Fly Page 9

  Faith held up a hand. “I know exactly what you’re used to. You’ve got to stop sleeping around like you do. Tell me what happened with her.”

  “I guess I did what I always do. I tried to get what I wanted and didn’t listen to her.” He took another sip.

  “Ben, you’re really a sweet guy. Look at all this stuff you’ve done for me. You are absolutely boyfriend material, but you get in your own way. Can’t you just let yourself get attached to someone? Have some feelings? You know be a man, not a Neanderthal.”

  Bolt chuckled. Faith didn’t cut any corners. “That’s pretty good advice. But you know my history. It wasn’t any different than Charlie’s. My parents hated each other. My high school girlfriend cheated on me. What’s the point?”

  “The point is this.” Faith opened her arms in the kitchen. “You get to share the best parts of your life with someone. You get to build a home and fill it with love and romance, all that stuff that’s in movies. I know people feel sorry for me because Charlie’s gone, and I have days when I still feel sorry for myself, but I wouldn’t trade a single second of my time with him. And if Charlie was here, he would say the same thing. I know he would.”

  Bolt nodded. “He absolutely would. He loved you more than anything on this planet.”

  “And that’s what you need, Ben. Fall in love. Stop running and being scared of it. Maybe you screwed up your chance with that girl, but find another one and take the leap. You have a damn dangerous job and you’re not afraid to risk your life for the guys in your squadron. Don’t tell me you’re scared to risk your heart.”

  He placed his empty bottle on the table. “Thanks for the beer, sweetheart.” He stood to leave.

  “Did I say too much?” Faith reached up for a hug.

  “No, I think you said some things I need to think about.”

  “Good.” She loosened her grip on his waist. “Have fun tonight. Maybe you’ll meet a girl.” She giggled.

  He knew then that he had fucked up everything good he had with Skye. For once a beautiful and intelligent woman had become a part of his life and he threw it away for nothing. But now it was too late to try to call her. If he was going to fix anything his chance had passed. He shook his head. It would be awhile before he got back in that situation again, but damn if he didn’t regret what he had done.

  Bolt made sure the toolbox was snug against the cab. He waved at Faith. She was standing in the doorway. The squadron had ten candidates and only two slots for new pilot positions. The new guys, whoever they would be, wouldn’t even join until the squadron was back from deployment. That was more than six months from now. Most of the time they took the candidates to the O-club, but after seven interviews it was time to shake things up. Hollywood heard about a new club opening downtown. Everyone agreed a change of scenery would be good. Plus, free drinks made everyone happy.

  Vetting new guys was part of squadron life, but Bolt was tired of it. It felt like the same tired routine every time. At least tonight they would be hanging out somewhere new.

  Free drinks meant lots of drinks. He decided tonight was a no driving kind of night. He changed at home then walked across the street to the trolley stop on the other side of the mall. The trolley would take him into the heart of downtown.

  He rode into the city, watching as the lights blurred past the trolley windows. As the trolley wound through the downtown rail system, Bolt stood to make his stop. According to his directions, the club was on the edge of the Gaslamp district. It would be busy.

  There was a line outside of the club. Hollywood was upfront and waved him down. “Bolt, dude, we’re up here.”

  He dodged angry girls in stilettos to hit the front of the line. “How did you get all the way up here?” There must have been a hundred people behind them.

  Hollywood grinned. “Everyone loves Little Ricky.”

  “You didn’t.” Bolt shook his head.

  “It’s all about the star power, baby.”

  “You did.” Bolt sighed. Hollywood used his ten-minutes of fame any place he could. He wasn’t about to tell him he didn’t want to stand at the back of the line, but still this was crazy.

  The bouncer lifted the velvet rope and ushered them into Splash. The bar had an aquatic theme. Parts of the floor were cut away and replaced with glass. Bolt noticed goldfish swimming under his feet. Lights flashed under coral and shells.

