Abby felt the prickling of wakefulness teasing her eyelids, and she squeezed them tighter. She'd been dreaming. Not of her usual nightmares, but of Adam, and she was reluctant to let it go. In this dream, she was filled with warmth and happiness, experiencing a peace unlike anything she had ever felt before in her adult life, or childhood. For too long she'd been occupied with despair, pain, sorrow, and hatred. She wanted this dream to last, and so she fought against the inevitable desire to wake up. But, it was in vain, the fantasy had vanished beyond her grasp.

Sighing, she slowly stirred, searching to press herself against Adam's body heat, but it wasn't there. Blinking her eyes open, she tried to ease away the groggy, hungover feeling coating her like a thick fog. She must have slept like the dead to wake up feeling this out of sorts. It took a moment to comprehend where she was at first, and she pushed herself upward to take a confused look at her surroundings. Her gaze landed on the line of small curved windows, daylight only beginning to poke through. Eventually, her brain managed to register the low hum of engines, and she flopped back onto the pillows, taking in the curved ceiling above her.

She was still on the airplane. Adam Steele's luxurious personal jet to be exact. A sluggish smile creeped across her lips. Who knew Abby the simple cocktail waitress from the Bronx would one day become a jetsetter. Stretching her arms above her head, she laughed softly to herself. It was strange going from not having a pot to piss in, to being suddenly plopped into this lap of affluent lifestyle. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever really get accustomed to it completely. But, she did have to admit, it had its advantages. Traveling this way was far superior to all those other times she had been on the run.

In the past, she would have found herself squished between hot, sweaty, grumpy passengers cramped in an uncomfortable seat heading across country on a bus which had been more like being locked in a moving Port-O-Pot for thousands of miles. Abby cringed. And those were the good memories. Rolling over to her side, she looked out the window at the expanse of dawn painting the sky in vibrant splashes of color. There had been numerous times Dean had found her before she could replenish her savings, and she hadn't been able to afford the luxury of a bus. When that happened, she had been forced to hitchhike in a desperate attempt to put miles between him and her.

Squeezing her eyes closed, she cleared her mind of those terrifying memories. That was in the past when she had been young and naïve. Back then, she'd been scared, alone, and left with no resources or money. She had barely dared to breathe in fear the pain would overwhelm her, or in dread he would hear it and locate her once more. Maybe she should have done more to try and find answers...to get help, but without support or guidance, her terror had ruled her life. Those days, just waking up seemed to be enough of a victory.

Except things have changed, and her world has been flipped over on its ear. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, she had went from hitchhiking and running blindly in any direction to gambling her future on one man. At first, she hadn't been entirely certain she could trust him, but her wariness had been forced aside by the sheer willpower of the man himself. Abby grinned, remembering Adam's stubbornness. It had taken time for the epiphany to strike, but, now...he was the only one she did trust. Come hell or high water...life...death...or whatever the future may bring, she was staying with Adam Steele.

Reaching up, she brushed the pillow still holding the indentation of his head. They'd slept spooning through the night. On more than one occasion, she had been roused to his arms tightening around her waist. As if he was afraid she would disappear in the middle of the night. By wiggling just right, she had been able to feel his hard erection easing between her ass cheeks as if he was reliving their lovemaking in his dreams. She could have easily reached behind to make them come true, but, as much as she wanted him inside her...she had been too exhausted. Adam had been right, she needed the sleep. And because of him, she was able to slip into a deep slumber she hadn't experienced in years. But now that he wasn't there, her body was beginning to insist she find him and maybe do a little making up for last night's lost opportunities.

"Good morning, Abigail. Did you sleep well?"

The gruff softness of his deep voice radiated through her, bringing a smile to her face and an extra skip to her heartbeat. The sound was the epitome of male sex appeal, naturally drawing her towards him, and she rolled over in the direction of him as he eased down on the side of the bed. The dip of his body weight gently sloped her closer.

"Yes, I did," she whispered, taking in his dark hair. The sleep rumpled mess only succeeded in making him more attractive, and she itched to run her fingers through it. Lifting her hand, she settled for stroking her fingers lazily over the dark stubble of his jaw. "Did you?"

Capturing her wandering hand, he flipped it over and brought it to his lips, placing a warm kiss on the inside of her palm that made her tremble. "As long as you are by my side, my nights are always more pleasurable, baby," he said, giving her a wolfish grin.

The sound of the intercom cuing up, broke the power of his stare, making Abby jump.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. This is your Captain speaking," Erich's baritone drawl came over the speaker above the bed. "Yes, I'm still here. As tempted as I was to put this bird on autopilot and slip out the back, my fear of heights kept me from actually doing it. I would like to inform you we are preparing to land. According to the operations manual I'm currently reading on how to land, you need to be in your own seats and buckled up."

Abby exhaled an exasperated breath. It seemed her opportunity to make up for last night was once again slipping away. Raising up, she started to scoot off the bed, but Adam seemed to have different plans. Instead of allowing her to get up, he caught her wrist, and then pulled her until she was settled into his lap.

"Not yet. You aren't getting away from me that easily," he murmured into her ear, his nose burrowing into her hair.

