Love is in the Air

Final destination: Desire

Weekend reporter Holly Kendall isn’t looking for a mile-high romance when she boards a first-class flight home to Houston. Busy with work commitments, the one thing she can’t do is let anything sidetrack her. But Anderson Gunn, the sensual legal consultant sitting next to her on the plane, is one irresistible distraction. And once they land on solid ground, their attraction soars.

Holly’s passionate heart overrules her practical mind—until she discovers that Anderson’s exactly the kind of player she vowed to stay away from. An ex-fiancée is just one of the skeletons in Anderson’s closet, but he’s given up his heartbreaking ways. Yet convincing Holly that he’s a changed man is next to impossible. Will his past mistakes cost him a future with the woman of his dreams?

He put a hand to his chin.

“So you think you have me

all figured out, huh?”

“I don’t know about that, but at least the music.”

“A good start,” he said. “I’ll be happy to fill in the blanks whenever you like.”

“Good. I plan to hold you to that,” she promised.

At the moment, he would have just settled for holding her. The thought of their bodies touching had a rippling effect through Anderson, causing his temperature to rise. Was she feeling the vibe, too?

After the meal, Anderson walked Holly to her car. He wanted more than anything to kiss her. Something told him she felt the same.

He leaned in slowly and grazed her lips.

Holly felt his lips on hers and was quick to reciprocate. She had been hoping Anderson would kiss her, as it seemed the perfect way to end what had been a pleasant date. The kiss, which lasted for several scintillating seconds, wasn’t a disappointment in the slightest. She liked that he wasn’t pushing for too much, too soon, and was respectful in giving them both something to look forward to the next time.

In her mind, it was a given that there would be a next time. But were they on the same wavelength?

DEVON VAUGHN ARCHER

is a bestselling author of many Harlequin Kimani Romance novels. These include Love is in the Air and three stories that take place on different Hawaiian islands, including Pleasure in Hawaii, Private Luau and Aloha Fantasy. He is also the author of the Kimani holiday classics Christmas Diamonds and Christmas Wishes. Archer was the first male author to write for Harlequin’s Kimani Arabesque line with the moving love story Love Once Again. The author has also written a number of bestselling urban and mainstream fiction, including Danger at Every Turn and The Hitman’s Woman, as well as hot-selling young adult fiction, Her Teen Dream and His Teen Dream. To keep up with his latest news and upcoming books, follow, friend or connect with Devon Vaughn Archer on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, MySpace, Goodreads, LibraryThing and www.devonvaughnarcher.com.

Love is in the Air

Devon Vaughn Archer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

I am happy to present to you my latest Harlequin Kimani Romance, Love is in the Air. It is sure to keep you engaged throughout.

When a weekend anchor and a legal consultant wind up sitting together on a flight to Houston, it is but the beginning of their romantic journey that will perhaps never bring the pair back down to earth.

The idea for this story was conceived from a visit to the airport and imagining two strangers finding romance by chance and a mutual desire to fall in love. Is your mind open enough to find romance in the air, if you clicked with your seatmate?

This wonderful romance will make you believe anything is possible with love.

I invite you as well to read my three recent Hawaii-themed romances, Aloha Fantasy, Private Luau and Pleasure in Hawaii.

Kind regards,

Devon Vaughn Archer

I would like to thank my wife, H. Loraine,

for her tireless devotion to me and my writing.

I would never have found my current success without her presence in my world.

I also express appreciation to the Harlequin Kimani editors and staff I have worked with for their professionalism and support through the years.

To “Sleeping Beautiful,”

my other half and gorgeous wife who taught me

the meaning of true love and a lifetime commitment.

And to my mother, Marjah A. Flowers,

and sister, Jacquelyn V. White, the other ladies in my life who have provided the inspiration and support

to make me the person I am today.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 1

Saying goodbye was always the worst part of a trip for Holly Kendall. She was tongue-tied as she stood there at the Portland International Airport with her brother, Stuart, who was two years older at thirty-three, and his cute-as-a-button seven-year-old twin daughters, Dottie and Carrie. What was supposed to be a mid-August weekend trip from Houston had stretched into three days, but still seemed like far too little time. It would just give her an excuse to come back for a visit sooner rather than later.

“Well, guess you’d better get out of here, or you’ll have us all in tears,” Stuart said, scratching his pate under his short, dark hair.

“I suppose.” Holly had sworn she would keep it together at this point. But could she help it if they were the only family she had, aside from her father? Their mother had died suddenly five years ago. A year later, Stuart’s wife had left him to raise their daughters all by himself. Who said life was ever fair?

Holly bent down and gave the girls a hug and big kiss. “You take care of your daddy, you hear?”

“We will,” Carrie said tearfully.

“Promise,” Dottie followed.

