Flight (9 page)

“
Hey,”

Charlie
looked up to see Ryle standing beside her at the end of the line in the cafeteria.

“
Hi,” She murmured, her whole body suddenly feeling flushed.

For most of the week, Ryle had been busy supporting another team. She had caught glimpses of him. She seemed to have no problem recognizing his tall lithe frame, even from afar. He wore the same standard navy blue overalls that many of the workers wore on the floor, yet she seemed to pick him out from everyone else just from the way he moved. He didn’t need to draw attention to himself to be noticed. And yet, all the single females seemed to
have noticed him. It was that easy-going but self-assured demeanor that was so distracting when she was working in the same bay with him. And it was still distracting now as he stood beside her.

“
How are you?” Ryle asked.

“
Busy.” She answered as she picked up a tray and moved along the line. It was late and the cafeteria was not busy.

“
Still too busy to go out with me?”

She gave him a cool look.
“You don’t seem to be lacking in dates.”

He shrugged, merely watching as she struggled to reach a particular drink in the cooler. After watching her trying to reach the veggie drink for several moments, he reached up effortlessly and took it down for her.
“A guy’s got to have some form of amusement.”

She laughed, but there was no humor in the laugh.
“You really have some nerve.” She asked, taking the can from him without saying thank you.

“
How’s that?” He asked, and she thought she saw curiosity as well as humor in his eyes.

She couldn’t say why it bothered her so much. Since he started at the plant,
there was no shortage of available women interest in him, including Aria. He had stayed away from Charlie. In fact, he seemed almost unaware of her presence and she thought he must have taken what she said seriously. With anyone else, she would be relieved that they were no longer interested. Yet in this case, instead of feeling relieved, she was bothered. And irritated.  How he could one minute ask her to go out with him and the next flirting carelessly with other women? Either he was insincere or he just didn’t care. And she had a feeling it was the latter. He had women chasing him and he didn’t care if Charlie said yes or no.

“
I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry.” She muttered in excuse, grabbed a sandwich and fled to the cash register.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in meetings. It was well past eight o’clock by the time she packed up to leave.
She wasn't tired yet. In fact, she had so much pent up energy that she decided to go to the gym to work some of it off. At this time of the evening, the company gym was always deserted. Maybe a cooling swim would do just the trick.

What she didn't count on was to run into the very person she was trying to work out of her system.

She
had changed into a solid red bathing suit and had taken a quick cool shower before heading out to the swimming pool. It wasn’t until she was out on the deck that she heard the quiet splashes of someone swimming. For a moment, she was surprised and then curious as to who it could be. It was rare to see anyone at the pool at this time of the evening.

For several minutes, she was fascinated by the powerful strokes that cleaved through the water cleanly
and with ease. She was still deciding if she should interrupt or let the guy finish doing his laps first. But even as she was trying to decide, he had suddenly stopped mid-lap, as if sensing her presence.

“
Are you going to just stand there and watch or are you coming in to join me?”

Too late,
Charlie realized she was still staring when she should’ve turned and left as soon as she recognized Ryle. Even half naked as he stood in the shallow waters, he still seemed intimidating.

His upper body was lean and toned. She watched the water droplets sliding off the smooth skin on his chest, dripping slowly down his wide chest, his taut torso and along the faint ridges of a six pack. And she could almost
imagine how he would taste as her tongue followed those water droplets, licking them up, licking his skin. Oh God!

“
Should I get out of the water to give you a better view?” Ryle drawled, amusement dancing in his eyes and it was all Charlie could do to keep from blushing.

How mortifying, to be caught staring at him like
a sex starved adolescent!

“
Thanks but I'm not all that interested in the view.” Charlie managed to say coolly despite her racing heart.

He laughed, the sound deep and throaty
. “You might not be, but I am.” He said, his eyes deliberately raked down her body, taking in every inch of her. Leaving her no doubt as to the
view
he liked.

And t
he blush she was trying hard to hold in check, broke out, heating her cheeks and neck. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious and naked in her bathing suit. It was hard to ignore his eyes moving slowly and deliberately down her body, pausing on the thrusting fullness of her breasts, curving hips and shapely legs.

“
Was that suppose to impress me?” She managed to scoff.

“
Doesn’t it?”

“
No.”

“
So what does impress you? Someone like Hathaway?”

“
I think that’s very apparent.”

“
Oh yeah?” Instead of getting angry that she’d thawed his attempt at more personal questions, he was still amused and confident. “Shall we find out?” He heaved himself out of the water effortlessly, moving with an easy litheness that belied his strength.

