Uniformly Hot! Volume 1 from Harlequin: Letters from HomeBreaking the RulesComing Up for Air

by Rhonda Nelson

  She climbed into the cockpit and greeted the hard-eyed men who sat in the cabin, hoping her voice didn’t betray the fact that she was a bundle of nerves.

  “Welcome aboard, gentlemen. I’m Captain Larson and your copilot today is Chief Warrant Officer Costanza. We’ll be departing shortly. Our ETA at Kabul Air Base is approximately seventeen hundred hours.” Her gaze touched briefly on each man in turn and then lingered on Chase. “Sit back and enjoy the flight.”

  He stared back at her impassively, and then gave her a brief nod before turning to say something to the man on his left. They might have been complete strangers, for all the notice he took of her. Jenna watched him for another few seconds, taking in the familiar thrust of his shoulders, the strong jaw beneath the shadow of his beard and the chiseled cheekbones. The only thing missing was the lazy smile and devilish glint in his eyes that had first attracted her to him.

  As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned his attention back to her and raised one eyebrow in silent query. But his light green eyes were remote, and Jenna could read nothing in their cool depths except polite expectation.

  So that was how it was going to be.

  Jenna felt her face go hot in a swift, physical reaction to his dismissal. Was he deliberately pretending not to know her in order to spare her feelings? Or did he think they needed to keep their prior relationship a secret? She gave Chase one last, meaningful look before she turned her back on him and jammed her helmet onto her head.

  Laura leaned toward her over the center controls, pretending to adjust one of the gauges. “Hey,” she said in a low voice as Jenna powered up the rotors, “you okay?”

  “Fine,” she breathed. “It’s probably better this way. I mean, even if he did remember me and was interested in getting together again, it’s not like we’d have the chance.”

  She slid a swift glance over her shoulder at Chase, sharp regret slicing through her. He had tipped his head back and closed his eyes, and Jenna could see the lines of fatigue on his face. Even with his eyes shut, the guy was mouthwatering.

  It just wasn’t fair.

  Her flight plan included dropping him and his team off at Kabul Air Base, and then spending the night in a Barracks hut with Laura and the rest of her crew. In the morning, she would return to her duty station at Kandahar Air Base, three hundred miles to the south. The chances of their paths crossing even once had been slim, but the likelihood that they would cross a second time was about one in a hundred thousand, and that was being optimistic.

  Even so, for the entire return flight to Kabul Air Base, Jenna was acutely conscious of the man who sat less than four feet behind her, the same man that she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since that night by Pope airfield. Despite the fact that he’d claimed not to have a problem with her being a pilot, his entire manner had changed after she’d told him what she did for a living.

  Typical.

  She shouldn’t feel so disappointed, but she’d really hoped he might be different. He’d driven her back to the officer’s barracks at Fort Bragg and had even kissed her sweetly before he’d stepped away from her.

  “Maybe we’ll run into each other again someday,” he’d said, and his expression had been brooding. “If we do, I hope you won’t think badly of me.”

  She had lain awake for most of that night, replaying the events of the evening over and over in her mind and wondering what he had meant by his parting words. Did he think she would want more than just one night together, or that she believed he had misled her somehow? Did he think she would turn into one of those overly emotional women who felt that one night of sex—albeit incredible sex—entitled her to a happy-ever-after?

  As they flew south, away from the Hindu Kush mountains and toward Kabul Air Base, it took all of Jenna’s training to concentrate on doing her job and not continually glance back at Chase. She was shocked by how much she wanted to reconnect with him. For one, brief instant, she’d considered the possibility that he really didn’t remember her, but had just as quickly rejected the idea. There was no way he had forgotten her, not when the memory of that night was still so vivid for her. Something just didn’t make sense. The male appreciation that she’d come to expect whenever he looked at her had been completely absent in his eyes. Okay, so maybe her flight suit and helmet weren’t exactly sexy, and maybe he had other things on his mind, considering he’d just returned from a mission, but she’d expected to at least see a spark of recognition.

  There had been nothing.

  Logically, she knew he was sending her a clear message, but the irrational part of her—the part that apparently couldn’t stop thinking about him—didn’t want to listen. As they flew south, Jenna made up her mind; she was going to confront Chase, if only to let him know that she didn’t think badly of him, as he’d once suggested she might. She would be as cool and detached as he was, but she knew that if he gave any indication that he might be interested in a repeat performance, she would consider it.

  It wouldn’t mean anything. She was just feeling physically deprived because she hadn’t been with anyone since her night with Chase. What she was feeling was a natural physical response to a gorgeous guy, and whatever they had was definitely physical. There was absolutely no way she was in any danger of falling for the guy.

  None. Whatsoever.

  5

  AS THEY DREW CLOSER TO Kabul Air Base, it became clear to Jenna that her piloting skills were going to be tested. A sandstorm had engulfed the region, forcing her to rely solely on her instrumentation when visibility became so poor that she could no longer make out any landmarks. She knew from experience that landing in a sandstorm would produce a dense cloud that could easily disorient or blind a pilot. Attempting to land in brownout conditions was a major cause of lateral rollovers and ground collisions. She would essentially be flying a controlled crash into the ground with no outside reference.

