Danger Zone (The Elite Book 1)

by Brooke Blaine

  “Have you lost your mind?”

  “I’m gonna assume that’s a rhetorical question,” he said, leaning back against the door and crossing his arms. “I heard what your father said—”

  “Of course you did.”

  “And I appreciate you going to bat for me.”

  “Going to bat for you?” I blinked. “Going to bat for you? The only reason I’m even in this shitfuck of a situation is because of you.”

  “Oh, we’re back to this. All right, let it all out.”

  “I don’t need to let anything out, because you’re leaving.”

  “See, I would, but I feel involved now.”

  “Because you’re a nosy motherfucker who can’t mind his own business.”

  “It’s not my fault the door just happened to be open when I walked by.”

  I rubbed my face with both hands, emotions bubbling over from my standoff with my father, and now this. Was there a reset button somewhere that I could push?

  I lowered my hands and looked Solo in the eye. Maybe I could appeal to his compassionate side—if he had one. “Look, is it too much to ask of you to just…oh, I don’t know, let this go?”

  “I’m more than happy to let it go. What would you like to discuss instead?”

  As I stared at him as though he’d lost his mind, Solo smiled deviously.

  “No ideas? I have several. Maybe we could start with the way you threw me out of your room the other night?”

  I glared at Solo so hard that it was a miracle the ground didn’t open up and swallow him whole. The guy had no clue about discretion, timing, life in general, if he thought for one second I was in the mood to discuss that.

  “I can see you don’t really like that option. So let’s move on.” As Solo pushed off the door, I automatically took a step back into the room. I wasn’t in the mood to be dicked around right now. “How about we discuss the fact that you just told your father I was one of the best pilots you’d ever seen?”

  “How about we don’t.”

  “Aww, you don’t need to be shy, Panther. You can admit it: you think I’m a badass.”

  My lips twitched despite myself. Who the hell was this guy that nothing seemed to faze him? It was like Solo walked around with a perpetual I-don’t-give-a-fuck mindset, and I had to admit, I wished I shared his blasé view of the world right this second. I would give anything not to feel as though I’d just let down my father. Anything not to feel as though I couldn’t act on the desire I had for this infuriating man in front of me.

  But, just like the good little soldier I had been raised to be, I squashed down any and all emotions that hinted at my actual feelings. “You need to get out of my way.”

  “Oooor what?”

  “Or I’ll move you out of my fucking way. I’m really not in the mood for this.”

  Solo took another step toward me. “What are you in the mood for?”

  I went to open my mouth and throw out some kind of lie, but Solo cut me off.

  “And don’t give me some bullshit answer. What do you usually feel like doing after a one-on-one with dear old Dad? I can’t imagine that’s the first time you’ve gone a couple rounds.”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “I know, but tell me anyway.”

  I ground my molars together, my hands balling into fists by my sides. What did I usually do? I usually got on my bike and drove all night. Or got in a plane and tore up the sky. I did whatever it took to erase his disappointment in me with a rush of pure adrenaline, and if anyone would understand that, it would be Solo.

  “I fly or ride,” I heard myself say.

  “Why?”

  “Why?” Solo nodded, and I shrugged. “I don’t know. It helps somehow. That rush…”

  “The high?”

  My pulse began to race as Solo’s question lingered in the air between us, the same way it did when I slid into the cockpit of my jet. This was not good—he was standing much closer to me now, and as my heart began to thump erratically, my head spun.

  I needed to get the fuck out of there now, before I did something I’d regret.

  “Panther?”

  “Huh?”

  Solo was now toe to toe with me, and when he slid his tongue along his lower lip, I had to swallow back a groan.

  “For me, the only thing that’s ever come close to that high I get in the cockpit,” Solo said, my eyes focused on his mouth, “is sex.”

  I didn’t have time to react before Solo gripped the back of my neck, forcing me down so that my lips crashed against his. I froze, unable to comprehend what was happening—where it was happening. All I could feel was Solo’s mouth moving against mine, and as all the reasons why this was a bad idea flashed through my head, I knew there was no way in hell I was about to put an end to this, not until I’d at least had a taste of the lips pressed up against mine.

  19 Solo

  PANTHER IS KISSING me.

  Panther is kissing me.

  Holy fucking shit, Panther is finally kissing me.

  If I hadn’t been the lucky fucker on the receiving end of his commanding mouth, I might not have actually believed it was happening. But since his delicious tongue was now slipping between my lips and tangling with mine, there was no mistaking it. Grant “Panther” Hughes was kissing the ever-loving hell out of me, and showing no signs of stopping.

  Not about to let this moment pass me by, I reached for those beautifully built biceps of his and hung on, wanting something to steady myself as my knees began to weaken. My fingers dug into the material of his flight suit, and just in time, too, because Panther shocked me by wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me in tight.

  Hot damn. When I first reached for Panther, I hadn’t been sure what kind of response I would get. Would he punch me? Would he shove me away again? But never in my wildest imaginings could I have predicted this.

