Casanova In Training (23 page)

He stared at Jaydee, only to be met again by that coolly impersonal regard. There were so many things to say, but Lizard and Keel picked that time to show up. Lizard had a hot little redhead on his arm.

At least Lexy laid off him and soon everyone had drinks and appetisers while they waited on their food. Because of Lizard’s date, they’d had to shift down, which had put Jaydee right nice and close to him. Close enough to touch.

He’d held out as long as he could but had given in by the time their food arrived. Shifting slightly, he’d moved his left leg until it pressed against her right one. She’d stiffened and pulled away. Lowering his hand, he’d settled it along the upper part of her thigh and determinedly repositioned her leg so that the physical contact was back between them. Lifting his hand, he’d waited. Sure enough, she’d gone to move it again and he’d halted it. It took four times before she’d allowed the contact between their thighs to remain. So, reluctantly, he’d set his hand back on the table.

Lord help him, all he wanted to do was caress her and slip his hand up…

“What about you, Casanova?”

Damn. He’d lost track of the conversation. Shaking his head to bring himself back in the moment, he sighed. “Sorry, what, Lizard?”

“Man, I was asking how long it had been since you went to a movie. Veronica here asked if we went a lot.”

“Been a long time,” he replied, moving his leg along Jaydee’s while he watched surreptitiously for her reaction. Nothing.

Instead, Jaydee fished her phone from a pocket and answered. The others continued talking but he focused partially on the one side of her conversation he could hear. When she said “Ivan,” he ground his back teeth but continued to talk as if he didn’t pay her any mind.

But he did. And he cared. Too much. Which was why it made him green with jealousy to hear that man’s name on her lips. Especially with such affection and familiarity.

Just how well
did
she know Ivan Vinokourov?

* * * *

Jaydee finished putting her hair back in the bun she would wear today. There was the unpleasant nagging feeling inside her. All her logical reasoning didn’t do a damn thing about it.

The bed dipped when Lexy threw herself down beside her. “You’re glum, hon. Why? You’ve been pulled from flying before.”

“I know. It makes no sense.”

“Sure it does. These guys were your family. You almost died with one, met his wife and kid, and they treated you like family. Then there’s your hunky man, Giovanni Cassano. You shared a lot with him both physically and mentally. Cut yourself some slack, Jay. Better yet, admit the truth to yourself that you’ve fallen in love with him.”

She readjusted a bit so she lay beside her friend and chewed on her lower lip as she mulled over her words. Admit she loved him. She shook her head, nope.

“Stop thinking so hard, Jay, and feel. Just let yourself feel. You’ll know when the time is right. Just don’t force your feelings for him into a box and throw it away.”

Ankles hooked and knees bent, she rested her head against Lexy’s shoulder. “I don’t know if I can do that. Besides, I don’t have time for a relationship, Lexy. I’ve got too much left to do before I leave.”

“Bullshit. You can and we both know it.”

“What? You know I’m leaving.”

“You can come up with any excuse you want, hon. I can’t force you to face this. But I happen to think he’s perfect for you. There’s always time if you make it. Your job doesn’t
have
to be twenty-four-seven and you damn well know it. You give them everything, and for what?” Her tone was sharp.

“A man died, Lexy!”

They stilled, legs settling against the mattress. “I know, hon. And, as cold as this sounds, people die all the time. It doesn’t mean you kill yourself next. You work for them, but don’t think for one second they own you.”

“I’m good, Lexy.”

She snorted. “You’re fuckin’ awesome, hon. But listen to me. You keep going like this and you’ll not be any use to anyone. You
can’t
keep going like this. I heard you last night out there working on things when your ass should have been sleeping.”

Jaydee frowned. She’d tried not to wake her friend. “It’s just there’s something going on at work and—”

“Not gonna change, Jaydee. There will
always
be something. And you need to take care. I’m fuckin’ selfish, I’ll admit it. I want…no,
need
you around.”

“Things will get back to normal once I return to the lab.” She heard Lexy mutter something under her breath. “What?”