Charlie
stiffened, slowly backing away as he advanced. “I know what I like. I don’t need to prove anything to you.”

She stopped abruptly when she found herself once again backed against the wall and trapped by his arms on either side of her.

“You seem very sure of what you want.” Ryle murmured.

With him so close, she could barely breathe, let alone think of an answer. She held her breath as his eyes held hers captive for a long moment, only letting it out when he lowered his eyes. Then her next breath was lost as he raised a hand, his eyes caressing the trail left by his fingers. It was almost as if he never stopped touching her the first time. The warm touch of his fingers on her cool skin was like a fire brand that left a burning trail wherever he touched. From the side of her neck, across her collarbone, and
down between her breasts.

“
So, what were you saying about Hathaway?”

At the mention of Jeff,
Charlie fell abruptly back down to earth. And it was all she could do to push away from Ryle and literally run back into the ladies’ change room. That she couldn’t push him away if he hadn’t let her didn’t occur to her. Her heart hammered in her chest as she ran inside, half afraid he might follow. But he didn’t, and she heaved a sigh of relief as she stepped into the shower, needing something to cool her hot skin.

Ryle sighed inwardly. He was making a mess of this. He had never met anyone like
Charlie before and he wasn’t sure how to get her attention. No woman had affected him like this before. He knew she wanted him; he could see the desire in her eyes, and yet for some reason she wanted to deny it. It seemed there was something she wanted to prove, and she was determined to do it. He was just as determined to prove her wrong. He remembered seeing that exhilarated smile on her face whenever she came back from taking a jet out, that was a smile he wanted to see on face when she looked at him. Strangely, he wanted to be the reason for a smile like that.

He stood under the spray of the shower, needing a few extra minutes to cool off after his encounter with
Charlie. Being near her was not good for his piece of mind. He was on his way to the parking lot when his cell phone rang.

It was Logan.

“So, how’s anonymity?”

“
It could be better.”

“
Yeah? Which part?”

“
Let’s see, how about the part where she agrees to go out with me.”

Logan laughed disbelievingly.
“Ryle Sullivan having problems getting a date? Maybe you should flash your VIP card at her.”

“
I'll rather she flash hers at me.” Ryle said mockingly.

Logan laughed again.
“What’s so special about this one that you’re stressing over it?”

“
Who said I’m stressing over it?”

“
You did. You wouldn’t mention it if it didn’t bother you so much. And I can’t remember the last time you actually told me about any of your women.”

“
You’re right, I’m losing it.” Ryle sighed in self-disgust.

Logan was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

“I’m glad you’re finding humor in my suffering.” Ryle said dryly.

“
Suffering? It’s that bad huh?” His friend was still laughing his head off. “Can’t say I’ve seen many women able to resist the Sullivan charm.” He added deridingly.

“
I didn’t say she didn’t want me.” Ryle replied wryly. “She just doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“
She sounds like an intelligent woman.”

“
She is, very.”

“
She deserves an award for standing her ground against you. So what's her name?”

“
Is there a reason you’re calling?”

Logan sighed and said in a business-like tone.
“Actually, there is. We need to talk about the Metix account and the upcoming Jean Moreau project.”

“
I talked to Tamara yesterday. She was booking me a flight for tomorrow.” Ryle told him. “I’m driving right now; let me get back to you when I’m in front of my computer.”

“
Yeah, good. I’ll be at the office.”

The employee housing stretched along several quiet residential streets. Depending on the need and availability, the units were either one bedroom units for single people or bungalows for workers with spouse or family. Jeff was lucky, in that he got assigned a two-bedroom bungalow near the end of the street, facing a park. Although he had invited her to his place before, this was the first time she went there. She was apprehensive of anyone from the plant seeing her, but according to Jeff, he’s never seen any of his neighbors except for one family who had a couple of young children and were not likely to gossip
about her and Jeff at work.

“
You look breathtaking,” Jeff murmured, his blue eyes warmly caressed Charlie as she took off her coat to reveal the sexy green dress she wore.

“
You look very handsome too.” She said with a smile.

Jeff took the bottle of wine she had brought with her.

“Ginestra Vigna Casa. Very nice choice.” He said.

“
I’m glad you approve.” She grinned. “The saleswoman told me it goes nicely with roast lamb.”

“
So it does. But you didn’t need get it.”

“
It’s the least I can do when you're going to all that trouble of making a gourmet dinner.”

“
Thank you.” He leaned over to kiss her. She returned his kiss lightly. He sighed and pulled her closer, molding her body against his with one free hand. “Or maybe we should just skip dinner.”

