Turbulent Intentions (Billionaire Aviators 1)

He took off the blindfold and Stormy gazed at the plane before her.

“I’m going to take you up in my baby,” he said, excitement beaming off him.

“Oh . . .my,” she gasped.

Stormy looked at Cooper’s large, twin-engine Cessna airplane. Oddly shaped, the aircraft had an elongated nose and a large tail section. The body was lined with round porthole windows. Immaculate white paint covered the metal skin with small sky-blue accents adorning the wingtips, nose, and tail. A bold navy-blue stripe lay against the lines of the aircraft. The combination of metal, plastic, and fabric came together to create a true testament of modern aviation.

Stormy’s stomach sank. Soaring heights had always made her nervous. The peaks of tall trees, cliff edges, the crests of waterfalls, and the view from small airplanes all made her terribly uneasy.

“I’m not the biggest fan of small planes,” she told him.”

Cooper looked at her with worry. She could see it was unfathomable to him that anyone would be afraid of taking the beautiful piece of machinery out for a spin. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she didn’t know if she could do it.

“She isn’t exactly what I’d call small. A glider plane is small,” he told her with a smile.

“It’s a lot smaller than a 747,” she pointed out.

“A lot of people fear personal aircrafts, but once you’re up, they aren’t scary anymore.”

“I’m having a hard time believing you on this one,” she told him.

“How about this? We’ll get inside and sit down. If you panic, I won’t even start the engine. If you feel comfortable after a few minutes, then we’ll rev it up. At any point, you can tell me you’re done and I’ll stop, no hurt feelings, and no pushing you. I promise not to do anything you can’t handle,” Cooper said, while nodding his head toward the craft.

“You promise we can stop if I ask?”

“Absolutely,” he said as he looked at her with encouragement.

“I guess . . .” she said, and he didn’t give her a chance to back out of the first step—getting on the actual plane. He gripped her hand and moved forward.

With reluctance, she followed him behind the wing.

A quick flip of the handle and a slight tug was all it took for the entry to swing open. Folding outward, the stairs and door, all in one, came down. Cooper placed his foot on the bottom step, ensuring it was locked in place.

“Ladies first,” Cooper said as he leaned forward and motioned for her to climb inside.

She took a few steps back. “I’m trying here,” she said.

“All you have to do is look inside, remember. I won’t start the engines unless you tell me it’s okay. You’ll see that it’s actually just like a car, only with wings. There’s nothing to it. We’ll be perfectly safe.”

Still unsure, she peered around the corner, poking her head into the opening but not stepping inside. Looking up and down the cabin, she could see tan leather seats, plush carpet, and a small set of blinds over the circular windows.

Cooper bounded up the steps ahead of her, and with a grin, he stretched out his hand. “Do you trust me?”

Reflecting on the topic of trust, she soon realized she had no reason to doubt him. A strange confidence overtook her fear as she again looked deeply into Cooper’s sapphire eyes.

“Yes, I do,” she said, a little surprised at the calm settling inside her. She removed her heels, grabbed his hand, and climbed aboard.

As they began to get situated in the flight deck, Stormy’s dress snagged on the seat. Baffled as to why he’d requested she wear a dress, she couldn’t resist questioning him.

“Tell me again why I wore a dress for a plane ride?”

“Because, beautiful woman, I’m taking you out for a nice dinner when we land,” he replied.

“Dinner? Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Knowing Cooper was busy with prepping the plane for flight, Stormy sat quietly and watched him work. He held a checklist with one hand, mumbling a few audible words with the primary ones being checked and set.

As if conducting a symphony he moved or adjusted what seemed like every knob, button, and switch in the plane’s flight deck. Entranced by the show, Stormy continued to sit patiently, letting her imagination run wild. It flip-flopped from dirty to clean and back to dirty again with ease.

“I’m going to start her up,” he said, giving her a minute to tell him no if she wanted.

“Okay.”

She really was a lot more comfortable. It did boil down to her trusting him. And she did.

Cooper finished by tuning the radio to talk with air traffic control and informed them he was ready to start. Opening the small side window, Cooper placed his face close to the opening and yelled, “Clear prop.” With one single motion he engaged the starter and pushed up the throttles to feed fuel to the starving engines.

The plane vibrated with harmonious rhythm as both engines began to stabilize. These vibrations only fueled Stormy’s confused emotions, not knowing if it was anticipation or anxiety of the upcoming flight.

Nonetheless, her heart was beating rapidly and strong enough to be felt at her fingertips. Her right hand clamped tightly around the armrest perched on the outer door and her left was hanging onto Cooper’s inner thigh.

“Whoa, not quite so tight, there.”