  Dreamed and fantasized about it, yes. Predicted it, hell no. It seemed more likely that hell would freeze over than Panther would actively be involved in one of the hottest make-out sessions of my life. But as a groan left my throat and my body came into direct contact with his, Panther growled, and I knew I wasn’t dreaming because that sound went straight to my dick, which hardened in response.

  Not about to let him go, now that I had him where I wanted him, I looped my arms around his neck, and when my erection rubbed up against his, Panther tore his mouth free.

  “Damn.” The curse was low, much lower than his usual tone, and the raspy cadence made my body tremble. Panther’s eyes were blistering hot as they stared into mine, and when he licked his lower lip as if to get another taste of me, I thrust my hips forward again to see what he would do.

  The hand Panther had at my waist slid down over my ass, and as he grabbed a hold of it and began to walk me backward, I let him lead me wherever the hell he wanted to. When my back hit the door, I grunted from the impact. It wasn’t soft, but neither was the man in front of me.

  I spread my legs a little, hoping Panther would—yes, exactly that—slide one of his between them, and when his thigh grazed my covered cock, my eyes fluttered shut and I moaned.

  “Why’d you have to be so fucking sexy?”

  The question was asked so quietly that I barely heard it, but when I opened my eyes and saw Panther’s roving over my face, I knew I wasn’t mistaken. His pupils were blown, his eyes close to black they were so dark, and when he rocked his hips forward and I felt that hard cock up against mine, I sighed.

  Panther groaned as he touched my face, and when he traced a thumb over my lower lip, he muttered, “So fucking gorgeous. It’s not fair…”

  Pinned as I was to the door, I could do little but stand there and let him do what he wanted, but if I was honest with myself, I wouldn’t have changed anything anyway. Instead, I sucked his thumb into my mouth and began to roll my hips along his thigh, and watched as Panther once again lost that incredible control of his.

  First his jaw began to twitch, then his n
ostrils flared, and when I flicked the tip of my tongue over his thumb and then bit it, he tore his hand free—and the kiss Panther laid on me then was brutal.

  Hard, hot, and straight-up sex, that was what this kiss was about, and had he given it to me the other night back in his room, I wouldn’t have gone home as quietly as I did. This kiss was designed to destroy brain cells, and when he took hold of my leg and hiked it up the outside of his thigh, I wrapped my calf around the back of his leg and began to grind against him like we were both naked and somewhere near a bed.

  I had no idea how long we were standing there in that room, plastered up against the door. It could’ve been minutes, hours, days…all I knew was that it wasn’t long enough, because when Panther began to pull away, every single fiber of my being began to protest.

  As our lips disengaged, and our bodies disentangled, I stared at Panther and what a sight he was. His lips were swollen, his chest was heaving, and his hard cock had me reaching for mine.

  “Don’t.” The order was raspy but clear, as Panther’s eyes fell to my erection.

  “Why not?”

  Panther licked his lips, and for a moment I thought he might ignore me, but then he said, “Because if you do, I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk out of here.”

  This was the first time Panther had actually admitted to wanting me. To really wanting me. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

  “It wouldn’t be a smart thing.”

  “But would it be bad?”

  Panther closed his eyes and appeared to be searching for patience. “I need to go. Please, just let me go.”

  I pushed off from the door and stepped to the side, and as Panther walked forward and reached for the lock, I turned my head against the wall and caught him taking a final once-over.

  “Would it really be such a bad thing?”

  Panther’s eyes climbed back up to my face, and he shook his head. “No, it’d be too good, and that’s the problem.”

  Before I could come up with a response, Panther flicked the lock open, yanked the door wide, and then strode out into the hall, leaving me standing there wondering how in the hell to make Panther change his mind.

  20 Panther

  I HAD TO get out of there.

  Everything was a blur as I raced out of the building, my mind whirling. Had I really kissed Solo back? On base? Only minutes after the confrontation with my father?

  As I straddled my bike and started it up, I wasn’t sure where I was headed, but I knew I couldn’t stick around the base any longer. I sped through the streets of Mesamir blindly, trying to outrun my father’s words, trying to forget how good it felt to kiss Solo.

  Shit, I’d actually kissed him. And not only that, but I’d felt every hard inch of his body against mine, and it had been mind-blowing. All the time I’d spent trying to avoid him, pushing him away at every turn, and the explosion between us had happened when I least expected it.

  No one saw us, I thought, trying to calm the panic in my brain. No one else knows.

  Swallowing hard, I raced across the city only to find myself heading toward the airport. There was a park nearby, deserted for as long as I could remember, and even before I could drive, I’d cycle over to watch the planes take off overhead.

  I pulled in and parked the bike beside the rusted swings, glancing up as a 737 raced down the runway and then pulled its heavy body up into the sky. It always gave me chills to watch how smoothly the pilots navigated such massive aircraft with ease, and with each takeoff, I wondered where they were headed. I’d never considered a career in commercial flying—with my father being who he was, that was never an option, even if it had been something I wanted.

  I took a seat between the bars of the merry-go-round and leaned back onto my hands. It was surprisingly peaceful between the jets taking off—exactly what I needed to deal with the chaos in my brain and to calm my body the hell down.

