by Lucy Clark
He followed her directions, making sure he only stepped where she’d indicated, and all too soon he was sitting in the front seat of Ruby, Janessa standing on the wing beside him. She knew how to fly? First the Jaguar and now the Tiger Moth? When he’d walked into Adelaide Mercy last week, he’d never, in his wildest dreams, thought he’d be going flying with his neonate colleague.
So much had happened in such a short time and as Janessa leaned over him, reaching for the five different straps that would secure his body and buckle him into the seat, keeping him safe, all Miles seemed to be conscious of was the way her hair floated around her face, the way her scent enveloped him and the way her hand brushed his arm.
He was highly conscious of this woman and being this close to her yet again was not helping him to understand such a feeling. After Wendy’s death, he’d vowed to concentrate on work, to help save the lives of others, as he’d been unable to save his wife and baby.
Now here he was, interested in another woman, a woman who had experienced pain and loss herself. Janessa was a woman who seemed to understand him, who seemed able to gauge his moods, to know what to say and what not to say. Ever since the other day, when they’d discovered just how much they had in common, their discussions about the conjoined twins had taken on a new level of power. It was as though now they understood each other’s pasts, their drive to ensure everything went smoothly for the twins increasing.
‘Miles?’ Janessa’s sweet voice penetrated his thoughts. There she was … beautiful Janessa with her flowing blonde locks and her sunshiny scent, the woman who was pulling him from the past into the present.
‘Sorry,’ he murmured, and shook his head. ‘I missed that last bit.’
Janessa eased back, tilting her head to the side as she regarded him more closely. ‘Is something wrong? You don’t have to come up if you don’t want to. I don’t want to pressure you. I didn’t tell you what we’d be doing in case you decided not to come at all.’ And, she realised now, she’d really wanted him to come. Bringing him here, sharing this part of her life with him seemed the right thing to do … the next step in becoming friends.
‘I’m fine with the flying. I just … zoned out for a moment. I’m fine, really. I’m already starting to relax.’ He forced a smile and gave her his full attention.
He was enjoying all the wonderful new things he was learning about Janessa—the way she was not only extremely good looking but also incredibly intelligent; she also knew how to fly a Tiger Moth—that showed him how closed off his world had become. Since the death of his wife and child, Miles had brought in the boundaries his world, only letting in touches of light when it was needed most, just enough to keep him from tipping over into complete darkness.
Now, when he looked at Janessa, when he realised how smart and funny she was, it was as though she’d walked into his life and yanked open the curtains. Heavy, powerful sunlight seemed to flood into his life … opening the locked door to his heart.
‘OK. What I need you to do is to put your hands either here on the side of the plane or up here above the instruments, but other than that, don’t touch anything.’
‘You’ll be doing all of the flying behind me?’
‘Yes. These planes are very finicky.’ She secured the seat belt then pointed to the leather hat, goggles and headphones she’d handed him earlier. She plugged in the end of the headphone set so they could communicate. ‘Put them on. The microphone will be close to your mouth. It’s a little difficult to hear due to the wind but we’ll get there.’
Being so close to him, giving him instructions and securing the harness had meant she’d come into close contact with him yet again and this time she hadn’t tried to analyse the sensations such an action caused. She’d breathed in his scent, allowing it to wash over her, invigorating her entire body. Her mouth had been quite close to his own as she’d angled herself to make sure the straps weren’t twisted. Her fingers had brushed the soft leather of the jacket he wore as she’d secured the belt at his waist.
She needed to right her thoughts, to brush away the effects of this man, or else she might not be able to fly the plane properly. Whilst she’d flown many of her friends in Ruby over the years, this was the first time she would be flying someone she was attracted to. Wanting to impress him suddenly seemed important. She knew it was crazy but that’s the way it was.
Before she stepped off the wing, she turned her face into the wind, letting it blow her hair back and out of the way before she put the leather flying helmet on, quickly adjusting her goggles and aviator headphones. With her white scarf and leather jacket, she looked every inch the sexy pilot.
