Flying Backwards Read online

  He caught her hand and kissed her palm. He turned her hand to kiss each fingertip. Then he slid her middle finger all the way into his mouth, sending a fire bolt to her belly. Her finger was hot and wet in his mouth, and he slowly drew it in and out. She did not realize that she moaned out loud. He stopped and took the wine glass from her hand, stretching past her to place it on the end table. He was very close, but he did not touch her body before he slipped back into his seat and dragged her on top of him.

  “Antonio…” She paused and searched his eyes. “Do you have a girlfriend?” She didn’t want to ruin the mood, but she didn’t want to be involved in someone’s cheating relationship. She had to know.

  “I have a lot of girlfriends,” he purred. His hands caressed her, making her bite her lip. And despite the baseball-sized bruise on her hip from her fall, she felt no discomfort, only building pleasure.

  “I mean…‌Christina. Is she your…‌girlfriend?” Maybe I really don’t want to know. Oh, why did I pick this moment to ask?

  “Christina was my girlfriend at one time. Now we are just friends who see each other from time to time,” he replied nonchalantly. Nora translated that to casual sex. Friends with benefits. That was fine–she could do that. Bree had said, “Go for it,” that Nora “deserved it.” She may not have indulged in casual sex in the past, but she knew it would be a step toward moving on after Phillip. And there was no finer man than the one who lay underneath her now.

  He watched the play of emotions across her face. He recognized his cue when her eyes darkened with desire and her breath quickened. He shifted his hips, emphasizing his craving, and she lowered her mouth to his. He was an amazing kisser. She could have simply kissed him the entire night.

  His hand moved lower to her thigh and slid under her shorts. He poked and stroked her until she sat up panting. That muscle she hadn’t used in a while was throbbing now. Her body needed more. “Let’s go into my bedroom.” He shifted her so he could stand, and he and pulled her up from the sofa, leading her to the door adjacent from the balcony.

  He unbuttoned the top buttons on his shirt and pulled it over his head. Where her hands had been touching a few minutes before, her eyes were now feasting. He had a washboard stomach, and wisps of dark hair sprouted from his chest. Nora had thought him out of her league, but he clearly wanted her! Of course she wanted him–her body screamed for him–but the question that stalled her movement was…‌should she? He was a stranger–yes, a magnificently gorgeous stranger! She wanted new and exciting experiences. He would be a new and exciting experience–yes, she wanted to experience what he offered. She slowly unbuttoned her blouse. He backed toward the bed, never taking his eyes off her. He switched on the lamp.

  She shrugged out of her blouse and let it slip to the floor. Her shorts came off next. She could feel a blush rush up her neck at his approving wolfish smile. He stood at the edge of the bed and opened the nightstand drawer, pulling out a square packet. Nora licked her lips in anticipation.

  He reached for her, running his palms up her arms to her shoulders. His dark head nestled her neck as he ran his tongue along her collarbone. With a ragged breath she gave into him. No more doubt from this moment on – just pleasure. Nora slid her fingers into his thick, wavy hair and pulled his head back while she seared him with kisses along his jaw and down his neck. She meant to give as much pleasure as she received.

  * * *

  After Antonio rolled off of her, Nora stretched like a satisfied cat. She had never experienced lovemaking like that before! She had needed this, even if it tipped her moral compass and made her feel naughty. Yes, she would come back and visit Antonio as often as she could. She could have a friend with benefits like him. So many benefits. She stayed the night, though she did not get much sleep. They enjoyed each other again before falling asleep, and he woke her early for another round.

  Antonio went out for an early morning run and was showering when she rolled out of bed.

  “I’m going back to the hotel. I need to shower,” she said from the bathroom doorway.

  Antonio stepped out of the shower stall, toweling his chest. “I can turn the water back on and wash your back if you’d like to shower here.”

  He’s so sexy! her mind screamed.

  Nora would’ve considered it if she wasn’t so sore down there. She hadn’t been with anyone since Phillip. She needed a reprieve. Suddenly she felt self-conscious and sticky.

  “I think some clean clothes and a toothbrush would be good.”

