you’ve been highly trained.”
“Since I don’t have time to earn a black belt, I take it there won’t be any high-flying kicks.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, damn.” She hitched her hands on her hips, full breasts straining against her shirt. “I always wanted to be Kung Fu Barbie.”
Why couldn’t she grasp how serious the stakes were here? He was trying to help keep her safe. Couldn’t she understand how vulnerable she was? Even with the crash course, her odds sucked against a seriously trained opponent.
“I prefer Street-Smart Barbie.” Jimmy snapped his fingers repeatedly. “Now, let’s move along. Your attacker may have captured you from behind, immobilizing your hands. That leaves just your legs and feet free.”
Jimmy settled behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Raise your foot as far as possible and boot your attacker in the knee. Once you’ve done that, let your foot slide downward to ram his instep.”
Her breasts grazed his hands. Her bottom nestled against him. Her scent, something flowery and intensely feminine, teased his nose.
Ah, hell.
He continued his instructions through gritted teeth and willed his body not to respond. He would just think about emergency procedures. As a flight tester, he had numerous planes to pick from. Today he would go with emergency procedures for the T-37, a trainer and appropriate choice, since he was in uncharted territory with this woman.
How to recover from a spin?
Throttles—idle.
Rudder and ailerons—neutral.
Stick—abruptly full aft and hold.
Rudder—
His buckling knee shouted a warning to his testosterone-fogged brain a second too late. Chloe’s foot nailed his instep. Pain shot up his thigh as he struggled to keep his balance. A roar from the crowd next door rivaled his mental yelp of pain.
He swallowed back a grunt and held tight, managing to keep them both on their feet. “You’re a fast learner.”
“The upside to being a prodigy.” She glanced back over her shoulder at him.
Her smile lit up the room like a blinding flash to night-vision goggles, and he resented the feeling. Big time. He tightened his hold and resolve. He swept his foot behind her knees and downed Chloe before that smile of hers could blast him out of the sky.
Jimmy followed her to the mat in a textbook-perfect pin, dancing right into danger with this woman against his better judgment. “It doesn’t pay to get too cocky, Baby Einstein.”
He couldn’t tell if he’d stunned her quiet or just knocked the wind out of her, but she just stared up at him with wide green eyes, her blond curls a riotous fan spread over the mat. Jimmy cupped the back of her neck, his hand moving instinctively, much like how he jumped for the rim without thinking . . . or how she conducted her iPod music.
Chloe didn’t pull away.
She inhaled gusty little breaths that puffed peppermint into the sparse space between them. “Why did you do that?”
“The tables can turn fast, and the stakes are too high around here.” He would be wise to remember his own advice. Like now. He should get off of her. And he would.
Just not yet.
Confusion flickered through her eyes, pretty much the same thing batting around inside him. His eyes settled on her lips, plump and moist and just begging to be—
The double doors clicked open.
Jimmy jumped off Chloe just as she sat up, an inch away from head-butting his chin.
“Whoops,” a male voice from the entrance broke the moment. “Sorry, sir.”
Jimmy pulled away in time to see a pair of young airmen backing out. Chloe flattened her palms to the mat for balance, her pupils wide.
Living in the moment was one thing. Outright recklessness was another altogether. His instincts told him he needed to get away from Chloe before his control snapped.
He rolled to his feet again. “I have to hit the bunk for a power nap. I’m flying later.”
Flying? Chloe steadied herself with one hand, while her mind raced to catch up with what had just
“Since I don’t have time to earn a black belt, I take it there won’t be any high-flying kicks.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, damn.” She hitched her hands on her hips, full breasts straining against her shirt. “I always wanted to be Kung Fu Barbie.”
Why couldn’t she grasp how serious the stakes were here? He was trying to help keep her safe. Couldn’t she understand how vulnerable she was? Even with the crash course, her odds sucked against a seriously trained opponent.
“I prefer Street-Smart Barbie.” Jimmy snapped his fingers repeatedly. “Now, let’s move along. Your attacker may have captured you from behind, immobilizing your hands. That leaves just your legs and feet free.”
Jimmy settled behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Raise your foot as far as possible and boot your attacker in the knee. Once you’ve done that, let your foot slide downward to ram his instep.”
Her breasts grazed his hands. Her bottom nestled against him. Her scent, something flowery and intensely feminine, teased his nose.
Ah, hell.
He continued his instructions through gritted teeth and willed his body not to respond. He would just think about emergency procedures. As a flight tester, he had numerous planes to pick from. Today he would go with emergency procedures for the T-37, a trainer and appropriate choice, since he was in uncharted territory with this woman.
How to recover from a spin?
Throttles—idle.
Rudder and ailerons—neutral.
Stick—abruptly full aft and hold.
Rudder—
His buckling knee shouted a warning to his testosterone-fogged brain a second too late. Chloe’s foot nailed his instep. Pain shot up his thigh as he struggled to keep his balance. A roar from the crowd next door rivaled his mental yelp of pain.
He swallowed back a grunt and held tight, managing to keep them both on their feet. “You’re a fast learner.”
“The upside to being a prodigy.” She glanced back over her shoulder at him.
Her smile lit up the room like a blinding flash to night-vision goggles, and he resented the feeling. Big time. He tightened his hold and resolve. He swept his foot behind her knees and downed Chloe before that smile of hers could blast him out of the sky.
Jimmy followed her to the mat in a textbook-perfect pin, dancing right into danger with this woman against his better judgment. “It doesn’t pay to get too cocky, Baby Einstein.”
He couldn’t tell if he’d stunned her quiet or just knocked the wind out of her, but she just stared up at him with wide green eyes, her blond curls a riotous fan spread over the mat. Jimmy cupped the back of her neck, his hand moving instinctively, much like how he jumped for the rim without thinking . . . or how she conducted her iPod music.
Chloe didn’t pull away.
She inhaled gusty little breaths that puffed peppermint into the sparse space between them. “Why did you do that?”
“The tables can turn fast, and the stakes are too high around here.” He would be wise to remember his own advice. Like now. He should get off of her. And he would.
Just not yet.
Confusion flickered through her eyes, pretty much the same thing batting around inside him. His eyes settled on her lips, plump and moist and just begging to be—
The double doors clicked open.
Jimmy jumped off Chloe just as she sat up, an inch away from head-butting his chin.
“Whoops,” a male voice from the entrance broke the moment. “Sorry, sir.”
Jimmy pulled away in time to see a pair of young airmen backing out. Chloe flattened her palms to the mat for balance, her pupils wide.
Living in the moment was one thing. Outright recklessness was another altogether. His instincts told him he needed to get away from Chloe before his control snapped.
He rolled to his feet again. “I have to hit the bunk for a power nap. I’m flying later.”
Flying? Chloe steadied herself with one hand, while her mind raced to catch up with what had just
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