Come Fly With Me (21 page)

Her announcement in the car that she wanted to come to his home had been as surprising as it was satisfying.

She’d come to him.

Mick knew it smacked of his caveman roots, but that satisfied on a level he could barely explain, even to himself.

When the moment did eventually arrive, he’d envisioned himself making love to her slowly, drawing out each and every moment until they were both mindless with wanting. Their first time together had been fun and unexpected, happening without any conscious act on the part of either of them.

This time would be different.

This time he was determined to brand her as his. He wanted the way he felt about her to leave something permanent between them.

He lowered her to the bed and followed her down, lost in the smoky gray of her eyes.

“The way you look at me—it’s heady.”

“How do I look at you?” Her hands settled at his hips as she stretched out alongside of him and his stomach muscles clenched at the contact.

“Like I’m precious.”

“You have no idea.” His hand skimmed the seam between her sweater and the sexy little skirt she wore, parting the material to find warm flesh underneath. He ran the pads of his fingers over that stretch of skin and felt her muscles bunch just as his had moments before.

Impatient, he took fistfuls of her sweater and pulled the soft material over her head, catching his breath as his gaze alighted on the lacy material of her bra, an enticing shade of baby blue he’d forever associate with her.

With aching slowness, he worked his way down her body, replacing his fingers with his mouth as he allowed his hands to roam. He ran his tongue along the small well of her belly button, satisfied at her gasp of pleasure, before shifting his attentions up over her rib cage until he reached the rim of her bra.

He felt the light touch of her fingers at his neck, threading through his hair. Light moans came from her throat in delicate gasps and the sound roused another set of Neanderthal applause from his caveman instincts.

And then he feasted.

The sight of her nipples, pebbled under the silk of her bra, drew his attention and he placed his mouth over one peak while he plied his fingers against the other. Grier’s soft moans grew more urgent as her legs ran along his own and she moved her hands to grip his shoulders.

“Mick—”

His name on her lips drew him up and he shifted up onto his arms to stare down at her.

“If I make you feel precious, you make me feel like a conquering hero. As though I can literally pick up the world and twirl it on my finger.”

“You
can
fly.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. “Let’s fly together.”

Shifting, he moved to the edge of the bed and made quick work of his boots before standing to unbutton his shirt. His fingers felt too big as he fumbled with the buttons and he nearly forgot what he was doing as he caught sight of Grier.

She’d stepped before him, her hands at the back of her skirt working on the zipper. Her lush breasts thrust forward at the movement, nearly spilling from her bra.

Mindless, he reached for the hem of his shirt and dragged it over his shoulders, pulling the T-shirt underneath along in the process. He heard rending thread and the light tinkling of a button falling to the hardwood floor beneath the bed, but he ignored all of it.

Grabbing Grier in a tight hold, he fell back onto the bed, cushioning her with his body as they fell. “Mick!”

“I can’t wait for you.”

“My skirt’s stuck around my knees.”

He reached for the skirt with a foot, pushing it down even as his fingers reached for the hook of her bra. “I swore we’d take it slow, but there are too many clothes.”

Loud, muffled giggles echoed off his chest and he
twisted his head to look at her as he still struggled to work the skirt down her legs. “Are you laughing at me?”

“I…I…am,” she said, hiccupping through her laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“Didn’t we get tangled up in our clothes the last time we did this?”

“We’ll work on it,” he muttered as her skirt came free of her legs while he pulled the bra down her arms.

“Practice makes perfect,” she whispered as she took the bra from him and tossed it over the side of the bed.

“My thoughts exactly.”

Grier wiggled up until she was straddling him, the thin silk of her panties the only thing that separated a full view of her body from his gaze. Her dark gray eyes bore into his as she ground her hips over the fly of his slacks. “You’re still wearing pants.”

Pleasure hit him so hard, Mick saw a wave of stars, and he groped for her hips to hold her still, even as his hips pressed mindlessly up toward her.

