Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
I glanced over at him with a small smile before saying, “I’m not a huge fan of anything but Dr Pepper. Water’s meh.”
He nodded. “I’m sure your kidneys love that.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I can’t say that they’re too happy about it, but my heart is.”
He had nothing to say to that, so I turned back around and started to slip my headphones back on, but his next words stopped me.
“What’s your name?”
I bit my lip, realizing that I was crazy because I was about to give a strange man my name whom I knew was a bad guy.
“Uh, Dru. Drusilla Rossi.”
His brows rose. “You have a mouthful with that name. Family name?”
“Crazy mom who liked to name her kids something that they would take shit from in school,” I disagreed with him. “Can’t say that I’m too happy about all the added bullying in my formative years because of my name, but it is what it is.”
“Can’t say that I know what bullying is like myself, but kids are dumb,” he murmured roughly.
We were quiet after that, not saying a word to each other until our food came.
“I only found Coke,” he apologized to the man, setting the Coke down in front of me instead of the man at my side’s table.
“Uh, can I also have water?” I asked, because there was no way that I was going to drink that Coke or take the Dr Pepper away from the man who’d asked for my name, but hadn’t shared his.
Even though I could guess it based on what I’d heard earlier.
Finnian.
“Uh, sure,” the flight attendant said. “I’ll be back to get that once I get these other trays passed out.”
He left and came back with the next set of seats’ food and drink.
I stared at the drink angrily.
I really wanted that Dr Pepper.
I…
The can of Dr Pepper came into my vision, and then the man’s long, work-rough fingers reached for my Coke.
I opened my mouth to tell him it wasn’t a big deal, but before I could he said, “I don’t have a preference. I like them all.”
His words took the wind out of my sails. “Thank you.”
“No problem, Dru.”
The honeyed words from that man’s lips…it sounded like a caress against my most intimate parts.
Geez, the man was potent.
The flight attendant got everyone’s drink orders, then got everyone’s food out to them next.
Except mine was most definitely not chicken parmesan like I’d ordered.
I stared at it in disgust, but didn’t correct the man.
Finnian, however, did.
When the flight attendant came to bring him his chicken parmesan, he picked up my tray and held it out to the flight attendant and said, “This isn’t what she ordered. You can give her mine for now.”
The flight attendant looked like he’d swallowed a lemon.
“There aren’t enough chicken…”
“You asked her first, and I can tell you now that you had enough when you asked me,” he pointed out. “I also know, because one of my good friends is a flight attendant, that staff also gets their choice last. So if you have a chicken parmesan sitting back there for the pilot or yourself, then you might want to go ahead and switch out this for one of those.”
The flight attendant took the food, set down mine with a small clatter, and left.
I opened my mouth and closed it, ready to thank the man again, but the flight attendant was back just as fast with Finnian’s food.
“Prick,” Finnian muttered as the flight attendant left. “I wouldn’t drink or eat anything else that he’s personally made for you.”
I groaned. “Got it.”
“You never asked.”
I looked over at him and said, “Asked what?”
“What my name was.”
I unrolled my cutlery and placed it gently on the tray next to my plate before saying, “I feel like if you wanted me to have it, you’d have shared. Usually that’s what happens when someone asks for someone else’s name—offers theirs up in return. Since you didn’t do that, I didn’t ask because I figured you didn’t want me to know it.”
He tilted his head. “You don’t recognize me at all, do you?”
I was already shaking my head. “Not at all. Should I?”
He cleared his throat. “I guess if you don’t follow politics, then you probably wouldn’t have a frame of reference.”
“I don’t.” I shuddered. “I try to stay out of politics. The less I hear about them, the better.”
“Amen,” he muttered.
I lifted a brow, ready to ask him more about his comment, but the flight attendant was back, bumping me in the shoulder with his ass as he passed.
I jolted, causing my plate to clatter.
“It’s Finnian, but everyone calls me Apollo,” he replied.
“Finnian.”
Four
Y’all remember when we sent boys to Jupiter to get more stupider? Well, they’re back, and it worked.
—Dru to Apollo
APOLLO
“Finnian.”
The way that her lips formed my name set off a chain reaction inside of me, causing my cock to swell and adrenaline to dump into my veins.