  Moments later, a crunch of gravel alerted me that I was no longer alone, and I didn’t bother turning around to see who the intruder was. I already knew.

  “Did you put a tracker on me?” I said, keeping my eyes on the runway, where an airbus had started its ascent.

  Solo chuckled as his steps grew closer. “Nah. I just followed you instead.”

  It should’ve bothered me that he’d come here, that he’d interrupted a private moment. But as he motioned toward the spot beside me on the merry-go-round and said, “This seat taken?” I found myself not really caring that he’d made his way here. And, if I were honest, I’d expected him to come. Maybe I’d wanted him to.

  “It wouldn’t stop you if it was.”

  Solo smiled as he sat down. “Glad to see you’re finally getting it.”

  “Like I said—you’re not subtle.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  We watched in silence as another plane took off, the sound loud enough to drown out the noise in my head, which was exactly why I’d subconsciously chosen this place.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Solo rubbing his lips. Those lips that tasted as good as they looked. “You ran out kinda fast.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m not sorry.”

  The comment was so unrepentant, so…Solo, that my lips quirked. “I’m not surprised.”

  “Do you want me to apologize?”

  I stared up at the sky as I thought it over. My body was at war with my mind, half of me wishing he would just leave this thing between us alone, and the other half desperately craving what he wanted to give.

  “It’s a simple yes or no,” Solo said, leaning back on his hands to mimic my position.

  I shook my head. “It’s more complicated than that.”

  “Because of your father?”

  The fact that he’d nailed the source of what felt like all my internal conflicts jolted me.

  “I’m gonna take a stab here,” he continued. “I’m guessing he doesn’t want you out to all his colleagues.”

  “He doesn’t want me out, period.”

  “Ahh.” He paused while another plane took off. “But what do you want?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but when nothing came out, I frowned. “I guess that’s complicated too.” I looked over at Solo, resting my chin on my shoulder. “What about you? What’s your story?”

  “Trying to take the focus off you. Got it,” he said, smirking. “Well, let’s see. I was born a quarter of a century ago, I had parents, they died, had a brother, he died too, became the most kickass fighter pilot in the Navy, aaand then I met you.”

  Damn. I knew the story about his brother, but I hadn’t realized he didn’t have any family. “Solo, I—”

  He waved me off. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

  I doubted I’d be fine in his situation, and it wasn’t like Solo was some invincible superhuman who wouldn’t be affected, even years later. The brush-off made me wonder how deep the hurt went. “Can I ask what happened to your parents?”

  Solo shrugged. “Old age. They had me late in life, and after José… Things happen in threes, you know? Bam, one, two, three within a year. Orphan Solo.” A rough laugh escaped his throat. “Get it? Orphan…Solo.”

  It didn’t surprise me that he’d make a joke about something so hard in his life. That seemed to be his way, didn’t it? Make light of anything and everything to hide the vulnerability that had to be lurking so far down that no one would find it.

  “I’m sorry about your family,” I said quietly.

  “I told you it’s fine.”

  “It’s okay if it’s not fine.”

  A furrow formed between Solo’s brows, and he opened his mouth to say something that would no doubt be a smartass remark, but then seemed to think better of it and looked down at his hands. “I’m not sure what’s worse. Not having parents or having parents you hate.”

  With the heel of my boot, I drew lines in the sand, something to do instead of having to look at the man beside me. “I don’t hate him. He only wants the best for me.”
>
  “Why do you always defend him?”

  “He’s my father. You saw him. He’s this larger-than-life person that everyone bows down to. If I’m anything less than perfect, it reflects on him.”

  “Hmm. You are pretty perfect.” Solo nudged me until I looked up at him, and then he smiled, and it reached his dark eyes. “I bet you’d still be pretty fuckin’ hot even if you weren’t.”

  I held his gaze, and then looked away, chuckling. “You just want to kiss me again.”

  “Damn right I do. You even manage to do that perfectly.”

  I rolled my eyes, and he laughed.

  “It’s true. It’s actually annoying as shit. I’m hoping it was some kind of fluke, and when I kiss you again it’ll be all fish lips that I’ll have nightmares about.”

  “Why the hell would you hope that?”

  “So I could stop thinking about you.”

  21 Solo

  SURPRISE LIT PANTHER’S eyes, and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why. I’d been nothing but upfront about my attraction to him, something that was starting to drive me crazy, because I couldn’t understand it. I couldn’t stay away no matter how much I wanted to or how hard I tried.

  Okay, strike that: I hadn’t tried very hard. He was everywhere—in class all day, every day, sleeping in the room beside mine…it was torture. Pure fucking torture that I inflicted on myself because… Well, shit. I didn’t actually know why. I just knew I didn’t want to stay away, and no matter what he said, I didn’t think he wanted me to stay away either.

  “You can wipe the shock off your face, Panther. This isn’t exactly breaking news.”

  “If you were as intent on winning the competition as you are on stalking me, you’d have a good chance of taking that trophy out of my hands.”

  “Oh, damn. Who’s cocky now?” I laughed. “One thing you should know about me: I don’t like to lose.”

  “Guess you’re gonna have to get used to disappointment.”