Fly

by T. A. Foster

  At the end there was a climatic fight scene and the carrier crew cheered for the American boys. Skye pictured Hollywood and Eagle celebrating with Ben like that. The credits rolled and Ben turned to her.

  “Good movie.” The grin he was wearing became devilish. His attention was back on her. All of it.

  His hand grazed the side of her cheek as he tugged her into his lap. His mouth was hot as his lips parted against hers and his tongue slipped inside. The room spun as he rolled her onto her back. His fingers grabbed at the edge of her tank top and pushed it upward.

  Skye was hit with sudden want as the sensations shot through her body. She had skyrocketed from utter calm and contentment to a raging surge of heat. Ben looked victorious as he flicked the hook on her bra. He shimmied the tank top over her head and dropped the bra on the floor. His fingers latched onto the edge of his shirt and yanked it over his head.

  She ran her fingers along the tags hanging from his neck.

  “I’m leaving them on this time.” He flashed a smile.

  His mouth descended on her nipple and began tugging and sucking with a rhythm that had her rocking against him involuntarily. She had vowed not to do this, but her body responded to every move he made. She writhed under him, trying to catch her bearings and steady herself, but it was too intense. He was already claiming her and she was only half-undressed.

  “Wait. Wait,” she breathed into the top of his head. She pressed against his shoulders, his tongue kept swirling.

  “Don’t worry.” He grinned. “I brought condoms this time.” His tongue lashed over the wet skin and she bowed off the couch, while cursing herself for reacting this way. It was hard to fight against what her body was meant to do. “It’ll be even better than last night. I’m so turned on right now.”

  “No.” She pushed against his chest. She tried to sit up and folded her arms against her breasts. He had to be cut off or she would never regain control.

  He sat back on his heels. “What’s wrong?”

  “I—I’m not going to sleep with you.” The words were out there, but they sounded stupid.

  “Ok. I’m confused.” Ben didn’t move. The lightness in his blue eyes turned dark.

  Skye bit her lip. “I have a rule about sex. I don’t sleep with anyone before we’ve dated for a month.”

  “A month? Are you a nun?”

  “Hey.” It stung. She didn’t think it was that prudish, but considering she had almost slept with him last night, it was maybe a bit conservative and probably confusing.

  “What about last night?” His eyes darted back and forth.

  “I had a bad day.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to let go for once. I don’t usually pick guys up in bars. I take that back. I never pick guys up in bars. It’s always been at least a month.” Looking at the floor, she wished he hadn’t flung her shirt so far out of reach.

  “You’ve never had a one-night stand?”

  She shook her head. “No. Never. And I don’t plan to.” She wondered how she measured up to his standards now. He probably didn’t think she was as wild and sexy as before. The librarian in her had evaporated.

  “Hmm. A month? As in thirty days?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, a month.” She expected him to stand from the couch and walk out of the door. She wouldn’t blame him. It was a lot to ask of a hot guy who probably could land any woman he wanted, but rules were rules and she didn’t break the rules. It’s what kept her safe and more importantly in control.

  “What about other stuff? Like what we did last night?” A smile was forming on his lips.

  She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and her inner thighs tingled. She nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s not breaking the rules.”

  “Ok.” He raked his teeth over his bottom lip and she wanted him to kiss her more than she had wanted anything, well almost anything.

  “Ok?” She didn’t know if that meant he was getting ready to leave or was willing to stay.

  “I’ve never shied away from a challenge.” He walked his fingers along her shin, over her knee and along her thigh, pressing firmly into her skin.

  “Challenge?” she questioned as he drew her hands away from her breasts. She felt completely exposed on the couch, sitting half-naked, but she couldn’t stop her nipples from hardening under his stare. It felt like he was getting ready to devour her.

  “Oh yeah. You’re a challenge, Skye Stephens.” He took her face in his hands and drew her toward him. His tongue ran over her bottom lip. She sighed as he kissed her jaw and trailed his mouth against her throat. “I’ve never met someone so uptight when the lights are on, but so incredibly sexy when they lights go down. I bet you won’t last a week.” He laughed.

