by Melody Anne
Being careful not to snag her new dress, Stormy stepped onto the uneven asphalt, wobbling a bit due to her choice in footwear. It had been a while since she’d worn heels. Stormy leaned against the cab with one hand while trying to maintain her balance. With a quick “Thank you,” the quiet cab driver took the money, nodded his head, and barely gave her a chance to step away before he drove off.
A shadow of worry surrounded Stormy when she found herself standing alone, wearing a short dress in a vacant lot. When she looked upward, the rusty, faded blue hangar loomed over her like an unsightly set in a horror flick. It was not helping her current state of mind.
Nevertheless with some glimmer of hope, she scanned the hangar’s surroundings, looking for Cooper’s car. Why hadn’t she reminded him she didn’t have a car and asked him to pick her up?
Because she was independent, that was why.
Scanning the wide expanse of asphalt, she let out a relieved sigh when she spotted the trunk of Cooper’s Porsche. She stepped toward the huge hangar door, her eyes still uneasily drawn to the rusty exterior of the building.
Well, it was an adventure, at least. Stormy pulled the metal door open, and hoped she wasn’t stepping onto the set of the next crime scene in the papers.
“Hello?” she shouted. “Cooper, are you here?” The room was far too dark, giving her the shivers. Yep, she was definitely in a horror flick.
There was no response. She was growing irritated. Deciding to go back outside and return the way she came, she reeled when two arms wrapped around her. The shriek she let out vibrated off the metal walls. Her heart thudded, until she inhaled deeply and the sweet smell of his familiar cologne filled her nose. Her panic ebbed but not her irritation.
“I was getting frustrated,” she said.
“I’m trying to surprise you, woman. Now be silent,” he said with laughter in his voice.
She was about to reply when his hands slid across her stomach and down her thighs before coming back up and lightly tracing her breasts. Her breath panted out. The darkness of the room, his hands, the husky sound of his breath right below her ear—all played a part in making her knees shake.
His hands suddenly stopped their movement and she began to protest when his fingers brushed back her hair. Then she felt the familiar touch of cool silk against her cheeks as he covered her eyes.
“No peeking,” he whispered, his hot breath sliding along her ear a second before his teeth gently nipped the spot.
Passion erupted inside her as he pushed against her back and she felt his arousal. He stroked the flame as he softly began kissing her exposed shoulder, moving across the sensitive skin as his tongue darted out.
Moaning, she tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck for easier access. Cooper quickly took the cue and moved around in front of her, where his lips then dipped into the V of her dress.
Although she’d been hungry when she’d arrived, thoughts of food were completely forgotten as he continued to work his magic. But then just as quickly as he’d begun, he pulled away.
“Come with me.”
“If we have to,” she replied breathlessly, not even caring if she sounded like a pouting child.
Cooper carefully guided her through the dark, then stopped. She heard a muddled clicking noise, and then the once quiet room was filled with a loud buzzing sound as the massive hangar door opened.
Still holding her arm, Cooper guided her outside, onto the pavement of the tarmac.
Goose bumps covered her skin as the crisp evening air flowed over her.
“You look absolutely exquisite, Stormy. The things I want to do to you . . .” he trailed off.
“I wish I could say the same about you, but I can’t see,” she said with a nervous laugh.
“I like keeping you blindfolded,” he said as he kissed her neck again.
“Well, you’re going to have to let me in on the surprise,” she told him. “Where exactly are we going?” She heard the rumble of large jets filling the otherwise quiet night, and the pungent smell of exhaust slightly tickled her nose.
“Be patient,” Cooper said, as he took her hand and began walking once again. “We’re almost there.”
Patience was one thing that Stormy didn’t have. But for some reason, when Cooper spoke, she wanted to give him anything he asked for. That could be a problem—a big, fat problem.
“You know, Stormy, the only thing that can even come close to getting me to stop thinking about you is flying. But even then, it’s a struggle not to let myself get caught up in thoughts of you naked and underneath me so I can do my job,” he said, making her body throb.
