Touch the Heavens

by Lindsay McKenna

  Chris squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face in the folds of his coat. “Oh, Dan...” she cried hoarsely.

  “I know, I know,” he crooned. But he didn’t know. Dan was stymied. If a crash was this traumatic, the pilots were put on waivers and given medical or psychological help to pull them through it so they could fly again. Chris had to have conquered it, or they wouldn’t have allowed her to come to TPS. Especially because of the pressures she would be under in order to learn to fly fighter planes. The medical people would not have certified her fit for flight duty if she hadn’t gotten herself together after the accident. It had to be something else. But what? He pursed his lips, gazing down at her pale drawn features. His heart felt torn from his chest. God, she looked so damn broken. So vulnerable. A soft groan escaped Dan, and he simply held her within the safety of his arms for a long, long time.

  Dan eventually shifted his position. He rested against the couch with Chris safely ensconced in his arms. The watch on his wrist read 9:00. Chris’s heart had quit beating like a frightened bird; her breathing was less chaotic, telling him she was now past the worst of it. He brushed her flushed cheek with his fingers one last time, aware of the smoothness of the skin. His body contracted with need of her—all of her. The natural fragrance of her skin, the smell of apricot that lingered in her black hair, were all powerful aphrodisiacs to his heightened senses. Dan controlled his desire to kiss those full, parted lips. But the desire that coursed through him was more than just physical desire for Chris. He wanted to love Chris, protect her. He needed her—Love? He tested the word carefully in his mind and heart. A tranquil sigh came from deep within Dan as he nuzzled his face against the silk of her hair.

  His heart soared with that knowledge. He took his time to assimilate the gamut of feelings that she effortlessly brought forth in him. He had known many women in his thirty-five years. But never one like Chris. There was a magic that flowed between them. A new tenderness flooded Dan’s chest, and the warmth he experienced in that moment of knowing took his breath away. He placed a small kiss on her cheek, and felt her respond, the tentative, hesitant sliding of her arm around his neck, the resting of her brow against his jaw.

  Dan tried to sort out all the emotional impressions he was picking up from Chris. There was an excruciating level of anguish and loss surrounding her. Somehow, he wanted to fill the void. Following his instincts, he cupped her jaw, bringing her face close to his own. He studied her thick lashes wet with tears, the flawless peach color of her fragrant skin and finally her waiting, full lips. Leaning down, he caressed them tentatively. They tasted of salt, of life. Dan felt her lips tremble beneath his own, and he pressed more surely, lost in the warming texture of her flesh. A small cry tore from her as she weakly struggled to push away.

  “Don’t,” he whispered. He had felt her immediate response when he had first brushed her lips. Pressing more firmly, Dan moved his mouth across hers in small, teasing motions. Chris’s breath quickened, telling him that he was affecting her just as much as he was dizzied by their tentative exploration of each other. Gradually her resistance disappeared. He inhaled her scent, barely able to control his raging desires now begging to be released. Her lips parted against his like an opening flower to sunlight, allowing him to explore her. He groaned as he tasted the sweet depths of her mouth, and coaxed her into mutual exploration, his tongue teasing, tantalizing. Chris almost melted against him, her fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck, her breathing ragged.

  Dan tasted her thoroughly, his own body hardening with a desire so overwhelming that he felt himself tremble for want of her. But something cautioned him to go no further. Dan had lived all his life by his instincts, and reluctantly, he obeyed. He wasn’t thinking: only sensing, feeling, glorying in the fact that her mouth was warm and responsive against his. Her body was supple, her soft feminine curves fitting perfectly to him.

  Chris slowly pulled away, her eyes dark with passion as she studied Dan. He had soothed her anguish with just a kiss. It was a kiss meant to heal her ragged, scared emotional state—given unselfishly and without the carnal reasons that normally went with a kiss. She regarded Dan gravely, realizing that he could have taken advantage of the situation. But he hadn’t. She was unable to sort through the violent emotions that had been unleashed by the virulent nightmare. Chris gave him a searching look, reaching up, touching her well-kissed lips.

