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

by Rhonda Nelson

  “T-Rex, everything looks clear. Suggest we return to base. Over.”

  Chance acknowledged that Teacup was right; they hadn’t seen anything remotely suspicious, despite the fact they’d covered hundreds of square miles. He knew that Jenna was coming in with an Apache escort and there was no need for him to worry. She’d be okay.

  “Roger that, Teacup,” he responded, and angled the chopper back toward the base, watching as the shadow of his aircraft passed over the terrain beneath them. Despite his trepidation that the briefings regarding yesterday’s attack would drag on forever, the officers in charge had quickly determined that both Chance and Captain Fuller had acted appropriately. The investigation into what happened to the Black Hawk would take longer, but all that mattered to Chance was that he’d been cleared to continue flying missions. And he’d already determined that his next one would be to escort Jenna’s Black Hawk to Kandahar.

  Flying in formation, they quickly covered the distance to Sangin. As they were cleared for landing and came in low across the outer perimeter, Chance saw two new helicopters sitting on the tarmac, a Black Hawk and an Apache, and he couldn’t suppress the surge of adrenaline that had his heart pumping hard.

  Jenna had arrived.

  * * *

  THE FLIGHT TO SANGIN had been uneventful, even when they’d been flying blind in the sandstorm. But as they’d drawn closer to the forward operating base, Jenna had found herself sitting straighter in the cockpit, her eyes scanning the landscape for any signs of a repeat ambush. She needn’t have worried; both door gunners were on high alert, their machine guns trained on the rocks below. Laura had been in near constant communication with the base and they had been told that two Apaches were performing a patrol of the area and that there had been no further signs of insurgency.

  Without having to ask, Jenna had known that Chance was piloting one of those aircraft, and she’d felt a sense of calm as they’d traveled the last miles to the base. Now, as she completed her flight paperwork and climbed down from the cockpit, the thwap-thwap of helicopter rotors drew her attention skyward. Approaching from the west were two Apaches, and Jenna paused to watch them.

  “Looks like your boyfriend is back,” Laura murmured at her side, a knowing smile curving her mouth.

  Jenna gave the other woman a warning look, but whatever she might have said was lost in the deafening sound of the rotor blades as the two helicopters descended to the tarmac beside them. Jenna threw up an arm to shield her face from the debris kicked up by the wash, but her heart leaped at the sight of the big birds. It didn’t matter that she flew helicopters on a daily basis; she never got tired of watching them, and the distinctive sound of their engines and rotors never ceased to thrill her.

  She looked through the dusty windshield of the nearest Apache and recognized Chance. Even the helmet and dark faceplate, reminiscent of Darth Vader, couldn’t disguise the broad thrust of his shoulders or the way he held his head. When he turned in her direction, she knew he was looking at her. Then he reached up with both hands and removed the helmet, and their eyes met.

  Jenna couldn’t help herself. She smiled at him, happier to see him than she cared to admit, even to herself. She’d thought for sure that by the time she reached Sangin, he would already be on his way to rejoin his unit at Kabul Air Base in the north. That they were here, together, was more than she could have hoped for. Their stays could overlap for as little as an hour or for as long as several days, depending on the whims of the U.S. Military. She watched as he raised a finger to her in acknowledgment before returning his attention to his aircraft, shutting down the rotors and performing his postflight procedures. Giving herself a mental shake, Jenna turned her attention to her own aircraft and crew, but even as she went through the familiar motions, she was acutely aware of the man on the other side of the tarmac.

  “This place is on high alert,” hissed Laura. “I think our best bet is to round up McLaughlin’s crew and get the hell out of Dodge.”

  Jenna glanced around. The flight line was a frenzy of activity as the ground maintenance crews descended on the helicopters and began performing the routine checks and inspections required to prepare the aircraft for their next mission. Beyond the tarmac, military vehicles rumbled along the dusty roads, lights flashing on their roofs. Groups of soldiers walked with their weapons in the ready position as they performed security patrols throughout the base. Guards manned the towers along the perimeter wall, using high-optic binoculars to peer over the sandbags and razor-wire barriers into the surrounding desert.

  Jenna knew Laura was right; they should just collect their cargo and continue on to Kandahar, but there was an excitement in the air—a sort of energy—that appealed to her, despite the inherent danger. She’d never had to fly in an active combat environment, and realistically she knew she shouldn’t want to, but for just an instant she envied Chance his position as an Apache fighter pilot. If it came time to engage the enemy, nobody would question his right to be there or his ability to handle the situation. Even though she manned a Black Hawk helicopter, armed with some of the most lethal weapons in the U.S. arsenal, there would be those who would question her skills or whether she should even be allowed to fly such a mission, simply because she was female.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  Jenna turned and found herself staring into Chance’s light green eyes. His cropped hair was damp from his helmet, and sweat coated the strong column of his throat above the collar of his flight suit. Lines of fatigue were visible on his face, but his eyes were alight with pleasure as they raked over her.

  “Chance.” Was that her voice that sounded so breathless?