“I’m all for finding a bed,” she said, satisfied when he took in a sharp breath of air.
“I’m going to ignore that for now,” he said through what sounded like clenched teeth. “We’re here. I’ve been wanting to share something with you for a while.”
He took off the blindfold and Stormy gazed at the plane before her.
“I’m going to take you up in my baby,” he said, excitement beaming off him.
“Oh . . .my,” she gasped.
Stormy looked at Cooper’s large, twin-engine Cessna airplane. Oddly shaped, the aircraft had an elongated nose and a large tail section. The body was lined with round porthole windows. Immaculate white paint covered the metal skin with small sky-blue accents adorning the wingtips, nose, and tail. A bold navy-blue stripe lay against the lines of the aircraft. The combination of metal, plastic, and fabric came together to create a true testament of modern aviation.
Stormy’s stomach sank. Soaring heights had always made her nervous. The peaks of tall trees, cliff edges, the crests of waterfalls, and the view from small airplanes all made her terribly uneasy.
“I’m not the biggest fan of small planes,” she told him.”
Cooper looked at her with worry. She could see it was unfathomable to him that anyone would be afraid of taking the beautiful piece of machinery out for a spin. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she didn’t know if she could do it.
“She isn’t exactly what I’d call small. A glider plane is small,” he told her with a smile.
“It’s a lot smaller than a 747,” she pointed out.
“A lot of people fear personal aircrafts, but once you’re up, they aren’t scary anymore.”
“I’m having a hard time believing you on this one,” she told him.
“How about this? We’ll get inside and sit down. If you panic, I won’t even start the engine. If you feel comfortable after a few minutes, then we’ll rev it up. At any point, you can tell me you’re done and I’ll stop, no hurt feelings, and no pushing you. I promise not to do anything you can’t handle,” Cooper said, while nodding his head toward the craft.
“You promise we can stop if I ask?”
“Absolutely,” he said as he looked at her with encouragement.
“I guess . . .” she said, and he didn’t give her a chance to back out of the first step—getting on the actual plane. He gripped her hand and moved forward.
With reluctance, she followed him behind the wing.
A quick flip of the handle and a slight tug was all it took for the entry to swing open. Folding outward, the stairs and door, all in one, came down. Cooper placed his foot on the bottom step, ensuring it was locked in place.
“Ladies first,” Cooper said as he leaned forward and motioned for her to climb inside.
She took a few steps back. “I’m trying here,” she said.
“All you have to do is look inside, remember. I won’t start the engines unless you tell me it’s okay. You’ll see that it’s actually just like a car, only with wings. There’s nothing to it. We’ll be perfectly safe.”
Still unsure, she peered around the corner, poking her head into the opening but not stepping inside. Looking up and down the cabin, she could see tan leather seats, plush carpet, and a small set of blinds over the circular windows.
Cooper bounded up the steps ahead of her, and with a
grin, he stretched out his hand. “Do you trust me?”
Reflecting on the topic of trust, she soon realized she had no reason to doubt him. A strange confidence overtook her fear as she again looked deeply into Cooper’s sapphire eyes.
“Yes, I do,” she said, a little surprised at the calm settling inside her. She removed her heels, grabbed his hand, and climbed aboard.
As they began to get situated in the flight deck, Stormy’s dress snagged on the seat. Baffled as to why he’d requested she wear a dress, she couldn’t resist questioning him.
“Tell me again why I wore a dress for a plane ride?”
“Because, beautiful woman, I’m taking you out for a nice dinner when we land,” he replied.
“Dinner? Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Knowing Cooper was busy with prepping the plane for flight, Stormy sat quietly and watched him work. He held a checklist with one hand, mumbling a few audible words with the primary ones being checked and set.