She put her hands on his chest as she leaned back.
“There’s no rush; we have all night. Besides, I was looking forward to this dinner all week.”

Jeff sighed,
“Yeah, me too, but not for the same reasons.”

She laughed softly.

He released her reluctantly and walked towards the kitchen. He came back with two wine glasses.

“
Why don’t you relax in the living room, and I’ll go finish cooking dinner?” Jeff told her.

“
Are you sure I can't help you with anything?” She asked. “As my mom can vouch for me, I’m an expert at peeling potatoes and carrots.”

Jeff laughed.
“Thanks for the offer, but just relax.” he grinned, adding, “And no peeking.”

“
All right,” she laughed softly in amusement.

Jeff kissed her and then left to go into the kitchen, which was separated from the living room only by a half wall.

For a while Charlie flipped through a sports' magazine she picked up from the coffee table, then she turned on the T.V. to watch. But after almost an hour, she started to get restless. Jeff chatted with her over the half wall while he was cutting and preparing the food, but now he was too busy cooking to continue talking with her.

She turned off the T.V. and walked toward the dining table which was set up at one end of the oblong living room. Jeff had set the table with tableware, silverware, and even two candles in brass holders. There was also a little crystal vase in the center, but it was empty.

“Do you need help with anything?” she called over the half wall.

“
No, Everything’s all set…”

“
Haven’t you forgotten something?” Charlie asked Jeff teasingly when he came out of the kitchen holding a basket of hot dinner rolls.

“
You’re right.” He grinned, and paused to give her a lingering kiss.

She smiled.
“That was nice but I meant the centerpiece.” She pointed out.

“Ah, that’s what I forgot,” Jeff grinned ruefully, “I bought it earlier, but I left it in the trunk of the car. Can you go and get it? The car keys are over there.”

Charlie
picked up the car keys from the stand and went outside, not bothering to pull on her coat first. The sky had already gone dark outside, the street dimly lit by the lamps hanging overhead. Yet despite the semi-darkness, she couldn't mistake the large bouquet that seemed to fill the entire trunk of the car.

She knew this was one of Jeff's sweet little ways of giving her gifts. She picked up the bouquet and closed the trunk door. Even in the cool winter air, the fragrance of the bouquet was strong. With the bouquet cradled in her arm, she turned toward the house, only to stop suddenly as the sound of a car door slamming from the car parked in front of Jeff’s drew her attention. She wouldn’t have paid any attention to it except she recognized the beat-up old car that Ryle drove. 

Ryle! For a long moment, all she could do was stand there, staring at him as he stood just a car’s length away. He was holding a duffle bag as he stood beside the trunk of his car. Even in the gloom of early evening, those azure eyes still seemed to probe into her very soul. They narrowed shrewdly as he glanced from her to Jeff's cottage and back to her again.

It took all her will to finally tear her eyes from his. On suddenly shaky legs, she quickly turned and went back into Jeff's house without even acknowledging Ryle.

“So, you’ve found the flowers,” Jeff grinned.

“
What? Oh, um, yes, I did,” Charlie gave a bright smile that didn't reach her eyes. “They're very lovely, Jeff, but you really shouldn't have. You’re already making dinner and everything. You're going to spoil me.”

“
If it makes you smile, then it's worth it.”

She bit her lower lip, determined to forget about the little incident outside, she moved toward the coffee table, putting the bouquet down. Picking several pretty blooms from the bouquet, she went to arrange them as a centerpiece.

“Mmm, something smells delicious.” she murmured as Jeff brought out the first course.

Charlie
relaxed more as the meal progressed. Jeff's easy charm soon had her laughing. The meal itself was delicious. She knew he was a good cook, but he put in a lot of effort for tonight’s meal and it turned out very well.

After lingering over dessert and coffee, she insisted on helping Jeff with the dishes. But tonight
he would have none of it and he firmly refused to let her help with anything; so she simply leaned against the counter chatting with him as he rinsed all the plates and put everything into the dishwasher. That done, they retired to the sofa to finish the rest of the wine while they listened to some soft music on the stereo.

“
Come here,” Jeff murmured huskily, gently pulling her into his arms.

He bent his head to nuzzle against the side of her neck. She sighed and snuggled against his powerful body, her head resting on the back of the sofa as he sought and found her lips, kissing her deeply.

“Darling, let's go to bed.” he suggested caressingly.

“
I'm comfortable right here,” she murmured in answer.