  “Brownout landing procedures initiated,” Jenna said, flipping a gauge to turn on a small liquid-crystal display that charted velocity vector, acceleration cures, radar altimeter height and vertical speed. Laura called out the ground speed and drift, airspeed, altitude, wind speed and direction on the cockpit hover display.

  According to the instrumentation, they were directly above the designated landing spot, although Jenna could see absolutely nothing through the windshield or floor canopy of the helicopter. Thick, brown dust swirled around them, made even worse by the wash of the rotor blades.

  “Hover stabilization system activated,” Jenna said, adjusting the hover hold function in the tilt rotor flight controls.

  “Three feet to ground,” Laura confirmed, watching the hover display. “Two feet. One.”

  They came to rest with hardly a bump, and both Jenna and Laura initiated routine shutdown procedures.

  “Welcome to Kabul Air Base,” Jenna said through her intercom. “Enjoy your stay, and as always, thank you for flying with the U.S. Army. We know you have no other options, but we still appreciate your business.”

  Unlike her previous passengers, she didn’t get any chuckles from this group. As the rotor blades whirred to a stop, she could just make out the nearby hangar through the swirling clouds of dust. Pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket and a pair of goggles from her flight bag, she removed her helmet and wrapped the cloth around her face, pulling the goggles into place.

  “I hate this shit,” Laura said, doing the same. “No matter how long I stand under a shower, it feels like I never get rid of all the sand.”

  Jenna could sympathize. Even now, as her crew chief slid the cabin doors open, hot air gusted in, bringing the choking dust with it. In a matter of seconds, the entire interior of the chopper was covered in a fine coating of powdery silt. It would take her and the crew forever to get it clean again. She twisted in her seat and watched as the team of special ope
rators made their way from the helicopter. Like herself and Laura, they had also donned goggles and scarves over their faces, but she had no trouble spotting Chase. She would recognize his build anywhere.

  “Nice landing, Captain,” Laura said, her voice muffled by her kerchief.

  “Couldn’t have done it without you, Chief,” Jenna replied, watching Chase as he strode away and was swallowed up in the swirling dust. Grabbing her flight bag, she opened the door and prepared to climb down. “Can you finish the paperwork? There’s something I have to do.”

  “No problem.”

  But Jenna could see the speculation in the other woman’s eyes as she jumped lightly down from the cockpit and began jogging toward the hangar, holding the handkerchief in place with one hand over her mouth and nose. Inside the hangar, she could see the five-man team just ahead, and she yanked her kerchief away from her face.

  “Major Rawlins!”

  He turned and looked back at her, pushing his goggles up to his forehead. Jenna slowed to a walk, watching as he said something to the other men and indicated they should go ahead without him. He waited, hefting his duffel bag a little higher on his shoulder. She walked toward him, her heart beginning to hammer in a way that had nothing to do with her brief sprint across the tarmac.

  His sunburned face was covered in dust, making his light green eyes all the more startling. “That was some nice flying, Captain,” he said as she came to a stop in front of him. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  His tone was so cool and polite that for a brief instant Jenna couldn’t find her voice. She wondered if she wasn’t making a huge mistake. She had hoped that, once they were alone, he would drop the pretense of not knowing her, but apparently he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. She would have to brazen it out.

  “I just wanted to say hi, and let you know that I don’t think badly of you. Just the opposite, in fact.”

  His eyes narrowed and he looked at her uncertainly. “Okay…thanks.”

  Jenna waited for him to drop the act, but after an awkward moment where the silence stretched between them, she gave him a bright smile. “Well, that’s pretty much what I wanted to say. I’m spending the night here, so if you want to…you know…get together, just say the word. I’m sure we could find somewhere private.”

  He cocked his head, and one corner of his mouth tilted in a ghost of the smile she found so attractive. When he spoke, his voice sounded slightly strangled. “Are you propositioning me?”

  Jenna felt her own smile falter. “Um, yes, actually. I believe I am.”

  He laughed softly and scratched the bridge of his nose. “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

  Jenna felt her irritation rising. “How about ‘Jeez, that sounds great. I’d love to’?”

  He shifted his weight, and his gaze traveled slowly over her. “Listen, you’re a beautiful woman—don’t get me wrong—and I may kick myself in the ass later for saying this, but I’m going to have to pass on your offer.”

  Jenna felt her mouth open in dismay before she snapped it closed.

  “But I am flattered,” he said, no doubt in an effort to reassure her. “It’s just that I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

  He was parroting her own words back to her, the very words she had said to him when she’d tried to explain why she avoided getting involved with guys in uniform.

  She drew in a deep breath and felt a burning tide of humiliation color her face. “Fine,” she finally said, trying to sound nonchalant. Businesslike. “I completely understand. But you can’t blame a girl for trying, right? Have a good evening, Major.”

