Chapter 1
Meadow hated the middle seat, especially given her size. She was a big girl. Not height wise but definitely spread wise. Her narrow waist didn’t make stuffing her fat ass and generous breasts into a middle seat all that much more doable. She had worried about getting the middle seat ever since she booked this flight to China. Much to her relief, she had been able to get online early enough to choose an aisle seat.
The gentlemen who were stuck in the middle seat didn’t get online early enough it seemed. And he should have. She was a big girl but he was huge, height wise and width wise. He had to be at least six feet five inches tall. His full head of black hair brushed against the ceiling console but was short on the sides. The sunglasses he wore hid his eyes from her but they didn’t cover up his chiseled features. The planes of his face were razor-sharp except for his lips. They were firm but sensual. It was a generous mouth that at the moment was pursed into a straight line from having to occupy the middle seat.
The long column of his neck progressed down into a pair of shoulders that looked like they could hold the world up if need be. His t-shirt barely contained his well-developed form. It did nothing to hide the myriad of muscles up and down his arms. She wondered absently how strong he was. Probably couldn’t lift her, although that would have been nice to experience once more in her life. Not since childhood had someone picked her up and held her weightless above the ground.
The wide shoulders tapered down into a narrow waist. His jean-clad legs were long and bent nearly to his chest in order for him to fit in his seat.
When he had come up to their row on the plane, she had noticed how gorgeous he was. She also realized that he would be miserable in the middle seat given all his gangly arms and legs. But he didn’t complain. Instead, he had smiled at her and she had gotten lost in that smile. She stood up to let him pass to his seat. That was when she noticed his nice ass, rounded and perfect.
Shaking her head as if to clear it, she sat back down and tried not to think of her fellow passenger’s beautiful body and face. Although she was assuming a nice-looking face since she hadn’t seen his eyes yet, she couldn’t be sure that he was all that pretty. The eyes conveyed so much of one’s personality she thought. If he was a good guy or not remained to be seen.
He had tried to settle in as best he could in his seat but Meadow could not believe that he was anywhere near comfortable. Seeing him sitting so awkwardly made her uncomfortable. She hated for anyone to be stressed hence why she was a wedding planner. She took on the stress for others so that they didn’t have to be.
She looked up at him and he turned his head and caught her glance. He smiled sheepishly at her she thought. As if to say, “Yeah I know I look stupid in this seat.” Despite being intimidated by this big, gorgeous man, she managed to smile back graciously.
She thought she kept his gaze as she stood up while continuing to smile at him. His head tracked her movements but his eyes hid behind those mirrored sunglasses.
“Why don’t we switch seats?” she suggested. “I think you’ll be much more comfortable in the aisle seat.”
“I couldn’t …” he began as a gentleman.
His voice was raspy and rumbly, low and sensual. She swore she could feel his words roll through her body exciting her as they went from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. It was the sound of pure sex, she thought. Although since she was a virgin she didn’t know what sex sounded like except for the occasional porn and somehow she didn’t think those were all that real in their depiction of the sex act and its sounds.
It felt like pure sex because the words seem to lodge in her chest and womb, making the one sparkle and the other tumble over itself to get to him. No man had ever caused such a reaction in her body like he did with only his voice. And the gorgeous body, of course.
She never considered physical attributes high on her list of what she wanted in a partner. Humor, intelligence, kindness, empathy, these were the things she looked for in someone to love. She thought she had these same characteristics as well.
Unfortunately, hers came packaged in an oh so delightful – not! – fat body. So, no man, given how much of a visual creature he was as a gender, gave her the time of day. Some women had approached her but things never progressed beyond initial contact. Probably because she was so nervous no one wanted to be bothered with her.
“It’s ok. I have shorter legs so I’ll be less uncomfortable than you are right now,” she replied still smiling. Her smile began to falter when she saw his head look her up and down quickly. Great now he’s noticed what a fatty I am, she thought nervously. He probably blames me for not having enough room to relax.
“If you don’t mind terribly,” he began relief evident in his sexy as hell voice. “I would love to switch seats with you.”
“No problem,” she said with forced brightness.
As he stood and moved past her, the warmth of him made her entire body flush. He was so close; she could “accidentally” reach out and caress his huge chest. But she didn’t, not wanting to disgust him with her touch.
Guys didn’t like being touched by non-beautiful women, which she most certainly was one. Not only was she fat, but she also wasn’t white and blonde. Her black hair gleamed blue in the light. While sharp planes and chiseled features looked good on a man, they only made her look like a man. If it weren’t for her hips and tits, most people would mistake her for a man.
As she sat down the man in the window seat glared at her. She looked away quickly. He didn’t appreciate having to sit next to a fat person now. Trying to make herself as little as possible, she put on her seatbelt and settled into her new seat.
“Thanks.” She nearly jumped out of her seat when she felt his whisper in her ear. His warm breath hit the shell of her ear seductively. “This is so much better.”
She turned her head to face him and came into close contact with his open expression of thanks. He had taken off the sunglasses and now she could see his blue eyes. The area around them crinkled up when he smiled which he was now doing. That flash of white teeth and those blue eyes nearly did her in. Her mouth was only a few inches away from his. All she would have to do was lean in a little bit.
But she didn’t. Instead she watched his eyes peruse her face and even though no emotions showed in them, like disgust or revulsion; desire and need didn’t show up either. She was grateful that he didn’t feel anything toward her. That was better than dislike.
She managed a small smile and nodded her head, her voice suddenly missing in action. Probably from the tears she was trying to hold back. Looking away from him she took a deep breath in order to gain some control over herself.
It had never hurt so much that a man didn’t want her. Lots of men didn’t want her. In fact, all the men she had ever met as groomsmen and wedding guests, took no delight in knowing her. Most of them not even bothering to know her name, just calling out “wedding planner” whenever they needed her to answer some question or tell them what to do.
Why did it hurt so much that this man didn’t want her? Who cared if he didn’t? She had given of herself to many a person who never repaid her for her kindness. He was only another one in a long string of ones whom she had helped in some small way who would pay it forward – hopefully – or forget all about what she had done because it was nothing despite how much she may have thought it worth remembering.
Yet her chest hurt with unshed tears and sobs. It felt like an extravagant gift, his attention. One that she yearned for and one that he would take away soon enough.
“Are you ok?”
She jumped again when she felt and then heard his words in her ear.
“You’re a nervous little thing aren’t you?” he commented with a soft smile.
She took another deep breath before answering without looking at him.
“Just a little nervous on planes,” she half-lied. “It – gets to me sometimes. The thought of being in a tin can flung across the ocean.”
“They say it’s safer than driving. Are you cold?”
He had seen her shiver. Only she was shivering because of his voice in her ear and not from the conditioned air in the cabin.
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
“If you are let me know and I’ll get you a blanket.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble,” she deflected. “I’m ok.”
“Well if that changes let me know.”
Her body shivered from only remembering his voice in her ear. His hot breath made her warm in all the intimate places of her body. He wanted to help her, she thought excitedly. She would never take advantage but it was nice to know he might help her if she asked.