Passion in the Sky

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Passion in the Sky

ISBN # 978-1-78184-434-2

©Copyright Diane Thorne 2013

Cover Art by Oliver Bennett ©Copyright August 2013

Edited by Sue Meadows

Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2013 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a
heat rating
of
Total-e-taboo
and a
sexometer
of
2.

This story contains 57 pages, additionally there is also a
free excerpt
at the end of the book containing 10 pages.

Diary of a Free Woman

PASSION IN THE SKY

Diane Thorne

Book one in the Diary of a Free Woman series

She’s a single woman starting her dream vacation. He’s a sexy billionaire stuck on her flight. The mile high club is accepting new members.

Gwenevere is a free woman for the first time in her life, and she’s eager to fulfil a life-long dream of travelling across Europe. She kisses her two grown children goodbye, then boards a plane to London. By accident, she bumps into Phillip Connor, a sexy billionaire, and he quickly takes a keen interest in her. During the long flight, he seduces her with his bluntness and charm. She teases him with her spicy words. The roller coaster of sexual tension drives each of them insane with lust. When Phillip begs Gwen to meet him privately in one of the facilities, she will have to decide if she’s ready to join the mile high club with one hot and playful billionaire.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Kindle: Amazon.com, Inc.

History Channel: A+E Networks

Discovery Channel: Discovery Communications, Inc.

Coach Purse: Coach, Inc.

Pepto Bismol: The Procter & Gamble Company

Chapter One

Tears built in Gwenevere’s eyes as she gave her youngest daughter a tight embrace. Her lip quivered slightly, not that Kristy could see since Gwen had her head over her daughter’s shoulder. A new wave of sadness threatened to engulf Gwen, but she fought it. Her responsible daughters were more than capable of surviving without their mom. They would be safe.

“Mom, you can let go now,” Kristy said.

Gwen slowly lowered her arms and stepped back. “I’m sorry, honey, but I won’t see you for—”

“Five weeks, Mom. You’ll only be gone a little over a month and I’m sure we’ll talk at least once a week.”

“Well, I for one hope you call every other day so we’ll know you’re safe,” said Krystal, her eldest daughter. “Now give me a hug.” She opened her arms wide.

Gwen gave her a bear hug and kissed the side of her head. She loved her daughters and she would miss them greatly. But they were both in college, working and living on their own. Kristy was sharing an apartment with two friends for the second year in a row. Krystal was rooming with her boyfriend and had one year of college left. By all accounts, her girls were grown and doing well. Gwen had taken good care of them, the best a single parent could. She’d helped them adjust to their adult responsibilities, then when the time had come that they didn’t need her anymore, she had started planning to fulfil one of her dreams.

“Watch over your sister for me,” Gwen said.

“We’ll be fine, Mom. Don’t worry.” Krystal grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Have fun on your trip. You deserve it.”

Gwenevere smiled at her precious daughter. Maybe
deserve
wasn’t the right word, but she’d certainly earned it. She’d worked two jobs for seven years and saved as much as she could for her daughters and for her own retirement. Rarely did she take leave time from work unless her children had appointments or practices to attend. For extra spending money, she wrote articles for various magazines. But she didn’t spend the funds. She saved the majority of what she earned in a separate account. Not only was her rainy day fund healthy, her vacation time was too. Finding herself alone, free from her motherly duties and with the means to travel, she’d researched then booked a trip. She’d spend five weeks exploring Europe this time, come home for a few months, then leave for another six weeks later in the Spring. Her countless hours of work were going to finally pay off.

A woman on the intercom announced the number of the London flight. Boarding would start in fifteen minutes.

“That’s your flight, Mom.” Kristy grabbed Gwen’s carry-on and purse sitting on the floor near Gwen’s leg. Her arms strained as she lifted the bag. “Jeez, Mom, what have you got in here?”

Gwen slid the strap of her purse over her arm quickly before she took her bag. “Well, in case the airline loses my luggage, I brought an extra change of clothes and some beauty supplies. I thought I might need a pair of flat shoes, so I packed them too. Then my camera and notebook are in there. I also brought my Kindle to keep me busy during the long flight. There are a few odds and ends too.”

Her youngest daughter chuckled. “They’re not going to lose your bag, Mom.”

“I’m not taking any chances. I don’t want to be overseas without a clean pair of underwear and clothes.”