  “Hey.” The heat he had just created, froze. “I’m not playing a game with you.” She was annoyed thinking he didn’t take her seriously. Although it was hard to take anything seriously with his mouth on her stomach.

  “It’s not a game, baby.” He unsnapped her jeans and pulled on the zipper. “But you’re going to be asking me, begging me to give you more than this.” He wiggled the jeans over her hips and smiled at the black lace panties. “Because I can do this.” He pried the lacy fabric from her skin and slid one finger underneath, causing her to gasp. He stroked slowly and deeply. All the sensation in her body rushed between her legs; all she could feel was the throbbing pulse that had taken over.

  Her eyes shot to his, and she saw the pleasure he was getting from making her breaths heavy and her hips follow his commands. She couldn’t look away from his locked stare. It excited her that he was watching.

  “And I can do this.”

  He added another finger dipping deep inside her until her hips rose from the couch, and she pushed to meet him deeper. Her head rocked back on the pillow. He knocked her knee to the side and she willingly let him position her legs so that she was completely open to him. She met his gaze again head on as her teeth sank into her lip. He had her laid out like a butterfly, with a simple strip of lace running down the middle of her body. Every time he flicked it to the side she gasped. This felt vulnerable, but the way he looked at her made her feel sexy, balancing out all her insecurities.

  “But it’s not going to be enough.” He kissed her stomach. “I’ll make you come tonight.” His fingers curled inside her. “And tomorrow night.” He pulled them out and she whimpered. There was an emptiness clawing from inside her where they had been. All she could think about was how to fill the void again. What was he doing to her?

  “You’re going to want me, baby. You’re going to want all of me inside you.” She saw his heated stare before his head moved toward her breast.

  “Ohhh.” She clutched at his back as his fingers slid inside again, grazing the most tender spot, building pressure one stroke at a time. It was like he had found the center of all her desire, as his fingers began to circle, teasing her over again making all the colors blend to white as the heat burned between her legs.

  “Because if I can do this now, imagine what we’ll feel like together.”

  Skye closed her eyes and tried to balance herself. She knew every word he said was true, but she wasn’t going to give in tonight and she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of breaking her down so easily. Some things were worth waiting for. She vowed to last longer than a week, although right now she had to clench her jaw as she fought the words in the back of her throat. She wanted him. She wanted him to rock her like she had never felt before, but instead she sunk into the couch as her hands roamed across his chest and shoulders. She let her hips take over as the waves crashed through her body and she gave herself over to his hands.

  Bolt pulled out of the apartment complex, shoving his shades on the bridge of his nose. What in the hell was going on? He had spent two nights in a row at Skye Stephens’s place without having sex. A world record had officially been set.

  He turned right to wind back to the interstate. She was gorgeous, smart, and could hold her own around his friends, a feat most wo
uld fail at immediately. It was hard to ignore that the guys seemed to like her too. Before he had even known what he was getting into he had entered the dating zone. At least that’s what it sounded like. She wasn’t going to give it up unless they had been seeing each other for a month. It didn’t seem like the right time to tell her that he’d be leaving the country in five weeks.

  He had been looking forward to the WESTPAC deployment since he joined the squadron. It was one of the best tours the Rebels had. It beat his Afghanistan tour hands down. If he was lucky he would go again to Japan in two years when the Rebels hit the next deployment cycle.

  He exited onto the interstate and merged with the onslaught of cars that buzzed around him. When was the last time he had actually dated a girl? He rolled down the window and rested his elbow on the door. He hadn’t been on a single date since he moved to San Diego. Picking girls up in bars and clubs didn’t count as dates. Those were hookups and he knew it.

  A date entailed getting dressed up and having a plan. What kind of place should he take a girl like Skye? That’s assuming she accepted his invitation. He didn’t try for breakfast this morning. She wasn’t as standoffish as yesterday, but something about the morning sun made her reserved side return.

