The Flyboy's Temptation (19 page)

25

“I
KNEW
IT
was you,” Hope said to Deirdre, ignoring the bite of Anso's fingers into her arm. “I always knew you were a coldhearted bitch, but I didn't realize you were corrupt, too.”

Deirdre ignored Hope, her eyes flashing with jealousy. “I told you we don't need her. I have her notes. I can replicate the results without her.”

“Darling, I don't traffic in maybes. If you'd been able to replicate the results, we wouldn't be here now, would we? She's coming and that's final. If you have a problem with it, please, by all means, go home.”

Deirdre paled, sputtering. “You know I can't do that. I risked everything to get you those notes. You promised me you would take me with you.”

“Yes, well, if you stop bitching and moaning with your petty womanly complaints, then you may still come. I always like to have a backup,” he said cruelly, and if Deirdre hadn't been such a terrible person, she might've felt sorry for her, but as it was, all she felt was rage.

“It was you. You got Tanya killed.”

“Tanya got herself killed,” Deirdre said, casting her a withering look. Good gracious, how had she never noticed how much Deirdre hated her? “She had an opportunity and she squandered it on useless morality. I was the one who approached her, so she had to go. No loose ends.”

“You're an awful person.” She looked to Anso. “Actually, you two are perfect for each other. Two peas in a rotten pod.”

“Careful, darling—one does not need a tongue to do one's work,” Anso warned, smiling when she shrank away from him. “But I'd hate to see that beautiful face of yours marred so terribly. Perhaps if you plead prettily, I will show you some mercy.”

Hope tried not to cry. The threat of Anso “educating” her made her shake like a leaf with fear even though it shamed her that she couldn't spit in his face.

Her thoughts returned to J.T. and she sucked back a ragged sob. She wouldn't give Anso the satisfaction of seeing her cry. He'd all but said that he'd planted a bomb at Blue Yonder and she had no way of warning them.

Teagan, J.T., Kirk, Ty, Harris...they'd all risked their necks to save her and she was repaying them with a first-class ticket to heaven.

“You're a bastard,” she whispered, and Anso laughed.

“Come. The pilot is ready for us.” As they walked to the plane, he took a deep breath as if he were enjoying the night air. “I'd forgotten how invigorating it is to do your own work. I could've hired someone to get you, but I wanted the satisfaction of doing it myself, and I'm so glad I did. Reminds me of my younger days.”

“Why am I not surprised that you come from a life of crime?” she quipped with a spurt of bravery. “I won't do what you're asking of me. I'll die first.”

“You'd be surprised how motivating pain can be.”

“You'd be surprised how fortifying hatred can be,” she shot back with a calm she didn't feel.

Deirdre was practically burning a hole into Hope's back, and it was apparent Anso had made romantic promises to the crusty bitch that he had no intention of fulfilling. If Deirdre were smart, she'd realize that Anso would likely kill her once they left the United States.

In Brazil, Anso was king and Deirdre was nothing.

Anso shoved her in front of him to the steps. She took the first step and sirens split the air as a bullet whizzed past, striking Deirdre in the leg.

Deirdre went down with a scream and Anso tried pushing Hope up the stairs, but she knew this was her one chance to get free, even if it meant risking injury. She would do anything to avoid getting on that plane!

* * *

J.T.
TRIED
TO
wait, but he couldn't a moment longer. The police wouldn't get there in time to stop them from boarding, and if that happened, they'd never catch them.

He took careful aim and shot the woman in the leg, dropping her like a doe in the field.

Anso reacted by shoving Hope, but she fought back and J.T. started running toward them, using the fact that Hope was keeping Anso busy to cover more ground.

The woman was screaming, but Anso didn't seem to care. He was too focused on Hope to notice his companion was down.

Hope reared back and punched Anso right in the face, causing him to stagger and fall back, tripping on the woman and landing hard on his ass.

“You bitch!” Anso roared, struggling to his feet. But Hope didn't hesitate and kicked him in the face, bloodying his nose.

“Hope!” J.T. yelled as he ran toward her.
Almost there!
Hope's face lit up with joy and relief as she started to run toward him, but Anso grabbed her ankle as she ran past him, sending her sprawling to the pavement with a scream.