“I think we need to fix that.” With slippery ease, she slid from his hands and crawled down his body, reaching for the fly of his slacks. He was so hard he ached, but he still had the presence of mind to stop her hands before she could lower the zipper.

“Allow me.”

A knowing smile crossed her lips—full of feminine promise—as she moved off him. He shucked his pants and underwear as she made quick work of her silky panties. The sight of her—her heavy, full breasts, the triangle of hair at the apex of her thighs and her long
slender legs—was nearly his undoing. His body, free of the binds of his clothing, grew even harder, painfully ready for her.

She lay back on the bed and he followed her down, settling himself over her as her hand closed over his cock. A hoarse shout rose up in his throat and she only smiled and applied more pressure, moving her hands with increasing speed.

“This is torture.”

“I know.” She reached up and bit his ear. “Which is why I can’t understand why you won’t put me out of my misery.”

“Now? But I had all these grand plans.” Although he wanted to drag this out, he was already reaching for a condom in his end table.

Her husky voice floated toward him. “Save those ideas for later, darling. I’m not going anywhere and I can’t wait.”

He stilled momentarily as her words registered.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Rationally, he knew she meant this evening, but the words were the equivalent of a sucker punch to the gut. Because the truth of it was, he didn’t want her to go anywhere.

Ever.

“Mick?”

Pulled from the moment, he smiled down at her. “I’m just trying to decide.”

“Decide what?” She filched the foil packet from his hands and made quick work of the wrapper.

“If I want you on top or bottom.”

Grier reached between their bodies, fitting the condom over his long length. Once again, he nearly came off the bed at her touch.

And then the decision was made as she pushed on his shoulders before rising above him, straddling her legs at his waist and taking him deeply into her body. He leaned up and took one nipple in his mouth, gratified when she let out a long, sensual moan as her thighs tightened around his hips.

Reaching for her waist, he helped her set a rhythm that worked for both of them, then laid one hand behind her neck to pull her down for a kiss. Her small hands splayed across his chest as their tongues mimicked the give-and-take of their lovemaking.

And then he released her, allowing her to take over the rhythm as she rode him into a mindless oblivion with her head thrown back as she took her pleasure. The sensation of finally having her again—of watching her in such an intimate moment—was even better than the sheer bliss of their joined bodies.

He gazed up at her through heavy-lidded eyes, as pleasure swam through his system.

It was Grier.

And she was here.

And for tonight, at least, she was his.

T
he smell of coffee hit her first, followed by the low rumble of Mick’s voice. “Wake up.”

With her eyes still closed, she burrowed into the covers, seeking more warmth. “What time is it?”

“Five.”

“We went to bed at three,” she mumbled, even as the tantalizing aroma of caffeine had her eyelids drifting open.

“Why don’t we stay here all day and we can go to Fairbanks tomorrow?”

Her lids fully snapped open at that. “We have to go today to stay on schedule.”

Mick’s dark hair was still wet from his shower and his piercing blue gaze crinkled at the corners. “Thought that might get you up.”

“You don’t fight fair,” she grumbled. “And you’re clean already.”

“Let’s just call it an act of self-preservation.”

Grier sat up and took the mug he offered, taking a quick sip. “How so?”

“If I waited for you, there’d be no way I could keep my hands off your wet body in the shower.”

Warmth suffused her at his words and she couldn’t hold back the happy smile. “I’m glad I stayed the night.”

He leaned in and pressed a coffee-flavored kiss against her lips. “I’m glad you’re here.”

A million thoughts floated through her head, but only one mattered. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

Grier buckled herself in, getting comfortable as she watched Mick start the plane’s engine and begin a check of his instruments. Fascinated, she could practically see the way he ticked off each task in his mind, his gaze roving over the extensive panel of gauges and readouts.

As he buckled his own seat belt, she couldn’t resist asking, “You do this every time you take off?”

“Every time.”

