“What are you doing?” Cassie could see the jump suit inside and her heart raced. What the hell was Montana doing? She hadn’t told her she was planning on jumping. It was still illegal. The site wasn’t prepped yet. The mayor would be here in minutes.
“Look, the only way we will convince Mayor Morell that the site is safe is if he sees it for himself.”
“But we haven’t triple-checked the height or the running distance...”
“Trust me, I got this.”
“But it’s still illegal. He could have you arrested.” Them? Would she be guilty by association?
“He won’t.” Montana arranged the chute behind her on the ground as the sound of a chopper approached in the distance, then slipped into her suit, attaching the straps.
Holy shit. This was not what Cassie had been expecting that day. If they were going to go into business together, Montana couldn’t pull these crazy surprise stunts on her. “How do you know?”
“He’s an adrenaline junkie. We get each other.”
“He’s also the mayor,” Cassie hissed, glancing over her shoulder, seeing the mayor’s helicopter coming over the peak. Shit, shit, shit...
Montana saw him too and strapped into her harness quickly. She put on a helmet—thank God for that at least—and a pair of sunglasses.
“Montana, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Correction: she knew this was not a good idea. They were trying to get the mayor to trust them and this was not the way to do it. Impulsivity and recklessness was what got the first jump site shut down.
“Stop worrying,” she said.
Worrying was an understatement. Her heart pounded and her palms were sweating...this was a full-on anxiety attack. She was rethinking this entire thing. Tank was spot-on when he said the part of this venture that made him uneasy was Montana’s involvement. She understood clearly what he meant now.
“Montana, this is your first jump in years...are you ready for this?” This jump was premature. There were so many things they needed to go over again before this was a good idea.
Montana’s eyes shone with excitement as the mayor’s chopper hovered directly overhead, giving him a clear shot of the action.
“Camera, Cass...come on. We may only get one shot at this.”
Before they both went to jail. Right. Fantastic. She’d just started having sex with the man of her dreams. Of course fate had to try to screw with that. She let out a big, nervous sigh as she got her recording equipment.
Seconds later, Montana started to run toward the edge and Cassie hit Record with a trembling hand before noticing the tangle in the strings connecting Montana’s chute.
“Montana, stop!”
The sound of the chopper overhead drowned out her words and Cassie rushed toward the strings, untangling them just as Montana pushed off.
Shit, that was close. This had to be what a heart attack felt like.
A glance at the mayor in the chopper revealed he’d seen the close call, as well.
Both Cassie and the mayor watched with their own mix of admiration and fear as Montana soared over the edge and gracefully flew over the canyon below. She maneuvered the chute perfectly to glide across the breathtaking landscape, and now that the initial shock of it all had subsided, Cassie felt almost envious of the experience. Montana was as close to flying as a person could get.
Still, she held her breath, capturing the flight on camera, and released a sigh of relief as Montana settled on the ground two minutes later. Safe.
Montana waved from the ground, with a triumphant holler that echoed loud against the canyon, above the noise of the chopper.
Cassie glanced at the mayor in time to see his own look of relief, then his unreadable expression before signaling the chopper to turn around and head back down the mountain.
Shit. They might have pulled off a successful stunt but now it was time to face the music.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“I TAKE IT you had no idea she was planning to do that?” Mayor Morell asked, turning to Cassie the minute they were seated in his office an hour later.
Cassie clutched her hands in her lap. “Of course...”
“No. She didn’t. The jump was my idea and I would have done it with or without Cassie’s agreement,” Montana said. Her face was still flushed from the adrenaline rush and Cassie might have been the one radiating happiness before, but now that honor went to Montana.
“We know it was drastic, but...”
“It’s okay, Cassie,” the mayor interrupted.
It was?
“I understand that Montana felt the need to show me in order to convince me.”
He did? Could they actually be getting away with this?
“Of course, what you did was still illegal and as I suppose you plan to use the video of the jump for promotional purposes, I will have to fine you,” he told Montana.
Montana nodded. “I understand. It was worth it.”
Maybe a fine, but would she have accepted jail time as worth it? Cassie liked to think herself hardcore in pursuing her goals, but Montana took things to a whole new level. A dangerous level?
Could she really put her business’s future in Montana’s hands like this? They needed to talk and establish some serious ground rules. Fast.
The mayor sat back in his seat and stared at them. Finally he spoke. “The site is fantastic. I can see why you wanted me to see it. I take it you’ve done all of the necessary calculations for safe jumping?” The question was directed toward Montana.
She nodded. “Yes, sir...”
Please don’t let him mention the mishap with the strings. Cassie knew he saw it from the helicopter. Would that be a strike against them? Make him think they weren’t as ready as Montana thought? Cassie had her own doubts now.
“We received a new application to reopen the old location two days ago,” Mayor Morell said.
Cassie’s jaw dropped.
“Let me guess...from North Mountain Sports Company?” Montana sounded unimpressed.