“Good girls.” Holly stood up and reached to hug Stuart, who towered over her five-foot-nine-inch frame. “Maybe next time Dad will come with me.”

“Yeah, right,” Stuart scoffed. “I can count on one hand the times he’s visited since we’ve lived here.”

“He doesn’t like to be too far away from home,” Holly said. “At least not since Mom passed away. But hey, never say never.”

“I won’t. And that includes never saying you won’t meet Mr. Right and start your own family someday,” Stuart said.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” It wasn’t that she had no faith such a person existed. It was more a matter of him never quite materializing in her busy world. She hadn’t exactly given up trying. But between her work as a weekend anchor, volunteer work and hanging out with her friends, she honestly wasn’t sure there was any time left in her life right now for a man.

Holly waved goodbye before going through security and heading for her gate. She had a half hour or so before boarding, so she stopped in a store and purchased an Oregonian newspaper, bottled water and some mints.

When she neared the gate, Holly could see that it would be a full flight. So what else was new these days as airliners consolidated and looked for every cost-cutting measure?

She saw an empty seat in the waiting area right next to a good-looking man. He was bald, well dressed and seemed quite content to stare off into space with his deep gray-brown eyes. Of course that changed when he saw her approaching and he gave her his undivided attention. A moment of self-consciousness swept over Holly as he assessed her from head to toe. She was dressed casually with little makeup, and her shoulder-length wavy black hair was in a convenient ponytail.

What difference does it make if I’m not at my best? she thought. It’s not like I’m trying to impress him or anything.

“Is this seat taken?” she asked calmly.

“It is now,” he said, an amused grin playing on his lips. He moved a briefcase over that had been sitting on the floor in front of the chair, clearing the way.

“Thank you.” The instant she sat down, Holly got a whiff of the man’s strong cologne. It was Obsession, which happened to be Stuart’s favorite. She preferred something a bit more mellow and on the spicy side. But then she realized it wasn’t her that he was trying to impress. He probably had a lady waiting when he reached his final destination.

Holly put the folded newspaper on her lap as she tried to get comfortable in the chair. The man beside her reached to grab the paper.

“You mind if I take a look at the sports section?” he asked.

She shot him a cold stare. Snatching it away, she responded, “Actually, I do mind. Maybe you should ask before you assume.”

He cocked a thick brow. “Maybe I should have, but for some reason I didn’t think you were into sports.”

“That’s beside the point,” she said stiffly. “I prefer to be asked for something that belongs to me.” In fact, she loved sports and had grown up with a father and brother who couldn’t get enough football and basketball. They had passed their love for the games on to her, and she had always hated when other men assumed that she knew nothing about sports.

He chuckled. “My apologies. Would it be all right if I took a look at the business section? Or is that off-limits, too?”

Holly had the feeling he was being condescending. Did she not look like someone interested in business? Or did he simply think he was entitled to someone’s property when he was perfectly capable of buying his own newspaper?

She met his eyes. “Look, I bought the paper to read myself, without having to share or wait till someone finishes a section when I’m ready to read it. I suggest you go over there and buy your own newspaper. They had plenty left.”

“Are you always so possessive of what’s yours?” he asked coldly.

“Only when someone’s persistent and won’t leave it alone.”

He took a breath. “I can’t believe we’re squabbling over a damned newspaper.”

“So let’s not,” she countered, “and we’ll get along fine.”

He laughed. “Yeah, whatever.”

Holly sensed that he was irked and wondered if she should find another place to sit. Trouble was, there were no other empty chairs near the gate. So she was stuck there. Next to someone who probably thought she was acting like a bitch.

Perhaps she had overreacted. After all, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t share the paper while holding on to the front and entertainment sections, which she most wanted to read.

She pulled out the sports section and put it on his lap. “Keep it,” she said. “I can get any sports news I need from my iPad.”

He grinned, picking up the paper. “Thanks.”

“Forget it.” She opened up her water and took a drink before lifting up the entertainment section, trying her best to ignore him, but finding it impossible for some reason. Perhaps it was because she could tell from her periphery that he was staring at her. Against her better judgment, she stared back. “Is there something else you want?”

“Actually, there is...” His eyes narrowed. “You look strangely familiar.”

I was wondering how long it would take for that to come up, she thought. She was used to people recognizing her from television and pretty much took it in stride. This time would be no different.

“I get that a lot,” she told him.

“Really?”

“Yes, it seems to be a great pickup line.”

He chuckled. “I suppose. Not this time, though. Seriously, could we have met somewhere before, or—”

Holly had a mind to satisfy his curiosity and get back to reading the paper, but she knew that would likely open the door to more questions that invaded her personal space. “I doubt that,” she assured him. “I never forget a face.” She certainly would not have forgotten his, for better or worse.

