Daring the Pilot (Men of Marietta Book 3)

by Jeannie Moon

  “God, I hope so.”

  Her phone pinged. It was her mother. Apparently, a “little bird” told her where Keely had spent the night.

  When she showed Jonah the message, he glanced toward the living room. “I bet the little bird was named Christine.”

  “This is going to get weird very fast.”

  “Small towns,” he said flatly. “A blessing and a curse.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Keely never liked inputting data. It was boring, and under normal circumstances, she’d have an undergrad assigned to do the scut work. But working from home was anything but normal.

  Especially when she’d spent an hour dirty texting with a very sexy helicopter pilot.

  Being in love for the first time in her life wasn’t helping either. Couple that with thinking very dirty thoughts about him, and Keely was pretty much useless.

  Jonah was on her mind constantly. It had been almost a week since they’d made love, and between commitments she had at the university, and his work schedule, they’d barely been able to steal more than a couple of hours together for a quick lunch, let alone anything else.

  Jonah had driven to Bozeman earlier in the week, and met her at a local pub frequented by professors and administrators from the university. When she suggested it, she worried about dropping him dead center into a new situation with some true academic snobs. In her view, Keely was glad when anyone embraced his or her gifts; a formal education wasn’t a reason to put someone on a pedestal, being a good person was. But that wasn’t the way of things in academia. She guessed her attitude was rooted in where she grew up. In Marietta, you learned to appreciate people for who they were and what they’d done, rather than the piece of paper on the wall.

  Of course, her guy was a graduate of one of the most prestigious military academies in the world, so he was hardly a slacker, but that hadn’t come up. In the end, he’d managed to charm just about everyone all on his own.

  He wanted to learn more about her world, and Jonah stepped out of his comfort zone, once again, to let her know that. It might have been the most romantic thing he could have done.

  In some ways, Keely worried this was just an infatuation, the rush of a new relationship. But even with her lack of experience, she knew something was different. While she missed him, and she was distracted beyond reason, Keely felt calm, and at peace with her decision to be with him. It felt right. And for the longest time, nothing in her life had felt right.

  Her phone buzzed and to her delight, the text was from Jonah.

  Are you home?

  Yes.

  Good. I just turned down your driveway.

  Excitement blazed through her, and she jumped up from her desk, bounded out of her office, and down the stairs. It was ten in the morning, and no one else was home. Dashing through the house, she saw his truck through the window, then she saw herself in the mirror. She slid to a stop on the polished wood floor.

  Holy crap. She looked like hell.

  Doubling back to the small powder room at the bottom of the stairs, she found some mouthwash in the medicine cabinet, gave a quick rinse and spit. At least her breath wouldn’t smell like stale black coffee. But the rest of it?

  Talk about a stereotype, she looked like a mad scientist. The elastic in her grey yoga pants had no more stretch, leaving them a baggy mess, her Stanford T-shirt was faded and had a little hole at the bottom by the hem, and her feet were covered by a pair of slouchy gray boot socks. Forget her hair—it was wild, with the curls flying in all directions, and there wasn’t a stitch of anything on her face. Sniffing her armpits, she thanked her lucky stars she’d showered before bed last night, otherwise she’d really have a problem.

  Moving to the kitchen, Keely didn’t have to wait long. His boots fell heavy on the back porch steps, and it was only seconds before he burst through the door and headed for her like a man possessed.

  Jonah was walking testosterone. From the mussed hair to the scruff on his face and the low-slung, well-worn jeans, he looked every bit the Montana man. Strong, no nonsense, and very, very sexy.

  He came to her, sweeping her into his arms without even a hello.

  “I’m sorry I’m such a mess…”

  “Shut up.” His mouth came down on hers. There was no gentleness. He devoured, sucking the breath from her and invading the warmth with his tongue. Some kisses were about romance; other kisses were about passion, but this kiss was hungry and possessive. This kiss claimed her. It was primal and everything about it said they were in this deep.

