Tiger Lily: Part Three (15 page)

The pilot walked out of the cockpit and began speaking. “We need to stay ahead of the weather and will be taking off shortly,” he announced.

As I glanced over at Jonas nervously, he took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

This wasn’t my first flight. I had flown to see my father perform in other countries and had vacationed abroad. But as I listened to the lashes of rain beating against the plane, accompanied by a flash of lightening, I shivered.

Even the flight attendant seemed anxious. She played the safety video and quickly secured herself in a seat. The crack of thunder had my pulse sprinting.

Jonas pressed something that made the shutter close over the window. “Relax. We’ll be fine,” he assured. He was completely Zen.

Before I could respond, the plane lurched forward as we taxied down the runway and wobbled in the air. I had a white-knuckle grip on the seat rest and poor Jonas’s hand. He leaned over and stroked my face and kissed my lips, distracting me as the plane hit every air pocket in the sky as we flew.

My shoulders lowered once I saw the sun coming through the windows. After a few more minutes, the emergency lights turned off. I released my grip and leaned over close to Jonas’s ear and said, “I love you so much.” He gazed at me longingly, then kissed my lips.

The flight attendant came back with coffee and orange juice. She then brought us an assortment of cream muffins and slices of fruit, granola, and yogurt. I mixed up a small bowl and watched as Jonas put on his glasses and multitasked through his papers, electronics, and eating.

Between spoonfuls of granola and plain yogurt I asked, “Is this for today? If you need help, let me know.”

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “No. Today has been set. I’m working on something that will be presented in a couple of weeks.”

I lifted my brows at him as he continued to move around his work. “Have you always worked so far ahead?”

“Yes. Well, it’s the way my father worked, so it became the way I work. He used to say ‘only losers wait for others to define the path for them. Cranes set the path and standard.’ I check and set,” he said.

His screen went blank as he sipped his coffee. A picture appeared. It was a charcoal sketch of a woman’s back and the curve of her hips.

I felt a flash of jealousy, until I realized the sketch was one he had done of me during our first week together at the hotel in New York City. My hand shook as I delicately touched the screen.

“You never forgot about me,” I said in a hushed tone.

“No. I carried you with me,” he responded just as quietly. I leaned over and kissed his neck. “You were always with me too, though mostly in my dreams.”

A crease appeared on his cheek. “Oh, I enjoyed the dream I got to wake you up from at the hotel.”

I covered my face. “That was embarrassing.”

“You got past your embarrassment pretty quickly, as I recall. One of my favorite Lily traits.” He reached down and adjusted the front of his pants. “You’ll be on your knees sucking my cock if we don’t change topics.”

I looked around to see if David had heard, but was relieved he had on earphones. I next located the flight attendant, who was busying herself in front. “With everyone around?”

He chuckled. “David listens to folk music on plane rides, so don’t worry. There’s a bedroom in back. But before your eyes get smoky and you lick those sexy lips of yours, I’m not fucking you right now.”

My jaw unhinged. “What? I didn’t…you turning down sex.” I made it a statement, but truly, Jonas seemed to always be in the mood.

“Because you, my beautiful Tiger Lily, don’t have a poker face. And I don’t want my friend, or anyone in the office, to know what’s going on between us,” he said candidly.

My face fell and I stared dully at the food on my tray, stirring the yogurt and granola as the pain of his words ripped through my chest.

Jonas cursed. “That came out harsh, and nothing at all like I meant,” he said, picking up on my shift in mood. “It has nothing to do with how I feel about you. More about what this day will bring. I need to keep this meeting professional, no matter what Phil Keane tries to do today.”

I looked at my hands. “Okay.”

He studied me for a moment, then pushed his work away and tugged on my hand. “Come here.”

I didn’t budge. “I’m not to be played with when it’s convenient, or brushed under a rug when you don’t want others to know. If I’m really yours, as you claim, I’m yours all the time,” I said nasally.

“You are mine all the time. Fine. I’ll take you back there and fuck that into the torturous landmine that is your mind. I’ll introduce you as my ‘girlfriend,’ if that will please you. But that doesn’t even touch the depth of what I feel for you, Lily,” he said.

My chin trembled and I took his hand.

