Page 4 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

JANNA

I was pretty sure I’d just made an enemy.

I had been on the job for all of five minutes and I pissed off what was obviously the big shot around these parts.

Usually, I knew better but sometimes my mouth got the best of me.

It was like something short-circuited when I got pissed.

My mouth was detached. It ran while the logical side of my brain shouted at my tongue to stop.

It never worked.

I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t going to apologize because he was an asshole. And he was rude. And obnoxious. I followed him across the tarmac, doing my best not to actually jog to keep up. I just had to walk really fast.

Dalton took big strides like the hounds of hell were nipping at his ankles.

Long legs. Stiff shoulders. Every step radiated frustration and brute-force testosterone.

His jaw looked like it had been carved from granite.

Hell, all of him looked like he had been sculpted from stone.

And of course, it didn’t help that the man was hotter than asphalt in August.

Great. Just great.

Of all the people Chief could have matched me with, I got stuck with the brooding bad boy of the airfield for my very first training session. The guy I’d literally just called an asshole to his face. And now he got to judge my flying skills.

Perfect start, Janna. Just perfect.

I wasn’t scared of him, not in the “oh no, big scary man” way.

I’d flown through sleet storms in northwest Alaska, landed bush planes on ice-crusted gravel strips, and once performed an emergency landing with a tourist in the back who’d been tripping on mushrooms and threatening to open the door mid-flight.

I had bounced my way through a blizzard without letting it take my plane down.

Compared to that mess, Dalton was just another asshole.

I grew up around military men, so I had gotten plenty of experience with puffed-up egos.

Those guys could be assholes. Especially the drill sergeants.

While I wasn’t afraid of Dalton, I was tense.

Anyone would be. The man was intimidating.

And he had been two seconds from beating the crap out of that mechanic.

A man. I was just little old me. I had a big bark but I was pretty sure I had a little bite.

I wouldn’t know for sure because my mouth was usually enough to drive away any would-be attackers.

Just how far away was the simulator? Would anyone hear me scream? Was it safe to be alone with him? I wasn’t sure. I mean, no one would be stupid enough to kill a woman when they were the obvious suspect, right?

Maybe I should apologize for calling him an asshole.

Nah. He deserved it.

Maybe I should try to make small talk. Start fresh.

Laughter bubbled up. He whipped his head around and shot me a dirty look. I raised my chin and pretended nothing happened.

He thought I was a child. It was insulting.

I knew I looked young. Mama always told me to welcome that fact because when I hit forty, I was going to be grateful people thought I looked thirty.

Assuming my looks held out. I had a feeling part of my youthful appearance was my size and pale skin.

I lived in Alaska. I didn’t get a lot of time in the sun.

But just because I looked young, it didn’t mean I wasn’t capable.

I knew how to fly. I’d been doing it since I was nineteen.

I had more hours in the air than half the hotshots around here.

Maybe even him. But the job of spotting wildfires from the sky was new.

I’d done the reading, the training modules, watched every blurry YouTube video I could find, but there was still nothing like doing it for real.

And now I had to do it with a man who looked like he might bite someone if they breathed too loud.

Should I have brought the cookies? I might be able to bribe him to be nice. Yeah right. Dalton was definitely more Oscar the Grouch than the furry blue Cookie Monster.

And he did not deserve one of my cookies. Not only that, he’d probably just toss it back at me with a sneer. A man that looked like that probably didn’t eat refined sugar. He’d be all about protein shakes and grilled white meat. I was not making a gluten and sugar-free cookie for him.

I nearly twisted my ankle as I hurried to keep up with his mile-eating stride.

It was the stupid ankle boots with the two-inch heel that I liked to wear to make me look a little taller.

I wasn’t about to ask him to slow down, though.

No chance. I’d rather eat glass than give him the satisfaction of seeing me struggle.

I’ve been around men like Dalton before, the kind who mistake kindness for weakness and assume if you’re five-foot-four and have nice tits, you must a permanent sandwich maker.

The silence was excruciating. I loved talking to people, even strangers. “Can you show me where my room is after we’re done?”

Dalton didn’t break stride. “No. I’m not your fucking tour guide.”

Wow. Okay. “Right. That tracks,” I muttered. “I didn’t realize I signed up for a deluxe asshole escort service.”

His head turned just enough for me to see the smirk twitch at the corner of his mouth, even if he didn’t give me the satisfaction of a full grin.

I didn’t actually expect him to show me to my room.

I thought if I showed a little meekness he might take pity on me.

Might realize I was new and he shouldn’t be so mean.

But that was not his style. He was full asshole. There was no kindness or understanding.

“You’ve got a lot to say for someone who just got here,” he said.

“And you’ve got a lot of anger for someone who gets to fly for a living.”

He snorted. “You try flying into a fire zone with a full payload and no drop. Then we’ll talk about my anger issues.”

I shrugged. “Still doesn’t give you the right to assault a coworker.”

He stopped, spun to face me. “You don’t know a damn thing about what I’ve been through out there.”

“And yet somehow,” I said sweetly, “I’m managing to have an opinion anyway.”

God, he was insufferable. Hot, sure, and if I saw him in a bar or anywhere else, I would be interested. A lot more than interested. But he was an absolute misery to be around. I didn’t know if he hated the world or just himself or maybe both. I didn’t care. Whatever it was, it wasn’t my problem.

