by Jade Hart
A sharp burst of terror smashed my glow. I couldn’t let myself get so wrapped up in him. In five nights, we’d go back to reality. Island love, or whatever this blooming was, would die a horrid death, and I’d be forced to work with him. This couldn’t be real. Could it? Could something so mind-bendingly perfect happen so soon?
If it was real, how should I react? I liked being in control of my own destiny. Having a say in how and when I achieved my dreams. When and whom I’d fall in love with. Power over my own life was a huge thing for me. Hence why my father had disowned me. And if what I felt for Liam was true? Then, it proved I was powerless.
But realistically, did I have any power to begin with? It was fake. I didn’t decide to almost die in fire and pain. Liam and Anderson denied death and now every day was a bonus.
Did I really want to go back to who I was? Scared of silly work rumours and denying myself happiness, just because of what others would think of me? I’d stunted myself.
It seemed so juvenile. Petty. Unimportant.
It didn’t matter how I became a pilot or any other stupid trivial worry. It boiled down to finding a partner to brave the tide with. A soulmate who weaved into the tapestry of life. The perfect other half that made me more. Just more in every way.
Liam smiled so bright I swear he trapped a star between his teeth. “Come, my little co-pilot. Tonight you show me your skills.”
He swiped an identification badge at the side gate riddled with barb wire and official signs warning of nasty penalties if we were unauthorised.
I totted beside Liam, unable to stop smiling.
We rounded the corner of the building, and I had to swallow my squeal of excitement. Liam was right. The plane was ancient, dinged, scruffy, and looked like it had suffered one too many local typhoons. But it had wings and an engine and promised an evening in the endless starlit yonder.
A fleeting moment of fear made me pause. The last time I flew, it ended rather horribly. Was I brave enough to go above the earth again? Knowing we were at gravity’s mercy whenever it wanted to tug us back down?
Liam squeezed my hand. “If you’re wary about flying again, I totally understand. We don’t have to. Maybe I didn’t think this through.”
I shook my head, battling with the weakness of fear. “How do you feel? Aren’t you struggling with the same apprehension?” After all, he was the one who had to fly the ruined machine.
Liam pursed his lips. “I can’t explain it. I’m wary, of course. But…” He looked up to the sky, murmuring, “If you’re anything like me, you’ll understand completely when I say I live and breathe up there. Gravity is my nemesis. I can’t stay away too long. Regardless if it’s what kills me one day.”
He was totally right; I did understand, and my chest squeezed. If I had to die, I wanted it to be doing something I loved, with a man who wanted to fly me to the moon.
“Let’s go then.” I yanked him toward the crop-duster.
He laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you couldn’t wait to get me locked inside a stuffy cockpit.”
Butterflies flurried in my stomach again. If I wasn’t careful, I’d take off just by the wings he caused. I gave him a sly smirk. “Was I so obvious?” How could he sound so anxious about me wanting him? Wasn’t it obvious how much I did after today? After he’d touched me.
He still wore a shroud of uncertainty which was endearing as much as it was annoying.
Giving me a grin, he headed toward the plane. Removing the chocks in front of the tyres, he laughed. “Theo told me once how you were almost arrested for not using proper etiquette on the radio frequency.” His eyes met mine as my cheeks blazed.
“He told you that?” How horribly embarrassing. Theo had no right either. That was my dirty secret. I didn’t want him telling people, especially Liam, how much I sucked at the beginning. I didn’t know how serious the aeronautical industry took protocol. No chit-chat allowed, certainly not about a recent episode of The Big Bang Theory.
“He also said you’re heavy on the pedals, yaw all over the place.”
Liam ducked, laughing, as I swung at him. My cheeks were a furnace, but I saw the humour, too. “I can’t believe he told you all of that.” I pouted.
He caught me around the waist, pressing against me. His hips connected with mine. I froze.
Liam’s eyes softened. “I love hearing about you.” He nuzzled my neck, whispering into sensitive skin. “You’re not a pilot unless air traffic control has told you to be careful on the frequency. Hell, I forgot the phonetic alphabet when I took my final exam. The only thing I could think of for F was fellatio.”
