The Trouble with Pilots

by Kristi Ahlers

  Wedding dress designer Sarah Harper’s best friend is getting married and Sophie has been asked to design the dress. When she discovers it means getting on a plane for Paris, all her flying fears spring to life. But this is for her best friend, Hannah, and the notoriety of designing a dress for the bride of one of France’s nobility is an opportunity Sarah can’t pass up. Even if it means sitting beside an off-duty pilot. Sophie swore off pilots when she left her ex, but her seatmate’s touch and spicy scent makes her forget all about the flight, and her promise. She blames the medication her doctor gave her and her naughty dreams on what happens just before landing. Could she be any more mortified?

  Trey Chasen is finally taking some well-deserved time off and uses his friend’s engagement as an excuse to see Paris. At first, Trey lamented the loss of another jet-setter to the arms of a good woman, but he soon feels something is missing in his own life. When he meets his seatmate on the flight to Paris, his interest is instantly sparked, yet not in a way he’s used to. Using her fear of flying as an excuse to soothe her, he discovers he wants to get to know this pixie of a woman better. He just didn’t expect it would be so soon, or during the flight.

  When the two realize their destinations are the same, it’s Hannah and Damien who set Sarah and Trey straight about the important things in life. Can Hannah put aside her trouble with pilots to find love? Trey likes is a challenge, and before Sarah returns to the States, he’s going to make sure he proves to her that pilots aren’t trouble but worth loving.

  THE TROUBLE WITH PILOTS

  The Trouble Series

  {book two}

  Kristi Ahlers

  Published by Tirgearr Publishing

  ISBN: 9781476462721

  Author Copyright 2012 Kristi Ahlers

  Covert Art: Amanda Stephanie

  Editor: Kemberlee Shortland

  Proofreader: R. L. McCoy

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please log into the publisher’s website and purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting our author’s hard work.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  DEDICATION

  For all my flying friends, this one’s for you! Some of my best memories involve the friends I made flying!

  Tyler Matthews: Every leg generated a memo…how fun was that? lol

  Tiffany Sifford: I had so much fun on our Portland layover, the day getting there wasn’t brilliant but the blueberries were YUM!

  Joelle Behrens: You and me so need to go back to Hawaii!

  Brandi Hillman, Erin Crow, and Joanna Konsolakis: You ladies were the greatest ever!

  Kevin Shtogrin: I still laugh when I think of our trip back from The Great Dane.

  Not to be forgotten FO (at the time; he’s now a captain) David Schur.

  To my new friend, Kathleen Longar.

  And last, but far from least, the very first pilot I flew with right after my IOE. Not only was he not scary (I’d heard stories lol), but he made my first trip fun, despite the broken plane and my utter fear of IAD. John Piazza, you rock CA, DJ Midnight!

  Also, thank you to Annie Marshall and Jennifer Duggan for helping me name Trey. Y’all rock since I was totally stuck and couldn’t name this guy at all!

  CHAPTER 1

  “Are you out of your freaking mind?”

  Sarah sat stunned for the span of a heartbeat. Okay, several heartbeats since it was currently trying to beat itself out of her chest. “Oh, hell no. Sorry. Not going to happen.” She shook her head emphatically back and forth. Needing to move, she stood and paced back and forth in front of Ashley. “You’re simply going to have to find some other way to get me there because I’m not flying.”

  “Sarah, this is the chance of a lifetime. Flying to France is the only option; it’s not as if you can walk there.”

  “Then you go.” Sarah plopped down on the sofa and put her head in her hands and sighed. “I can’t.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Ashley dropped the files down on the table with a smack. “You need this commission.”

  “No, I don’t.” Sarah knew otherwise but she wasn’t going to admit it because then she’d have to face it and she really didn’t want to do that.

  “Yes, you do.”

  “No, I don’t.” In the back of her mind Sarah knew this argument was childish and wasn’t going to make her stubborn friend back down in the slightest. If anything, Ashley would dig in for the long haul if necessary.

  “Sarah, come on. Think about this. Hannah is marrying Lord Damien Jacques, baron no less, and she has asked you to design her gown! Do you know how many influential people will see your design? Doors will open wide for you. You’re going and that’s that.”

  Sarah knew her floundering wedding dress design business, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, needed an infusion of income and it needed to have happened yesterday.

  However, getting on a plane to meet a client was beyond her. Call her ridiculous, call her silly, call her whatever you wanted. The idea of getting on a metal shaped tube that went screaming across the sky a mile above the earth, piloted by egotistical maniacs—okay maybe not all pilots were stuck on themselves and had a God complex, just the one she’d had the stupidity to date had—didn’t seem like a good idea to her. Add to that, she didn’t know if she was ready for such a high profile client. Damien Jacques’s was even in the tabloids in the States.

  “You go. Take notes. Then I’ll design something and send it over.” Sarah knew that wasn’t going to work even as she uttered the words. But seriously, she’d do anything to avoid climbing on a plane. Anything!

  “You have to do this. I can’t. I’m not a designer. I own a bookstore, remember. What I know about dress design wouldn’t fill a cup?” Ashley said as she got in Sarah’s way and stopped the frantic pacing.