“Neither do I,” he insisted, staring at her. “Especially one so striking.”

“Oh please...” Holly was somewhat flattered, but she had a feeling that he was a player who used lines that probably worked on most women. Not her, though. Many men had found her attractive, even beautiful. But in most instances, they were more interested in what was below the waist than above. Was that his intention, as well?

“Maybe we could start this conversation over,” he said coolly. “My name’s Anderson.”

Holly looked at him as she considered the name. It somehow suited him, and maybe even piqued her interest a tad. Did he live in Portland? Houston? Or neither?

“Holly,” she said simply.

“Nice to meet you, Holly.”

“You too.” She responded as she would to anyone she was talking to at the airport. Even if Anderson was drop-dead handsome and seemingly interested in her. Or was he simply just passing the time waiting for their flight to board?

* * *

Anderson Gunn tried to read the sports section. But the truth was, he was captivated by the beautiful lady seated next to him. Even without being overly dressed up or wearing much makeup, it was obvious that she had the complete physical package: tall and slender, with just the right amount of curves and bends. He liked her butterscotch complexion and heart-shaped faced. Her lips were full and seemingly created to be kissed. He imagined if her hair were down, it would be silky smooth were he to run his fingers through it.

Though his attraction to her was undeniable, there was more about her that piqued Anderson’s curiosity. There was no question that he had seen her before. But where? Maybe at a bar? On the street? At a social event? Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

“Wait—” He leaned forward, peering into eyes that were like black pearls and just as enchanting. “You’re Holly Kendall! You do the evening news on KJTW.”

Holly frowned. “You’ve got me. Except that I’m the weekend anchor in the morning on KOEN.”

Damn. Blew that one, he thought. “My apologies. To tell you the truth, I get most of my news from CNN and Fox, along with my iPhone. But I do catch some local news and recognized your face—albeit the wrong time and wrong channel.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you,” she said, even if it bruised her ego just a bit. “It happens.”

He feigned a sigh of relief. “Glad to hear that.”

“So I take it you live in Houston?”

“Yep, born and raised there. Spent some time living in Dallas, Sacramento and Memphis along the way.”

“I see.” She wondered if he was a military brat. Or did his family just move around a lot?

“I’m guessing you grew up in Houston, too, by the accent.” He’d detected it right away. It was subtle but unmistakable nonetheless, just as he supposed his accent was.

Holly raised a thin brow. By most accounts she didn’t have an accent, per se. Especially not on the air. Admittedly, she did let her guard down somewhat when being herself and conceded that maybe she did have a slight Southern drawl.

“Yes, I’m from Houston,” she said, sipping her water. “And I’ve never lived anywhere else, though I’ve traveled to quite a few different places.”

“It’s a great city to hang one’s hat,” Anderson said.

“I agree.”

“You didn’t happen to attend the University of Houston, did you?” Anderson asked.

“Yes, in fact, I did. I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication there,” Holly said proudly. She looked at him, guessing he was about two or three years older. “Did you?”

“Yeah, I did my time there as an undergrad before moving on to the University of Houston Law Center.”

Her eyes grew wide, impressed. “So you’re a lawyer?”

“Not a practicing one,” he told her, not wanting to bore her with the details of his change from a high-powered corporate attorney to a less stressful and time-consuming occupation. “Actually I’m a legal consultant.”

Either way, Holly imagined that he was making good money. She wondered who he was spending it on. As if that was any of her business.

“Is that why you’re in Portland?” she asked.

He nodded. “I have a client here. How about you?” He hoped to hell she didn’t say she was carrying on a long-distance love affair, though he couldn’t imagine any guy wanting to be that far apart from such a smoking-hot woman.

“I have a brother and two nieces living here. I was just up for a short visit.”

“Cool.” Anderson found that he’d lost all interest in reading the paper. Especially when he’d rather read into Holly Kendall and learn as much as possible about who she was. Would she be okay with that? Or would he be pressing his luck by continuing the conversation?

Before he could say anything else, Anderson’s phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was his Portland client, Dodson Paul, who ran a very successful law firm.

Anderson frowned at Holly. “I have to take this.”

She batted her lashes. “Don’t let me stop you.”

Holly watched him shoot to his feet before answering the call. It gave her a moment to further assess him. He was tall at around six-four, and appeared very fit, as though he worked out regularly. She thought his pecan complexion suited him, and his square-jawed face with a prominent nose and wide mouth only added to his physical appeal.

He stepped farther away, turning his back, as though to block anyone from hearing the conversation. Not that she wanted to hear him saying sweet things to his wife or girlfriend. A tiny piece of Holly felt envious, since she had no one at home waiting for her. But she had put loneliness on the back burner in favor of the rich life she had otherwise.

