The Pilot's Prince

by Merry Farmer

  “It could be an old, abandoned rig,” Carl said, straightening out the plane’s flight path. “There are as many out of commission rigs out here as there are active ones these days, it seems.”

  “That’s probably it,” Mack said. But when Gloria turned to get another look at him, his expression was pinched and thoughtful.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  He shook his head, loosening his shoulders and smiling again. “It’s just the fisherman in me worrying about things.” When she continued to stare, he went on with, “The thirstier we get for oil, the more the oceans suffer. There are serious concerns that some fish species could become extinct in the not-so-distant future because their habitats are being destroyed.”

  “And you think the oil rigs are to blame?”

  “They play a major role in the problems, yes,” he said. “When they’re not operated correctly.”

  “There’s so much I don’t know.” Gloria sighed, looking ahead once more. The world was an infinitely complicated place. The more she learned, the less she felt like she knew about it.

  “Time to head home,” Carl said before steering the plane in a wide arch.

  Gloria spent the rest of the flight gazing out the window, taking in the beauty of the ocean. A thrill passed through her as they grew closer and closer to the vast island of Aegiria. It felt like approaching home, even though she’d only spent a few days there. The entire island had a peaceful, almost timeless feel to it. She could believe that anything was possible there.

  They landed, and Carl taxied the plane back toward the hanger.

  “Thanks so much,” she told both men as he cut the engine and they removed their headsets. “That was fantastic. Next time, I get to fly,” she added for Carl with a wink.

  “I look forward to seeing what you can do,” he said. “Mack tells me your skills are impressive.”

  She laughed. “Mack has only ever seen me crash.”

  “And here you are,” Mack said. “Walking on your own power, more or less in one piece, only days after that crash.”

  “I should get you to come in and talk to my pilots about what to do in an emergency situation,” Carl added.

  Gloria sucked in a breath, smiling. “Honestly, I’d love to do that.”

  “Really?” Carl’s smile widened. “We’ll arrange it. How long will you be here?”

  Gloria glanced to Mack. That was a good question. Part of her argued that she should go home to England and get her life back on track, but another part of her whispered that the track she should be on was the one right in front of her.

  “I’ll be here until I get kicked out of the palace,” she said.

  Carl laughed. “We’ll be in touch, then.”

  They said their goodbyes, and Mack walked her back to the parking lot and his BMW.

  “It was pretty impressive watching you up there,” he said as they reached the car.

  She laughed. “I wasn’t doing anything. Carl was the one showing off his skills.”

  “But I could see just how much you love it. I could tell that you wanted to be in the pilot’s seat.”

  “You’re right about that,” she said, tilting her head down just a bit and glancing at him through her lashes.

  “There was something I kept wanting to do the whole time we were up there,” Mack went on.

  “What?” she asked.

  “This.”

  He stepped toward her, sliding his arms around her waist and tugging her close. She gasped as their bodies made contact. It was just the encouragement Mack must have needed. He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her with heat and purpose. His scent surrounded her, and the warmth of his body enveloped her. She closed her arms around his shoulders as he explored her mouth with his lips and tongue. He felt so right in her embrace. She instantly wanted more. The swooping feeling that tugged at her insides in all the right places was a thousand times more exciting than the thrill of flight.

  “Yes, please,” she sighed when he finally leaned back a fraction.

  “Really?” His expression brightened. “I thought I was taking a serious risk there.”

  “It’s a risk well worth taking,” she said. “I’ve wanted to kiss you almost right from the start.”

  A short, deep laugh bubbled up from his chest. “I kind of wish I’d put the moves on you earlier now.”

  “Me too.”

  She leaned into him, brushing his lips with hers, then opening her mouth for another searing kiss. Her body begged her to go for more as she stroked one hand over the hard muscles of his back. The uncanny sense of peace and belonging that didn’t make any sense to her narrowed its focus as they stood there in the summer afternoon heat, kissing. She wanted to be with Mack. He was the source of all the hope for the future that suddenly filled her.

  “I’ve got something else to show you,” he said, breathless, his arms still around her.

  Her face flooded with heat. “I bet you do.”

  He laughed again. It was quickly becoming her favorite sound. She was disappointed when he pulled away from her, took her hand and led her to the passenger door of his car.

  “Something besides that,” he said, holding the door for her. “But I won’t rule that out,” he added with a devilish flicker of his eyebrow.

  Gloria sank into his car, her heart soaring and her body alive in so many ways. All of the questions she’d had while sailing above the sea, the fish, and the oil rigs floated out of her mind. She couldn’t wait to see where he would take her next.

  6

  Mack couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such a perfect, relaxing day. Unless it was the day before, which he’d also spent with Gloria, and the day before that. He didn’t know what he’d do when she flew home to England, although taking her to meet Carl had been about more than just treating her to a ride in an antique plane. Carl was looking for a new instructor, someone with military experience. Mack was hoping the old airman would put two and two together and make Gloria an offer. He had his fingers crossed.

