Coffee and Cockpits

by Jade Hart

  Nina hadn’t moved. Her body faced mine, her hands in her lap, an unreadable glint in her eyes.

  “What?” I asked. The way she watched me made my heart pound.

  “I hope this isn’t a rude question, but where did you get the money?”

  I frowned. “For your commercial license?” I ignored the small pang, remembering my own.

  She nodded.

  “It was my pay out from Kiwi Air. I wanted you to have it.”

  “You know I can’t take it. That’s a lot of money, Liam. And it’s yours. I’ll pay you back every penny.”

  She wouldn’t catch me arguing, I hoped she’d say that. “Great.”

  She faltered, obviously not what she expected to hear. Conversation slowed as she was mesmerized by the soft shift of township to untamed jungle. The dusk fell quickly and it was almost dark by the time we pulled up outside a small grass strip that was used as a local island-hopping airport for charters. We didn’t need to use the large domestique terminal. This was much more authentic.

  Nina looked about, eyes widening as I pressed the remote on my sun visor and the large metal gate rolled back. I shot her a grin as we drove through and parked by the one and only building.

  Nerves skyrocketed up my back. This was it. She’d learn the truth of what I’d been up to, and why I hoped she wanted to pay me back.

  She jumped out the car. I waited for her to come to the front of the car before pulling her close. “I’ve missed you so unbelievably much.”

  She gazed up. My heart constricted. Six months seemed like an eternity, but now with her here, it seemed like only yesterday we were in our dream-Samoa. I loved we were a medical miracle. Two strangers who had a connection, forming new beginnings in sleep.

  “I missed you, too,” she whispered. “I’m still blown away you watched me accept my wings. I couldn’t fully enjoy it as I wanted you to be there. Now I know you were… and, well, I’m speechless.”

  My entire body zinged with love and possessiveness. Never again would I let her go through a life-changing event and not be in the front row with stupid pom poms and a handmade sign telling her she owned my heart.

  I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers. When she opened her mouth, encouraging the kiss to go deeper, I pulled away. “I want to show you something.”

  The cute little wrinkle above her eyes appeared. “Okay…”

  I spun her around and put my hands over her eyes. “I’ll guide you. Just walk forward. I won’t let you bump into anything.”

  Her shoulders rose and fell with bated breath, brushing against the undersides of my arms. I shuddered and angled my hips further away. I didn’t think I’d be so drunk on her. I could barely remember why I’d brought her here. After the flowing chemistry between us on the plane, I should’ve known being around her and not touch her would be inhumanly difficult. Why didn’t I take her to my pavilion and not some abandoned airstrip? We could’ve had a proper reunion and then tomorrow when we woke up in this new paradise together, I could’ve shared.

  Too late.

  Nina obeyed hesitantly, moving where I directed. Her breathing grew harsher the more we walked. I didn’t know if it was suspense, or because we were so close. I knew I wasn’t immune. All I wanted was to crush her to me and never let her go. To be inside her and confirm she was really here.

  The strangeness was, I knew what she looked like naked, knew how she acted as I drove into her. My brain couldn’t unscramble what it thought it knew, and what really happened. I supposed the brain was the most fundamental of our beings. If it happened in the mind, it happened—even if the body didn’t experience it.

  Nina stumbled and I steadied her with my body. Hardening at the sensation of having her form against mine. “Almost there.”

  We turned the corner and my heart surged. I hoped Nina approved. I removed my hands from her eyes, and stepped to her side.

  She had trouble focusing, blinking at the night-shrouded airport. Good one, Liam. I should’ve turned the outside lights on.

  In front of us were two Short 360 aircrafts that could hold up to thirty-six passengers. They weren’t much, but I’d leased them from Jeff. I owed that man everything. He helped me study, made sure I passed my exams, and gave me the freedom to trust myself even if I still couldn’t recall my previous training. And he’d honoured our deal to grant me two aircraft to start my business.

  Just yesterday, I’d had brand new logos painted on the fuselage.

  “Liam. I don’t know what to say.” Nina covered her mouth, taking a shaky step forward. “You did this?”

