The Cocky Thief

Chapter 2

It took a special kind of asshole to stick her in the seat next to the attorney in charge of getting the prenup signed. In fact, Jennifer was sure that the paperwork could've been taken care of days ago. Stranger just wanted to have the power play of making sure Jennifer knew where she stood in the family dynamic.

At least this guy was easy on the eyes. She'd done an image search of the lawyer she was supposed to be sitting next to during the six-hour flight from New York to California. Chris Luther was supposed to be balding, pudgy and, well, lawyerly. This guy was... She couldn't quite put a finger on it. It wasn't that he didn't look like a lawyer. With the close-cut black hair and chiseled jawline, he would probably fit in wherever a suit was required. But there was still something off about him she couldn't quite pin down.

"Any reason why you're going to a wedding and dressed like it's a funeral?" he asked abruptly.

She kept her face blank, careful not to let him see how close to the mark he'd hit. "Any reason why you're asking questions that are none of your business?"

He sighed. "This is going to be one of those long, boring plane rides I'm guessing..."

She nodded in agreement. "Hope those papers are fascinating." She turned back to her phone and read through her mother's emails. The wedding was so rushed, there had to be something she was missing. The evidence of the prenup was sitting right next to her, so she had to assume Isobel wasn't marrying Stranger for money. But Jennifer could be sure of one thing.

Isobel would never marry for love.

The passengers continued to shuffle into the plane and Jennifer set her phone down as she rested her head back against the headrest. Soon enough she'd be with her mother and finally able to ask her all the questions that had been tossing around in her mind.

She was just about to doze off when the plane shook underneath her, signaling takeoff. Her eyes popped open and she looked out the window as the plane lifted away from the ground and the skyscrapers suddenly became smaller. She moved her forehead closer to the window as she took in the view until they were moving over the water and away from the city.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the lawyer staring and she gave him a quick glare. "Can I help you?"

He held up his hands. "No. Just shocked that there's one New Yorker who isn't too jaded to enjoy flying."

"I'm not a New Yorker," she said, before realizing that was a piece of personal information he didn't need to know. "Flying is a miracle. It deserves to be appreciated and not taken for granted."

The lawyer raised a skeptical brow. "It's not a miracle. It's science and physics."

"Sometimes science and magic are one and the same."

She expected him to fight with her about it, but instead, one corner of his mouth went up to form a crooked grin. "I like you, Jennifer Murray. I think this is going to be a fun flight."

She scoffed at the bold statement. "Speak for yourself."

"Oh no. I'm speaking for the both of us. I think you're going to enjoy the hell out of yourself."

"Cockiness isn't attractive in a man."

"Cocky is sexy as hell in a man. And don't worry. I have enough to spare."

Jennifer opened her mouth to respond, but for the first time in a long time, she found herself speechless. Luckily the flight attendant chose that moment to stop by and ask whether they'd like any drinks. Jennifer ordered a red wine while the man next to her ordered a Jack on the rocks. Not the fanciest whiskey, but considering he was filling in for Luther, he might not be used to flying first class.

Jennifer still remembered the first time her mother had gotten them upgraded to the premium cabin. The air of wonder combined with the knowledge that she didn't belong. If this truly was the lawyer's first time in first class, he wasn't anything like she was on that flight so long ago.

"So have you ever done a wedding like this?" she asked.

"I've been to my fair share of high-class functions."

Jennifer wondered whether he knew he wasn't giving her an answer or not. She let it go, though. "They're exhausting. It's one event after another. I have three checked bags full of outfit changes and I get to navigate through a sea of important people who all need to like me and I don't know any of them. And if you want to make a good name for your firm, you better brush up on your small talk and get ready to bash some Democrats. They love that."

"I thought politics were off-limits."

"That's for polite conversation. If you want someone to like you, you only talk political views the other person agrees with."

"So what do I say to make you like me?"

Jennifer couldn't help the honest laugh that escaped her. There was something so strange about being with someone who spoke his mind like Austin. She was so used to double meanings and hidden agendas. Was this truly just a lower member of a law firm who happened to be horny?

Considering how attractive he was, maybe this would be the perfect distraction for what was sure to be a stressful week. She shifted in her seat to get a better view of her new seatmate and she didn't miss his not-so-subtle glance down to her legs. She knew there was a reason she spent all those hours on the treadmill.

She didn't answer his question, but she didn't shut him out either. Instead, she switched the conversation to him. "So do you live in New York?"

"I'm based out of the city now, but I don't really live anywhere."

That was interesting. It reminded her of her mother. Isobel was never the type to be tied down and that ideology had trickled into Jennifer's life as well. She had her apartment in the city that she was based out of, but she traveled so much that it was hard to call her apartment home.

"The firm lets you travel a lot then?"

"Sometimes you have to make them give you what you want. I make sure that the partners are aware that I don't like to be tied down."

"And they listen?"

"You'd be surprised how many long-term jobs there are all around the world."

"Like what?"

He leaned forward and she could tell that travel really was a topic he was passionate about. "I've been all over the world. China, Egypt, Paris, you name it. What do you want to hear about first?"

Jennifer smiled. This flight might not be that bad after all.