Strategic Engagement (Wingmen Warriors 5)

Daniel dropped his hand from the side of the plane and allowed extra air to slide between them before he fell victim to the temptation to untangle a strand of her hair from her gold hoop earring. "There are two crew-rest bunks. We can put the boys there."

"Does that break some kind of regulation? What about the crew's sleep?" She straightened both of the rings on her right hand—a ruby dinner ring on her middle finger and on her thumb, a large gold band worn only half way down.

Too large to have been her wedding ring.

What had she done with her band after her divorce? She'd mailed his engagement solitaire to him once he'd returned to the Academy, in spite of his insistence that she keep it.

The diamond ring burned a hole in his sleeve pocket even now, a constant reminder to learn from past mistakes. "This whole mission breaks regs. I'm not overly concerned about a little technicality such as where they sleep. The crew can rack back here if they need to catch a nap."

The plane jostled on an air pocket. His hand shot up instinctively to brace her waist. Her familiar scent of honeysuckle teased his nose.

His hand cupped her ribs, the underside of her breast heating his skin. Small, soft. Perfect.

Were her br**sts as sensitive as they'd been in the early weeks of her pregnancy? They'd spent every one of those post-pregnancy test days exploring each other's bodies without fear of consequence since the consequences had already occurred.

The heat of her now fired memories. Fired him. If he moved his thumb…

His headset crackled in his ears.

"Crusty?" Renshaw called. "Wanna finish that update, please?"

He jerked his hand away and flipped the mouthpiece in place. "The nanny opted not to join us and sent a substitute. We have a stowaway."

"Stowaway?" Bo Rokowsky piped up. "Man or woman?"

Daniel's hand clenched around the memory of warm silk and soft Mary Elise against his hand. "Woman."

"Is she hot?"

Yes. Hell, yes. "Not germane to the mission, Rokowsky."

"'Cause if she is, I'll take over down there and you can come up here."

"Can it, Bo."

"Touchy, touchy. Or maybe not enough touching lately in spite of all those women wanting to cook you dinner and iron your flight suits."

So what if he enjoyed a few casserole gifts now and again? Big freaking deal, and nothing compared to Rokowsky's history with women.

He wouldn't discuss Mary Elise over interphone with the squadron Casanova. A man who sure as hell wasn't getting anywhere near her during this flight. "Keep this up and I'll tell her what your call sign stands for, 'Bo.'" The guy's real name had long ago faded from memories as he'd gone by Bo since training days. "Meanwhile, how about working on flying the plane or something?"

Daniel flipped the mouthpiece aside again. "We need to talk.">Mary Elise gripped the barred edge of the seat to steady her hands. She might not be able to regulate her pulse or her feelings, but she could control what she did about them. Bigger worries loomed, anyway, far more important than discovering if Daniel Baker still administered the most thorough, long and intense kisses she'd ever known.

"Danny, could you pass me the smaller bag inside the crate, please? The black canvas one. Trey needs his inhaler."

"Don't … want it," Trey insisted.

Daniel's forehead trenched. "The kid has asthma? Why didn't someone tell me?" He shifted away, mumbling, "And why didn't someone mention who the hell would be accompanying them?"

So it bothered him after all. Mary Elise stifled the urge to do an impromptu victory dance and rubbed soothing circles along Trey's back while Daniel reached into the crate.

His flight suit stretched across narrow h*ps that veed up his back into broad shoulders. Muscles rippled under taut green fabric with restrained strength. He pivoted around with athletic fluidity, pitching the bag toward her.

"Thank you," she said, avoiding eyes that told her too well she wouldn't be able to dodge talking soon.

Mary Elise yanked the zipper open and rifled inside the pouch until her fingers closed around the inhaler. She snapped off the cap and thrust her hand toward Trey.

He brought the medicine to his mouth and pumped once, twice, again.