“I thought I did. But that bit about adoption threw me. She never let on.”
“Shay doesn’t think about it all that much, none of us do. She’s my older sister. My parents’ first child. Besides, it’s not something you’d bring up in idle conversation.”
“I suppose.”
“How did the two of you meet?” Even as she asked it, Brandi knew she was putting her nose where it had no business being. The notion that Shay and Sebastian might have once had a relationship was irrelevant to her. Or at least it should be.
But she didn’t retract the question.
“Shay and I’ve been friends a little over a year now. I had a case where a man threatened his wife. He’d beaten her before, and the hospital had records of the times she’d been in. But she had two kids, no money and no place else to go. Shay had just started work at the shelter. I got the mother and children settled there, then I worked with a few friends on the police force to get the guy locked up. I would have preferred a more personal vengeance, but that wouldn’t have solved the problem long-term. As it turned out, we discovered he was dealing drugs, too, so he’s out of the picture for a good long while. Anyway, Shay was great, making the family comfortable. We’ve had joint interests ever since.”
Brandi’s heart thudded against her ribs. He’d just given her incredible insight into his character, showing her his morals and his priorities. It was amazing, but she suddenly trusted him. This man was a protector, a man of honor.
And he’d offered to let her be the boss. It was such an intriguing notion—one that worked nicely with her plan to take charge of her life and move forward. She knew now, without a single doubt, he’d abide by her rules.
She hadn’t figured out exactly what her rules would be yet, but she had time to worry about that. With a burst of unusual confidence, she decided to take the chance. She thrust her hand toward him and waited.
He looked at her, then at her hand. One glossy black eyebrow lifted, and there was amusement in his green eyes. He took her hand. “What are we shaking on?”
“I’ll go to the resort with you.”
“Ah.” His grin was wide, putting deep dimples into his lean cheeks. “It was the lulling sound of my voice that brought you around, wasn’t it? The practiced way I repeat a story? No? Then you were convinced by the way I sprawl so elegantly in a seat?”
She gave him her own grin, feeling somewhat smug. “Actually, Mr. Sinclair, I understand now that you can be trusted to stick to your word. You said I’d be the boss, and that for all intents and purposes, I own you for the next five days. I realized I couldn’t possibly pass up such an opportunity. But I won’t let you forget, I’m the one in charge.”
His dark lashes lowered until she couldn’t see his eyes, but his grin was still in place. “Believe me, honey. I won’t be able to forget.”
CHAPTER THREE
THINGS WERE MOVING too quickly. The plane wasn’t at all crowded, especially in first class where Shay had put them, but the emptiness only added to Brandi’s growing anxiety. Looking out the window, Brandi could see a light rain falling. She hated flying at night. She hated flying, period, but at least this was a rational fear shared by millions.
Which offered her not one bit of comfort.
Flexing her shoulders, she tried to relieve some of the tension, but that only caused her to bump into Sebastian. The man took up too much space with his large frame and even larger masculinity. When he was there, he was…there, and it simply wasn’t possible to ignore his presence.
Shay hadn’t given them much time to prepare for the trip, presumably because she thought Brandi might chicken out. Not that she would have. She was determined to see things through. But Shay wasn’t taking any chances. She’d seen to every single detail—and she’d gone overboard in the luxury department.
She’d sent a retainer back to Brandi’s house to pack her bags and bring them to the hotel where the auction had been held. The flight had been scheduled only a few hours after Brandi agreed to go. A limo had taken them to the airport, and a limo would await them when they landed, to whisk them off to the resort. There would be a rental car at their disposal.
Sebastian had planned on leaving the auction with a woman, so he’d brought his luggage with him. Before they’d left, he’d changed into a pair of khaki slacks and a black polo shirt. Brandi had been too flustered at the rush to pay much attention to his new attire at first. But now, with nothing to distract her from the impending flight, she looked him over.
His biceps were massive, stretching the short sleeves of the shirt. The dark color caused his green eyes to look even greener and the fit emphasized his broad muscled chest. The pants, stretched taut by his sprawl, emphasized…
Brandi jerked her gaze upward. A black-banded watch circled his thick wrist, and the shadow of his beard was now more pronounced. She jumped when he said her name.
“What?”
He opened his hand palm up on the elbow rest. “Nervous?”
She didn’t accept his gesture. She couldn’t. To do so would have been admitting to a weakness. And she’d gotten too good at denying her fears to admit to one of them now—not even a small one. “About what?”
“I don’t know.” His voice was quiet, calming, his expression very intent. She had the feeling he knew exactly how to soothe a person; his movements were too practiced and perfect. “Everything—me, the trip, the flight.”
Twisting in her seat she looked at him more fully. Many of the other passengers were napping and had turned out their lights. His face was shadowed, exaggerating the sharp cut of his jaw, the high bridge of his straight nose. The deep awareness in his green eyes.
There was absolutely no chance of Brandi falling asleep.
She frowned in suspicion. “Shay told you how I feel about flying, didn’t she?”
“Yeah.” He stared down at her. “It’s no big deal. I have my own store of phobias. Maybe some day I’ll tell you about them.”
This hulking mass of muscle was admitting to fears? The mountain had phobias? Brandi couldn’t quite believe it. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” He wiggled his fingers. “Now give me your hand. It helps, I swear.”
The plane began taxiing toward the runway and Brandi hastily slipped her hand into his. His skin felt incredibly hot against her chilled fingers. She looked down in surprise.
Sebastian smiled. “Your fingers are like ice.”
“It’s cold in here.” Dumb, to sound so defensive about such a ridiculous thing. But his heat was seeping into her, making her tingle, making her breathless. She tried to moderate herself and take a more reasonable tone. “I can’t believe you’re so…hot.”
Oh, great going, Brandi. Now she’d amused him. She could tell by his slight smile and the teasing glint in his eyes. Still, he didn’t provoke her. When he spoke, his words were soft and even. “Most men naturally have a higher body temperature than women. Probably has something to do with muscle density.” He flexed his hand, turning it over so that his was on top. “I’ve always loved a woman’s hands. They’re small and delicate, but usually pretty damn strong.” He squeezed her hand gently. “Yours is nice.”
Brandi stared at him. That low rough voice of his could be lethal, and she suspected he knew it. He examined her hand as if he’d never seen one before. All that attention was making her stomach jumpy again, although now, the feeling was somewhat pleasant. “What are you up to?”
He chuckled. “You think I’m trying to seduce you?”
She blanched. He could fluster her with a look, but the things he said… Feeling like