Falling for the Backup (Novella): The Assassins Series (2 page)

Exhausted from the day Aynslee practically fell into the seat beside him.
 
She crossed her legs, resting her coffee on the seat beside her knee as she buckled her seatbelt. Letting out a breath, she looked over, hoping to lock eyes with him.
 
Thankfully, he did look over at her, but as her luck would have it, she didn’t receive a nice smile or a hello.Instead she got a lap full of her hot coffee.
 

“Ack!” Aynslee yelped as she jumped up, her Kindle going one way while her neck pillow went another.
 

“Shit,” a deep voice said from beside her, “I’m so sorry, can we have some napkins?” he said to her and to the flight attendant that happened to be nearby their row.
 

Aynslee was speechless and totally forgot the coffee as she looked up into Mr. Sex’s beautiful face. He was gorgeous and super tall. He had a strong jaw line, blue eyes that were framed by thick brows. His nose was on the larger side, but she found it hot. Hell, everything about this man was hot. His lips were full, and his jaw was covered in dark hair. He had dark wavy hair that curled behind his ears and fell messily along his forehead.
 
She had the craziest urge to run her fingers through it.
 
And then lick him.
 
Everywhere.

His eyes were a light blue color and filled with worry as he helped her pat her dress dry, apologizing over and over again.
 

“It’s okay, it was an accident,” she reassured him.
 

She was proud of herself for being able to speak but when he looked over at her Aynslee promptly forgot how to talk. Her dress was forgotten as they stared at each other.
 

Holy fireworks, Batman!
 

“Ma’am, your things,” someone said, but Aynslee couldn’t stop looking at him.
 

He looked away first, freeing her from his intense gaze. She then turned and thanked a nice older lady for retrieving her things.
 

As she sat back down, Aynslee used her free hand to pat
 
the wet spot on her dress.
 

“I am really sorry.”

She knew if she looked over at him again she wouldn’t be able to stop staring, so she just nodded as she continued to pat.
 

“It’s okay.”

“Do you have something you can change into before we take off?”

Aynslee shook her head.

“Nope.This is all I have.”

She looked over at him and he looked stricken.
 

“I feel horrible.”

She smiled as she waved him off.
 

“Don’t worry about it. Happens all the time.”

“It does?” he asked.

 
“Actually this is the first time it has happened to me.”

He let out a hearty chuckle that caused her stomach to flutter with want. Jesus, he was hot.
 

“That makes this even worse.”

“No, really, it’s okay. It will be a nice memory and a great story to tell my friends.”
 
Spilled coffee and Mr. Sex.
 
Yum.

He gave her a perplexed look.
 

“How is having coffee spilled all over you a great story?” Mr. Sex asked.

Aynslee smiled as she said, “Well you see it only adds to my horrible day. . . ”

“Great, I’m glad I could contribute to that” he interrupted with a shake of his head that caused her to laugh.
 

“You should be, it is really a great horrible day, first, I have been in Buffalo for my eighteen year old niece’s wedding and was reminded every day for the past week that I am single. Then this morning, the day of my niece’s wedding, my landlord calls to tell me a water mane broke in my house, flooding the basement. Fantastic right? But it gets better,” she said with a laugh at his horrified expression.
 

 
“My klepto aunt Fern “grabbed” my suitcase instead of hers and now I have lost a weeks’ worth of clothes and shoes until my mother can get my bag back and send it to me. My feet are aching because my niece thought that her thirty one year old aunt should wear stripper shoes and now I’m soaked with coffee. I’m telling you, this is one of those days for the books.”

 
“I’m not sure what to say, I feel horrible for being the cherry on top of your horrible day cupcake.”

She flashed him a grin as she jokingly said, “I think the least you could do is tell me your name, so I can bad talk you later to my friends.”
 

She could tell he wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but soon he was smiling back at her.
 

Holding out his hand, he said, “Jordan Ryan.”

