CHAPTER 17
Jannie
“I told you. It’s a surprise.”
“I hate surprises,” Jannie muttered.
“You’ll love this one, I promise.”
Jannie tapped her foot, impatiently clicking her seat belt as she looked out the window of the enormous Global 7500. On the tarmac, Nick had driven right past their little Piper and headed straight for this plane, something she really didn’t expect on a sunny morning perfect for practicing maneuvers.
“You won’t give me a hint?”
“Nope.”
“Not even a little one?”
He smirked. “When have I ever given you a little one?”
She ignored his innuendo, although his words immediately caused that familiar hot pulse between her thighs. “Is this a long trip?”
He shook his head. Just when she thought she’d managed to wrench a clue out of him, he said, “Not telling.”
What had he planned? When he parked at the airport, he told her there was no flight lesson today, pulled two suitcases from the back of his truck, and announced that they were going somewhere. That’s all she knew.
Her eyes widened. “Rolf!”
“Taken care of. I called David this morning. He’ll be by to pick him up in an hour. Rolf will be at doggie training camp, having the time of his life.”
Jannie smiled. David Winters, a friend of Nick’s and a veteran Military Working Dog handler, owned the dog boarding and training facility where Rolf went when Nick took her flying. Sometimes, she swore the big stinker didn’t want to come with her after a fun day working with David and romping with other dogs.
It was so very dark in the plane. Every shade but this one was still drawn, and he wasn’t letting her raise any of them yet, so it was impossible to see if anyone approached in a golf cart carrying suitcases. And this behemoth was too big to even hear the compartment door being opened or closed.
Damn. Her spine stiffened.
“Let go, Jannie.”
That was equivalent to someone telling her to relax. If his voice and presence didn’t affect her like warm bourbon, that would have pissed her off.
“Don’t tell me to—”
He hooked a hand behind her neck and pulled her to him, sweeping his hot tongue along her lips. “Iwilltell you. Let go. Let me do things for you.” He kissed her cheek, then feathered kisses along her jaw, finally moving to speak directly in her ear. “Please, Jannie.”
And she melted. The way he said “please” worked every time, damn him.
“OK, then, please me.” She fisted Nick’s crisp white shirt, feeling his rock-hard pecs beneath the fabric, catching his nipples between her fingers.
He jumped, reaching up to grab her hands. “Don’t do that,” he murmured, “unless you want us to stay grounded for at least an hour. With—” he gestured toward the front, where another pilot came into view as he climbed the stairs “—an audience.”
A violent, tingling thrill shot through Jannie, and she shuddered, exhaling sharply before she could conceal her visceral reaction to his words.
“Hey, Kent,” the pilot said, “everything looks good outside; you ready to go?”
Nick cleared his throat. “Yeah, ready,” he said, but he stayed seated,his heated gaze fixed on Jannie.
The pilot nodded, flashing her a smile. “Welcome aboard, ma’am.” He hastened to get settled in the cockpit.
A wicked, knowing smile spread across Nick’s face. “Does the thought of an audience turn you on, Jannie?”
