Destination Wedding (Crimson Romance) (2 page)

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Luke started to leave but Drew grabbed his arm.

“Oh, don’t ask her about her cats. Whatever you do, do not ask her about her freakin’ fur babies.”

Luke shook his head and made his way to first class. Since they were kids, Drew and he had played many swap-identity tricks on their parents, teachers, and girlfriends. Being identical had its advantages, particularly for his brother. In high school, they switched senior prom dates after Drew decided his odds of scoring with Luke’s date were greater than his own. Drew lost his virginity that night to Luke’s chagrin.

“Sir, please sit down.” A long-legged flight attendant ordered.

Luke flashed an apologetic smile and counted the rows to 3C. Perhaps, this unexpected seat swapping wouldn’t be so bad after all. The flight attendant was certainly pretty.

His hands gripped the back of the seats to steady his balance. He couldn’t blame the poor cat lady for being scared with all the rocking.

He crouched down, fully expecting to see a frightened middle-aged spinster dressed in black with grey cat hair all over her.

Wait a second?
He glanced up to check that he had the right row. It was the right one, but sitting in 3A was a stunning woman who he guessed could be in her early thirties. The first thing he noticed was her long, wavy brown hair. He’d always had a thing for women with long, dark hair.

This
was the vocal terrorist Drew couldn’t stand to sit with a minute longer? She wasn’t wearing black but a white dress and from what he could tell, her bronze legs might rival those of the flight attendant. Her hands were crunching a tomato juice can while she stared at the fasten seat belt sign. Two empty vodka bottles lay sideways on her folding tray table.

“Hi,” he said shyly, sitting down and buckling his seatbelt.

She whipped her head toward him, and her emerald green eyes immediately locked with his. “What took you so long?”

“The tail section broke off,” he joked. Judging by her reaction, he knew it was a bad one. “Kidding.” He touched her arm.

“I knew that.” She glanced at her watch and took a deep breath. “Ten hours and fifty-three minutes to go.”

“We’re practically ready to prepare for arrival.” He chuckled. “So, I’m Drew by the way.” The woman shot him a confused look. His brother must have already introduced himself. Figures Drew had told her his name but couldn’t remember hers. “I mean you know that already. How do you spell your name again? It’s so unusual.”

“K-a-t-e.”

Kate. Okay, not uncommon.
He was going to murder his brother. Confessing that he was Drew’s twin was probably the right thing to do but she looked so terrified. He wouldn’t know how to explain that his idiot brother had begged him to trade seats. No, he’d continue the charade. It’s not like they were going to become friends or start dating. Harmless conversation with a stranger he’d most likely never see again was all this was.

He motioned for the flight attendant. “Would you care for another drink, Kate?” He reached for the crushed tomato juice can still in her hand. “Here, let me take that for you.” He noticed that her dress had a large red stain. “Accident?”

“Yep. An expensive one,” she said dryly. It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it.

“How about joining me in a glass of champagne?”

She shrugged. He took that as a yes.

A few minutes later, the flight attendant brought over two flutes. Luke handed one glass to Kate and raised his. “To bumpy flights with safe landings.” He chimed his glass rim to hers.

She took a sip and frowned.

“You don’t like it? I can get you something else. What would you like? Some coffee, perhaps?”

“No, it’s not that, I … um,” she stammered. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“You obviously drew the short stick by having to sit next to me.” She picked up one of the empty vodka bottles and turned it upside down. “I thought the first drink, or second, would loosen me up. Oh, well. Maybe this will do the trick.” She tilted the flute all the way back and finished it. “I hate flying.”

“So let’s get your mind off of it.” Luke moved his armrest up and then reached over. His arm brushed against the top of her dress as he shut the tiny window screen. What he wouldn’t give to run his hand underneath it.

Stop it, Luke. The poor woman’s having a nervous breakdown.

“How long will you be in Hawaii?” he asked.

“Three weeks. I’m going there for work.”

“Wow. I’d like your job.” He was happy to hear that this was a business trip and that she wasn’t meeting a lover, at least he hoped not. “Do you live in New York, Kate?”

“No, Los Angeles.”