‘How long have you been doing this?’ he murmured, his voice deep, as though he was as affected by her as she was by him.
‘Wearing sexy headgear?’ she asked with a little smile. He grinned. ‘No. Flying.’
‘Since before I could drive a car. Relax, Miles. You’ll be fine. Just remember, don’t touch anything. No levers, no gauges, no dials and leave those pedals on the floor alone.’
‘Touch nothing. Got it, boss.’
‘Hmm … boss, eh? I like the sound of that!’
With that, she jumped down off the wing, climbed into the seat behind him and waited for one of her friends to come and turn the propeller at the front of the plane to start it. Soon they were taxiing down the dirt runway, Janessa’s clear voice requesting permission to take off.
‘Ready, Miles?’ When her voice came through his headphones, it was filled with wonderment, excitement and adrenaline. He didn’t blame her. It was highly contagious.
‘Ready,’ he returned, and the biplane taxied down the runway before heading up, up and away.
Thirty minutes later, after flying over the sea, rolling hills and farmland surrounding the airfield, Janessa brought the aircraft in to land. When the wheels had safely touched down, Miles couldn’t resist clapping and even gave a whoop of delight, which she heard through her headphones.
‘Enjoy that?’ she asked.
‘Amazing! That was incredible. The wind on my face, the sun all around me, feeling as though I was one with this awesome machine. Yeah, Janessa, I enjoyed it.’
Janessa’s own smile was bright and she was pleased she’d been able to share her love of flying with Miles.
She brought Ruby to a stop right next to the café. ‘Door-to-door service,’ he joked.
‘We aim to please,’ she said, before pulling out the connection on her headphones and pushing the microphone out of the way. She did a quick post-flight check before flicking open the buckle that had held her harness securely throughout the flight, the straps falling away. Climbing out, her goggles and headgear still in place, she bent over Miles to undo his large metal buckle but found he’d already done it. She turned to look at him and only then realised just how close they were.
‘Thanks,’ he murmured as he flicked the microphone in front of his mouth out of the way. Janessa swallowed, unable to move. She was standing on the reinforced part of the wing, hanging on to the rim of the plane, leaning over into the front passenger seat, her mouth literally millimetres from his.
‘You’re welcome.’ Her heart was hammering wildly against her ribs and, given her present location, she was actually having a hard time breathing. Was it due to the way she was contorting her body or the fact that if she edged the tiniest bit closer, her mouth would touch his? She swallowed, knowing it was the latter.
He was looking at her lips, she could see quite clearly through her flying goggles that he was looking at her lips. The tension surrounding them crackled to life once more. They were colleagues; they would be working closely together for the next six months while he was here in Adelaide and then Miles would depart. Vamoose. Leave. She’d followed his career long enough to know he rarely stayed in one place. He was a man who shifted states and countries and continents, following the emergency calls of neonatology. She couldn’t fault him for that.
She licked her lips, feeling self-cons
cious, and was about to move when she heard him groan.
‘Don’t.’ The word was barely audible.
‘Don’t what?’
‘Do that.’
‘Do what?’ she asked again, her gaze flicking from his eyes to his mouth and back again.
‘You know exactly what you’re doing.’
‘I do?’
‘You’re drawing me in.’
Janessa swallowed again, her mouth and throat dry with anticipation, her heart pounding out such a quick tempo she thought she might become light-headed. ‘Drawing you in?’
Her breath mixed with his, combining together along with the warmth of the day. Up in the air, with the breeze surrounding them, it had been exhilarating. Now, back down to earth, being so close to him, having him speak to her as though she were the most precious woman in the world, Janessa found him equally as exhilarating.
The spark was there, hot and powerful and refusing to be ignored. It was always the same when they were this close, when they were alone, when everything else in life seemed to disappear into oblivion.
Why did she have to be so close, so gorgeous, so … appealing? There was far more to Janessa than first met the eye and Miles couldn’t help but acknowledge just how important she was becoming to him.
