Read Online Island Hearts (Jenny's Turn and Stray Lady) by Vanessa Grant - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vanessa Grant
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laugh.
“It might be better.” He found himself smiling back at her, admitting, “I’d like it. I’d know what you were thinking then. It’s a mask, isn’t it? All that cool confidence, not the real Jennifer at all. What are you really thinking now?”
Her eyes met his, sparkling halfway between laughter and anger. “If you want the truth, I’m wishing you’d get the hell off this plane.”
He gestured to the window. “We’re thirty thousand feet high. Getting out could be a problem.”
She’d jerked her head abruptly, staring out the window. “My God, we are! I was so busy being furious with you, I didn’t notice the takeoff— Jake, will you stop this crazy attempt to get me back to work. I’m not coming.”
All the arguments he had intended to use evaporated as he watched her turn away to look back out the window.
“All right,” he said softly, wanting to bring her gaze back to him. He reached over and loosened her hand from its grip on the arm of the seat, turning it and smothering it in his own large brown hand. Hers seemed small and fragile, which struck him as odd because she had always appeared so sturdy and self-contained.
He remembered the day she had walked into his life, standing in the entrance to his studio, calmly watching while he tried to send her away. He didn’t have a job for her. He was overworked and too busy to waste time on brand new graduates who had stars in their eyes.
He’d never known exactly how it happened, but she was seated at his messy desk, straightening out his attempts to schedule what was quickly turning into a nightmare of overwork instead of a successful artistic enterprise.
Now he couldn’t imagine how Austin Media could survive without her, how he could maintain his sanity and still work.
“Are you really so afraid of flying? Why didn’t you tell me? We could have gone to California by train last year.”
“Two years ago,” she corrected once more, her voice businesslike, “and that would have been silly. Yes, I’m always nervous. No, don’t start telling me all the statistics about air travel being safest. I know it all, but when I’m up here I can’t help feeling that I have to keep this beast in the air by effort of will… If I relax for a minute, it’ll tumble to the ground.”
“Try it – just for a minute.” He could feel her hand starting to relax as he massaged the tense muscles of her fingers. He found himself wondering what else she was afraid of, wanting to slay her dragons for her.
“That’s pretty risky,” she said, laughing but still tense.
“Life is full of risks,” he said softly, taking her other hand so that they both rested in his, holding her eyes with his.
She said defensively, “I do know how silly it is, I really do. That’s why I get on these things anyway. And I won’t do anything silly, like screaming or demanding to be let off. I’ll just be quietly frightened.”
“Are you?” he asked.
She smiled then, shaking her head. “Not so much now,” she admitted. “Usually I try to get involved in a really good book the night before I fly. Then I spend the whole trip reading, pretending I’m at home in bed.”
“I’m sorry I’m not a good book,” he said then, speaking before he thought, wishing the words back when he saw her flush as she pulled her hands away from his.
He couldn’t even apologize or explain, because he had meant exactly what she thought he had. He had this clear image of her, lying in his arms, the bedding tumbled around them and her eyes looking up at him with green and golden fires burning deep in their depths.
The stewardess delivered their drinks at that moment. The businessman on Jennifer’s other side was apparently asleep – or pretending to be, while he listened to Jennifer and Jake.
Without looking, he was aware that she steadily sipped her drink until it was done, then she put the glass down with a click that seemed to indicate some sort of decision.
“Jake, I
“It might be better.” He found himself smiling back at her, admitting, “I’d like it. I’d know what you were thinking then. It’s a mask, isn’t it? All that cool confidence, not the real Jennifer at all. What are you really thinking now?”
Her eyes met his, sparkling halfway between laughter and anger. “If you want the truth, I’m wishing you’d get the hell off this plane.”
He gestured to the window. “We’re thirty thousand feet high. Getting out could be a problem.”
She’d jerked her head abruptly, staring out the window. “My God, we are! I was so busy being furious with you, I didn’t notice the takeoff— Jake, will you stop this crazy attempt to get me back to work. I’m not coming.”
All the arguments he had intended to use evaporated as he watched her turn away to look back out the window.
“All right,” he said softly, wanting to bring her gaze back to him. He reached over and loosened her hand from its grip on the arm of the seat, turning it and smothering it in his own large brown hand. Hers seemed small and fragile, which struck him as odd because she had always appeared so sturdy and self-contained.
He remembered the day she had walked into his life, standing in the entrance to his studio, calmly watching while he tried to send her away. He didn’t have a job for her. He was overworked and too busy to waste time on brand new graduates who had stars in their eyes.
He’d never known exactly how it happened, but she was seated at his messy desk, straightening out his attempts to schedule what was quickly turning into a nightmare of overwork instead of a successful artistic enterprise.
Now he couldn’t imagine how Austin Media could survive without her, how he could maintain his sanity and still work.
“Are you really so afraid of flying? Why didn’t you tell me? We could have gone to California by train last year.”
“Two years ago,” she corrected once more, her voice businesslike, “and that would have been silly. Yes, I’m always nervous. No, don’t start telling me all the statistics about air travel being safest. I know it all, but when I’m up here I can’t help feeling that I have to keep this beast in the air by effort of will… If I relax for a minute, it’ll tumble to the ground.”
“Try it – just for a minute.” He could feel her hand starting to relax as he massaged the tense muscles of her fingers. He found himself wondering what else she was afraid of, wanting to slay her dragons for her.
“That’s pretty risky,” she said, laughing but still tense.
“Life is full of risks,” he said softly, taking her other hand so that they both rested in his, holding her eyes with his.
She said defensively, “I do know how silly it is, I really do. That’s why I get on these things anyway. And I won’t do anything silly, like screaming or demanding to be let off. I’ll just be quietly frightened.”
“Are you?” he asked.
She smiled then, shaking her head. “Not so much now,” she admitted. “Usually I try to get involved in a really good book the night before I fly. Then I spend the whole trip reading, pretending I’m at home in bed.”
“I’m sorry I’m not a good book,” he said then, speaking before he thought, wishing the words back when he saw her flush as she pulled her hands away from his.
He couldn’t even apologize or explain, because he had meant exactly what she thought he had. He had this clear image of her, lying in his arms, the bedding tumbled around them and her eyes looking up at him with green and golden fires burning deep in their depths.
The stewardess delivered their drinks at that moment. The businessman on Jennifer’s other side was apparently asleep – or pretending to be, while he listened to Jennifer and Jake.
Without looking, he was aware that she steadily sipped her drink until it was done, then she put the glass down with a click that seemed to indicate some sort of decision.
“Jake, I
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