My lips quirked. I could only imagine how that would’ve gone down with air traffic when instead of hearing ‘foxtrot’ for F, they got asked for a blowjob. Talking of blowjobs. I owed him one after tonight. My mouth watered at the thought of seeing him naked. Touching him. Why were we at a deserted airport and not in bed?
Need unfurled, hot and furious. I pushed Liam against the side of the battered plane. His eyes widened as his back connected with the fuselage, and I pounced on him. He was a fair bit taller than me. I had to crane upward to kiss him.
He groaned as I pushed my tongue into his mouth. We both shivered as I rubbed against him.
He reached down and grabbed me by the butt, picking me up. I wrapped my legs around his hips as he spun around, crushing me against the plane. Now that was sneaky. I was the one who wanted to be in control this time. Once again he was the one with power over me.
He rained kisses down my throat. I writhed against him, pulsing with pleasure as I rocked against hardness. At least I affected him as he affected me.
I licked his neck, loving the saltiness and smell of male. Shifting in his hold, my hand inched between us, moving south.
His breath caught in his lungs as my hand latched around what I was looking for. Heat instantly boiled through the thin material of his silky board shorts.
My God, he’s big.
My fingers couldn’t wrap around him; he was as hard as a joystick. His erection jumped in my hand, and if he wasn’t holding me up, I would’ve melted just touching him. I’d never grabbed a guy so brazenly before, but instinct took over. I stroked him with tight fingers. Coaxing from tip to base.
“Fuck.” Liam’s voice was tight, gravelly. He buried his head in my neck, pressing himself harder into my hand. His biceps bulged in his white t-shirt as he held me upright, pressed against the plane. If only I was still wearing my sarong and not shorts. I would strip Liam of his clothing and push him inside me. The pleasure he’d given me at the hotel was nothing compared to the need I had.
I pumped him again. Relishing how his hips jerked into my hand with each caress.
He groaned as I increased friction. “Nina. You’ve… got to stop. We’re on… a runway. Who knows… who’s watching?” His voice caught, eyes flashed with blue fire.
I didn’t want to stop. Holding him like this made him mine. If I let go he’d no longer be.
With a tight jaw, he moved his hips away. I strained to keep hold of his erection, but he dropped me to my feet and kissed me gently.
This guy had the self-control of a saint.
“Will you let me pleasure you like you did for me?” I asked, wetting my lips. I’d never been so drunk on the thought of sucking a guy off. But Liam was different. I wanted him in my mouth, just like I wanted him in me. I wanted to claim him.
He clenched his teeth, pressing his forehead against mine. “I can’t believe you just asked me that, and we’re in a fucking airport with no privacy.” He nipped at my throat. “You can do anything you want to me. But first, we’re going flying.”
* * * * *
Ten minutes later, I was harnessed inside the smoky-and-mildew-laced interior of the Samoan crop-duster.
Liam smiled, his finger hovering over the ignition button. “Ready?” His teeth flashed white in the night. Not waiting for my answer, he flicked on the engine. The plane vibrated at such a v
iolent pitch, my boobs wobbled. I missed my corset and boning. “Take her up, Nina.”
My eyes flew wide. “Are you sure? I don’t mind letting you take off.” In fact, I wouldn’t have minded as I could’ve gawked at his prowess over a flimsy machine; watched as he fought a battle against gravity and won by splicing through the air.
“No, go ahead. You hold your PPL. The entire reason we’re here is for me to watch you.” He leaned back, linking hands behind his head, grinning. The posture tightened his t-shirt against his pecs and wafted me with fresh cinnamon.
Damn, my concentration was non-existent. My hand still had a phantom imprint of his hot male hardness, and I wrapped my fingers around the joystick in front of me, trying to stop the urge to reach over and touch him again.
It was second nature to put my feet on the pedals that controlled the rudder. It was the only way to steer when on the ground. Pushing the throttle higher, the engine screamed. We shot into movement.
