Trust in Us Read Free

heads inclined toward each other, it also wasn’t hard to guess the topic of their private chatter.
    Myrna had been part of enough staged photo settings to have a fairly passable grasp on reading body language. Yep, she thought, Ork’s rep had surely preceded her on the trip. The surge of an approaching engine caught her ear and Myrna let go of a bit more of her apprehension. She released a purely girlish shriek and hurried over to greet the fourth member of their circle.
    “How’d you guys manage to swing leaving town without the entire local media descending?” Jeena Stewart placed a hand across her brow while observing the jet in the distance.
    “They say Gage Vincent can swing anything.” Myrna dropped a kiss on Jeena’s cheek when they pulled out of their embrace. “Guess that includes leaving town without the whole world knowing about it.”
    Jeena nodded, sudden weariness drawing her face into a tight honey-toned mask. “I wish returning my phone calls were one of those things that he could swing.”
    Myrna masked her smile, knowing Jeena would take it as an insult. Word was—and speculation ran high toward that word being fact—that Jeena Stewart owed her fortune to the world’s oldest profession. There was nothing anyone could prove, however. Part of the reason for unsubstantiation lay in the fact that Jeena could claim clients for her so-called dating service at local and national government levels, or so it was rumored. Additionally, the woman ran her business like a...well...like a business, with salary and benefits for employees—female and male.
    Myrna thought it was all absurd, hence her suppressed, knowing smile. “Guess we’re about ready to take off.” She noted the limo driver passing off her luggage to a member of the baggage staff. “Of course, we’re still one short.” She spared another glance across the tarmac.
    Jeena rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
    * * *
    “Ah...dammit,” Alythia said in disgust.
    She had hoped taking her car, as opposed to hiring a driver, might play into her excuse of bad traffic, which would have resulted in her missing out on the luxurious flight.
    But to her dismay, she arrived at the airstrip to find the plane still waiting. A chorus of birds were chirping somewhere amid the late-morning air as if they meant to welcome her to fun and excitement. Alythia appreciated the welcome but all the while considered circling back to the interstate in hopes of getting caught up in a traffic jam—a tad unlikely at that time of day, but who knew? It all could work in her favor and she might get—
    “Can I help you with those?”
    Alythia turned, her jaw dropping while her eyes zoned out in a show of surprise.
    “Lucky.” She breathed the completion of her thought aloud.
    She wasn’t sure if the man who stood within touching distance had sparked such a reaction because of his height. She stood just shy of five-ten in her bare feet, but this guy had to be six-two at least. Sure, it could’ve been the height or the muscular build—more lean than massive. Alythia was more inclined to wager on the man’s remaining attributes.
    Whoever he was, he had the most remarkable shade of skin, an unblemished tone of black coffee. The richness was offset by a long, steady brown gaze enhanced by overt gold flecks. His hair was straight textured and close-cropped. Thanks to the morning’s powerful sunrays, Alythia could tell that his hair was of the same deep brown as his eyes.
    He was smiling and the curve of a beckoning sculpted mouth was made more attractive by the singular dimple accompanying it. Still, that stare of his was impossible to ignore and difficult to perceive as anything other than intensely observant. His gaze also lent a well-blended mixture of heat and cool to his smile.
    “Are you okay?”
    She heard him speaking to her, his smile carrying more heat when he leaned close to ask how she was. He extended a hand as if he meant to cup her elbow but