She kicked at Anso. “Let me go, you dickhead!” And managed to grab the gun that'd skittered out of Anso's hands when he fell. She pointed the gun at his head, holding it with shaking fingers as J.T. caught up to her. “Let's see if you can stay dead this time!”

“Easy, babe,” J.T. said, slowly easing the gun from her hand. “The police are on their way. You don't want to do this.”

“Yes, I do,” she said vehemently. “He deserves it. He deserves to die for what he did to me and what he did to Tanya and Carina and God knows how many more people. You know the justice system will let him walk!”

“He won't. We'll make sure of it,” he promised as she reluctantly released the gun from her stiff fingers. “There's my girl...”

Realizing she was safe, she turned and buried her face against his chest, sobbing. He held her, but kept the gun trained on Anso and his accomplice. Until suddenly, she stiffened and cried, “Blue Yonder! He's planted a bomb! You have to tell Teagan to get out of there!”

The police skidded onto the tarmac and pulled out their guns just as J.T. was calling Teagan.

“Hands on your head!” a police officer shouted over a loudspeaker. “On the ground, all of you!”

“He's a madman! He shot me in the leg!” Deirdre screeched. “Help!”

“I want this man arrested,” Anso said, trying to claim some authority. “He showed up and started shooting at us!”

“He kidnapped me and he planted a bomb at Blue Yonder Charter!” Hope cried out, refusing to be silent. “Someone needs to go check on Blue Yonder before the bomb goes off!”

“She's clearly crazy,” Anso protested from his prone position on the ground as an officer handcuffed him. “I want to speak to my lawyer.”

“Is this the guy you were talking about?” a man in a dark suit asked as Harris appeared with a shit-eating grin.

To J.T. he said, “I told you I had a friend in the FBI. You owe me twenty bucks. Danny-boy, this is my friend J.T., and yes, that's the man I was telling you about.” Harris's voice rang out over the din of the airport. “That man is as corrupt as they come. Too much money, if you ask me. My mother always said money was the root of all evil and I said, well, my soul was for sale, and then she'd beat my ass for saying such blasphemy. Good woman, she was. God rest her soul. But this son of a bitch is a liar and a killer.”

More police officers converged on the scene and after they concluded that J.T. was not the one who needed to be arrested, they took Deirdre away in an ambulance and Anso was taken into custody.

J.T. called Teagan as soon as he was able. “There's a bomb at the hangar. Don't go there. The bomb squad has to clear it first.”

“Well, that's one way to get out of the biz,” Teagan said. “Imagine the insurance payout. Maybe I ought to let it go up in smoke.” He paused. “Did you get the girl?”

J.T. tightened his hold on Hope. “Yeah, I got her.”

“Good. Now, don't be an idiot this time and don't let her go.”

“Good advice, big brother.”

Harris grinned up at J.T. and said, “Well, you're going to have to give me a ride because my buddy just left with the prisoner.”

“How'd you convince him to show up? It must've sounded pretty crazy.”

Harris laughed. “I told him if I was wrong, he could have my boat.”

Hope's eyes widened. “You wagered your boat?”

J.T. frowned. “I didn't know you have a boat.”

Harris's eyes twinkled. “I don't, but Danny-boy didn't know that, now, did he?” He tapped his head. “Always gotta be thinking, boy. Always gotta be thinking.”

“You missed your calling as a con artist,” J.T. quipped, but Harris didn't take offense. If anything, the little bugger took it as a compliment.

“How about we get a drink and celebrate not dying...yet again?”

He looked to Hope and she gazed up at him, saying, “If you don't mind...I'd like J.T. to take me home.”

That was all he needed to hear.

Slapping a twenty in Harris's hand, he said, “I'll take a rain check on that drink and you can take a cab.”

And then he and Hope climbed into his truck and put everyone and everything in their rearview mirror.

26

J.T.
COULDN
'
T
STOP
kissing Hope. It was as if he was afraid that if he stopped, she might disappear and he'd never be the same ever again.

He kept seeing Hope in Anso's grip, a gun pointed at her side, and he had to touch her to make sure she was safe.

She was still shaking by the time they reached her apartment. He held her tightly and she clung to him as if the world had nearly ended, because it almost had.

“I was so scared,” she admitted in a soft voice. “I thought I was going to die.”

“Never.” He kissed the top of her head. “He can never hurt you again.”