Crushing my lip between my teeth, I manoeuvred us from the docking bay and onto the runway, making sure the nose of the plane was dead centre with the white strip. In the darkness, I couldn’t make out the gorge marks from our crash. Just as well since my stomach might rebel and leap out of my body.
I put on my headset and turned to the correct frequency.
A crackled, bored voice came over the hissing headphones. “Air traffic control, Faleolo International Airport.”
“Whiskey, alpha, niner, ready for takeoff. Awaiting your go ahead,” I stated our registration firmly. My hands shook a little. I always hated this part. I had no idea why talking to a man on the air freaked me out so much.
“Wind knots at twelve miles per hour, north east. Easy does it. You have permission.”
I eased the throttle higher, following the tarmac to the wide open blackness, illuminated by blinking white lights.
“Whiskey, alpha, niner. Ready and waiting.”
“Approved. Open skies in front.”
I stole a look at Liam. He was relaxed, head resting against his seat, watching me with a huge grin and bright eyes. The look he gave me zapped life into my heart.
Looking back at the runway, I pushed the throttle, smiling as the thrill of speed increased inch by inch. The wheels ate the tarmac faster and faster until the throttle was pressed to maximum. Gravity released its hold on us, and with a swoop that repositioned my stomach into my feet, we were airborne.
Liam laughed. “Well done. That was really smooth.”
His praise made my heart flutter. I focused on the fading lights behind us. The airport diminished, leaving us with inkiness and the subtle glow of instruments.
Liam wanted to watch me fly? Well, I’d show him just what I could do. I pulled the steering column sharply; we soared upward. The engine screamed as we careened through turbulence and evening mist. Gravity pulled on my bones as we raced toward the stratosphere.
Liam made a noise beside me, but I ignored him. I was too wrapped up in freedom of the skies. At one with the glittering stars, far above the puny lives of mortals. I relished in pushing the plane as hard and as high as it would go. All worry of flying streamed off me. I was a starling. An eagle. Born to do this. Our ascent slowed as the engine coughed.
Spearing through the darkness almost vertically, I knew we were a second from stalling. I ceased pulling upward, letting the nose fall. Our speed increased and the horizon on my instruments levelled out.
“Holy hell. That was fast. My ears are popping like crazy.” Liam muttered, but his eyes glowed with deep-seated happiness.
In a flash of understanding, I knew his feelings for me were stronger than he let on. He may have been on his knees between my legs only an hour ago, but my heart told me he had wanted to do more to me, for a while.
Was he protecting himself by not sleeping with me? Did he think I wouldn’t love him back? The thought made my chest seize.
Liam ran hands through his hair, shaking his head. “Did you forget to mention you wanted to be a kamikaze pilot?”
Dispelling my thoughts, I giggled. “You liked it, quit moaning.” The thought of doing tricks in the sky, much the same as tricks on the dance floor, filled my mind with exhilarating images. Crap, I’d never considered being a stunt pilot, but it had a certain appeal.
He laughed, looking longingly at the controls. “You fly like I want to every day. I doubt passengers would enjoy going vertical to their destination, however.” He licked his lips. The flash of his tongue simmered with temptation and tugged my nether regions. His tongue had tasted me. Licked me. Teased me.
“Can I do something?” he asked.
I had to shake my head to cull my obsession that was quickly growing out of control. Yes. Anything. I nodded. “You’re the captain. Do what you want.”
Eyes hooded, he shot me a ‘prepare yourself’ grin. “Hold on.”
My hands scrambled for purchase, but it was too late. Liam pushed the joystick forward, and we nosedived.
I became weightless, staying in my seat only thanks to my harness. If I thought climbing at high speed was amazing, then I was mistaken. Tears streamed from my eyes as the instruments started beeping with an automatic voice: Terrain. Terrain. Pull up. Pull up.
The rush of the drop mingled with terror from the nosedive we suffered previously. Both flights interwove and I couldn’t distinguish if I enjoyed it, or the adrenaline coursing through me was from fear.
Holy crap, he was gonna kill us! Face first, hurtling toward earth—we were a falling star.
He shot me a look full of pure happiness before wrenching back and levelling out.