  “You made it.” Eagle slapped him on the back. “This place is crazy, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” Bolt looked around. “So where is this guy? Have you already grilled him? I don’t even know his name.” He looked past an aquarium that spanned the length of the bar. He thought there might be sharks swimming inside.

  “Goes by Hammer. I don’t know his call sign story yet. He was just at the bar.” Eagle squinted. “Oh shit. He’s over there.” He pointed past the sharks to a high-top table.

  “Why did you say ‘oh shit’?” Bolt followed his friend’s stare.

  “Shit.”

  Hollywood walked toward them. “What’s going on?”

  “Over there.” Eagle nodded.

  Hollywood shook his head. “Shit. What are you going to do, man?”

  Bolt decided not to answer. He wasn’t prepared for the adrenaline that pumped through his body. It was possible the vein on the side of his neck was noticeably throbbing. He didn’t have a plan other than to walk toward the table. That, and undo everything from two weeks ago.

  It was loud in Splash. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the new guy was laying it on thick. It was obvious he was hitting on her, and Bolt hadn’t decided yet whether she liked it. He couldn’t see her eyes.

  “So, are you trying to vet our pilot candidates now?” Bolt stood in between Skye and Hammer. He had to smile. She looked stunned.

  “Wha—what are you doing here?” Skye stammered.

  Hammer hung his head over his beer. It didn’t take introductions for him to know he had just stepped in the middle of something that could easily cost him the job interview.

  “I’m here with the guys.” He nodded toward Hollywood, Eagle, and Ranger, who all raised a beer in their direction. “We’re interviewing a new candidate for the squadron. What about you?” He noticed she was wearing a suit, sort of like the one she had on the first night they met. He had to direct his eyes to look at her face and not wander.

  She seemed flustered. “I’m here for work. My company did the opening night promotions for the bar. I’m here for moral support.” She smiled, letting the corners of her mouth turn higher.

  “And you?” Bolt eyed the new guy.

  “Hammer, sir.” He extended a hand.

  Bolt shook it. “And you’re rushing the Rebels?”

  “Yes, sir. I was just making conversation over here. That’s all, sir.”

  Bolt chuckled. The kid was scared shitless. He couldn’t blame him. Skye was beautiful. Seeing her with someone else had made every muscle in his body tense and flex. He was glad he wasn’t going to have to punch the new guy.

  “You know, if I were you, I’d be buying Hollywood and Eagle drinks. I think we’re good over here.” He glared at Hammer.

  “Yes, sir. Got it, sir.” Hammer grabbed his beer and headed toward the other pilots without even saying good-bye to Skye.

  “What was that all about?” She eyed Bolt.

  “New guy. It’s my job to give him a hard time.” He smiled at her.

  “You’re pretty good at giving a lot of people a hard time.” Her grin turned to straight-lined lips.

  He didn’t have an apology prepared. In fact, he never planned on apologizing. He had always thought she was the one who blew the whole thing out of proportion until he saw Faith this afternoon. Seeing Skye again seemed to make the argument fade into the background. What was it Faith had just told him? He was happy Skye was standing next to him—her black suit and frown. Maybe there was a chance he could right all his wrongs.

  “Yeah, about that. I’m sorry. I was a
jerk.” He waited for her eyes to tell him if all was forgiven. “Can I buy you an apology drink?”

  “Drinks are free tonight.” She held up something in a glass that was pink.

  “Oh. Ok, how about dinner?” He thought he caught a glimmer of a smile.

  “I already ate.”

  “Hmm…what about dessert?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  He edged closer so his arm brushed against hers. “Look, I know I was an ass the last time I saw you. But I can’t tell you how much of an ass, if you don’t at least give me a chance. One dessert.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip. “One dessert?”

  “Yep. Your choice.” He could see her weighing the pros and cons in her head. She was making him sweat it out.

  “Hey, there you are!” A slender blonde sashayed next to Skye. “I was looking for you.” She stopped when she saw Bolt. “And who is this?”

