where they’d left off, but instead he nodded and decided to follow her lead for now. In a way he felt good knowing that at least something had been accomplished today. She had finally become aware of him as a man. And he was giving her time to deal with that. He wouldn’t push her, nor would he rush things for now. He would let nature take its course and with the degree of passion they exhibited a short while ago, he had no reason to think that it wouldn’t.
“I happen to like earth-tone colors, so they will probably work for me,” he said, although he truly didn’t give a royal damn. The bottom line was whatever she liked would work for him because he had every intention of her sharing that house with him.
“That’s good, but I intend to provide you with a selection of vibrant colors, as well. Reds, greens, yellows and blues are the fashionable hues now. And we can always mix them up to create several bold splashes. Many people are doing that now.”
She continued talking, and he would nod on occasion to pretend he was listening. If she needed to feel she was back in control of things, then so be it. He relaxed in his seat, tilted his head and watched ardently as her mouth moved while thinking what he would love doing to that mouth if given the chance. He decided to think positive and concentrated on what he would do with that mouth when he got the chance.
A few moments after Callum closed his eyes, Gemma stopped talking, satisfied that she had talked him to sleep. She had discussed some of everything with him regarding the decorating of his home to make sure they stayed on topic. The last thing she wanted was for him to bring up what almost happened between them. Just the thought of how close they’d come to sharing a kiss, right here on this airplane, had her pulse racing something awful.
She had never behaved inappropriately with a client before and wasn’t sure exactly what had brought it on today. She would chalk it up as a weak moment when she’d almost yielded to temptation. When she had noticed just how close their mouths were, it had seemed a perfectly natural thing to want to taste his lips. Evidently, he’d felt the same way about hers, because his mouth had been inching toward hers with as much enthusiasm as hers had moved toward his. She was grateful for the flight attendant’s timely interruption.
Had the woman suspected what they had been about to do? The thought had made Gemma’s head heat up with embarrassment. Her heart was racing and the palms of her hands felt damp just thinking about it. She readjusted the pillow behind her head, knowing she would have to regain control of senses jolted by too much turbulence. Callum was just a man. He was a client. A friend of her family. He was not someone she should start thinking about in a sexual way.
She had gone twenty-four years without giving any man a second thought and going another twenty-four the same way suited her just fine.
Four