“I said bullshit. It is inevitable that something else will come up, be an ‘emergency’ and they’ll send for you again. What about Gio?”

Just the mention of his name made a flutter rise up in her belly. “He drives me crazy.”

“But in a good way.”

She wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know, Lexy.”

Lexy brushed her lips along her forehead before rolling off the bed. “Well, you have fourteen days to figure it all out.” She waved a hand. “Now, go on, get to work. You said you needed to be in early today. We’re having dinner with Ivan tonight. I’ll have a bagel for you to eat on your way.”

Jaydee got to her feet. There just wasn’t any motivation here. She was going in for her last flight. As Lexy had said, it wasn’t the first time she’d been pulled from flying but, damn it, this hurt. It didn’t take her long to leave the bedroom and she found Lexy waiting with, as promised, a bagel. She sent a grateful smile to her friend, hurried to the door, and headed in to work.

Much to her surprise, Sedin was waiting for her when she left the locker room. She gave him a brief nod.

“Sorry to bother you, ma’am.”

“You’re never a bother, Sedin. What can I do for you?”

His eyes shifted around before he met her gaze again. “Can you come with me for a moment?”

“Of course.” A quick glance at her watch. “I’m here early today.”

He began walking to the door and she followed him out into the pre-dawn. She watched him. Agitated, he constantly glanced around as he led her to the picnic tables.

“Something on your mind, Petty Officer?”

He reached into the side pocket of his utilities and withdrew a PDA. She waited while he pulled something up and then turned it so she could read it.

A sinking feeling rushed over her. This…was not good news at all. With a groan, she glanced back over to the mechanic who stood there waiting, that same uneasy look on his face as well. After all the stuff they’d been sifting through, this final bit connected all the pieces.

“I need this sent to my tablet, Sedin, and I need you to not breathe a word about this to anyone. And I mean
anyone.
” She looked at his expression, it was as if he had recently finished chewing on a lemon. Too bad, she needed his affirmation. “Petty Officer!”

“Yes, ma’am. Not a word to anyone.”

“I will handle this today, Sedin. I promise you that. But I have to make sure he doesn’t run. And, for that, I have to set a few other things up.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded immediately.

“Very good. And, Sedin, thank you so much for all your help on this. I will make sure they know.”

He shook his head. “If it’s all the same to you, ma’am, I’d really rather not be known as a rat.”

“I understand. In that case, I’ll do everything in my power to keep your name out of it.”

“I would greatly appreciate that, ma’am.”

“Carry on.” She returned his PDA to him and he nodded.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s sent to yours now.”

“Good man.” With a tilt of her head, she sent him on his way, then sank to the table and dropped her head in her hands. “This is a clusterfuck,” she uttered.

Worrying her lower lip, she pushed to her feet and began to head for the main facility building. She went and changed into her flight suit then grabbed her tablet PC and made her way down to where Ivan would be working.

Sure enough, he was in there working with Kelly. He looked up at her entrance and gave her a smile that warmed her.

“Morning, Dr Amos,” he said.

“Doctors,” she replied.

He whispered something to Kelly then approached her, a furrow between his brows. “What’s going on?” he asked in Russian.

“I need you to do something for me.” She spoke to him in the same language.

“Anything, you know this.”

She handed him her tablet. When his fingers curled around the edges she said, “Tell no one you have it. Give it to no one.”

“This is your property. I’ll keep it safe.”

“Thank you. I’ll be back for it this afternoon.”

“Are you okay?”

“Last day flying.”

“You know I’m here for you if you need me, Jaydee.”

“I know. I have to get going. Thank you.” She gave him a brief smile and left with a wave to Kelly. Before she got to the room, she placed a phone call.

She was the last one into the ready room and she felt their gazes upon her. “Sorry, sir.”

Fentress scowled at her. “Something more important to do than come here, Amos?”

“No, sir.”

He grunted and she took a seat in the back. Gio glanced at her before he focused again on their CO. She didn’t look at him again. She listened to the briefing and headed out immediately to her bomber, wanting to spend as much time as she could with the large, deadly object.

