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I’m not exactly jazzed about going up in this rickety-looking plane from about 100 years ago, but the look on Finn’s face makes me smile. He’s like a little kid on Christmas Eve, waiting for Santa Claus to come. His enthusiasm is contagious, drawing me up the ladder to his beaming smile and those damn green eyes.
“C’mon, I’ll help you into the jump seat.” He nods to the narrow space behind him where there’s a second seat that looks more like a bucket. “You’ll be back here.”
Once again, he offers his hand and then pulls me up. I step into the plane and get settled in the passenger seat which is directly behind his seat. It’s such a narrow space and we’re squeezed in together like sardines. He stands directly in front of me, only a couple of inches away, and I’m at eye level with his crotch. When he leans forward to mess with something behind me, I don’t dare move. It’s a little disconcerting being so close to his package. Also a lot thrilling.
A voice inside my head reminds me how damn exciting a night with this man would be and I shut it down fast.Shut up, shut up, shut up.Yet my self-preservation mode is wavering and I’m beginning to wonder how I’m going to stay with Finn at his bungalow, sleep in his bed, and not cave. Especially if he ups his flirt factor. As it is, his skills are borderline deadly to someone like me.Miss Lonely Hearts.
If an award were given for biggest charmer, Eric Finn would deserve the highest honor.
And the Oscar for Biggest Heartbreaker goes to…
Suddenly, he looks down at me, a smirk curving his mouth as he notices I’m staring at his junk.Grr. Insufferable cad.
“Looking for something? Or just see something you like?”
“Can you get your—thing—out of my face?” I plead.
“You sure about that?” he asks playfully.
“Do you want me to punch it?”
“I’d let you do quite a few things with mything,” he says, eyes twinkling, “but I’d rather not have you mistreat the poor guy. Especially since he is rather fond of you.” When I roll my eyes, a low chuckle rumbles from his chest and he points to the seat harness. “Can I help you with that? Fair warning, I have to lean, so you may be in close proximity with my—”
“Finn,” I say, voice full of exasperation. “If I fall out of this rickety plane, I’m going to kill you.”
He leans down, reaches for the lap belt and now I’m staring into his brilliant Russian green eyes. “I won’t let you fall, Ivy.”
But what if we fell together?I wonder. The thought hits me out of the blue. Would it make the landing less hard?
My breath catches in my throat as he tightens my belt, then pulls the shoulder harnesses down and clicks them into place, adjusting them. After giving a quick tug, he grins.
“Gotta make sure you’re in good and tight because there’s one thing I forgot to mention.” He hands me a headset.
I’m almost scared to ask. “What?”
“The P-51 is known for its cool aerobatics and we’re gonna have some fun up there.”
“Aerobatics?” I echo. Oh, hell, I don’t like the sound of this.
But he’s already turning and hopping into the front seat. Of course, I check out his perfect ass which flexes deliciously.
“Oh, and Ivy,” he says over a shoulder, “if you ever want a closer look at anything, I’d be more than happy to—”
“Shut up,” I say wearily. He’s beginning to wear my defenses down and that makes me nervous. It opens me up to being hurt and I’d be a fool to let that happen. I know what kind of guy Finn is, so I need to be smart. I just need to keep reminding myself that, especially when he keeps finding ways to slip into the cracks of my carefully-sealed heart.
It’s hard to see into the front, but Finn slides his sunglasses on, pulls the canopy closed above us, sealing us in, then slips his headset on, so I do the same. “Can you hear me?” he asks.
“Loud and clear, Mr. Pilot,” I respond.
“That’s Pilot Extraordinaire,” he corrects cheekily and then starts pushing buttons and levers. The propeller begins spinning just beyond the red-tipped nose of the plane and the entire thing starts vibrating and shaking all around me. It’s loud. “That’s the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.”
He sounds so proud and I can’t help but smile. “I can’t believe you re-built this,” I say.
“Believe it, sweetness.”
When we don’t immediately move, I get nervous. “What’s wrong?”
“Just letting her warm up,” he states. “Watch this.”
