“…pressure good…”
“….cleared for takeoff…”
And then they were moving. The small Cirrus emerged from Blake’s personal hangar and sat at the end of his runway while the engine revved, gaining power. Jewell’s eyes were wet with worry, her vision blurred. And then they started forward; the small plane quickly picked up speed.
As the plane lifted off and rapidly rose up, up, up in the sky, she held her breath, and she was sure her face was turning blue. She had no doubt that they were going to come down in a fiery blaze of glory. Where would that leave Justin?
As they climbed higher, a gust of wind shook the plane, and her hand shot out and gripped Blake’s thigh. Her throat closed again and she was unable even to think any longer. A cry for help? Not possible. Who could help her anyway? They had no 911 number for the sky. Maybe he could try a mayday call over the radio, but what good would that do them?
Then the most amazing thing happened. After making a large arc, Blake leveled the plane off and faced it toward the setting sun. The sky was filled with color, and his softly spoken words registered in her brain.
“Look at that. Just take a deep breath, and look.”
She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the view. She knew they were barreling through the evening air, but it felt like they were barely moving. The only sound she heard was his whispered words through her headset, and the only thing she could see was the brilliant reds and oranges lighting up the horizon.
“It’s spectacular,” she said, jumping slightly when she heard her own words echo back into her ears.
They were both too awed to say anything else as they zoomed along and watched the sun set, and then they were in the pitch-black sky, flying over fields and small cities. Blake reached down and adjusted the lights on the dashboard, and Jewell turned to see the glow outlining his handsome face.
His eyes were shining as he looked intently forward, his lips turned up in an almost secret smile, a smile that told her he was happy, he was where he belonged. He loved this — it was obvious. And her fear evaporated because she realized she was safe. She realized that she trusted his word, trusted him to protect her.
And that filled her with an entirely new fear.
“I’ve always loved to fly,” he said, “from the very first moment I sat left seat and took the controls of the airplane for the first time — that was when I was twenty-one and taking lessons. But my favorite time of all is at night. Everything after the sun sets feels different. It’s like the rest of the world has disappeared and I’m free. Free from the chaos, the noise, the work, the anger — free from it all. I’m up here and my worries disappear for the hour or two — or five — that I decide to stay in the sky.”
“I wouldn’t think a guy like you, a guy who holds the world in the palm of his hand, would have a single worry you needed to forget about,” she replied, her own voice quiet, not wanting to shatter this moment. Right after saying it, her conversation with Bill popped into her head, making her regret her words, especially when he snapped at her.
“I don’t,” he said almost harshly, but then she could hear his clear sigh through the headset. “Sorry, Jewell. I…it’s just that I have to be perfect. I have to do everything right. That’s what’s expected, and that’s who I am.”
She turned and looked out the window, fighting tears. “I don’t expect anything from you, Blake. I know that when our time is up, you will be gone and I will move on to whatever comes next. But thank you for helping me beat my fears, and thank you for sharing this with me.”
He turned toward her, his eyes gleaming as their gazes connected. “You are a dangerous woman, Jewell. You make me think things, feel things, do things, that I can’t and don’t want.”
His words seeped in and a deep sadness overtook her. This man was holding in a past full of what had to be indescribable pain. But she was nothing to him, and she didn’t need to know his secrets. They had only a few more days together. That was all. And in that time, she couldn’t fall for him. It was an impossible situation.
When shutters went over his eyes, she almost felt relief. She couldn’t afford to become acquainted with Blake’s vulnerable side or to start to care about him. She had to remember that. If she forgot, she risked being burned so badly, she’d never be able to heal.
So when he spoke next, she shut off her heart, and let her body take over.
“Take off your clothes, Jewell.”
“Of course, Blake. I was wondering when you would go back to being yourself.” She unlatched her seat belt and stared him straight in the eyes while unbuttoning her blouse. What was about to happen had nothing to do with caring.
He flinched at her words, but the expression was gone so quickly, she thought she’d imagined it. He programmed something on the screen in front of him, and Jewell lost one more small piece of herself as her shirt fell from her shoulders.
Chapter Twenty-One
Blake’s breathing stuttered. He was watching Jewel out of the corner of his eye as she took her sweet time stripping off her clothes. Her body was a thing of beauty. Would he ever want any other woman again?
He suspected the answer would be a flat no.
“Lean your seat all the way back,” he said, his voice strained.
Jewell searched for the controller in the side of the seat and then slowly, surely, her seat moved back, and her body was stretched out there for his eyes to feast upon. Setting the plane on autopilot as they drifted high in the sky over empty fields, he turned and took his fill of her beauty.
He ran his hands down her smooth skin, pausing to feel the peak of her nipples jut against his palm. His groin throbbed instantly. Trailing down the slight indent of her stomach, he slid his fingers slowly along the slick folds of her core, and nearly lost control when he felt how hot, wet and ready for him she already was.
When he slipped two fingers inside her, the echo of her groan filled the small cabin. Her scent was driving him mad. He needed her now, but the last thing he wanted was for this to go quickly. Hell, if they crashed, at least he would die one very happy man. Screw his earlier guarantees.
Reluctantly withdrawing his hand, he yanked his shirt off, tossing it somewhere onto the backseat, then unbuckled his seat belt and began undoing his jeans. He looked over and took pride in the knowledge that Jewell was watching him take off his clothing as avidly as he had watched her. But there was a difference between them, and her innocence and curiosity acted as a complete and utter turn-on.