Mayor Morell nodded.
“But that’s not fair. This was our idea...” Cassie said. How had the other company found out about their plans in the first place? Lance Baker. Montana really needed to start discussing things with her if they were going to be partners in this.
The mayor held up a hand. “Slow down. We aren’t approving their application.”
If the mayor wasn’t going to even consider the application of the bigger, more established company that could easily absorb liability cost, what chance did her company’s application have of getting approved?
“I can’t believe they even tried. No one on that corporate team has even ventured out into the Wild River outback areas...” Montana shook her head.
“Well, believe it or not, their application has only strengthened yours,” the mayor said.
“Really? How?”
“They pleaded a rather compelling case for a new legal jump site as well, so now when I present the idea to the committee, I have strong backing—not only from SnowTrek Tours, but also from North Mountain Sports Company... I know it may be slightly disappointing that your application may not have been enough on its own, but the good news is, the site now has a much better chance of getting approved.”
Montana smiled. “Good. Then we will have to send a thank-you gift basket to North Mountain Sports Company.”
The mayor laughed. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourselves.” But when he paused and a dreamlike expression appeared on his face as he turned to Montana, Cassie’s confidence soared. “So, tell me...how many more skydives do you think I should complete before attempting that jump you did today?”
Five minutes later, Cassie excused herself from the meeting. The conversation had turned to all of their adventures and they’d barely noticed her leaving. She headed down Main Street and, seeing Tank’s truck parked in
the alley behind The Drunk Tank, she unlocked the back door with the spare key he’d given her and slipped inside.
Her pulse picked up speed as she quietly walked down the hall. She’d been missing him all morning and part of her needed to see him, make sure things between them were still strong, that the light of day had yet to change his mind or give him a reason to retreat. They were making progress, but she knew the emotional side of things would still move along slowly. She wouldn’t push for too much, too fast and spook him.
Cassie knocked once on the partially open door to his office, then peeked inside. He was alone.
“Hey...” He glanced up from paperwork on his desk as she entered. “What are you doing here?”
“Was on my way to the office and saw your truck outside. Wanted to stop in and say hi.” She grinned as she shut the office door behind her.
Then locked it.
Tank’s eyes widened in surprise. Then he was immediately on his feet.
Cassie’s breath caught as a second later, he grabbed her and pulled her into his chest. His hands immediately cupped her ass, lifting her from the ground, and her legs went around his waist. “Hi,” he said before his mouth found hers.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her body to his, her hands creeping higher into his hair, still damp from a shower. He smelled of musky cologne and manly scented body soap, and his threadbare T-shirt had the shape of his pectoral muscles on full display. He hoisted her slightly higher as he broke contact with her lips to bury his face into the opening of her jacket. “Mmmmm,” he moaned, breathing her in.
“Was I interrupting anything important?” Cassie whispered. “’Cause I can go...”
Tank tightened his hold on her. “Not a chance. Do you know how many times I’ve wanted to drag you back here and rip your clothing off?”
Seemed they’d shared a lot of fantasies.
Thank God they were finally starting to live them out.
“So, what are you waiting for?” she asked, feeling her entire body come alive with anticipation. The beautiful day, the energizing hike, the near heart attack caused by Montana’s stunt and the early confirmation from the mayor that they were getting closer to approval for the site had a feeling of euphoria washing over her that day, and being with Tank right now would only make a fantastic day even better. Getting back to the office could wait. Another round of sex couldn’t.
Tank carried her back to his chair and sat. Cassie’s legs straddled him as he removed her coat, placing a trail of kisses along her neck. “You smell like the outdoors,” he said, lowering his head to her breasts.
His beard tickled her flesh. “Just came from a hike.” He didn’t need to know details. She moaned as she reached for the buckle on his jeans. She undid them, then pulled down the zipper. Tank was rock-hard already.
Good, because she was ready for him, as well.
Climbing off him, she removed her top and leggings, then watched as he freed himself from the fabric of his underwear. She climbed back onto his lap and he slid his fingers into her panties. “Damn, Cass, do hikes always make you this wet?”
“I may have been thinking about you.”
“I had a similar problem. Had I known I was going to get this unexpected visit, I wouldn’t have taken care of myself in the shower this morning,” he said.
“Doesn’t look like it’s posing a problem,” she said, staring at the huge erection between them.
“It’s not.” He stroked himself and closed his eyes. “Shit...this won’t last long.”
So far, they hadn’t been able to make any session last long. So many years of foreplay had them both ready to go at all times. She wasn’t complaining. It just meant multiple orgasms.
“You didn’t happen to bring protection by any chance, did you?” he asked.
Damn. Impulsive sex had its one downside. “I don’t usually carry condoms on hikes... You don’t keep any in your wallet?”
“Kaia goes through my wallet,” he said, stroking himself with one hand and sliding a finger inside her body with the other. “I think we can work with this,” he said, his breathing slightly labored.
