Private Arrangements. Brenda Jackson

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       Thoughts of her had begun taking up too much of his time, and he couldn’t shake them off like he did with other women. It was as if they occupied the deep recesses of his mind and intended to stay forever. And Jonas Steele didn’t do forever with any woman.

       And there was also the fact that around her his active imagination was worse than ever. Some were so downright erotic they had startled even him. That much desire made him feel vulnerable, and it was a vulnerability he could and would not tolerate.

       Things had gotten worse after the kiss. He had started comparing every single kiss after that with hers, and so far none could compare. And then at night, he would wake up in a sweat, alone in his bed, after dreaming of making love to her in positions that were probably outlawed in the United States and their territories.

       At one time he’d thought the best thing to do was just to work her out of his system by sleeping with her. He figured that one good night of sex ought to do the trick. But then there was this inner fear that an all-nighter might not do anything but make him want some more. Then he would start begging.

       And the thought of a Steele begging was unheard of. Totally out of the question. A damn mortal sin. Definitely something that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Never.

       Then why was he freaking out about a kiss that happened eighteen months ago?

       He figured one of the main reasons was that he had tasted something in that kiss he’d never tasted before—the type of passion that could ultimately be his downfall, his final hold on the world that he wanted for himself. The only world he could live in. A world filled with women, women and more women. He refused to let his body’s reaction to one particular woman end what he considered the good life.

       He needed a Tootsie Pop.

       “So what’s your marketing strategy for this project, Jonas?”

       Her voice was low and seductive. He knew it wasn’t intentional. That’s the way it was. He glanced over at her. Was she wearing makeup? He couldn’t tell. She had what most women would call natural beauty. And this wasn’t the first time he’d noticed just how long her eyelashes were. Most women wore the fake ones to get that length, but he knew hers were the real deal.

       His fingers tightened around the glass, and he took another sip before saying, “Fulton wants me to capitalize on the fact there hasn’t been an airship of this kind since the Hindenburg…while at the same time minimizing the similarities.” He breathed in her scent again, liking it even more, and getting more and more aroused by it.

       Nikki nodded. She understood the reason Mr. Fulton would want that. It had been decades since the luxury airship exploded while attempting to dock. Of the ninety-seven passengers and crew on board, thirty-five people had lost their lives. If Fulton had built a similar airship, the last thing he would want people to remember was the fate of the original one.

       “That tragedy was seventy-five years ago,” she said. “I’m surprised no one has attempted to build another luxury airship of that kind before now.”

       “People have long memories,” he said, pushing his plate aside and leaning back in his chair since he’d finished his meal. “Fortunately, the ones who do remember are no longer around to tell the story of that fateful day in May 1937.”

       He paused a moment and then added, “I remember reading about it in school. I had a history teacher who ranked the Hindenburg explosion right up there with the sinking of the Titanic.”

       Nikki could believe that. Both had been major catastrophes. She had studied the Hindenburg in school as well, and was well aware that the disaster had effectively destroyed the public’s confidence in any type of giant, passenger-carrying air transportation of its kind, abruptly ending the era of the airship. But at the time they didn’t have the technological advances of today. She’d heard the airship that Fulton had built was in a class all by itself, definitely a breakthrough in the world of air travel.

       “My ultimate plan is to rebuild people’s confidence in this type of air travel.” Jonas interrupted her thoughts. “After the Titanic, people were leery of cruise ships, but now they don’t give a thought to what happened with the Titanic years ago. I want the same mind-set in getting the public back interested in luxury air travel. Especially on the airship Velocity.”

       She arched her brows. “Velocity?”

       “Yes, that’s the name of Fulton’s airship, and when you think of the meaning I believe it will fit.”

       He leaned back in his chair. “Velocity is being billed as the wave of the future in air travel, and is capable of moving at four times the speed of sound and uses biofuel made from seaweed with minimum emissions.”

       “Seaweed?”

       He chuckled. “Yes. Amazing, isn’t it? Fulton will bring a hypersonic zeppelin-design aircraft into the present age. It guarantees a smooth flight and will trim the time getting from one place to another by fifty percent. Ideas of Steele’s job is to tie everything together and present a package the public would want to buy into. When the Velocity is ready for its first series of air voyages in April, we want a sold-out airship. Fulton’s designers have created a beauty that will be unveiled at a red-carpeted launch party in a few weeks.”

       Jonas paused a moment when the waiter returned to clear their table and give them a dessert menu. Jonas looked over at her and said, “Fulton is well aware the only people who will be passengers on his supersonic airship are the well-to-do, since a ticket won’t be cheap. My job is to pique everyone’s interest, restore their confidence in the safety of hypersonic travel and make sure those who can afford a ticket buy one. I will emphasize all the Velocity has to offer as a fun and exciting party airship.”

       He paused a moment, then continued, “I’ll need photographs for the brochures, website, all the social networks I’ll be using, as well as the mass media. The launch party will be held in Las Vegas. Then the next day the Velocity will take a trial flight, leaving Los Angeles, traveling to China, Australia, Dubai and Paris on a fourteen-day excursion. That’s four continents. Fulton has invited certain members of the media, and a few celebrities. You will need to be on board for that too, to take as many marketing photos as you can.”

       Jonas met her gaze. “As my photographer I’d like you to attend all events as well as travel with me. We’ll want to highlight the airship to its full advantage, to give it the best exposure.”

       Nikki breathed in deeply in an attempt to downplay the racing of her heart at the thought of all the time they would spend together. Here he was, sitting across from her, all business. She drew in a deep breath. Evidently he had put the kiss they’d shared out of his mind and was not still dwelling on it like she was. Had she really thought he would?

       Get real, girl. Do you honestly think that kiss had any sort of lasting effect on him like it had on you? You’re talking about a man who’s kissed countless women. In his book, one is probably just as good as another. No big deal. So why are you letting it be a big deal for you? If he can feel total indifference then why can’t you?

       She knew the answer to that without much thought. As much as she boasted about no longer believing in fairy tales of love and forever-after, and as much as she told herself that she could play with the big boys, she knew she could not compete with the likes of Jonas Steele. Nor did she want to.

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