Alive at 5 (Entangled Ignite) (12 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Sam gasped and jolted forward as if startled out of a nightmare, but the lap belt kept her from moving very far. The pain as the restraint dug deeper into her flesh assured her this was no dream. She was still very much alive.

But for how long?

Jerking her eyes open, she blinked repeatedly to wash away the burn. Everything blurred, as if rain beat against her window. But at least she could see again. She opened and closed her eyes once more, trying to get them to focus.

The jet jerked.
What the hell?
She grabbed the armrests with a death grip.

This was it.

Tires squealed. Bounced. Squealed. Her heart practically leaped out of her chest as the jet slowed radically. They must have landed.

“You still back there?”

She sucked in a grateful mouthful of oxygen. “Where else could I go, Captain?” Trying her best to sound light-hearted and witty, she actually felt like an alcoholic must feel after a blackout—stunned and confused. She’d really thought she was about to die moments ago. “What happened?”

“I took you through a 9 g-force turn. You passed out.” He paused. “But I won’t tell if you don’t.”

That comment sounded like something Zack would have said. “I did
not
pass out,” she groused.

He snorted on a chuckle.

Okay, maybe for a second or two. “Are you telling me you did that on purpose?”

“It’s not always part of the ride, but I knew you could handle it.”

For real?
But she had. Handled it.
Wow
.

The F-16 was taxiing back toward the hangar where the other T-birds sat waiting.

When the jet stopped, a suction noise sounded, then a
click
. She swallowed. The buzz as the canopy opened rang in her ears. She ripped off the oxygen mask, longing to feel the hot, moist Florida air against her skin.

“Get me out of here.” The words just marched out of her mouth as if they walked on their own legs. She shivered as intense sensations washed over her in hurricane-size waves.

The wait seemed like forever. She couldn’t stop her foot from tapping with impatience. Finally, the ground staff wheeled the ladder to the jet’s side. The same crewmember who had handed her the puke bag before the flight appeared at the top of the ladder and grinned down at her.

“Enjoy the ride?” He reached in to unbuckle her lap belt and disengage her from the equipment.

“Fucking-A, Steele! Did you barf?” She could hear George, but she couldn’t see him. She attempted to stand, but her head spun, forcing her to sit again.

The crewmember reached across her body. When he stood up again, he held the empty barf bag in his hand. He waved it high overhead like a banner of honor. “It’s empty!”

A roar of applause from the group gathered outside the jet brought a smile to her face. She hadn’t tossed her cookies. Passed out, maybe—though she’d deny it—and you couldn’t document that in a barf bag. Zack and George would be proud. Hell,
she
was proud. She threw back her head and laughed.

The grounds crew and other X-Force vacationers cheered again as she stepped out of the jet—the center of attention. Her legs wobbled, but she held onto the railing. A hot breeze blew through her hair as she moved down the ladder in what seemed like slow motion. She felt like a movie star.

Captain Dan was waiting for her at the bottom. “I have something for you.”

She couldn’t stop smiling. The muscles in her face actually hurt. Scanning the crowd, she spotted George immediately—his height and his red hair made him stand out. She waved. Where was Zack? She wanted him to see this.

“You’ve earned the 9 g pin.” The pilot held up the thumb-sized pin, with a red, white, and blue aircraft on it, for everyone to see. “Not everyone who flies in my backseat earns the right to wear this.” Captain Dan pinned the symbolic acknowledgement to the collar of her flight suit, provoking another round of applause.

Her gaze moved over the crowd, searching for Zack’s dark head while trying to be polite and pay partial attention to the captain.

“Out of fourteen thousand pilots, and thirty-seven hundred fighter jocks, only eight fly Thunderbird F-16s. And you pulled 9 g just like the best of us.”

She nodded, half listening. Where was that ex-military man? Wouldn’t he love seeing this? Her heart felt like it was shrinking, despite the rush of blood pumping through it. Why did she feel this let down? She’d flown upside down and flipped around in a multi-million dollar jet. Her brain still buzzed. She should be
soaring.

