everything was covered, she walked to the door and jerked it open.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
Doyle lounged in the doorway. “I’m checking on you. Dinner was great. You should have stayed.”
She stalked into the center of the room, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You made that impossible. Get off of me. I mean it.”
He walked toward her, stopping only a couple of feet away. “I can’t help worrying.”
“I appreciate that, but keep your worries to yourself. I’m a big girl. I’ve had sex before.” Okay, only once and it had been fairly uninspiring, but her brother didn’t have to know that.
Doyle winced. “Jeez, Billie. Don’t tell me that.”
“Why not? Isn’t all this about protecting my virtue? Don’t you think the prince has his choice of women? Isn’t it unlikely he’s going to have to force himself on anyone?” Certainly not on her. She’d been more than willing. Based on just the kissing, the event would have been fairly spectacular. Talk about lousy timing.
“I’m not worried Jefri’s going to attack you. But he could break your heart.
You’re playing way out of your league.”
“I refuse to take relationship advice from a man who has never had a serious relationship in his life.”
Doyle grinned. “I run too fast to let them catch me.”
“I suspect there’s a deeper reason but right now I’m too tired to figure it out.
So here’s the thing. I’m going to keep seeing Jefri as long as both of us are interested and you can’t do anything about it. And if you continue to bug me, I will make good on my threat to leave and get a job somewhere else.”
His blue eyes, the same dark shade as her own, studied her. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“No. It’s bad enough being the only girl in this family. I won’t be treated like an idiot as well.”
Her brother’s shoulders slumped. “Okay. You win. No more following you on dates.
I promise.”
As Doyle had never gone back on his word before, she decided to believe him.
“Good,” she said. “Now I don’t have to kill you.”
He grinned, then his gaze slipped past her to the coffee table. “Leftovers, huh? Anything good?”
“Didn’t you just have dinner at that restaurant?”
“Sure, but I can always eat.”
“Bank left,” Billie said into the microphone of her headset. “Bank, then roll.
That’s it, that’s it. I’ve got you now, you thick-headed mutant.”
She heard chuckling in her headset.
“I wonder how much of your intensity has to do with making your brother suffer for what happened two nights ago.”
As always, Jefri’s rich voice made her tingle. “There’s a little of that,” she admitted as she kept her gaze on the instrument panel where she watched as the four planes converged.
“Get him,” she said cheerfully. “We’ll do a double tone-lock. That will be very cool.”
“As you wish,” Jefri said.
Seconds later she heard Doyle swearing as he clicked on to their communication channel.
“You did that on purpose,” he complained.
“Doyle got beaten by a girl,” she said in a singsong voice.
One plane instantly disappeared from her radar. Seconds later the door to the simulator jerked open and her brother glared at her.
“Don’t ever say that to me again,” he told her, doing his best to look fierce.
Billie wasn’t the least bit impressed. She stuck out her tongue. “Beat you in twenty-seven seconds. That’s pretty pathetic.”
He muttered something under his breath and stalked off. Jefri took his place in the doorway.
“Remind me not to annoy you,” he said. “You do not seem to forgive and forget.”
“Not where my brothers are concerned. We did very well this morning.”
“I agree. I find I much prefer flying with you than against you.”
She grinned. “A wise man.”
“I thought we might try dinner again tonight. Are you available?”
She was more than available, she was practically at the point of begging.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
Doyle lounged in the doorway. “I’m checking on you. Dinner was great. You should have stayed.”
She stalked into the center of the room, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You made that impossible. Get off of me. I mean it.”
He walked toward her, stopping only a couple of feet away. “I can’t help worrying.”
“I appreciate that, but keep your worries to yourself. I’m a big girl. I’ve had sex before.” Okay, only once and it had been fairly uninspiring, but her brother didn’t have to know that.
Doyle winced. “Jeez, Billie. Don’t tell me that.”
“Why not? Isn’t all this about protecting my virtue? Don’t you think the prince has his choice of women? Isn’t it unlikely he’s going to have to force himself on anyone?” Certainly not on her. She’d been more than willing. Based on just the kissing, the event would have been fairly spectacular. Talk about lousy timing.
“I’m not worried Jefri’s going to attack you. But he could break your heart.
You’re playing way out of your league.”
“I refuse to take relationship advice from a man who has never had a serious relationship in his life.”
Doyle grinned. “I run too fast to let them catch me.”
“I suspect there’s a deeper reason but right now I’m too tired to figure it out.
So here’s the thing. I’m going to keep seeing Jefri as long as both of us are interested and you can’t do anything about it. And if you continue to bug me, I will make good on my threat to leave and get a job somewhere else.”
His blue eyes, the same dark shade as her own, studied her. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“No. It’s bad enough being the only girl in this family. I won’t be treated like an idiot as well.”
Her brother’s shoulders slumped. “Okay. You win. No more following you on dates.
I promise.”
As Doyle had never gone back on his word before, she decided to believe him.
“Good,” she said. “Now I don’t have to kill you.”
He grinned, then his gaze slipped past her to the coffee table. “Leftovers, huh? Anything good?”
“Didn’t you just have dinner at that restaurant?”
“Sure, but I can always eat.”
“Bank left,” Billie said into the microphone of her headset. “Bank, then roll.
That’s it, that’s it. I’ve got you now, you thick-headed mutant.”
She heard chuckling in her headset.
“I wonder how much of your intensity has to do with making your brother suffer for what happened two nights ago.”
As always, Jefri’s rich voice made her tingle. “There’s a little of that,” she admitted as she kept her gaze on the instrument panel where she watched as the four planes converged.
“Get him,” she said cheerfully. “We’ll do a double tone-lock. That will be very cool.”
“As you wish,” Jefri said.
Seconds later she heard Doyle swearing as he clicked on to their communication channel.
“You did that on purpose,” he complained.
“Doyle got beaten by a girl,” she said in a singsong voice.
One plane instantly disappeared from her radar. Seconds later the door to the simulator jerked open and her brother glared at her.
“Don’t ever say that to me again,” he told her, doing his best to look fierce.
Billie wasn’t the least bit impressed. She stuck out her tongue. “Beat you in twenty-seven seconds. That’s pretty pathetic.”
He muttered something under his breath and stalked off. Jefri took his place in the doorway.
“Remind me not to annoy you,” he said. “You do not seem to forgive and forget.”
“Not where my brothers are concerned. We did very well this morning.”
“I agree. I find I much prefer flying with you than against you.”
She grinned. “A wise man.”
“I thought we might try dinner again tonight. Are you available?”
She was more than available, she was practically at the point of begging.
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