Damn. She would live on the west coast.
“Were you in New York for business?”

“No. I was visiting my mother to kick some — ” Her sentence broke off as the plane hit another air pocket. The airbus dropped down and bounced back up. Luke felt Kate’s seatbelt hit him followed by her weight crashing against his leg. She flung her arms around his khakis and hung on for dear life.

“First time flying,” he mouthed to the older couple sitting across from them. “Here,” he instructed, placing his arm on her back. He unleashed her hands from his leg, guiding her into his arms. “Hold on to me.” The scent of her perfume mixed with tomato juice and champagne infiltrated his nostrils. It was surprisingly arousing.

He stroked her hair. “It’s going to be fine. You know, pilots like to stay in the air.”

“Drew, I don’t want to die.” She clung to him, burying her head deeper into his chest.

He cringed at the mention of his brother. Should he confess to her that his name was Luke? Now didn’t seem like the best time. It would be easier to just continue pretending to be Drew.

He took a deep breath. “Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise you that. If I was worried, I wouldn’t — ” He paused for a few seconds. How was he going to calm her down and get her back into her seat?

She looked up at him. “Wouldn’t what?” Her fearful green eyes pleaded with him to make the rocking stop. His heart fell to his stomach and it wasn’t because of the turbulence. He didn’t know why, but he had an overwhelming need to protect her.

“Well, I wouldn’t do this.” He cupped her chin and brought her mouth to his. Her soft lips reacted to his. He deepened the kiss and their tongues moved in sync as the plane continued to sway. When he finally broke the kiss to check on her and catch his breath, he could see she was much more relaxed. “Better?”

She snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms again around him. “Your heart’s beating fast.”

“Hmmm.” She was right. His heart was racing.

“Drew, I think I had too much to drink. Can you wake me when we land?”

Reclining his seat, he held her as she fell asleep. Who was this beautiful mystery woman in his arms? He smiled. Maybe pretending to be his twin brother would work out in his favor for once.

“Kate! Kate, darling. Aloha!”

Kate smiled widely as her assistant, Miles Payne, approached her. He placed a beautiful pink and white lei around her neck. “Welcome to Honolulu. May this lei be the first of many while you’re here.”

She laughed at his blatant double entendre and air kissed him on both cheeks. Miles had arrived a few days earlier to prepare for their busy week and to indiscreetly scope out the venues and vendors they would soon be working with to pull off what could only be described as the biggest challenge of her career.

Judging by his new, fresh-faced tan and spring in his step, he’d had a little fun in the sun. Good for him. She would be working him hard these next three weeks. He deserved a little rest and relaxation.

“Aloha to you, too,” she said, setting her oversized, yellow purse and briefcase in the back seat of his rented bright blue convertible. “Oh, and by the way, you’re fired. My last assistant always made sure the weather was nice when I flew.”

“Okay, Meryl Streep. Next time, I promise to confer with the weather gods before booking your flight.” He grabbed her two suitcases, popped the trunk and placed them inside.

She laughed at his reference to her as the villainous boss in
The Devil Wears Prada.

“I was watching The Weather Channel last night. Pretty wild flight I take it?”

“Something like that.” Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes darted through the glass to baggage claim. Still no sign of the handsome stranger named Drew.

Her head was still trying to wrap itself around the last forty-eight hours. It began with taking the red-eye from LA to NYC to ambush her mother, in which she tried unsuccessfully to talk her mom into joining her in Hawaii. That hadn’t gone well. Her mother refused to leave and no doubt, would continue to run around NYC like a lovesick teen.

Then there was last night’s flight. The actual events were a little hazy. She remembered having a couple of vodka drinks and champagne with the hot guy sitting next to her and that his name was Drew. She also recalled completely losing it at one point and kissing him.

Exactly how her lips landed on his, she couldn’t remember. One thing was for sure. No man had ever kissed her with such determined intensity. The way his mouth engulfed hers as the plane moved up and down … She put her hand out and leaned on the car to maintain her balance.

When the flight attendant woke her thirty minutes before they landed, the seat next to her was empty. Her kissing bandit had disappeared.

