Victoria The Billionaires Maid

Sage’s [POV]

I shrugged. “At least one of my seatmates will be pleasant.”

Lumberjack rose so I could enter the row and I sat down, careful not to touch Oliver in any way. It wasn’t easy. He was a big man himself, though much more densely packed. There was no chance he’d invade my personal space. I imagined that was probably one of Oliver Hamilton’s life credos.

Stick to your lane.

But I tended to sprawl. These seats were tiny for a full-figured woman like myself. I’d just have to be careful to not edge onto Oliver’s side, no matter how much I might be tempted to.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed to Oliver the second the lumberjack asked the flight attendant for coffee.

He smoothed his spring-green tie as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “As I stated before, this is a commercial flight. I don’t have to explain my presence here to you or anyone.”

“Uh-huh. You’re here because you think I need a chaperone.” Even as I said it, I argued with myself.

Oliver didn’t like me. Why would he give a whit if I traveled to Vegas to get my freak on?

Which wasn’t seeming likely any longer anyway. I’d be happy to gamble a little, maybe shop, enjoy the warm weather, and sleep in a different bed for a couple of nights. If I met a nice guy to have dinner with, that would be a plus. But I sincerely doubted I’d be able to spread my legs with a stranger, no matter how much I longed to be wild.

I simply wasn’t. That didn’t mean I couldn’t move past my comfort zone.

“You’re a grown woman. You don’t need anyone watching over you.”

I angled my head. “Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”

“This trip will allow me to pursue some business interests, so it’s a twofer, you could say.”

“You have no business dealings in Vegas.”

“That’s incorrect. I always cram as much into trips as I can, and this presented an opportunity for both business and pleasure.”

“Oh? What pleasure, exactly, do you think you’ll find?”

I didn’t care. Truly. But he was Ally’s brother-in-law, and we were in for a long flight. Might as well make conversation.

It wasn’t as if I could get him tossed off the plane. As he’d said, he had the same right to be here as anyone else.

And if there was a small-very small-part of me that was happy he was here, well, then I’d squash the heck out of that shit.

Uh, crap.

“Why, the pleasure of time spent with a friend.” His smile was about as trustworthy as a bank robber’s. “I’ve traveled alone often, and it’s a bore. I thought you might enjoy having someone with you to play travel guide and offer some insight.”

“Ah-ha! I knew you were here to spy.”

“On what, perchance?” His black eyebrow winged up and something quivered inside me that didn’t bear examining. “Your attempt to meet a man for illicit activities?”

“Pardon me for interrupting, but I couldn’t help overhearing,” Lumberjack said, his brows pinched together. “That’s not safe, Miss Evans. Unless you operate under a buddy system.”

I gave him a tight smile. “Call me Sage.”

Oliver leaned over me and gave Lumberjack a look that might’ve been deemed friendly if one were optimistic. “Don’t worry. I’ll serve as her buddy.”

There was no stopping my snort. “You don’t have the slightest clue how. Do you even have any friends other than Seth and Ally? And they’re related to you, so they don’t even count.”

As soon as the snarky comments were out, I regretted them. Oliver brought out my sarcastic side, but that didn’t give me the right to be mean.

“I’m sorry.” I swallowed hard. “That was uncalled for.”

He was strangely silent, shifting his dark, unfathomable gaze to the window. “I do not,” he said after a moment, and my chest squeezed with regret and shame.

Since when was I so callous? That wasn’t me. Sure, I enjoyed sparring with Oliver, and our snippy relationship was different from any I’d ever had before. Generally, people liked me, and I usually felt the same. But from day one with Oliver, we’d been like fire and water, blending awkwardly at best. At worse, we bickered over every frigging thing.

That didn’t give me cause to be hurtful. Especially if he did care enough about me to bother flying to Vegas-in coach, even-just to make sure I was okay. He wasn’t a man who did many extras for anyone who wasn’t one of his loved ones, and those were few and far between.

Warmth spread beneath my breastbone. Perhaps he didn’t hate me as much as I’d believed.

“Do you want to be friends with me?”

When he didn’t reply, I tried not to fidget. Or fill the space with babble.

He turned his head and caught me in a stare so intense, I might as well have been rooted in place. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

He simply nodded.

When he shifted away again, I released a long, shaky breath. Whoa.

“I’ll be your friend too,” Lumberjack offered, and as I glanced at him, I realized he was gazing at the side of Oliver’s head.

Oliver was abjectly ignoring him.

“Aww, that’s sweet.” I squeezed Lumberjack’s beefy arm and grinned up at him. “Me too?”

“O-of course.” The smile he flashed me was without guile.

The exact opposite of Oliver’s, and yet I felt oddly pulled to him. Was it because he was the first man I’d spoken to for more than a moment during my hookup quest?

Oliver, that is, not Lumberjack. Lumberjack was kind and seemed like a good person, but he stirred nothing in me. Not that Oliver did either.

Of course not. That would be lunacy. I hadn’t even had a drink yet. The minute that in-flight sign went on though, it was on. I couldn’t wait to enjoy my first experience with day drinking. The occasional glass of wine with lunch did not count.

