could’ve imagined. Trim, lush, curvy, not at all stick-figure skinny as so many women believe they must be in order to be beautiful. Long, flowing brown hair and sultry brown eyes that could easily melt a man where he stood. She was the vision of a goddess. All woman. The way those jeans hugged her hips and that t-shirt contoured to her supple breasts made the man inside him release a possessive growl.
“If I had friends like that…” Kix trailed off, thrusting his hips.
“I get it,” Ryan groaned.
“Yeah, I bet you’re going to get it .” Kix gave one last hard thrust, followed by an insinuating wiggle of his brows.
Ryan’s eyes fluttered with a roll and he shook his head, fighting the urge to laugh. Kix was a thirteen year old boy trapped in a forty-plus year old man’s body. “Enough. It’s not like that. We haven’t seen each other in over fifteen years.”
“Well, if you’re not interested in taking advantage of an old friendship, you know I’ll gladly take her off your hands,” Kix suggested.
“Dream on, Captain,” Ryan laughed, but there was a warning, protective vibe to his tone.
“If you say so, but…”
“The plane is clear, Captain,” Makenna announced, interrupting Kix. Ryan’s shoulders dropped in relief. That meant his shift was almost complete. Anticipation bubbled inside him, a beast gnawing at his chest, aching to get to the girl who waited for him.
“Thanks, Kenna,” Kix responded, cutting his eyes up to her and flashing her a winning smile.
“Don’t give me that puppy dog look.” She glared at him, her hands placed on her hips. “And leave the kid alone.” She flailed one hand toward Ryan. “Can’t you see he’s already a ball of nerves. Geez,” she scolded the captain.
Kix sniffed in aggravation and started to mimic her, over exaggerating her movements. Makenna popped Kix upside the head and grinned. Kix flipped her the bird and the two of them had a laugh, which took the attention off of Ryan.
Ryan mouthed a thank you to Makenna before pouring himself over the post flight checklist. The seconds seemed to tick by so slow that no matter how many tasks he accomplished or how fast he completed them, they took forever to do.
He glanced down at his wristwatch and released an unintentional guttural groan, realizing that only ten minutes had passed since Makenna gave the all clear. He began checking the gauges, knocking another task off his list when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Ryan glanced over to find Kix smirking at him. “You know, I can finish this up if you have some place you have to be,” Kix offered.
“I can’t do that to you, Captain,” Ryan stated, his sense of responsibility overpowering his need to get to Alexis. “I’ll finish my work.”
“Are you insane, Ryan?” Makenna exclaimed. Ryan jumped. It was rare for her to call him by his first name, so he took immediate notice and gave her his undivided attention. “For once in his life, this man has offered to do something decent. If you don’t take him up on it, I might have to spank you.”
“Oh, I’ll take you up on that suggestion!” Kix volunteered. Makenna gave him a dirty look that caused both men to sink back into their seats.
“Just because I have a friend waiting on me doesn’t mean my responsibilities disappear,” Ryan noted.
Without warning, Kix grabbed the clipboard from Ryan. “Go, Fisher. She’s waiting. If I was you, my ass would’ve left you high and dry already.”
Makenna ducked out of the cockpit, leaving the two men to duke it out on their own. Ryan opened his mouth to argue his case further, but Kix’s face dropped from the all smiles Ryan knew to a serious expression. “Don’t make me order you off this craft, Ryan.”
Ryan smacked his lips shut and gave his captain a quick nod. Kix started whistling “Dixie” off key and set to work. Ryan slowly stood up and gathered his jacket, carry-on, and hat. “I appreciate this,” he said and exited
“If I had friends like that…” Kix trailed off, thrusting his hips.
“I get it,” Ryan groaned.
“Yeah, I bet you’re going to get it .” Kix gave one last hard thrust, followed by an insinuating wiggle of his brows.
Ryan’s eyes fluttered with a roll and he shook his head, fighting the urge to laugh. Kix was a thirteen year old boy trapped in a forty-plus year old man’s body. “Enough. It’s not like that. We haven’t seen each other in over fifteen years.”
“Well, if you’re not interested in taking advantage of an old friendship, you know I’ll gladly take her off your hands,” Kix suggested.
“Dream on, Captain,” Ryan laughed, but there was a warning, protective vibe to his tone.
“If you say so, but…”
“The plane is clear, Captain,” Makenna announced, interrupting Kix. Ryan’s shoulders dropped in relief. That meant his shift was almost complete. Anticipation bubbled inside him, a beast gnawing at his chest, aching to get to the girl who waited for him.
“Thanks, Kenna,” Kix responded, cutting his eyes up to her and flashing her a winning smile.
“Don’t give me that puppy dog look.” She glared at him, her hands placed on her hips. “And leave the kid alone.” She flailed one hand toward Ryan. “Can’t you see he’s already a ball of nerves. Geez,” she scolded the captain.
Kix sniffed in aggravation and started to mimic her, over exaggerating her movements. Makenna popped Kix upside the head and grinned. Kix flipped her the bird and the two of them had a laugh, which took the attention off of Ryan.
Ryan mouthed a thank you to Makenna before pouring himself over the post flight checklist. The seconds seemed to tick by so slow that no matter how many tasks he accomplished or how fast he completed them, they took forever to do.
He glanced down at his wristwatch and released an unintentional guttural groan, realizing that only ten minutes had passed since Makenna gave the all clear. He began checking the gauges, knocking another task off his list when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Ryan glanced over to find Kix smirking at him. “You know, I can finish this up if you have some place you have to be,” Kix offered.
“I can’t do that to you, Captain,” Ryan stated, his sense of responsibility overpowering his need to get to Alexis. “I’ll finish my work.”
“Are you insane, Ryan?” Makenna exclaimed. Ryan jumped. It was rare for her to call him by his first name, so he took immediate notice and gave her his undivided attention. “For once in his life, this man has offered to do something decent. If you don’t take him up on it, I might have to spank you.”
“Oh, I’ll take you up on that suggestion!” Kix volunteered. Makenna gave him a dirty look that caused both men to sink back into their seats.
“Just because I have a friend waiting on me doesn’t mean my responsibilities disappear,” Ryan noted.
Without warning, Kix grabbed the clipboard from Ryan. “Go, Fisher. She’s waiting. If I was you, my ass would’ve left you high and dry already.”
Makenna ducked out of the cockpit, leaving the two men to duke it out on their own. Ryan opened his mouth to argue his case further, but Kix’s face dropped from the all smiles Ryan knew to a serious expression. “Don’t make me order you off this craft, Ryan.”
Ryan smacked his lips shut and gave his captain a quick nod. Kix started whistling “Dixie” off key and set to work. Ryan slowly stood up and gathered his jacket, carry-on, and hat. “I appreciate this,” he said and exited
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