My head swiveling back, I catch the surprised look turn to cocky arrogance. I burst out laughing. “Come on, Ace. Show me more before it’s time to head back.”
Turning us, he turns again so I get one more magnificent view before saying to me, “The sky’s yours. Where do you want to go?”
“Where do you want to take me?”
The grin he gives me tightens my nipples and causes my thighs to clench together. “So many places, Kara. But for now?” He turns and heads us farther away from Juneau and the memories there.
And as we talk, I learn more about Jennings’s life now. What I find is that it sounds terribly lonely despite the crazy business he seems to thrive on. My life, with all of the horrific events of late, the ups and downs over the years, still feels like it was more complete than Jennings’s is.
And that makes me hurt for all of us.
We touch back down at the airport in the late afternoon after spending hours in the air talking. I now know more about the man Jennings has become than I ever imagined. And, I think ruefully, he knows more about me than I would have shared under any other circumstance. But damn him, I want to choke him when he mutters, “Good thing we got the clearance to land; we were riding on fumes.”
“Damn you, Jennings!” I screech, hauling off and punching him in his arm which has taken more than its fair share of abuse in the last four hours as the sky enveloped us and we got to know one another without anything between us.
He laughs, capturing my hand and bringing it to his lips while we’re at a stop as a parcel delivery flight that makes Jennings’s plane look like the one Kevin used to play with as a baby passes us by. “I need to get my computer out later,” I murmur.
“Why?” He drops my hand to put both hands back on the wheel to cross the now clear tarmac. “Want to tell your brother about your day?” I don’t feel upset about him bringing up Dean or the letters. It’s a comfort to have someone know.
“I’ll do that later, but Dean and Jed”—my voice softens—“were fanatics about backing up everything to the cloud. I have everything here, Jennings. All of Kevin’s pictures, his videos from when he was a baby to just a few weeks ago.” We pull into a hangar, and Jennings cuts the engine.
I don’t know what to do next, so I just wait until two strong hands reach over and lift the headset I’ve been wearing for hours off my head. “What made you remember that?” he asks me gently. His fingers trail down my cheek.
I smile widely. Of all the hundreds of questions I’ve answered today, that’s the easiest one. “Because your plane looked like a toy Kevin used to play with next to the UPS one when we were pulling in,” I say with brutal honesty.
Jennings tosses his head back and laughs. His eyes are sparkling when they meet mine. “No one else has ever made me laugh quite the way you do.”
And since today has been about honesty, I smile back and admit, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy today.”
“Good,” he murmurs. Unhitching his seat belt with ease, he leans across the console separating us. His face is getting closer. My heart is pounding.
But then again, so is something else.
I slam my hand against his chest and stop the kiss that I now want as much as Jennings because there’s something much more pressing at hand. “Bathroom before your lips get anywhere near mine. I swear to God, Jennings, if you don’t find me a restroom, I’m going to pee all over this seat. Having your child made it so I have little to no bladder control.” He wants honesty, let him deal with that.
His head drops to my shoulder, and his body shakes with laughter. But his large hand moves perilously closer to where aches of a different sort have peaked throughout the day to push the release button to my harness. “I’ll be right around to help you out, Owl.”
“Thanks, Ace.” My voice is a bit breathless. But I scramble to grab my purse so I’m ready when he reaches up to catch me as I scramble out of the cockpit of this plane, and he points me to the nearest restroom.
Because I want to see where the rest of this date heads.
Kara
“This is so good,” I moan around a bite of champagne-and-truffle fondue. “Where did you find this place? Maris has never mentioned it.”
“If I told you I looked it up on the Food Network website, would you believe me?” Jennings tells me before he shoves his own crouton dripping with luscious cheese sauce into his mouth.
We’re getting low on things to dip into the cheesy goodness, and I frown trying to come up with a solution. Jennings picks up on my displeasure immediately. “What’s wrong?” he demands.