  He extended his hand over the table. “Ben. Nice to meet you.”

  He saw recognition flash in her eyes. “Ben?” Skye must have talked about him. The good and the bad.

  Skye nodded.

  “Oh, well hi Ben. I’m Kari, Skye’s friend. We work together.”

  “Nice to meet you. Maybe you can help me out. I’m trying to get Skye to go get dessert with me, but I really screwed up so she needs convincing.”

  “Ha, she needs convincing about everything.” Kari winked.

  “Kari, I can’t believe you just said that.” Skye elbowed her friend in the arm. “What about Dave? I’m supposed to meet him here tonight.” Bolt noticed the exchange between them was full of inside information.

  “Just go. Have fun. You’ve done your part here. No one will even notice if you’re gone. I’ll call Dave now and tell him we’ll do it another time.”

  Bolt wanted to ask who Dave was, but now wasn’t the time.

  “I—I thought you might need me to stick around and help you with the promo swag.”

  Kari sighed. “No, get out of here. I can do the rest.” She nudged Skye. “Bye, Ben. It was nice to meet you.”

  He took his opportunity and wrapped an arm around Skye to steer her away from the table. “Bye, Kari. You too.” He winked as they rounded the shark tank.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where in the hell do you think you’re going?” Hollywood stood in front of them. “Hi, Skye.”

  She waved lightly. “Hi, Hollywood.”

  “We’re headed out. The guy’s got my vote.” Bolt slapped Hollywood on the back. “I don’t need to have any other conversations with him. I’m fine with him.”

  “But we’re getting ready to take shots.” Hollywood whined.

  “Take one for me, man.” Bolt smiled and headed for the exit.

  Outside, the line for Splash hadn’t shrunk. The new club had drawn a bigger crowd by the minute. Bolt threaded his fingers through Skye’s.

  “And just like that you think you can sweep me off my feet?” Skye turned and studied his face.

  He smiled. “Just like that.”

  He had appeared out of nowhere. For two weeks she had tried not to think about him. Tried to forget him. Tried not to dream about waking up in his arms. All of that was shot to hell the minute she agreed to leave the club with him. Time had a way of making the sharpness of their angry words seem fuzzy and faded. Time also made her miss him.

  She looked at the chocolate cake the waiter placed in front of her, and resisted the urge to shovel forkfuls into her mouth. It took the same kind of restraint she had employed to keep from kissing Ben in the bar the second she saw him. The bits of guilt she had for ditching her date with Dave seemed to vanish the minute she looked into those blue eyes.

  “Did you work on the Splash campaign?” Ben asked with a mouthful of apple pie.

  She shook her head. “No, that was Kari’s. She does almost all the restaurant, bar, and club campaigns. That’s her thing.”

  “I guess I’m lucky your friend had a club opening tonight.” He flashed a killer grin, and for a minute Skye couldn’t remember a single thing he said that had made her mad.

  She didn’t know how to respond. One minute she was talking to a nice guy named Wes who said he was in town for a job interview, waiting for Dave to show up, and the next she was eating chocolate cake with Ben. Ben, whom she hadn’t seen or spoken to in almost two weeks.

  “What was the interview?” She savored the chocolate flavor as it melted in her mouth.

  “We have two pilot slots open right now in the squadron. We’ve been interviewing candidates for the past month trying to find the right guys to fit. Tonight was number seven.”

  “Seven?”

  He nodded. “After awhile they all start to blend together. But it’s important we find guys who get along with everyone. You can’t have an oddball who nobody likes. We don’t want to fly with a guy like that, and when you have to count on somebody, you don’t want to count on an ass.” He placed his fork on the table. “Speaking of asses—”

  “No, you don’t have to say anything.”

  “But I promised you a full apology and you deserve it. I was a complete and total ass the last time I saw you. I should never have pushed things that far.”

  Skye blushed. “I probably made things confusing.”

  “No, you didn’t. You told me from the beginning what your rule was, and I tried to bulldoze over it. It was stupid, and I know it was wrong. Forgive me?”

