The Magnolia Affair

by T. A. Foster

  T.A. has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing, or planning her next beach trip.

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  This book started coming together months before I sat down to write. I pieced it together little bits at a time, but I kept holding back on writing it. That is, until Alyssa pushed me to get this story out there. So, Alyssa, thank you for cheering me on.

  Shane, you’re always in my corner. I can’t write without your support. Thank you for being there.

  To the great team who helps my books take shape, thank you. Sommer, the cover is flawless. Dani, I can always count on your eagle eye to take my books to the next level. E.M. Tippetts, thanks for adding the touches my books need.

  To my friends and family who have supported my career, I owe you so much!

  Readers and bloggers, thank you for always encouraging me. If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.

  Keep reading for a preview of Fly, an adult contemporary romance. Available Now.

  Not everyone’s good at one-night stands.

  Skye Stephens has the worst day of her professional career, and all she wants to do is shed her power suit and get lost in the sheets with the hot guy she met at the bar. The problem is, this uptight ad exec doesn’t know how to do one-night stands. She has strict rules about dating and when to let a man in her bedroom.

  Fighter pilot Ben “Bolt” Hardcastle is used to lovin’ and leavin’. But, after he meets Skye, one night doesn’t seem to be enough.

  When these two crash-land into each other, a connection strong enough to make the loner pilot and the sexy businesswoman shed their rules about love and relationships begins to burn deeper than either of them ever expected.

  “Bolt, Bolt!” There was pounding on the door. “Man, we’re already late. Pre-flight’s in thirty minutes. Get your ass out here.”

  Bolt rolled to his side, removing the arm draped across his chest. He grabbed his phone. “Shit,” he mumbled. He never set his alarm last night. He glanced at the brunette under the sheets. Her hair tumbled over the pillow.

  “Hey,” she smiled.

  “Um, hey.” He jumped from the bed. Damn, what was her name?

  “Bolt! Dude, the car’s downstairs. We’re leaving.” The pounding stopped.

  “Right behind you.” He called after them, trying to clear the fog from his head.

  The girl pulled the sheet with her as she sat up in bed. “I thought you said your name was Ben.” She tilted her head to the side.

  He shoved one leg, then the other in his flight suit before zipping it up to his chest.

  “Yeah, it is.” He grabbed his flight bag. “Call sign, Bolt.”

  “Oh.” Her eyes followed him as he rushed around the room, collecting his scattered clothes and shoving them into his bag.

  He threw his dog tags over his neck and fed them through the neck of his T-shirt.

  “So, you think I’ll see you again?” She crawled forward on the bed.

  He stopped for a second, taking in her curves. She was young, gorgeous, and incredible in bed. “Wouldn’t that be cool?” He walked toward her. “But I don’t know when I’ll be back in Miami. Last night was fun.”

  He smiled as he leaned toward her to kiss the pouty look off her face. Maybe he could get out of the room without using her name. He hadn’t bothered to commit it to memory, but he knew he wouldn’t forget those lips. He couldn’t help but want to steal another kiss.

  She arched back on her heels. “It was definitely fun.” She ran her tongue over his lower lip. “Bye, Ben. Call me when you’re in town again.”

  He headed toward the door. “Yeah, I’ll do that, Ash—”

  “It’s Audrey.” He heard the scowl in her voice.

  He winced. “Right, Audrey. See ya.” He pulled the door behind him and raced to the elevator. He didn’t wait to get her number. He knew he’d never see her again.

  He tapped the button for the lobby and leaned against the wall. Last night was a blur of neon, short skirts, and tequila. He and the guys had gone out in South Beach. Audrey was the usual casualty. He shook his head as the doors retracted.

  He stepped into the lobby, just as his flight buddies walked out of the hotel. He ran after them.

  “Oh, there he is.” Eagle chuckled as he threw his bag in the back of the taxi. “Nice of you to join us.”

  “Dude, you barely made it. Was she worth it?” Hollywood punched him in the arm.

  “Shut up.” Bolt threw his bag on top of the others.

  “You know we don’t like being late, right? You’re such an asshole.” Ranger glared at the pilot.

  “Whatever, you went out too. It’s not our fault you’re the one who’s married.” Bolt knew he would be hearing about this for the rest of the trip. They still had two more days of flying ahead of them. Denver today then back to Miramar tomorrow.

  They climbed into the cab and directed the driver to take them to the airport.

  “So who’d you end up with?” Hollywood asked as he popped a piece of gum in his mouth. “The blonde or the brunette?”

  The other guys laughed.

  “None of your damn business.” Bolt’s heart was still racing. He hadn’t showered or even eaten breakfast. A cup of coffee would be nice.

  Eagle jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. “Must have been the blonde. That brunette was ridiculously hot, even for you Bolt.”

  He cracked a smile. “Then you would be wrong.”

  “What the hell man? Can’t we do one cross country where you don’t sleep with a girl in every city?” Ranger looked irritated although his shades were firmly planted on the bridge of his nose, concealing his eyes.