  “This side of the island is so rural that I’d never know there was a major city just over those hills,” Gloria commented, awe in her voice, as they rounded a grassy knoll. An exquisite view of the sea stretched out around the knoll, complete with an old lighthouse.

  “Aegiria has a fish-based economy, as we like to say,” he told her with a grin. “But there’s also a fair amount of agriculture on this side of the island. There are a lot of historic sites around here, including some Viking rune stones.”

  “I’d love to see those,” she sighed, gazing out the window. “I want to see everything about this country.”

  “We can see a lot of it from the lighthouse,” Mack said, nodding ahead of them as he turned onto the lane that wound toward the structure.

  He parked, and once again tried to be a gentleman and help Gloria out of the car. She was far too eager to get out and explore to wait for him, though.

  “When was this built?” she asked as they walked up the gravel path to the lighthouse door.

  “Originally? In the late 18th century. Although there have been lighthouses on this promontory for hundreds of years. It was updated in the mid-19th century and again after World War II, but a couple years ago, I oversaw a complete renovation.”

  He finished his explanation by opening the door into what was now a spectacularly modern apartment. Gloria gasped as she looked around at the updated furnishings, appliances, and electronics. Mack couldn’t help but smile.

  “I spend weekends and holidays out here sometimes. It’s a great place to get away from it all.”

  “I’ll say.” She glanced around at everything, eyes wide.

  “Come on. Let’s go up top and I’ll show you the view.”

  He took her hand. It felt so right in his. There was strength in her grip that matched the strength of her character. He led her up the curved staircase that wrapped around the outer edge of the lighthouse. It took them up past an open living room area, then o
n to the next floor, which was a cozy bedroom, and finally to a trapdoor that opened onto the deck. The old, cut-glass lantern that had warned sailors to steer clear of the rocky coast sat in the center of the deck, but it was the view in all directions that captured Gloria’s attention.

  “Wow,” she said, raising a hand to her forehead as she gazed out at the sea. “This is magnificent. I can see why you come here to get away.”

  “I first got interested in the lighthouse because of fishing.”

  She turned back to him with a grin so teasing he wanted to sweep her into his arms. “Why am I not surprised.”

  Mack chuckled, stepping forward to stand next to her along the railing. Their arms brushed as she faced out to the sea again, which sent a spike of longing through him. “I know. I’ve got a one-track mind.” They exchanged smiles. In spite of the breeze blowing off the water, heat rushed through him. “No, the connection is that the wives of fishermen used to come up here after a storm to keep watch for their husbands.”

  “Oh,” she said, full of sentimentality.

  “As soon as they spotted the fishing fleet, they’d light the lantern, showing them the way home, reminding them that their families were waiting for them, and letting everyone else on shore know that their men were safe and sound.”

  “That’s beautiful.”

  There was something warm, and at the same time longing in her voice. She wasn’t watching the waves or the sky anymore, she was watching him. He couldn’t resist the urge to act on everything he’d been feeling for the last few days.

  He turned to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her. She accepted him with a soft sigh, molding her body to his. Everything about her was soft and lovely, and yet also pulsing with strength. He tasted her lips, grazing his teeth across her bottom lip and sliding his tongue along the seam of her mouth. She leaned closer, slipping her arms around him and opening her mouth to deepen their kiss.

  He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have a woman as wonderful as Gloria think he was special enough to be with. It made him question what he knew about his life and filled him with the motivation to do more, to be more.

  “Was that a bedroom I spotted one floor down?” she asked in a breathless voice, sliding one hand down to grip his backside.

  The jolt of lust that hit him instantly changed the hazy contentment he’d been feeling into a full-fledged conflagration. “It is,” he said, kissing her lips lightly and brushing his hand over her hip, then up under the loose fabric of her shirt until it rested against the skin of her side.

  He felt her tense, felt her breath come in shallower gasps. “It would be a shame to come all this way not to make use of it,” she said.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked, praying it was. “How are your injuries?”

  “They’ll be fine as long as we go slow.” She treated him to a mischievous grin. “This is what I’ve wanted since you whisked me out of the hospital and into a dream.” She touched her lips to his, then pulled back to say, “Did I say dream? I meant palace.”

  “Dream works too.” He backed toward the stairs, bringing her with him. “It’s a dream I don’t want to wake up from.”

  She laughed deep in her chest. The sound tickled him and sent his blood pounding to all the right places. He led her to the stairs, then down to the bedroom. They were both already peeling their clothes off by the time they reached the side of the bed. Mack hadn’t planned for any of it, but he thanked his lucky stars that he kept the lighthouse prepared in case of just this sort of event.

  The sheets were clean, and as he tugged back the bedclothes, a faint scent of lavender filled the air. He pulled Gloria into his arms as soon as he had his shirt off. She was just finishing up unhooking her bra, which he took from her and dropped to the side. She had magnificent breasts which filled his hands. She hummed as he stroked and squeezed them, then brushed his thumbs across her hardening nipples.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, kissing her neck, her shoulder, and then bending to close his mouth over one of her nipples. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to get enough of you.”