  As far as apologies went, Skye didn’t think she could have crafted a better one herself. But she still wasn’t sure what it meant.

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Can I walk you home?” Ben had finished his apple pie.

  Skye wanted to believe that everything he said was true. That he was sorry, that he did respect her rules, that he was happy to see her again. “Ok.”

  She stood from the table and his hand met the small of her back. She inhaled, knowing this guy was breaking down all her resistance, and she was letting him one sexy smile at a time.

  They walked along the sidewalk not saying much. It was a comfortable silence. The kind that grows between two people who know each other’s space, who can feel each other’s energy.

  As they approached the building, Ben turned toward her. “I’m glad I ran into you again tonight.”

  She smiled. “Me too.”

  “Can I call you tomorrow?”

  Skye had to stop herself from stepping backward. “Are you leaving?” She had assumed he was coming upstairs with her.

  “I didn’t want to rush anything.” He brushed a flyaway strand of hair from her cheek. “Not after last time.”

  The contact of his fingers along her face sent a thrill through her body. It was the kind of tingling sensation she longed for when he wasn’t around. The feeling she had missed since he walked out the door. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized she would do almost anything to have him touch her again.

  “It’s not rushing. I mean. If you want to come up for a bit that would be fine.”

  It looked like he was debating whether to accept her offer. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who needed forgiveness. She had kicked him out of her room in the middle of the fight.

  “I took the trolley and the last one leaves at 12:30. So if I miss it, I don’t have a way back home.”

  Skye chewed on her bottom lip. “Hmm…that is a problem.”

  “Yep.” He put his hands in his pockets.

  “Come upstairs with me. Maybe Top Gun’s on.” She turned toward the entrance and tugged on his wrist.

  “Are you sure?” He sounded skeptical.

  She reached for his face, bringing his mouth to hers. As soon as her tongue ran along his, his arms circled her waist and he pressed her against the stone wall in front of the door. She had never kissed anyone like this in public. Her neighbors could see her, the whole world could see her, but she didn’t care. Ben was kissing her again, and all she could do was breathe in each breath with him.

  S
he nipped at his bottom lip. “I’m sure.”

  “Ok. Let’s go.”

  She led him through the door. As they rode the elevator, standing side by side, she wondered how much longer she’d be able to adhere to the rule she had created so many years ago.

  She stopped in front of the door. If he knew she was committed maybe things would be different. “I don’t want to break the rule. I just don’t want you to think I’m leading you on this time.”

  He moved the hair from the side of her neck and swept it to the other side. His lips found the curved spot above her shoulder. She didn’t think she could open the door with him kissing her like that. The fire spread through her veins and she held a moan in the back of her throat.

  “I know. I promise I won’t do it again. Not until you ask me.”

  “What do you mean?” The key finally slid in the lock.

  He sounded serious. “When you ask me and you’re ready, whether it’s in thirty days or a hundred days, that’s when it will happen.” He laughed. “Doesn’t mean I’m not hoping it’s sooner.”

  She swatted him on the chest. “Hey.”

  “I’m a guy. Don’t forget that.” He closed the door behind her and walked toward the couch.

  She watched as he flipped on the TV and started channel surfing.

  “I’m going to change out of my suit.” This was the second time he had seen her in work attire, and she wished she were wearing a cute cocktail dress or something sexier than this.

  “Ok. I’ll look for a movie.”

  She left him on the couch and retreated to her bedroom. She thought through her wardrobe options. Lingerie was out—too much too fast. She didn’t want to wear jeans. She held up a pair of pajama pants and a spaghetti strap tank top. Perfect combination of sexy up top, but cute on the bottom. She marched to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

  Fifteen minutes later she emerged in the living room, ready to pick things up with Ben where they left off. Well, close to where they left off. The only light was from the movie on the TV. It looked like he had settled on an action film. The room flashed from high-tech explosions. She walked to the front of the couch.