She looked down at his hand and then took it, enjoying the way his large hand swallowed hers. With heat and tingles running up her arm and other places, she said, “I’m Aynslee Shaw.”

Chapter 2

“I like your name, it’s very unique,” Jordan said after the plane took-off.
 

Aynslee was holding her dress up from her lap as she held his gaze. He felt horrible for spilling her coffee, but in a way, he was glad it happened. If it hadn’t he probably would have just slept the whole way home, now he was engaged in conversation with the beautiful redhead beside him.
 

“Thank you,” she said, still smiling, “My mom spelled it all crazy weird, you see, a normal person would spell it A-i-n-s-l-y or even A-i-n-s-l-i-e but not my mother, she spelled it A-y-n-s-l-e-e and let me just say, being a four year old and learning to spell my name wasn’t easy. Especially when my middle name is Kathleen. It was horrible.”

Jordan liked her name. A lot. He liked her even more.

“So Aynslee Kathleen Shaw?”
 

She nodded, her grin growing.“Yup, very long and very Irish.”

It was a stupid question, but he asked it anyway.
 

“So you’re Irish?”

“I am, a hundred percent and before you ask, no, I’ve never been to Ireland. I want to, but I haven’t had the time yet. And yes, I do love Lucky Charms.”

He looked down at her hands as he chuckled. Besides the fact that she made him laugh, she also made him want to ask her if he could take her to Ireland. Jordan had no clue where the thought came from. He loved Ireland, had been a couple times and for reasons unknown, he thought going with her would be better than all the other times. He didn’t understand it. What had him so completely taken with her? Yes, she was gorgeous but simply looking at herhad him shifting in his seat, hoping his hard-on was hidden.
 

“That’s a shame,” he managed to say, “not about the Lucky Charms, because honestly it’s the best cereal imaginable.”

“Right?!” she laughed.
 

He shot her a grin but didn’t hold her gaze for long. He wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or what, but she made him nervous, while also making him feel good too, how strange was that?
 
What surprised him most was that he liked the way she made him feel.
 

“But really, Ireland is a beautiful place.”

Her face lit up and he swore, he couldn’t see straight because blood was rushing to his head.

“You’ve been!” she said loudly, smacking his arm.
 

He flinched playfully as he nodded.
 

“I have, three times.”

“Wow!” she gushed as she sat up straight in her seat, “I’m so jealous. I’ve always wanted to go, but my dad hasn’t had the time to take us. After my grandpa died, he took over the pub, so we couldn’t travel, no one runs the pub but family and now that I’m older, I haven’t had the time to plan a trip. I want to go really bad.”

Jordan was intrigued. Turning in his seat a little, he asked, “Pub?”

“Yup,” she said with a nod, “been in my family for decades. It was passed down to my dad and soon it will be passed down to either Brady or Flynn, my brothers. It’s a really cool place, the best pub in Buffalo.”

“I bet,” Jordan said with a smile, “So, are you the baby of the family?”

She laughed.
 

“Oh no, I’m one of eight.”

 
“Holy shit!” he exclaimed receiving dirty looks from most of the passengers around them.

As he apologized, Aynslee giggled beside him, bringing her legs up onto the seat so that she could lay her head on them. He hadn’t meant to be so loud, but one of eight?! He was an only child and didn’t have the experience of growing up with brothers and sisters.
 

“Yup, I’m number five. I have four older and then three younger.”

“Wow,” he said, his face burning a little, “I’ve never met anyone from such a big family.”

“Really?! That’s crazy! You make me feel weird,” she laughed.
 

Jordan liked her laugh. It was infectious and made him laugh along with her. He realized he hardly ever laughed anymore. He had been so focused, so obsessed with hockey that it was nice to just sit back and laugh with someone.

“So you don’t have any brothers or sisters?” she asked.

He shook his head, “Nope, I’m an only child.”

 
“Well, I bet you always had enough Lucky Charms,” she joked.

He laughed. A big hearty chuckle, that came straight from his gut.
 

“Yup, always.”

