High Octane (Texas Hotzone 2)

He could have left out the die, considering they were about to jump out of a plane, but she managed to shove that aside, using the much-needed distraction of this hot man flirting with her.

Sabrina slid her paperwork forward. “I’m ready when you’re ready.”

Keeping his gaze locked on her face, he said, “You have a decision to make.”

Wasn’t jumping out of a plane with this man enough of a decision for one day? “Which is what?”

“First choice. You can take several hours of training and jump on your own. That gives you the control, which appears to be important to you.”

“Jumping out of a plane with no one anywhere near to help me is not what I call control,” she said with no hesitation. In fact, she could feel her chest tightening, hear her heart pounding in her ears. “I thought I could jump with you? Can’t I jump with you?” She pushed to her feet, and barely remembered doing it.

“Easy, sweetheart,” he said softly, holding up his hands and slowly lowering them. “Of course you can jump with me. But maybe we should go get a beer instead of jumping out of a plane. Give you some time to think this through.”

Suddenly, she realized how silly she must seem. My God. How had she become this scared little girl, too frightened to do what a million other people did without fear?

“No,” she said, knowing that if she gave herself time to think, she’d back out. “Let’s go. I want to jump.”

Ryan stood up and walked around to her. Close. Towering over her. He extended his hand. “I’ll make sure you enjoy every last minute.”

3

SAFE, BORING, WITHOUT RISK. That described the men, and the events, of her life. She yearned for some excitement. She yearned to get past her fear. To live, to breathe, to enjoy life. Not just to survive it.

Sabrina stared at Ryan’s hand—big, strong and an invitation to be daring that included so much more than jumping out of a plane. Her gaze lifted to his chocolate-brown stare, her hand tingling with the desire to touch him. The sexual tension between them was palpable, darn near consuming.

“Okay, Sabrina,” Jennifer said, rushing into the room, “I have news that is either going to totally frustrate you, or make your day.”

Sabrina turned to face her friend, abandoning Ryan’s outstretched hand, as if her own hand were caught in the cookie jar. “News?” she asked.

Jennifer approached them and glanced suspiciously between Sabrina and Ryan. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Sabrina said quickly and then shoved her paperwork forward. “Nothing but paperwork, that is. All done.”

“Paperwork,” Ryan said dryly. “Nothing but paper work. What’s the news?”

With keen, skeptical eyes, Jennifer grabbed the forms, but focused on Ryan. “Apparently Marco Montey enjoyed himself yesterday. He’s coming back this afternoon. He called jumping with you the best adrenaline rush he’d had off the track in years. In other words, you can’t take Sabrina up today. And for the record…that a well-known daredevil views you as an adrenaline rush is a perfect example of why I don’t want Sabrina with you.” Her attention shifted apologetically to Sabrina. “Sorry, sweetie. I know it took a lot for you to get here today. I hate that I put you through this just to send you home, but maybe it’s for the best.”

Sabrina doubted Jennifer really understood how much it really had taken for her to get herself here. How much she’d fretted. How much she’d self-analyzed and denied. Not jumping? For the best? Sabrina wasn’t so sure about that. No one should get this worked up for nothing. Yet, she had. Sighing, she squeezed her eyes shut. She should feel relieved she wasn’t jumping. Instead, surprisingly, she felt let down.

Ryan cleared his throat, regaining their attention.

“Hang out until sunset, and I’ll take you up then,” Ryan offered, his brown eyes sympathetic rather than challenging. His words low, for her ears only. “If you’re going to skydive once in your lifetime, that’s the time to do it. It’s truly one of the most spectacular sights ever.”

Sabrina blinked, fighting the most unnerving urge to reach out and touch the light stubble on his ruggedly handsome face. The man loved skydiving. He lived life while she merely existed. She wished she could be brave and exciting like him, but the truth was, he was beyond her. And so was jumping out of a plane.

Swallowing regret that had everything to do with Ryan, and nothing to do with missing a chance to nosedive from a plane, she replied, “I’d better pass because, you know, sitting here, waiting for my turn to jump from a plane, potentially to die, pretty much ruins the ‘spectacular’ part of the equation.”

His lips twitched. “You aren’t going to die. I promise.”

She jumped on that—the only jump she intended to take now, no matter how tempting the man. “You can’t promise that and you know it.” He opened his mouth to respond, but she flung up a staying hand, her nostrils flaring with the spicy scent of him that darn near rattled her resolve. She forcefully added, “I like my promises absolute, not probably absolute. People die while skydiving.”