But just as her body began to surrender to the idea, the faint thud of footsteps echoed from the front of the plane. Eva stiffened instantly. "Someone's coming," she whispered, already shifting to get off his lap.
Alex's arm locked around her waist, holding her exactly where she was. "Stay." It was a single word, quiet but heavy, and it rooted her in place even as her mind screamed this is a bad idea.
The sound grew louder until, finally, the figure appeared in the doorway. Eva froze. Alex froze. And then—
"Mum?!" Alex's grip loosened, just enough for Eva to slide off his lap and onto the seat beside him, her cheeks already burning. "What the… what are you doing here?"
His mother, impeccably dressed as always, stepped into the cabin. "Well," she said with a bright, unapologetic smile, "when you told me you would be going to the Netherlands, I just couldn't resist. I haven't had kanos in a long time. I thought I'd join you."
Alex groaned. "Kanos?"