  Sarah tipped her head back and groaned. “Seriously?”

  “Oui,” Ashley said with a Parisian accent. “You can do it.”

  Sarah met her friend’s gaze, thinking Ashley had lost her ever-loving mind.

  “Where is your passport?” Ashley asked, walking over to the Queen Anne desk in the corner.

  Sarah sighed with defeat and hung her head as she listened to Ashley rifling though the desk.

  “I could have sworn I saw it in here the other…Here it is.” Sarah looked up to see Ashley triumphantly waving the little blue book in the air. “Pack your bags, girly. You’re going to Paris!

  Sarah offered a sick smile and snatched the passport out of her friend’s hand. “Yay.”

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Trey Chasen took a moment to flirt with the gate agent working the flight he planned on taking. It seemed like forever since he’d enjoyed a vacation, and when his best friend announced he was getting married Trey thought this was a great opportunity for some down time. The idea of a wedding struck a chord inside him he didn’t know existed and left him more than a little unsettled. But he needed a break, and wanting to see just how happy his friend was seemed reason enough to fly over to Paris.

  “So, when are you going to ask me out?” Janice asked while she worked at clearing him and giving him a seat.

  Trey laughed. Leave it to Janice to not beat around a bush and come right to the point. She was pretty, but if he asked her out, the rather tenuous working relationship they had going would die a swift and possibly painful death.

  “Ah, darlin’, I have a feeling you’d break my heart if I asked you out.”

  Janice smirked and looked up with a cocked a brow
as she held his gaze. “And here I thought you flyboys liked a challenge.”

  Smiling, Trey shrugged his shoulders. “Are you saying you’re a challenge?”

  “Maybe. You’ll never know unless you take me out.” Janice winked, hit the last key and printed out a paper ticket. “Here’s your boarding pass. Sorry I can’t get you into business or first. They’re booked full.”

  Trey was happy for any seat he could get that didn’t require him jump-seating. Sitting in the cockpit wasn’t always the most comfortable place to fly when not piloting a plane.

  “It’s all good. Thank you.”

  Turning away from the podium, he glanced around the gate, noting it certainly was going to be a full flight. He walked over to the window, trying to find a quiet place to wait for the boarding call and prepare for the boring tedium of being a passenger.

  Then he saw her.

  CHAPTER 2

  “We will now ask rows forty-three to thirty-five to begin boarding,” Janice announced over the PA system.

  Trey watched as the beauty glanced down at her ticket and muttered to herself, “Yup, that’s me.” With a deep breath, she clutched the strap of her handbag and joined those already in line and ready to make the long walk down the jetway leading onto the plane. Trey chuckled to himself. She looked as if she was getting ready to go to the gallows, or possibly throw up.

  Her thick hair hung in dark chocolate waves, brushing past her shoulders, clinging to the pastel pink sweater she wore. He silently noted this only served to make her already pale skin look ashen. She had a mouth made for kissing—full, rose-colored lips—and currently she was nibbling on her lower lip while twining her fingers together, her knuckles white.

  He narrowed his eyes. Yes, the beauty was breathing rather rapidly. If she wasn’t careful, she’d hyperventilate. Nervous passengers weren’t new to him. However, the overwhelming urge to calm her was. Despite her obvious fear, she was beautiful, and he thought he’d love to see her relaxed and calm; she’d probably blow his mind.

  He stood back and watched as she slowly moved toward the gate. Even terrified, there was a gracefulness she couldn’t hide. Yes, without a doubt, she intrigued him. The flight from New Orleans to Paris was a long one. He hoped she would relax as soon as the plane was in the air.

  Once on board, Trey popped his head into the cockpit to say hello before he headed back to his seat. He was glad he was sitting in the exit row. This meant more leg room, and on a transatlantic flight, small things like this made a huge difference when it came to comfort.

  He shifted his carry-on on his shoulder and headed toward his seat. Then he saw her again and felt his eyes widen when he realized who his seatmate was.

  Trey studied the woman sitting in the window seat as he approached his row. Her eyes were squeezed shut, fingers grasping the armrests as if they were her lifeline. She was a little bit of a thing. But even with her eyes shut and a frown marring her forehead, he couldn’t get past her subtle beauty. She had a delicate face. Long, dark lashes rested on high, exotic cheekbones. Her full lips looked like they were made for long, slow kisses. But judging from her current expression, long, slow kisses were the last thing on her mind.

  Trey took stock of the rest of her. Normally, when he flew, he didn’t spend much time looking at the people he sat next to. However, this pixie was different. Very different. Her long dark hair tumbled carelessly over her shoulders, inviting a man to weave his fingers into the silky strands.

  Holy ever-loving hell, was he in trouble.

  He stowed his carry-on in the overhead bin then settled into his seat. Unfortunately, coach did not allow for a lot of personal space and he ended up bumping his arm against the pixie’s breast when he sat down.

  “Pardon me, ma’am.”

  Trey watched as she jumped in her seat. She let out sharp gasp when she was jerked back into place by her tight seatbelt. When she glanced at him, he saw every bit of fear she must be feeling.