  She made a sound that wasn’t quite words but encompassed everything she could have said. She reached for the waist of his jeans, unzipping them and pushing them down. His erection sprang up, and he caught his breath as she closed a hand around him and stroked. The sensation was so amazing that he was in serious danger of everything ending far too fast if they didn’t pace themselves.

  He pulled away gently, pushing his jeans off along with his shoes. She followed suit, and within seconds, they were sinking into the sheets together, bodies wrapped around each other. He paused long enough to reach for a condom from the small stash in the bedside table, rolling it on in the hope that being sheathed would help him last longer. Gloria purred in approval, reaching for him and kissing him with complete openness.

  He’d never felt so joyful making love to a woman. And taking care because of her injuries somehow made things that much sweeter. It wasn’t just about getting off or being satisfied. There were things going on between the two of them that words couldn’t communicate, only their bodies. He loved everything about her body, from her curves to the salt of her skin. She had long legs that felt perfect wrapped around him. Her skin was as soft as wispy clouds over the sea on a summer’s day. The way she reacted to his touch with full sensuality encouraged him to stroke her and explore every part of her with his hands and mouth.

  When his efforts to give her pleasure finally reached their climax, she came with such passionate force, crying out and writhing as her body shuddered with release. He was so carried away by the freedom of her pleasure that the need to be one with her swallowed him whole. He plunged into her, reveling in the way she encompassed him. He was wild with need, pouring everything he had into filling her, until the rush of his own orgasm pulled him under. He shouted wordlessly as everything he had shot through him and into her, like lightning in a storm at sea.

  It was so good that after the intensity of the storm passed, the two of them simply lay there like two pieces of driftwood washed up on the shore. The urge to sleep was almost overpowering, but he managed to dispose of the condom and fold her into his arms before they gave in to it. The last thought that Mack had before falling into sweet oblivion was that he would have to move heaven and earth to keep Gloria in his arms. He couldn’t let her go now.

  Gloria awoke after a short snooze to the sound of a cell phone ringing somewhere on the floor beside the bed. At first, she thought it was a large, angry bee. She was too blissed out and her body felt too much like it’d been poured into bed for her to give it a second thought, though. Mack was a dream between the sheets. He’d given her every pleasure she could possibly have wanted, and the longer she could stay snuggled against his side, the better. He was just as fit as she’d remembered him to be when he rescued her, and he had nothing to be ashamed about in the manly department.

  She was just beginning to contemplate asking how many condoms were in the bedside table when the phone buzzed again. This time, Mack stirred, growled, and shifted to hang off the side of the bed long enough to grab the phone.

  “Yeah?” he said, his voice groggy, as he held the phone to his ear. There was a pause before he let out a long, irritated sigh. “Can’t it wait?” Another pause, then, “It really doesn’t seem important for me to—” He went quiet again before his jaw clenched. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “All right, but we’re clear on the other side of the island, at the lighthouse. It’ll take about an hour to get back. Yeah. Yeah. Goodbye.”

  He touched his phone’s screen, then put it aside before turning to her. In spite of the aggravation of his call, he smiled at her. “You look amazing.”

  Gloria chuckled. “I look like I’ve had a tumble.”

  His grin widened. “Exactly.”

  Her laughter grew, and she rested her head against his shoulder for a moment before sighing and sitting up. The sheets pooled aro
und her waist, and his gaze shot straight to her breasts. Which she kind of liked. “I guess whatever that is means the dream is over for the time being.”

  “I wish it didn’t have to be,” he said, curving a hand around one of her breasts. Shoots of pleasure zipped through her, coalescing in her core and making her hate whoever had just called Mack. “But yeah, apparently I’m needed back at the palace.”

  “Are you sure?” She rested a hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding.

  “Wedding stuff,” he grumbled, then sat up with her. “Some sort of interview or press thing.”

  “Too bad,” she sighed.

  They managed to climb out of bed, although not without a lot more kissing and touching. There was a moment when Gloria was certain they’d change their minds and go back for a second round of hide the sausage, but in the end, Mack proved himself to be as responsible as she knew he was. They took turns tidying up in the lighthouse’s small bathroom, made the bed—although Mack hinted that he’d have someone come in to change the sheets soon—and made their way back to his car to head home to Solrighavn.

  Home. Again, Gloria was filled with the deep sense that Aegiria could be home. Now more than ever.

  They took a slightly different, more direct route back to the capital city than the winding, sea-view route they’d driven to the lighthouse. There were plenty of things to see inland as well. Not only were there farms and hillsides dotted with sheep, but a few massive, old houses stood out against the scenery as well. One in particular struck her.

  “Who lives there?” she asked as they neared the city and passed an imposing house built in a 19th century style.

  “That?” Mack glanced out the window. “Earl Herman Lindqvist. And my brothers, Viggo and Johan—who just have to be rebels and not live in the palace like the rest of us—share a house just beyond Lindqvist’s estate.”

  “Estate?” Gloria’s eyes went wide.

  “Lindqvist is a member of Aegirian nobility. We’ve got the same structure of dukes, earls, and counts as the rest of Europe used to have. Lindqvist is an earl.”