Some Kind of Wonderful (Puffin Island 2)

“You— Oh. What was wrong with her?”

He turned the bread over in his hands, not eating. “The guy had been away on a business trip for a week. Before he’d left he’d promised her he’d bring her a pair of skates so that they could skate on the lake together. Within an hour of him returning they were out on the ice. Dani fell and banged her head. Knocked herself out and cut herself.”

Dani. Not “his child” or “this kid”—Dani.

Another connection he’d made that somehow hadn’t registered on his radar.

“That’s terrible. I bet he blamed himself for giving her those skates.”

“He was beating himself up for a long time.”

“Still, people don’t usually hand out planes when they’re grateful. That’s a hell of a tip, Flynn, so why don’t you tell me the rest of the story? And no editing.” She finished the chicken and wiped her fingers. “It was minus-stupid figures, blowing a gale and no one else would fly, right?”

He broke off a chunk of bread and ate it. “Something like that.”

Exactly like that, she thought. “So you were a hero?”

“No. I made a judgment. If I hadn’t thought I could do it, I wouldn’t have offered.”

“So you didn’t just put the autopilot on and pray?”

“I don’t use the autopilot in icy conditions, it can mask cues. I prefer to hand-fly the plane.”

And she was willing to bet those hands were as good at controlling the plane as they were at everything else. “But Dani was okay?”

“She was in the hospital for a week, but she made a full recovery.”

“And her father gave you a plane.” She stretched out her legs and looked at him in awe. “Was there a catch? You had to always be on call or something?”

“No. I carried on flying him and his family while they were there. Then they moved back to Texas and I decided I was ready for a change.”

“So you set up a business, flying folk with deep pockets.” But what he did wasn’t all about the money, she knew that. He’d flown Brittany to her appointments. He’d flown Lizzy to the hospital when no one else would. “Emily thinks you’re a hero.”

“She’s biased. A sick child is a scary thing. They go downhill fast when they’re young. It was the same with Dani. You’re grateful to anyone who goes through that with you, even if it’s someone at the controls of a plane.” He rose to his feet, closing the subject down. “We should be getting back.”

“Praise makes you uncomfortable.”

“I haven’t had much practice at receiving it and I don’t see the need for praise when you’re just doing something that needs doing.” He closed the basket, reached out his hand and pulled Brittany to her feet.

“You’re not such a badass, Zachary Flynn. When it comes to the weak and the vulnerable, you’re a pushover.” On impulse, she rose onto her toes and kissed his cheek, feeling the roughness of his jaw against her lips. “Thanks.” She’d intended the kiss as a simple gesture of friendship, nothing more, but between the two of them there was always more. “Simple” had never played a part in their relationship.

His head was bent, his mouth dangerously close to hers. “What are you thanking me for?”

There was a tightening low in her pelvis, a dangerous ache that always seemed to be present when she was near him. “For giving me a hug when I was upset this morning. For bringing me here. I feel better.” Unsettled, she started to lower her heels to the ground but he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him. She rocked off balance, curving her fingers around the hard steel of his biceps to support herself.

His gaze, dark and shielded, was fixed on her mouth. “What do you think your grandmother would say if she knew you were with me now?”

The excitement was agonizing. It rushed through her like a rogue wave, threatening to swamp her. “I think—I know—she’d want me to be happy.”

There was a long, pulsing silence and then his gaze lifted from her mouth to her eyes. “And are you happy?”

“Yes.” Her heart was pounding and she curved her fingers into the unyielding bulk of muscle to support herself. They stood like that, their breath mingling, eyes locked, and then finally he slid his hand behind her head and drew her face to his.

“I promised myself that I wasn’t going to do this again.”

“Why?” Her heart was racing. “Why not?”

He didn’t answer. He simply lowered his head and took her mouth, kissing her with slow deliberation and erotic skill until she was relieved he was holding her because without the support of his arm she would have slid to the ground in a melted puddle. His kisses were intimate, searching, demanding and every bit as deep as if they were both already naked having sex.