  “God, I’ve missed you. I’ve been going crazy since Tuesday.”

  “Really?” Was that some kind of miracle or what?

  His fingers were threaded through her hair, holding her head steady. She felt his words against her temple. “Yes, really.”

  He kissed her again, and again, barely allowing her to breathe. Then he explored under her shirt, caressing the bare skin of her back. He touched, and teased, before slipping his hands inside her pants and finding his nerd girlfriend was going commando.

  “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Do you know that? Everything about you.”

  “Jonah, oh, God, what are you doing?”

  His long, rough fingers were exploring her. Teasing her center with strokes and circles. He found the hard nub and rubbed it, and Keely came undone. She shamelessly pressed against his hand, looking for more friction, for more penetration. He gave her what she wanted and sunk a finger inside her.

  “Ah… mmm. Jonah,” she whispered. The heat was building as he moved in and out of her.

  “Watching you is making me crazy.”

  “I want you in me.” That wasn’t a lie. As good as his touch felt, nothing was as good as Jonah making love to her.

  “I will be, but now I want you to come. Come for me, Keely.”

  His words were a command, growled low and sexy. At that moment, he owned her. And she was perfectly okay with it. She trusted him, she loved him, and when she was with him, everything in the world was right.

  He leaned her back into the edge of the kitchen island and worked his magic. Soon, the muscles in her back and belly started to react. There was a tightness growing, circling her middle. It radiated down in a roll of heat and sensitive nerve endings. There was nothing as glorious as this.

  “Come for me, baby.” The command was whispered again, this time against her ear. Soft and intimate.

  Like a trigger, his seductive words pushed through and she came in a great wave. Everything pulsed through her and she cried out, collapsing against him. She had no idea when he picked her up, and threw her over his shoulder, but he was on his way up the stairs before she could lift her head.

  “That was amazing,” she panted. “I… I…”

  “Shhh. I’m taking you to bed and I’m going to make love to you until neither of us can move. Are you okay with that?”

  “Slave driver,” she joked.

  “That’s me,” he chuckled. “Get used to it.”

  “Thank God.”

  *

  Jonah watched Keely sleep. He should have been out cold himself since he’d come to her house right from his overnight shift, but he was too jacked up to think about anything but her.

  He was in love with her, and he had no idea what to do about it. Earlier in the week, he took a ride to Bozeman to meet her for lunch. Their crazy schedules made it impossible to do anything else, and he wanted to spend time with her, to get to know her outside of Marietta.

  The small pub was exactly what you’d expect in a college town, with paneled wood walls, polished bar and a fire in the corner fireplace. Everything about the place was welcoming.

  Doctoral students from the university frequented the place. Men and women who, like Keely, were a research project away from being conferred their Ph.D.’s. The group was highly educated, and many of them used that as a shield against interacting in the real world.

  He could relate in a weird way. A lot of guys in the military i
solated themselves as well. Their experiences were unique, and that often made them feel like they didn’t fit in anywhere else. It wasn’t true, and Jonah never thought that way of thinking was productive, but he understood.

  For Keely’s crowd, academia provided safety in numbers. These were the nerds in school. The kids who were sometimes on the fringe, and their fellow nerds formed their tribe. It made perfect sense.

  It was important to him that Keely knew this wasn’t just about sex. He wanted to be with her, to know her. It had been a massive kick in the gut for him, because he didn’t do relationships. Not like this. But Jonah had decided he couldn’t fight it anymore.

  Ever since she dropped back into his life, Jonah hadn’t thought about much else. He wanted this to be forever. He wanted them to grow old together and have a family.

  That she might be pregnant wasn’t something he was worried about anymore. If they were going to have a baby, they would. He’d do whatever he had to do to make it work.

  Unfortunately, he still wasn’t sure of what she wanted.

