I’d never have thought that a test pilot would have such bad timing, McCord.”
A glint of mirth danced in his eyes as he ran his hands down the length of her delicately curved back. “If that gets back to base, my reputation will be ruined as a test pilot,” he agreed. The turbulent blue of his eyes grew lighter with amusement. “But what I lack in timing, I’ll more than make up for with other skills,” he promised her huskily.
Chris leaned up on her toes, placing a kiss on his smiling mouth. “No complaint there, believe me.”
“Really?” He grinned down.
“McCord, I can’t even stand on my own right now.”
He gave her a pleased look. “You look absolutely ravishing, my raven-haired beauty. And believe me, if we were on a deserted beach, you wouldn’t be standing. You’d be in my arms, and I would be making love to you right there.”
Chris trembled, resting her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. “I know,” she confided in a wispy voice. “And I wish there weren’t any people around, too.”
Dan smiled tenderly, holding her for a long, long time, simply feeling the woman of her against the man of him. Pressing a series of small kisses along her hairline and temple, he whispered, “We’ll do this again, Raven. We both need this. We need each other. I need you....”
6
T HE CLASSROOM HAD emptied at lunchtime, leaving Chris to grapple with some last-minute studying before the next test. Resting her head against her hand, she drank in the technical information on aerodynamic theory. A headache was lapping at her temples and she sat back, raising her shoulders, trying to get rid of the accumulated tension. Where had the first four months gone? Dan had been right: the pressures at the school were accelerating to the point where everyone was experiencing mental burnout.
Putting down the pencil for a moment, she rubbed her aching eyes. Memories of their day at the beach soothed her present worries and concerns. It had been the last time they had been together in a nonprofessional situation. With Dan and her pulling extra flight duty to get her qualified in the two other aircraft, the remaining time was filled with study and fretful sleep. Well, she thought, I have been trying to put my past behind me. Karen had noticed it, just last night remarking, You’re—softer . Her blue eyes danced with mischief. Can’t be because of Dan McCord , could it? she’d hinted broadly, grinning.
Could be.
Well , whatever it is , I like it. You’re not so brittle with the guys. They feel it , too. It’s a great change , and everyone is reaping the benefits from it.
I know. I don’t go around ripping everyone’s head off anymore , Chris had acknowledged.
No , you never did that. You were just aloof , Karen had explained. Now you get along with everyone except Brodie.
One eyebrow moved upward, and Chris had stared across the table at her friend. Tell me , who does get along with Brodie?
No one. You’d think after all this time he’d cool his heels and begin to accept you.
Over his dead body , Chris had muttered blackly.
Better his than yours , honey.
Chris reluctantly pulled her mind back to the present, but it didn’t stay there long. As always, her heart dwelled with Dan McCord. She rested her head against her hands, closing her eyes for a moment. So far they had been able to keep their budding relationship a secret. At school Dan treated her no differently than any other student. And although Karen and Mark knew about their on-again, off-again relationship, they said nothing to anyone. Occasionally Brodie would drop an innuendo that she was carrying out her education with the instructors in the bedroom. It had angered her until she had finally parried his venomous attacks with a cool response.
“Hey, didn’t somebody tell you it’s lunchtime?” Dan asked, sauntering into the room.
Chris looked up and met his smiling eyes. A blanket of warmth flooded her body as she scanned his
A glint of mirth danced in his eyes as he ran his hands down the length of her delicately curved back. “If that gets back to base, my reputation will be ruined as a test pilot,” he agreed. The turbulent blue of his eyes grew lighter with amusement. “But what I lack in timing, I’ll more than make up for with other skills,” he promised her huskily.
Chris leaned up on her toes, placing a kiss on his smiling mouth. “No complaint there, believe me.”
“Really?” He grinned down.
“McCord, I can’t even stand on my own right now.”
He gave her a pleased look. “You look absolutely ravishing, my raven-haired beauty. And believe me, if we were on a deserted beach, you wouldn’t be standing. You’d be in my arms, and I would be making love to you right there.”
Chris trembled, resting her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. “I know,” she confided in a wispy voice. “And I wish there weren’t any people around, too.”
Dan smiled tenderly, holding her for a long, long time, simply feeling the woman of her against the man of him. Pressing a series of small kisses along her hairline and temple, he whispered, “We’ll do this again, Raven. We both need this. We need each other. I need you....”
6
T HE CLASSROOM HAD emptied at lunchtime, leaving Chris to grapple with some last-minute studying before the next test. Resting her head against her hand, she drank in the technical information on aerodynamic theory. A headache was lapping at her temples and she sat back, raising her shoulders, trying to get rid of the accumulated tension. Where had the first four months gone? Dan had been right: the pressures at the school were accelerating to the point where everyone was experiencing mental burnout.
Putting down the pencil for a moment, she rubbed her aching eyes. Memories of their day at the beach soothed her present worries and concerns. It had been the last time they had been together in a nonprofessional situation. With Dan and her pulling extra flight duty to get her qualified in the two other aircraft, the remaining time was filled with study and fretful sleep. Well, she thought, I have been trying to put my past behind me. Karen had noticed it, just last night remarking, You’re—softer . Her blue eyes danced with mischief. Can’t be because of Dan McCord , could it? she’d hinted broadly, grinning.
Could be.
Well , whatever it is , I like it. You’re not so brittle with the guys. They feel it , too. It’s a great change , and everyone is reaping the benefits from it.
I know. I don’t go around ripping everyone’s head off anymore , Chris had acknowledged.
No , you never did that. You were just aloof , Karen had explained. Now you get along with everyone except Brodie.
One eyebrow moved upward, and Chris had stared across the table at her friend. Tell me , who does get along with Brodie?
No one. You’d think after all this time he’d cool his heels and begin to accept you.
Over his dead body , Chris had muttered blackly.
Better his than yours , honey.
Chris reluctantly pulled her mind back to the present, but it didn’t stay there long. As always, her heart dwelled with Dan McCord. She rested her head against her hands, closing her eyes for a moment. So far they had been able to keep their budding relationship a secret. At school Dan treated her no differently than any other student. And although Karen and Mark knew about their on-again, off-again relationship, they said nothing to anyone. Occasionally Brodie would drop an innuendo that she was carrying out her education with the instructors in the bedroom. It had angered her until she had finally parried his venomous attacks with a cool response.
“Hey, didn’t somebody tell you it’s lunchtime?” Dan asked, sauntering into the room.
Chris looked up and met his smiling eyes. A blanket of warmth flooded her body as she scanned his
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