  “I’ll be okay...” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Dan released her, allowing her to sit up. The robe had become loosened, revealing the creamy texture of her skin and the shadowed cleft between her concealed breasts. Oddly, she felt no embarrassment as she rose to her feet, rearranging the folds and tightening the sash once more. The silence pervading the room was comforting. The quiet of healing, she thought suddenly.

  “Maybe a shower will help you.” He got to his feet, slipping his arm around her slender waist. “Go on,” he coaxed. “I’ll make us some tea.”

  Dan took off his corduroy sport coat, hanging it over one of the chairs. He unbuttoned the shirt, rolling the sleeves up on his forearms. By the time Chris emerged fifteen minutes later, the tea was prepared. Dan offered her a reassuring glance as she padded quietly into the kitchen. Her hair hung in damp strands, framing her face and shoulders, a rosy glow to her skin attesting to the fact it had been a very hot shower.

  “Come on in the living room,” he invited. “We’ll sit on the couch.”

  Chris followed him without protest. She wore a lavender terry-cloth robe instead of the pink one. Dan put the tray on the coffee table and then sat down next to her.

  “Your tea has a hefty dose of brandy in it,” he warned, handing it to her.

  Her fingers trembled as she took the mug. Dan continued to hold the mug, watching her. Chris felt as if a devastating emotional war had taken place inside her. It had left her shaken on all levels, even physically. Taking a good grip on the mug, she glanced at him. “I’ve got it now.”

  She leaned back, tucking her legs up beneath her, cradling the mug in both hands. The warmth of the tea combined with the brandy made her feel more in touch with reality. Dan held his own mug between his hands. After a few more sips she tried out her strained voice. “Thanks, Dan...for being here....”

  He regarded her solemnly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Raven.”

  She pushed a wet strand away from her temple. “You always seem to catch me when I’m down and out.”

  “I’m not sorry. Are you?”

  Chris pursed her lips, remembering the fiery imprint of his mouth upon her. “No...” she admitted hesitantly, “I never expected the nightmare to happen. I just lay down for a short nap.” She saw his eyes narrow, and her stomach knotted. He was going to ask.

  “You’re having a pretty strong reaction to something, Chris. Maybe it would help if you talked to someone about it.”

  She stared down at the tea for a long time. “I can’t....”

  “You mean you won’t,” he corrected without censure.

  Chris felt broken; as if she was scattered into so many emotional pieces. She looked directly into Dan’s kind eyes. “Please,” she begged, “I feel so fragile right now, Dan. I hurt inside....”

  He reached over, his fingers sliding around her arm and capturing her free hand. “Okay,” he murmured, “I understand. Some other time, then.”

  The mixture of tea and brandy quelled her screaming nerves but made her feel drowsy. Placing the mug on the coffee table, Chris leaned back.

  “You look as if you need to be held,” Dan said. “Come here.” He reached out, expecting Chris to balk. To his surprise, she acquiesced without one word of protest. She fitted against him perfectly, her head resting in the hollow of his shoulder, her hands against his chest. “That’s better,” he murmured. Instinctively she nuzzled against him, feeling his arm momentarily tighten around her shoulders.

  His breath was warm and moist against her face. “Talk to me, Dan, about anything,” she murmured.<
br />
  He recognized the symptoms Chris was displaying. After a particularly brutal nightmare he often tried to shift his mind to anything else other than it. “What do you want to hear?” he asked.

  Chris blinked tiredly. “About you. Where you grew up. What you did as a little boy.”

  He took a deep breath, loving the trust building between them. “I’m a country boy from Texas,” he said in a soft voice. “I was an only child, born in Fort Worth. My father was an oil wildcatter who found more producing wells than dry holes. He was usually away from home hunting down his next lease or well. I spent most of my childhood with my uncle who owned a cattle ranch in the Panhandle.”

  “And were you as precocious then as now?” Chris asked, closing her eyes. She craved the warmth in his voice, the vibration a soothing balm to her recently distraught emotional state. Being held by Dan chased away the dread.

