AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You can wipe the shock off your face, Panther. This isn’t exactly breaking news.”
“If you were as intent on winning the competition as you are on stalking me, you’d have a good chance of taking that trophy out of my hands.”
“Oh, damn. Who’s cocky now?” I laughed. “One thing you should know about me: I don’t like to lose.”
“Guess you’re gonna have to get used to disappointment.”
“Will you kiss me and make it better?” When Panther’s eyes widened, I chuckled. “You know, to ease the disappointment.”
Panther shook his head. “You know, I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
Panther’s lips twitched, and I couldn’t help but remember how good they’d felt against mine, how delicious they’d tasted…
“Solo?”
“Hmm?”
“I asked if you’re always like this.”
I cocked my head to the side. “You’ll have to be more specific. Am I always this persistent? This kickass as a pilot? So good at kissing I make every man who kisses me forget anyone who came before me?” I paused and winked at Panther. “And yes, I mean that in a figurative and literal sense.”
“See, that’s what I mean. You just blurt out whatever’s on your mind no matter who’s around.”
“Well, yeah, why shouldn’t I?”
Panther arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t know, professionalism, discretion, privacy? Should I go on?”
I shrugged and leaned over to bump shoulders with him. “How’s all that working out for you?” Panther opened his mouth, but when nothing came out, I flashed a crooked grin. “I used to be like you. All buttoned up and shit.”
Panther scoffed. “Is that how you see me? All buttoned up?”
“It’s the only way you’ve let me see you so far. Unless we count this afternoon. The chains unraveled a little then.”
Clearly choosing to ignore that, Panther said, “What changed?”
“I got tired.”
“Tired?”
“Mhmm. It’s fucking exhausting trying to be perfect all the time. Don’t you think? Plus, it gets boring after a while. I mean, you can’t tell me limp dick from the bar that night got you as hot and bothered as I did back on base today.”
Panther’s eyes lowered to my mouth, and nothing in the world could’ve stopped me from running my tongue along my lower lip. The memory of him grinding against me, his body hard and unyielding, his hand tight on my thigh, was something I would never forget. It was also something I would be remembering in great detail…later.
“No, I can’t.”
I shifted on the merry-go-round, my dick hardening under his intense perusal. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t hear you.”
Panther raised his eyes, and nothing could’ve prepared me for the desire I saw swirling there. It was the same expression I’d seen when he finally let go and took what he wanted from me. “You make a mess of me, you know that? My composure, my concentration—you make me forget myself, and that’s…dangerous.”
I wanted to tell him it was all in his head, that the job he did every day, strapping himself into a fighter jet and tearing up the sky, was more dangerous than I could ever be. But I could see the conflict now replacing the desire in his eyes and knew that Panther’s fears, his concerns, were very real. As real as the passion I’d felt back in that room.
The real question here was which one of those two emotions would Panther let win out, and from everything I knew of him, I didn’t really like my odds. Not that that had ever stopped me before.
When a few silent minutes passed, Panther sighed and pushed up to his feet. “I better get back,” he said, gesturing with his thumb to his bike. “I want to go over the brief for tomorrow’s hop.”
I nodded and got to my feet as well. “Yeah, of course, I do too.”
Panther frowned. “Are you really going to go over the brief?”
I chuckled. “Okay, no, I’m gonna go eat with Gooch, but I’ll look over it before bed.”
As Panther turned on his heel and headed for our bikes, I followed.
“You could always come over when I get back and go over it with me?” I didn’t even need to see Panther’s face to know the answer to that would be hell no. But as I unclipped my helmet and straightened, I saw Panther sitting astride his bike with his helmet in his hands.
His eyes were locked on me, and as he brought his helmet up, he said, “See? Dangerous…” Then he put his helmet on and, without another word, gunned his engine and rode away.
I’d let him run for now, I thought, as I pulled my helmet on and climbed on my bike. But he knew, just as I did, we were not done here. Not by a long shot.
22 Panther
THE LAST TWENTY-FOUR hours had been one head spin after another. My father showing up at NAFTA. Solo kissing me. Me kissing him back. Being followed and letting down some of my walls long enough for Solo to get a peek inside, something I never did.