  “No problems coming in?” he asked, running a critical eye over her aircraft, as if he expected to see bullet holes in the fuselage.

  “None,” she assured him. “The flight was uneventful.”

  “Good.” Glancing around, he caught her by the elbow and drew her toward the operations shack. “Listen, I’m glad you’re here and I wish I could spend some time with you, but—”

  Jenna pulled her arm free, annoyed, because she had hoped to spend some time with him while she was at Sangin, and his words felt like a rejection.

  “We both need to stay focused,” he continued, falling into step beside her. “There’ll be a time and place for us to be together but, trust me, this isn’t it.”

  Jenna gave a soft, disbelieving laugh and shook her head. The fact that he was completely focused on the mission, while she’d been daydreaming about another encounter with him, filled her with self-loathing. When had she become such a bimbo?

  “I’m not here for a social visit,” she said stiffly, knowing she must sound like a total bitch. “I’m here to do a job.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” he said in a low voice, his brow furrowing at her tone. “I’d hoped that we’d have some time to just hang out together, and maybe we still can, but intel has reports of more insurgency about sixty miles to the west. I think you should collect up Mongo’s crew and head out as soon as you can. I’d feel better if you were back at Kandahar. That’s all I’m saying.”

  Jenna came to an abrupt stop and whirled on him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Jesus,” he bit out, scrubbing a hand over his hair. “Can’t a guy express concern for your well-being without you taking it the wrong way?”

  Jenna bit back a sharp retort and looked swiftly out over the tarmac, trying to contain her emotions. She was being unfair, especially when he seemed genuinely concerned about her.

  “Listen,” she said quietly. “I understand why you want me gone, but this is my job. It’s what I do, the same as you. I know I don’t have any real combat experience, but I can handle whatever comes my way. I’ve been trained for this, Chance. Please don’t doubt my abilities.”

  For the first time, Jenna saw real anger fl
are in his eyes.

  “Is that what you think?” he asked softly, his tone registering his dismay. “Because if you do, then you don’t know the first thing about me. I’ve never questioned your capabilities as a pilot. I’m sure you can handle whatever the mission requires. I don’t want you gone. I want you safe.” He blew out a hard breath and looked away for a moment, clearly trying to rein in his emotions. When he finally turned back to her, his expression was controlled and shuttered. “You know what? Maybe you’re right. Maybe this thing between us won’t work.”

  His words cut through her like a blade, but there was no way she’d let him see that. Instead, she made a scoffing noise. “There’s a reason I don’t get involved with other pilots, and you’ve just proven my point. You said it yourself—we need to stay focused. I’m here to do a job, and if that job requires me to fly into a combat situation, then I will.”

  Seeing the frustration on his face, Jenna felt herself soften, just a bit. “Listen, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I joined the military. I knew it wouldn’t all be training exercises and flying dignitaries around the country. I understood that this—” she gestured to the surrounding base, with its concrete barriers and concertina wire “—would also be part of the job. I’m okay with it, and you should be, too. And if you’re not…”

  She left the words unspoken, but they hung in the air between them. If he wasn’t okay with it, then there really wasn’t much point in pursuing any kind of relationship. He needed to see her as an equal, because she wouldn’t agree to anything else.

  “I’ll accept it,” he finally said, grudgingly, “but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  Jenna slanted him a sidelong glance, wishing he didn’t look so good in his flight suit. Even the bulky body armor and survival vest he wore did little to detract from his physique.

  “When do you return to Kabul?” she asked, her annoyance quickly evaporating as she saw how weary he was. She reminded herself that it could just as easily have been his chopper that went down, and a cold fist clutched at her heart. She’d known him for such a short time, but she didn’t know what she’d do if anything happened to him. If that was how he’d felt when he thought of her flying a combat mission, then she could easily forgive him.

  “Given yesterday’s incident, Teacup and I will stick around for a day or two until the initial investigation is complete. We’ll do another flyover of the area this afternoon.”

  Jenna nodded. Both foot patrols and a strong air presence were a vital part of any counterinsurgency effort.

  Chance glanced at his watch. “It’s barely nine-thirty. Feeling hungry?”

  “Yes, actually, I am.” She looked over her shoulder to see if Laura would join them, but she was standing by the helicopter, talking with one of the other copilots. “Give me thirty minutes, okay? I need to check in with tac ops, and I want to see how McLaughlin’s crew is doing. Meet me by the operations shack in a half hour?”

  “I’m headed that way myself,” he responded smoothly, “so let’s just go together, okay?”

  His words were completely plausible, since he had just returned from a mission and would need to debrief with the tac ops commander, yet Jenna couldn’t shake the sense that he didn’t intend to let her out of his sight. Normally, that kind of scrutiny would annoy her and she’d insist on going separately, so she was unprepared for the surge of pleasure she felt. She didn’t say anything, just continued walking, but she couldn’t quite suppress the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.

