Bahir took the cue and yawned himself, covering it with his own hand. Nicole noticed he was wearing a nice pair of slacks and polo shirt similar to the outfit he’d worn on their previous excursion.
“What?” Nicole asked as he continued to stare at her.
Bahir’s face reddened. Was he…blushing?
“I’ve just never seen you in jeans before,” he said with a sheepish smile.
“Sure you have. I must have worn jeans at some point during our time together,” she said, trying to ignore the giddy feeling she got at being able to make him blush. Was he saying he liked seeing her in jeans?
“I most certainly would have remembered,” he said, and Nicole was struck with doubt.
“Is this inappropriate? I figured I would dress comfortably, since we’re traveling and this isn’t really a work trip…sort of,” she stammered.
Bahir shook his head. “Not at all. I just…you look nice,” he said, fumbling slightly over his words.
They were like a couple of nervous newlyweds. While that wasn’t far off from the reality of the situation, Nicole tried to remind herself that this was a man she could speak with easily. She’d been doing so for ages! Or at least it seemed like ages. Six months really wasn’t all that long to know someone was it? At least, not before tying the knot.
They stared out the window, occasionally sneaking glances at one another as the limo made its way down already busy city streets toward a small, private airport near the water. When they arrived, the driver held open the door, handing them back their travel bags and bowing as he headed back toward the driver’s seat of the car.
The airport was a wide, open hangar with a small office for pilots and passengers to check in and wait for their planes to take off. Bahir opened the door for Nicole as they entered the little building, which housed all of three chairs and a desk with an attendant.
The attendant looked up when they entered, recognized Bahir, and gave him a respectful bow. “Sheikh Al-Jabbar. It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir.”
Bahir gave the man a winning smile, and Nicole resisted placing a hand on her heart to slow it down. Why had he not had this effect on her until now?
“It’s good to see you, too, Fadel. Is the plane ready?”
Fadel nodded. “Just about, sir. The pilot is finishing his final testing of the equipment, but he should be in to escort you to the plane very soon. Please feel free to take a seat while you wait. Would you like some coffee?”
Bahir looked to Nicole, who shook her head. Her stomach was churning with nervousness as it was; there was no need to add acid to the fire there.
He glanced back to the man behind the desk. “I think we’ll pass for now, thank you Fadel.”
“Very good, sir,” Fadel said, turning back to his computer screen as Bahir and Nicole each took a seat in the waiting area.
They sat quietly for a few minutes before the plane’s pilot arrived in a white suit and hat.
“Sheikh!” the man said, his tone jovial. “How long it has been since we’ve flown together!”
Bahir stood, smiling at the man as he accepted his strong handshake. “Jamil! How many times do I have to tell you to call me Bahir?” he asked, and the pilot grinned back at him.
“At least a hundred more, sir. It’s how I was raised, you see.”
“I do,” Bahir agreed amiably.
Nicole watched the exchange, bemused. It would seem Bahir wanted a personal level of contact with everyone he worked with. It was always so fascinating to watch him interact with others. He was so confident, so poised. So friendly—at least, when he wanted to be. When a business deal wasn’t going the way he wanted, he could turn cold and calculated. That side of him was the least favorite of hers.
The pilot turned to Nicole with a bow. “Miss Calvert. It is a pleasure to meet you in person.”
Nicole smiled at the older gentleman. She’d had pleasant dealings with him on the few occasions when Bahir had needed his private jet to go on an excursion. Usually she just stayed behind at the office, steering the ship in his absence. It was good to put a face to the voice.
“And you. Thank you for your willingness to fly for us on such short notice.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Anything for the Sheikh. Now if you are both ready, we can prepare to depart. The weather is perfectly clear, and the island should be beautiful today.”
Bahir glanced down at Nicole, his eyes intense. “Ready?” he asked.
He was giving her one last chance to back out. Once they were on that plane, there would be no turning back.
Nicole gazed into his amber eyes, and nodded.
She noticed his hand twitch, as though to take hold of hers, but he dropped it before he could. She wished he hadn’t. She could have used some support from her future husband at that moment. Anything to make it feel more like a wedding and less like a business deal.
Bahir nodded to Jamil, who escorted them to the private plane, sitting proudly on the large tarmac. Jamil took their bags and stored them in a luggage compartment before ushering them inside.
Nicole had never been inside Bahir’s plane before. She had known luxury since working for him, of course. They had gone to many glittering galas, events and hotels, but for some reason being in a jet with reclining leather seats and rich mahogany surfaces stocked with top-of-the-line liquor took her breath away. It was always interesting catching a glimpse into how the other half lived, but Bahir was on a whole other level. He was the cream of the other half, living on top of the world, looking down. She wondered how she would adapt to this kind of life, if their marriage really became something real.
Better not to think about it, she told herself. Overthinking killed everything.
Nicole slid into one of the large, comfortable seats, gazing out the window at the distant city, glistening in the rising sun. Bahir took the seat across from her, pouring himself a glass of vodka and orange juice.
She grinned at him. “It’s a little early to start the festivities, isn’t it?” she asked, and Bahir gave her a shy smile.