Kristy grinned while shaking her head, then pecked Gwen on the cheek.

“You’d better get going,” Krystal said with a smile that hinted at sadness.

Lips pressed together, Gwen nodded. “I’ll call you after I settle in at the hotel.”

“Love you, Mom,” Kristy said, then her eldest daughter repeated the same words.

Gwen inhaled a deep breath as she turned away from her daughters. The temptation to cry pressed upon her heart. She’d never been away from her girls for such a long time. Could she handle being an ocean apart from them for five weeks?

Her slight melancholy disappeared as she headed for the line at the security checkpoint. She would have five weeks as a free woman. Free to roam, explore and see the world instead of watching the History and Discovery channels. Yes, this single, forty-four year old wanted to live and enjoy life before she grew too old or became a grandmother.

After one of the security guards quickly scanned her ticket, she headed for one of the conveyor belts. She placed her bags sideways in the grey trays, then lifted one foot at a time behind her. The two-inch heels slipped off with ease and she smiled, glad she’d selected them and worn a black skirt and cream-coloured blouse. She wanted to stay cool and comfortable during the flight, especially since it was such a long one. Having removed her shoes, she set them in a third container and scooted it forward.

As her items rolled through the scanner, she ambled through the metal detector. The lack of an alarm or flashing light allowed her to sigh with relief. She didn’t have to pass through twice. The minute her containers rolled out from the scanner, she slipped her shoes on first, collected her bags then proceeded towards her gate.

A long line extended from the door when she reached her destination. Most travellers were adults. Although a few had children, none had babies. A long flight with a screaming kid would not be an enjoyable one.

As Gwen scanned the people in line, she wondered whom she’d have to sit by on the plane. An older person would be nice, but they talked a lot. A parent with a child wouldn’t bother her, but she might have to get up and down frequently if they needed to use the bathroom or get refreshments. The quiet woman standing in front of her seemed like a good candidate, except she reeked of expensive cologne. She had long blonde hair and wore dress pants and a blouse. Large rings adorned her fingers while a fancy gold watch shone from her wrist. The woman appeared around Gwen’s age, minus maybe five years. When the line moved, she stuffed her book inside her large Coach purse, then tugged the handle of her luggage on wheels.

Tired from holding her heavy bag, Gwen lowered her arm and set her carry-on by her side. Maybe she’d packed too much, but if the airline lost her suitcases, she’d survive a day until she could purchase new clothes. Plus, she needed something to occupy her time on the long flight.

The line moved forward at a snail’s pace. Gwen lifted her big bag with each step, then set it back on the floor. Her anxiety rose a notch when she finally reached the ticket taker. This was it. Once she boarded the plane, she wouldn’t see land for eight hours. Was she ready?

She handed the woman in uniform her ticket. The attendant, a young woman with dark skin, took the slip from Gwen. “Thank you for flying with us.”

“Thank you.” Gwen took her ticket, then lifted her bag and proceeded into the tunnel.

The soft whistling sound of the plane instantly lifted Gwen’s mood. She was on her way to fulfilling a lifelong dream. Not many people would have the chance to leave their job for as long or have the funds to stay away and travel. Gwen had worked hard for over twenty years and longed for this day. Excitement and joy coursed through her. Yes, she was more than ready to take the next step to see her dreams come true.

She boarded the plane, took a few steps then came to a quick halt in the first class section. The blonde with the expensive jewellery struggled to lower the handle to her luggage. Her Coach purse lay in an empty aisle seat. A woman sat in the next one over and stared out her oval window. Past the blonde, most travellers sat in wait. The plane had rows of three seats on each side. Several people stood as they stored their bags in the overhead compartments. Closer to Gwen and on the left, two men had settled into the remaining first class seats. An older gentleman with white hair sat next to the window while a strikingly handsome man with his hands clasped in his lap occupied the seat near the aisle. Gwen’s heart fluttered.

The man who stole her attention wore a dark suit jacket with a white button down shirt tucked into his jeans. A shiny gold watch peeked from beneath his sleeve. A business man perhaps, but he appeared somewhat casual. His short, dark hair had slight waves that reminded her of an actor she’d seen on television. Although he had light creases on his forehead, he didn’t appear too old. She guessed he was in his mid-thirties at least. Broad shoulders and an above average build indicated he had a fit physique. He was a fine looking man…and he was staring at her legs.