I couldn’t believe I had to be stuck with the ogre for training. Because why would Chief give me a warm welcome when he could assign me the human equivalent of a thunderstorm? The asshole that everyone was terrified of.

Before I could demand to know where the hell we were even going, a voice called from behind us.

“Dalton! Wait up!”

I turned to see a woman jogging behind us. She was wearing a flight suit half-zipped, sunglasses perched on her head, ponytail swinging. The woman was beautiful. Like stunning. Gorgeous red hair. Boobs for days. Long legs. She was the perfect hourglass shape.

A slice of jealousy raced through me. It shocked me. What in the hell was I jealous of? Him and her? Or just her. She was my exact opposite and I had no doubt they were fucking. Why wouldn’t they? They were beautiful people.

“Is it true?” the woman asked, wide-eyed and grinning. “Did you actually punch Tyson in the face?”

Dalton scoffed. “I wish. The fucker deserved it. I didn’t punch anyone but apparently I’m being punished because now I’m stuck with this pain in the ass.”

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. “Feeling’s mutual.”

The woman let out a bark of laughter and stuck her hand out toward me. “Well then. Nice to meet you, Pain in the Ass. I’m Laser.”

I grinned back and shook her hand. “My parents called me Janna. Friends and normal humans also call me Janna.”

“Where are you going?” Laser asked.

“I have to put her through the fucking simulator,” Dalton practically growled. “My punishment.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know, you’re not?—”

“I’ll take her to the simulator after she has five minutes to see her room,” Laser said. “You go punch something. You’re going to scare the new girl.”

“Trust me, I don’t think I am,” Dalton said.

I couldn’t tell if that was a compliment. I chose to take it as such.

Laser winked at me. “C’mon, I’ll get you settled in. And after that, I’ll walk you to the simulator.”

“ You’ll run her through the training?” Dalton asked. It was only a little insulting that he looked really happy about that. “I’m off the hook?”

Laser didn’t miss a beat. She tilted her head and laughed right in his face.

“Chief told me you’d try to slither out of simulator duty.

Cute. But no dice. Go get yourself some coffee or water or something.

We’ll meet you there in ten minutes.” She leaned toward me conspiratorially.

“Some of us still get to fly again today. Sucks to be him.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Dalton snapped.

Laser laughed as she looped her arm through mine. “Me and you are roomies. Chief told me he hired another woman. I’ve been waiting for more female companionship. As you’ve probably noticed, there’s too much damn testosterone around here.”

“I did notice,” I said.

Laser led me back toward the main building, her arm still looped through mine like we were old friends. The tension in my shoulders eased a little as we walked, though I could still feel Dalton’s glare burning into my back. I didn’t dare look over my shoulder to confirm it.

“Don’t mind him,” Laser said. “Dalton’s… well, he’s Dalton. He’s got a stick up his ass the size of a redwood, but he’s a damn good pilot. Just don’t take it personally. He’s like that with everyone.”

“Good to know,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely convinced. “He seems like a real charmer.”

She laughed. “Oh, he’s charming all right. If you’re into brooding, grumpy men who think they’re God’s gift to flying. Unfortunately, his ego is only slightly bigger than some of the other guys around here.”

“Flyboys,” I said with a sigh. “It doesn’t matter if they’re Air Force, Navy, or dudes like him. They’re all the same.”

The cool air inside the main hall was a welcome relief after the heat of the tarmac. The common area was quiet now, most of the crew either out on duty or taking advantage of the downtime to nap or catch up on other duties.

“The rooms are all upstairs,” Laser said, leading me toward a set of stairs at the back of the building. “Co-ed, unfortunately. Or fortunately. I’m not going to lie, seeing shirtless hunks walking around isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

I laughed. “Sounds like the scenery inside is as good as the view outside.”

I grabbed my suitcase and bounced it up the stairs behind her.

The room was small but comfortable. It looked very much like what I would expect a college dorm to look like.

I never actually went, but I’d seen movies.

There were two twin beds pushed against opposite walls.

A narrow window let in a stream of sunlight.

The walls were bare except for a corkboard above each bed, already cluttered with photos and notes on Laser’s side.

A small desk sat in the corner, its surface covered in aviation manuals and a lamp.

“We get our own bathroom,” Laser said. “Thank God, because while I don’t mind looking at guys in nothing but a towel, I do not want to share a toilet with the pigs.”

The private bathroom was a luxury I hadn’t expected. It wasn’t anything fancy. A narrow shower, sink, and toilet. It was enough for me.

“Home sweet home,” Laser said, flopping onto her bed.

I set my suitcase down and glanced around. “This is nice. Way better than I expected.”

She grinned. “Yeah, it’s not bad. You can unpack later. I don’t want to push Herc too far.”

“Herc? You mean Dalton?”

“Yes. No one calls him Dalton. Just Herc. Short for Hercules.”

“And you’re Laser,” I said.

“My parents named me Cheryl. Cheryl Nolan. But no one calls me that.”

I smiled and nodded. I wondered if I would get a cool nickname. A call sign. I thought only the military guys got those names.

“Come on,” she said. “I’ll stay with you. What did you do to Herc anyway?”

I grinned. “I threatened to kick his ass.”

She burst into loud laughter. “Oh girl, we are so going to get along.”