Knight Moves Vol. 1-5 - The Complete Series: A Navy SEAL Romance

by KB Winters

  “Morning,” she said, as soon as I got out of the driver’s side. I raced around to open the passenger door, ushering Hunter into the back, before sliding the seat forward and letting her in. Hunter launched himself at Princess, attacking her with all his puppy enthusiasm.

  Holly grinned into the backseat. “Sorry, girl. He’s a bit of a handful this time of day.”

  I chuckled and rounded the car to get back behind the wheel. “She’ll be just fine.”

  Princess shot me a dark look before settling down onto the seat, doing the dog equivalent of an eye roll as Hunter chewed on one of her paws.

  I turned away from the four legged passengers, and focused on the two sexy legs in the seat beside me. “Get a good night sleep?”

  Holly looked down and I caught a twinge of pink flood into her cheeks before her thick, blonde hair curtained her away. I smiled to myself and knew that she’d been just as hot and bothered as I’d been.

  “I had a good night,” she replied, bringing her eyes back to mine.

  I shifted in my seat, wondering if she’d meant to conjure the image of her alone in bed, wearing little—or preferably, no—clothing, and taking out her frustration of our all-too-quickly ejected session. I glanced up at the overhead sun and wondered if I was the only one about to melt into the leather seats.

  “So, tell me already! Where are we going on this mystery excursion,” Holly insisted, shaking me from my daydreaming.

  I grinned slowly at her and shook my head. “No, no, no. You’re not gonna get it outta me. It’s a surprise, all right?”

  “Ugh,” she groaned, but the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips gave her delight away. “Fine! Then let’s get going already!”

  “Yes ma’am.” I saluted her and she giggled.

  We headed back up the hillside. I took the corners quickly, winding effortlessly around the now familiar curves of the road. Holly squealed at one, particularly sharp twist, and grabbed a hold of my forearm. I grinned over at her, knowing that what was next on our itinerary would probably freak her out even more. I just hoped it was in a good way. I hadn’t been able to figure out whether or not she was much of a daredevil. She had mentioned that she took boot camp style workouts that involved climbing large walls with no footholds, using rope swings, and repelling tactics, but other than that, there’d been no clue that indicated she was an adrenaline junkie.

  As we neared the Rosen Air Museum, I just hoped she would at least give it a chance and not turn me down flat.

  When we reached the main road, a sign flew by and recognition dawned on her face. “Jack, are we…?”

  “Surprise, remember?” I interrupted before she could finish her question.

  She crossed her arms but still couldn’t keep herself from smiling. I turned into the lot for the Air Museum and she looked over at me expectantly.

  “Come on,” I said, throwing the Camaro in park.

  She pushed out her door and looked back. “What about the dogs?”

  “Player can watch them,” I said, hoping he was less pissed off at me now that a couple of hours had passed since our argument that morning. “Come on hounds, you too.”

  Princess hopped out and Hunter followed after her like a duckling following its mother on a pond. There were a few other cars in the lot, and I knew Aaron would likely be busy giving a tour or answering guest questions, so when we stepped inside, I took Holly on a miniature tour myself. Aaron had given me the basics on all the planes in the collection and I knew Holly wasn’t likely to ask too many in-depth questions.

  Halfway through our self-guided tour, Aaron spotted us. He was smiling as he approached, but I could see a hint of anger still lingering in his eyes when he got closed. “You guys decide which one you’re taking up?”

  Holly turned at the voice and smiled. “You must be Player.”

  “Aha, I can see I’m infamous already,” he replied, offering her his hand. “You’re correct. I am a Player.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m—”

  Aaron smiled, “Holly.”

  Her eyes floated to me in silent question.

  “We hadn’t decided yet, actually,” I said, replying to Aaron’s original question. “Which one would you like to take out for a spin?” I asked Holly, as though we were standing at a car dealership, instead of in the middle of a warehouse full of vintage military planes.

  She glanced between Aaron and me once more, and I could almost hear her wondering what I’d told Aaron about her, but she shrugged it off after a moment and looked down the line of shining planes. “Any of these?”