 
“Wow, I couldn’t imagine. I’m so jealous. Was it really quiet growing up?” she asked, leaning towards him, her hands resting on her knees now holding her face. She reminded him of a child with her wide eyes looking up at him like he was an oddity, when really, he thought she was. Not only was he intrigued by her looks but by the mere fact that she grew up with a big family. Did she get claustrophobic? Did she really love all those people? She seemed to with the way she talked about her family but at the same time, he heard the longing in her voice when she talked about going to Ireland.

Looking down at her, he wanted to know everything. He felt like he could talk with her forever.
 
His insecurities were still there but --- fading by the minute. He was getting lost in her and it made him nervous and excited at the same time.
 
Dangerous.
 
And disturbing. Remembering that she had asked him a question, Jordan smiled as he shook his head.

“Nope, I was a crazy child.”

 
“I don’t believe that. You seem so quiet. I feel like I am forcing you to talk to me,” she said.

He shook his head as he held her gaze.
 

“Nah, I feel bad for spilling the drink on you, that’s why I’m talking to you.”

She looked offended for maybe a second before her face broke into a wide grin.
 

“Oh, you have jokes.”

“I try,” he said offhandedly as he looked down again, her giggles running down his spine. He was never one to be turned on by silly laughter, but her giggles had him harder than steel. Taking in a deep breath, ignoring all the dirty thoughts he had about her, he tried to figure out the last time he was this turned on. He couldn’t remember. Was it before Leanna? Maybe after? But when? He hadn’t been with anyone since her Hadn’t wanted to.
 
But now – in a matter of minutes he couldn’t wait to rip off his clothes and hers.

But it wasn’t just physical.
 
He couldn’t ignore the fact that he wanted to talk to Aynslee.
 
Since the injury Jordan never sought out company, he usually kept to himself. Shea always teased him about being a hermit because he’d rather read or play games on his iPad than hang with the guys.
 

God.
 
For the millionth time he cursed his injury.
 
And his luck.
 
But maybe his luck was changing.
 

Looking around, trying to think of something to say, he noticed that resting on her leg was a bright blue neck pillow, much like his. With a smile, he pointed to it, “I love them.”

Jordan looked up to see that Anslee was still in the position she had been since they started talking. She had been watching him.His pants were getting tighter by the minute.
 
. He then watched as Aynslee placed it on her neck sat back and smiled at him.
 

“I don’t fly without mine.”

Their eyes locked and it took all of Jordan’s self control not to grab her and get down to business.
 
He wanted her.
 
Bad.
 
Now.
 
On the plane. And he didn’t care if Grandma from Row C watched. Hell, they could all watch as he bent her over the seat and ripped apart her dress to get to the prize he was craving.
 
He would ravish her with his mouth and after making her come he would bury himself deep inside.
 
He nearly groaned out loud.
 

What the hell did he really think was going to happen? He would reach over, kiss her, and then leave? He couldn’t ask for her number or try to take her home with him. He wasn’t the kind of guy to just fuck and leave. He wanted a relationship,. He wanted true love with kids and a big house, his wife waiting for him when he came home from long road trips. He wanted to be someone’s forever.

But right now, those things were out of his reach.
 

***

Aynslee had never been so turned on in her life.
 

Something about this guy made her want to climb him like a tree and hold on for dear life. He was completely gorgeous and when he smiled she felt tingles.. It was insane how someone so good-looking, someone that probably had tons of girls throwing themselves at him, wouldn’t look her in the eyes for more than a few seconds.
 

She had never met anyone like Jordan. He was quiet and reserved, not the cocky, full of it type of guys that she had been dating lately. She felt safe, which was crazy only having just met him, but something was happening between them. He was nice, and listened to her when she talked. Even if he didn’t look at her for very long, she knew he was listening. It was as if he was embarrassed or nervous, which was completely ridiculous! He was beautiful for goodness sakes and she wanted nothing more than to let him have his way with her. Repeatedly.