Page 30 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

JANNA

I had a bikini in my suitcase, but I didn’t feel like it was appropriate to wear it. For now, the shorts and tank top were fine. I was taking my cues from Cheryl. She said it was cool if we got a little sun.

I didn’t want the guys to think we were purposely trying to flaunt our bodies but damn the sun felt good on my skin. It was hot. A little uncomfortable but I soaked it up. Alaska got warm, but not like this.

The heat rippled off the runway like a blast from an oven. I had to fight the urge to drift off. It felt so good. So relaxing. We had cold drinks that helped us from getting too overheated.

The area was quiet. I could hear the low hum of voices all around us.

Guys were working on planes. A few were shooting baskets at the other end of the tarmac.

I was pretty sure I could hear someone playing a guitar, but it might have been a radio.

I couldn’t tell. I didn’t care. It was all very soothing.

I glanced over at Laser. Her eyes were closed, and she was the picture of relaxation. Her stomach was bared as well. It was all about maximizing sun exposure. I wanted this moment forever: sunny, slightly languid, and free. I loved the freedom.

“Don’t look now, but we have an audience,” Cheryl said with a soft smile.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Oh yeah.”

I casually glanced over and there was Dalton. Leaning against the doorframe, arms folded, scanning the area. He was pretending it wasn’t a big deal. Like he didn’t know I was stretched out, barefoot with more skin exposed than covered. But he was absolutely watching us—me.

It wasn’t subtle. He had on his usual aviators, but I could feel his eyes on me.

I adjusted my sunglasses and let my gaze drift back to him deliberately.

The heat between us was palpable even across the distance of the tarmac.

I could practically feel those callused hands skimming along my exposed skin, remembering exactly how they’d gripped my hips yesterday, how his fingers had worked me until I was gasping his name.

My pulse quickened as I held his stare. Even with the aviators hiding his eyes, I knew he was drinking in every inch of exposed skin. The way his jaw tightened, the slight shift in his stance, he was remembering too. Remembering how I’d felt wrapped around him, how I’d arched beneath his touch.

I slowly reached for my water bottle, letting the movement pull my tank top higher, exposing more of my stomach. His hands stilled on his arms, and I saw his chest rise with a deeper breath. Good. If he wanted distance, he could choke on it.

The sun was nothing compared to the heat building low in my belly as I imagined those hands on me again. How he’d traced the line of my ribs with his tongue, how he’d whispered dirty promises against my ear while he drove into me. My skin felt hypersensitive, every nerve ending alive with desire.

I let my tongue dart out to wet my lips. His posture went rigid. Even from here, I could see the muscle in his jaw tick. He knew exactly what I was thinking about. Knew I was remembering the weight of him draped over my body.

And damn, I was wet.

I watched him very casually adjust his pants. He was hard. I couldn’t see it from where I sat, but I could tell. His jaw was clenched and there was a predatory stance about him. I absently wondered what he would do if I was wearing a bikini.

Eat your heart out, Dalton, I silently challenged. I decided to tease him just a bit more and tucked the hem of my tank top into the bottom of my bra.

Laser cracked an eye open. “You see someone you like?” she casually asked.

I smirked. “Nope.”

She turned her head, lifted her sunglasses, and made a point of looking at Dalton. “Yeah, he sees something he likes.”

I laughed. “Maybe.”

“He looks pissed.”

I knew it wasn’t his pissed look, but I couldn’t tell her that. “We’re just sitting here,” I said. “He can be pissed.”

“Guys are weird.” Laser yawned.

“That’s for sure.”

She was quiet for a few seconds. “So, are we pretending there’s nothing going on between you and Dalton?”

I almost choked. “What?”

“Your secret is safe with me,” she said. “And it’s not like I have any room to talk.”

I felt heat crawl over my body, and it had nothing to do with the sun. “There’s nothing going on.”

“Uh-huh.” Laser’s voice was thick with amusement. “And I’m the Queen of England.”

I sighed, knowing there was no point in lying to her. She’d seen right through me. “Okay, fine. There was a thing. But it’s not a thing.”

Laser burst out laughing. “Oh my God, listen to yourself. What the hell does that even mean?”

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. “It means we hooked up a couple of times, but we’re not dating. We’re just… I don’t know what we are.”

“Fucking,” Laser said bluntly. “You’re fucking.”

“Damn, Laser. Could you say it a little louder? I don’t think they heard you in the next county.”

She was still chuckling. “Sorry, but seriously, Janna. You sound ridiculous. Either you’re together or you’re not. There’s no middle ground with guys like Dalton.”

“We agreed to keep it casual,” I said, peeking through my fingers at her. “No strings attached. Just physical.”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

I thought about yesterday—the way he’d come back for me when I was struggling with the flight. And the unhinged sex in the room.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” I said. “We just made that decision. It’s not a big deal. Not really.”

“He’s sexy,” she said. “The ladies love him.”

I felt a jab of jealousy.

She laughed. “Relax. I’m not chasing him. And for what it’s worth, he doesn’t usually chase the ladies. I’m just saying, he’s hot.”