Her stomach tumbled when she finally spotted him. He appeared deep in conversation with Monica.
Really?
The two had their heads bowed together. He had missed her landing and her triumphant return. Didn’t he want to see what his
ten thousand
freaking dollars had bought him? She blew out air, slapping the side of her thigh.

“Are you okay?” Captain Dan asked.

The silly grin must have dropped off her face momentarily. “Are you kidding? I’m great.” She dragged her gaze away from Zack and Monica and gave the Captain a heartfelt hug. “Thanks for an unbelievable experience. Life-changing. Really, I mean that.” She pulled away. Most of the onlookers had moved elsewhere or were talking among themselves. She glanced at the pilot again. “I have one more question. Why didn’t you warn me about that last turn, when we did 9 g? You said you’d give me a heads up before you pulled any maneuver. Frankly, you scared the shit out of me.”

“Oh, that.” A playful grin lit up the pilot’s face. “Just following orders. Your friend over there”—he nodded toward Zack—“pulled me aside before your flight and encouraged me to shake you up a bit. He said I needed to push you to the limit—to see how much you could take.”

She whipped around to look at Zack.

The captain grinned. “I have to admit, I was intrigued to find out myself. Most reporters can’t hang tough like you just did.”

Zack caught her staring. A slow, sexy smile spread across his face.

“He told you to
scare
me?” she asked Captain Dan, while continuing to glare at Zack.
Feel the intent behind these daggers, my friend
. So her adventurer wanted to shake her up, huh?

The smile slid off his handsome face. Even from a distance, he had to sense her disbelief and irritation.

She flipped her long hair over one shoulder and turned back to the pilot.

“He didn’t use those exact words.” Captain Dan’s smile faded. An uncomfortable silence settled between them. “He is your boyfriend, right? I just thought he was having a little fun with you, I—”

She held up a hand. “No worries, Captain. The whole experience was amazing.”
Except for the part where I thought we were crashing and about to burn up in a fiery ball.
“Thanks again.” She shook his hand and directed her attention back to Zack.

He’d wanted the pilot to take her to the limit, huh? She couldn’t wait to see how much
he
could take.

She sauntered toward him, hips swaying, as she ran her hands slowly through her helmet hair. It didn’t even matter that she had on an ugly green flight suit and not her usual black skirt and high heels. Adrenaline from the flight still hummed in her veins. She felt like a woman on the edge of the world’s greatest orgasm—close, but not satisfied.

Yet.

Zack Hunter had bought her a ride that wasn’t quite over. She smiled inwardly. The intensity of her desire to connect with him right now scared her almost as much as that F-16, but the endorphins igniting her insides wouldn’t be denied.

As she approached, Monica had her back to her and wasn’t able to see her. The manager flapped her hands around as she talked to Zack. He did a double take, probably at Sam’s fierce advance, and broke into the widest grin she’d ever seen. Her heart raced faster, and she felt herself grinning back like a damn fool.

Monica stopped talking and turned. Her eyebrows flew together, and her voluptuous lips drew into a thin, ugly line.

“Hello, Monica. Zack.” She made sure her smile dripped sugar, while her mind spun with thoughts of sweet revenge.

Monica said nothing, but her eyes were like weapons, sending Sam a clear warning to back off.

Try and stop me.
Today,
she
was the one on a mission.

The light of appreciation in Zack’s expression continued to fuel her confidence. “You look like a changed woman,” he said.

“You have no idea.” She let the smile stay in her eyes. Stepping between them, Sam deliberately put her back to Monica. “I need to talk to you, Zack.” She paused long enough for Monica to begin speaking. Then she interrupted. “Alone.”

He cocked his head.

“Don’t you want to change first?” Monica jumped in, moving to wedge herself between them again.

Sam stopped her with an arm block.

The manager reached out to touch her flight suit, fingering it with obvious disgust. “It’s so hot today. You’ve obviously been feeling the heat.” Monica scrunched up her nose.

Bring it on.
“You’re so right. I do need to change. The locker room is that way, right?” Sam pointed toward one of the largest hangars.