She was pensive as she flew, cataloguing all she could for her memory banks. There was no doubt she would miss this, but, like with all things, she would move on. Surely, some day she would have the opportunity to fly one again, for, no matter what anyone said, the simulator just couldn’t compare.

“It’s been an honour, Dusti,” Keel said to her, “a real honour.” His voice conveyed his sincerity.

Blinking back tears, she smiled at him as they readied for landing. “Likewise, Keel.” Her heart stuttered a bit when the wheels touched the runway and she throttled back, bringing the massive bomber to a crawl and manoeuvring it into the open shelter so that the crews could go over it with precision care, and make sure nothing was wrong before the next flight. The flight she wouldn’t be piloting.

Chapter Fifteen

Gio finished talking to his mechanic and waved at the group who had entered to begin going over the bomber as he strode to the door. Lizard had left immediately but Gio had wanted to put in a request for a new seat—the one he was in felt like a spring was digging into him and he was a bit concerned that there might have been something up with the ejection seat. Not something to find out when he needed it to work.

The area was mostly quiet—their flight had been long today and non-essential personnel had already gone home. The sun had begun to set, and bathed the land in a gentle golden glow. He passed the next shelter and gave it a passing glance as he walked.

What he saw halted him. Jaydee was in there. He knew it was her and he adjusted his angle and slipped in unnoticed, stepping into a shadow where he could observe her. Her slender shoulders were slumped and she looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on them.

He watched her climb up the steps to the plane’s interior and, after a minute, he followed. She lay on the cot in the back and he made his way to her side, crouching down.

“Jaydee,” he whispered, reaching out and stroking his hand down the side of her face.

Her eyes opened, yet he could see it took a bit of time before they became focused. He saw the remnants of tears lingering on her face and in her eyes. Then they opened wide and she drew back from him. “Wha…what are you doing here?”

He frowned and slid his hand around the back of her neck and applied pressure so they were closer. The silken strands of her hair teased his skin and he felt the lust he had for her slam into him with the force of a hurricane.

Not just lust.

Jaydee sat up and he moved with her, refusing to let her go. She tried unsuccessfully to get him to release her. When her hand gripped his wrist, he arched a brow.

“Let go,” she said.

“No. You and I need to have a chat.” His thumb stroked along her pulse and he felt it beat harder.

“No, we don’t.” She glanced at her watch before chewing on her lower lip. That plump lower lip that he just wanted to…

He gave in. He couldn’t help it. These past few weeks—having to see her daily, and the frustration of not being able to touch her—the urge to haul her close and just let her scent flow over him had reached its breaking point.

The kiss was fierce and he took not only what his body needed. He also took what his heart and soul needed from her. Everything she was. Beneath his assault, Jaydee stiffened. For maybe two-hundredths of a second. Then she softened and released a moan that went from her mouth directly to his cock. Nothing else mattered. Not where they were, not the fact they needed to talk. Nothing.

“Sweets,” he rumbled against her mouth as her hands tore at his flight suit. “Boots.”

She nipped at his tongue before pulling away. They attacked their clothes in frantic motions and soon he rose above her on the cot and slid home in one smooth stroke.

“Gio,” she groaned as he filled her.

“Yes, sweets. Jesus, you feel so good. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this.”

Her arms curled up around his shoulders, holding him tight to her, and she began to move with him. So many feelings ripped through him—he thought he was dying. Flames licked along his skin and he thrust deeper, harder, faster, needing more. Craving to be so deep inside her he could feel her heartbeat.

Jaydee moaned into his shoulder, her teeth scraping his skin as she undulated beneath him. He sank his hands into her hair, pleased when the bun gave way and allowed him to wrap his fingers in the strands. The pins holding it in place scattered to the floor and he didn’t give a damn.

“Legs around my waist, sweets,” he ordered, licking along her neck, revelling in the familiar taste and scents that were associated with her.

She obeyed instantly and he sank deeper.

“Ohhh,” she gasped.

They moved as one and he could feel his balls tightening up. Tugging on her hair, he said, “Jaydee.”