turn to look at him, shooting him a cold look that was meant to put him in his place. But instead he grinned.
“Okay, dating but not boyfriend; Got it.”
Charlie nearly stumbled; she was so surprised by his deduction. How did he do that? She wondered, trying to keep her composure and not giving any merit to his conclusion.
“ So, do you want to go to the Blue Bar with me on Saturday?” He asked her.
“ I’ll be busy.” She answered shortly. She had heard part of the conversation when Karen and her friends surrounded him at the table. And from the way they talked, he had probably gone out with them before. Why that knowledge bothered her, she couldn’t say.
“ How about Sunday?”
“ Definitely busy.”
“ All right,” He glanced down at her as if studying her. “Why don’t you pick a day when you’re free to go out with me?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Can’t you take no for an answer?”
Ryle grinned, his azure eyes twinkling as he met her eyes for a moment. “Not from you.”
She paused to look at him. “I’m going to be honest with you, Ryle.”
“ Yeah?” He stopped, meeting her eyes.
“ I don’t date anyone I work with. And even if I do, I wouldn’t be going out with you.” She told him firmly.
“ Why not?” He asked casually.
“ Because you’re not my type.” She said the first excuse that came to mind.
“ You have a type?” He teased.
“ You’re a guy who seems to get dates easily; I’m sure you would have no problem getting one for Saturday.” She said lightly. “Maybe even Karen. She’s worked for me for a long time and I can tell you she’s really great.”
“ It’s you I want.” He said it quietly. He was no longer teasing and the hunger in his eyes had her silently catching her breath.
Charlie tried to keep it light. After all, she had rebuffed enough guys to know how to do this more subtly.
“ We don’t always get what we want.” She said softly and walked away. She was aware of him looking after her, but thankfully he didn’t try to follow her.
The rest of the week went by relatively fast. Charlie spent most of her days in Bay 6. It was an area she had always felt comfortable and relaxed in. And yet, this entire week, she was on edge. Ryle’s presence unnerved her. She was all too aware of his whereabouts every time she entered the bay. Why she should care where he was, she wasn’t sure.
Trying to dismiss him from her mind was not so easy. She couldn’t seem to concentrate when she knew he was nearby. And her imagination was running so crazily that she seemed to feel his eyes on her back as she worked. Towards the end of the week, she was a bundle of nerves.
On Friday, while walking away after talking with Mike, she walked right into Ryle. With the upcoming flight test on her mind, she was deep in thought and walked right into the very person she least expected to see in the Instrumentation area.
“ Excuse me, I wasn’t looking where I…” Charlie stopped in mid-sentence as she looked up and found herself being caught by Ryle looking down at her with eyes that twinkled with mocking amusement.
Suddenly she was all too aware of the pair of strong hands which had come up to encircle her upper arms to steady her. His tall powerful frame was only a feet away, close enough for her to almost feel the warmth of his body. And his clean male scent mixed with a subtle hint of fresh soap was arousing. Her heart sped up and she felt difficulty in breathing properly.
“There’s no need for excuses,” Ryle drawled, his piercing eyes running slowly over her suddenly heated face before dipping down to her breasts, which were heaving slightly in her effort to breathe. “No need at all,” he murmured more throatily as they lingered on the pointed fullness of her breasts.
In any other circumstances and with anyone else, Charlie would have slapped him for his insolence. Yet coming from Ryle, all she could do was to ensure her knees
“Okay, dating but not boyfriend; Got it.”
Charlie nearly stumbled; she was so surprised by his deduction. How did he do that? She wondered, trying to keep her composure and not giving any merit to his conclusion.
“ So, do you want to go to the Blue Bar with me on Saturday?” He asked her.
“ I’ll be busy.” She answered shortly. She had heard part of the conversation when Karen and her friends surrounded him at the table. And from the way they talked, he had probably gone out with them before. Why that knowledge bothered her, she couldn’t say.
“ How about Sunday?”
“ Definitely busy.”
“ All right,” He glanced down at her as if studying her. “Why don’t you pick a day when you’re free to go out with me?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Can’t you take no for an answer?”
Ryle grinned, his azure eyes twinkling as he met her eyes for a moment. “Not from you.”
She paused to look at him. “I’m going to be honest with you, Ryle.”
“ Yeah?” He stopped, meeting her eyes.
“ I don’t date anyone I work with. And even if I do, I wouldn’t be going out with you.” She told him firmly.
“ Why not?” He asked casually.
“ Because you’re not my type.” She said the first excuse that came to mind.
“ You have a type?” He teased.
“ You’re a guy who seems to get dates easily; I’m sure you would have no problem getting one for Saturday.” She said lightly. “Maybe even Karen. She’s worked for me for a long time and I can tell you she’s really great.”
“ It’s you I want.” He said it quietly. He was no longer teasing and the hunger in his eyes had her silently catching her breath.
Charlie tried to keep it light. After all, she had rebuffed enough guys to know how to do this more subtly.
“ We don’t always get what we want.” She said softly and walked away. She was aware of him looking after her, but thankfully he didn’t try to follow her.
The rest of the week went by relatively fast. Charlie spent most of her days in Bay 6. It was an area she had always felt comfortable and relaxed in. And yet, this entire week, she was on edge. Ryle’s presence unnerved her. She was all too aware of his whereabouts every time she entered the bay. Why she should care where he was, she wasn’t sure.
Trying to dismiss him from her mind was not so easy. She couldn’t seem to concentrate when she knew he was nearby. And her imagination was running so crazily that she seemed to feel his eyes on her back as she worked. Towards the end of the week, she was a bundle of nerves.
On Friday, while walking away after talking with Mike, she walked right into Ryle. With the upcoming flight test on her mind, she was deep in thought and walked right into the very person she least expected to see in the Instrumentation area.
“ Excuse me, I wasn’t looking where I…” Charlie stopped in mid-sentence as she looked up and found herself being caught by Ryle looking down at her with eyes that twinkled with mocking amusement.
Suddenly she was all too aware of the pair of strong hands which had come up to encircle her upper arms to steady her. His tall powerful frame was only a feet away, close enough for her to almost feel the warmth of his body. And his clean male scent mixed with a subtle hint of fresh soap was arousing. Her heart sped up and she felt difficulty in breathing properly.
“There’s no need for excuses,” Ryle drawled, his piercing eyes running slowly over her suddenly heated face before dipping down to her breasts, which were heaving slightly in her effort to breathe. “No need at all,” he murmured more throatily as they lingered on the pointed fullness of her breasts.
In any other circumstances and with anyone else, Charlie would have slapped him for his insolence. Yet coming from Ryle, all she could do was to ensure her knees
Similar Books
