Page 85 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

“No, but I just got out of that mess with Bill,” she said. “I’m not looking for anything right now.”

“Who said anything about looking? Sometimes things just happen.” I took another sip of water, watching her face. “Besides, Pickle’s nothing like Wild Bill. He’s sweet. I don’t know either of them all that well but even I can tell they are very different. I like Pickle. He seems like good people.”

I leaned back in my chair, letting the sun soak into my skin as I watched Cheryl’s expression change from confusion to contemplation. I could tell she was thinking. Probably trying to figure out if there’d been signs she’d missed.

“He’s a nice guy,” I said casually, breaking the silence. “I mean, I haven’t known him long, but he’s always been kind to me. He’s got this easy way about him, you know? Like he doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

Cheryl let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, I guess he is. Pickle’s different. Wild Bill was all fire and chaos, but Pickle’s just steady. Like he’s always there, you know? Reliable.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” I pointed out. “Sometimes reliable is exactly what you need.”

She glanced over at me, her lips curling into a small smile. “Maybe. I don’t know if I’m ready for anything right now. After everything with Bill, I feel like I need to be on my own for a while. Figure things out.”

“Totally get that,” I said.

Two shirtless firefighters sauntered toward us, both tall and tanned and very, very cocky. One had a hand shading his eyes, checking us out like we were posing for a magazine centerfold.

“Hey ladies,” the taller one said, flashing a grin that probably worked on most women. “Mind if we join you? It’s hot as hell out here.”

I was about to politely decline when I caught sight of Dalton. His scowl had deepened, and even from across the tarmac, I could practically feel the tension radiating off him. His arms were crossed tighter now, and there was something dangerous in his posture.

Well, well, well. It appeared he was jealous.

The arrogance of the man. If we were keeping things casual, then I could talk to whoever I wanted. There was no reason to feel guilty about a little harmless conversation. We weren’t exclusive. Hell, we weren’t even dating. Just fucking, as he’d so eloquently put it.

I let my lips curve into a smile and pulled my sunglasses down just enough to meet the guy’s eyes. “Sure, you can join us. Why not? I’m Janna.”

“Tyler,” the tall one said, his grin widening. “And this is Marcus.” He gestured to his friend, who was equally attractive in that rugged, outdoorsy way. “We’re with the hotshot crew out of Durango.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, letting my voice carry just a hint of flirtation. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dalton’s jaw clench. Good. “You guys been fighting fires long?”

Tyler dragged over a chair, positioning it close to mine. “Five years for me. Marcus here’s been at it for seven. What about you? You one of the pilots?”

“I am,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Just started this season.”

“No kidding?” Marcus said, settling into his own chair. “That’s bad ass. Not many women in the cockpit.”

Pride warmed me at the compliment, even though I knew they were probably just being charming. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Tyler leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So what’s it like up there? Flying into all that smoke and chaos?”

As I started to describe my first fire run, I was acutely aware of Dalton’s presence across the tarmac. I could feel his eyes boring into me, could practically sense his frustration building. Part of me felt guilty for the attention I was giving these guys, but a bigger part of me was enjoying the effect it was having on him.

This was what casual looked like. No strings meant no claims on each other. No jealousy. No possessiveness.

So why did I keep stealing glances at him, hoping to catch his reaction?

“Sounds intense,” Tyler was saying, and I realized I’d missed part of the conversation.

“It can be,” I agreed, forcing myself to focus on the hotshot instead of the brooding pilot who was driving me insane. “But I love it. The adrenaline is awesome. Although I think being on the ground, face-to-face with the raging beast, takes a lot more balls.”

Tyler grinned. I realized I had just made what could very easily be misconstrued as innuendo. It wasn’t what I meant. No going back now.