Page 73 of Tinder Embrace
Davis slid behind me, wrapping his arms my waist, and I sank into him, enjoying his heat at my back in the morning chill.
"Is it always this calm?" The note of awe in his voice made me smile.
He was hooked. I could sense it. Once the initial fear had worn off, he'd hung over the basket edge, pointing out landmarks below.
"Depends on who's in my basket," I said. "I usually take larger groups up and sometimes children."
"Hmm..." he hummed, his exhalation into my hair sending a shiver down my spine. "I think I like it when it's just us."
"Me too." I burrowed back into him.
His arms tightened, keeping me close, until I had to fire the burner again.
When we'd flown for forty minutes and reached the outskirts of town, I radioed Jo, “Bee-gonia Actual to Bee-gonia Chase, we're ready to land. I think I can make it to Ray Hearon's field to set down. Can you please confirm we've got his permission to deflate there?"
"Sure thing, Bee-gonia Actual." A few minutes later, Jo radioed again. "Ray's good with it. He only asked that we watch out for his flowers."
"Thanks, Jo. Shouldn't be a problem. See you on the ground."
"You ready to land?" I asked Davis, watching for any signs of nervousness.
"I'm good. What do you need me to do?"
"Not much, bend your knees to brace for impact. Jo should be there to put weight on. I need to let the envelope cool before either of us gets out, which usually takes a few minutes, then it should be quick work to deflate and pack up."
I let us drift to the ground, thankful we'd lucked into calm winds. Even a mild ground breeze could make a landing bumpy.
Jo wrapped her arms over the edge of the basket, adding her weight as we touched down, and I grinned at her. "Thanks, Jo."
"Good flight?" she asked.
"It was beautiful," Davis answered.
Jo and I handled packing up with the ease of experience. Davis was bonus muscle, helping me maneuver the basket back into my rig before shutting and locking the doors.
"Now what?" Davis asked.
"I treat you both to breakfast," I said with a grin.
He reached for my hand, and I reveled at the easy affection between us.
Peace akin to the lightness I felt piloting filled my heart.
Davis and I had come a long way. From gruff encounters where I felt like I was the last person he wanted to be around, to daring to hope that I was the first woman he wanted to see every day, I felt closer to him than to anyone else in my life. I’d been slowly sharing pieces of myself, until it felt like he held my whole heart in his big hands. Sharing this last part of myself had left me with no safety net. Nothing held back. And Davis had accepted this part of me as easily as he’d rolled with everything else, leaving me feeling confident in my place in his life and his in mine.
Chapter 27
Davis
Flying with Sophie had been a revelation. She was cool and competent; it was easy to see that the skill and joy she showed in the classroom extended to piloting Bee-gonia. Sophie in her element was awe-inspiring.
We spent the rest of the day together, and I followed her back to her place for the night. She seemed reluctant to stay at the farm with Jo in residence, and I could understand. We weren't exactly stealthy together, and I didn't want her to hold back.
Sophie's vocal appreciation for my oral talents might go down in history as one of my favorite things in life, now that I'd discovered her. Maybe it was wrong to be proud of making her scream when I prided myself on restraint and responsibility, but I couldn't bring myself to feel anything but smug.
I liked that I turned her on and affected her so strongly. It was only fair, since she did the same to me. I was not as loud, but no less appreciative. The woman had skills.
But there was Jo knowing we were having sex, and her more-or-less having to witness it. Quiet sexcapades at home would probably be fine. After all, we were all adults. But rubbing Jo's face in the fact that we were getting busy one room over didn't sit right with me. I doubted it'd work for her either. Living together hadn't been a problem when neither of us had much of a social life, but with Sophie in my bed, things had changed.