  Keely turned into him, nuzzling his shoulder, shivering a little when a light breeze blew through the barely open window. The blankets on the bed had shifted, leaving her back exposed, and Jonah ran his hand up and down from the small of her back to her shoulders, covering her with the plush comforter. She burrowed in and he held her tight.

  This woman was everything. She’d been back in town for three weeks, and he couldn’t imagine life without her.

  Checking the time, he figured they had a couple more hours before they needed to get up. It was still early, only ten in the morning, and if he had her at his place, they’d be in bed the whole day.

  When he looked down again, Jonah saw Keely was awake.

  Her eyes were misty and it didn’t take a moment for her to wiggle her way on top of him. There were no words needed. The intention was clear. If the sex was wild and frantic when he’d first arrived, now it was going to be slow and sweet. Caressing her body, Jonah hardened immediately, and Keely smiled as she pressed soft kisses to his lips.

  Gently turning her onto her back, he gazed into her eyes and saw everything his life was supposed to be. She reached up and took his face in her hands and kissed him again. “Love me,” she whispered.

  “Always,” he responded.

  She was wet and ready for him, and unlike her first time, now she received him easily. They moved together, slowly, reading each other’s bodies like they’d been together for years, not weeks. Keely bent her legs and wrapped them around him, pulling him closer, deeper inside.

  Jonah felt his heart crack open. Every guarded moment, every hesitation he’d ever had, fell away when he was with her. Keely made him the man he needed to be, the man he wanted to be. With her, he knew the future had no boundaries.

  Their eyes were locked on each other when he felt the little buzz in her flesh—the tiniest vibration that let him know she was close.

  Lacing his fingers with hers, Jonah pressed her hands into the pillow on each side of her head. When Keely lifted her hips, grinding into him, that was his cue to move with more urgency. Withdrawing almost completely, then sliding back inside, it was all Jonah could do not to finish in one great explosion. She was warm and wet, and with each entry her flesh wrapped around him. Keely bit down on her lower lip and smiled ever so slightly.

  Between them, there was tenderness, knowledge, and respect. The understanding that neither would try to change the other. He didn’t know how they would make things work, if one of them didn’t give, but he knew he couldn’t live without her.

  The pace had quickened; when Keely arched her back, Jonah knew she was in the throes of her orgasm. He felt it as her body squeezed, and coaxed him to come.

  “Oh, Jonah. Jonah. Oh, my God…” Wrapping her arms around his neck, he felt her hands on his back, her nails dig into his shoulders, and nothing had ever given him that much pleasure and pain. They clung to each other in a raw act of possession.

  “Jesus. Keely.” He’d held back for as long as he could, but finally his body screamed and Jonah found his release, filling her, holding on and loving her as best as he could.

  As soon as they’d settled, spent, sweaty and happy, she grabbed his face and kissed his lips. Stroking his cheeks gently, she continued to kiss him, letting her touch say what words couldn’t. Things were changing between them, and they both knew it. There would be conversation, and decisions later, but for now, they were together.

  In Jonah’s mind, she was his forever. She was his match, and no woman would ever take her place.

  “I’m so glad you came home,” he said softly into her hair. “You belong here.”

  “I belong with you,” she responded. “Only with you.”

  *

  While Keely took a shower, Jonah had to find something with caffeine. He’d been awake for almost twenty-four hours and he was starting to feel it. He was tempted to jump in the shower with her, but the poor girl wasn’t going to be able to walk if he took her one more time. She was an eager lover, but someone had to put on the brakes.

  Shit. When did he become the adult?

  He laughed as he made his way to the kitchen. As he entered he saw a single serve coffee maker and thanked the caffeine gods for the gift.

  Flipping the switch on the machine, he waited for the water to heat up. There were mugs on a nearby shelf and pods in a basket on the other side. He drank it black, so he was set.

  The kitchen was a big bright room, with warm wood cabinets that were no doubt made by Keely’s father. It was a great space with a large island, a long wooden table in an alcove lined with windows, and lots of light. There were two doors, both leading to the large back porch that faced the barns and the garden.