  Jenna waited in the flight ops shack while Chance debriefed his commanding officers about the morning’s mission. Laura and the other pilots had drifted into the shack behind her as she completed her own paperwork for the flight from Kabul. Now they listened as the tac ops commander briefed them on the security situation outside the base. The special ops team, a group of army rangers, had reached a ridge several klicks west of the rural village. They were actively watching the activities of the villagers, but were unable to positively identify any Taliban presence.

  There was silence in the small room for a moment, and Jenna glanced at the faces around her. She knew they were all thinking about the previous day’s attack on the Black Hawk helicopter. The Taliban was out there, and it was only a matter of time before the U.S. troops tracked them down and eliminated them. The knowledge that she would not be part of that mission rankled just a little. As much as she understood the importance of flying Captain McLaughlin’s crew back to Kandahar so they could return to duty, she couldn’t help but wish she could be assigned to a mission where she could make a real difference.

  As if he’d read her thoughts, the tac ops commander flipped a page on his clipboard and looked directly at her.

  “Captain Larson, welcome to Sangin. Our one medevac chopper was required to evacuate a casualty to Kandahar earlier this morning and isn’t expected back until later tonight. Therefore, you and your crew will remain on site as backup until they return. You’ll stay in B-Hut Eleven-Foxtrot tonight. I have you cleared for departure tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred hours.”

  Jenna had been so sure that she would depart that very day for Kandahar that it took a moment to realize she would stay the night at Sangin. The tac ops commander was an older man with deep creases on his face, and now he waited for Jenna’s acknowledgment.

  “Is that acceptable to you, Captain Larson?” he asked, a ghost of a smile touching his lips.

  “Absolutely,” she responded quickly.

  She forced herself to concentrate on the commander, when what she really wanted to do was look over at Chance to see his response to this news. He’d said earlier that he would make one more sweep of the area that afternoon, but he hadn’t indicated whether he would return to Kabul Airbase immediately, or if he would also remain at Sangin. As forward operating bases went, Sangin wasn’t the worst place to be assigned, but it lacked the amenities of the larger bases. This was a true combat support base.

  The briefing over, Jenna hung back while the other pilots left, until just she and Chance remained.

  “How about some breakfast?” he asked.

  Jenna grimaced, adjusting her weapon to a more comfortable position in its leather holster. Her body armor weighed a ton, and even this early in the morning, the heat was oppressive. Beneath her flight suit, sweat trickled between her breasts and her hair felt heavy and sticky.

  “How about an ice-cold beer and a lounge chair next to a swimming pool?” she muttered.

  He grinned, and Jenna couldn’t help staring at him. The man was breathtaking when he smiled, the deep dimples in his lean cheeks drawing a reluctant smile from her. “Will you settle for a cold O.J. and an air-conditioned mess hall? I have a couple of hours before I need to be back here.”

  Jenna knew he referred to the reconnaissance mission he would fly that afternoon. They left the operations shack and went to the chow hall. With his flight suit and sunglasses, and his easy loose-limbed stride, Chance drew his fair share of appreciative glances from the female soldiers they passed, and Jenna felt a rush of possessive pride that he was walking with her.

  The mess hall was small, but the food was plentiful and looked fresh. They chose a table near the wall, and she tried not to stare at the astonishing amount of food that Chance had mounded on his plate.

  “How do you not gain weight, eating all that?” she asked.

  He shrugged and tucked in. “A high metabolism, I guess.” He indicated the yogurt and fruit she’d chosen for herself. “How do you stay alive eating just that?”

  Jenna looked ruefully at her meager breakfast. “I have to watch what I eat or I won’t fit into the cockpit.”

  Chance’s eyes turned hot as he studied her. “You don’t have to watch what you eat, trust me. With your height, you could actually stand to put on a few pounds. Not that I’m
complaining.” His voice dropped to a sexy growl. “I think you look amazing.”

  Her entire life, people had commented on her height or made jokes about how tall she was. Whenever she’d been inclined to slouch, her father had barked at her to stand straight, stand tall. Every summer, he’d mark her growth on a piece of trim board in his kitchen, grunting each time the pencil mark moved higher. But it wasn’t until she’d become a commissioned officer that he’d commented directly on her stature.

  “My dad once told me that the only advantage my height would give me was the ability to look a man straight in the eye when I gave him an order.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Maybe I should try that with you. What do you think? Would you be duly intimidated into obeying me?”

  Chance’s eyes gleamed. “I guess that depends. I still have a few inches on you, but I seem to recall at least one instance when we were on perfect eye level with each other.”

  Jenna knew he referred to their encounter in the Black Hawk, when she had straddled his thighs, her feet easily reaching the ground as she levered herself over him. Yeah, they’d been at perfect eye level. The memory caused her breath to catch, and when Chance’s gaze fastened on her mouth, Jenna felt a tightening in her abdomen and a rush of heat between her legs.

  She cleared her throat and glanced around, hoping nobody noticed the electricity that seemed to leap between them. The small chow hall was busy, even at midmorning, with soldiers and some contractor civilians, but no one paid any attention to her and Chance. Dropping her gaze, Jenna pushed her yogurt around with her spoon, her appetite for food gone. What she wanted now couldn’t be satisfied by eating.