Stormy realized her nails were probably drawing blood and released her grip with a faint “Sorry.” ok off the blindfold and Stormy gazed at the plane before her.

“I’m going to take you up in my baby,” he said, excitement beaming off him.

“Oh . . .my,” she gasped.

Stormy looked at Cooper’s large, twin-engine Cessna airplane. Oddly shaped, the aircraft had an elongated nose and a large tail section. The body was lined with round porthole windows. Immaculate white paint covered the metal skin with small sky-blue accents adorning the wingtips, nose, and tail. A bold navy-blue stripe lay against the lines of the aircraft. The combination of metal, plastic, and fabric came together to create a true testament of modern aviation.

Stormy’s stomach sank. Soaring heights had always made her nervous. The peaks of tall trees, cliff edges, the crests of waterfalls, and the view from small airplanes all made her terribly uneasy.

“I’m not the biggest fan of small planes,” she told him.”

Cooper looked at her with worry. She could see it was unfathomable to him that anyone would be afraid of taking the beautiful piece of machinery out for a spin. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she didn’t know if she could do it.

“She isn’t exactly what I’d call small. A glider plane is small,” he told her with a smile.

“It’s a lot smaller than a 747,” she pointed out.

“A lot of people fear personal aircrafts, but once you’re up, they aren’t scary anymore.”

“I’m having a hard time believing you on this one,” she told him.

“How about this? We’ll get inside and sit down. If you panic, I won’t even start the engine. If you feel comfortable after a few minutes, then we’ll rev it up. At any point, you can tell me you’re done and I’ll stop, no hurt feelings, and no pushing you. I promise not to do anything you can’t handle,” Cooper said, while nodding his head toward the craft.

“You promise we can stop if I ask?”

“Absolutely,” he said as he looked at her with encouragement.

“I guess . . .” she said, and he didn’t give her a chance to back out of the first step—getting on the actual plane. He gripped her hand and moved forward.

With reluctance, she followed him behind the wing.

A quick flip of the handle and a slight tug was all it took for the entry to swing open. Folding outward, the stairs and door, all in one, came down. Cooper placed his foot on the bottom step, ensuring it was locked in place.

“Ladies first,” Cooper said as he leaned forward and motioned for her to climb inside.

She took a few steps back. “I’m trying here,” she said.

“All you have to do is look inside, remember. I won’t start the engines unless you tell me it’s okay. You’ll see that it’s actually just like a car, only with wings. There’s nothing to it. We’ll be perfectly safe.”

Still unsure, she peered around the corner, poking her head into the opening but not stepping inside. Looking up and down the cabin, she could see tan leather seats, plush carpet, and a small set of blinds over the circular windows.

Cooper bounded up the steps ahead of her, and with a grin, he stretched out his hand. “Do you trust me?”

Reflecting on the topic of trust, she soon realized she had no reason to doubt him. A strange confidence overtook her fear as she again looked deeply into Cooper’s sapphire eyes.

“Yes, I do,” she said, a little surprised at the calm settling inside her. She removed her heels, grabbed his hand, and climbed aboard.

As they began to get situated in the flight deck, Stormy’s dress snagged on the seat. Baffled as to why he’d requested she wear a dress, she couldn’t resist questioning him.

“Tell me again why I wore a dress for a plane ride?”

“Because, beautiful woman, I’m taking you out for a nice dinner when we land,” he replied.

“Dinner? Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Knowing Cooper was busy with prepping the plane for flight, Stormy sat quietly and watched him work. He held a checklist with one hand, mumbling a few audible words with the primary ones being checked and set.

As if conducting a symphony he moved or adjusted what seemed like every knob, button, and switch in the plane’s flight deck. Entranced by the show, Stormy continued to sit patiently, letting her imagination run wild. It flip-flopped from dirty to clean and back to dirty again with ease.

“I’m going to start her up,” he said, giving her a minute to tell him no if she wanted.

“Okay.”

She really was a lot more comfortable. It did boil down to her trusting him. And she did.

Cooper finished by tuning the radio to talk with air traffic control and informed them he was ready to start. Opening the small side window, Cooper placed his face close to the opening and yelled, “Clear prop.” With one single motion he engaged the starter and pushed up the throttles to feed fuel to the starving engines.

The plane vibrated with harmonious rhythm as both engines began to stabilize. These vibrations only fueled Stormy’s confused emotions, not knowing if it was anticipation or anxiety of the upcoming flight.

Nonetheless, her heart was beating rapidly and strong enough to be felt at her fingertips. Her right hand clamped tightly around the armrest perched on the outer door and her left was hanging onto Cooper’s inner thigh.

“Whoa, not quite so tight, there.”

Stormy realized her nails were probably drawing blood and released her grip with a faint “Sorry.”