  He responded softly, “Let’s put it this way: I was the kid who would drop a horny toad in your cowboy boot.” His eyes crinkled with silent laughter over those fond memories. “Of course, I spent plenty of time doing penance for those jokes by helping the ranch crews replace fences.”

  “You were lucky to have a family.”

  “In a way,” he mused, a frown forming on his brow. “Although being born with a so-called silver spoon in your mouth isn’t always to be envied.”

  She wanted to listen, but the fingers of sleep dragged her into oblivion. And without meaning to, Chris fell asleep in Dan’s arms. He had felt her body relax against him, but he continued to talk in a subdued tone. Dan made no move to leave her for almost an hour afterward. He wanted to make sure that those nightmares would not start stalking Chris again. It was almost ten-thirty before he gently picked Chris up and carried her to the bedroom. Leaving her robe on, he placed her on the bed and tucked her in. Dan turned on the small lamp that sat on the nightstand. Bending over, he gently caressed her cheek.

  “No more nightmares, Raven,” he whispered. Straightening up, he stood watching her sleep. Gone were the lines of tension from around her mouth. Black hair framed her face, the shadowed lighting accentuating Chris’s clean features and full lips. Lips that he wanted to kiss again. Soon, he promised her. I know you care for me, Raven. Dan gazed at her longingly, unable to deny the burgeoning feelings of joy that threatened to overwhelm him. A slight smile played on his lips as he turned and left as quietly as he had come.

  * * *

  CHRIS DROWSILY AWOKE. The February sun filtered through the lace curtains, casting muted shadows on the opposite wall. What time was it? She rolled over on her side, forcing her eyes to focus. Ten o’clock! Adrenaline shot through her, and Chris jerked the covers off. She had a flight at 10:30 this morning! Confusion momentarily made her halt. What was she doing in her robe? Her eyes widened and she halted at the doorway, the entire memory of the night before avalanching upon her. Chris groaned, running quickly to the kitchen to ring Operations. She saw a note on the kitchen table and picked it up.

  Raven,

  Take the day off. That’s an order. I’ve canceled your morning flight. You’ve been through enough in a month’s time. Call me when you wake up and I’ll take you to breakfast.

  Dan

  Chris took a deep breath, her violet eyes mirroring the sudden warmth she felt coursing through her body. It felt as if a hundred tons of weight had just slipped free of her shoulders. Today, for the first time, she could have a cup of coffee and read the paper without racing through her morning routine. A small smile played up on her lips as she picked up the phone and dialed the number Dan had placed at the bottom of the note. “Hello?”

  Chris loved the sound of Dan’s voice. “Hi.”

  “Did anybody ever tell you how sexy you sound when you first wake up?”

  “Here we go again!”

  “Of course. Anything to get you to laugh a little.” She sobered. “I have been crying a lot, haven’t I?”

  “Hey now, let’s not go into a tailspin over your tears.” His voice was alive with good humor.

  “I don’t understand why Karen didn’t stop by this morning,” she added, fighting off the sleepiness. “Or did you fix that, too?”

  “I called Karen and gave her strict instructions that you were to be left alone. I told her you had a late night.”

  Chris groaned. “Wonderful! Now I’ll never hear the end of her teasing me about it.” Karen would love nothing better than to rib her about Dan’s coming to visit her.

  “I don’t think she will,” Dan hedged. “Had coffee yet?”

  “N-no, I just charged out of bed when I saw what time it was. Thank God you left a note, or I would have made it to Ops in record time.”

  “Then invite me over for a cup. You don’t sound as if you’re ready to meet the world yet.”

  “Well—”

  “Listen, I tucked you into bed last night, so I know what you look like when you’re exhausted. Besides, I think you’re gorgeous au naturel.”

  She felt the heat of a blush. My God, had something else happened last night?

  “No, nothing happened last night,” he said, as if reading her mind. “Unfortunately.”

  “Give me a break.” She laughed. Dan had seen her at her worst, so why should she be worried? “Come on over.”

  “Be right there.”