  I moved with her, eyeing my masterpieces. On the tail was a black umbrella with a sun shining and a palm tree. Beneath it, scrawled in tropical lettings, was…

  “Poppins Paradise Charters,” she breathed.

  “I named it for you.”

  She spun to face me. “Why? Why would you do that?”

  I took a deep breath. Recalling how disastrous my last attempt to get her to work side by side with me had been. I’d sent her into a seizure which ultimately woke us up from the best few days of my life. “I want you to help me run the airline. I’ve already got contracts to fly passengers to outlying islands of Moorea and Bora Bora. I’ve also got a few cargo gigs for hotel equipment and supplies.”

  She gasped. “You remember how to fly? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I winced. “No. I can’t remember. I’m learning to fly again. I’m working on my hours to pass my commercial. It will be another month or two before I’m qualified again.”

  “Then… how?”

  My heart hid behind my ribs in fear of how she’d react. “I’ve hired another pilot who will start work soon. But I need you, Nina. I can’t do this without you.”

  “You want me to fly for your airline?”

  I shook my head. “Not for my airline. Our airline. I want to make you partner. It’s fair after all, as you’ll be operation captain till I can get my brain back into gear.”

  She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

  I tried to read her face. Was that a so-happy-can’t-talk-face, or a-shit-this-is-too-much-face? I stood there, waiting, agonisingly waiting.

  “You did all of this in six months?”

  A small gust of relief filed me. She wasn’t running. Yet.

  “Yes. I knew I needed to wait for you to get your wings seeing as I’m the idiot who forgot how to fly.”

  “That’s why you didn’t stop me from saying I’d pay you back.”

  I grinned. “Will you pay me back in flying hours?” I ran my hands up her arms, cupping her cheek, seriousness in my tone. “I’ve done the numbers. The business will work. It will be profitable. I know that. I just need you to make it real.” I kissed her before adding, “Will you be co-owner of Poppins Paradise?”

  Her face rioted with emotion, but her eyes quickly settled into peace. “You know I don’t like my last name. It’s kind of odd to call an airline after it.”

  “Not odd when I fell in love with the girl with Poppins as her name. I wanted to call it something that would remind me of you, even if you didn’t forgive me.” I swept hair from her eyes, adding, “I don’t think you understand how much those days we shared meant to me. They may not be real in the sense of reality, but they were more real to me than everyday living. I was able to be myself. No games. No silly things like taking it slow. It was intense, visceral. Real.”

  Nina reached up to kiss me. I allowed her to intensify the kiss and hunger exploded in my veins. Her hands clutched my shirt and tugged me closer. I groaned as she pressed even harder, every curve teasing me, shattering my willpower.

  “I didn’t think I could handle any more surprises,” she murmured between kisses.

  “Do you like this surprise?” I whispered, leaning down to scoop her up in my arms.

  She squealed before laughing. “Lucky for you, yes.”

  Heart flying, limbs light as clouds, and love radiating in every pore, I strode toward the sm
all terminal.

  “Do you have that key?” I asked. I didn’t want to let her out of my arms.

  Luckily, she flashed the metal in her palm. “This key?”

  I nodded and sucked in a breath as she leaned in my embrace and unlocked the door.

  She gave me a breath-steeling smile. “You gave me a key that opens an airport?”

  “Not just any airport. Our airport.” I kicked the door closed behind us.

  Nina didn’t say anything as we stood there, panting in the dark, the only light coming from the full silver moon cascading through the window. I let her slide out of my arms and she stood on tiptoes, running her fingertips through my hair. I flinched as she grazed my scar. “I can’t believe you’ve done all of this on your own. I wish you’d told me.”

  I nuzzled her, inching her back to the couch I moved in yesterday. I hadn’t planned on it being used in this fashion, but who cared. All I could think about was touching her. Being inside her. We’d christen our new business right here and now.

  “I wanted to tell you,” I said, raining kisses on her throat as I pushed her down on the couch. “But I needed to know I could do it on my own. Call it finding my self-worth. I wanted to be able to give you everything you deserve.”