He should ease back, look away, make a move, something—anything—to break the bubble surrounding the two of them. How was it possible that within such a short time she’d been able to break through the walls, the barriers he’d spent years putting in place?
After Wendy’s death he’d vowed to become one of those doctors who was more interested in his work than anything else. He wanted to help, to heal and to harness the potential of the people around him before high-tailing it. Allowing himself to settle down in one place wasn’t on the cards. He wasn’t meant for a life of domesticity. That point had been proven years ago when he and Wendy had tried to settle down.
And then he’d secured a job in Vienna. Head of Vascular Surgery. It had been too good to pass up but Wendy hadn’t liked to fly so they’d taken the train.
His life had changed. The world he’d known had disappeared and from that moment on he’d made sure that he’d lived his life on the fringe. He’d completed more training, become a neonatologist, assisted with breakthrough surgery, written articles and papers, given lectures and presentations. He’d worked hard to get to where he was and now he liked his life and most definitely wasn’t in any hurry to change it, or he hadn’t been … until he’d met Janessa Austen.
From the beginning she’d been an enigma, appearing too young, too strait-laced, too appealing. He’d vowed to keep his distance from her, to have his walls and barriers firmly in place, just as he always did, and yet here he was, in her Tiger Moth, having enjoyed every moment he’d spent with her from the instant they’d left the hospital.
How had she battered down his walls? How had she managed to get under his skin so quickly, so effortlessly? What was it about her that made him completely unable to resist her allure? He shouldn’t be looking at her. He shouldn’t be reacting to the way her pink lips parted to allow her tongue to wet them. He shouldn’t be almost desperate to taste her … but he was.
He’d wanted to kiss her so badly yesterday morning when she’d been so exhausted that she’d all but stumbled into his arms. He’d wanted to kiss her after holding her close in his arms, comforting her after Philip’s death, unable to believe they’d both been parents of children who hadn’t survived. He’d wanted to kiss her as she’d stared at him across the conference table, and if he was honest with himself, he’d admit that he’d wanted to kiss her the moment she’d bawled him out in her office not one hour after they’d met.
He’d been drawn to her from the start and although he knew he’d be leaving in six months, although he knew the feelings he had for her couldn’t really lead anywhere except to pain, he also knew he simply couldn’t fight her allure any longer.
‘Don’t look at me like that, honey.’ And before she could ask what he meant, before she could utter a word, her mind filled with excitement and confusion and trepidation, Miles had closed the minute distance between them and captured her mouth with his own.
Their flying goggles clanked together and at the sound Janessa went to pull back, realising this was wrong, that it wasn’t meant to be happening, that she and Miles were colleagues … perhaps even friends … but not this.
Kissing was wrong.
Miles, however, was having none of it and merely angled his head a bit more so their goggles didn’t clank as he pressed his lips to hers more firmly. Her body came to life at the touch, at the pressure, at the need that seemed to burst forth from somewhere deep within her.
She had no idea where such intensity had come from. She had no idea what it might mean. All she knew was that Miles had given in, had stopped fighting the internal struggle she’d previously witnessed in his hungry blue eyes, and for that she was incredibly glad.
Glad. She was glad he’d kissed her and as his lips continued to hold hers captive, she was struck with the realisation that she hadn’t been glad—truly glad—about anything for quite a long time.
‘Janessa.’ He edged back ever so slightly, her name a whispered caress from his lips.
‘Mmm?’ Her eyes were closed, her mind was spinning, her body felt as light as a feather. The way he made her feel was as though she’d breathed in helium and was floating up towards the sky, content just to be. The only other time she’d ever felt that sensation had been when she was up flying Ruby, forgetting the cares of the world. And now Miles made her feel that way with his addictive kisses.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and breathed in, his spicy, earthy scent tantalising her senses even more. He still had his goggles on, his headphones and his leather flying helmet—as did she. The sounds of the airfield, other small planes preparing to taxi down the runway, the smell of aviation fuel in the air as another plane refuelled, the wind blowing a gentle breeze around them … the world at large started to return into focus and she blinked as though to clear her mind.
