Incognito. Kate Hoffmann

who took his desires seriously.

      With every taste, she could feel his need growing more desperate. She shifted, her backside pressed into his lap and he moaned softly. Emboldened by his reaction, Lily sat up, bracing her hand on his thigh. Parting the front of his shirt, she leaned closer and kissed his chest.

      She’d never been so blatantly forward with a man and it felt good. But she wasn’t in the real world anymore, she’d been caught inside this fantasy. She didn’t have to think before she acted. There were no rules and nothing was out of bounds.

      Lily reached for the buttons of her blouse, but he brushed her fingers away, tugging at the fabric until he’d exposed the curve of her shoulder. Aidan bit at the spot beneath her ear, his breath warm against her skin, then trailed his lips to a spot between her breasts. “You have too many clothes on,” he murmured.

      Lily crawled out of her seat and retrieved a pair of blankets from the overhead bin. The cabin was silent and dark, the flight attendants busy in the galley. She sat down next to him and handed him the blanket.

      He chuckled softly, drawing her back onto his lap.

      “Now I’m beginning to wonder if you’ve done this before.” Aidan pulled the blanket around them both and worked at the buttons of her blouse.

      Lily stared up into his eyes. Suddenly, she felt light-headed, but she drew a deep breath and stopped him from going further. “I think we might need a bit more privacy,” she murmured. “I’ll meet you in the bathroom. Wait for a minute or two and then come back.”

      She rebuttoned her blouse and crawled off him, then tiptoed down the aisle. A flight attendant saw her from the galley and stepped out. “Is there anything I can get for you?” she asked.

      Lily shook her head. “I’m fine,” she replied.

      The flight attendant nodded, returning to her co-workers. Lily locked herself in the bathroom, then braced her arms on the edge of the sink. This was it. If she had any inhibitions left, she needed to rid herself of them pretty quickly. A shiver shook her body and she drew a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror.

      She wasn’t afraid, and that’s what surprised her the most. Lily had spent most of her life being fearful of one thing or another. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the altitude, or the unfamiliar surroundings, but she knew exactly what she wanted—no doubts, no insecurities.

      Or maybe it was the man. Aidan had been charming and attentive, treating her like the most captivating woman he’d ever met. It was easy to seduce a man who wanted to be seduced. Lily drew a ragged breath. She’d followed the advice in the book and she now had a willing partner. But was she prepared to go the rest of the way?

      A few seconds later, Aidan knocked on the door. Without a second thought, Lily opened it. She wanted this man, here and now. There was no reason to deny her needs—or her fantasies.

      THE DOOR clicked shut behind him. The sound was like a starter’s pistol, both of them coming together in a flurry of hands and mouths. Lily’s fingers clutched at the hem of his shirt and he tugged it over his head. A moment later, the buttons on her blouse were dispatched and Aidan pulled it down over her arms.

      He yanked Lily against him, finding her mouth again and furrowing his fingers through her hair. Skin met skin beneath the harsh light from above the sink. He drew back to look into her eyes and at that moment, Aidan was certain Lily was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.

      How could this be happening? When he’d stepped onto the plane a few hours before, he’d expected the usual trip spent sleeping or reading or distractedly watching a movie. But now he was locked in a tiny bathroom, undressing a stranger.

      Her lips were damp from his kiss and her hair tumbled around her face. Her breath came in quick gasps. Pressing his forehead to hers, he gently smoothed his hand over her shoulder, then down her chest. When he reached her breast, he cupped it in his palm.

      Everything about her was natural, including her perfect breasts. It had been so long since he’d touched a completely real woman and the prospect of making love to her was overwhelmingly exciting.

      But it wasn’t just her appearance, Aidan mused. Every reaction was honest and unstudied. With other women, he felt as if their responses were designed solely to increase his pleasure, the moans, the sighs, the frantic whispers, scripted like lines in some porno flick. When he touched Lily, she trembled. When he softly bit her neck, her breath caught in her throat. And when she felt pleasure, she sighed.

      Aidan slipped his fingers beneath her bra and drew his thumb over her nipple. It was already puckered into a hard peak. Grabbing her waist, he turned her around, then sat down and pulled her between his legs. Her belly was soft, her skin like silk, and he reached up and drew her bra straps over her shoulders.

      Lily held her arms over her breasts but he gently captured her hands in his. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “Let me touch you.”

      Another tiny moan slipped from her throat as he brushed his lips across her nipple through the fabric of her bra. Everything around them seemed to dissolve into a soft haze. He was aware of the sounds of the plane, the whir of a fan above his head, the buzz of the fluorescent lights, the muffled roar of the engines. But his attention was completely focused on her body—and her pleasure.

      He smoothed his hands along her thighs, shoving her skirt up to her hips. Pressing his face into the warmth of her body, Aidan kissed her belly and inhaled the sweet scent.

      Lily’s hands skimmed over his chest, her fingers trembling. She seemed to be transfixed by the feel of his body beneath her touch. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath came in tiny gasps. Though he was certain she’d been with a man before, it seemed as if this was all new to her.

      “Have you ever done this before?” he asked, suddenly needing to know.

      She shook her head, her thick hair a curtain around her face. “No.”

      Though he’d learned to doubt what usually came out of a woman’s mouth, Aidan sensed he could trust Lily. He covered her fingers with his and pressed her hand to his heart. “Me, neither.”

      A tiny smile curled the corners of her mouth, as if she were pleased by the admission. He stood and pulled her into his embrace, his lips finding hers again. They stumbled as they searched for a comfortable space, their feet tangling together. Frustrated, Aidan circled her waist with his hands and lifted her up to balance her on the edge of the tiny sink.

      Grabbing her legs, he wrapped them around his waist and lost himself in the taste of her mouth. Lily braced her hands above her head, her blouse still caught around her wrists, exposing her body to his touch.

      Aidan knew they wouldn’t be able to stay in the bathroom forever. Yet he didn’t want to rush. He’d come prepared, retrieving a condom from his overnight bag before following her into the bathroom.

      He slowed his pace, kissing her deeply. His hand slipped beneath the waistband of her skirt and she arched against him. They were still dressed, but it was clear where they were headed.

      Instinctively, he began to move against her, his erection rubbing at the spot between her legs. He was glad for the barrier between them. Without it, he would have been far too close to his release. Lily braced her arms behind her and tipped her head back.

      “Tell me what you want,” he said. He drew her leg up along his hip, the contact between them suddenly more intimate. “This?”

      “Oh, yes.” Lily sighed, shuddering as she spoke.

      At first, she seemed to be so focused on what he was doing to her that she barely moved. But then, she reached around and grabbed his ass, pulling him even closer. The fabric from his pants created a delicious friction against his shaft. Aidan considered himself quite skilled in the bedroom, able to pleasure a woman in a hundred different ways before giving in to his own needs. But when Lily touched him, he felt as though he was experiencing a woman for the first time.

      Was it the excitement of doing