Lessons in Love

By Annette Hawkins

On a business flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco, Gail finds herself seated next to the infamous Carver Heath, serial entrepreneur, multi-millionaire, and the sexiest thing on two legs she's ever seen in her lifetime.

She's terrified of flying, and when he invites her to spend a "no-strings attached" weekend with him in the Napa Valley,to divert her mind from her
fear, Gail is not sure whether he's being serious or not. Because, if he is, the promise of a red-hot, sexy weekend with a renown and dominant sex-god is certainly tempting.

Contains descriptions of spicy sex scenes and graphic language.

Excerpt from Lessons in Love

Carver smiled at her dazed expression with satisfaction. It was true. He’d noticed her in the Executive Lounge while they waited to board flight CP1452 from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or rather he had spotted her perfect heart-shaped ass, superbly defined in jeans tight enough to hug her contours and the curve of her buttocks, as she bent down to do up her overnight bag.

It was at that precise moment that he fell irrevocably in lust, and by the time she straightened up and presented a glimpse of her face, and those unusual violet-grey eyes, he was already indulging in the most lurid sexual fantasies that a cynical businessman facing corporate melt down had no right to think about. She was a living, breathing work of art.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Annette Hawkins
• Release date: Aug 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301972333

Annette Hawkins

Author, living in South-West France, whose passions include reading and writing sexy romances, and sunflowers. I started writing seriously when my husband and I moved to the South West of France in 2005. We bought our “rural escape from the rat-race” - a traditional Gascogne farmhouse - in 2000 but it wasn’t until visiting the region on holiday over the following five years, and falling in love with the countryside and our French neighbours, that we decided to move here permanently. Opting for a complete career change, I started designing and selling dichroic glass jewellery, mainly at the local craft fairs and weekly French markets in the region, and was fortunate to meet an eclectic range of interesting people. To while away the time between customers, I kept an A4 notebook at hand to scribble down concepts for my stories which I set in some of my favourite exotic locations around the world. Especially those I had the chance to visit during my career pre-France. The fact that I was dreaming up erotic romance novels while working on a market stall amused my French and English clients no end, and I had the great fortune to receive support and encouragement from a couple of published authors, to whom I am eternally grateful. Since my first attempt to get published, I have written several other romances which I intend to publish soon. In my spare time, I teach English to adults at debutant and intermediate level.

Book preview

LESSONS IN LOVE

Annette Hawkins

Published by Annette Hawkins at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Annette Hawkins

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Chapter 1

There was no denying it, the man was gorgeous, simply perfection. Gail watched him wink at the stewardess as he boarded, suppressing the desire that he would claim the empty seat next to her. The way her luck was running lately, she’d probably find herself sat next to some boring executive type whose idea of small talk was to discuss stocks and shares or worse still try to seduce the pants off her in the hope of a quickie in the business-class washrooms. For the man walking down the aisle towards her though, she would happily grin and bear it. Hell’s teeth, she might even take him by the hand and lead him to the restrooms herself. He had a beautifully sculpted body that deserved to be lusted over, and a face that angels would weep over.

As he stopped by her seat and turned to stow his bag in the overhead locker her heart did a double-flip. Her eyes roved from his knees upwards, lingered over his well-defined package, barely masked by the pants of his suit, and on to his toned chest muscles, arriving finally at his face. Ice-blue eyes stared back at her above a pair of full, sensuous lips that curled up at the edges as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Do you need anything from the overhead locker? Those luminous eyes raked over her face and breasts, seeming to strip her naked with his laser-like stare. Heat flared in her cheeks and somewhere else she cared not to think about.

No thanks. I have everything I need. She feigned interest in the safety instructions tucked into the pocket in front of her while he took his seat by her side and clipped the safety belt across his lap. Following his lead, she felt a physical jolt of electricity shoot up her arm and left hip when he took the buckle from her hands and secured it at her side. Surprised, she looked up and caught him looking back, his eyes full of promise and challenge. In that moment, she had an out-of body experience, one which involved straddling his hard lap and kissing his luscious mouth.

Carver Heath.

Gail blinked. I beg your pardon?

The name’s Carver Heath. He reached over to take her hand and shook it. His fingers were warm, the strength in his touch undeniable. If we’re going to be sitting next to each other for the next fourteen hours, there no reason not to be friendly.

