Page 46 of Flyboy

“No, hold on. Me apologizing has lots of sense in it.”

“True. True. I’m not knocking your heartfelt, beautiful apologies.” He shook his head. Then he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “But that whole mess with Guido, that explains a whole heck of a lot of stuff.”

“Does it?”

“Yes. For example, how a woman as daring and exciting as you, one who swims toward sharks, can be so uptight about my maneuvers. Someone who herself flies just as carefree and, dare I say, reckless?” He nodded, obviously just getting started. “Who takes unknown horses over jumps without a single bit of preparation. Reckless.”

“We need a different word.”

“Yeah. Awesome. That’s what it is. When I do it.”

“Fair enough.”

“But you. You . . .”

“There’s more. Have you ever heard of Alec Halstead?”

He started to shake his head, but then she added, “Venom.”

His eyes bulged. “Halstead.”

“He was my brother.”

His hand went to his forehead. “Of all the things to not know. Does Ace know?”

“Yes, and Amanda.”

“But not me.”

“I try to hide it from most people.”

“And I’m most people.”

“You were, yes.”

He seemed to sit up a little taller. “But not anymore?”

“I don’t know, Colton. I’m freaking out about having to fly again. I don’t want to spin into this fear cycle. It took me six months to get out of it.” She gripped his sleeves. “Help.”

“Hey. I’m here. We’re not gonna let that happen to you. Because look at me.”

She lifted her lashes.

“I’m gonna be there. I’m gonna take care of you. And someone needs to talk the other pilots down. We’ve got a few freaking out up there, and I need you. I need your voice, your experience. Come on, Ivy. You and I can do anything up there. Trust me.”

She sucked in a breath. And that was the crux of it. Did she trust him? His eyes begged her to give him a shot. His hand laced his fingers with hers. But he didn’t say anything more. And maybe it was his patience that did it, but as she searched his face, she knew she wanted to trust him. She stared deeply into his eyes, and then her gaze moved down his face to his lips. Before she could think of anything else, she was clinging to him, her arm flung around his neck, her lips covering his in a desperate plea. A plea that turned into confidence almost immediately. A deep core of warmth and peace filled her just as a new crazy desire raced through her blood, and the combination was intoxicating, as high as anything she’d ever felt, as adrenaline-pounding as the craziest stunt. She was in love with Colton Bushman, and she trusted him.

Her mouth stretched into a smile. And she nodded. “I trust you.” She smiled through new misty eyes. “I totally trust you. You. Colton. Flyboy, the fastest pilot anyone’s heard of, the guy crazy enough to do the things you’ve done, and I trust you.”

He pressed his lips to hers one more time, a kiss filled with promise, and then he stood. “Good, because we have a plane to fly.”

His hand that held hers was solid, sure, and she knew that together, she felt strong. Together, she’d even approached a shark. Together she would be able to face her old fear again and go up in the air. She’d gone up with him once before. That helped. This new trust would get her through.

Chapter 17

Colton still wasn’t completely sure what went down with Ivy in the hall, but he knew he would trust her, just like she’d said she trusted him. He was going to trust that she would pull through whatever demons were after her. Had her news surprised him? Shocked him, more like.

Guido. She had been up with the idiot Guido. This should have been in her file. Maybe it was. For everyone but him to see.

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