  I grinned. “Well, not exactly. You point out which one strikes your fancy, and I’ll let you know if it’s flyable or not.”

  She cast an anxious glance at Aaron before starting down the line. She took tiny steps, spending a moment with each plane, before moving on to the next. When she stopped, she was right in front of the Soviet era fighter jet that I’d been enraptured with when I’d first arrived.

  Aaron glanced over at me, and I wondered if he had made the same connection. “Your girl has great taste,” he said, striding over to where Holly had stopped.

  “So, it flies?” She asked, craning around to consult Aaron.

  He nodded and grinned. “Sure does.”

  “Okay. Then, I pick this one, Player.” She looked over at me, waiting my confirmation.

  Aaron stepped in before I could, snaking an arm around her shoulders. “All right, but I have to ask, you sure you want Boomer over there to take you up?”

  I rolled my eyes and shoved him away from her. Although I knew he was just fucking with me, it still riled me to see him even pretending to make a move on Holly.

  “Boomer?” Holly repeated, looking between Aaron and me, waiting for an explanation.

  “Yeah, that’s me.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “What does it mean?”

  Aaron clapped a hand to his chest. “Oh!”

  She smiled at Aaron’s theatrics. “Boomer?”

  “Yep,” Aaron answered, apparently recovered from his faked heart attack. “See, back in the Navy, we had a little bet going. Boomer here broke the record in our squadron of pilots for first to break the sound barrier, and as a result, ended up forever tagged as Boomer.”

  “Cute,” Holly said, smiling brightly at me. “And how’d you get Player?

  “Well, Holly…I’d tell ya but then—” I shot him a dirty look, and he gave me a cool smirk before backing off. He grinned and clapped his hands together. “I’ll have her on the runway in half an hour. Why don’t you two try out the simulator. You can brush up, Boomer.”

  My blood went hot, stiffening my muscles one by one as I watched him walk away, his stride cocky as hell.

  However big of a prick Player could be, he was an honest one, and true to his word, by the time Holly and I had run a few virtual missions in the flight simulator booth, he had the plane fueled up and ready to go out on the runway. I helped Holly get into her seat, double checking every strap and buckle, before getting into the pilot seat. When I’d assured everything was just right, I radioed to Player, who was standing by to oversee the takeoff.

  “You ready?” I asked Holly over the radio.

  She paused and I wished I could look back and see her face. She’d been nervous during the pre-flight check, but hadn’t asked me to stop. As I was about to unlatch myself to turn around, she answered, “You’re not gonna go breaking any sound barriers are you?”

  “Nope, not today.”

  “Okay then. Ready.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  After a few exchanges with Player, I pushed the throttle forward and we roared down the runway. Holly hollered when we lifted off and my heart rate spiked at the terror in her cry, but when we were off the ground and climbing, she stopped. “Sorry. I always hate that part,” she explained over the radio.

  “That’s all right. I got you.”

  We climbed quickly, and I was surprised at how tight everything worked
on the plane. It was ancient, as far as technology was concerned, but it flew like a dream, and I knew that Aaron’s craftsmanship and attention to every last detail were to thank.

  “This is amazing,” Holly exclaimed, as we cruised higher still. The Pacific Ocean spread out below and the sky ahead was just as blue.

  We enjoyed the scenic view together, mostly in silent awe, as we floated. I was absorbed in the flight, the mechanics and routine of it taking over, but Holly’s presence was still very much in mind as I chose the direction of our flight. Aaron hadn’t filled the tank to capacity, so I knew we couldn’t go too far, which was for the best anyways. Mainly, I’d wanted to share my world with Holly, to show her why I loved my job. Flying was so much a part of me that it had always seemed impossible to fully open up to the women I’d dated in the past who hadn’t understood—or cared to try and understand—my passion for flying. I realized, all at once, that was the real reason why I’d cared so deeply whether Holly would reject my offer to take her up. It hadn’t been to push Holly’s boundaries or see what she would do—it was because I wanted to know if she could accept this part of my life.