  He left with a promise to call. Something about her and the way the last two nights had gone made him think he would call her later. He had her number in his phone.

  As soon as he got home he changed into his running shorts and shoes. Sundays were work out days. His favorite place to run was Mission Bay. He could see the bay, the city, and in certain spots, the ocean. He cued his regular playlist and took off running.

  The low morning mist that settled on the city didn’t usually burn off until lunch time, but today it was already bright and sweltering before he was five minutes into the run.

  Bolt wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He loved living in San Diego, but it always felt like a temporary home. Since joining the Marine Corps he had lived in four different cities and completed two tours. It was hard to get attached to a place when he knew it was only a stop on the way to the next town. But that’s one of the things he loved about being in the military. He traveled all over the world, met interesting people, and it kept his life fresh. There was never a dull day doing what he did.

  He crossed over the first bridge. There weren’t many places more beautiful than this. He stopped at the top of the second bridge that overlooked the bay. He inhaled, filling his lungs with the California air until they felt like they could explode. He looked at his phone tucked in his armband. Thirty minutes wasn’t bad for a warm-up run. He repositioned the earbuds and started the second half of his run. Today felt like it was going to be a good day.

  Monday morning came fast. Bolt grabbed his cup of coffee from the ready room and headed to the briefing room. According to the schedule, he and Eagle had an out and in, or a two-part flight today. They would take off in two hours, meet an aggressor squadron from Yuma for tactical dog fighting sets, land for lunch, and then takeoff to do it again. He loved it when they met up with other squadrons. He and Eagle could out maneuver any other jet and every time these events were scheduled was just one more chance to prove it.

  “Hey, Bolt. Did you see that we’re with the Renegades again today? I thought after last time they’d want to go up against anybody but us.” Eagle laughed from across the conference table in the briefing room.

  “I’m calling them now.” Bolt punched in the number for the Renegades’ briefing room he had been given by the schedule writer. He and the lead pilot would discuss the meeting time and place, along with the logistics of the mission.

  “Hey, this is Captain Hardcastle calling in for a briefing with Renegade-one-one.”

  The voice on the other end of the phone responded, “Hold please, sir. That’s Major Shipley. I’ll get him for you.”

  Bolt put his hand over the receiver and whispered, “We’re flying against Shipley. Shit.”

  Eagle shook his head. “Yeah, that’s not good.”

  Bolt’s shoulders straightened when he heard the booming voice answer. “Major Shipley here. Ready for briefing, Captain Hardcastle.”

  “Good morning, sir.”

  Bolt had heard of Major Shipley’s reputation as the premiere dog fighter for the Renegades’ squadron, but he and Eagle had never faced him. The guy was good. He had flown three tours in Iraq, and was fresh off a Blue Angel tour. To top off his resume’ he was a former Top Gun instructor. Bolt shook his head. He was going to get his ass beaten today.

  “Looking forward to flying against you and Captain Haywood today. We’re planning on taking off at 0900. If you do the same that should put us at the rendezvous point right on target.”

  “Yes, sir.” Bolt listened as the senior officer gave out the instructions. Shipley had obviously planned out the fight for this morning.

  “Anything else we need to add before filing our flight plan?” Shipley asked.

  “No sir, I think you’ve covered everything. We’ll see you up there, sir.”

  There was a click and Bolt turned to Eagle. “This is not good. We are fucked.”

  Eagle whistled. “Tell me about it. Well, at least the winning team has to buy us lunch, so we get free tacos.”

  Bolt threw his coffee cup in the trash. “You know I don’t care about tacos, right? I don’t want to eat some damn loser tacos today. I want to win. I care about winning.”

  “I know you do, but sometimes you have to know when to fold ‘em.” Eagle followed him out of the room.

  “We’re not giving up before we’ve even taken off.” Bolt walked into the locker room where their flight gear was stored. It usually took a few minutes to climb into, buckle, and hook into all the gear that they needed in the aircraft.

