Page 98 of Collided (Dirty Air 2)

In no time, the plane takes off with Sophie and me attached to our two instructors. I eye her partner, sending fuck-off vibes while Sophie mumbles words of encouragement to herself.

I break up her nervous chanting. “Ready to fly, Sunshine?”

It’s not my fault she looks and acts like the sun. Like the destructive yellow orb in the sky, she eats away at my protective layer while lighting up my darkest corners.

“I’d jump out of the plane at that nickname alone.”

I release a carefree laugh. “Well, here’s your chance.”

“I’m zero percent ready for this.”

How fitting, when I was zero percent ready for her. But here I am, about to jump out of a plane because I like this girl and want to take as many firsts from her as I can.

An attendant opens the door. Sophie and I both waddle with our partners to the open area. My heart beats rapidly in my chest, my throat closing from the restricted airflow to my lungs. I turn toward the girl who captured my attention months ago and never let go.

She shoots me a beaming smile worth this crazy Fuck It list item. “Liam Zander, it was a pleasure knowing you. Please pick up my remains at the orientation table.”

“That’s it? I expected a declaration of love.”

She rolls her eyes, visible through her tinted goggles. “How about a declaration of annoyance?”

“Close enough.” I pull her in for a kiss, ignoring the two dudes strapped against our backs. Our kiss is simple and sweet, satiating my lust and our gravitational pull, easing my rapid heart rate.

“Three…two…one,” the two men say behind us before Sophie’s scream fills the air, shrill enough to hear over the roaring plane’s engines.

The wind howls in my ears as we propel through the blue sky. We rush through the air, four people falling, inching closer toward land. Sophie’s a black blob with two flailing blonde braids around her, posing for the camera. My heart races in my chest as blood pulses through my ears. It’s a different adrenaline rush from my usual race day, free-floating and unlike anything I had experienced before. My stomach clenches as my throat becomes dry.

We push closer to the city, our bodies jerking when the attendants pull on the parachutes. Sophie’s smile radiates as she gives me a thumbs up. My kind of girl, trusting me and my insane plans despite being scared out of her mind.

We both drift in the wind. Instead of watching the city below us, I watch her. My eyes stay glued to the way she beams at the experience.

I don’t have the slightest clue of how to approach things with her. How can I when I don’t even understand what I want? She gets spooked easily, and I don’t have a track record worth much, which poses as another hurdle of many for us.

Liking Sophie is kind of like jumping out of a plane. Exhilarating, addicting, and damn near impossible to forget.

My feet land on the grassy patch near the plane hanger. Sophie lands a minute later, hitting me with a genuine smile and bright eyes as her attendant detaches all the straps.

She runs up to me and launches herself into my arms, knocking her head back and laughing into the sky. Her legs wrap around me before she rubs up against my now-stiffening dick. I groan into her neck as her body shakes, enjoying this torture experience all too much.

“Oh my God, that was the best thing ever. Is this what it feels like to race? I feel fan-freaking-tastic.”

I laugh into her neck. “Probably. Do you feel edgy? That your heart is pumping so loud, you hear it in your ears?”

She looks at me with wonder. “Yes,” she hisses before leaning into my ear. “What do you say? Let’s get out of here?”

My body responds to her offer like no other. With Sophie, my dick knows what’s up, never settling for anything but her. Our hooking up has been the best thing, keeping me away from destructive patterns for my career while spending more time with her. In her. On her. Next to her.

I place her on her feet, ripping off my tacky flight jumper before grabbing her hand.

“Wait, I need to take mine off too.” Her green eyes have a lightness to them I want to memorize.

“Allow me.” I rush to tug at the Velcro straps, pulling at the suit like it offends me.

She shakes her head while fighting a smile, helping me by lifting her legs when I push the fabric down. My hands heat wherever they linger on her skin.

Our attendants hand us our belongings and we head toward the Wrangler.

“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. My heart hasn’t calmed down, and my spine’s tingling because, holy shit, we just jumped out of a plane!” Sophie opens the passenger door.