“The croutons are almost gone. Give me a moment; I’m thinking.” Tapping my skewer against the side of the fondue pot, I drop it and reach for the bread basket. Tearing what’s left into little bites, I give my dinner date a smug smile before declaring triumphantly, “There. Problem solved.”
“We probably could have asked them for more, Kara,” Jennings says logically, but I note he immediately stabs a bite of bread onto his skewer and dunks it in before I can pick mine back up.
“We can do that too. But this way we don’t have to wait.”
“Always so smart,” he says admiringly, at least I think it is. But still my skewer clatters to the table as I’m reminded of something said by too many dates.
Must you know everything?
Picking up my glass of wine, I take a long drink, trying to shove the thought back into the box it came out of. I’m not with them, I remind myself. I’m with Jennings.
But after Jennings has shoved his third forkful of fondue into his mouth and I haven’t reached for another bite, he frowns. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say automatically.
“Bullshit. One minute we were fighting over the fondue like it was our last meal, and the next…” His eyes drift to the bread, to his own fork, and finally up to my face. “Something I said took you away from me,” he growls. “What was it?”
“Nothing, Jennings. Really. It’s fine.” I put the wine down and pick up my fork. But before I can spear a piece of bread, Jennings grabs my wrist.
“And that’s the first lie you’ve told me since the day began.” His voice is frustrated. “I promised you no lies, and you said the same. Whatever it is isn’t ‘fine,’ Kara. Tell me what I said.”
I open my mouth and close it. “You said I was smart,” I blurt out.
He looks confused. “And you are. You’re one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met—man or woman. That’s not a compliment?”
“It hasn’t always been,” I confess. I tug a bit, and Jennings lets go of my wrist. Placing my fork down, I quickly apologize. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth because I didn’t want to bring other people here. Today was as close to a perfect date as I’ve had in a long time.”
“And I’ve done little more than take you up in the air and feed you. Imagine what’s going to happen when I actually start to woo you again,” he says smoothly.
When I look up and meet Jennings’s eyes, I feel scorched by what I see in them. My lips part, but no sound comes out. Heat that has nothing to do with the small flame beneath our melty cheese licks at my skin.
“Now, tell me what it was I said so we can work through it. I’m not leaving things unsaid between us, Kara. Too much is on the line.”
“Men, at least some of the ones I’ve dated, haven’t always been supportive of a smart woman,” I blurt out. Jennings places his hand on top of mine and squeezes. “I’d do something like I just did, problem solve, and they’d ridicule me, make me feel small.”
His thumb brushes back and forth over my knuckles. “I don’t want to bring other women here, but I think I need to. Just for a moment. Not long ago, I felt like they were interchangeable. Jed used to ask me about when I’d get tired of it, and long before I met you, I realized I was. Now, I’m out for an evening with a woman who is self-sufficient, valiant, clever, and better yet, understands the meaning to all of those words.”<
br />
I can’t help it; I grin.
Jennings smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes which are intense on mine. “She’s brave, loyal, and loving. Remarkably, she’s beautiful, and she has no idea about any of it. So if the men she dated are as foolish as the women I did, then I hope they all find happiness together.” He lifts my fingers to his lips. “I have other plans.”
My heart flips over in my chest, but before I can even think of a reply, our waitress, Cindy, appears. “Oh, I’m so terribly sorry. We just got a new batch of croutons out of the oven. Would you like some to finish your appetizer?”
Jennings and I exchange a quick glance before we both burst out laughing. Thank goodness he regains his composure enough to say, “Yes, thank you.” Otherwise, I might have pulled the rest of the delicious cheese to my side of the table.
No matter if his words gave me chills in all the good ways.
And it’s making me think I really don’t want this night to end.
Jennings
I don’t want this night to end.