“But didn’t you fly yesterday?”

He shrugged as he flipped a few switches, the engine roaring to life in a heavy hum. “Doesn’t matter. Something could have changed on landing. Or I could have missed something on my last check. Or the plane could have finally picked this moment to act up. I don’t mess with my equipment.”

Mick leaned down beside his seat to grab a small binder and jotted down a few notes. She watched the swift, efficient movements as he printed neatly in the log.

The moment was an incredibly enticing peek into a side of him she never would have expected. The casual flyboy with the two days of scruff on his cheeks was a thorough, careful pilot.

He’s a thorough lover, too,
her conscience picked that moment to remind her as images of the night before flooded her thoughts.

Incredibly thorough.

Mick handed her a headset, then pulled on one of his own as they taxied down the runway. The cold metal in her hands pulled her back to the present moment, even if the low hum that had settled in her stomach had nothing to do with the rumbling engine warming up beneath them.

She pulled the headphones on and could hear the sharp, tinny voice clearing Mick for takeoff. And then they were off, the small plane barreling down the runway before making a smooth rise into the dawn.

The dull hum of voices in the headset faded as Grier focused on the sky. “It’s gorgeous.”

“The sky is extra special up here. No matter how many times I make this trip, I never tire of it.”

“I can see why.”

A long, slow roll of need filled her belly as Grier turned to look at him. Arms outstretched, Mick’s large, capable hands gripped the steering mechanism as he held the plane steady with an ease that belied the fact he maneuvered them twenty thousand feet above the earth.

Tamping down on the increasing distraction of desire, she focused instead on the voices in her headset. He’d set her headset to the same frequency as his and she could hear a steady stream of instructions that continued to come through to him. The voices from the tower fascinated her and the fact that he understood
anything they were saying was an intriguing peek into his daily life.

An irresistibly intriguing peek, she thought as she glanced over at him; he was completely enmeshed in his task. His jaw was set in hard lines and the edge of his tongue poked out past his lips.

“You’re quiet this morning.” Mick’s voice stole through her headphones, pulling her from her thoughts.

“I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Or miss the opportunity to observe you doing something you love.

“We’re well on our way. I thought I’d fly past Denali before heading up. Does that work?”

“I’d love to see the mountain.”

The mention of the mountain refocused her and a question hovered on her tongue. She’d nearly put it to words before pulling back. Mick had brought some researchers off the mountain the night they’d been together in December. They hadn’t spoken of it since that night and she’d wondered more than once how he was handling it.

She didn’t have to wait long.

The mountain loomed before them, its broad peaks an awesome testament to what nature could create.

“It’s absolutely beautiful.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Grier heard the pride in his voice—the sheer love for his home—and she smiled.

Whatever had happened with the researchers, he could clearly still see the beauty in something he loved so much.

“I want you to see the peak from the other side.” They worked their way around the mountain, the plane
moving in and out of cloud cover, and Grier had the sudden realization that she was in an airplane and he was flying it.

Which was about as absurd as suddenly realizing she had two legs, but it was her reaction all the same.

“What’s that look for?” She heard the smile in his voice and turned toward it.

“You’re really and truly flying this plane.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You thought I had a pack of elves in the back?”

“I mean, this is all you. We’re up here because of you.”

A light blush crept up his neck and Grier only smiled more broadly. “It’s awfully sexy. You know that, don’t you?”

He shrugged. “That’s the generally accepted wisdom.”

“Oooh, and you’re so modest, too.” She couldn’t resist poking him a bit.

“I’m a tough bush pilot. It’s in my nature. The stoic and silent type.” He extended a hand toward her and she reached out and took it, their fingers entwining together.

“You’re the first woman I’ve brought up in a plane since I was nineteen.”

“Is that a come-on?”

He shrugged. “It’s a fact.”

“And that gal at nineteen?”

“I was young, horny and misguided,” he said on a wry grin. “What can I say?”