Page 40 of The Pilot

Harper couldn’t help but chuckle. Leave it to the former badass Air Force fighter pilot to want to sneak around in the cold dark night and break into the home of his brother—the former Army sniper—to plant hundreds of plastic lobsters anywhere and everywhere.

All right, breaking in was a stretch, as Harper knew for a fact Chad had given each of his brothers a key to the house for emergencies.

The drive to Lobster Cove was uneventful, but the closer they got, the more anxious Harper became. What was she even doing here? She wasn’t a part of the Young family. No matter how much she might want to be. Yes, her father was invited, but he would most likely come over right at the time the ceremony was set to start and leave right after, if he showed at all.

By the time Linc parked, she was a nervous wreck.

“I’m leaving the lobsters in here so no one figures out what’s up,” Kash said, before opening the back door and hopping out. Thankfully the weather was cooperating, and no one had to wear boots. It wasn’t exactly sunny, but it wasn’t raining or snowing either.

She reached for her own door handle, but Linc stopped her by putting a hand on her arm.

“Wait a sec, Harper.”

Even the simple touch of his hand on her arm made tingles shoot through her body, settling between her legs. This was a problem. A big one. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle being around this man much longer without seeing where their amazing chemistry went.

She looked at him expectantly.

“You look beautiful.”

She blinked. That wasn’t what she thought he was going to say at all. But the surprise morphed into pleasure immediately. He thought she was beautiful. Harper had heard people talking about her looks in a positive way all her life. Especially while attempting to get into the modeling scene in New York. But hearing Linc say it? Nothing made her feel better.

“Thanks. You look great too.”

They stared at each other for a long moment.

“You’ve been working really hard lately, I hope you can relax a little today. Enjoy the day.”

Had he moved closer? Or had she? Harper wasn’t sure, but they were definitely a little closer together than they had been when they’d first pulled up.

“I’ll try. You too. You’ve been a huge help with Kash, and I know you’re still working extremely hard on the house. And not getting enough sleep in the process.”

His gaze was alternating between meeting her own and flicking down to her lips. His hand moved on her arm, caressing upward, his thumb gently moving back and forth on her bare skin. The dress had short sleeves, probably inappropriate for December, but since it fit so well and Harper loved it, she hadn’t cared.

She was doubly grateful now that her arms weren’t covered, so she could feel the calluses on Linc’s hands. Hands that had controlled multimillion-dollar jets, had toiled attempting to remodel his house, and had high-fived her son over something as silly as a bag full of plastic lobsters.

He was a multifaceted man, and Harper had never met anyone like him. He also wholeheartedly and unashamedly loved his family, and he wasn’t afraid to voice that love.

“This isn’t the time or place, but fuck it,” he muttered—then he closed the scant distance between them.

His hand tightened on her arm, as if he was afraid she was going to bolt. But Harper wasn’t going anywhere. No way. She wanted this. Wanted to see if the taste she’d had of his lips three weeks ago was as good as she remembered, or if she’d blown the encounter out of proportion in her mind.

The second his lips closed over hers, Harper realized she hadn’t blown anything out of proportion. And he didn’t hesitate this time, simply took what he wanted.

Harper gave it to him, because she wanted the same thing.

A small moan left her throat as he devoured her. Taking control of the kiss. His tongue surged into her mouth, tangling with hers as he tasted her properly for the first time. After a moment, the desperation between them lessened a bit, and the kiss gentled. Became more erotic for it. Linc’s hand slipped under the sleeve of her dress, and Harper could feel her nipples harden at his touch.

The console was between them, and the angle was awkward, but she’d never been more turned on than she was right this second.

After a last caress of her tongue, and a nip of her lip, Linc lifted his head. He didn’t speak, simply stared at her as he licked his lips, as if attempting to memorize her taste.

“We should probably go in before people wonder what we’re doing out here,” she whispered after a moment, unsure as to what else to say. She figured grabbing him and pulling him into the back seat was out, so the alternative was acting almost as if that amazing kiss hadn’t happened.

“We’re moving forward from here,” Linc promised in a low, growly voice, as if he could hear her last thought. “We can go as slow as you want, but I’d like to explore this chemistry we have.”

Giddiness filled Harper. She wanted to let out a girly screech and jump up and down with joy. He wanted to see where things between them could go! Forgetting her negative thoughts from earlier, she smiled at him a little shyly and nodded.

“Yes? You want to date?”