‘Uh …’ She straightened up too quickly, almost knocking her head on the upper wing, and as she swerved to miss it, she overbalanced. ‘Whoa! ‘
With a thud she fell to the ground, landing in a tangle.
‘Janessa!’ Miles quickly removed his headgear and goggles before carefully levering himself out of the seat and standing on the reinforced part of the lower wing. ‘Are you all right?’ But even as he asked the question, his gaze taking in the unruly sight of Janessa sprawled on the ground, trying to untangle herself from the headphone cord, which had wound itself about her leg, he felt his lips start to twitch into a smile.
She looked up at him and glared. ‘Don’t you dare laugh at me, Miles Trevellion.’
‘Why not?’ He stepped to the ground and without even offering her a hand up—which she would have most definitely refused—he bent and slipped his hands beneath her arms and lifted her to her feet in one easy move, the headphone cord untangling immediately.
‘Let me go. I’m fine. I don’t need any help.’ She shifted away from him, completely embarrassed and annoyed for letting him kiss her, letting him touch her, letting him get under her skin. She pulled off her headphones and goggles before unbuckling the leather strap on the helmet and removing it, shaking out her blonde hair. Without another word, she stomped off through the gate and into the café without waiting for him.
He watched her go, sauntering along slowly behind her, knowing it was best to give her some room … give them both some room.
Why had he kissed her? Why had he given in to the urge and actually kissed her? Was it because their lives had run along similar paths? Was it because she knew exactly how he felt, surviving the death of a child? Was that a bond only people who had been in that situation could share?
It was definitely true, but he also could admit to himself that he’d been attracted to her, impressed by her, long before he’d discovered that piece of info
rmation. Knowing what drove them, understanding why they’d chosen to specialise in the field of neonatology, had opened the doors he’d kept locked for far too long.
Spending too much personal time with Janessa might actually become hazardous to his health, especially if she continued to be this constant source of surprise. She drove an incredible car, she flew not only a plane but a Tiger Moth and she tasted like strawberries. He liked strawberries.
As he headed inside, she was nowhere to be found, but Myrna was behind the desk. She held out her hands, accepting the headgear he still carried.
‘What have you done to our Nessa, eh? She was all hot and flustered when she came in just now. That’s not how she usually returns when she’s been up for a relaxing flight in ol’ Ruby so what have you done to her?’
Miles looked at the older woman, the woman who appeared to be in mother-hen mode, protecting her young. There was a determined look in Myrna’s eyes that told him she wasn’t in any mood for teasing. His own mother had worn the same look from time to time and he knew when to toe the line. It appeared honesty was the name of the game.
‘Uh … I …’ He cleared his throat, feeling like a recalcitrant teenager, especially as he shuffled his feet. ‘Uh … I kissed her.’ He didn’t know why he’d confessed it, especially as when all was said and done it was no one’s business but his and Janessa’s. What he hadn’t expected was Myrna’s eyebrows to shoot up in surprise and a smile to spread across her face in utter glee.
‘Really?’ she asked with incredulity.
‘Uh … yeah.’ Before he could say another word, Myrna had come round the counter and embraced him in a large bear hug, even tighter than the one she’d given him when he’d arrived.
‘Oh, I’m so happy. That’s wonderful news,’ Myrna babbled as she let him go, but slipped her arm through his, leading him gently to look at some of the photographs up on the wall. ‘Come and take a look at some of these photographs. She was such a cute little poppet.’ Myrna pointed at one of the photographs.
It was a black and white photograph of a man standing next to an old Tiger Moth, one arm resting on the plane, the other around a girl of about six or seven who was missing her two front teeth, grinning widely, her blonde hair flying in the breeze. Neither of them looked as though they had a care in the world.