  As I turned over this new information in my mind, Holly chimed in on the radio, “All right, fly boy. You got me up here, so now it’s time to show me what this thing can really do.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Holly

  “I still can’t believe you did that…what was it called again?”

  “A barrel roll?” Jack supplied, his tone helpful, but his smile pure mischief.

  “Yeah. That. Well, whatever you call it, my legs still feel like rubber!”

  Jack chuckled and wrapped an arm around my waist, leading me out of the hangar where he’d landed the plane after our flight. “You had it coming. You can’t dare a fighter pilot to show you his tricks and not expect a couple of rolls.”

  “I guess I should’ve known, when you were checking my harness for the third time,” I replied, rolling my eyes up at him, as he led me back inside the large warehouse where the rest of the planes were parked.

  He leaned down and pressed his lips to my ear. “No, that was just because I wanted to touch you.”

  I flushed at his mock confession and tried to ignore the wave of heat that spread over my body, right to my center, which was on red alert anytime I was close to him after the steamy session in the lifeguard tower. I still couldn’t figure out what had gotten into me. That morning, I’d flat out said I wanted to stay friends, and then, that night, I was ready to jump his bones right there in the middle of the beach. I’d tried to blame it on the sultry sandalwood candle, or the romantic moonlight setting, but the reality of it was that I just couldn’t help myself. I wanted Jack. Every delicious inch of him. He filled my dreams, both while awake and sleeping, and when we were together, I couldn’t think straight.

  “How was the flight?” Aaron asked when we stepped back inside. I glanced at Jack’s friend, still unsure of what to think about him. There was a degree of tension between the two friends, and although I knew it wasn’t my place to get involved, I couldn’t help but feel like it was somehow related to me.

  “Right as rain, brother,” Jack replied, his tone curt as he handed Aaron the keys.

  Aaron’s eyes danced over to me. “What about you?”

  “Well, if I had a comments card, I would say it was a nine out of ten. I’m taking away one point for the unnecessary showing off.”

  Jack shrugged. “I have to keep things interesting.”

  I laughed. “That’s one word for it. Terrifying, nauseating, and insane, also come to mind.”

  Aaron smirked. “So, where are you two running off to next? Princess and the little guy are in my office.”

  I cringed, hoping Hunter hadn’t managed to get into anything too important. He had a thing for paper. Jack looked over at me. “I was thinking some lunch, that is, if you can stomach it.”

  I elbowed him playfully in the ribs. “I’ll be fine. And this time, it’s on you. Payback.”

  He grinned. “My pleasure.”

  Aaron and the other patrons of the museum faded to the background as my mind flashed back to the night before, in Jack’s arms, his breath mingling with mine in frantic gasps as we crashed together.

  I jerked back to attention as Jack reached for my hand. I blinked twice, clearing the daydream away, before following his lead down the hall to Aaron’s office. Princess was sitting in his office chair, and Hunter was on the floor below her, looking up at her with worshiping eyes.

  We all laughed at the sight. “Well, hell, if Princess is willing to hold down the fort for the afternoon, I guess I can come out with you guys.”

  I caught Jack give his friend a dark look, but Aaron didn’t back down. “Come on, there’s the Mexican joint up the beach, best fajitas you’ll ever eat!”

  “Sounds great,” I answered, squeezing Jack’s hand to let him know it was all right.

  Jack shrugged his shoulders back. “Fine, but you’re sitting in the back with the dogs.”

  * * * *

  The lunch out was not nearly as close to a disaster as Jack had made it seem. Aaron had warmed up and they told me some stories from their final tour together, and by the end of it, we were all laughing and the tension between the two men was gone.

  Of course, the pitcher of margarita’s we’d all shared had probably gone a long way towards making that happen.

  “I still can’t believe some of those stories!” I exclaimed, as we left the museum after dropping Aaron off. “You’re like this totally laid back guy, it’s hard to imagine you as this machine gun toting, take no prisoners, kinda guy.”