  “Negative.” Bolt leaned into the seat. It wasn’t his problem Ranger was married and stuck to his wedding vows like a choirboy. There were beautiful women all over the world—he was missing out on what Bolt had learned was one of the best perks of being an aviator. Women loved pilots.

  “Wow, you fly fighter jets? Like in the movie?” The girls had gathered around Bolt, Ranger, Hollywood, and Eagle.

  The guys towered over the small group. Ranger was the shortest in the gang, and the heaviest of the four. Hollywood’s bright smile and blond hair helped him stand out in the crowd. Eagle was lean and tall with dark hair and small dark eyes. Bolt knew at twenty-seven he wasn’t bad looking. His close brown haircut and baby blue eyes had lured in more than one woman. It didn’t hurt that he had chiseled features and a workout routine that would kick most Marines’ asses.

  After last night’s club hopping in Miami they decided Denver was more of a sports bar town. They chose a spot called the Goal Post.

  “That’s right.” Hollywood winked at the one closest to him. She was perched on a barstool, soaking in his every word. She twirled her dark hair around her index finger.

  Bolt wondered how many drinks she had already had. “Like, that is the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.” She batted her eyes at Hollywood. The other girls seemed equally impressed.

  Wait until they heard why he was called Hollywood. It usually was the last piece of bait he tossed into the tank before reeling them in. It worked every time.

  Bolt surveyed tonight’s options. He wasn’t going to swoop in on the girl talking to Hollywood. There was a code there that wasn’t worth breaking. Ranger distanced himself from the female attention and sat at the end of the bar with his beer. Looked like he was checking the basketball scores on the screen.

  “Is it dangerous?” she asked, her eyes wide.

  Hollywood leaned against the bar and looked directly into her brown eyes. “Yes, very.”

  Bolt laughed, shaking his he
ad as the three girls gasped. College girls were too easy, but Hollywood was obviously enjoying it.

  “I don’t even know you, but I’m already worried about you,” she sighed.

  Hollywood put his arm around her shoulder. “Well, let me buy you a drink, we can get to know each other.”

  She perked up. “Ok. That would be good.” She turned to smile at her friends, then back to Hollywood. “I’m Joni.”

  He ushered her to a corner booth where the blare of the basketball game playing on the flat screens wasn’t as loud.

  Eagle addressed the remaining two. “So are you two at the University of Denver?”

  They were both cute. Maybe juniors or seniors. They looked old enough not to need fake IDs, but clearly they didn’t want to hang out at college bars. Their short dresses were a sure sign.

  Bolt assessed the situation. Eagle wasn’t much of a ladies’ man. God love him, he tried, but usually fell flat on his face. He stepped in front of his friend before things got worse. “Can we buy you girls a drink?” He looked from one to the other.

  They giggled and nodded. “Yes.”

  Eagle slapped his friend on the back. It wasn’t the first time Bolt had rescued him from certain failure.

  The girl with large doe eyes looked at Bolt. “Are you pilots too?”

  He smiled. “Maybe.” He held up two fingers toward the bartender, and turned his attention back to the female audience.

  He handed each of them a cold bottled beer before taking a sip. The friend clasped slender fingers tipped with pink polish around the label and shot Bolt a take-me-to-bed-now stare. He knew his problem tonight wouldn’t be deciding which girl would go to his room, but which girl Eagle had a shot with.

  He and Eagle had flown together for over a year. Since Bolt had joined the Rebels squadron straight off his Afghanistan tour, no one else had flown in his backseat. As long as he could help it, he didn’t want anyone else back there. He trusted him, knew he always had his back, and tonight he would do the same.

  “How long are you in Denver?” It was the doe eyed girl asking again. She had soft lips and light brown hair. She played with her long curls while absorbing Bolt’s every move.

  Eagle rotated toward her. “Only for the night. We have to fly back to San Diego tomorrow.”

  “Oh, well that’s too bad.” The girl with the fingernails snaked her hand around Bolt’s arm, giving it a squeeze.

  Bolt laughed. “I don’t see how it’s bad. It just means we have to make every second of tonight count.” In that moment he made the decision this one was probably too much for Eagle to handle. He held out a hand. “I’m Ben.”

  “Penny.” She bit her lower lip before slipping into a smile.

  Twenty minutes later he had her pressed against his hotel wall, her pink nails digging into his back, her dress hiked above her hips.

  “This. Is. Amazing!” she screamed. Her legs tightened against his waist.

  Sometimes it didn’t happen until the end, but he felt the numbness spread through his body and he smiled. He closed his eyes as he pushed deeper, forcing thoughts and warnings out of his head. He wanted the numbness—he searched for it—he needed his body to take over and quiet his brain to white stillness.

  Penny clung to his shoulders, her head thrown back. “Don’t stop, don’t stop.” Raspy pleas escaped her lips.

  In a single motion, he gripped her by the ass and hauled her to the bed, where he positioned her on the edge of the mattress. It was as if she could read his mind. She wrapped her ankles around his torso, and he immediately began the rhythm again. He closed his eyes as the numbness took over.

