Pack your carry-on, buckle in and put those tray tables up -- Flying is a soaring ride of desire and determination, of the relentlessness of grief and the power of love to heal – when it's allowed to. 

Love is not supposed to be the destination.

Stella flies standby every other weekend, finding the airport bar wherever she arrives and waiting for the right guy to come along. From businessmen to baggage handlers, each conquest brings a whole new meaning to the term layover. Every departure is the sweetest possible distraction from the life and memories she’s trying to forget.

When she meets the mysterious Matthew in Chicago, something about him tells Stella she’s not the only one running from the past. Their connection is instant, electric, volcanic – and for the first time, Stella wants a layover to turn into a roundtrip ticket. 

Matthew and Stella have no trouble burning up the sheets, each passionate exchange leading the way to the next – but while their takeoff was perfect, turbulence constantly threatens their landing. With every step forward, Matthew seems to take two steps back. What began as a one-night stand has become so much more…and also so, so much less. 

What secrets is Matthew hiding? How can Stella love a man who claims he wants her, but will not, in the end, actually take what she’s prepared to give? How long can one person love the other without being loved in return?