They could definitely work with this. She lifted her body slightly and then lowered herself back down over his fingers. Then she pushed her hips forward so that her clit rubbed against his shaft. “Oh my God, this feels incredible.”
His fingers plunged deeper, adding more pressure, and she felt herself tighten around them as she rocked her hips back and forth and slid up and down against him.
Circling the tip of his cock with her thumb, she massaged the pre-cum over him before stroking him...slowly at first, then faster as his own fingers picked up their pace inside her.
“Grind faster against me, Cass. I’m going to explode.”
Instead, she slowed her pace.
Tank’s head fell backward. “You’re driving me insane.”
“Good,” she said with false bravado. She could pretend to be in control, but her body told her otherwise. She was at his mercy. She pushed her hips forward and rocked faster, coming so close to the edge...then backing off.
Tank’s breathing was heavy and his hands gripped her ass, holding her against him. “Cassie...”
There was no holding off her release any longer. She moved her hips faster, harder...and seconds later, she collapsed against him as her orgasm rippled through her body.
Tank moaned his own release as his lips found hers again. Passionate, demanding kisses that had her pulsating even harder. He removed his fingers slowly from her body and took her face between his hands.
“I could get used to you stopping by to say hi,” Tank said, staring into her eyes.
“Me too,” Cassie said, snuggling into him as her body still enjoyed the final tremors of her orgasm.
Tank’s arms went around her and he kissed her forehead. “So, how did your morning go? Your hike was out to the jump site, right? Wasn’t the mayor meeting you out there today to see it?”
Cassie hesitated. “He loved it. He thought it was as fantastic as we do.”
“That’s good news... So, your application?”
“Not approved yet, but I think we’re definitely closer.” Should she tell him about Montana’s jump? If she didn’t and Montana did, he’d wonder why she’d kept it from him...and if they were in a relationship, they couldn’t keep things from one another. But she was still partially naked on his lap and they’d just gotten one another off... Was bringing up his ex-girlfriend right now really necessary?
“Montana jumped.” Better to just say it quickly.
Tank frowned. “She did what?”
“She jumped. I had no idea she was planning it...”
Tank stood, lifting her off his lap and setting her on the ground. He reached for a tissue, then readjusted his underwear. “Classic Montana. Didn’t she realize she could have gotten you both arrested...or worse, she could have gotten hurt?”
Obviously the latter was the main concern.
He pulled up his jeans quickly and retrieved his belt from the floor.
“She got a fine, that’s all.”
Tank shook his head. “This was what I tried to warn you about. She’s not the most trustworthy.”
Cassie couldn’t argue but she felt the need to defend her business partner...if for no other reason than to continue to justify her decision to do this. “I agree that she shouldn’t have done it and at the very least she should have given me an opportunity to talk her out of it. But you should have seen Mayor Morell’s face. While I know it wasn’t the right thing to do, it might have been the only thing to push the pendulum in our favor...” She pulled on her sweater and then her jeans. Getting dressed this quickly put a damper on their impromptu escapade.
Tank still didn’t look pleased. “She’s not planning any more of these surprises, right?”
&nb
sp; “I still need to talk to her.” Cassie had no idea what Montana would do next. But in that moment, she wasn’t thinking about Montana...
“Yeah. You and me both,” Tank said and Cassie wished she’d kept that day’s excitement to herself.
* * *
CONFRONTING MONTANA ABOUT her stunt that day had to wait.
The search and rescue team was scheduled for a two-day training course on drone technology. Tank preferred the physical training to anything technical, but he understood the value these drones could provide in performing aerial searches without the expense of helicopters and to help navigate terrain that ground teams just couldn’t reach safely by foot.
Any additional training or support they could get was appreciated, but his mind wasn’t in it that afternoon.
As soon as Cassie had left his office, it had hit him how bad he’d messed up. Letting his annoyance over Montana, his concern over her, overshadow the moment they’d just had was a boneheaded move. He was an idiot. The look on her face when she’d left his office had told him he’d be lucky if he ever got her naked again.
And he desperately wanted to get her naked again. So he’d better smarten up.
What his ex did and didn’t do was out of his control. He might not like it, but he refused to let it come between him and Cassie again.
Climbing out of his truck, he joined the rest of the team on the training field.
“Question,” he heard Tyler say, raising his hand.
“We haven’t even started yet,” the instructor with the nametag Ken said. “But go ahead.”
“When do we get to fly those bad boys?” Tyler said, nodding to the Zenmuse XT drones, visible in the back of the SUV.
“As soon as you learn enough not to crash them,” Ken said. “But there will be two flight sessions in today’s course. A thermal imaging flight as soon as we cover those lessons and then a night operations flight once it gets dark.”
“Awesome,” Tyler said, looking eager to get started.
As the instructor set up for the lesson, Reed approached. “You okay?”
“Yeah...just got a lot on my mind.” Like how to make it up to Cassie for disappointing her earlier that day.
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