As if conducting a symphony he moved or adjusted what seemed like every knob, button, and switch in the plane’s flight deck. Entranced by the show, Stormy continued to sit patiently, letting her imagination run wild. It flip-flopped from dirty to clean and back to dirty again with ease.
“I’m going to start her up,” he said, giving her a minute to tell him no if she wanted.
“Okay.”
She really was a lot more comfortable. It did boil down to her trusting him. And she did.
Cooper finished by tuning the radio to talk with air traffic control and informed them he was ready to start. Opening the small side window, Cooper placed his face close to the opening and yelled, “Clear prop.” With one single motion he engaged the starter and pushed up the throttles to feed fuel to the starving engines.
The plane vibrated with harmonious rhythm as both engines began to stabilize. These vibrations only fueled Stormy’s confused emotions, not knowing if it was anticipation or anxiety of the upcoming flight.
Nonetheless, her heart was beating rapidly and strong enough to be felt at her fingertips. Her right hand clamped tightly around the armrest perched on the outer door and her left was hanging onto Cooper’s inner thigh.
“Whoa, not quite so tight, there.”
Stormy realized her nails were probably drawing blood and released her grip with a faint “Sorry.”
Cooper smiled as he started to taxi the airplane across the tarmac and toward the runway. “It’ll be all right,” he assured her, placing a hand on her exposed leg.
Stormy soon realized that she wasn’t the only one enjoying the moment as she moved her hand a bit farther up his thigh. It seemed her previous assumption about making him bleed might prove impossible, as all his blood seemed to be flowing elsewhere.
The glare of the setting sun over the end of the runway reflected on the slightly dull windshield as Cooper maneuvered the plane in perfect alignment with the runway centerline.
The brakes moaned as Cooper stopped to perform the final checks before takeoff. Once he was sure they were ready, he took Stormy’s hand and placed it on the throttle. With her hands cupped within his, in a single smooth motion he gingerly guided her arm forward, advancing the throttle to takeoff power.
The twin engines responded almost simultaneously to the rush of fuel, bringing them to a deafening roar. Stormy’s heart raced with anxiety over the task she was performing. Unlike the previous vibrations, the plane now shuddered and surged like a creature trying to break free from its bonds.
As if to free it from captivity, Cooper released the brakes. Responding with a leap forward, the rapid acceleration of the Cessna immediately pinned Stormy back into her seat. Trying to calm her nerves, she moved her gaze out the side window, where she watched the hypnotic pattern of the lights that lined the runway as they passed faster and faster under the wing and out of sight.
“All right, here we go,” Cooper said as he gently pulled back on the plane’s yoke.
Like an eagle flying high into the sky, the plane’s nose rose effortlessly above the horizon. The loud spinning of tires on pavement turned into the steady buzz of electric motors as the wheels retracted into their bay. Stormy likened the deafening sound of rushing air to the roar of water over a rocky edge.
Feeling her heart pounding in her throat, Stormy concentrated on the ever-dwindling landscape below. The rooftops that lined the runway became smaller and smaller, then faded from view.
“See? Not so bad,” Cooper shouted over the engine’s noise, while smiling a bit. Pulling back even farther, Cooper banked the plane to head out over the waters of Puget Sound.
Stormy’s fears began to melt away as Cooper flew the plane effortlessly over the shimmering water below them and they seemed to dance on the wispy clouds.
The flight deck was lit only by the subtle green glow of the instrument panel and the occasional bright surge of light from the wingtip strobes. Below her was a vast expanse of twinkling lights.
The tall office buildings, still lit up as people hadn’t yet gone home for the day, and the layout of surrounding suburbs created fantastic designs of light. Highways, side streets, and city roads were filled with white and red flowing lights of traveling cars like blood flowing through the city’s concrete veins.
Cooper made a large sweeping turn to the left and continued flying through the sky. The view below faded in and out of darkened countryside and small lit communities.
