Friendly Skies Read online

  She looked at his hand touching hers and felt that same electricity between them every time he touched her. How could he not feel that?

  “I hope now that you are in the driver’s seat, you don’t seek revenge for the turbulence on the way to Catalina Island,” he said grinning, trying to break the tension.

  She pulled herself out of the Jason-induced fog. “God. Yes. Sorry. It’s just, it’s a been a big day so far.”

  She turned the engine over, and said a silent prayer that she could get them downtown without wrecking the car.

  “Wait. Judy, maybe I should say this before we go downtown,” he said with a twinge in his voice.

  Oh God, here it comes. He was going to tell her that they just need to keep it friendly, it’s business, etc. It was okay, she knew they had to keep it professional. It was just, well, she couldn’t deny her feelings about him. The last thing she wanted was to feel rejected by him. Again. But so be it. She was not in control of this. She could handle it.

  He took a deep breath and looked out the window for a minute. she studied the steering wheel with her hands in her lap willing him to get it over with. He turned back to her slowly. her heart was beating so loudly he must have heard it.

  “I wanted to call you, email you, text you, come to your house, and completely invade your life. The pull of you is so powerful I thought I might need to either take over your life or leave Seattle altogether. But then I reminded myself that you have a life and a marriage and things to deal with, and maybe it’s not fair that I insert myself into your life. I also thought that it’s possible you didn’t want me in your life.” He paused.

  Her heart picked up the pace again, and something warm spread throughout her body. Something good. She met his eyes and she saw nothing but affection. Well, affection and the same something that mentally undressed her.

  “I just didn’t want you to think that I didn’t mean everything I said in Catalina. Because I did. Maybe I should have called or something, but I don’t know. I don’t know what the right move was or is.” He blew out a big sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

  She wanted to do the same thing. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and touch every part of him. She wanted to spend all her time telling him how much she cared for him. She never wanted him to wonder how she felt.

  She reached out, then, and touched his face. She was speechless and overcome with emotion, but she had so much she wanted him to know. She tried to tell him with her touch. He turned to her and put his arms around her and quickly pulled her to him. At first, he just hugged her, burying his face in her hair. She could smell his aftershave, his shampoo, and the scent that was just him. She felt almost drunk with happiness and passion after thinking she would never see him again. Then he began to kiss her at the nape of her neck, working his way up her jawline. When he got to her lips he stopped just before kissing her and looked at her. She saw her feelings for him reflected in his deep blue eyes. He kissed her and the world stopped turning. His lips met hers in the softest of kisses, slowly building into something that overwhelmed her with desire. They kissed like that for some time, and then stopped to breathe.

  “God, I’ve missed you.” he said into her hair, his voice husky and deep, his arms tight around her.

  “I missed you, too. I’m so sorry,” Judy was breathless but finally found her words, as a big, fat tear rolled down her cheek. Of course, with Jason it was tears or vomit, right?

  He wiped it away. “Hey, no. No tears. This is a happy day.” He looked at her so tenderly she thought she might burst with joy.

  “I just, I thought maybe it wasn’t fair to have you in my life when I’m just starting the divorce and everything is unsettled.” Her words came out in a rush, all running together. “I thought maybe you might not want to have to deal with that. It’s easy to be a certain way when on vacation and miles away from reality, but I didn’t want you to think you’d been saddled with some woman who was an emotional wreck. I didn’t know what the right thing to do was either.” It was her turn to sigh.

  He pulled her close. “Okay, as of now, we start over. It doesn’t matter what has happened over the last couple of weeks. We are here now. I’m here now. You can’t get rid of me.” She melted into his arms. Her body responded to him before she could think. Her body went from warm to hot.

  “Well, isn’t that the problem, now you are the client. I can’t date you. It would get me fired.” She hadn’t thought that far until this moment, but it was true. It would get her fired to date Jason. The irony of the situation was ridiculous. They smiled at each other sheepishly.

