“Relax, I got you. You’ll be great. Follow me.”
He led me into an office and handed me a flight suit. “Put this on over your clothes. Then I’m going to teach you something called the Hick maneuver, so you don’t pass out in the jet. Once you master it, we’ll fly. I’ll be right back.” He winked at me again, then left to go to another room.
I went into the bathroom, kicked off my shoes, and pulled the flight suit over my clothes. I quickly freshened up, applied more lipstick and brushed my hair. After I tied my tennis shoes, I left the bathroom.
But Sawyer wasn’t back yet.
So, I grabbed my phone and recorded a video. “Hi, everyone. Check out my flight suit. Stay tuned because I will be taking off soon!”
“Damn, you’re beautiful.”
My heart leaped at his voice, and I stopped my recording. Had my fans heard him say I looked beautiful? They would go nuts.
And forget my fans—did he just openly hit on me? This was supposed to be a professional interaction. Not that it had seemed inappropriate or anything. Hell, I was the one lusting after him. We were two healthy, red-blooded Americans. We clearly couldn’t help ourselves.
I turned to find Sawyer standing behind me, holding his helmet and clad in a skin-tight blue flight suit. Warmth pooled between my legs. I’d thought he looked gorgeous in his uniform, but it was nothing compared to how hot he looked now. The tight fabric hugged his ripped chest and arms. I was about to pass out, and it wasn’t even from the G-Force.
“You look handsome, too,” I managed to say without stuttering. God, I was so pathetic. I could feel my cheeks burning. Why did he have to be so hot?
He placed his arm around my shoulders, and his touch sent tingles throughout my body. “Let’s go. I have to teach you how to breathe.”
Breathe? I was breathing perfectly fine, thank you. Well, that wasn’t true—I was feeling short of breath, but that was only because this man was so gorgeous. “I’ve been breathing my entire life. What’s there to learn?”
He laughed and led me into a small room. When he shut the door, adrenaline rushed through my body. We were alone. A sexy, cocky pilot and an innocent virgin. I wanted him to kiss me, but that would be super inappropriate—not that I would complain. But unfortunately, there was no kissing to be had. Instead, he sat next to me on the sofa.
“So, we don’t wear G-Force suits in the planes because they’d interfere with the controls. If you do this breathing maneuver properly, it’ll prevent a massive outflow of blood to the brain, and you won’t pass out.”
Well, when you put it that way, it sounds easy. Not. Oh my gosh! What if I die?
My hands started shaking, but Sawyer reached over and took one in both of his. His hands were warm and should have been soothing, but my nerves were getting the better of me.
“Solana, you’ll be fine. I promise.”
The way he said my name almost sounded illicit. God, I couldn’t concentrate at all.
I didn’t respond to him, probably because I was lost in his eyes.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
His words did comfort me. He seemed caring and sweet but looked like the ultimate bad boy with his tattoos and sexy smirk. Was his kindness an act? Or had I really just met my dream man? A gorgeous fighter pilot with a heart of gold had to be too good to be true.
“Okay—so when we go up in the air, I need you to breathe like this.” He took a deep breath. “Hick hick hick. Squeeze your thighs, and flex your legs and abs. Do it with me.”
I’ll be happy to do it with you. Hick, Huck, Fuck.
Damn, where was my mind? Was this a sexual thing or a flying thing? Not that I knew anything about sex or flying. I’d keep my comments and suspicions to myself.
I took a deep breath and squeezed my thighs as tightly as I did in my weekly Pilates class.
“Hick hick hick hick.” I sounded like a moron. I looked at Sawyer, who was doing this effortlessly. My eyes focused on his thighs and abs, and I wonder what he would look like naked. He clearly had remarkable control over his body. I bet he was incredible in bed.
Whatever that meant. I was still a virgin. It wasn’t a religious thing. I just wanted to be in love with the first person I had sex with. True fairy-tale love. Was that too much to ask?