“I’ll tell Phil I’ll use his assistant, and you can spend the day at a spa or something in Miami. But you can’t be with me there. My feelings for you make it too hard for me to be professional when you are around, and the way you look at me after we make love would make it impossible.” He was formulating a plan before me, and at the same time slaying the demons in my mind and soothing the pain in my heart.

I blinked back the tears that were standing in my eyes as my heart tumbled over. “I love you so much Jonas.”

“Come here,” he commanded, making room in his lap.

“But your suit,” I protested.

He smiled at me. “I’ve got another. I don’t have another you.”

I moved everything out of the way to climb in his lap and inhaled his incredible scent, pressing my lips to his neck. “I want to go with you. I’ll go along with your plan.”

He kissed my cheek. “Alright. Pay attention. Here is a briefing and schedule of today’s presentations at KeanexTech. It’s Phil Keane’s company. Phil and I…have known each other a long time.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, we should conclude close to 2:00 p.m. You will sit in on everything but the partners’ meeting at the beginning. I don’t want to involve you in the ins and outs of that, since you’ll have to spend time with staff. I’ll see that Phil gives me an office you can use before the presentations. You understand?”

I smiled. “Yes, Mr. Crane.”

“Good, Ms. Salomé. Now kiss me and eat the rest of your breakfast, then get the rest of your sleep.”

I leaned up and kissed him.

He looked a little sad, and I rubbed his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“I wish I could keep you this innocent and protected, but I can’t. This is part of my life too, and…” he said, his voice hoarse.

“And nothing. I love you, nothing will take that away.” I kissed him. He didn’t respond, but slowly released me to return to my seat, where I ate the rest of my breakfast and he went back to multitasking for the remainder of our flight to Miami.

Jonas lifted the window and let the sunshine pour in as we landed. Once we exited, David split off to collect the car and we walked through the breezeway of the arrivals terminal to get out of what quickly became more heat than my dark crepe navy dress and blazer could handle. I cursed the nylons, though even I had to say the designer ensemble, along with the chignon hairstyle, looked great.

And then there was Jonas, wearing a dark designer suit of a similar shade and a crisp white dress shirt open at the collar. He didn’t appear affected at all by the heat. With a pair of sunglasses pushed up in his hair, he looked more like a movie star. With the lingering and questioning glances that were coming from the people around us, I had no doubt there were those wondering if he was.

“Jonas Mathias Crane.” A voice somewhere in the crowd said.

I stifled the giggle that rose in my throat as Jonas stiffened next to me. The sound of his full, given name being broadcasted across the terminal set him on edge.

The man attached to the pleasant, booming voice finally came into view, and quite the view he was. The phrase ‘beach babe’ came to mind. A handsome man, I guessed similar in age to Jonas, with a thick head of light brown hair and ice blue eyes that stood out against his copper-tone skin. He was dressed similar to Jonas, though his suit was light grey. His hand extended on approach, “You stubborn old bastard. I offered for you to stay over at my place, but you chose to fly in the middle of the night?”

Jonas gave the man a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Phil. You didn’t tell me you were moonlighting as a chauffeur? It wasn’t necessary, since I’m flying back to New York after the meeting.”

“You still could have taken me up on my offer to stay last night at the house. Dottie and I would have loved to catch up with you. I don’t think we’ve had a full day together since back when you and Dani would escape to my parent’s beach house every summer in college.”

“You know there were other times,” Jonas said, and they stared at each other for a heartbeat. He exhaled and motioned for me to step forward, “This is Lily Salomé, my assistant.” Phil’s eyes glimmered as they slowly roved over me.

I glanced at Jonas.
Poker face
. I knitted my brow and pressed my lips together. “Hello, Mr. Keane. Nice to meet you,” I said politely, offering my hand to shake.

Jonas hid a laugh with a cough.
Did I blow it?

Phil gave me a wide smile and closed both of his hands over mine, letting me know I must have done okay. “The pleasure is all mine. I’m here to convince your boss to stay for dinner. You are welcome to join him.”

Jonas blanked his face. “We won’t have time, and we should all head over to KeanexTech now.”

“Not so fast, Jonas.” A beautiful brunette in bohemian wear approached, holding the hand of a pretty toddler with blonde curls and ice blue eyes. “You must say hello to Holly.”

Jonas smirked. “Dottie, please tell me Phil didn’t drag you to the airport with Holly.” She walked up and planted a kiss on Jonas’s lips. “How could we miss out on the celebrity business mogul dropping in on us mere mortals,” she said, and they laughed.