  She stared at him with eyes a beautiful shade of blue, almost violet in color. They actually defied description. Her classic features only made him more aware of her beauty. He had the devils time drawing his gaze from her sensual mouth. Hers was definitely a mouth made for kissing. Just the very thought of kissing her luscious mouth, of slow, deep, wet kisses, made him harden.

  He offered a smile then settled into his seat. He tried ignoring the glare his pixie was giving him by fingering through an in-flight magazine, anything to forget that he wanted to make her acquaintance in a very personal and private way.

  CHAPTER 3

  In a word, the man sitting next to her was yummy. Very yummy with a capital Y. But if her past experience was anything to go by, he would also be the author of heartbreak. Men this good-looking and with so much charm oozing from their pores always had a ton of ego.

  Her first thought was this handsome guy sitting next to her would notice every embarrassing behavior she could possibly exhibit between take off and landing—which, knowing her, could include anything at this point. How humiliating.

  Sarah let her gaze wander over the man. His broad shoulders looked capable of carrying the weight of the world. Inherent strength shone on his sculpted features; his aquiline nose, firm, sensual lips, square jaw line. His lightly-tanned face was framed by stylishly-cut dark hair she’d love to run her fingers through.

  His eyes drew her in. They were thickly-lashed and the deepest shade of green she could imagine.

  When he spoke, she thought his husky, slight southern drawl was the sexiest she’d ever heard.

  On top of that, his spicy, musky cologne tickled her senses. There was something oddly familiar about it which calmed her a bit.

  What the hell was wrong with her, staring at him so blatantly? Could she be a tad ruder? The answer was probably yes.

  Sarah shifted her gaze toward the window, trying to screw herself back together. It was going to be a long flight and she didn’t want to come off as a bad-mannered flying companion or make the hottie next to her uncomfortable.

  Shoot! She was hoping she exuded calm and cool, somewhat collected. Turning back the man, she offered a small smile but judging from his look, she was far from succeeding. Sarah knew she had to say something, but didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make her sound daffier than she probably already appeared.

  “I’m sorry what did you say?” Oh, good comeback, Sarah thought.

  “I said, if you tug any more on that belt, it’s going to cut you in half. It doesn’t have to be that tight to keep you in your seat. You might be a little more comfortable if you loosen it some.”

  She watched as he stowed his magazine in the seat pocket in front of him then showed her how loose his belt was.

  Sarah looked down at her own belt and grimaced. “I wish this thing had a shoulder harness attached to it.”

  “Ah, not much of a flyer, huh?”

  “No. This is my first time on a plane. Trust me, if there was any way to get out of this, I’d be all over it.” Sarah’s stomach twitched at the sound of his chuckle but still tugged on the seat belt one more time, deciding to forgo his advice. She smoothed the complimentary blanket over her legs and tried to get comfortable.

  “You’ll be okay, you know. Flying is a piece of cake. All you have to do is just sit back and relax. I love flying.”

  Of course he would, Sarah thought to herself. “Big-time flier?”

  “I guess you could say that. I’m a pilot.” He smiled and held out his hand. “My name’s Trey Chasen.”

  “Sarah Harper.”

  She watched as her small hand was swallowed by his and suppressed a shiver of desire that totally took her off guard.

  Oh, this isn’t good.

  To her, pilots were nothing but adrenaline junkies with God complexes. She’d worn off pilots after she’d dated Alex. He’d totally broken her heart. He thought he was God’s Gift and cared more about himself than her. He never thought anything that was important to her was worth his bother,
yet woe be to her if she wasn’t there being supportive and understanding for him. In short, he was a self-absorbed jerk.

  However tempting Trey was, there was no way she was going to let him sway her opinion on pilots, no matter how hot he was, or let herself forget how much Alex had hurt her. It was bad enough having a pilot sitting next to her to witness her flying fear. Her irrational behavior would be counterproductive to developing a relationship anyhow, so no worries, right?

  Carefully, Sarah took her hand back and gave Trey Chasen a skeptical look. She grasped the seatbelt as if somehow holding on to it would keep her safe.

  “Thanks for the advice.” The words spilled out of her mouth in a rush. She hoped her distress wasn’t as obvious on the outside as it was to her on the inside. Her body was shaking now and the plane hadn’t even taken off yet.

  She jumped when he lightly touched her hand and stroked her fingers.

  “Easy, darlin’. Easy. I know our pilots. We’re in good hands. Trust me.”

  Sarah looked at the large hand gently stroking her fingers. Why did it feel as if she had been touched by a live wire?

  “I’m o-okay. I took a pill the doctor prescribed. He promised me it would calm me, but I don’t think its working.” She stuttered on a breath.

  “Sarah, you’re shaking. You need to relax or you’re going to fall apart.” Trey’s smile looked sincere while he continued trying to soothe her. The feel of his hand, hot on her own, did have an effect on her. One Trey might be horrified to learn had nothing to do with her fear of flying.

  The plane filled and most of the passengers were settled in for the long transatlantic flight. The cabin crew was busy walking up and down the crowded aisle, making sure bags were stowed where they belonged and closing the overhead bins.