  Jason grew solemn. He cupped her face in his hands and with great determination told her, “Judy, I mean it. You can’t get rid of me. I don’t know how we will work this out, but we will.” He kissed her again, lightly, but with just enough pressure to remind her that there was more going on than just business. “Now, let’s go to lunch.”

  She was practically weightless with joy during the drive downtown. She couldn’t believe he was here and in her life again, just like that. It was complicated because of work and she didn’t know how they were going to solve that problem. But right now, for this moment, everything was okay. More than okay.

  Of course, Seattle traffic being what it was, they had time to catch up on the way downtown. “So, you sold the family business to Bradford, huh? That seems like a pretty big move. Are you happy about it?”

  He had been quiet, studying her while she drove. This put her at a disadvantage. He studied all her features and flaws and she was powerless because she had to watch the road.

  “Yeah, I think it would have been what my dad wanted. It’s more opportunity for flying, servicing a larger portion of the population. I’m also not cut out for running the business. I am a pilot, not management.” He reached over and twirled her hair around his fingers. “What do you think of me selling it to Bradford Aviation?”

  While they talked, Jason moved his hand to her neck, massaging it gently and slowly while she drove. It felt lovely. His hands were amazing. “I think you could sell it to Lucifer himself and I would adore you,” she smiled.

  “Well,” he said, “let’s hope I haven’t.”

  When they arrived at the restaurant, Rich and Mark had already been seated.

  “Well, what gives you two, didja get lost?” Rich appeared to be on his second whisky. That guy was definitely stuck in 1957.

  “Oh no, just a little old-fashioned Seattle traffic. Got stuck behind a bus.” Judy lied. Rich didn’t seem like the kind of guy that would appreciate Judy telling him that they are late because she needed to make out with his business partner.

  They enjoyed a leisurely lunch, though it took all her effort to focus on the task at hand and not climb into Jason’s lap. They were across from each other in the booth, which made it worse. She could hardly take her eyes off him.

  The afternoon went by easier. Judy and Mark pitched the press release to Jason and Rich, which they both approved, and the rest of the afternoon was spent with the creative team. Creative presented their general ideas, which were surprisingly good based on the scant information they had to develop the beginning of a campaign. Rich and Jason offered up some constructive critiques and ideas for them to work on in the next phase. Stephanie joined the afternoon meeting and Judy was glad for the support. The day had been an exercise in fortitude in several ways.

  Things wound down around 5:30, and Rich said, “Hey, who wants to go get a drink? I think it’s officially cocktail hour!”

  Judy looked pleadingly at Stephanie. She did not want to go get a drink. She was utterly exhausted.

  “I’d love to,” said Stephanie. “What about you, Mark? Jason? Judy?” Judy was so relieved she could have kissed Stephanie for taking over this part of the day. She was letting Judy off the hook.

  “I have a few things to finish up here, but you all go ahead,” she said.

  “I’m in,” said Mark.

  “Excellent,
” said Rich, “you can give me ride home in that Tesla!! Come on, Jason! We deserve a pit stop at a downtown watering hole!”

  “I think I’m going to head back,” he said. “It’s been a long day. But I’m in next time for sure.”

  Judy looked up briefly, wondering if he was really was heading back. As a matter of fact, she didn’t really know where “back” was for Jason. She didn’t know where he lived, or much at all about his life in Seattle.

  “Judy, do you mind if I ask you a couple of things about the press release?” he asked, following her out of the conference room.

  “Sure, let’s go back to my office.”

  She had hoped he would stick around. She didn’t care what the reason was, she just wanted a little more time with him. When they reached her office, she gestured for him to go in and she followed, shutting the door. Most everyone was gone, but a little privacy was always a good idea.