Kara and I are the last seated in the restaurant. In fact, I’ve way overtipped the waitstaff to make certain they knew I appreciated the extra time they’ve lingered over nothing while Kara’s continued to tell me stories about her brother and Jed. And while I’ve cherished the insight I’ve gained into my friend’s life in Florida, I relished every single moment I’ve spent with the woman who’s shown me hopes and dreams don’t just have to be found thousands of feet up in the air.
“And then there was the time Jed came to the bar wearing only a Speedo and a St. Patrick’s Day hat.” She’s gasping as her head crashes into the table with a thud. Her giggles are infectious, even as the image she paints makes me want to bleach my brain, but I can’t ignore the third time the manager passes us deliberately.
I run a hand over her hair. I guess I should have expected it when her head snaps up to mine, eyes blinking in rapid succession. “I think they’re trying to tell us something,” I say gently. “Let’s head out and we can find somewhere to keep talking. I want to hear more.” The truth is, I want to hear everything.
A light blush covers her cheeks. “God, Jennings. I haven’t even checked in with Maris about Kevin.” Quickly, Kara reaches for her purse, but I stay her hand.
“Why don’t we head out? We can check from the car?” I suggest.
Relief crosses her face. Quickly we don our coats and thank the manager profusely. He grins. “Come back anytime.”
I roll my eyes behind Kara’s back, knowing that has as much to do with the outrageous tip I left as him being gracious. But within minutes, when we’re tucked in the warmth of the vehicle, Kara starts in surprise.
“What is it?” I ask. Hooking an arm around the back of her chair, I lean over her shoulder.
She holds up her phone. “Kevin. He’s having a blast.” She holds up her phone to show me a picture of Kevin and Maris happily ensconced in the hotel with snacks spread out all around them.
I smile. “So, our son is happily tucked in for the night.”
“It appears that way,” she confirms, slipping her phone into her purse.
“Do you trust me?” I ask her. Inside, I’m quaking slightly as I wait for the answer. Even though today was as close to a perfect date as I could have imagined, the simple question could shatter that illusion into a million pieces.
Her head turns. Our mouths are a hairbreadth away from one another. We’re physically closer than we have been since the night I kissed her, and yet the intimacy of this moment is greater than the other. So much rides on her answer. Her lips part, and I brace for an excuse. So it takes every ounce of willpower to not crush my mouth down on hers when she whispers, “Yes. Especially after today.”
“My Owl.” I massage the back of her neck. Her laughter stops, but she trembles.
“Then do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Before she can say a word, I hold up my hand. “You had just started telling me a story. Fair warning, I may need to drink heavily after listening to it, so be prepared for me to crash on your couch,” I tell her with a touch of amusement, pressing a kiss on the crown of her head.
Her head shakes back and forth so fast, I can’t say I’m not a little hurt. “Okay. I’ll just drop you off, then.” I go to turn on the ignition.
Kara’s head snaps up so fast, she clips me on the edge of my jaw. Not that I’m complaining because she presses her lips to it on her way to my mouth. Her mouth then touches mine gently. Pulling back a bit, she studies my frozen features, before whispering, “I don’t want to tell you the story if you’re going to drink heavily, Ace. I want you to touch me, and I think you need your faculties about you when you do that.” Her head arches away from mine, eyes lowering dreamily.
“Shit,” I hiss out, before I capture her lips with mine.
As Kara’s upper body softens against mine, one arm tightens at the base of my neck. The other cups my jaw.
And just like that, flashes of memories hit my mind.
Kara’s breast cupped in the palm of my hand as I leaned over her. Her breathing heavy as I took the sweet dusky-tipped nipple in my mouth.
Kara’s legs parted as I dragged my cock through her wetness, preparing to enter her for the first time.
Kara’s hair flying as I rolled her over so she rode on top of me. Her giggles echoing throughout the room.
I want all of that again, I think ferociously. But it’s the last I want more than anything. I want Kara’s uninhibited laughter to penetrate my soul. Gently pulling back, I wait for her eyes to drift open before I rasp, “Come be with me.”