Moisture seeped through her panties. Without looking down, she knew her bosom buddies were standing to attention, especially when his eyes lowered and his mouth broke into a self-satisfied grin. She ran her tongue over her lips. There was no reason not to be friendly but was his idea of friendly the same as hers? She couldn’t tell. What she could tell though, by the powerful masculine aura he exuded, was that Carver Heath was a man used to being on top, top of the heap that was. And, while on no account could Gail be considered the shy, retiring violet, either in her personal and professional life, something about the unadulterated hunk of masculinity in the seat next to hers intimidated her. She pulled back her hand.

Gail Harrison. Travelling on business, and I must warn you, I’m a little nervous right now.

His predatory smile widened. Nervous? he said in a low rumbling growl that she felt from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair.

She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, unable to tear her eyes away from his. Mmmhmm. I’m scared of flying. I’m hoping I won’t do anything to embarrass myself but I thought it best to say something in case I start screaming or panicking or... She was gabbling the first things that came into her head. Staring into his bottomless blue eyes had that effect on her, and when her heart started to do flippy-floppy twists in her rib cage and her head fuzzed over through lack of oxygen she knew what it felt like to drown.

He placed a finger against her lips to quieten her. I get the picture.

Her eyes widened at the physical contact. Do you want to move? Now that I’ve admitted I’m a crazy woman? She hoped he didn’t, prayed he didn’t.

Carver took care to hide the smile that threatened to crease his face and shook his head. Not unless this is a ploy to have two seats to yourself. No, I’ll risk it. Could be quite entertaining to see what you do when you go crazy. Are you a screamer or do you just whimper?

God, why was everything he said a sexual innuendo? Or had her mind descended to the level of the gutter the moment he stepped on board the plane? When he removed his finger from her mouth, she felt as though he had stolen something from her. She watched him acknowledge a tall, leggy stewardess as she passed through the cabin checking the passengers were safety-belted for take-off and stowing hazardous items. He was obviously a frequent flyer, and probably more, from the familiar way all the stewardesses greeted him.

As the plane taxi’d towards the runway and into final position, she gripped the arm-rests tight and squeezed her eyes shut. There weren’t many things in life that scared her but flying, especially the take-off and landing, scared her witless. Why hadn’t someone invented the teleporter, just like in Star Trek? Travelling would be so much more bearable.

The engines ramped up and suddenly they were hurtling down the tarmac strip towards the heavens. She felt the fear bubble up in her throat, waiting to give loud voice, and gripped the seat rests tighter. The next moment a strong set of fingers prised her hand away from the soft leather and massaged it between two calloused palms, causing a plummeting sensation that did nothing to assuage her terror. She dug her nails into his flesh convinced they were about to fall from the sky.

She heard a sharp intake of breath - it could have been hers had she been capable of filling her lungs at that precise moment - and then the voice next to her said, Have you ever joined the Mile-High Club?

Her eyes flew open. I beg your pardon? Did you just proposition me? Surprise and indignation were etched on her face. OK, so she may have entertained similar thoughts thirty minutes earlier, but the middle of a full-blown panic attack was not the time to think about sex. His expression was one of amusement. I was just trying to take your mind off your fear and it worked, didn’t it?

What was he saying? She was aware of the hypnotic caress of his fingers across the back of her hand, right where goose-bumps were breaking out, of the strength that flowed from his palms to calm her thrashing heart, of thinking what it would be like to feel those same fingers trailing down her naked body. What in the world... He was right! His outrageous suggestion had made her forget about her fear. They were airborne, they hadn’t crashed. She could breathe again. She released his hand, noticing the blood spots where her nails had pierced his flesh.

I’m sorry about that, she offered with a grimace of apology. I did warn you though.

I’m glad you did. Come on, admit it. My suggestion worked. His eyes did a slow languid dance over her face and breasts, noting the tempo of her breathing, and back up again to pin her to the seat. I’ll have to come up with something else to take your mind off landing. Are you OK now? Do you need some water or anything?

A strong glass of alcohol, more like.

I’ll see what I can arrange. He pressed the overhead call button without taking his eyes off her, as though he had the power to turn her mind and body to a compliant, trembling mush. The bottle-blonde stewardess with impossibly long legs appeared immediately. Hello Gloria. My companion would like a glass of champagne, if you are able to serve us now.

And for you, Mr. Heath? Would you like your usual? Gloria gave him a flirty smile which confirmed Gail’s suspicions. Not only was he a frequent flyer, he was also on first name terms with all the female members of the flight-crew. Why did that thought turn sour on her tongue?

Carver nodded. Thank you, Gloria. You know just how I like it. He turned back to Gail. So, you are travelling to San Francisco on business. What is it you do, Gail Harrison?

Once more she was pinned to her seat with his laser-like stare. This time she fought against it, breaking eye contact to regain her wits before fixing him with her own cool appraisal. I work for Zeitlinger’s Bank, in the Hong Kong office.

