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Was she outright flirting now? Didn’t she realize this guy wasn’t the type to respond to such brazen tactics?
“You can count on it.” He must’ve glanced at her name tag. “Layla.”
Shameless flirtation worked! Maybe I should try it.
Fanning herself, the flight attendant left. Carly felt the same heat and reached to open her overhead vent.
She couldn’t resist the urge to peek at his laptop screen. He appeared to be writing an email. He added an attachment, then hit Send. Head still down, his chest expanded with a deep breath. Evidently done with his task, he closed his laptop and tucked it in the bag by his feet, sliding it forward just as the plane turned onto the runway.
Then he ripped off his tight pullover, leaving behind an even tighter short-sleeved T-shirt stretched over the bulging muscles in his arms. This resulted in another spike in her internal temperature. Since he still wasn’t looking, she pulled the neck of her shirt out to let some air in. She might’ve cooled off more if she’d simply quit ogling him, but that wasn’t likely to happen.
He must’ve felt her gaze, because he spoke to her. “Hard to believe it’ll be in the twenties when we land in Chicago, considering how hot it is here in Houston.”
He stretched his arm above him to adjust his air vent, providing a delightful view of his well-formed biceps. Carly found herself grateful for the crazy heatwave that gave him the incentive to strip off his outer layer.
“I’ve never seen it get this hot here in mid-October.” Considering the current state of her brain, she was pleased to have put together a relatively intelligent sentence.
The engines roared and surged forward, pressing her against the seat back as the plane accelerated then lifted into the air.
He folded the pullover in his lap. “Are you going to Chicago for business or pleasure?”
For the first time, he turned his face to look directly at her, and her heart stopped beating.
It’s Liam Bennett! No, it can’t be!
She forced her mouth closed and attempted to swallow, impossible with her mouth full of cotton balls.
“Both.” Her word came out like a wheeze.
Averting her face, her mind raced. It couldn’t really be Liam, could it? He’d been sixteen the last time she’d seen him, a junior at Highland Park High School in Dallas. She wouldn’t recognize him after all this time, would she? But what if it was him? She couldn’t let him figure out who she was.
“Are you nervous about flying?” He nodded to her hands, the knuckles white where she gripped the armrests.
She loosened her fingers, her eyes darting to his and back. “No... I mean, yes... I mean, just the takeoff.”
Drat! I should’ve said I was nervous about the entire flight. It would’ve given me an excuse to sit here with my hands over my face.
She ducked her chin but stole a quick peek when he didn’t appear to be watching. On second glance, the man didn’t look that much like the Liam she remembered.
She grabbed the airline magazine from the seat pocket in front of her and flipped through it, keeping her face turned away. But then she felt the heat of his gaze.
“You remind me of someone,” he said. “You look so familiar.”
“It must be Faye Fortune. Everyone tells me I look like her.”
His eyes narrowed as he focused on her face. She was sweating, and it had nothing to do with the temperature.
“I’m not really a fan of hers, but you do look a lot alike. That must be who I’m thinking of.”
“I’ve never been to Chicago,” she babbled, her nerves making a weird catch in her voice. “I’m planning to tour the countryside a bit and see the fall foliage for a few days. After that, I have a conference.”
Then she made a mistake. She was aiming for a brief glimpse, but their gazes locked.
His eyes are green! Like Liam’s!
Her stomach roiled like the time she’d eaten three bags of Cheetos while studying for a final.
Please, don’t let it be him.
