Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Landing on his lap, Gabriela stared at him in shock for a few seconds before realizing she needed to get off him. “Oops, sorry!”
“The turbulence is too rough to move. Relax. I’ll keep you safe,” Kole told her. His arms locked around her, holding Gabriela’s body to his. It would have taken dynamite to get her out of his embrace.
Scared, she looped her arms around his neck, clinging to him for support as the smaller plane rocked and rolled for a second.
A flash of lightning illuminated the cabin. Kole’s face was calm and relaxed. She fed off his energy and felt her pulse slowing as she relaxed against him. Resting her head on his wide shoulder, Gabriela closed her eyes. She pressed her hand to his chest to feel the thud of his heart.
CHAPTER 4
This is not a smart idea. Kole knew he should buckle her back into her seat but the risk of her being jostled or bruised was high. He tried to think of anything other than how perfectly she fit in his arms. Tracking the carbs in the meal he’d just eaten and devising a plan to keep her safe on the large movie set, he tried to keep his focus on Gabby as a job. His body had other ideas.
When she relaxed completely against him, Kole concentrated on her breaths landing on his neck. Slow and steady made him suspect she was asleep. The soft snore that followed this decision confirmed it. Gabby was out.
The ride settled down quickly. Kole knew she had not slept well after the encounter with the aggressive man. He held her securely in his arms, allowing her to get rest. When the pilot came back, Kole warned him to be quiet with a finger pressed to his lips. The man smiled and nodded. He continued to the bathroom at the rear of the plane and walked silently back to the cockpit on his return.
“We’re getting ready to land,” Vince whispered a couple of hours later.
Kole nodded and slowly rubbed Gabby’s back. “Gabby girl. You need to wake up now.”
“Mmm,” she mumbled and rubbed her face against his chest.
“I’m sorry, Gabby. You have to open those pretty eyes now. We’re about to land.”
“Land?” she echoed and pushed herself up with a hand on his hard abdomen.
“Kole?”
He watched the wheels in her mind turn as she blinked at him. When everything fell into place, her mouth formed an O. “Corn nuts! I’m so sorry.”
Unable to stop his amusement, Kole laughed. “Corn nuts?” he repeated.
“I can’t cuss. I’m really bad at it.” It dawned on her that she still cuddled against him. “Oh! Let me get off you.”
When she moved to slide off his lap, Kole simply lifted her and set her down in her seat. He fastened her seatbelt and handed Gabby her water. “Take a drink, swallow, and then take three deep breaths.”
Following his directions, Gabby looked at him with gratitude as she seemed to push the last of the fogginess from her mind. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Quickly, she checked her makeup and brushed her hair as they landed and taxied to the spot they could deplane. She was completely awake and put together by the time they came to a stop.
Kole suspected she didn’t have much down time on the set and there was always pressure on her to be perfect. That was a heavy burden on someone. Add in the threat of someone menacing her, and Kole couldn’t imagine how on edge she was. He vowed to find a way to allow her to relax as much as she had in her sleep.
He inhaled sharply at that thought. That wasn’t a security guard’s plan. That was pure Daddy. She was his. Kole glanced across the aisle to find her watching him. Her gaze darted away and came back to mesh with his.
“Why didn’t you set me in my seat when the turbulence ended?”
“You needed sleep,” he told her. “You were comfortable. I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“Oh. That makes sense, but it couldn’t have been comfortable for you. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. Cornnuts?” he asked, distracting her.
“No one in my house was allowed to cuss. My momma would have whooped me good with a wooden spoon if I’d dared to laugh. My dad broke a tooth on a cornnut. That became his favorite thing to say. I guess it stuck.”
“I like it.”
“It’s in my contract that I don’t cuss. I’m okay with that. It’s good for my social media profile.”
“I’m opening the door. Whenever you’re ready. Your driver is here,” Vince reported.
“I’ll go first.” Kole laid down the law, stepping into the aisle first.
As he walked down the short path between the seats, Kole carried his bag in front of him so it wouldn’t run into her. He stopped deliberately before turning to exit through the door to make sure she was behind him. Seeing her a few steps behind, he turned the corner and stepped through the opening, blocking it with his bulk as he looked around. A black SUV waited for them a short distance from the stairs. A hang tag dangled from the rearview mirror, cluing him in that it was from the studio.