  “I have extra toothbrushes. You could wear my T-shirt–or nothing at all.” He secured the towel around his waist.

  Extra toothbrushes! Condoms in his nightstand! Lots of girlfriends! Suddenly Nora felt buyer’s remorse.

  “I want to see you tonight. It’s your last night here. I’ll take you to dinner if you’d like.” He reached out for her.

  Forget buyer’s remorse. He is worth it. Not only was his body god-like, he was a nice guy, although his one fault was the “lots of girlfriends” thing. But, she reminded herself, I’m in Italy just enjoying my vacation. It’s not like I’m looking for a relationship. Antonio is the right guy at the right time, and I’m going to enjoy every minute with him.

  “I can’t wait.” She allowed him to kiss her until she reluctantly pulled away.

  Antonio had some work to attend to, and Nora wanted to see more of the city, so they agreed to meet at seven o’clock. This time he drove them to a very romantic restaurant on a hilltop overlooking the city. As they finished the last of their wine, Antonio held her hand. He leaned in, his eyes roaming over her. “Will you come back to visit me again, Nora?”

  “I can try to get an overnight in Rome next month. I’d have between thirty-six and forty-eight hours of free time before the return flight. We could meet up.” I will come back to him if he wishes it.

  “I’ll pick you up at the airport, and you can stay with me.” His hand disappeared under the table; he ran it up her thigh. “Would you like that?”

  She caught her lower lip between her teeth. Their eyes locked, and at her tiny nod he leaned closer and kissed her.

  Back at his place Antonio begged her to spend the night, kissing her senseless until she agreed. In the morning they walked to a café on the way to her hotel for coffee. He left her in the lobby insisting he’d return to drive her to the airport after she’d showered and packed. Antonia kissed her long and hard before she got out of his car. She was going to miss him, his touch.

  Nora sighed with contentment as the aircraft made its steady climb to forty thousand feet, leaving Italy–and Antonio–behind.

  Chapter Eight

  Back in Philadelphia, when Nora was telling Bree all about her torrid time with the sexy Italian stud, she couldn’t stop the red blush that crept up her face. They sat on the sofa with their feet drawn under them.

  “I cannot believe all that happened!” Bree said. They giggled like schoolgirls. Bree held her breath, trying to control her laugher before she took a long swallow of wine. “I need to go to Rome.”

  Nora shrugged and shook her head. “Tell me more about the guy you met. Are you still seeing him?”

  “Yeah. Tyrone. You’ll meet him soon, I guess,” she replied vaguely. Bree did not seem like she wanted to talk about Tyrone. She waved a dismissive hand and changed the subject. “When are you driving out to see your parents?”

  “Well, I leave tomorrow night for Paris. When I get back from that trip I’m driving up to stay with my parents overnight. I feel bad that I haven’t been home to see them as much as I thought I would.” Truthfully, Nora was dying for one of her mom’s home-cooked meals. “You are welcome to join me. You know my mom is an amazing cook, right? And she made me promise to bring you with me at some point. Can you come?”

  “If I’m not flying, I’ll definitely join you,” Bree confirmed.

  Several days later, Nora and Bree drove together to see Nora’s parents. Her family gave Bree a
warm welcome. Beautiful and gracious Bree impressed everyone she met. Nora caught her family exchanging glances that implied, “Wow, isn’t she something?”

  “You really have changed! Everything! And look at you. How much weight have you lost?” Heidi fussed over her daughter at first, but as the night went on she was clearly content just to have her daughter under her roof again. “Eleanor, we are so happy to finally meet Bree,” Heidi, chided. Bree raised her eyes at the name Eleanor; she’d only known her friend as Nora. Nora’s parents and sisters had been just as surprised when they had heard that their Eleanor had a nickname.

  Before settling in for the night, Nora sat on the guest bed while Bree stood and brushed her hair. “Your family is so nice. And so…‌normal. It’s like a Norman Rockwell painting here.”

  “What?” Nora laughed at her friend’s assessment. “Your mom and dad are nice too.”

  Bree pulled a face. “You don’t have to say that just because you’re my friend. Mr. and Mrs. Royce are ridiculous and overbearing. And you know that’s true.” She pointed her hair brush at Nora, daring her to say otherwise.