Stormy turned from the window, looking at Cooper, his tanned skin glowing with the dim flight deck lights. She watched as his muscles flexed with every correction he made to the yoke. She could do anything, face the scariest of her fears, with him beside her. That was a sobering thought. Maybe she was now forever lost to Cooper Armstrong. It might just be too late for her to ever let him go.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Stormy could no longer resist touching Cooper, so she placed her hand on his thigh, rubbing it lightly. Without saying a word, he grabbed her hand and placed it against his growing hardness, stroking her hand lightly against the bulge.
Hunger poured through her. Maybe she could make this flight a heck of a lot more fun, she thought, deciding she was going to be someone she normally wasn’t—for at least the next hour.
Using one hand, she unzipped his pants, releasing his impressive manhood. Frustrated by not being able to get close enough, she reached down to unbuckle her seatbelt. Finally, she had free rein on his body, and she wasted no time plunging her hand into his pants. Wrapping her fingers around his solid steel caused a soft groan to escape him, filling her with confidence to push forward. The plane suddenly dipped to the left, throwing her slightly back.
Stormy paused what she was doing. “What was that?”
“A bit of turbulence. It looks like a storm is headed in,” Cooper responded, moving her hand back with what looked like reluctance. “You should probably put your seat belt back—”
The plane suddenly dropped and rocked about like a boat on a choppy lake.
“Probably a good idea,” Stormy said as she sat back and instantly tightened her seat belt.
“Just a bit of turbulence, nothing to worry about,” Cooper said with complete calm.
The stars began to fade away as water droplets hit the windscreen and streaked down the side windows. Cooper showed amazing resolve as he gripped the yoke and concentrated on flying as the plane bounced up and down.
As they approached Portland, Cooper let her know they were arriving during the last push of flights for the evening. Like rush hour in Los Angeles, the sky above the airport was bustling with inbound jets from all over the country, and the chatter over the radio with air traffic control was uninterrupted. Stormy relaxed in her seat while she watched Cooper perform the magic act of talking to air traffic control, setting the instruments, and controlling the plane.
Flashing lights could be seen as they descended out of the clouds. The view below began to get closer as Cooper guided the plane in for landing.
The runway was clearly in view, and to Stormy, it looked like a large freeway outlined by white, yellow, and red lights.
Like a field of sapphires twinkling beside this freeway of colors, the taxi edge lights glowed ever so brightly. After crossing the threshold, Cooper pulled the throttles back to idle as both engines sputtered to a slow rumble.
Though comfortable with her plane ride, Stormy was still ready to be on solid ground. She gripped her seat again as the plane bumped abruptly, the landing gear making contact with the asphalt below.
Cooper pulled off the runway onto the directed taxiway. With only the single nose wheel light to illuminate the center white line, Cooper had to rely on the bright blue lights that lined the taxiways for navigation to the local jet center. The rain was now a full-fledged downpour and visibility was reduced. Relying on orange guide wands, Cooper maneuvered the plane into parking.
With a slight squeal of the brakes, the large twin-engine aircraft came to a graceful stop amid large business jets, making the Cessna look like a model airplane. Cooper shut down each engine, one at a time. Each sputtered to a stop that shook the plane like an out-of-balance washing machine.
With the plane stopped, Stormy made quick work unbuckling her seat belt.
“Should we have dinner?” Cooper asked, a wicked look in his eyes. “Or skip straight to dessert?”
“Dessert,” she whispered, more turned on than she had ever been in her life. “Always dessert.”
“Come here, Stormy.”
He didn’t need to say anything more. With a quick motion, she pulled her dress up to her thighs and straddled Cooper’s lap. Her behind pressed against the yoke as she pushed forward, running her hands to the top of his shirt. She felt heat building ever higher as she pressed her core against his rock-solid arousal, only a tiny piece of silk separating them.
Cooper leaned forward and captured her lips in a scorching kiss that would eventually have all the windows fogging up. She undid the top button on his shirt. She wanted to rip them away, but instead, with trembling fingers, she undid the rest one by one.