  She moaned as my hand disappeared under her lavender blouse, cupping the weight of her breast.

  “I don’t need any gifts. I only want you.” Her breath hitched as I lowered myself on top of her, relishing in how our bodies fit so perfectly. Her legs wrapped around my hips, pressing into me.

  My brain fogged, and I no longer had the coherency to talk.

  Nina’s hands fumbled with my fly. No belt this time—I’d gained the weight back and bought a new wardrobe. My head pounded gently as my blood pressure rose.

  “I love that you’re wearing a skirt.” I smiled, hitching her layered black skirt up her legs. Every centimetre, her eyes deepened until they glowed with lust.

  “Easy access, huh?” she breathed.

  I dropped my head, running the tip of my tongue down her cleavage. “Do you mind? Am I going too fast?” After all, we hadn’t done this before.

  “If you were going any slower, I’d have to kill you.” Hard hands clasped behind my neck, dragging me down to kiss her. My lips bruised with the passion she poured into it. That was it. I couldn’t stop it. I had to have her.

  I sat up, kicking off my jeans and boxers in one smooth move. I didn’t care this was rushed, we could make up for it by spending the day in bed tomorrow getting to know each other. This wasn’t about romance, this was about connection. Our souls were linked, it was time our bodies were, too.

  I kissed her again and the space between us disintegrated.

  We bordered on losing control. Hands, tongues, teeth, taste. I wanted to crawl inside her, and lick every inch.

  Nina pulled away and scooted up to raise her hips, slinking black lace underwear off. My throat dried and I stuttered, “Are you wearing a corset under your top?”

  Her eyes glittered. “Why don’t you find out?”

  Pinning her to the couch, I tugged her back down to wedge between her legs. I pulled a little too roughly, and we both gasped as I entered her a little.

  Every muscle in my body quivered in delicious anticipation.

  We stared at each other, both unwilling to go any further. If I did this I’d never let her go. She should hear that before I claimed her. “Nina—”

  Her eyelids were heavy with lust and she bit her lip, raising her hips in gentle request.

  “Will you stay?”

  Her hands dropped to my hips, and with strength I didn’t know she had, pulled me into her. I sank deeply, my eyes snapping closed as her heat wrapped around me. “You feel just as amazing in reality as you did in a dream,” I groaned.

  I dropped to crush her chest with mine. “Please say you’ll stay. I can’t let you go again.”

  She kissed the shell of my ear. “I’ll stay on one condition.”

  My smile broke my face as I began to move. Thrusting once, earning a soft moan from her. “Name it. Anything.”

  She grinned. “You learn to dance.”

  “Nina?” Liam’s head popped around the door, sunlight beaming behind him. His skin was dusted with tan and ice-blue eyes matched the sea. He was an island god. An air god of Tahiti. And I’m a sap for being so head over heels. I made sure he continued with his regular checkups with his doctor for his brain injury, and liked to think I had a part in making him so happy.

  I couldn’t stop staring and he chuckled. “Earth to my sexy captain.”

  I grinned. “Sorry. What?” I threw my pen down. I’d been logging our bookings for the next month and couldn’t lie that I liked the distraction of him. Hell, he could distract me anytime and I’d be willing. Somehow my libido went into concord overdrive whenever he was around. Not to mention how proud I was of him.

  We’d expanded our fleet from two Short 360’s to four in just five months of being here. Poppins Paradise Charters was booming, and giddiness filled me. In just five months, my life had gone from wallowing in blacks and browns to dancing in open sky blues and sunset gold.

  Excitement bubbled in my veins. Joslyn was due to arrive any moment to spend some time with us, and I couldn’t wait. She’d squealed in joy when I called to tell her where I was and with whom. I’d been right that she hadn’t missed me when I left the celebrations. She and Theo had hooked up but he couldn’t take the time off to visit with her. Hopefully next time.

  Liam grinned. “I need some lunch, woman. The local market just hauled in a bunch of crab. They’re having a barbeque on the beach.” He stalked into the tiny office and grabbed my hand. “We’re going to stuff our faces, then deal with the six p.m. flight to Bora Bora.” He kissed me. “And after, I’m going to have you naked in the ocean.”

