Bride 2 Be

Chapter Three ~ Panic

Chapter Three
Panic

LISA WANTED TO SCREAM at the top of her lungs, releasing all her frustrations at once. Calvin Grayburg had a way of getting underneath her skin and making her crazy. She couldn't let that rich snob blame Penny for this fiasco. Edward had to have been the one to initiate this farce of a marriage. He probably dangled his wealth in front of her sister, flashed his wallet, and made Penny's dreams come true with small tokens of affection. Penny's partnership with Edward through Anna's Originals kept them in contact over the last two years, though she never saw their personal relationship coming. She always assumed they tolerated one another for the sake of the business, especially since Penny complained every time she was asked to contact Edward regarding business.

The limo pulled up next to a small jet on the tarmac, and butterflies danced in her stomach. That plane looked like a tiny toy compared to a commercial jetliner, smaller than anything she had ever flown in. They exited the limo, the bright sunshine forcing her to pull the dark sunglasses over her eyes. Calvin rested his hand in the middle of her back, and that contact sent heat racing up her spine, adding a slight flush to her cheeks. She gnawed the inside her mouth, hoping to drive the sensation away. Every time he touched her, she felt something new, perplexing, something she even enjoyed. Why does a man I casually know have this kind of effect on me?

"Thank you, Russ. I'll let you know when I intend to be back," he said to the limo driver.

Calvin led her to the plane, where the staircase lowered upon their arrival. The pilot stood in the doorway with a bright smile as they approached. He removed his hand, and disappointment by the loss of Calvin's touch washed over her. Lisa followed on his heels as he made his way up the stairs, her eyes trailing over his broad shoulders, down his back as it narrowed at the waist, and lingered on his firm behind-clad in blue denim. She inhaled and held her breath while thoughts of seeing Calvin naked entered her mind. She never expected to find herself attracted to him. They had spent countless hours in business meetings before and shared a few meals together. She couldn't understand where this sudden interest came from. Did I miss something?

"Hello, Max, you're looking well." Calvin's voice filled with excitement as he greeted the other man.

He stopped and shook Max's hand. "You, too, Mr. Grayburg. You look well." Peeking over Calvin's shoulder, Max winked at Lisa. "Who have we here?"

Calvin stepped onto the plane, turned, and looked toward Lisa, making her breath catch. Lisa tore her eyes from his face and turned her attention to Max. Once on the jet, she held out her hand for the pilot. "Lisa Green, pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Green. It is Miss?"

Lisa blushed and couldn't stop that reaction from happening, caught off guard by the simple question. "Yes," she said, nodding, then tugging her hand from his firm hold.

Calvin's eyebrow rose as he watched them. Her heart fluttered at that look, seeing something in it as if Calvin could be interested in her for even a moment. She shrugged the outrageous thought out of her mind, walked past him, and sat in one of the luxury leather chairs.

Taking in her surroundings, her eyes darted across the navy carpet with red speckles running through it, reminding her of the boardroom at Grayburg Corporation. John and Carol were big on that color scheme; even the distinct company logo used them. All six chairs were navy leather, tables were sitting between them, and four seats were on one side of the plane and two on the other. The jet even had a bar. Lisa peeked out the window and looked down at the man who stood just outside with orange cone-shaped flashlights. She expected him to be smaller or at least appear that way. Nervousness settled in as she thought about flying so far away in such a little aircraft. Is it even safe?

Calvin took the seat that faced her, crossed one leg over the other, and winked.

Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened, shocked by this dramatic change in the man she thought she knew and understood. She crossed her arms over her chest, needing to know what he meant by that wink and the look he plied her with when she boarded the plane. "What's that for?"

Uncrossing his legs, Calvin leaned forward, "You have an admirer."

Lisa shook her head. "Your pilot was just being nice. I'm sure that's hard for someone like you to believe."

