Page 56 of Fly to Fury
“Only if you don’t treat his little sister right or some other big brother rot.” She was so going to punch Mak for his meddling. Or hug him. Maybe both.
“I get that. I have three younger sisters of my own.” Fieran’s smile returned with a lopsided tilt as he eased forward. “So. We’re doing this?”
With Fieran looking at her like that, she could shove aside all the doubts about him being a prince and his famous family. At this moment, it was just the two of them, and if she concentrated on that, the answer resonated inside her.
Yes. So very much yes.
But the word stuck in her throat as Fieran took yet another step closer. Close enough that he could reach out and touch her if he wished. Close enough that her stomach was fluttering and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
She needed to play it cool. Calm. She could be calm. No just throwing herself into his arms. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice steady, her tone firm. “We need to be sensible about this. No losing our heads.”
“Of course.” Slowly, as if waiting for her to pull away if she wished, Fieran reached out and gently brushed one of her curls from her face and tucked it behind her ear. The tips of his fingers brushed her cheek, and her skin tingled with the awareness even of that feather-light touch.
“No distracting each other when we are supposed to be working.” As they were doing now, but Pip didn’t want him to stop. She swayed closer, her hands somehow finding their way to bracing herself against his chest.
“At least, not for long.” Fieran eased an arm around her back. “We’ll keep each other in line and tell each other when it’s time to get back to work.”
“And we’ll keep it professional in front of the squadron.” Pip’s knees were growing weak as she stared up at his face. So near, and yet she was far too short to take matters into her own hands and just kiss him. She had no choice but to wait for him to end the torture and kiss her already. Not unless she fetched a box or a ladder, and that would rather break the moment.
“Mostly professional.” Fieran’s voice held an extra timbre, his smile mischievous, as he bent lower, tauntingly closer but still out of reach even if she stood on tiptoes.
“I’m beginning to see why you feared being distracted.” She could reach her arms around his neck now, her fingersfinally brushing through the short strands of his red hair at the back of his neck. “You’re getting distracted by too much talking.”
“You’re doing just as much talking as I am.” Fieran’s voice trailed off as he leaned even closer, tilting his head.
She stood on her tiptoes, tugging him toward her or tugging herself up, she wasn’t sure. Perhaps both.
His lips faintly brushed over hers, and…
A clanging siren blared through the hangar, loud and clashing. An air raid.
Pip jumped, and she would have bashed her forehead against Fieran’s nose if he hadn’t also jerked away from her, straightening so fast that she lost her grip around his neck.
They shared one last glance—charged, longing—before Fieran turned and snatched his flight jacket and items from the wing, ready to go back to war.
Chapter
Nineteen
His heart still pounding, his head filled with thoughts of thealmostof a moment before, Fieran raced around the aeroplane to where the radio was set up along one wall. Other flyboys sprinted in that direction from various parts of the hangar, along with a few of the elves of Flight A.
The radio crackled with shouted voices, the words blending over and through each other as they captured the chaos of battle.
“What’s happening?” Fieran shrugged into his flight jacket, even as he juggled his cap, goggles, and scarf.
“The Mongavarians have taken their aeroplanes out of hiding. Capt. Kentworth and his men are trying to hold them off, but…” The radio operator winced at the burst of static that filled the radio. An aeroplane exploding or crashing.
“Half-Breed Squadron, we need to take to the sky to reinforce them.” Fieran cast a glance around the hangar. Only a portion of the aeroplanes of his Flight were inside. One aeroplane rested half-in and half-out the door as the ground crewfroze partway through wheeling it inside. Fieran didn’t see his or Merrik’s aeroplanes yet, so they must still be outside by the airfield.
“We haven’t inspected all the aeroplanes yet.” Pip tugged at his arm, her face washing slightly pale. “I haven’t checked your aeroplane.”
“There isn’t time. We have to get up there.” Fieran rested his hand over hers briefly before he pulled away.
There wasn’t time to say everything he should say to her. No time to finish that kiss. No time before he flew into battle once again.
Capt. Kentworth’s men were dying out there, and if the Mongavarian aeroplanes got past the Wall, they’d see the army build up in preparation of the attack. Whatever semblance of surprise they’d maintained would be blown wide open.
Pip released a shaky breath. She didn’t nod, as if she didn’t want to agree with him. But she met his gaze. “Bring back my aeroplane in one piece.”