She stared inside the glass doors one last time. Had the kiss really happened? If so, where did he go? Maybe she had passed out after the two vodka drinks and had dreamed it. She sighed. Perhaps the kiss was something her mind concocted to cope with her paralyzing fear of flying? She needed to lay off the vodka. Apparently it made her delusional.

She turned around, removed her oversized black sunglasses from her head and put them on. Now that her feet were safely on the ground, it was time to get to work.

The next three weeks would be career defining; finally giving her the leverage she needed to be promoted to full partner. After all, she deserved it. She slid into the car’s tan leather passenger seat and buckled up. “Nice wheels.”

“You like? Only the best for the boss lady.” Miles jumped into the driver side and pulled away from the curb.

“Yeah, right. Why do I have a sneaky suspicion that this car has cruised up and down Waikiki beach several times in the last forty-eight hours?”

Miles laughed and feigned surprise. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“How far away is the Aolani?” Kate asked.

“About twenty minutes. Wait till you see it. It’s amazing.”

“I’m sure it is.”

“Aolani means heavenly cloud in Hawaiian.”

“Look at you. Learning the native language,” she teased.

“The beds are so fluffy. Great for — ”

Kate held up her hand, motioning him to stop. Miles had a tendency to cross the line. She normally wouldn’t approve, but he was so funny and the best assistant she’d ever had. They were becoming good friends.

“What?” he asked innocently. “I was going to say great for sleeping like a baby.”

“Sure you were.”

“You’ll have time to freshen up and check your e-mails, and then we’re having lunch with Drew and Lauren at noon in the hotel’s restaurant.”

“Of course. That’s it.” She waved her hand in the air. That’s why her mystery man’s name was so familiar. It was also the name as her new client. She was surprised she didn’t realize the coincidence earlier.

“Sorry?”

“Oh, nothing. This guy sitting next to me on the plane was named Drew.”

“Really?” Miles cocked one eyebrow and smirked. “And is this guy the reason for the teenage grin plastered all over your face?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She reached up and pulled her long brown hair to one side, coiling the ends with her finger.

He slapped her arm playfully. “You most certainly do. Dish.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” It was clear by the look he was giving her that Miles didn’t buy it for one second. “Okay, maybe we shared one tiny, little kiss — ”

“What?” He slammed on the brakes and turned to Kate, mouth wide open.

“Um, if we get into an accident, don’t think you’re getting Workers’ Comp — or time off. We’ve got a lot to do these next three weeks.”

“Let me get this straight. My conservative, ‘by the book’ boss had one too many cocktails and made out with a random guy on her flight?” He paused for what she knew was for flamboyant dramatic effect. “I’m so proud of you! Did you join the mile high club? Let me see your neck?” He teasingly pulled the lei away from Kate.

“Stop it.” She swatted his hand away. “You’re bad.” She giggled.

“I’m bad?” He touched his chest in mock horror. “Are you the pot or kettle today?”

“We didn’t make out.” She paused. “Okay, maybe we did. I shouldn’t be telling you this. Let’s forget it.”

She turned up the radio to end the conversation. It wasn’t like they hadn’t had long talks about her love life, or lack of, before. Miles was a wonderful addition to the team. In addition to being an amazing junior planner, he was extremely witty and good-looking with dark brown hair and matching chestnut eyes. He was also attracted to the same type of guys that caught her eye. In the short time that he’d worked for her, they’d spent hours sizing up several groomsmen at weddings. Miles was determined to help Kate find her own groom.

Miles reached for the radio and turned down the volume. “So where is this guy staying?”

She sighed. “I don’t know. We didn’t exchange numbers. It wasn’t a big deal.”

Apparently it wasn’t that special for her mystery man either who bolted before final descent. She was still holding on to the theory that he wasn’t real. Maybe she subconsciously made him up, and since Drew was the name of her latest client, her mind invented him?
That had to be it
. She should probably go into therapy when she got back to Los Angeles.

She reached behind and pulled out a tiny notebook from her briefcase. Time for a quickie low-tech meeting. “Okay, enough catching up. So let’s talk about the bride and groom. What are they like?”