Page 40 of The Pilot & the Athlete

He nodded. “I do. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you bravely fighting off those scum balls in your swimming suit.”

Her eyes glistened again. “I fell in love with you when I was fourteen.” She grinned and his pulse took off at her admission. “But that was a shallow infatuation kind of love. When you burst out of the cockpit with your gun drawn and then thumped that brute Jonah to rescue me, I knew I loved you. Every look, touch, and word you speak just confirms it.”

He snuggled her closer and savored this moment with her. He’d clear the air with Darian for the right reasons, but he’d doit with Shay by his side. She’d support him just as he wanted to support her.

After a few quiet moments, she looked up at him, her teal eyes full of him and her lips begging him to claim them.

“What about my kiss?” he asked. “Does that confirm anything?”

“Your kiss is fire, bussin’, gucci, dope, lit. It slaps and hits different.”

Paul laughed. “Does all that mean good?”

“Better than good. It means amaze-z-zing.” She went on tiptoes and kissed him.

Paul returned the kiss hungrily. He’d gone from despair and willing to cut out his own heart, to Shay in his arms and ‘fire’ kisses. Most importantly, he knew they’d walk through the battle with Darian together and hopefully the rest of their lives as one.

He’d have to send up many prayers of gratitude.

After he finished kissing Shay.

Chapter

Seventeen

Shay heldonto Paul’s hand as they drove in one of Aiden Porter’s tricked-out Cadillac Escalades toward Glenwood Springs. Aiden and Autumn were thrilled they were going home together. Neither of them knew the nerve-wracking conversation they would have with Darian tonight.

She wondered what would happen after they talked to Darian. She was ready to go back to her normal life in Colorado Springs—teaching private lessons, coaching her team, and training—but she didn’t want Paul to leave her side. That wouldn’t work with his busy security and piloting career.

“After we talk to Darian …” she began. The evening shadows were deepening and the forest lining the highway and tall mountains made it darker even though it was barely seven o’clock. “What then?”

“Well, maybe we could get some dinner or go visit our parents.” A smile played at the corners of Paul’s mouth.

“Okay, short-term focus. Think bigger for me, please.”

He pulled their clasped hands to his lips and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. “I thought I’d see what assignments Aiden has in Colorado so I can stay close to my favorite swimmer and date her.”

Her pulse picked up. “We kind of skipped the casual dating part, didn’t we?”

He nodded.

“So you’d define this as serious dating with ample time set aside for kissing?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Fire.”

“I never said who my favorite swimmer was,” he teased her.

“Not chill.” She pulled her hand free and smacked his shoulder.

Paul chuckled. He reached for her hand and pulled it to his lips. He pressed a heated kiss to her palm that made her stomach flip flop. “Forgive me.” He glanced away from the tree-lined freeway. “You know you’re my favorite everything, Shay.”

“No cap, that is gucci,” she managed, sighing with longing at that look in his deep-brown eyes. She wanted to be done driving and kiss for a very long time.

They exited I-70 and she gave him directions to Darian’s house. He was in a neighborhood only a mile from her parents. She was grateful Darian was close as their parents were getting older and she didn’t plan on moving home anytime soon.

“You nervous?” she asked as they pulled up to Darian’s brick rambler home. The lights were on inside and on the porch. The sun was gone, but it was still light enough to see outside.

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