Shivers raced along her spine, and Abby couldn't prevent the small moan slipping through her lips when he found the sensitive spot behind her lobe and tickled it with his tongue.

"The tower has decided we have toured around their facility in a circling pattern for long enough, and we have begun our descent." Erich's voice once more disrupted their cozy den. "If this is not your preferred choice of destination, it soon will be. We will be landing as soon as we get closer to the ground."

Despite being annoyed at the disruptions, she couldn't help but giggle. Adam's deepening scowl only added to her amusement.

"I told you not to encourage him," he chided softly, just before his finger's laced into her hair.

The hungry look in his eyes had her mirth catching in her throat on a gasp. Tugging gently, he dragged her surprised mouth to his for a long, drugging kiss. "After we get off this fucking plane, it's going to be you and me in a real bed. You're legs wrapped around my waist. Me inside you. For hours." Each sentence was punctuated with soft nips of his teeth down the column of her throat.

Abby shivered at his love bites done with enough force to make her hiss with excitement. "You won't be kicking me out of your bed then for my own good this time?" she breathed, tilting her head to give him better access to his drifting lips.

His velvet gaze stroked over her face, touching fire to every nerve in her body. "The only reason I would kick you out of my bed, would be to fuck you on the floor, Abigail," he growled.

Cupping her neck, he pulled her roughly down for another blazing kiss. His other hand finding the swell of her breast to run his thumb over her rigid nipple, hardened from his dark words. The sound of the landing gear descending from the belly of the plane broke through their heavy breathing, finally forcing him to reluctantly release her from his grasp.

"Now, you can get up." Arousal glowed in his auburn eyes, making them appear more black than brown.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," he said, standing. "Flight regulation are intended to ensure your safety. And you know, I am all about your safety, baby." With ease, he reached down and drew her to her feet. "As much as I love you in my shirt," he reached out and jerked the t-shirt playfully, "you might want to put your skirt back on." With a quick peck on her hotly burning cheeks, he turned to leave. "You have approximately two minutes," he advised over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

"Shit!" Abby darted for the bathroom, scooping her discarded skirt off the floor on her way. Quickly, she did her business, and splashed water on her face in an attempt to scrub away the last of the sleep still lingering while she wiggled her skirt up her thighs. When she was finished, she chanced a look in the mirror, and groaned in dismay. Her ratty, horrible hair was sticking up in every direction imaginable, and though she had gotten rid of the worst of the mascara smears, she still looked like something the cat dragged in.

"Where's Jo Jo when you need him," she muttered under her breath as she started feverishly searching the drawers for something to tame the unruly mass on top of her head. Letting out a sigh of relief, she snatched a brush and set to work. She was just spitting out a gargle of mouthwash when the door creaked open. Those eyes of Adam's not missing a beat as they roamed over her. Despite having slept in his slacks, he didn't look the least bit haggard. He looked like sin and temptation in his only slightly wrinkled suit. Abby didn't know if she should jump his bones, or smack him silly for having the audacity to look impeccably mouthwatering when she was a hot mess. Somehow, it seemed utterly unfair.

"Time to take our seats," he said, holding out a hand for her to take.

With a hasty nod, she put her hand in his, and followed him back to their seats. No sooner had she sat down, and he was fastening her tightly in before slipping into his own seat. They hadn't been sitting for more than a few minutes before the wheels touched down with a soft bump.

"Just in the nick of time," Adam said with a soft chuckle.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are once again on terra firma. I would like to apologize for the bit of a rough landing. Remember it's not your pilot's fault. It's the asphalt. Make sure you get all your personal belongings, personal problems, anything you may have brought on board, and take it with you. Thank you for choosing Steele Industries for your travel needs, the only company who enjoys taking you for a ride more than I do."

Abby burst out laughing at Adam's annoyed curse as the plane slowly taxied to a smooth stop. Peeking out the window she spotted a small control tower, and one long building amongst what looked like nothing more than a parking lot for a few scattered private planes and jets.

"Where are we?" she asked, undoing her seatbelt so she could lean forward to take in more of what appeared to be a vacant airfield.

Adam undid his restraint, and stood beside her. "You'll see." Holding out his hand, he wiggled his fingers at her. "Come, baby. This is where we get off."

Turning, she looked up at him. For a few heartbeats, she didn't want to move. She simply wished she could live in the tenderness of his eyes staring down at her. She would much rather drown in the warmth, and remain there instead of facing the unknown stretching out before them. Holding back a heavy sigh, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to haul her up out of her fantasy bubble.

"Everything ready?" Adam asked Erich as they approached the front of the aircraft.

"Yes, sir. Everything is waiting as we discussed." Erich nodded at him briskly, before turning his attention to Abby. "Did you enjoy your flight, Ms. Lane?" he asked kindly, giving her a rare smile.

"Yes, thank you. For my first time, you made it very memorable," she said with a light giggle. "Maybe next time I won't sleep through most of it."

"Next time...I believe I have a promise to uphold about initiating you into a certain club," Adam murmured softly, slipping his arm around her shoulders to move her towards the exit.