My stomach finally caught up. I gasped. “Wow.” My body was boneless. But under the shaky fear there was excitement too. If I wasn’t lashed to my seat, I would’ve kissed him just for reaffirming we were alive.
“Yep. Love doing that. Love the rush.” His face shone with excitement. “Walking a fine edge of common sense and lunacy is a bit of a flaw of mine.”
My face split into a grin so big it hurt my cheeks. I reassessed Liam in that moment. All the horrid rumours I’d heard were wrong. Whatever I’d thought of him before was no longer relevant. I gave my heart free reign to bolt out of my chest and flap around the cockpit for him to take possession.
This man was different—he wasn’t like others.
He was like me.
Sleep faded, leaving me tangled in sheets with sweat drenching my back. The dream ebbed away, leaving me with a weird sense of loss. I couldn’t recall it, but everything had been stark and vacant. Almost as if life pressed a pause button and I’d wallowed in the white noise between.
Luckily, my room was full of colour with red hibiscus flowers on the bedside table and hand woven geometric carpets. The vibrancy shooed the rest of my vague unease into the shadows.
Holy hell, it’s hot.
I’d only slept in my boxers, but perspiration, caused as much from my strange dream as well as island heat, beaded. The Samoan sun didn’t mess around with toasting the new day. My mouth watered at the thought of the ocean and a morning swim.
I grabbed my watch and checked the time. For some stupid reason the hotel had a thing against clocks. Was it their way of forcing the guests to relax? No deadlines. No appointments.
Blinking, I brought the dial into focus. 8:15 a.m. Awesome. Plenty of time to swim before breakfast.
I stretched long and hard. My spine creaked, realigning. The muscle aches from the crash snarled, but it was nothing compared to the unbearable need in my morning wood. How I’d been able to stop not once, but twice last night… well, I deserved a pat on the back, ‘cause man was I horny.
Nina.
Last night had been absolute heaven. She was a better pilot than I’d hoped, and my crazy, adolescent dream danced on my thoughts all evening. Should I tell her what I ultimately wanted, or would it be too much? Would it send her packing before I had a chance?
Her emotions shone unguarded in her eyes last night. Every moment I spent in her co
mpany solidified she was the one for me. Unfortunately, instead of relaxing me, I suffered anxiety at the thought of cocking up and ruining everything.
I wasn’t going to stress about it now, though. Not when the sun winked outside, and mirage wisps already danced in the humid air. I had a date with the ocean.
Shooting out of bed, I quickly exchanged boxers for board shorts, and sprinted down the garden path to the twenty-four carat gold beach.
“Oof.” I winced as the sand scorched my soles. How was the beach poker hot already? The sun only woke up an hour ago.
Seemed I wasn’t the only one who was an early riser. Hotel guests lolled in the water, their voices murmuring over the gentle slap of tide on sand. A few ambitious people had set up camp, claiming loungers and umbrellas ready for a day of tanning—determined to change their skin colour. I never understood why the leather look was in.
Not wanting to leave my foot flesh stuck to granules of sand, I gritted my teeth and bolted. The water’s edge beckoned; I hurtled myself into the surf. From running to diving, I sliced through the water.
Dammit. The water was warm, too. Was everything on this island above body temperature? How was I supposed to cool down?
I hovered under the tide, listening to the chug-chug of my heart, and the heavy silence of water. Finally, when my lungs heaved, bucking for breath, I broke the surface.
Where was Nina? Still sleeping? I wished I’d knocked on her door and brought her with me. Then again, if she wore the white bikini again, I doubted I’d do too well with onlookers. I wanted to feast on her and doubted I’d have the self-control left to pull back this time.
My abs clenched and I sighed. Today, I’d have to go back to the airport and see how the report was coming along. An evil smile crossed my mouth as I lay back, letting the water cradle me. What would Nikolai say if he knew I’d seen Nina naked? Touched her? Tasted her? I hoped he hated the idea and backed off. Then minor guilt filled me. He wasn’t deliberately trying to mess up my life—it just seemed he had a knack for it.
