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“We were all watchin’. About gave everyone a heart attack when you made that call. Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Solo lose it like that before.”
Omggg 😭😭😭😭😭
“Well, we didn’t see ya at first, and I don’t know what happened. He went apeshit, tried to leave the room like he was gonna go rescue you himself.”
“Nope. Funny how he freaked so hard and then didn’t even bother comin’ by to check on you. Guess that’s Solo for ya.”
He’s scared 🥺
“And I thought I looked bad…” I swallowed, my heart thudding so hard that I was shocked the monitor wasn’t screeching. But when no sound other than his breathing and mine could be heard, I licked my dry lips and said, “You look perfect.”
She ran a thermometer across Panther’s forehead, and I found myself glancing at her computer screen to check his vital numbers. All within normal.
Awww😭😭😭
Panther’s bloodshot eyes fell to my mouth, and he sighed. “When you weren’t here, I—” When Panther cut himself off, I placed a hand on the rail and leaned over him. “Don’t you dare stop there. You…?” Panther licked his lips as though trying to decide whether or not to admit what he was thinking. “I really wished you were.”
🥺🥺🥺🥺
My heart all but stopped. It was honest, raw, and so unexpected that I wanted to kick myself in the ass for having stayed away. What the hell had I been thinking, leaving him here alone to deal with all this shit—because I’d been, what, scared? How the hell must he have felt? “I’m sorry,” I whispered, and leaned down until my forehead rested against his. “I was busy being a fucking idiot.”
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
“But I’m done now, and you’re stuck with me. Seventy-two hours of forced confinement. Think you can handle it?”
😍😍🥰🥰
“Time to put you to bed.” “I’m already in bed.” “Fine. Time to put me in your bed.” Panther chuckled and threw one of his pillows my way. “Nice try.”
🤣🤣
“Because you keep everyone at arm’s length.” I interlaced our fingers, and when Panther lowered his eyes to where our hands were joined, I said, “Not everyone.”
“I see a man I wasn’t looking for. A man I didn’t even know was there, until right now. And Solo?” “Yeah?” “I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than sitting with him in this car right now, holding his hand.”
Ahhhh omgggg *swoon*
“Did I make you uncomfortable?” Solo shook his head. “No. I just… It’s…” I smiled as Solo tried to form a sentence. But when nothing came out and his cheeks flushed—actually fucking flushed—I full-on grinned. Nothing made Solo nervous, except, apparently, me. “You don’t want that?” “Want what?” “Me thinking about how good your hand feels in mine?” “Jesus.”
“What the hell happened to you up there in that plane?” I nipped at his lower lip, and when Solo moaned and opened for me, I whispered, “I realized what’s important.”
“Like you said, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than sitting in this car, sharing this meal, with a man I never knew I was looking for until today.”
My stomach clenched at those two simple words. Not because they were all that special, but because of the way in which Panther said it, as though he was completely and utterly mesmerized by me. I felt fucking invincible. “You were annoying, persistent, infuriating to no end, but damn if you didn’t make me sit up and take notice.”
“You are unbelievable.” “Thanks,” Solo said, and then leaned down, pretending to fiddle with the weights of the machine, but really it was so he could get close enough to whisper, “That’s what all the boys say.” I swore his eyes all but fucking twinkled at me. “There better not be any other fucking boys right now,” I said.
Jealousyyyyy
As water droplets clung to his long lashes, I reached up and gripped the back of Solo’s neck, and when I tugged him forward I said, “I want to do all those things to you. But first, I want to taste this smart-talking mouth.”
😳😳😳
“Fucking gorgeous,” I muttered, as I reached for the back of his neck and pulled him to me. I brushed my wet lips over his, and just in case he hadn’t heard me, I said again, “You are fucking gorgeous.”
😩😩😩😩😩
“But first, I’ve been asked to remind you about the upcoming Navy Ball taking place in two weeks. Each of you is expected to be in attendance, and you’re permitted to bring a guest for the evening. The dress code is strictly formal, and you’ll find all the pertinent information in your lockers by day’s end.”
👀👀👀
I’d have to go, and Panther would have to go, and we’d both have to bring dates because no one ever went to these events alone.
Or you could go…together… 👀
So, what? He’d bring some random female? The thought of that happening had my insides roiling, my body physically protesting Panther showing up with anyone other than me.
“There’s a reason Levy chose me. It’s because I trust you. You won’t let anything happen to me, and I won’t let anything happen to you.” I dropped my hand. “We’re gonna get through this. So gear up and let’s do it together.”
When Panther nodded again, I reached for him and gave him a soft kiss. He melted into it for a moment before wrapping his hands around my wrists and pulling away.
🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Solo, the reckless motherfucker to take their golden boy up in the air, fly him around at thirty thousand feet, and remind him why he loved to risk his life every day when he woke up in the morning. Sure, no problem. But when Panther strode back toward me with his helmet in hand and his Aviators in place, the pressure of having such precious cargo in my jet with me began to weigh a little heavier upon my shoulders.
He’s fallinggggg
No. No, he did not, and as Gucci maneuvered his jet in behind ours and got a lock, Solo cursed. “Fucking ass grabber,” Solo muttered. “I’ve told him time and time again not to grab my ass unless invited.” Then, without warning, he angled downward and descended in a stomach-churning nosedive that made me feel as though I were getting a facelift.