  Jonah got the signal that the water was hot, so he added a pod, placed his mug, and hit brew. The coffee maker sang to life, drawing the water and sending hot liquid gold into his cup.

  Picking it up, he drew in the smell and turned. That was when he almost dropped the mug. The noise of the coffee maker obscured the sound of the doors opening, because without any warning he found himself standing face to face with his friend, Gabe Andersen. Keely’s older brother.

  Jonah was shirtless, and he was pretty sure he had tracks from Keely’s nails carved into his shoulders.

  “You want to tell me what you’re doing here?” Gabe was an entertainment lawyer working out of Los Angeles. He’d designed a life for himself that was all about flash and money, leaving his small town roots behind. Jonah had no idea what he was doing home.

  “Uh. It’s complicated.”

  “Complicated. Huh. You’re standing in my parents’ house, drinking coffee at eleven in the morning. You’re barefoot and shirtless.”

  “Very good, Counselor. You have a point?”

  “Jonah? Do I smell coffee?”

  Keely’s voice carried loud and clear through the house. Gabe looked away.

  “Yeah,” he called to her.

  “Great. I’ll be right down.”

  Gabe was flexing his hands like he was preparing to punch Jonah into the next room. His old friend probably would want to rethink that strategy, since Gabe had never been able to lay a hand on him when they were growing up.

  “I should knock you out.”

  “For what?” Jonah responded, even though he knew why.

  Just then, Keely came flying in the room in a long Army T-shirt that she’d taken when they’d been together that first weekend. Thankfully, it reached to her knees, so her brother didn’t get a show, but Jonah had to admit the T-shirt never looked so good.

  “Oh, crap.” She stopped short when she saw her brother. Keely and Gabe hadn’t been very close growing up; he never understood his brainy sister, and they were enough years apart in school, that they didn’t cross paths very much. Jonah didn’t really understand it.

  “You’re screwing my sister?”

  That was crude, even for Gabe. Keely cringed and looked away, and Jonah’s fir
st instinct was to take his head off. There was nothing she ever wanted more in her life than her brother’s approval, so his reaction had to hurt.

  Jonah was so pissed off, he approached his friend and told him how things were. “I care about your sister. I don’t give a shit what you think about it, but if you ever talk about her like that again, I’ll kick your ass.”

  “You’ll… I’ll say what needs saying.”

  “Gabe, settle down,” Jonah warned.

  “Settle down? I asked you to watch out for her, and you used her like your fucking plaything?”

  It wasn’t so much what he said, but how he said it. The accusation pushed Jonah to his breaking point. Gabe had never been protective, why was he starting now? If it was just the two of them, he’d have let it go with a fuck you, but when he saw Keely, looking down and trying to vanish, that’s when he lost his mind. He dropped Gabe with a quick right hook to the jaw.

  “Shit.” Jonah shook out his hand and stepped back.

  Gabe rose, his hand on his face, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “Fuck you, Jonah. I should have you arrested.”

  “Go ahead and try.” Jonah shook his hand again, but this time, Keely was there to catch it. She held on and flashed him a look of thanks.

  “Do you need ice?” she asked him.

  “No.” Jonah had always tried to protect her from users and assholes. He’d beaten up more than a few bullies on the playground when they were kids. He’d never take advantage of her.

  “You should go get dressed. I’ll follow you up.”

  “Okay.” Keely started for the hallway, but then she turned back. “Gabe, the guest room is off the living room.”

  “What about my old room?”

  Keely shrugged. “It’s my office.”

  Jonah enjoyed watching Keely keep her wits about her. And Gabe, who was never at a loss for words, didn’t know what to say. He just stood there, mouth swollen, looking like a well-dressed tool.

  Once they were closed inside her bedroom, Keely launched herself at him. Knocking him back on the bed. Her kisses came fast and furious, so Jonah just held her on top of him and enjoyed it.