4

What the hell is wrong with me? Madeline stared at herself in the mirror above the sink in the Miami airport bathroom. She’d changed out of her uniform quickly, as usual, for some reason never feeling clean after a few hours on a flight, but this time, she didn’t just feel fresher, but more…alive. And about as giddy as a teenage girl who’d finally earned a smile from the handsome high school quarterback.

She couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Through her years working as a flight attendant she’d met rock stars, actors, and plenty of athletes. None of them fazed her because each and every good-looking young man reminded her of her three younger brothers. Being twelve years older than the eldest, she’d had a hand in raising them and never could seem to put aside that motherly instinct. The wild antics of the rich and famous and not-quite-grown-up amused her, which was probably why she was chosen so often for chartered flights.

The boy, Ian White, hadn’t been any different. He was the same age as her second youngest brother, all tough and yet vulnerable, just like Jonathon. She looked over at the pillow she’d taken to fix for him, which brought on a vision of the boy’s coach.

Assistant coach. Tim Rowe. She’d never heard of him before she’d been assigned to the flight. A few of the player names were familiar, but she always took the time to memorize the names of passengers on smaller flights to give them more personal service. This was the first time she’d ever considered making it more “personal” than was appropriate.

After applying a bit of gloss to her lips to defend them against the dry winter air, Madeline shook off the lingering sensation of Tim being so close and picked up the pillow to tuck it under her arm while grabbing the handle of her suitcase with her free hand. She walked out of the bathroom, mentally going over all the reasons she should keep things with Tim professional.

We will be working with the team for a very long time. You don’t want things to get awkward.

Of course, there was no reason for things to be awkward. She was a grown woman, and if anything happened between them, she wouldn’t fool herself into thinking it would last.

He walked away without looking back. If he was interested, he’d have . . .

Have what? For all he knew, she’d been more interested in his brother.

Aren’t you?

There lay the real issue. Dean Richter possessed all the qualities she typically looked for in a man. Self-assured, power oozing off him in waves, his very presence telling her that, if he got her alone, she’d willingly surrender every ounce of her control. Most of the time that was exactly what she needed from a man. The knowledge that she could just let go.

Her cheeks were hot again and she stopped by a small vendor to buy a bottle of cold water. Yes, just recalling how she’d responded to Dean had her hormones dancing like a million little fireflies in the night. Who could resist a sexy older man who looked at you like he could already see you naked beneath him?

Dean could give her a night she’d never forget. Could satisfy all her darkest urges.

She took a few long gulps of water, letting it cool her down as she idly looked over the men in the crowd milling about the terminal. Before long, she realized she was looking for his face. Not Dean’s, but Tim’s. Softer eyes, a voice that held concern when he spoke to White, his expressions so easy to read. She hadn’t mistaken his interest in her. If he’d asked her to meet him, for coffee, for dinner, for… Ugh, she wasn’t making any sense. Honestly, she hadn’t had a man in her bed for way too long. Appropriate or not, she wouldn’t have said no to either man.

But Tim was the one she wanted to know. Maybe sex with him would be a bad idea after all. She liked him already. Things could get complicated.