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“Cute,” Holly said, smiling brightly at me. “And how’d you get Player?
“Well, Holly…I’d tell ya but then—” I shot him a dirty look, and he gave me a cool smirk before backing off. He grinned and clapped his hands together. “I’ll have her on the runway in half an hour. Why don’t you two try out the simulator? You can brush up, Boomer.”
My blood went hot, stiffening my muscles one by one as I watched him walk away, his stride cocky as hell.
However big of a prick Player could be, he was an honest one, and true to his word, by the time Holly and I had run a few virtual missions in the flight simulator booth, he had the plane fueled up and ready to go out on the runway. I helped Holly get into her seat, double checking every strap and buckle, before getting into the pilot seat. When I was sure everything was just right, I radioed to Player, who was standing by to oversee the takeoff.
“You ready?” I asked Holly over the radio.
She paused and I wished I could look back and see her face. She’d been nervous during the pre-flight check but hadn’t asked me to stop. As I was about to unlatch myself to turn around, she answered, “You’re not gonna go breaking any sound barriers, are you?”
“Nope, not today.”
“Okay then. Ready.”
“Let’s do it.”
After a few exchanges with Player, I pushed the throttle forward and we roared down the runway. Holly hollered when we lifted off and my heart rate spiked at the terror in her cry, but when we were off the ground and climbing, she stopped. “Sorry. I always hate that part,” she explained over the radio.
“That’s all right. I got you.”
We climbed quickly, and I was surprised at how tight everything worked on the plane. It was ancient, as far as technology was concerned. Still, it flew like a dream, and I knew that Aaron’s craftsmanship and attention to every last detail were to thank.
“This is amazing,” Holly exclaimed as we cruised higher still. The Pacific Ocean spread out below and the sky ahead was just as blue.
We enjoyed the scenic view together, mostly in silent awe, as we floated. I was absorbed in the flight, the mechanics and routine of it taking over, but Holly’s presence was still very much in mind as I chose the direction of our flight.
Aaron hadn’t filled the tank to capacity, so I knew we couldn’t go too far, which was for the best. Mainly, I’d wanted to share my world with Holly, to show her why I loved my job. Flying was so much a part of me that it had always seemed impossible to fully open up to the women I’d dated in the past who hadn’t understood—or cared to try and understand—my passion for flying.
I realized, all at once, that was the real reason why I’d cared so deeply whether Holly would reject my offer to take her up. It hadn’t been to push Holly’s boundaries or see what she would do—it was because I wanted to know if she could accept this part of my life.
As I turned over this new information in my mind, Holly chimed in on the radio, “All right, fly boy. You got me up here, so now it’s time to show me what this thing can really do.”
15
Holly
“I still can’t believe you did that…what was it called again?”
“A barrel roll?” Jack said, his tone helpful but his smile pure mischief.
“Yeah. That. Well, whatever you call it, my legs still feel like rubber!”
Jack chuckled and wrapped an arm around my waist, leading me out of the hangar where he’d landed the plane after our flight. “You had it coming. You can’t dare a fighter pilot to show you his tricks and not expect a couple of rolls.”
“I guess I should’ve known when you were checking my harness for the third time,” I replied, rolling my eyes up at him as he led me back inside the large warehouse where the rest of the planes were located.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to my ear. “No, that was just because I wanted to touch you.”
I flushed at his mock confession and tried to ignore the wave of heat that spread over my body, right to my center, which was on red alert anytime I was close to him after the steamy session in the lifeguard tower.
I still couldn’t figure out what had gotten into me. That morning, I’d flat out said I wanted to stay friends, and then, that night, I was ready to jump his bones right there in the middle of the beach.
I tried to blame it on the sultry sandalwood candle or the romantic moonlight setting, but the reality of it was that I just couldn’t help myself. I wanted Jack. Every delicious inch of him. He filled my dreams, both while awake and sleeping, and when we were together, I couldn’t think straight.
