Sparks Fly

and Angelina talked about their future—a future he wanted more than anything.
    Joyce wheeled up to Will and kissed him softly on the cheek. “You’re welcome.”
    Angelina hugged Joyce goodbye and ten minutes later she was walking up the small flight of steps that led to the interior of Will’s private plane. It was more sumptuous than anything she could have imagined. He gave her a tour and she was amazed to find that the jet even had a bedroom on board.
    Moving back into the seating area, she remarked, “This is even better than first class.”
    Will laughed. “It’s not bad.”
    “Take it for granted, do you?”
    He looked around at the thick leather seats, the huge entertainment center on the wall behind the cockpit, the decked-out bar, and the bookshelf full of current magazines and his favorite books. “No, I don’t. It’s more like I don’t always feel that I deserve it. Does that make sense?”
    Angelina cocked her head to the side. “Do you really feel that way?”
    Instead of answering, Will helped her get seated and then popped his head into the cockpit to give the pilot the go-ahead.
    “What can I get you to drink?”
    “Whatever you want,” Angelina said, intent on their conversation. “You haven’t answered my question yet.”
    He poured each of them a glass of Merlot, then sat down and buckled in. “Sometimes it feels like the life I’ve built for myself isn’t the one I’m supposed to be living. It’s funny, isn’t it,” he said,
    “how one day we wake up and wonder why we’re where we are?”
    Angelina nodded and took a sip of red wine for courage. Throwing caution to the wind, she said, “Your painting in the guest room is absolutely stunning.”
    Myriad expressions crossed Will’s face—surprise mixed with pride, finally ending with a shuttering of his eyes, which had been so open to her just moments before. “My mother told you.”
    Angelina knew she had hit a tender spot, but she refused to back down so easily. “During our consultation, I couldn’t help but let her know how much I loved her work, especially the painting in the guest bedroom. She told me you were the painter. Your art is so wonderful, Will. How could you have stopped painting?”
    “I never stood a chance out there in the art world.”
    “And just what evidence do you have for that?”
    “What was I supposed to do? Get some galleries to hang up my paintings in the unlikely chance that someone would want to buy them, while my mother worked day and night to support me?”
    Angelina swallowed hard, but held his gaze. “Yes. I think that was exactly what you were supposed to do.”

    * * *
    Angelina could see that Will was uncomfortable with the way their conversation was going. She felt bad for pushing him, knew that was one of her greatest faults. A Feng Shui consultant was simply supposed to observe and make suggestions. She’d always been far too invested in what her clients ended up doing.
    More than anything, she wanted to see Will happy.
    “I’m sorry,” she said in a soft voice. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
    He was silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, “You surprise me at every turn, Angelina. It’s not a bad thing. Not at all.”
    She reached out for his hands, but holding them wasn’t enough. The kiss that came next wasn’t enough either.
    Since the moment she’d met this man, she’d been fighting her attraction to him. But now, it was more than pure desire that drove her. She was falling in love with him.
    And she wanted more.
    She stood up. Holding her out her hands to him again, she waited until he was standing in front of her.
    “I’m so glad I saw your lake. Your paintings. That I was able to meet your mother.”

    “I am too, Angelina.”
    Slowly, she led him away from their seats, toward the back of the plane.
    To the onboard bedroom.

    * * *
    They spent the next several hours kissing, touching, giving and getting pleasure in the small bedroom. There were no words of love between them, but Angelina tried to convince herself that they didn’t need to speak them aloud.
    Not when they were saying everything they needed to with their bodies.
    When the pilot’s voice came over the intercom, telling them they would be landing in twenty minutes, they dressed quietly and buckled themselves back into their seats without a word.
    “Just in case I get too wrapped up in dealing with the mess at the office, I want you to know I’m thinking of you.