  “So, you think you’ll be back in Denver anytime soon? I’ve got spring break coming up.” Penny adjusted her bra strap and reached for her discarded dress.

  Grateful he had remembered to set the alarm on his phone last night, Bolt leaned over the sink and brushed his teeth. Sometimes the morning after was painfully awkward, and the girl would try to trap him into a return trip. Sometimes the girl was casual about it, and he knew she was interested in what he was—spending the night together in the most enjoyable way possible. No strings. No commitments. No phone numbers. No promises. All of a sudden, he thought Penny might not be the one-night-of-fun girl he thought she was. Though, in her defense, he didn’t spend anytime getting to know her. He left her friend with the big doe eyes with Eagle and raced her back to the hotel before either of them had finished one beer. Other than she was a screamer with wicked nails, he didn’t know a damn thing about her.

  “Wouldn’t that be cool?” He spit a mouthful of toothpaste in the sink. “We’re headed back to San Diego this afternoon, and I’m headed out of the country next month.”

  “Out of the country?” She shook her long curly hair out around her shoulders. He realized she looked even younger than she did in the bar.

  “Yep. I’m deploying for awhile.” He turned off the bathroom light and threw his shaving kit into his flight bag.

  “Well, maybe I could change my spring break plans to San Diego. I know Trish would understand.” She shoved her right foot into a boot that zipped to her knee. “I could see you off.”

  Bolt winced. Dammit, this was not good. “Look, why don’t you stay and order some room service on me? I’ve got to get to the jet and the guys are waiting on me for briefing, but you should at least enjoy breakfast.”

  He bent toward her for a kiss, but she turned her cheek away from his lips.

  “Room service? You’re paying me off for sex with breakfast?”

  Shit. He didn’t like it when they got mad. “No. No. I just wanted to do something nice for you, and I don’t have time to take you to breakfast. The guys are already waiting for me in the lobby.” He smiled, hoping she believed him. He never had time for breakfast.

  Penny relaxed on the bed. “Whew. Ok. For a second I thought this whole thing was a one-night stand, and I was getting ready to call you an asshole and every other name I could think of, but you don’t seem like a dick. I mean, you seem super sweet and so hot, but I’ve never done anything like that and—”

  He couldn’t let her keep talking. He had to exit now and fast. With his bag over his shoulder he backed toward the door.

  “Last night was fun, Penny. I’ll call you.” He pulled the door behind him and rushed to the elevator.

  Ranger and Hollywood pulled beside Bolt and Eagle and parked their jet next to them. They opened their canopies almost in unison. “Smell that sweet California air.” Hollywood shouted from the seat behind Ranger.

  All four unhooked their gear and climbed out on the side ladders. The two jets had returned with no mechanical problems and nothing significant to report to command. Ranger, the lead pilot, despite his annoyance with the womanizing and bar hopping, was pleased with the mission.

  Ranger patted Bolt on the back. “Good flight home, dude.”

  “Yeah. Clear skies. Perfect day for flying.” Bolt inhaled a whiff of jet fuel on the Miramar tarmac. He retrieved his flight bag from the gear pod under the wing.

  It only took ninety minutes to make it back to San Diego. Almost record time for F/A-18 jets.

  Hollywood handed Ranger his gear. “I bet your wife’s waiting for you.”

  Ranger’s face lit up as he strained to see if anyone was standing in the hanger. “She always is.”

  Anyone who went on the road with Ranger knew Caroline, his wife, was always prepared for their arrival with cookies or brownies for all the guys. Sure, they gave him a hard time about his weight, but they never rejected the desserts she handed out. They admitted they would easily gain ten pounds too if they lived with someone who baked constantly.

  “Alright, guys. Who is up for a drink at the O-club?” Hollywood pulled his shades from his pocket.

  Bolt shook his head. “The O-club? We go there every Friday night. Let’s go downtown. We’re in San Diego.”

  “Oh, downtown? Since when is the O-club not good enough for you, Bolt?” Hollywood popped a p
iece of gum in his mouth.

  “It’s not that, man. I just want to go downtown. A different scene for Friday night. I’m tired of the nurses.”

  Eagle unclipped the buckles on his suit as they approached the hangar door. “You’re crazy. The nurses are awesome. Maybe you should just try one nurse instead of all of them.”

  Bolt didn’t want to argue about it. Eagle probably had good luck with the regular girls who partied at the base’s biggest gathering spot, but Bolt had dated half of them and he needed some place new.

  “You guys go to the O-club, hang out with the same girls and I’ll be downtown if you want to meet up later.” He watched as Ranger pushed ahead and jogged toward Caroline. She was standing with three extra plastic containers. Looked like brownies this time.

  Eagle and Hollywood exchanged glances. “Whatever, dude. We’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Later.” Bolt walked toward his truck. He had parked behind the hangar before they left four days ago on the cross-country trip. He checked his watch. It was early enough he could head to his condo, shower, and hit the bars.

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