  Chris hummed softly, pouring herself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee. The aroma filled the kitchen and she inhaled it, enjoying the fragrance. Earlier she had run a brush through her ebony hair and now felt comfortable enough to meet Dan in her robe and bare feet.

  A knock at the door announced Dan’s arrival. Chris opened it, meeting him with a smile.

  He looked so handsome in his snug-fitting jeans and a dark gold sweater that brought out the gold highlights in his brown hair. He shared a welcoming smile with her and closed the door behind him.

  “You look great,” he murmured, meaning it.

  Chris took the compliment, motioned him to the kitchen and handed him a cup of coffee. “Thanks to you.”

  He raised the cup to his mouth, taking a tentative sip. “And I intend to collect, my raven-haired lady,” he promised.

  She met his azure gaze, caught up in the euphoria of simply being with Dan. “Oh?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ve decided that you need a day off from all your studies and flying.”

  “Is that your professional opinion, Major, or are your motives questionable?”

  Dan grinned. God, she looked incredibly beautiful this morning. There was a translucence to her skin, her dark violet eyes shining with life. A smile was finally touching those lips that were meant to be worshiped for a lifetime. Dan roused himself from his torrid thoughts, and gave her a look of pure innocence. “Strictly professional, you understand.”

  Her laughter was lilting, infectious. “You know, your nickname serves you well. You are like a cowboy. Always roping somebody into a situation.”

  “And hog-tying them when necessary if they don’t do as I suggest,” he warned darkly.

  Chris picked up the gauntlet he had thrown in her direction. “And if I don’t agree with your professional opinion?”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders, enjoying the repartee. “Then I’ll just have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you off.”

  “Now who’s a chauvinist of the first order?”

  He grinned wickedly. “Lady, when it comes to getting your attention, I’ll even be a chauvinist if I have to.”

  Shaking her head, Chris murmured, “You won’t have to. I’m ready for a break. What did you have in mind?”

  He balanced the cup between his hands, studying her warmly. “How about a trip to the ocean? We’re two hours from the beaches near L.A. I checked with meteorology, and they say it’s going to be a bit chilly but sunny. Are you game?”

  Her violet eyes sparkled. “With you at the helm, you’d better believe it.”

  Dan hooted with glee. “Finally! The lady trusts me enough to make a decision for her.
This is a special day.”

  Chris got to her feet. “What am I getting myself into?” she asked just as dramatically.

  He gave her a warning glance. “Being a test-pilot student, you ought to be excited about exploring the unknown.”

  She gave him a backward glance over her shoulder, hesitating at the bedroom door. “Right now, I think I’d feel safer testing a jet than trusting your intentions.”

  “Only one way to find out, isn’t there, Raven?” he posed softly.

  Her lips curved into a full smile. “I’m game.”

  “That’s my lady. Hurry up. We’ll grab breakfast on the road.”

  For their outing, Chris chose a pair of dark brown slacks, a crisp white shirt, and a pale-pink sweater. Was this all a dream, she wondered. Dan had rescued her from the drowning depths of a nightmare and lifted her into the cloudless blue of utter happiness. As they traveled the freeway toward busy Los Angeles, she felt drowsy in the warm confines of his Corvette. Breakfast had been a wonderful break in Riverside, the conversation light. Her heart sang with sheer joy. How long had it been since she felt like this? Had Jim ever made her feel quite this happy? Chris closed her eyes, resting her head against the seat, trying to find her answer. Jim had been a more intense, quiet individual. They had shared a meeting of minds. She wanted to share both mind and emotions with Dan. That thought jolted her and Chris opened her eyes.

  There was no longer any denial of the physical attraction she felt for Dan. He was ruggedly handsome, and possessed an undeniable charm. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Dan drive. His profile was clean, his eyes ever alert, his entire demeanor that of a man who was in complete charge of his life in every way. And was he also in charge of hers? She avoided confronting the answer. Today all Chris wanted to do was relax, forget the past and the pressures that had dogged her quest for test-pilot status.

  She dozed lightly until Dan woke her. Chris roused herself, rubbing her neck where a small kink had developed. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, sitting up. “I didn’t mean to go to sleep on you.”