  When she turned around, he was standing right in front of her, practically on top of her. He pulled her in his arms and pressed against her. At first it was just a powerful embrace filled with longing, and then he kissed her. This kiss was all desire. His hands moved up and down her back slowly, with care, caressing. It was heavenly. His hands traveled around her to the front of her blouse, brushing lightly over her breasts, moving with the same slow, caressing pace. Her body went from zero to 60 in two seconds. The man was talented. She reluctantly stopped the kiss and pushed him away, which took all her physical and emotional strength.

  “I can’t do this here,” she whispered. “This is work, and I was serious, I’ll get fired for dating a client.”

  “I’m not letting you go,” he said. “I’ll quit my job if I have to.” He closed in on her again.

  Judy put her hand in the middle of his chest, keeping him from coming any closer. “No, not here. Let’s go somewhere and talk.” She wasn’t ready for the evening to end, but they needed to get out of the office.

  “Okay. How about your place? It’s close, isn’t it?” Jason asked.

  She groaned. “Yes, it’s close, but I don’t have any furniture. Greg took it all. Well, everything except the bed. Which is not the type of furniture that comes to mind when I say let’s go somewhere and talk.”

  “Hmm, I can talk on a bed, among other things,” he smirked. “But fine. My place it is. I have furniture in all the rooms of my house. Including the bedroom.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “OH, WOW. YOUR HOUSE is beautiful!” Judy exclaimed as they walked up to the front door.

  It was beautiful. Situated on the west side of the city, the living room boasted a perfect view of the western Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The entire western wall was windows, and the setting sun bathed the living room in pinks and oranges.

  “I can’t believe you live here with this view! How did you manage it?”

  This house had to be crazy expensive in the Seattle market. Given that the afternoon sun had warmed the living room, she took off her suit jacket and laid it on the back of a chair. She walked toward the windows, her gaze held by the sparkling water.

  When she turned around, Jason’s eyes briefly lingered on her camisole. She was suddenly aware of how thin the material was. His eyes slowly returned to her face, and they darkened with intensity. She flushed with heat and desire.

  Despite the heat between them, his voice was even. “I bought it from a friend who was looking to offload some property quickly when the market collapsed. It was a great price, but it needed a ton of work, which I’ve only just finished doing. It’s taken a long time.”

  She looked around while he talked. He had put a lot of thought and attention to detail into this house. The living room did not claim any particular style, but instead mixed several different motifs. It had French doors to the outside deck, a lovely but not overpowering brick fireplace, and crown molding detail. There were also exposed beams running along the ceiling and into the kitchen, which appeared to be spacious enough for cooking and eating. Some of the detail reminded her of Frank Lloyd Wright, and some felt more mid-century modern. The deck, though, was a distressed white, which was all beach. Somehow it worked, and the house felt luxurious but comfortable. The majestic centerpiece of the whole thing, though, was the Puget Sound. She couldn’t take her eyes off that gorgeous water.

  “It’s stunning. You did a wonderful job with it,” she said earnestly, turning from the windows to look at him.

  He beamed at her, clearly taking pride in his work. He removed his jacket, laying it overtop of hers on the chair, and loosened his tie to remove it. Now she couldn’t take her eyes off Jason. No shortage of scenery in this house, that was for sure. She was mesmerized, watching him. He unbuttoned the top couple of buttons on his shirt and rolled up the sleeves. For some reason, this casual set of movements piqued her longing for him. She wanted to feel those arms around her. She wanted to unbutton the rest of his buttons, and run her fingers through his hair. She loved him disheveled, especially when she made him that way.

  “I’m glad you like it. I like seeing you in my house,” he said as he moved closer to her.

  He put his arms around her from behind and they watched the sky change colors together. She could feel his heart beating rapidly, like hers. She pivoted in his arms and turned to face him.

  “Jason, we should talk. Really, we need to figure out how this is going to work. I can’t be with you while I’m working on your account.”