  “Whatever. You are ridiculous.” Nora yawned dragging herself up. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  * * *

  Nora and Bree returned to Philly the next day, did laundry, and repacked their flight bags. Bree was off on an Albany/Orlando roundtrip. Nora was off to Helsinki. Bree complained that these East Coast cities were a drag and said she wished she were going with Nora. Bree mentioned that she might look into the international flight program. Nora gave her encouragement to do so.

  After Helsinki, Nora’s final trip for May was Rome, the City of Eternal Love. Nora’s heart pounded as she phoned Antonio to tell him that she was returning to his city.

  He picked her up at the airport and took her to lunch. They spent the rest of the afternoon in his apartment rediscovering each other. They walked to dinner at a nearby restaurant, where they ate on the patio, enjoying the warm night. When they returned to his bed, they pleased each other throughout the night and in the morning. Nora took a nap in the afternoon before she had to get ready to leave for the airport. He had been just what she needed–again.

  Nora strode through the airport in her uniform, wheeling her roller-bag slightly behind her so she could easily move through the crowds. In every airport, she felt many stares and got smiles and nods from gentlemen. It was still hard to believe she attracted such attention. But today, after the time she’d spent with Antonio, she felt sexy wearing her hot pink panties under her conservative skirt. Bree had said something about sexy underwear once, and now Nora knew what she meant.

  * * *

  On a warm night in early June, Nora answered the door in her stylish dress from Italy, the one she’d purchased to wear on her first date with Antonio. Nora and Bree had arranged a night out on the town with Rebecca, Jackie, and Miguel. “Hey Rebecca.” She hugged her friend.

  They didn’t often get a chance to hang out together because of their various trip schedules, so it was a rare occasion indeed. Rebecca came by the most often. They didn’t see Jackie as much, and this was the first time they’d convinced Miguel to join them.

  Over pre-club drinks in the townhouse Rebecca apologized to her friends because she was asking for a transfer to the North Carolina base. She was having a tough time making Philadelphia her home. Rebecca shared an apartment with two roommates who were best friends, and Rebecca felt like a third wheel. She said she was glad that Bree and Nora always welcomed her. Nora nodded, understanding Rebecca’s plight. She somehow knew she wouldn’t be calling Philly her home forever either.

  Tonight Tyrone, the guy Bree had been dating, was planning to meet them at one of the nightclubs. Nora had a funny feeling it would prove to be an interesting evening. Even though they lived together, Nora and Bree would sometimes not see each other for a couple weeks at a time, which meant she hadn’t yet met the elusive Tyrone. But she had overheard some disturbing phone calls. She heard Bree say things like, “No! I wasn’t out with another guy!” Or, “Yeah, I can find my own ride.” Or, “I’m not going to say anything.” Or, “No one knows.” Nora had decided not to ask Bree about the calls until she had met Tyrone, although what she heard left Nora wondering what kind of guy he was.

  Nora and her friends were enjoying catching up and sharing crazy stories from their flights. They walked to the local hotspot and began dancing as the night went on. They finally met up with Sergei and Alexei, the Russian pilots who flew for a freight airline and lived across the street from Nora and Bree. Sergei had noticed Bree outside her townhouse wearing her uniform just after the girls had moved in. They struck up a conversation and had been friends ever since. A few times Sergei and Alexei had joined the girls for pizza and a movie, but usually the four of them sat out on the stoop on nights when the weather was nice and their schedules happened to sync, drinking and hanging out. Rebecca had hung out on the stoop with them a couple of times.

  Nora introduced the pilots to Jackie and Miguel when they arrived. Jackie and Miguel stood near the dance floor, watching the dancers. The Russian guys were not much for dancing so they hung out at the bar. Nora thought they were both really nice guys, and she was thankful to have a good group of friends. Back in her old life she only hung out with Phillip or her family. I’ve been missing out!