  Jack chuckled. “To be fair, we don’t tote machine guns.”

  I waved my hand, dismissing his correction. My limbs were warm and loose, and I settled back against the seat, closing my eyes as I tilted my face up to the sinking sun. The fajitas had been just as Aaron had promised, some of the best I’d ever had, and between the lingering effects of the drinks, and the indulgent meal in my stomach, I was ready for an afternoon siesta.

  I must have dozed off somewhere along the way, and when my eyes fluttered open again, we were coming to a stop in front of my rental house. I struggled to sit up straight and flicked a glance over at Jack, hoping I hadn’t been snoring or drooling on his leather seats. He was watching me with a warm smile and after he cut the engine, he reached across to brush a thumb along my cheek.

  “Here,” he said, dropping his hand, reaching for a brown paper cup he had tucked between his legs. “Vanilla latte. Carly said it was your favorite.”

  “When did we…?”

  Jack laughed. “You were lights out. I thought a little pick me up might help.”

  I took the cup and sucked in a long, slow sip of the subtly sweet drink. “Mmmm. God, I think that woman has magical coffee making powers. Thank you.”

  “No problem. Truth be told, it was a little bit of a self-serving move. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet.” His brown eyes locked with mine, and I jolted out of my sleepy, Mexican food coma at the intensity held behind his stare.

  “I wasn’t either.” I looked up at the beach house. “Do you want to come inside? Princess is more than welcome.”

  A quick peek into the backseat showed that the dogs were just as tired as we were, they were curled together, lulled to sleep by the car ride.

  Jack got out of the car and reached back to grab Hunter, carrying him as he had up the beach the first time we’d gone out. Princess stirred when he removed her sleeping buddy, and lazily got up and stretched before jumping out of the car.

  I led the way and the dogs resumed their naps on the rug in front of the couch. I sipped at my coffee and let the caffeine work its magic. The house was too quiet, so I crossed the room and opened the windows and let the sound of the ocean rush inside. When I turned back from opening the last window, Jack was sitting on the couch, his legs off to the side of where the dogs were napping. I took a step towards him, but stopped short
of the couch, suddenly unsure.

  He looked up at me, sipping his own cup of coffee. “You gonna sit down?”

  I sat on the other end, leaving a cushion between us and polished off the last of my latte. “Ugh, why does this feel so awkward?”

  Jack chuckled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

  “Any theories?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I think,” he started, dropping his voice even lower, “it’s because we’re both so busy fighting off what we really want to do…”

  “Oh,” I replied, my lips parting. “And…what would that be?”

  He got up and came around to where I was sitting, offering me his hand. I took it, doing my best to keep mine from quivering. He tugged me up from the couch, and I leaned back just long enough to set my empty cup on the side table. Jack pulled me into his arms, and all the sensations from the night before, flooded back to me in a rush.

  “This,” he answered, lowering his lips to mine.

  I sighed as our lips met in a kiss that started out as gentle and sweet, but quickly turned into a ravenous search of each other. Jack’s hands went to my hips and up the curves of my waist, slowly, like he was burning the sensations into his memory. When his lips went to the hollow under my collarbone, I shivered against him and he groaned, his breath hot against my skin.

  My hands searched his body, tentatively at first, but I grew bolder at the response to my touch. His muscles were solid and firm and I could feel every curve and plane through his thin shirt. I slipped a hand under the soft fabric and spread my fingers as wide as I could over his flat stomach. Heat flooded over my body, centralizing between my thighs as I explored the ridges and dips of his carved abs.

  Jack pulled the shirt off over his head, and I took a long moment to marvel at his body that would give underwear models a run for their money. “See anything you like?” He asked, his voice low and gravely.

  My eyes flew to his and my cheeks warmed. He’d no doubt caught me staring, open mouthed, at his perfection. As my gaze traveled back over his body, I caught sight of a tattoo. I brushed my fingers over the ink, a small koi fish, done in black and grey ink, on his side, off center from his heart.