Blushing down to her toes, but yet thrilled at the prospect, she allowed him to guide her out of the plane. Wherever they were, the weather was a hell of a lot more pleasant then in New York, she thought. Turning her face briefly towards the morning sun, she took a moment to enjoy the warm feel of it hitting her skin.

"Here's your keys, sir. It's gassed up and good to go."

The sound of Erich's voice made Abby swing her head around. Parked not too far away from the jet, sat three cars. A sleek looking, blue sports car with heavily tinted windows glittered in the sun next to a mud covered four-wheeled drive black Jeep Wrangler. And towering over the both of them, sat an expensive looking black suburban which she pictured being driven by dignitaries or mafia bosses.

Adam cocked an eyebrow. "A Jaguar?"

Erich's grin widened. "You said to pick something you would drive."

"Maybe if I were a fucking cliché," he grumbled under his breath, pulling Abby along behind him as he headed towards the vehicles.

"What? We're driving?" A sudden breeze picked up, lifting her skirt, and she had to grab a hold of it before she pulled a Marilyn Monroe right there on the tarmac. It was then she realized other than the borrowed t-shirt and uniform skirt she was wearing, she had no other clothes. They hadn't stopped long enough to remove whatever bags Hathaway claimed Jonathan had packed for them.

"Get in," Adam said. To her shock, he was holding open the passenger side door of the Jeep.

"What about our luggage?" The urgency in which he ushered her inside made her adrenaline spike. Erich stood straight and tall, his eyes never stopping from scanning the surrounding area, as Adam slammed the door behind her.

Fidgeting, she watched apprehensively out of the windshield. It was then, she noticed they were not alone. Several more men appeared out of nowhere, each taking a protective stance around the perimeter. Suddenly, her nerves hit her hard, and she gripped the dashboard. Had they been discovered? Have they spotted Dean?

With anxiety starting to crawl up her throat, her gaze jerked to Adam. Walking up to the blue sports car, he knocked on the window. To her shock, it rolled down, revealing a driver inside. Who the hell was that? A small yelp of alarm leaped out of her mouth when the driver's side door of the Jeep opened unexpectedly.

Erich gave her a quizzical look, before tucking their belongings behind the seats. "Everything okay, Ms. Lane?"

"You...you spooked me," she gasped, her hand fluttering against her chest to calm her pounding heart. "Who are all these people?"

"Security. Hathaway has a team for each plane for when they reach their final destination."

"Oh." Abby relaxed a little, sitting back in her seat. "I had forgotten about that," she mumbled, rubbing her forehead. She really needed to get a grip.

"Have a safe trip, Ms. Lane," Erich said, giving her a little sympathetic grin. Shutting the door, he walked off before she could ask any more questions.

The roar of the Jaguar pulled her attention back to the windshield in time to watch it pull smoothly away and out of sight. Adam spoke briefly to Erich, shook his hand, and then headed in her direction.

Opening the door, he gracefully folded himself behind the wheel. Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out a pair of dark aviator sunglasses and slipped them on before turning to face her.

"Ready, baby?"

She swallowed hard against the sexy picture he made smiling at her with one hand resting up on the steering wheel. Shaking her head, she tamped down her libido and frowned at him.

"What's going on? Who's driving the Jaguar?" The movement of Erich climbing up into the suburban caught her attention. It was unlike him to not be Adam's constant shadow, and a ping of worry shot through her. "Where's Erich going? Isn't he coming with us?" She nervously bit her lip, watching as the ex-CIA agent disappeared down the road.

Adam chuckled, and patted her thigh. "Buckle up, Abigail. I'll explain everything once we are on the road."

Rolling her eyes at his me-man-me-know-best treatment, she did as he asked. Once the belt clicked, she turned to him once more. "All buckled up." She batted her eyelashes at him sweetly momentarily before letting her brow drop down into a scowl. "Now...tell me what the hell is going on," she demanded.

"One of these days, that sassy attitude is going to get you into trouble," he muttered, starting the Jeep, and shifting it into drive. "I made a change of plans," he said shrugging a shoulder while he drove off the tarmac. "As entertaining as it sounded to spend another 12 hours in the air, I thought this would be a more suitable solution. The man driving the Jag was hired by myself. He and his companion are on their way to an expensive spa about 200 miles from here, where they will check in using our names. Erich and the security team are heading in another direction to yet a different location, while we," he looked over at her while he smoothly shifted gears, "are headed to our top secret location."

All she could do was stare at him. He had really thought of everything. Shaking her head with a small laugh, she relaxed back into her seat. No longer worried Godzilla was going to jump out at any second and snap them up, she looked out the window prepared to just enjoy the trip when a sign ahead of them caught her attention.

"Napa Valley," she gasped, lurching forward only to be jerked back by the belt. "You brought me to fucking California?" Her mouth dropped open in shock as she whipped her head towards him. "Are you crazy!"

Author's Note:

Hello lovelies,

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of Bending Steele, and if you liked it, you will consider giving it a vote. I love hearing from you, and comments are always appreciated. I may not have time to respond to each and every one, but know they are seen. :)

If you don't see any updates here, feel free to check out my other works When Roses Collide, Steal You Away, and FANGED.

As always, thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

K