Read Online Pleasure Island by Anna-Lou Weatherley - Free Book Online Page A

she have to do this; it was damned awkward enough as it was being stuck on a bloody plane with his nemesis without his damned wife trying to recreate a scene from the Fucking Partridge Family .
    â€˜After all, we’re all in this adventure together aren’t we?’ she smiled, determined to drag him from his moribund mood.
    Mia reluctantly removed her eye mask and looked over at them. If that silly bint who had the misfortune to have married Rupert Deyton thought she was going to toast to their shared experience she had another thing coming. Snowmen would survive hell before she would chink glasses with that arsehole. Mia felt utterly depressed, not to mention still furious. It wasn’t enough that she’d agreed to have anything to do with Martin McKenzie in the first place, a man she despised even more than she did Rupert Deyton. It was as if someone was playing a sick joke on her, a very sick joke indeed.
    â€˜Excuse me, Aki,’ Angelika called out to the flight attendant who was busy clearing away the remains of the breakfast they’d not long ago enjoyed. ‘Would it be possible to bring more champagne … we’d like to make a toast.’ She was feeling a little lightheaded already, something she put down to the early morning rise and champagne combined, though she hadn’t even had half a glass. The plane juddered a little, causing her to momentarily grip the edge of the seat in a bid to steady herself.
    â€˜Absolutely, madam,’ Aki nodded obligingly. ‘Right away.’
    The diminutive woman disappeared behind the red curtain, reappearing a few moments later carrying a magnum of vintage Krug.
    â€˜Only the best stuff for Mr McKenzie, right?’ Angelika noted, watching as she teetered towards them. The plane was juddering ever so slightly harder now, enough for Angelika’s grin to settle into a smile.
    â€˜Must’ve hit a bit of turbulence,’ she said, nerves beginning to flutter gently on her stomach.
    â€˜You should sit down,’ Nate suggested, ‘wait for it to pass.’
    Angelika agreed, taking her seat next to her husband and buckling up.
    Aki began to distribute the champagne into the cut crystal flutes, seemingly impervious to the fact that she was spilling half of it onto the pristine black carpet in the process.
    â€˜It’s just a little turbulence,’ she assured them as the glasses tinkled.
    Billie-Jo swiped her glass of fizz.
    â€˜I hate turbulence,’ she said gulping back the Krug, wishing she’d had that little livener to accompany it now. ‘It gives me the shits.’
    â€˜It’s nothing,’ Nate placated her, making sure he’d said it loud enough for Angelika to hear too. He noticed she’d turned a little pale and felt the odd need to reassure her too.
    The plane suddenly lurched sharply to the right.
    â€˜Fucking shit!’ The magnum of champagne hit the floor and exploded with a bang and hiss. Billie-Jo’s glass followed suit.
    â€˜For God’s sake, Angelika!’ Rupert snapped irritably as his wife dug her nails into his arm in a bid to stop herself form falling backwards.
    â€˜What in God’s name …!’ Mia Manhattan was practically hanging over the edge of her reclined seat, her belt the only thing preventing her from having been thrown to the floor.
    The force of the sharp lurch had forced JJ onto one knee.
    â€˜Fuck man, that was heavy,’ he said, a little lightheaded from the violent rush of adrenaline that had mainlined through his system like a line of coke. He scrambled to his feet as the plane seemed to momentarily adjust itself. ‘You OK, Mia?’ He helped her back up into a seated position. She was too stunned to reply. She felt woozy with stress and just wanted to sleep. Perhaps then she would wake up and realise it was all just a dreadful nightmare.
    â€˜Ladies and gentlemen, if you could all remain seated with your belts on.’