Wide-eyed, her lips part, and there’s a low pang in my stomach when I realize I’m suddenly terrified she’s going to say no. Her soft “Yes” is more than a beautiful woman agreeing to a night in my bed. It’s a chance to start over with a woman I realize I should have held on to almost a lifetime ago.
So, I’m not surprised my hands are shaking when I put the car in gear. What I am surprised by is when she reaches over and lays her hand on my leg.
Exactly the same way she used to do when we were dating.
And that, more than anything else, calms me down enough to put the car into gear and drive us to the B&B.
Kara
The silence in the car intensifies the need between us. Occasionally, I feel Jennings glance over. I don’t for fear I’ll tell him to stop the car and crawl into his lap like days of old. Flashes of the stupid ways we’d find to make love are being superimposed with the sexiness that’s uniquely him now.
It’s causing the tingle beneath my skin, and the only thing I’m touching is his leg. If I do more than that, I’m afraid of what I’m going to do.
Then again, if the thumping of my heart is any indication, I’m terrified anyway.
After we park, Jennings grips the wheel for a moment before reaching down for my hand. Lifting it to his lips, he tells me, “I’ll be right around. Wait for me,” before sliding out of the car.
With nothing to do, I fold my hands around each other and just suck in air. It can’t be more than a few seconds, but I feel like I’m hanging between two different realities, one in which I’m living in the past and the other where I’m living in some sort of fantasy. I haven’t decided which I want to be in when my door flies open.
Jennings braces himself between the door and opening, effectively caging me in. I flick my gaze up and down his body, letting it linger over certain parts of him before jerking it back up to his face. I feel the warmth hit my cheeks when his lips curve. Damn him, he knows exactly what he does to me. Taking his offered hand, I pull myself up until I’m flush against him.
He grunts at the impact of our bodies but says nothing. The hand not holding mine slides over the curve of my hip, tugging me tighter against the long column growing behind his jeans. He arches a brow. Lust and something more, something I can’t name, crawls into his eyes. We stand there with nothing but air between our bodies until Jennings yanks me out of the door an
d slams it behind us. “Come with me now, or I’ll have you underneath the moon. And God, Kara, if your memory of us is as good as mine is, you know that’s not a threat.”
“No, that’s a promise,” I murmur, remembering the night in question where Jennings drove us to a secluded spot and did just that.
Jennings drops my hand once we reach the back entrance of the B&B long enough to whip out his key. “Thank God Ron has a back door to this place,” he mutters. Soon, the door is open and he reaches for me again. This time he grabs a hold of my wrist and drags me up the winding staircase to his room.
We make it there without another word passed between us. Soon he stops in front of a door, but instead of letting me go, he traps my body in between it and him. “I want your hands on me, but I’m not sure if I have enough self-control,” he admits.
Up until that moment, a part of my mind was still afraid. Both of us have had other lovers before and after each other, but this was Jennings. A part of me always knew he was something special. Relaxing, and heady with the power he just turned over to me, I slide my hands under his open jacket, feeling each and every muscle. Rising up on tiptoe, I nuzzle the soft hair of his jaw. Hearing him groan, I smile against his jaw, before whispering, “Find some.” Then I kiss him softly before I turn him loose. “Open the door, Ace.”
The door flies open behind me, and I stumble but don’t fall because Jennings’s arms catch me. “Keep moving backward, Kara,” he growls.
I could have pulled away from him easily, but the arousal I hear in his voice kicks up my own about ten notches. I tug the pull to my jacket down slowly as Jennings kicks the door behind him closed. As I let go of him with one arm to shrug out of it, he reaches behind him to lock the door.
“Keep going. I want your skin vibrating beneath my fingers.”
“You next.” I push at his bomber jacket with eager fingers. He quickly complies, letting it drop to his feet with a loud thump.
Return by Air (Glacier Adventure Series Book 1) Page 19