  She heard him curse softly under his breath, but before he could say anything else to her, she spun on her heel and strode away from him. She walked blindly, her pulse pounding hotly in her ears, willing herself not to do something really idiotic like cry. She was so not going to cry. But as she made her way toward the B-Huts where she would spend the night, she could feel the hot sting of tears and was grateful for the swirling dust that concealed her weakness.

  * * *

  SHE’D BEEN GROUNDED.

  For at least two days, maybe more, until the dust storm that was raging through the region had passed. She had no business flying in these conditions, but there was no way Jenna wanted to remain at Kabul, knowing he was somewhere on the base.

  “Where are you going?” From the narrow bed next to her own, Laura lifted the pillow she had bunched over her head and peered at her watch. “It’s barely five o’clock in the morning.”

  “I’ve already been over to the flight line,” Jenna said, keeping her voice low in consideration of the other two women who were trying to sleep in the small hut. “We’ve been grounded for at least two days due to the sandstorm.”

  “Oh, thank God,” Laura muttered, and dropped her head back down, her fists curling into the pillow and arranging it around her ears. “I can finally sleep late.”

  “I’m going over to the gym,” Jenna said in a whisper, sitting on the edge of her bed as she scooped her hair into a ponytail. “Do you mind watching my weapon? I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  The only response was the sound of light snoring.

  Jenna envied the other woman. Sleep had eluded her, and she’d spent most of the night lying awake in bed, thinking about Chase Rawlins and the fact that he had rejected her. In fact, he’d turned her down flat.

  If she didn’t know better, she’d think he really didn’t remember their encounter, but she gave him more credit than that. He knew she was a helicopter pilot, and how many female Black Hawk pilots were there? Jenna could count them on both hands. There was no way he wouldn’t remember that detail, since it had pretty much ruined their night.

  Wrapping her kerchief over her face, she walked across the dark compound to the gym, which was housed in an enormous, rounded tent stretched over accordion-like metal supports. Dust still swirled across the base, and by the time she reached the gym, her eyes felt gritty, and she spent five minutes shaking the powdery sand from her hair and clothes. It was early enough that she had the place almost entirely to herself, with just two men lifting free weights at the far end of the tent. She chose an elliptical machine at the opposite end to begin her workout.

  Within fifteen minutes, she had established a rhythm that got her heart rate up and caused a light sweat to break out on her skin. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t immediately notice the group of men who came in and made their way toward the weight equipment, until one of them dropped a weight with an enormous clang. Startled, she looked over at them and nearly lost her smooth stride.

  Two men stood flexing free weights, while another used the lateral pull-down weights. But her attention was riveted on the man who lay on the weight bench, his feet planted firmly on the floor as he lifted a weight in each hand and brought them together over his chest. Every muscle in his impressive arms and across his shoulders bulged with effort, and beneath the T-shirt, she could see his pecs and abdominal muscles contract with each repetition.

  Chase.

  As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned his head and their gazes locked. For just an instant, his expression registered utter shock, and he nearly dropped the weights. Jenna dragged her attention back to the elliptical machine and turned the power off, her heart racing. She couldn’t face Chase right now. She’d spent the entire night tossing and turning because of him, and she felt tired and achy and vulnerable. There was no way she’d be able to act as if she didn’t care.

  As if she didn’t still want him.

  Snatching her towel up, she left the workout area, pausing only long enough to wind the towel around her face before she walked swiftly toward the exit and into the swirling dust storm. Her legs felt rubbery and weak, both from the exercise and in reaction to seeing Chase. She had
gone less than fifty feet when she heard his voice.

  “Jenna!”

  Putting her head down, she quickened her pace, determined to ignore him. She wouldn’t stop. If she stopped, she’d be toast. She couldn’t even begin to identify the whirlwind of feelings that consumed her, but she knew that, in her current state, she wouldn’t stand a chance against his potent charm.

  “Damn it to hell, Jenna, would you hold up?”

  She should have known that he wouldn’t let her just walk away. Blowing out a hard breath, she stopped and turned to face him as he jogged to catch up with her. Unlike her, he wore no protection against the blowing dust, and used one hand to shield his mouth and nose. He glanced around and then grabbed her by the arm, pulling her with him to a nearby structure. Opening the door, he thrust her inside and followed her, shutting out the storm. One small, dirty window allowed weak light to penetrate the darkness and Jenna saw they were in a storage unit filled with excess fitness equipment. Beside her, Chase was swiping the sand from his hair and face, sending up small clouds of powdery dust.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded, his eyes raking over her.

  “Working out,” she replied coolly, hoping the indistinct light hid the fact that she was trembling.

  There was something different about him, and it took her a couple of seconds to realize that he had shaved the scruff of beard from his jaw. He shook his head as if in disbelief.

  “I thought I was seeing things,” he said, sounding incredulous. “Jesus, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, and— Come here.”

  Before Jenna could react, he dragged her up against his hard chest, his hands sliding around her stiff body as he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his own. For one long, blissful moment, Jenna was too shocked to protest. The only thing in the world was Chase and the hot, insistent pressure of his lips against hers. In the next instant, sanity returned and she struggled to break free from his embrace. He released her immediately.