Page 43 of Plane Passion
Oh, God. What had she been thinking?
Jerking away from him, she leapt from the bed and ran for the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
“Millie?” he called in a sleepy voice. “Is everything all right?”
No, it was not all right. She’d just spent the night having carnal relations with her colleague. Women would never be allowed to fly the mail again if this got out. If they had worried that women pilots were a distraction before…
She splashed some water on her face and realized all her clothing was in the other room. Damn it!
Grabbing all the towels she could, she cocooned herself and ventured out.
“Millie?” he asked again as she emerged, a bleary smile on his face. He stood there in his boxers, all handsome and disheveled, holding out his arms for an embrace.
No, thank you.
She edged over to her suitcase and pulled out her clothing, doing her best to keep her towels intact.
“We’ve seen each other naked. Why the sudden modesty?” he asked, dropping his arms.
“It was a mistake. A terrible mistake. Not to be repeated.”
His smile fell. “Ah. I see.”
“Do you disagree?”
He let out his breath slowly. “I… Well…”
“What?”
“I’ll grant you it was dangerous, and it would certainly cost us our jobs if anyone found out. But…”
One of her towels started to fall and she hiked it back up.
“But what?”
He looked her in the eye as if searching for something. “But despite that, I can’t bring myself to feel like it was a mistake. It…felt so right. Didn’t you feel it too?”
Oh, yes, she felt it, and it was wrong, wrong, wrong.
“No,” she said with as much conviction as she could muster. “It was a mistake, and it’s best if we try to forget it ever happened.”
“Millie, please,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand. Why did his touch have to obliterate her willpower like this? She clutched her towels all the tighter with her other hand. “I know we can’t continue, but please say you don’t regret last night.”
Did she regret it?
No.
Yes.
No.
“Don’t do this, Ernie. Please. You know whatever this is between us has to end.”
“But do you regret it?” He squeezed her hand as his eyes searched hers.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said at last. “It will be easier for both of us if we treat this as a momentary lapse in judgement and move on with our lives.”
His thumb stroked over her hand, and she wanted to melt into a puddle.
