Need for Speed (The Elite, #2)

by Brooke Blaine

“Hi. I would say something like ‘fancy meeting you here,’ but…” I half coughed/laughed and shifted, trying to sit up a little. “Yeah, you were kind of cheesy that first night.” “Is that right?” I nodded, and he shrugged. “Eh, what do I care?” he said, dark eyes twinkling with mischief. “It worked. So, fancy meeting you here.” And just like that, my day got a little brighter.

“Yeah, I understand,” he finally said. “And I have no doubt Solo will take great delight in keeping me in line.” I knew Panther meant that in a purely caretaker role, but my dick heard it in a whole other light.

Panther’s eyes fell on mine. “I think I’m starting to understand you a little.” “A little is way ahead of the curve.” “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.”

“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.”

“I mean, here you are finally all the fuck over me, and I can’t do shit about it for at least…how many days?” I chuckled. “At least a week.” His groan was painful, and he shut his eyes and let his head fall back on the seat. “You suck.” “I could…if that would help?” Solo turned his head and pinned me with an are you kidding me? look. “You enjoying yourself?”

“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.”

“But you still wanna play with fire, huh?” I brought our hands up to my mouth and sucked his index finger between my lips, teasing just enough that embers smoldered in Solo’s eyes. “I want to play with you.” Solo dropped his face into the pillow. “Fuck yooou.” “I can’t. Doctor’s orders.” “Fuck your doctor.” “Can’t do that either.”

“The doctor said I’m cleared for it.” “It’s only been a week.” “And classes start back next week. If I can’t make it through a workout, they’re sure as hell not gonna let me back in.” “If you wanted a workout, I could’ve helped you with that privately.” I grinned and pulled open the door to the gym on base, and as Panther passed by me, he said, “Who said I won’t need a private session later?”

“I hate cardio anyway. Let’s go work on your dick.” When Panther’s eyes rounded, I put my hand over my lips. “Did I say your dick? I meant your strength. Easy mistake.” “Or you’re just easy in general.” “Something I’m pretty sure you won’t be complaining about as soon as you get your”—I lowered my eyes below the waistband of his shorts—“strength back.” “Quit it,” Panther muttered, but when I raised my eyes back to his, he licked at his lower lip. “Or?” “Or you and everyone else in this gym is going to see which part of my body needs zero help in the rehabilitation department.”

“I know you better than you want me to, and if you ask me, you’re really standing here watching over me because you’re worried I might hurt myself. That means you care, by the way. In case you’re unfamiliar with the emotion.” My mouth fell open, but when nothing came out, Panther pushed the handles away from his chest, extending his arms, before slowly reversing in a smooth, controlled move. “I’m not unfamiliar,” I finally said. “More like…allergic.”

“Jesus. That mouth of yours.”

“Yeah? Wanna fuck it shut?”

“You’re not looking pissed off enough. Pretend I just said something horrible.” “That’s ridiculous.” “Your mom’s ridiculous.” I rolled my eyes. “What are you, ten?” “When I’m hard.” Solo waggled his brows as he finished the first set of reps. “But you already know that.”

“If Solo’s givin’ you a hard time, please give me your blessing to knock his head right off his body.” “Me? Give someone a hard time?” Solo snorted as he started his second round, and then his eyes shifted to mine. “Only if they’re lucky.”

“The only thing I would regret tomorrow morning was if I woke up and you weren’t there.”

“You’re thinking about how good it would feel to shove this between my lips, slide deep inside my mouth, and fuck it until you come down my throat.”

“I want to do all those things to you. But first, I want to taste this smart-talking mouth.”

“We need someone more than fearless. Someone you can fly with that can help you snap out of any anxiety you’re feeling. Someone like…” Oh God. He’s gonna say it. “…Solo.”

OH GOD, HERE we go. As Solo taxied out to the runway, I sat in the rear seat of the Hornet, scanning over the screens and dials that I would use to navigate the mission—well, if we had a mission. As it was, Levy had basically given Solo permission to take me on a joy ride, and that alone should’ve scared me shitless. Who knew what the hell a pilot like Solo would be like without any rules?

“How you feeling back there?” I couldn’t lie even if I’d wanted to. “Fucking amazing.” “Oh yeah?” The smile on my face was so ridiculous that I was glad for the mask I wore. “Yeah. That was—” “The ride of your life?” Arrogant. “Pretty damn close.” Solo banked the plane to the right, heading back toward base. “Hmm. Stick with me and maybe I’ll get you there by tonight.” For the first time since I’d been back in the cockpit, I felt my body fully relax as Solo began the descent, and just as he was about to land the plane and we would be surrounded by our fellow trainees, I said, “Or maybe tonight, I’ll give you the ride of your life.”

“Am I interrupting something?” Panther said, casting a shadow over me and giving temporary relief from the sun. He looked between us before settling his gaze on me. “What’d you do now?” My mouth fell open. “Me? Why’s it always my fault?” “Because you’re trouble.”

“So according to you, that means I get all of that under me later.” Panther raised his beer and took a swig. “If you’re lucky.” As I backed away from him, I grinned. “Don’t you know by now? I’m the luckiest motherfucker around.”

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 gonna serve sometime today?” I spun the wet ball between my fingers, then decided that two could play at his little game and nodded. “I’m just checking out my competition.”

“Fuck.” It hadn’t taken long to work Solo up to near explosion. “Panther. You’ve got to—” “What? Faster? Harder? You’re a greedy fucker tonight, aren’t you?”

“You yield?” Motherfucker. My chest rose and fell against the arm stretched across it, and as my thighs trembled and my ass tightened around him, I reached for my cock and gave it a rough stroke. “No.” “Hmm…” Panther said by my ear as he began to roll his hips ever so slightly, and holy mother of God it felt unreal. He nipped at my ear and said, “Maybe you will once my cum is dripping out of you, and all down your legs.”

With my helmet in hand, I walked through the hangar with Solo biting his tongue beside me. Ever since we’d stepped out of the classroom he’d looked as though he had something on his mind, and I wondered if he’d actually say whatever it was before we got up in the air. He’d been quiet, too quiet, and it was starting to bother me more than what I was about to face. I gave him a sideways glance. “Solo, spit it out. I know you’re dying to.” “I’m not much of a spitter, but you already—” “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” “But—” “Solo.”

“You flew a hell of a hop today, Lieutenant Hughes. As a fellow pilot, and more importantly, your father, I have never been prouder to call you my son.”

“There are no rules here tonight,” I said as I placed my other hand on his chest, where I could feel the steady thumping of his heart. “No judgment, no expectations. There’s just you and me, and I want you to be whatever version of you that you want to be.” Panther took a shaky breath, and then he reached out to cradle my face and ghost his lips over the top of mine. “I want to be yours,” he whispered, and the possessiveness that flooded my body made my dick throb and my stomach flip. “You sure about that?” Panther nodded as I drew circles over his warm skin. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

“How will I ever stop wanting you?” I wound my legs around the back of his thighs and tightened my hold around his neck, then kissed my way over his cheek to his ear. “You won’t—that’s how I know you really like me.”

With my eyes on him, my body bathed in his, I shut my mind off to everything but Solo and let myself feel all of the emotions I’d running from for so long. Acceptance. Desire. Love… And as that final, scariest emotion of all hit full force, my body bowed up in an effort to get closer to the one it now recognized as its perfect match. I fell apart in that room, in the arms of the man who had become as integral to me as breathing. But I wasn’t scared, not anymore, because I knew Solo would be there to catch me.

Shit. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to knock down that final wall. To let someone else in. To let Grant in.