Page 64 of Sin City Lights

She did as she was told.

“Now, hold her steady.” He slackened his already loose grip, poised to let her take the controls.

Her eyes grew huge as her gaze flicked to his hands.“You’re not going to let go, are you?”

The plane lurched.

She leaned into him. Her thigh pressed to his, hard.

He reached over and, as calmly as he could, covered her small hand with his own, steadying Betty.

“Eve,” he said, his voice low,“I let go some time ago. Relax and keep her steady. You can do this. Do you trust me?”

He watched her take a deep breath. She nodded, squared her shoulders, and gripped the yoke with newfound confidence.

It hit him like a hammer to the forehead. It was easy to imagine doing this with her, and often. There were so many things he wanted to show her, so many places left for him to explore, and all of them would be much more enjoyable with her by his side.

Eve

“Welcome to fabulous Seligman, Arizona.”

Eve looked below. Brown, barren ground and a couple of buildings that appeared to be white shacks.“Where’s the airport?”

“Thatisthe airport.”

She looked again.“It’s dirt!”

“It’s Arizona.”

She licked her lips.“I don’t see the tower?”

“There is none. This field is uncontrolled.”

She swallowed.“How—”

“It’s not a free-for-all. We talk to one another. Everyone knows who’s here and where they are.” He cued the mic.“Seligman traffic, Cessna 458 Lima Alpha, six miles southeast, will overfly the field for a left midfield downwind entry for runway four, Seligman.”

Eve relaxed a little. It helped that she could spot no other planes around.“Where’s the runway?”

He pointed.

“OK, I see it. Well, good, at least it’s paved.” She eyed the little strip.“Looks short.”

“Betty only requires about fifteen hundred feet for takeoff, and half that for landing. She can even land on dirt if necessary. All we need is enough clear space. We’re good.”

Betty was flying much slower now. He eased her downward, staying parallel to the runway.

“Seligman traffic, Cessna 458 Lima Alpha, downwind for runway four, Seligman.”

Watching him handle this little plane with easy skill was a whole other level of turn-on. It was so different from being in the back of a jet with him somewhere up front, away from view, in a huge cockpit full of buttons, lights, and switches. This was intimate, and she had a front-row seat. He was so close; all she had to do was move an inch, and her leg would be pressed to his again.

Suddenly, Adam began adjusting multiple things quickly while looking inside and outside.

Was something wrong?“What are you doing?”

“GUMPS check. Gas, undercarriage, mixture, propeller, switches,” he said tersely.“We’ll talk more on the ground.”

She took this as a hint to stop asking questions and let him land the plane. Yeah, good idea, that.

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