Jonas turned to me with glances between Dottie, Phil, and Holly. “We all went to boarding school and college together. They were New Yorkers for a long time, until they decided to give it up for Miami. And don’t let Phil fool you, he’s successful and has numerous businesses.”

“Yes. But KeanexTech is my primary business,” Phil said and stared at Jonas.

I nodded. “Nice to meet you.” Dottie shook my hand, though her focus was on Jonas. I leaned down to Holly and said, “Hello.”

She gave me a smile that showed off the cutest dimples I’d ever seen, then clutched the leg of her mother.

“She’s shy. You like kids, Lily?” Dottie grinned as Holly took steps toward me and took my hand.

“I love them,” I blurted. I could feel Jonas’s gaze on me, but I kept my eyes on Holly, who was now getting me to help her twirl in a circle.

“You’ll get dizzy, Princess,” Dottie laughed and picked her up. “Your boss here was quite the reluctant dad, to put it mildly.”

“She is lovely, but we must go,” Jonas leaned down and kissed Holly’s cheek.

“You know we were invited to your brother Vincent’s birthday next Friday. He still thinks of us. Are you going?” Dottie asked.

I shot a questioning glance at Jonas, and then looked away.

“I didn’t realize…No. I’ll be working,” Jonas responded quietly.

“Well, then I bet a lot of people will be disappointed,” Phil said.

David stepped forward on cue. “The car is ready, Mr. Crane.”

“Please agree to come for dinner tonight. I’m making paella.” Dottie tried again.

“You mean you’ll have a chef deliver paella,” Jonas said, correcting her, and they laughed. “We’ll see you soon? Or do you need a lift to your office?”

Phil grinned. “Splendid idea.”

Jonas shook his head a little. “I should make you take a taxi. Good to see you, Dottie.” He gave her a light kiss on the cheek, and we all moved out to the sidewalk. A gust of air hit me, immediately heating my skin, and I gratefully climbed in the open door of the estate car David held ajar for us.

Once Phil said a quick goodbye to his family, he climbed in the car and settled in next to Jonas. I sat on the seat close to the window as they launched into a discussion about the business. I nodded and listened while staring out at the beautiful pastel stucco structures intermixed with the new buildings. We arrived at a white glass building with a row of miniature palm trees lining the front and a white and chrome stylized sign that read ‘KeaNEXTech.’

“I’d like a quick word with my assistant. I’ll see you inside,” Jonas said to Phil, who grinned at me and climbed out.

“Vincent’s party?” I asked.

He blew out a breath. “I wasn’t aware or invited to the party.”

I curled my lips. “He didn’t invite you? We’ll
we
wouldn’t go to his party anyway.”

Jonas suppressed a grin. “No more of that. Please, focus on what we have to do today. Keep yourself together, and follow my lead. Understood?”

I stared up at him and, wow, was he good-looking. “Yes, Mr. Crane.”

He kissed the end of my nose. “Stop that look too.”

“And what am I saying right now?” I asked and blanked my face.

“You’re saying ‘trust me.’ I do, but this is one of those times I expect you to follow,” he said.

I almost choked. “When are the times I’m not expected to follow?” Jonas pointed his chin as his answer.

We exited the car and I fell into step next to him as we entered the building. Once inside, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was in an office or an upscale playroom. There was an oversized sign for ‘KeanexTech,’ and the ‘Orion App’ prominently on display, along with a few colorful custom couches that stood out against the white polished lobby. But what got me salivating, besides the smoothie machine, were the circa 1980–2000 game machines in the lobby, where a few people were dressed in pajamas.

Oh, Phil. Can Mary and I work here?

Jonas sighed and leaned over my ear. “Poker face, Lily. Or I’ll have David pick you up now.”

I pursed my lips, but sucked in my cheeks and lifted my chin.

Jonas suppressed a laugh and shook his head, then put on a real poker face. It was all stiff and business and practically chilled the air around us. I even noticed the pajama clad workers leaving the games, as the only one in a shirt and tie approached us. “Mr. Crane. I’m Dex, and I’ll be your personal escort for the day. I’ll be right with you for your entire visit. I just want to send out a quick text letting everyone know I won’t be down in reception.”