Have you worked there long? His accent was a soft transatlantic mix - Californian, with a hint of British public school.

I transferred from the London office just over eighteen months ago. I’m the HR Manager. I’m also responsible for the global roll-out of a new HR computer system, which is why I’m travelling to San Francisco today. She pointed to the weighty computer manual tucked into the back of the seat in front. It had never looked so unappealing.

The stewardess returned with their drinks and a bowl of appetisers. Gail waited for the woman to return to the galley before speaking again. What’s your line of work, Mr. Heath? It’s obvious you travel this route fairly frequently.

He raised an amused eyebrow. On him it was kind of cute, combined with that sexy grin of his. She found herself dirty day dreaming again.

Call me Carver, and why do you say that?

You seem to be on good terms with the flight crew, particularly the stewardesses.

He gave a low throaty laugh that resonated through her nerve endings right to the marrow in her bones. Guilty as charged. I don’t deny I enjoy the company of beautiful women, which I why I down-graded from First Class to Business Class.

Gail frowned. You downgraded? Why would you do that?

He looked her directly in the eye and locked onto her gaze. Because I wanted to get to know you.

Uncharacteristically for Gail, colour stained her cheeks and neck, and once again, his piercing gaze seemed to strip her bare. Her nipples strained against her shirt as though he had physically touched them, wanting him to touch them. Down, girls, behave yourselves!

Carver smiled at her dazed expression with satisfaction. It was true. He’d noticed her in the Executive Lounge while they waited to board flight CP1452 from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or rather he had spotted her perfect heart-shaped ass, superbly defined in jeans tight enough to hug her contours and the curve of her buttocks, as she bent down to do up her overnight bag. It was at that precise moment that he fell irrevocably in lust, and by the time she straightened up and presented a glimpse of her face and those unusual violet-grey eyes, he was already indulging in the most lurid sexual fantasies that a cynical businessman facing corporate melt down had no right to think about. She was a living, breathing work of art.

Persuading the flight crew to downgrade him from First to Business Class had been no hardship when the chance to enjoy a few hours in the company of a beautiful stranger more than made up for the crisis that had required him to rearrange his hectic schedule with less than five hours notice. As the plane hit a patch of light turbulence he brushed his thumb against the inside of her palm and was rewarded by the sensual awareness that made her violet eyes flare. He was attracted to her alright, and he wasn’t mistaken in believing that she was attracted to him too. For once he was going to enjoy the long-haul flight.

Gail took a deep breath to calm her shattered nerves. She loved to flirt as much as, probably more than the next girl, and flirting with a super-sexy stranger was even more fun. All her friends believed that eating boys and men for breakfast was Gail’s favourite past time, preferring to tease and leave rather than tease and please. Yet when it came to flirting with Mr. Carver Heath, full-time, silver-tongued sex-god, she was well and truly outclassed. In fact Carver was in a league of his own. Not just because of his looks and drop-dead gorgeous, toned body, which on a scale of one to ten rated fifteen, but because he had the ability to seduce her simply with a single word or look. If he asked her right now to strip naked and lay across his lap as a human table to eat his inflight meal from, she would. It was that simple. He was x-rated sex on legs. If only she could remember where she had seen him somewhere before.

Unable to pull the answer from her mind, she drew on the only weapon she could claim against him - her HR expertise and intuition to assess his character. Beneath the easy-going, flirtatious veneer was a determined, resourceful man; one who was obviously not averse to using subterfuge to get what he wanted. It was the way his eyes flared and his jaw tightened as he looked at her, and the way his smile rested on his so sensuous mouth, that gave him away. A sex god he might be; he was also a man to be wary of. The thought scared and thrilled her to the micro-gusset of her g-string thong. And he still hadn’t answered her original question.

What business are you in, Carver? she repeated. She watched his face carefully. They were complete strangers. He could spin any story, lie through his teeth if he wanted to, because once they landed at San Francisco it was unlikely they would meet again, but reading people was her job. If he hesitated just the slightest or dropped eye contact, she would know he was lying. And that would change the dynamics of the game they were playing.

I’m a business angel or an entrepreneur, he replied, without missing a beat. I invest in fledgling businesses and provide them with strategic advice. He watched her eyes widen, her jaw drop, and knew he had been caught out.