Hope nodded, accepting his assurances and lifted her face, her eyes glittering with tears. “Kiss me, J.T.”

J.T. obliged, sinking into her kiss like a dying man. Their kiss quickly became urgent and their hands were shaking with the need to remove the clothing between them.

He would never get enough of this. Ever.

“Anso will have to get through me to get to you,” he promised, pulling her shirt free and gazing at her beautiful breasts in the moonlight coming in through the window. He cupped the fullness and bent to suckle the nipples as she threaded her fingers through his hair, moaning as he teased the tight buds.

They didn't trust words. Neither was looking to talk. They both knew how they felt about each another.

It didn't make sense, and on the surface, it was destined to fail, but there was something so electric about the way they were with each another that it was impossible to ignore.

He hoisted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. They tumbled to the bed and J.T. buried himself between her thighs, drinking in her sweet taste and loving every texture and nuance that made Hope uniquely beautiful.

J.T. refused to stop until he heard her breathy cries and felt her stiffen beneath his tongue. He would've loved to spend hours between her thighs, delighting in the way she moaned and lifted her hips to drive him deeper against her clit, but she climaxed quickly and he was forced to stop.

“That's no fair,” he said in a husky voice. “I hadn't gotten my fill yet.”

She grinned up at him and linked her arms around his neck, and he positioned himself at her entrance. Hope lifted her hips and he slid inside. For a blessed moment all he could do was sink into that wonderful, slick heat and groan with sheer pleasure. She clenched all around him, gripping his shaft with her internal muscles, and his eyes almost crossed.

“Hope,” he gasped, her name like a prayer on his lips. He couldn't hold back. Damn, she was so hot he couldn't keep himself in check. “I'm going to come,” he warned her, and she giggled, pulling him closer, burying his cock so deep inside her that they were nearly one.

And then he exploded.

“You are incredible,” he breathed, sagging against her, pressing soft kisses along her collarbone before rolling off her.

Hope snuggled up to him and the press of her body against his was the most sublime thing in the world.

“I think you've done the impossible,” he said when he could finally speak.

“And what is that?”

“Domesticated me.”

She laughed softly. “And why do you say that?”

“Because for the first time ever, I can't imagine wanting or being with anyone else. You're perfection and I never thought I'd ever find a woman like you.”

“I'm not perfect,” Hope said, tightening her arms around his midsection. “Trust me.”

“You're perfect to me.”

And it was true. He wasn't just spewing pretty words for her benefit. This was new for him. He was content to lie there with Hope, make love, talk, whatever. He was up for it all.

And it didn't scare him.

Actually, the more he thought of a future with Hope, the more excited about the future he became.

“How do you feel about kids?” he asked suddenly, shocking her into momentary silence.

“Kids?”

“Yeah, you know, tiny humans that look like you or me?”

“I know what kids are. Um, I guess I want them. Eventually. But not right now.”

“Perfect. Glad to know we're on the same page.”

Hope laughed and said, “One thing at a time. I might not even have a job to go back to.”

He sobered and said, “When I got out of the Air Force, I was pretty messed up. I didn't want any attachments, because I didn't think it was fair to subject someone to my screwed-up past. And to be honest, I enjoyed playing the field. Until you.”

Hope's gaze softened, but she remained silent, letting him speak his piece.

“I knew there was something about you from the moment I saw you. I didn't know it then, but I'd found the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with.”

She gasped. “Are you saying...?”

He kissed her fingertips and stopped at her ring finger. “If you would have me.”

Hope climbed on top of him and smiled, a tear snaking down her cheek. “You better not be pulling my leg, because that's not funny if you are.”

“I don't joke about that stuff. Too scary. I'm one hundred percent certain there's not a better woman out there for me. The only thing I worry about is if I'm good enough for you.”

At that she dipped down and sealed her mouth to his in a fierce kiss. “You are more than good enough,” she said, laughing through tears. “And we can spend our lives proving it to one another.”

Sounded like an excellent plan.

He rolled her to her back, grinning as his heart—and other places—swelled. “So, about those kids...exactly what does
eventually
mean? Because I have this overwhelming urge to get you pregnant right
now
.”

Hope squealed with laughter and J.T. set about showing her just how determined he could be when he set his mind to something.

Particularly something enjoyable such as making love to his woman.

Yeah,
his
woman.

And that was that.