When it was announced that first-class passengers could board, Holly stood. It had been nice to have the brief chat with Anderson, but she doubted either of them had any room in their lives for one another in Houston.

She stood up and looked his way. He was so absorbed in his conversation that he didn’t even notice. She grabbed her bag, leaving the paper behind, and took her place in line.

* * *

When Anderson got off the phone, he noticed that the plane was boarding. He also saw that Holly was gone. Damn—he hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye.

Anderson grabbed his briefcase and headed for the plane. He definitely envisioned Holly as girlfriend material. She was gorgeous, sexy in an understated way, educated and obviously successful as a television personality.

But he seriously doubted that with her qualities she was just sitting around waiting for a man to pop into her life. He couldn’t get that lucky. Could he?

In any event, he realized it probably didn’t make much difference now since that window of opportunity had passed. For all he knew, she was sitting beside some dude on the plane who was busy trying to win her over.

Anderson boarded the plane. The moment he entered the cabin, he spotted Holly sitting all by her lonesome in a window seat in first class. It wasn’t till he checked his boarding pass that he realized, against all odds, that she was his seatmate.

And she was occupying his seat.

He grinned when she looked up at him. “Well, hello again,” he said.

“Hi.” Holly colored a little from the intensity of his stare. She peeked past him as if trying to point out that other people were in line behind him, waiting for him to proceed down the aisle.

“Looks like we’ll have time after all to finish the conversation we started,” he said with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Excuse me?” Her lashes fluttered at the notion.

“We’re sitting side by side,” Anderson said. “Actually, if you check your boarding pass, you’ll find that I have the window seat.”

“Really?” Holly pulled the slip of paper out of her purse, clearly surprised that she was in the wrong seat. “My mistake. I’ll be happy to move.”

Anderson dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m cool with the aisle seat.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. It’s easier for my long legs to get up and flex.” He also liked the idea of her being effectively stuck on the inside so there was no escaping him. After tossing his bag in the overhead bin, he slid into the seat next to her. Suddenly the normally dull flight to Houston had gotten a lot more intriguing.

Chapter 2

The flight was a bit bumpy, which made Holly a little nervous. Not to say that she was a fearful flier, but they were 30,000 feet in the air and she didn’t take anything for granted.

Somehow she felt comforted by Anderson’s masculine presence, as though it was his job to make sure nothing bad happened to her. It was a silly thought, especially considering that his close proximity also made her a little nervous. She usually felt that way whenever she was attracted to a man. Since it had been a while since she could say that, she hadn’t decided yet if that was a good or bad thing.

“Weekend morning anchor, huh?” Anderson commented, nursing a scotch on the rocks as he watched Holly sip some red wine.

“That’s me.” She wondered if he viewed that as a lesser position than anchoring the weekday noon news, which her good friend, Blythe Cramer, co-anchored with veteran newscaster Allan Kennedy.

“I have to be honest in saying that you’re even more beautiful in person—and that’s not a line.”

“Thank you,” Holly said, though still not sure if he was getting carried away with her looks. “But I’m not on television as an actress. I’m a serious journalist.”

“And you do your job very well,” he said, although he didn’t get to see her often enough on his big-screen television. That would have to change. “There is one thing I’ve always been curious about when watching newscasters—”

“Hmm...do I really want to know?” she asked, half joking.

“When you’re reporting all that bad news with murders, car accidents, robberies and the like, do you take that home with you or leave it at the job?”

Holly stared at him for a beat before offering a response. “Both,” she said diplomatically. “Of course, you wouldn’t be human if you could talk about such things and simply shut it off once you leave the desk. But, on the other hand, if you let it all get to you too much it would probably drive you crazy. Meaning you shouldn’t be in broadcast journalism.”

“Well-thought-out answer,” Anderson said, impressed.

“Just telling you how I feel.” She looked at him. “Do you take your work home, figuratively speaking?”

“I used to much more than I do now,” he responded thoughtfully. “These days I try to keep my business and personal life as separate as possible, which isn’t always easy.”

“So what happened to make you change?” Holly realized the question was delving further into his life than he may have cared to go. In which case, he would simply tell her it was off-limits. And that would be that. But since he had opened the line of questioning, she had every right to counter.

“It’s a long story,” Anderson said.

Holly refused to let him off the hook that easily. “Well, I’m not going anywhere, and since we still have more than two hours of flight time left...”

Anderson chuckled. He understood that if he was curious about her that it only stood to reason that she felt the same about him. After tasting his drink, he turned to her and said, “Fair enough. Back in the day, which was not so long ago, I was a hard-driving, overly ambitious attorney thinking only about my bank account and myself. It played havoc on my personal life and damn near everything else. I finally got smart and decided to try to turn things around. So I changed careers, mellowed out and am the better for it today.”