Monica nodded and smiled sweetly at Zack.

Sam turned to him. “Zack, how about helping me change?”

Monica stepped back, eyebrows shooting up as her mouth fell open. But Zack’s gaze glistened with desire, and that was all Sam cared about. Since she’d walked up, the gorgeous man in the green flight suit hadn’t taken his eyes off her. The heat of his stare made her skin sizzle. She licked her lips.

“My pleasure.” His husky voice filled with anticipation.

“Good. Let’s go.” She reached for his hand, but Monica stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

“Zack?” The young manager’s voice revealed her disbelief, but he ignored her.

He disengaged Monica’s grip from Sam’s wrist, and she slid her hand into his, pulling him along, out of reach of the woman who also wanted him.

He laughed, but didn’t resist. “What’s gotten into you?”

“About thirty minutes of endorphins lighting me up like the Fourth of July.”

He chuckled. “And you’re taking me with you into the ladies’ locker room so I can share in the experience?”

“Maybe.”

“Damn. I sure hope so.”

She continued to pull him along, but knew she didn’t need to. The energy he was putting off was just as charged.

When they reached the door to Hangar 113, she let go of his hand, but only to shove the door open. As he walked through, he whispered, “You know, I think there might be a rule or two against having sex in a military locker room.”

His fingers grazed her neck as he passed by. Her hair stood up. Arching her back, she pressed her shoulders together, and moved through the door. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been so sensitive to anyone’s touch. It felt like she’d ingested a drug that dragged each nerve ending to the surface of her skin. She craved to feel his hands on her. But before she gave into the electricity, she was going to have a little fun with her adventurer.

“Hmm. Is that what you think we’re about to do? Have sex?”

“We’re not?” He stopped, his lids heavy, his eyes dark with desire.

She pressed her lips together, holding back a smile. “Follow me.” She whisked past him, barely brushing her body against his.
Wow.
The feeling of feminine power sent shivers all over her body. She almost skipped down the hall, following the signs to the women’s locker room. Once inside, she quickly walked through the three rooms, shouting, “Hello? Anyone here?”

No reply.

No women.

No sounds.

No interruptions.

How lucky was that?

Her heart pumped with anticipation. She’d never done anything this bold or this naughty before in her entire life. Could they get arrested for this? She didn’t even care.

Zack was right. She felt like a new woman, and she needed to do something liberating to solidify—and celebrate—this transition. Not to mention the physical release she needed. She checked the last bathroom stall and turned to look for Zack, but ended up slamming right into his solid body. “Oh!”

He had moved up behind her. She would have laughed at the skill with which he always caught her off guard, but his closeness had sucked all of the air out of her lungs. All she could see was his chest rising and falling as if he’d just run five miles. His body brushed against her nipples, sending delicious jolts of pleasure through her.
Oh, God.
She wasn’t going to be able to wait.

She lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck in surrender, but he reached out and put both hands on her shoulders, stopping her. Then, as they still faced each other, he turned her around and began to walk slowly, forcing her to walk backward, one step at a time, while he held her gaze.

Sweet anticipation dripped into her, like that juicy mangosteen that had danced on her lips at the honky-tonk. Her back hit something hard, unyielding.

He reached under her arm, and she heard the
click
of a lock on a door. Her back was up against the locker room exit. But they hadn’t locked the other entrance. She made a move toward the other room, but he stopped her with his frame.

“Where are you going?”

He was no longer playing. His pupils were dilated, and his face was flushed.

“Nowhere.”

His hand wove into her hair and he tugged a little, just enough to let her know he meant business. Then he moved in for a kiss.

Oh, dear God
, she couldn’t give in this easily. She had to play out her plan of revenge. She moved her head to the side, so his lips landed on her cheek.
She
was supposed to be the one in charge, here. Placing her palms against his chest, she pushed for some space between them. “You rat. You told the Captain to scare me.”

“Did he?” His hot mouth pressed a kiss into the sensitive area right behind her ear.

Her body betrayed her by trembling. “Did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Tell the Captain to scare me?”