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sixteen. You’ll be safe with me.”
    Someone called out to him. Adam turned and walked to meet a guy in a khaki flight suit coming out of one of the hangars.
    â€œI do not have a death wish,” she muttered.
    â€œNeither do I,” he called over his shoulder.
    She waited until he finished his conversation and returned. “I’ve never flown in a private plane.”
    â€œGood. I’ll be your first, and I’ll make it good for you.” The gleam in his eyes as he opened a door on the side of the aircraft was purely sexual. Her body responded accordingly, warming, moistening. She shook off the unwanted response.
    â€œMy father died in a plane crash.”
    Compassion softened Adam’s features. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I take good care of my plane and I’ll take care of you.”
    She wavered.
    â€œStatistically, you’re less likely to be in an accident in a plane than in a car. Climb in. Sit in the right front seat.”
    Her feet stayed planted. “Adam, I get seasick.”
    â€œSeasick and airsick are not the same. Trust me, Lauryn.”
    He grabbed her cold hands and carried them to the warmth of his cheeks, sandwiching her icy fingers between his smooth-shaven jaw and his warm palms. And then he leaned in and kissed her. One gentle, coaxing caress of his lips against hers followed another and another until the beginnings of arousal edged the fear from her stiff limbs. She was on the verge of responding, of threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him closer, when he lifted his head.
    â€œTrust me,” he repeated.
    She was stuck. He was going to force her to ride in that dinky tin can. Grimacing, she pulled her hands free. “On three conditions. A, if I absolutely hate it you let me fly home on a regular plane. B, no fancy acrobatics. And C, I don’t want to hear anything about the mile-high club. Not one word.”
    He grinned. “Deal. Now climb in.”
    He handed her into a compartment barely four feet high and wide. There were two leather bucket seats in the cabin and two more up front. She squeezed between the front seats and groaned as she sank into the one on the right. She was surrounded by glass, and she’d be able to see exactly how high they were off the ground. She buckled her seat belt. Tight.
    She couldn’t believe her father had flown for a living. Flying hadn’t just been his job, it had been his passion.
    Ten minutes later Adam eased his long frame in beside her. She gripped the armrests and watched him prepare for flight. Headset. Buttons. Dozens of them. And the she noticed the twin screens on the dash. One was GPS. She couldn’t identify the other one. The propeller started, vibrating the plane.
    He leaned over and pushed a headset over her hair. “Can you hear me now?”
    He winked. Her stomach knotted. She closed her eyes.
    Minutes passed while Adam communicated with the tower in the take-charge voice he used at work. She occupied herself with mental math. How much interest would a million dollars paid in twenty-four installments net over five years, ten, by retirement age?
    The plane moved forward, bouncing gently down the runway before gathering speed and lifting off. She knew the exact second they left the ground. Squeezing her eyes closed, she tightened her grip on the armrests.
    Moments later Adam’s hand covered hers. “You can look now.”
    She eased open one eye and saw blue sky. She opened the other and risked looking down. Her stomach contents didn’t rush to her throat. If anything, she wanted to see more and leaned closer to the window to do so. She could even identify some of the landmarks.
    â€œThe water’s so green.”
    â€œBeautiful, isn’t it? Same color as your eyes.”
    She snapped her head toward him and met his gaze. Forget it. He’s a natural-born charmer. Compliments come as easily to him as breathing. But knowing the