I sighed. “Yes, he is.”

“Why are the pretty ones always so complicated?” Cheryl said with her own sigh.

I looked over again and it wasn’t just Dalton watching us. Pickle was there as well. He looked like he wanted to devour Cheryl.

“I’m not the only one being watched,” I said.

“Trust me, honey, he’s not looking at me.”

“Not him. Pickle.”

“What?”

Cheryl turned her head and grinned when she spotted Pickle. “Oh,” she said.

I turned to face her with a bright smile. “Do you have some secrets of your own?”

Laser looked genuinely surprised, like she’d never noticed his glances before. “You think so? Really?” She lifted her sunglasses and looked back toward the hangar where Pickle was still standing with Dalton. “Pickle?”

“Are you serious right now?” I laughed. “The man has been staring at you for the past ten minutes like you’re a cold beer on a hot day.”

She studied him for a moment, then looked back at me with a puzzled expression. “I thought he was just… I don’t know, being friendly?”

“Friendly?” I snorted. “Laser, the guy practically drools every time you walk into a room. How have you not noticed this?”

She was quiet for a moment, processing. I could see the wheels turning in her head as she probably replayed every interaction she’d had with Pickle over the past few weeks. “But he’s so… Pickle.”

I laughed. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, but I just got out of that mess with Bill,” she said. “I’m not looking for anything right now.”

“Who said anything about looking? Sometimes things just happen.” I took another sip of water, watching her face. “Besides, Pickle’s nothing like Wild Bill. He’s sweet. I don’t know either of them all that well but even I can tell they are very different. I like Pickle. He seems like good people.”

I leaned back in my chair, letting the sun soak into my skin as I watched Cheryl’s expression change from confusion to contemplation. I could tell she was thinking. Probably trying to figure out if there’d been signs she’d missed.

“He’s a nice guy,” I said casually, breaking the silence. “I mean, I haven’t known him long, but he’s always been kind to me. He’s got this easy way about him, you know? Like he doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

Cheryl let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, I guess he is. Pickle’s different. Wild Bill was all fire and chaos, but Pickle’s just steady. Like he’s always there, you know? Reliable.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” I pointed out. “Sometimes reliable is exactly what you need.”

She glanced over at me, her lips curling into a small smile. “Maybe. I don’t know if I’m ready for anything right now. After everything with Bill, I feel like I need to be on my own for a while. Figure things out.”

“Totally get that,” I said.

Two shirtless firefighters sauntered toward us, both tall and tanned and very, very cocky. One had a hand shading his eyes, checking us out like we were posing for a magazine centerfold.

“Hey ladies,” the taller one said, flashing a grin that probably worked on most women. “Mind if we join you? It’s hot as hell out here.”

I was about to politely decline when I caught sight of Dalton. His scowl had deepened, and even from across the tarmac, I could practically feel the tension radiating off him. His arms were crossed tighter now, and there was something dangerous in his posture.

Well, well, well. It appeared he was jealous.

The arrogance of the man. If we were keeping things casual, then I could talk to whoever I wanted. There was no reason to feel guilty about a little harmless conversation. We weren’t exclusive. Hell, we weren’t even dating. Just fucking, as he’d so eloquently put it.

I let my lips curve into a smile and pulled my sunglasses down just enough to meet the guy’s eyes. “Sure, you can join us. Why not? I’m Janna.”

“Tyler,” the tall one said, his grin widening. “And this is Marcus.” He gestured to his friend, who was equally attractive in that rugged, outdoorsy way. “We’re with the hotshot crew out of Durango.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, letting my voice carry just a hint of flirtation. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dalton’s jaw clench. Good. “You guys been fighting fires long?”

Tyler dragged over a chair, positioning it close to mine. “Five years for me. Marcus here’s been at it for seven. What about you? You one of the pilots?”

“I am,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Just started this season.”

“No kidding?” Marcus said, settling into his own chair. “That’s bad ass. Not many women in the cockpit.”

Pride warmed me at the compliment, even though I knew they were probably just being charming. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Tyler leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So what’s it like up there? Flying into all that smoke and chaos?”

As I started to describe my first fire run, I was acutely aware of Dalton’s presence across the tarmac.

I could feel his eyes boring into me, could practically sense his frustration building.

Part of me felt guilty for the attention I was giving these guys, but a bigger part of me was enjoying the effect it was having on him.

This was what casual looked like. No strings meant no claims on each other. No jealousy. No possessiveness.

So why did I keep stealing glances at him, hoping to catch his reaction?

“Sounds intense,” Tyler was saying, and I realized I’d missed part of the conversation.

“It can be,” I agreed, forcing myself to focus on the hotshot instead of the brooding pilot who was driving me insane. “But I love it. The adrenaline is awesome. Although I think being on the ground, face-to-face with the raging beast, takes a lot more balls.”

Tyler grinned. I realized I had just made what could very easily be misconstrued as innuendo. It wasn’t what I meant. No going back now.