Explosive Alliance (Wingmen Warriors 9)

"And the sprint."

"We flew into a flock of birds, took one in an engine and had to call for an emergency landing."

"So that wasn't a performance for our benefit?"

"Afraid not."

Why wasn't he leaving? Working? What did he want from her? "Don't you need to do... something after a landing that frightening?"

"Stuff like that happens in the air—birds, engine fires, rapid decompressions. All in a day's work." His fingers flexed inside his flight gloves. "At least nobody's shooting at us."

She winced at images of Kurt's arrest the night he'd held this man and another family hostage in hopes of finding a ticket out of the country.

"I meant in a war zone," he amended gently.

She tried to smile. And failed. "Oh."

He stepped closer. Man and musk and a masculine protectiveness emanated from him, wobbling her knees.

Bo brushed her elbow. "How are you?"

Scared. Afraid she couldn't feed her daughter. Terrified one of her husband's connections would come after them. She was also mortified. Decimated.

Lonely. And really, really enjoying the hot strength of this man's touch against her elbow.

Ah, geez, was he actually leaning closer, his nostrils flaring as if catching her scent like a stallion choosing a mate?

No problem, then, unless he got worked up over the smell of Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen.

She eased her arm free. "We're building a new life. I appreciate your taking the time to say hello—" Now wasn't that a whopper lie? "But my daughter and I are about to eat lunch."

"Cupcakes," Kirstie whispered from around Paige's leg.

Resting his guitar on the cement, he lowered to one knee in front of Kirstie. "Sounds like my kind of meal."

Was he angling for an invitation? For what possible reason? She hated being suspicious, but when someone you loved betrayed you so totally, trusting strangers was all but impossible.

"Well, goodbye, Captain, we need to get mov—"

Kirstie released her death grip on Paige's thigh and inched forward. "Will you show me the airplanes? I'll give you half my cupcake."

"Kirstie," Paige shushed low. "Captain Rokowsky probably has—"

"Bo." He tapped the name tag on his flight suit. "My name's Bo."

"He has other things to do."

Bo glanced over at the three men and then back. "I'm afraid your mom's right."

Kirstie's disappointed sigh huffed up to rustle sweaty bangs. Then her spine straightened with her old spunk. "What if I gave you my whole cupcake? It's chocolate with sprinkles."

"Sprinkles, huh?" He scratched his square jaw. "That's a tempting offer, but my boss is going to come looking for me soon, and he gets cranky when we're not on time. I just wanted to say hello before debrief."

"De-what?" Kirstie's curiosity about all things flying overtook her shyness. As much as Paige wanted to run, she couldn't bear to stomp on the spark returning to her daughter.

"Debrief. That's when we talk about the flight so we can learn how to do things better the next time," he explained with surprising patience for a young bachelor with "player"

stamped all over his godlike body and confident strut.