Apparently, it was. My college boyfriend had ended up coming out after we broke up. I was so happy for him to embrace his true self, but my joy and support for him didn’t ease my heartbreak. And the other men I’d dated at Stanford had all been so self-involved.
I focused my attention back on Sawyer. Even though he had been sweet to me so far, the presence of his tattoos and his overall confidence screamed cocky. Rough, raw, unrefined. Definitely didn’t look like one of the mild-mannered gentlemen I usually dated. Not that I had any luck dating sweet guys either. Most of them spooked after a date or two once they realized I recorded our entire courtship for my fans to see. Can’t say I blamed them. Dating me was intense.
“Sol, we’re going to be going three Gs. I need you to flex those thighs of yours and take a deep breath. Ready, hit it.”
He’d paused on the word thighs and was checking me out. Or maybe he was just making sure that I was doing the maneuver correctly. Either way, he was so charming right now. With all the lewd comments, dick pics, and creepy DMs I tended to get from randos on Instagram, it was a welcome change of pace.
I obeyed his orders and took another breath. I was going to take this maneuver seriously because I didn’t want to pass out, let alone embarrass myself in front of Sawyer.
After a few more rounds, he finally said I’d practiced enough.
“You ready?”
Nope.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I spoke through clenched teeth.
“You’ll do great.”
He led me out to a room where the other pilots were waiting.
I posed for some pictures for my required posts. This was a dream job—I couldn’t believe I was standing here next to these good-looking men.
Sawyer whispered to me, “Let’s go.”
I wanted to run away. But instead, I took out my phone and did what I was supposed to do.
I recorded a story.
“Hi, guys! We’re going up in the plane right now! Wish me luck.”
Sawyer grabbed my phone. “Hi, everyone. We’re excited to show you what the Blue Angels can do. Stay tuned.”
Wow, he seemed so natural talking to my fans. Maybe he’d be down for doing more stories. I made a mental note to suggest it to him later.
I quickly perused my DM’s, and, sure enough, my fans had heard him say I was beautiful. My messages were filled with questions asking if he was single, if we were going to date, if we had kissed. Poor Sawyer didn’t even know what he had created by that careless statement.
We walked over to the plane, where I took a few more pictures, and then Sawyer helped me into the cockpit. Sawyer caressed the nose of the aircraft, and, for a moment, I was jealous of the beautiful blue steel.
There were two cameras in the plane—one pointed at my face and one facing the back of my head so my fans could experience what I was seeing first hand. As much as I lived my life on camera, this was one experience that I didn’t want broadcast, but I didn’t have a choice.
Sawyer smiled at me from the cockpit. “Ready, Sol?”
“Yup,” I lied.
He strapped me in and then positioned himself. After checking the controls, he spoke into a radio.
“Blue Angel Two to maintain.”
I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about or who he was talking to, but I didn’t want to ask. I took another deep breath and said a prayer.
And off we went—soaring into the sky over San Francisco. The takeoff was smooth, just like a typical plane ride. This wasn’t too bad—I could do this.
“We’re going to go upside down. Breathe for me.”
Just kidding. Get me out of here!
I did my Hick maneuver just like we’
d practiced. Hick hick hick, but this was no laughing matter. The blood rushed to my brain, and I couldn’t see straight. But that momentary disorientation quickly went away.
“How are you feeling?”
“Good! Never better. This isn’t too bad. I could get used to this.”
“Great. Now we’re getting set up for a loop.”
A loop? Is he out of his mind?
“It’s going to be three Gs. I need you to breathe with me. Hick hick hick.”
I exhaled and squeezed my thighs. Nausea pooled in my stomach, and I could taste bile in my throat. I was going to puke. I reached for the bag.
“All right—how are you feeling?”
I couldn’t speak because I was about to vomit so I gave him a thumbs-up.
“You’re doing great. Time to go supersonic—take the throttles and push them. We’ll be going the speed of sound, which is seven hundred and sixty-seven miles per hour.”
