THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

sever ties with Black Jack Charters altogether.
    She glanced up at Zane’s placid face.
    God love him, he didn’t understand a word.
    But a person didn’t have to be fluent in Spanish to realize Suarez was very angry. She elbowed Zane who flashed her an innocent look of what ?
    Mr. Suarez fell silent, evidently waiting for an explanation. She nudged Zane again. This time he must have taken the hint.
    “What can I say? I didn’t get the box.”  Zane shrugged again.
    That was it? He might be a crack pilot, but Zane was sorely lacking in people skills. Since he’d helped her, the least she could do was return the favor.
    Angel offered his client a smile then responded in Spanish, telling him, “ Mr. Suarez, please forgive my friend. He is an exceptional pilot, but a little rough around the edges. Unfortunately basic business skills were not required to get a pilot’s license.”  
    Had Zane just kicked her? She narrowed her eyes at him.
    He lifted both eyebrows like hmm ?
    Suarez’s lips lifted a tiny bit, but he gave no indication his temper had completely cooled, so she continued appeasing him in his language.
    “You are very understanding with Mr. Black’s shortcomings and we really appreciate your patience. If you’ll give us a chance to correct the problem, he’ll check into this matter and get back with you once he has answers on your missing package.”
    She finished with, “Please accept our sincere apology. You and your business mean a great deal to Black Jack Airlines.”  
    Suarez returned her smile with a sensational one. The man oozed European aristocratic elegance. He stepped forward when she offered a hand to shake, but lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers.
    Had that been a sigh escaping her lips? Who could blame her? No woman was immune to that kind of flattery.
    “ Senorita, you are as wonderful to do business with as you are to gaze upon, ” Suarez said in his language. Then he cut his eyes hard at Zane and added in English, “I suggest you keep this woman if you wish to continue delivering for my company.”
    Zane lifted a small box off the floor that he handed to Suarez then hooked an arm around Angel’s shoulders. He shifted her back to the point of forcing Suarez to release her hand.
    “I was just telling Angel what a great team we make,” Zane said. “She generally pops in and out when she wants, but we’re hammering out a plan that will work for both of us. Umph.” 
    She elbowed him one more time in the ribs for outright lying.
    Grinning, Suarez said goodbye as he left with the package under his arm.
    She jerked away from Zane. “Don’t you care about keeping that client?”
    “He’s not going anywhere,” he dismissed casually. “Only a few groups operate the way we do and none of them fly out of South Florida.”
    “I wouldn’t be so sure. He said he was thinking about dropping your service.”  She waited to see how Mr. Arrogant liked hearing that little tidbit.
    He didn’t say anything at first. Crossing his arms, Zane shifted his feet apart and cocked his head to the left, studying her. His stance didn’t intimidate her, but she worried what was going on under that short black hair.
    He asked, “Where’d you learn to speak Spanish?”
    “I took two years of it in high school and tutored English to the Puerto Rican children in my neighborhood.”  She cocked her chin up at him. “You should consider a few classes.”
    “You’re right, but not about classes. I need to make a better effort to appease Suarez since he’s a significant customer. I think you should stick around and translate for me.”
    Bad idea. “No.”  Angel shook her head. “I can’t do that.”
    “Why? Where’re you going?” he prodded.
    Nowhere until she found the coins.
    Before she could answer, he asked, “Where’re you staying?”
    “I don’t have a place yet, but I’m not planning on hanging around long.”
    He leaned toward her and asked, “By the way, just what were you looking for in here?”
    Oops .
    Not the time to ask about a missing package of boat canvas. The truth would only open a bottomless pit of questions. Sometimes gray worked better than black as long as it was close to the truth. “When I came in the mechanic said I could wait for you.”
    Well done, not really a lie .
    “You thought he meant here instead of the office?” 
    Right now Angel wished she were as skilled at acting as she was at physical training. She tried for a