  His hands rested on her hips, but he held her close. She felt the heat radiating off his body, mixing with her own heat generated by intense desire. He lowered his lips to hers and she had no choice but to give in to this delightful, sensuous experience. His arms circled her and brought her closer, so their bodies were pressed against each other. She sensed his need for her in his kiss as much as she feltit pressing against her. He moved to nibble her earlobe and kiss her neck just under her ear, searing a path of kisses down to her shoulder.

  “No talking,” he said, as much as growled softly, “not tonight.”

  He put his forehead to hers and sighed. They were both breathless. He grabbed her hands and pulled her from the living room into his bedroom. She knew she should stop him, she knew they shouldn’t do this until they figured out what they would do about work, but she was incapable of rational thought. She had missed him so much, and here he was, loving her with every breath, every thought, every caress. It was more than she had allowed herself to dream about over these past few weeks.

  He unzipped her skirt and it fell to the floor. He pulled her camisole blouse over her head and arms, leaving her in lace panties, matching lace bra, and her lucky pumps. They were definitely lucky, she decided. No question.

  “So beautiful,” he said quietly, looking at her in nothing but lingerie and heels.

  He pushed her gently so she landed on her back on the bed, her legs bent at the knee. Jason knelt, and took one leg and began at the ankle, kissing his way up her calf and behind her knee, which sent shivers up and down her spine. He then turned his attention to the inside of her thigh, opening her legs as he kissed higher and higher. He got to the top and kissed her through the panties, and breathed her in. And then he started over on her other leg. She was faint by the time he reached the back of her second knee. When he reached the top of her thigh for the second time, she was in a full-blown state. he pulled the panties off and kissed her thoroughly, letting his tongue explore all of her. When he found her center, he did not stop until she slipped over the edge into oblivion, calling his name.

  When he finally surfaced, she raised him to her and rolled on top of him. She finally lived her dream of unbuttoning those buttons on his dress shirt. As much as she would have liked to go slowly, she couldn’t. She felt her body responding to him as if her first climax had never happened. This man did things to her. Once his chest was bare, she spent a few moments just taking it in. She straddled him, looking down into his eyes and memorizing his beautiful body. The light brown hair on his ch
est, the way it covered his upper chest and then tapered off into his pants, like a little path showing her the way home. She traced that path with kisses as slow and lingering as she could.

  As she unbuttoned his pants and slipped them off, he groaned softly. She gave back a little of what he had given her, kissing him through his boxers. He groaned a bit louder this time.

  “You torture me.”

  “Mmmm,” she said, as she removed his boxers. She pulled them down, freeing him, and she stroked the length of his erection.

  Jason moaned, and she took him in her mouth, circling the tip of his cock with her tongue. She loved the taste of him. She took him as far into her mouth as she dared, and began a steady rhythm that matched his increasingly heavy breathing. She reveled in pleasuring him.

  “Judy, I need to be inside you,” he whispered, and suddenly pulled her up to him so he could kiss her passionately.

  She guided him inside her, and it felt like coming home.

  After, they lay quietly. She leaned back into him and his arms were around her. She felt cherished and secure, and like maybe she had found her life with this man. The thought soothed her and then frightened her. It seemed a little too intense too quickly.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Jason whispered to her.

  “I was thinking how perfect this is, and how perfect you make me feel,” she said.

  Jason turned her to face him. “I meant it in Catalina, Judy. I want to be with you. I was serious when I said I would quit my job to be with you if that’s what has to happen. I will not lose you again,” he said fiercely.

  He was completely serious, but of course he couldn’t quit his job. That was ridiculous. Flying was a bigger part of his life than she was. And maybe it always would be.

  “I have a better idea,” she said.

  She couldn’t bear the thought of not being with Jason, even if it had to be low-key and only in the privacy of his bedroom. She also couldn’t bear the thought of Jason quitting his job because she knew how much he loved it. And she wasn’t ready to leave her job just yet. And then, of course, there was the slight matter of her not quite being divorced.