  My body clenched and I allowed him to sweep me into his arms and kiss me harder. I was breathless when he stopped. It took me a moment to screw my business head back on and ignore the lust flowing languidly in my blood. I laughed. “You do realise your sister will expect you to be in proper pilot attire not a floral shirt and cargo shorts.”

  He chuckled, pointing to his breast pocket. “Hey, it has our logo on it.”

  I ran my fingertip over the embossed stitching and sighed happily. The black umbrella with its glowing sun and palm trees was odd, but it fit us.

  I didn’t think I could wait till tonight to have him. Ever since I took the leap and got on the plane to move to Tahiti, I’d been in a world that left reality behind. Those days we spent together in dream-Samoa ruled. We didn’t let petty arguments get in the way. We spoke our minds. Our hearts. We lived as if we’d wake up any moment and have it all snatched away. Even at the thought icy-terror made me tremble. Never again. I never wanted to go through the confusion and unhappiness of waking from a coma again. To wake and find my dreams were better than life. My goal was to create a reality so perfect I never needed to conjure new and alternative dimensions.

  I pushed past Liam, tugging his shirt.

  “Where exactly are you taking me?” His eyes glittered with happiness as I didn’t let up the pace.

  “When did you say the next flight left?”

  “Six. Why?”

  “Uh huh. And you’re sure you want crab on the beach?”

  He laughed, following behind with my grip on his uniform. “Well… now I’m not so sure. You’re making me hungry for other things.”

  My heart flip-flopped and I threw a grin over my shoulder. “Good. I’m hungry, too. Starving in fact.”

  Suddenly, it wasn’t me tugging him anymore. He grabbed my hand and we practically bolted through the empty grass strip. The first aircraft Liam had leased waited patiently for its crew and passengers. Blissfully empty for the next two hours.

  The stairs were down and I scooted up quickly. Liam on my heels. He tuned and hoisted the door, locking us in.

  “When do you sit your final exam again?” I asked, as he hunted me
down the aisle. I kept backing up, counting the seat backs as I dodged grasping range.

  He tilted his head, enjoying stalking me. “I sit my final one tomorrow. Then you have to hand over that captain’s seat.”

  I laughed. “I rather like having you as my co-pilot. I don’t think I’ll relinquish it.”

  “You think I’d give you an option?” He launched himself at me. I squealed as strong arms lassoed me and he threw me over his shoulder, heading toward the back of the cabin.

  “Put me down.” I hammered on his back, and then pinched his butt. “This is no way to handle your superior officer.”

  He chuckled and plopped me on my feet. He stared into my eyes and sweet, eternal love swirled in their arctic depths. I still couldn’t get over that we fell in love in our subconscious.

  “I’m going to manhandle my superior officer in much more lewd conduct, starting now.” He reached for me and I tried to stay in character and beat him off, but the moment his lips found mine and his hand found my breast beneath my floral pilot dress, I melted.

  “Guess what?” he murmured against my lips.

  I giggled, then moaned as his fingers caressed my nipple. “What?”

  His mouth fell to nuzzle my neck as one arm wrapped around my waist. His hips swayed side to side to a tempo only he could hear.

  My eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

  “You told me you’d stay under one condition… remember?” Blue-black locks fell into his eyes as he leaned down and captured my mouth.

  My heart flew as he flicked me out into a perfect spin. My uniform fluttered around my legs. I whispered in wonderment, “You learned.”

  His smile blazed with happy shyness, looking for my approval. “Did I do it right? I normally have incredibly bad rhythm.”

  I sighed with utter content. “Oh, I’m not so sure about that.” Thinking he had his tongue rhythm down to perfection. “You learned how to dance, for me?”

  His eyes widened and he froze, hugging me even tighter. “You should know by now I’d do anything for you.”

  I reached up to brush his hair away. “I know.” And wasn’t I the luckiest woman in the entire world? Fate decided we belonged together and it took our subconscious to show us how amazing our world could be.