Soft Place to Fall (Navy Book 4)

Chapter 12

The flight to New York was full and Carmen felt cramped despite the first-class seat. Will was in the seat next to hers so his massive form might have something to do with the feeling. She had stayed a few more days at the ranch but when Laura had, accidently, let it slip that the Carmen was the reason that Quinn, Dana, and Fiona had left, Carmen had felt horrible. The last thing she wanted was to bring danger to their doorstep and force them out of their own home. Once she had found out the truth no one had been able to change her mind about leaving, and she booked her ticket home for the following day.

Will had, of course, insisted on flying with her. She wasn't sure where he was staying once he arrived but that wasn't her problem. All she knew for sure was that he was not staying with her. She hadn't offered and he hadn't asked.

Carmen leaned back in her seat sipping the fruit juice that had been offered to her early on in the flight. She wasn't wearing her baggy overalls but she was wearing a pair of old blue jeans, a t-shirt that had seen better days, and some battered sneakers. She had also put her hair up under the ball cap once more.

It was her last chance to dress down, and she would have to change into something more fitting for her arrival in New York. She was sure that Landau would have someone waiting to snap her photo as she returned from a long vacation in Texas in preparation to begin the new Landau campaign. Landau had a massive PR department and they knew how to get the most out of their models.

Sneaking a look out of the corner of her eye she noted that Will seemed to be dozing in the seat next to her. She let her gaze wander over his face which, even in sleep, seemed tense.

"Did you need something?" His eyes opened and he was looking directly at her.

"No, I was just wondering if you were asleep?"

She and Will had had very little to say to each other since Laura's arrival at the ranch. In fact, all of Will's charming and flirting remarks had ceased and he had become someone much more reserved. Carmen was surprised that she had missed his one-liners. The only thing that she could think of was that she had hurt him more than she had thought with her 'dumber than you look' comment.

She cleared her throat, she should apologize, she wasn't a mean person by nature, even though she sometimes pretended to be coldhearted. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" He turned to look at her, his head resting on the seat. His brown eyes seemed so serious, and it was something that she wasn't used to seeing from him.

"For the other night," She felt him tense so she rushed on before he could say anything to stop her. "I shouldn't have made that remark about you being dumber than you look." She rested her head against the seat, her eyes inches from his.

The intimacy of the moment made her breath quicken and she tried to steady her rapid heartbeat. When she saw his cocky smile touch not only lips but his eyes she knew something had changed and they had returned to their old ways.

The flight attendant took that moment to stop at their seats and offer them another beverage. Will turned his charming smile on her and Carmen watched the woman change from somewhat reserved to overly friendly as she stayed longer than she really needed to stay.

Carmen frowned as she turned to look out the window, mad at herself for being so jealous; and she had to admit that that was what was wrong with her. She was jealous of how easily he could turn his charm on with any woman he met. It made her less unique, it made her one of the masses.

She looked back at the tall redhead, who was throwing her hair over her shoulder and leaning down into Will's space to show him something in the magazine in front of him.