As for Oliver, I must be ovulating or something. There was no other earthly reason why he would do anything for me other than cause me angina.

Oliver leaned across my lap again, and his gaze dropped to my hand still clasping Lumberjack’s biceps for an instant before he smiled at the other man. “I’m a Leo.”

Lumberjack locked his jaw. “Uh, I don’t know signs and stuff.”

I didn’t know why I wanted to laugh, but I so did. “What’s your birthday?”

“July eleventh.”

“Cancer. You’re an empathetic man. No wonder you offered to be Oliver’s friend. You have a benevolent soul. Leos, however, can be proud and unwilling to accept help. They’re also arrogant and usually have flowing manes. Hmm, not so much with you.” I cocked my head and studied Oliver’s almost military-short cut. The front was long and sometimes swept into his eyes, only to be ruthlessly pushed back.

Like right now.

“I’m not some hippie,” he muttered, sitting back and pulling out a tablet. He immediately began to type with his thumbs.

Conversation over. Okay then.

I leaned toward Lumberjack. “Don’t mind his manners,” I whispered. “He’s new to the friend thing.”

“I heard that,” Oliver said without looking up. “Should I cling to your arm too to show our friendship?”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Reluctantly, I let go of Lumberjack. He was nice and sturdy to hang onto.

Good thing we were about to take off. I was ready for that drink.

The requisite pre-flight warnings were recited and I listened with rapt attention to the various safety checks mentioned. So exciting. I couldn’t wait to put all of this in my memory planner once I was back home. Oh, picture! I’d almost forgotten in my exuberance.

Tugging out my phone, I snapped pictures of the inside of the plane, including one of Lumberjack, who smiled widely. When I turned the phone toward Oliver, his glower was enough to have me lowering it.

I’d just substitute a picture of Oscar The Grouch in his trash can for Oliver.

Sighing, I tucked away my cell. The lights went down and I put on my seat belt, prepared for liftoff. This would be the fun part. Once we were in the air, I’d have to take out my backup sweater from my bag for my legs. It was chilly in here.

A thunderous rolling sound filled the plane and my stomach heaved, falling approximately to my knees. I screeched and grabbed an arm, except this time it wasn’t Lumberjack’s.

“Oh my God, what is that? Turbulence?”

Oliver’s chuckle would’ve infuriated me if I could fully process it through the roar in my head. “You can’t have turbulence until you’re in the air.”

Stay calm. Stay chill. Millions of people do this every day.

The floor seemed to shake under my feet and I gave up all pretense of being relaxed. I buried my face in Oliver’s shoulder and let out a whimper.

To my utter shock, he cupped the back of my head in his large hand and stroked my hair, saying softly to Lumberjack, “First-time flyer.”

Lumberjack replied something that sounded like “lucky you” before another rumble occurred and some definite whooshing. I could tell we were rising because my belly was flopping like a landed trout, but Oliver’s caresses on my hair were surprisingly soothing.

“Just another minute or two and we’ll level out.”

I didn’t say anything, since I was still clinging and hiding my eyes like a terrified child. No doubt about it, this would mortify me later, but right now? I was quite enjoying being nestled up against Oliver.

Must be the adrenaline drop after my fight-or-flight response. Also, he smelled freaking fabulous. How had I never noticed before?

Granted, I’d never had my nose buried in his clothing before-and pressed against a firm, rippling muscle-but still. The scent was an intriguing mix of cedar that reminded me of the closet in my room at home, soap, and the light tang of clean sweat, all layered with some high-end musky cologne. Delicious.

Damn near edible, if I wasn’t in the midst of a panic attack.

The plane seemed to level out at about the same time his hand stopped moving over my hair. “Are you sniffing me?” he asked against my ear.

His warm breath ruffled my hair and a shiver moved through me that had nothing to do with the drafty plane. What was wrong with me? I never reacted this way to him when we were in Crescent Cove. Sure, I might’ve brushed against him now and then, just because he was such a solid hunk of man meat, but it wasn’t sexual exactly. More like I was in a drought of attention from the opposite sex and he was a complete ass, but he was so very male.

“You smell like cedar and musk.”

“Musk? That word is horrifying, right up there with moist.”

I frowned and finally pulled back, though I maintained my hold on him just in case the plane did make any sudden moves. “Not like…personal musk.” His eyebrow did that arching thing and I coughed into my hand. “Like the scent in men’s cologne. You know. It’s a proven fact that particular smell arouses most women.”

“Oh, is it? Is that why you’ve cleaved to me like a barnacle on a ship? Here I thought it was because you were an uneasy flyer.”

I jumped back so fast that my elbow pegged Lumberjack in the arm. “Oops, sorry.”

“You can hold on to me again if you like.” His hopeful smile was in direct contrast to the noise Oliver made in his throat. I couldn’t define it precisely, but it reminded me of a possessive, irate cat. Part growl, part grunt, all alpha male.

Jeez, I did need to get laid. I was obsessed with manly attributes.

“Kind offer, but I think the time for concern has passed,” Oliver told Lumberjack as if he had any right to speak for me.

“Says you,” I muttered.

The plane was rocking. Lovely.

“Now that is likely a bit of turbulence. There are storms in-“