Oh my gosh! Why would someone ever want to do this voluntarily? Sawyer must be insane!
A robotic female voice began speaking in the plane. “Warning, warning.”
Warning? What did that mean?
“Don’t worry about that, it’s just something the automated system does. Ignore it, we’re fine.”
Clearly, we were not fine. Even the plane was warning him to stop.
Save me!
The plane seemed to accelerate at the same pace as my heart. The sudden change in air pressure suffocated me, and I gasped for breath.
But then a sense of euphoria overtook me.
We were floating on top of the clouds. My body felt lighter than air.
“You having fun?”
“Yes! This is incredible.”
I couldn’t believe how calm and cool he was, not to mention how professional and kind. Seeing this man in his element was incredible.
But my momentary elation quickly evaporated as my head began to pound. I couldn’t take it anymore—I puked into the bag, right in front of the camera.
“You okay?”
I nodded yes, but my answer was no. Not okay. Embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed.
“You’re doing great. No more tricks. Just relax, and I’ll show you your beloved city from a whole other angle.”
We flew right over the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and then he made a sharp right and flew over Alcatraz. Wow. The view really was breathtaking. I’d lived in the Bay Area my entire life but had never seen our beloved landmarks from this mind-blowing perspective.
I could see my reflection in the plane’s window. My hair was wild, and I had drool running down my face. My makeup was smeared, and I was downright gross, but by this point, I didn’t care.
I was totally in the moment, and I was actually enjoying this flight. I felt weightless and carefree. And completely in awe of Sawyer.
After the longest forty-five minutes of my life, we finally descended.
I did it!
I’d conquered my fears.
Sawyer helped me out of the plane and hugged me. “I’m so proud of you.”
“You’re fantastic. I’m in awe of you.”
He laughed.
I grabbed my phone to record. “Hey, guys. I just had the most incredible plane ride of my life. I’ll be uploading it in a bit.”
Sawyer spoke to my fans again. “This girl’s a champ—she didn’t even pass out.”
I beamed and turned off the camera. I wanted to freshen up, and then hopefully spend some more time with Sawyer before I had to leave.
As if he could read my mind, he walked me over to the bathroom.
“You can change in there, and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Okay.”
I quickly brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed out of my clothes. I tried to brush my hair, but it was a tangled mess, especially because a few of my extensions had fallen out. I wrapped my mane into a loose braid and hurried to see Sawyer,
He smiled when he saw me, and I smiled back. Maybe I was reading something into it, or still high from the ride, but I really felt like we were connecting.
He turned to me and gazed into my eyes. “Hey, there’s this gala tonight for the Blue Angels. Would you like to be my date? No cameras though, just you and me.”
His date? To a gala no less? A fancy evening where I get to dress up like a princess with a sexy pilot by my side. Umm, hell yeah! Hello, follower count increase!
But ugh, he had said no cameras. He probably meant that he didn’t want to film our entire night, but I was sure that he wouldn’t mind me shooting a few stories.
Okay, stay cool, Sol. Don’t sound too eager.
“I’d like that very much.” I hadn’t been on a date in a few months. Did anyone even date anymore? I thought they just hooked up. I could never tell if anyone wanted to date me or only grow their own Instagram following. The men with their own followings were the worst. They would slide into my DMs, flatter me with flowers and false promises, and the minute we were Instagram official, they would vanish. Social media prevented people from making genuine connections. There was always another woman to swipe right on so there was no real reason for a man to get to know me.
“Great. I’ll pick you up around seven. Here,” he handed me his cell. “Add yourself to my contacts, along with your address.”
I typed in my information. “Seven is perfect.” That gave me plenty of time to shower and change. What was I going to wear?
He placed his arm around me and led me out of the building.
I melted under his touch.
I turned to him and lightly touched his chest. “You were in perfect control of the plane. I couldn’t believe it. I’m blown away by you.”