Carver Heath? Business angel? No way. There was nothing angelic about this man, and she had seen him before. In the Business section of The South China Morning Post, not to mention the gossip columns. It wasn’t often Gail felt ridiculous but at that precise moment she wished a hole would appear in the side of the plane so that she would be sucked out. Perhaps if she hadn’t been so scared of flying, she might have recognized him when he boarded the plane. Carver Heath! She was sitting next to Carver Heath, indulging in wild sex fantasies with Carver Heath. The Carver Heath, multi-millionaire entrepreneur and renowned playboy. He must have thought her a total idiot for not recognising him immediately.

Carver watched her shocked reaction with amusement. The next fourteen hours were going to be fun, maybe a little longer, if his plans went the way he intended them to. His focus shifted to her mouth. Such kissable lips - full, with a prominent cupid’s bow that cried out to be taken. Desire pulsed to his groin as he imagined how they would feel and taste beneath his or, better still, wrapped around his cock.

How long are you planning to be in San Francisco?

It didn’t take a single brain cell to guess where his conversation was leading to. He was as sexy as hell, and a bad boy with it. Normally flirting with a good-looking guy would provide enough fun to pass an uneventful flight. Flirting with Carver Heath was a different ball game, literally. Gail was almost scared to find out just how bad he could be. Almost. She’d made a fool over herself twice over, first with her fear of flying, and second by not recognising him, yet he was still seated next to her, and still interested, if she read the light in his eyes correctly. It wouldn’t hurt to keep him dangling a little bit longer.

Dancing around the obvious sexual tension between them, the idea of him in bed with only a sheet to cover his rampant manhood caused a seismic tide of lust to hit her broadside on. She wriggled in her seat to ease the throbbing aggravated by the seam of her jeans. Hell, they still had just over twelve hours to kill before landing. Carver Heath would have her in total melt-down just by the power of anticipation and a lot of x-rated flirting by then.

Not long. I have to be in London by the end of this month. She left the idea hanging. So, why are you travelling to San Francisco, Carver? She twisted in her seat to give him her full attention, while her peripheral vision noted the fine dusting of dark hair beneath the V-neckline of his polo shirt, and the slight five o’clock shadow on his oh so kissable jaw. OK, she was running ahead of herself, imaging trailing a line of slow kisses down his finely-chiselled jaw-bone, but what else could a girl do when temptation in the shape of Carver Heath came knocking at the door.

Something unexpected has come up with one of my US businesses. Nothing I can’t fix but I need to act quickly. He switched the conversation back in a heart-beat. Are you working over the weekend?

Before she could answer, Gloria, the perky-breasted, long-limbed stewardess, returned to take their menu choices.

See anything on the menu you fancy, Mr. Heath? She flashed him a seductive smile which stopped short of Gail’s vicinity. If Gail had been the type of person to take an instant and total dislike to someone, it would have been Gloria. She stiffened in her seat and feigned interest outside of the airplane window. Are you stopping long in SF this time?

Just a few days. He reached across the seat divider to draw Gail’s hand in his and gave her a covert wink.

Gloria quickly masked her disappointment, but not quickly enough. When she looked up again, she was careful to ensure her fake smile included both of them. I hope you have a successful trip, sir. Let me know if there is anything else you would like, something not on the menu, perhaps.

Still holding Gail’s hand, Carver didn’t wait for Gloria to return to the galley. He leant over to whisper in her ear. Sorry about that. I travel so much I’m an easy target for air-hostesses looking for a rich husband.

His warm breath blew across her cheek, sending her pulse into rocket-sphere. A sucker for punishment, she tilted her head closer and took a deep inhale of his masculine aroma. God, she could bathe in that fragrance, if he came gift-wrapped with it.

Such modesty. I take it you’ve come across the very beautiful Gloria before. She certainly knows you quite well. His cynical words had caused her to reconsider. Did he think the same of her? That she was also the type of woman that would be enamoured with his money and would fall at his feet in adoration? Just let him try. Please let him try.

Carver watched the colour of her eyes turn darker, a sure indication of her mood. Just from sitting next to her for more than an hour, he had already worked out that dark meant fire and passion, and light mean calm and thoughtfulness. Right now he wanted them deep and dark, and focused only on him. He pulled upright, skewering her with his intense blue eyes.

Does that bother you?

Does what bother me? Hell, he’d caught her out, in the midst of another erotic fantasy. Gail had to frame her response carefully. On the contrary, I don’t blame you. Gloria’s a beautiful woman. And you have a reputation to maintain. Success, money, and power are powerful aphrodisiacs, and where you are concerned I’m sure there is no smoke without fire. She smiled to soften the blow.

Does it work on Human Resources Managers too? Once again the light blue rings around his pupils reduced to almost nothing.

Unable to look away, Gail drowned. The sure knowledge that