  They walked to the jet, passing Hollywood and Ranger on the way. “Heard you two are going up against Shipley today.” Ranger chuckled.

  “Jealous?” Bolt taunted.

  “No way. He might be the only one who can de-throne your pompous ass.”

  “You won’t be saying that when Eagle and I land with not one, but four victories.” Bolt held up two fingers.

  Eagle shook his head. “Do not start making bets, man. We need to walk to the jet for pre-flight. Come on.” He tried to push Bolt out of the hangar.

  “Oh wait, did you say a bet?” Hollywood spun on his heels. “I’ll make a little wager with you both right now.”

  “Bolt, let’s focus on the flight.” Eagle walked backward until he hit the door with his back. “No bets. Come on.”

  “You know you wanna,” Hollywood teased.

  “Alright. What’s the bet?” Bolt didn’t want to back away from the challenge. He had his work cut out for him, might as well make it worth something.

  “Dammit.” Eagle shook his head.

  “I’ll even give you one.” Ranger stated. “You only have to beat him once.”

  “Ok, and if I don’t?”

  “Then you owe me a case of beer, my choice. Make that one for me and Hollywood.”

  “What do I get if I do?”

  Ranger twisted his lips. “Bragging rights?”

  “Doesn’t seem like much of a bet, Bolt. Don’t take it. Just keep on walking. Come on, we’ve got pre-flight checks to do.” Eagle’s eyes were wider than usual.

  “How about this? If I do get my one victory, then you can wash my truck and we both get cases of beer.” Bolt pointed at Eagle.

  “You’re on.” Ranger stuck out his hand.

  “Better get your buckets and sponges ready. And you might need a ladder to get to the roof of the truck.” Bolt laughed.

  Eagle shook his head. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

  “Good luck out there,” Hollywood called as Bolt and Eagle jogged to the jet.

  If they ever needed four-leaf clovers, heads-up pennies, and horseshoes, it was now.

  “How do you boys like your tacos?” Major Shipley strolled to the cantina’s tin counter, r
eady to take orders.

  Bolt hung his head. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been taken down like that.

  “Extra cheese and salsa for me, sir.” Eagle piped up. “What?” He looked at Bolt. “I’m eating lunch. No point in losing and starving.”

  “Captain Hardcastle?” The major waited at the register. “What kind of tacos?”

  Bolt left his shades on the bridge of his nose. He didn’t wear defeat well. “I’ll take a chicken and a beef. Thank you, sir.” He followed Eagle to a booth in the corner.

  After the two jets landed they used the squadron car to drive out to the most popular taco spot in Yuma. It was a tradition when the two squadrons met to dog fight.

  It didn’t matter what maneuver Bolt tried, Shipley was ahead of him. Bolt shook his head knowing that he had flown behind the jet and looked like a rookie next to this guy. There was still round two to get through. After lunch they’d be back in the sky trying to out-strategize each other again.

  “Here you go, boys.” Shipley slid two red trays across the table along with a basket of chips.

  “Thank you, sir.” Eagle doled out a pile of napkins along with the baskets of tacos. His head rose with a stream of cheese running down the side of his mouth.

  Bolt eyed him. How could he eat? The flight had gone wrong from the start and the next one was bound to be the same. Bolt had lost his appetite.

  “How long have you two been flying with the Rebels? Surprised we’ve never matched up before.” Shipley slurped on his tea.

  “I joined the squadron last year, and Eagle and I have been flying together since then.”

  “Alright. How do you like it so far?”

  Bolt thought about how to answer. He enjoyed San Diego and he made friends quickly with the guys in the squadron. Things were different for him though after his Afghanistan tour. Riggs wasn’t in his life anymore. At least not in the way he had always been.

  “It’s a great squadron. I think as long as I’m flying, I’ll be happy anywhere, sir.” Bolt reached for his first bite of taco. He didn’t want to be rude.