He kissed me on my sweaty forehead. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Chapter 5
Sawyer
The gala? I fucking asked Sol to the gala?
I hated going to galas. In fact, I never went. Beck hadn’t even ordered me to take her.
Dive bar, I’d meant to say dive bar.
What had gotten into me?
In one word, Sol.
She was breathtaking. Classy. Sweet.
Simply put, totally not my type.
But I wanted her. Badly. When she was breathing rapidly in the plane, I could just imagine her breath hitching as she rode my cock until I made her come.
Something I planned to do later tonight.
I doubted my usual tricks would work on a woman like her.
So, if taking her to the gala would help seduce her, then I was happy to play her game.
Especially since I was so proud of how well she’d done in the air. I’d been certain she was going to pass out, but she hadn’t. And she didn’t complain once, even after getting sick. I respected that she had been so positive.
I grabbed the keys to my rental, which was a Corvette. I didn’t have the luxury of picking up Sol in my Tesla, not that I ever drove it. It was parked on the base back in Pensacola. I was such a transient—different city every weekend. No one to call to check in with every night. No one to miss me when I left. But that was the way I liked it, and the only way I had ever lived. Even when I’d been a kid.
I drove over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County and entered the rainbow-painted Robin Williams Tunnel. The Bay Area was spectacular, no doubt. I loved flying here—skimming the top of the bridge, soaring over Alcatraz, and scaring the locals, which was probably why they hated us. Every year, residents protested our visit, saying we were promoting war and luring young men and women to their deaths. What a crock of shit.
The Blue Angels had saved my life. When I was little, seeing them soaring in the sky gave me hope that I could one day have a happy life. I made it my goal to get the hell out of my house and never look back. I studied hard in school and worked my ass off so I could get into the Naval Academy and achieve my dream of becoming a pilot. Being chosen as an Angel was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
I exited in Sausalito and drove
down a tree-lined winding road until I arrived at Sol’s condo. I parked my car and saw her standing in the driveway, wearing a form-fitting pink dress with a sexy slit right at her thigh.
Damn.
I got out of the car to kiss her on the cheek and then open her door. But before I could say hi, she spoke first.
“Do you mind if I film a quick story before we get going?”
A story? I told her no cameras. Her words immediately jolted me out of my lustful thoughts. Sure, I got that Instagramming was her job, but this was a date, not part of her assignment. Worse yet, she hadn’t even greeted me or attempted to have a conversation with me first. Ha, I sounded like a whiny little bitch.
“Whatever you have to do, lady.”
She blinked at me rapidly.
Crap. I’d come off like an asshole already—not that I cared. I shouldn’t have sarcastically called her “lady.” Beck had made me promise to be respectful to her. And maybe I was judging her too quickly. But I wasn’t fake, and this morning I’d really thought that there was more to this woman.
“I’m so sorry to ask, but it’s my job, you see. If I don’t document this, my PR girl will kill me. It won’t take long.”
Glad to know our date was nothing more than a job to her. I knew filming the flight was her job, but I thought that she actually wanted to go out tonight and have a good time with me. My own horny ass had fallen right into her honeytrap. She just wanted to use me to gain more fans or followers or whatever she called them.
What did she want to film anyway? I could see it now: “My Date with a Blue Angel: How I Gave Him Blue Balls.”
She didn’t even wait for my response as she whipped out her phone, the latest model iPhone, which had only been released this week. Damn, no trend passed her by.
She stood next to me and pointed the phone toward us.
She grinned a big, fake ass smile. “Hey, guys! I’m here with Captain Sawyer Roberts, the Blue Angel pilot I flew with today. Now we’re going to a gala! Say hi, Sawyer!”
Kill me now. I had definitely made a mistake. Served me right for asking her to the gala. I knew better than to try to go on a date with someone. I needed to stick to late-night booty calls.
Blue Moon (Blue Devils Book 2) Page 3