“Maybe just a little liquid courage,” he replied, holding out a mini bottle of vodka for her to take.
Looking at it, she realized it might not hurt to take the edge off a little, and accepted the bottle from him.
Their fingers brushed lightly during the exchange, sending waves of awareness through Nicole’s body. It took everything in her not to gasp at the sensation. She busied herself pouring the rest of her drink, not noticing Bahir’s burning stare as she worked to ignore the masculine presence sitting so close, yet so far.
The pilot’s voice came over the speaker, letting them know they’d been cleared to take off.
The jet rushed forward, the force of the motion pushing them back in their seats. Nicole swallowed as her ears popped, the plane rising higher and higher into the air until it leveled off.
With the noise of the plane, it was impossible to hold a conversation, so Nicole slipped on a pair of headphones and listened to a podcast she’d downloaded for the flight back to Seattle.
Zoning out, she stared out at the bright blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds. She took a delicate sip of her drink and shivered as the heat of the alcohol burned down toward her stomach. She should have eaten something that morning, but she was still too nervous to even think of it. As she tilted her head back she glanced at Bahir, who had already fallen asleep, and she couldn’t help but feel jealous.
Nicole lost track of time as the plane flew over the water, the waves sparkling under the light of the sun. Finally, she felt her ears begin to pop again as the plane started its descent.
Suddenly the plane jerked wildly, tossing her out of her seat and onto Bahir’s lap, jarring him awake.
“What’s going on…?” he asked, his eyes wide as he steadied Nicole and wrapped his arm around her as another jolt rocked the plane.
Nicole’s eyes were wide and fearful as they continued to descend towards a small island, which she could see through the window on their right. The captain’s voice came onto the speaker.
“Apologies for the turbulence. The wind is much stronger than anticipated. Don’t panic; we should be landing shortly.”
The cabin jerked again, veering to the side as Nicole clung to Bahir, who still had his seatbelt on. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, their faces only inches apart, but Nicole could hardly think of that as her life flashed before her eyes.
What if they died there, on that plane, in the middle of nowhere? There was so much she had wanted to do with her life. So many people she had wanted to help.
Bahir ran a hand up and down her back, soothing her. “It’s all right, Nicole. It’s just a little turbulence. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Nicole stared into his eyes. How could he be so calm at a time like this? Her heart was racing, the alcohol in her belly threatening to come right back up and all over the plane. Gently, Bahir guided her head to his chest, holding her close. The plane shifted again, a little less violently, but Nicole’s heart was still crashing against her ribcage.
“It’s all right, Nicole. Nothing bad is going to happen to us today. Jamil is the best pilot in the region. He won’t let us down.”
Nicole worked to slow her breathing, unable to speak. She allowed Bahir’s steady heartbeat to soothe her. She hated flying. She hated planes. She swore she would never get on another plane after this trip, if she had any choice in the matter. Bahir could deal with that as he liked, but she was done. He gently stroked her hair, and suddenly all thoughts of flying were gone.
It had been so long since she had been held by a man. Even positioned as she was, seated and leaning into him, she could feel his strong muscles beneath his shirt. She felt a sudden urge to run her hands along his chest. Then the plane landed with a jolt, causing her to yelp and lean closer into his arms. He held her tight.
“It’s all right, see? We’ve landed. There’s nothing to fear,” he said, his voice like melted butter.
As the plane taxied to a stop, Nicole got her wits about her again and slid from Bahir’s lap, blushing to the roots of her hair. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. She heard his easy chuckle.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Nicole. That was…a rough ride,” he said, searching for the right words.
When she finally worked up the nerve to look back at him, she lost her breath. His muscles were rigid, his expression one of fierce protectiveness. For a moment it looked like he would pick her up and carry her off the plane, if for no other reason than to ease her nerves after such a rocky landing. She wanted to kiss him then, but instead cleared her throat and tried to pick up the pieces of her frayed nerves.
“Well…thanks, anyway. Hopefully the flight back this afternoon won’t be so jarring.”
“It won’t be, I assure you,” he said.
Nicole almost rolled her eyes at that. Leave it to Bahir Al-Jabbar to claim he can control the weather.
Jamil opened the cabin door, his expression apologetic. “I’m so sorry, sir. The winds were so violent coming in, all other aircraft have been grounded for the time being. I am sure by the time you are ready to depart all will be well once again.”
Bahir’s stare was hard. “Thank you, Jamil. It was most disconcerting.”
Jamil’s eyes widened at Bahir’s tone, and he bowed, stumbling over his words. “It certainly won’t happen again. I’m very sorry, sir.”
Bahir’s expression lightened somewhat. “I understand, Jamil, there’s nothing you could have done. If you could please get our bags, we’ll be on our way.”
“Of course, sir.”
Bahir stepped off the plane, turning back to hold out a hand for Nicole. It was obvious she didn’t need one—there was a railing to hold onto and everything. Still, she gratefully placed her hand in his and allowed him to be her lifeline as they exited the death trap, which Nicole had admired just a short time before.