Jeff cupped her face in his hands, moving away slightly to look into her eyes.
“You are staying the night, right? Charlie, I want you so much it hurts. I need you, darling.”

“
Yes, I'll stay.”

His eyes flared even more with passion.
“Charlie, Charlie, darling, you're so beautiful,” he groaned before taking her mouth again hungrily, his tongue seeking hers. His hands moved caressingly over her body through the dress while he continued kissing her. She didn't protest when he unhooked the closure at the back of the mock-turtleneck, and the soft bodice of her dress slipped down to her waist, revealing the fullness of her breasts.

Jeff groaned, his body hardening even more against hers as his eyes lingered on her exposed beauty. He bent down to press feverish kisses on the creamy globes before taking one nipple into his mouth.
Charlie sighed softly in pleasure, her hands tangled into his hair, lightly caressing. She closed her eyes, but that was a mistake. They immediately flew open again when all she could see in her mind was Ryle's azure eyes.

Trying desperately to push Ryle out of her mind, her fingers clenched Jeff's hair, pulling his head up from her beasts and kissing him urgently. Her hands moved caressingly over his body. He groaned low in his throat, his hand cupped her breasts, gently squeezing. She tried to drown herself in the pleasure of his lovemaking, yet Ryle's image was superimposed in her mind.

“No!”

“
Darling? What's wrong?” Jeff lifted his head to look at her with concern.

“
I...I'm not...Jeff, I don't think this is a very good idea after all,” Charlie whispered, trying to pull away from him.

“
What do you mean?” he was frowning perplexedly now, his breathing still ragged.

She managed to move away slightly, pulling her dress back up to cover herself.
“I'm sorry, Jeff, but I...I can't do it. Not right now.”

“
Darling, you don't really mean that,” he said persuasively.

“
I do. I can’t do this. I’m sorry.” she said more firmly now.

Frustration made the scowl on his face darken.
“Just what the hell are you playing at, Charlie?”

“
I'm not playing anything, Jeff. I thought I was ready tonight, but I was wrong.” She said.

“
Darling, you know I’ll be gentle. If you’re nervous about our first time…”

She couldn't tell him the truth was that she couldn’t stop thinking of another man while he was kissing her. She knew she deserved Jeff's anger. She never should have let things go so far before stopping. He had every reason to be angry at her. She didn't mean to bring him to such a state of frustration, yet how could she make love with him when her mind was on someone else? She hadn't realized those few seconds of seeing Ryle outside had affected her so much.

“I can’t.”

“
Then we'll have some more wine and wait until later.”

“
I’m sorry, Jeff. I should go home.” She got to her feet and smoothed her dress. Her eyes were sad as she looked up at him with regret.

Jeff didn't answer for several minutes, his fists tightly clenched as he fought for self-control.
“I guess I should drive you.” he finally said.

He was understandably silent on the drive to her apartment. She didn't attempt to make any conversation; it would be trite to trivialize the hurt she must have caused him. She silently stared down at the bouquet she held as he drove. She had forgotten about the bouquet until he bitterly reminded her.
It seemed ironic that the bouquet was partly responsible for her ending the evening early. 

“
I know it doesn't help, but I'm really sorry about tonight, Jeff.” Charlie said to him softly as his car came to a stop in front of her apartment.

“
So am I.” He said coolly.

She sighed.
“Goodnight, Jeff.”

“
Bye Charlie.” he muttered.

Charlie
got out of the car. As soon as she had her door opened, she heard Jeff's car screeched away at great speed. 

She barely slept that night. Sad she had hurt Jeff, but most of all disturbed by how Ryle could affect her even when he wasn’t there. When she finally closed her eyes, it was Ryle’s face she saw. His eyes she saw. She finally fell asleep at dawn due to sheer exhaustion.

It was almost noon when she got up. Her parents went out to visit friends, and she made her own lunch. After lunch, she went to visit Mandy and Megan at the floral shop.

Charlie
managed to avoid the subject of Jeff for most of the afternoon as the shop was busy and when it was calm, Megan interrupted them by running around exploring and getting into general mischief.

“
So, tell me before I burst, how was your romantic evening with Jeff last night? And why aren't you with him today?”  Mandy asked as soon as they had put Megan to bed for an afternoon nap in the shop’s back room. “He was so romantic; yesterday he came into the shop and bought out all the fresh cut flowers and had me make this gorgeous bouquet to surprise you.  God, I wish Rob would do something excitingly romantic for me
.
”

“
I'm not with him today because I didn't spend the night with him.” Charlie said truthfully.

“
What? Why not?” her friend gasped, surprised.