  From the dance floor, Nora smiled across the room at Sergei. She could not help but notice that he kept a watchful eye on her. Nora found the pulse of the music primal and intoxicating. A couple of guys made a move and tried to dance with her. She acted as if she was interested for a minute, flirting with her eyes and tossing her hair, then she’d back away and slip into the crowd with a little wave good-bye. Oh, the look on those boys faces! Just when they thought they had her… Her smile was sly, and she felt powerful and naughty, which was out of character. She did not care. She had never before been anyone’s object of desire. Phillip hadn’t desired her. He never made her feel like this. Since her time with Antonio she’d felt something awaken within her, and she wanted to explore just what that was.

  After a while, Nora returned to her circle of friends. Suddenly, a tune motivated quiet Miguel to show off his moves on the dance floor. The crowd parted; his old-school break-dance moves had the dancers cheering him on. Nora and Bree exchanged surprised glances.

  “Wow–he’s amazing!” Nora yelled to Jackie, who wore an all-knowing smile. She had spent a lot of time on the Miami scene in the clubs with Miguel. They all felt loose and friendly after drinking for several hours. Even Rebecca, their Southern Christian girl, grooved with a beer in her hand.

  The drama started when Tyrone made an appearance around midnight. He arrived with a gang of friends, who dominated one side of the bar. When Bree introduced Nora to him, Tyrone barely gave her a glance. “What’s up,” he murmured into his drink.

  Bree was all smiles. “Hey, babe, do you want to join us on the dance floor?” trying to entice Tyrone to join her friends. Bree exchanged mini handwaves with Rebecca, who was grooving with some guy on the dance floor. Tyrone’s eyes cut across the dance floor and slid back to Bree.

  “Naw…‌And you stay here with me.” Bree stayed next to him, but he turned away and ignored her while he talked to his fellas. Nora could tell it bothered her friend, but Bree pretended everything was fine.

  The next song was cued up. “Let’s go back out–I love this song!” Nora grabbed Bree’s hand, only to have Tyrone clamp it.

  “She’s sittin’ wit’ me.” He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “You go ahead though, it being your favorite song and all.”

  “Yes! Go! I haven’t seen Tyrone all night,” Bree urged. Nora slid her hand out of the sandwich. What an asshole, Nora thought. Why is Bree with this guy? Clearly Bree was uncomfortable and not hiding it well.

  “Okay,” Nora chirped and walked away. What was she going to do–argue with Tyrone in the deafening, packed club?

  Nora joined Ser
gei and Alexei at the bar. “I need a drink.”

  “Some vodka?” Sergei teased.

  “I’ll do a shot,” she announced. Somehow Tyrone had had a sobering effect, and Nora wasn’t ready to be sober. She’d been having a great time until he showed up.

  Sergei’s loud, deep voice with its heavy Russian accent caught the bartender’s attention. “Three shots of vodka–top shelf.” Sergei’s loud voice always caused heads to turn. He was tall and well muscled. His blond hair was cut short, and his pale blue eyes sparkled when he laughed. Nora really liked him. She’d seen him angry a couple times and hoped to always remain on his good side. He could appear quite menacing when he wanted to.

  Nora had noticed that Sergei had been keeping the corner of his eye on her all night. She knew his eyes lingered a little longer when she moved on the dance floor.

  “What’s going on? That sleazeball with Bree–did he upset you?”

  Nora sat on the stool he gave up for her, and her face softened. She appreciated that Sergei could tell she was upset. “That’s Bree’s boyfriend.” She looked down the bar at them; Tyrone and Bree were in a heated argument. When Sergei called her name she blinked out of her trance. She did not know how long she’d been watching them. He handed her the shot of vodka.

  The three of them raised their glasses, calling the famous Russian toast “Nostrovia!” in unison. Three heads tilted back, taking their shots, and then three glasses clanked on the table. Sergei and Alexei chuckled at the face Nora made. She was soon distracted by someone calling her name. She twisted around to see Jackie, Miguel, and Rebecca standing near Bree, as close as they could get in the crowd. Rebecca was pointing frantically toward Bree and Tyrone. Tyrone’s gang was already heading out the door, and he was still arguing with Bree, standing over her and yelling in her face.

  “What the hell!” Anger flashed in Nora’s eyes as she watched her friend being berated by some loser boyfriend. Everything was happening fast.