Calvin stood up and glared down at her. His piercing brown eyes made her winch in her seat as if he had speared her with a knife. This man was a smoldering bundle of desire, whether sporting his serious business face, showing off his red-hot temper, or letting her see a lighter side of his personality. Her pulse raced, and her fingers twitched, wanting to run through his thick, blondish-brown hair, pulling him in for a kiss. She stared at his mouth, caught by the fullness, imagining what those lips could do to her. Moving her eyes from his face, she followed the open collar of his shirt, drinking in the bronze skin peeking out and catching a glimpse of the light hair on his chest. Drifting down the shirt's buttons, she headed to the snug denim that encased his powerful thighs and swallowed hard. Tearing her eyes away, she fought to control the urges that crept into her mind, making her ache for things she forgot existed.

She hungered for him like a wilting tulip thirsty for a drop of spring rain, desperate for that need of survival. Lisa closed her eyes, calling upon that inner strength and control she somehow lost in his presence.

"Someone like me?" he began, moved in front of her, gripped the arms of the chair, and leaned into her face. "Care to explain that?"

Her throat parched, and her mind fell into a haze of sexual yearning while she struggled to come up with a coherent response. His cologne assaulted her, gave her a calm feeling, and made her senses tingle. Fighting his effects on her, she searched for a memory to use and harden her resolve. Remembering his arrogance, how he talked down to the wait staff during a few dinner meetings helped push aside the warm fuzzy feelings, sparking instant irritation.

Lisa looked up at him, taking a steady breath. "Oh, come on, Cal, you don't need me to spell it out for you, do you?"

He backed away, giving her some space. "Apparently, I do. Enlighten me, please." His face held that smug, don't mess with me look, which was all the invitation she needed to continue on this path.

"You're a first-class snob; talk down to those who work for you or feel beneath your station." He folded his arms across his chest, showing more of the hair she wanted to see moments earlier. Lisa couldn't take her eyes off that spot, drawn to it like a moth to the flame.

"Is that so?"

She nodded, still entranced, picturing her face buried in his chest, engulfed in his arms. "That's how I see it."

Calvin laughed. Threw his head back and roared. "Oh, lady, you have no idea."

"We've been cleared for takeoff; please take your seats," Max called over the intercom.

Lisa watched as Calvin pulled himself together, two long strides taking him back to the chair he vacated earlier. She continued to stare at him. The mystery man became more puzzling with each passing minute. She couldn't decide which man she liked best. He had a multi-faceted personality that she thought might be worth getting to know better, but she was still deciding whether to take such a bold risk.

Buckling her seatbelt, she took a deep breath and glanced out the window as the plane began to move. She couldn't watch. The thought of the tiny jet entering turbulence or crashing entered her mind and made her breathing unsteady. She closed her eyes, wishing they would be in the air when she opened them again.

"Are you all right?" Calvin asked.

With her eyes still shut, she nodded, the only thing she could do as panic set in.

"Lisa," he said, his deep voice penetrating the irrational thoughts that plagued her mind. "This is a very safe aircraft, and Max is a great pilot. I fly around the world on this jet. Trust me, you're in safe hands."

Somehow, that assuring, calming voice soothed her. Her lids fluttered open with a great effort. Her chest grew heavy, her rugged breathing picking up at an earlier pace, and that scared her.

"Focus, Lisa. Look at me."

Their eyes locked over the short five-foot distance that stood between them. She found something to hang onto in his face, in the kindness of his brown eyes. Lisa clung to that, her hands gripping the armrest so tight her knuckles ached.

"Breathe, take a deep breath, and let it out slowly," he coaxed.

She complied as if in a trance, her lungs burning from inhaling so heavily. Exhaling, she continued to get lost in those two brown pools, wanting to dive into them and get lost. The jet engines screamed, the speed picking up as they raced down the runway. The alarm returned; she couldn't stop it from happening.

Slamming her lids closed again, her breath hitched, elevating in intensity.