LMAOOO
I hmphed and sucked down a long swallow of the ice-cold brew. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gucci raiding the massive cooler, and when he saw the full beer in my hand, he pointed at Panther and mouthed, “Who’s your bitch now?”
Gucci 🤣🤣🤣
“What’s my type?” Fucker was enjoying teasing me a little too much. I’d make him pay for that later. “Hmm…” Panther eyed me as though trying to decide where to start first. “My type is tall, cocky, reckless as all hell, and has a tattoo on the back of his thigh that’s been making my dick hard since he walked out here in his shorts this afternoon.”
😳😳
Fuck he was gorgeous. Wet, dry, it didn’t matter. As long as he was there and I could see him, my mind automatically went there, and like he knew exactly what I was thinking, he slicked his tongue over his top lip. Tease.
“You finally wore the woman down, asshole. Better ask before she comes to her senses!” Completely ignoring Gucci and Solo, Houdini sat up on his lounger and swung his legs over the side to face Whiplash. “You mean it?” “I’m still waiting.” “Uh, umm…”
This is so cute 🥺
He was stretched back on the chaise beside me, his hands behind his head, the sun making his skin all but glow, and I couldn’t help but think that if I were able to ask him to go with me, and he said yes, I’d look just as foolish as Houdini did.
Omg 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
“So fucking sexy,” I said as I sucked the skin a little harder, licking up the water. “Everything about you is so fucking sexy, I don’t know how I keep my hands off you when you’re around.”
Holy shit… The feel of him bare inside me was unreal. I’d never experienced that with anyone before Panther, and now that I had, I wouldn’t be letting him get away anytime soon, that was for damn sure.
Everything about this moment, this coming together, was elemental. It was more than I’d ever experienced with another human being, and if I never felt this way again, I could die knowing I’d touched the sky right there in his arms, without getting in a plane to do so.
The need I felt for Solo bordered on insatiable, and that craving wasn’t easing off—if anything, it was getting worse. Keeping things physical was one thing, but the tug in my gut when I looked at him lately was something else entirely.
That comment alone should’ve made my dick react. The possibility of Solo doing anything he wanted to me was a promise that I found seriously hot. But for some reason, I felt a pang in my chest. He’d do whatever it took, all right. To be on top. To get what he wanted. To get me in bed. But not to get me. Oh, shit. There it was. Fucking emotions butting in where they weren’t wanted.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
“But somewhere along the way I started thinking how nice it was to talk to you every night after class. Eat dinner with you. Lie down beside you and go to sleep.” Solo shook his head and shrugged. “Somewhere along the way I stopped wanting to kick your ass, and wanted to kiss it instead. I’ve never been one to want to settle down, but knowing this is your home base, I’ve gotta admit, Grant, Mesamir has been looking really good.”
“I care. So much more than I ever thought I would. But that still doesn’t change the fact that after this we’re gonna end up wherever they send us.”
Nooo😭😭😭😭😭
As I parked the plane, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and looked toward the hangar to see Solo jumping up, pumping his helmet in the air. He had the world’s biggest grin on his face, and as the canopy opened and I removed my helmet, I could hear him whooping and yelling out, “Fuck yes! You just did that. Razor’s out.”
Supporting his boyfriend 😌😌😌
“So? How does it feel, hotshot?” “Um…” I bit my lip and tried to find the right word. “Surreal. Good, but surreal.” “It should. You were unbelievable up there. Almost lost sight of Heinz twice because I was too busy watching you.” Heat crept up my neck and I looked down at the helmet in my hand. “Thanks.” “Uh ah. Look at me.” When I lifted my head, Solo smiled. “That’s better. You hold your head fuckin’ high, you hear me? Be proud of what you just did.” “Yes, sir,” I said.
😍😍😍😍😍
“Fine. You beat the top-ranked ex-instructor, a scary-ass motherfucker in a cockpit. I don’t care what you call him. You beat him. And on top of all of that, he’s your old man.” I got up on my knees on top of his mattress. “If your chest ain’t puffing out and you aren’t feeling like you’re the biggest badass at NAFTA tonight, then maybe I need to go track down the guy who does feel that way, ’cause I wanna fuck him.”
Solo is Panther’s hype man 😍😍
I felt pretty amazing, the best I had in years. But as I looked at the three things that had made up the most kickass day of my life, I realized the one thing that had always made me the happiest—flying—was now coming in last on the leaderboard. In fact, it hardly made a blip on the radar, and only did because of what it had helped me achieve and who I got to impress along the way. The man sitting beside me. Sharing that win, that incredible moment with Solo had been the most fulfilling part of taking home the victory today, and how had that happened?
Sure, the hop today had been exhilarating, and yes, beating my father was a moment I would never forget. But where flying used to be the biggest rush, the most exciting part of my day, I now found that something else was calling to me, something stronger than the need for speed.
I took in a shaky breath and wondered how smart it was to admit to your competition that the love you once had for flying had been replaced. I also wondered how smart it was to admit it had been replaced with a love for the one sitting in front of me.
I’d been studying my whole life to get where I was right now. This was what I’d always wanted. I was the one to beat. I had just out-flown my father, for fuck’s sake. And yet a pair of beautiful brown eyes and a smart-ass mouth had managed to eclipse all of that.