Calvin began to hum, and as the tune continued, his voice became louder. Then, he did something that shocked her. He sang. Calvin Grayburg started singing.

"They call me the wanderer, yeah, the wanderer. I roam around, around, around, around, around…"

A smile broke out over her face. She looked at him, beginning to hum herself as he continued to sing the familiar Dion tune. Calvin's head bobbed back and forth, and he sang his heart out, oblivious to her watching him.

"Yeah, I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around. I'm never in one place. I roam from town to town. And when I find myself falling for some girl, I hop right in that car of mine and drive around the world." They both sang now. Calvin's eyes widened as he looked at her, continuing to sing with her.

"We're in the air," she muttered, releasing the death grip on the chair and relaxing. "Thank you, Cal. That really helped."

He shrugged, "It's one of my favorite songs. I usually sing it to Kurt just before another date. Being the family playboy, it's fitting."

Lisa smiled. Many tales went to the newspapers, even when the Grayburg family came to Endurance for a pre-launch party or just visiting. Kurt Grayburg was a newspaper selling point, attracting a Hollywood celebrity's attention. "I've heard. Have you always teased him that way?"

He lifted his head and gazed into the distance as if thinking about the question. "I imagine so, never given it much thought before."

The seatbelt sign chimed off, and Lisa relaxed a bit more.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded. "I can't believe how panicked I became. I've never flown on something quite this small."

Calvin stood. "How about a glass of wine? It will help to relax you and take the edge off. You really should have eaten a bit more at the hotel."

She watched as he approached the bar and produced two glasses and a couple mini bottles of wine. He moved around the plane quickly, very comfortable in his surroundings, as if they were not hundreds of miles up in the air. Lisa wondered if she would ever be that relaxed on a jet and guessed she wouldn't. He poured the drinks, took a sip from his glass, and headed toward her. She realized she loved to watch him, finding something alluring about him. Lisa noticed that his hair became lighter when it dried, too, not as dark as it looked at the hotel. He handed her the glass. She reached out, her fingertips brushing over his, feeling that familiar tingling sensation racing up her arm again.

"Thank you," she uttered.

He nodded, "You're welcome, Lisa."

He took another drink, as did she. The sweet white liquid rushed down her throat, quenching her thirst. Seeing Calvin in a new light made it hard to keep quiet. She wanted to talk to him and learn things about the man she spent time with, but she only had the opportunity to know the businessman over the years.

"I was very sorry to hear about the wedding being called off."

Calvin returned to his seat. "Thank you for saying so, but it's not necessary. Julie did us a favor by getting out the day before the wedding. We would have made a huge mistake anyway, only making our parents happy in the long run."

Lisa was shocked to learn he felt that way. She always assumed they were in love. Julie played the part of a doting bride-to-be all too well. Lisa remembered conversing with the brunette about the upcoming wedding when Anna began designing the wedding gown. She acted as if marrying Calvin would be the most wonderful event of the year and even spoke of having a family.

"I had no idea." Lisa raised her glass towards the ceiling of the plane. "Here's to second chances. May your next relationship be a lasting one."

A genuine smile broke out on his handsome face. He leaned forward and waited for Lisa to bring her glass closer. The crystal met, clanked together, and they sat back in their chairs, draining the wine. Lisa could get lost in that dreamy smile if it remained on his face. She wondered why he hid this playful side, as if he needed to be the take-charge businessman twenty-four-seven, never showing any vulnerabilities or humor. Every member of the Grayburg family had their own unique style, and Lisa had the pleasure of seeing that firsthand. She never expected Calvin to grow on her, to change her ingrained impressions of him.

He seemed like a puzzle, with intricate pieces not easily slipped into their perfect place. Dare I try to figure him out? That thought sent heat pooling in her belly, excitement sweeping over her in a big wave. She couldn't help but wonder why she cared, why she wanted to find out, and why being near him profoundly affected her mind and body.


WC:2452