Page 79 of The Sky Pirate's Stowaway
“They won’t see it that way.”
I sighed because I didn’t want to get into an argument. I didn’t agree with him, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t about to change his mind tonight.
Honestly, I’d gotten further with him than I thought. Never in a million years did I think Max would’ve let me put the salve on him. He showed me so much trust tonight it made my heart swell.
Leaning in, I captured his lips with mine, giving him a long kiss and wrapping my arms around his neck.
We were at an odd angle, and I didn’t want to make him move any more than he had to—his leg needed rest—so we didn’t kiss for long. But I drank in every second of his mouth on mine, of his flavor on my tongue. Our tongues brushed, making my entire body light up and sizzle with expectation.
But then the kiss slowed into something softer, sweeter, and my heart lit up instead. We kissed and kissed until we were both breathless and had to pull apart to breathe.
I smiled at him, and he grinned back before pecking my lips one last time and pulling me closer until I rested my head on his chest.
His heart beat loudly in my ear, matching my own and making my eyes water with the knowledge that this couldn’t last.
How could I have this amazing man only for him to be taken from me weeks later?
I wanted to keep him. I wanted to beg him to stay in Asteris with me. I wanted to build on this foundation we were laying. But that wasn’t fair. This was his life. Max had built his life on this ship, and even though I knew he hated Viper, he loved the rest of it. He was born to be in the sky, and I could never ground him.
I kissed his neck and sat up, wiping at my eyes so I didn’t bring the mood down. But when I finally met his gaze, his eyes looked wet too.
It made mine want to water again, but I refused to let this happen every time we were together.
So I sent him a smile, kissed the corner of his mouth, and turned to lean my back against him. Max wrapped his arms around me, rested his chin on the top of my head, and held me tight as we stared at the stars again. I scooted a little and bumped into Max’s prosthetic behind us, and for the millionth time since I realized his leg had been amputated, I wondered how it happened.
“How did it happen?” I found myself asking minutes later before I registered what was about to come out of my mouth. I winced. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I—”
“No, it’s fine.” He gave me a tight squeeze and didn’t say anything for a few beats. Then surprised me again by saying, “I… I want to tell you what happened.”
15
Maximus
Five Years Ago
The wind tore at my hair as I swung through the open air, suspended behindThe Valiantby nothing but a safety line. My stomach lurched with that perfect blend of terror and exhilaration that only sky-drops could provide. The clouds parted around me, wisps of vapor caressing my face as I arced through them. It was easy to forget that there was a behemoth in front of us—the heaviest assault warship that Sunada owned.
Five thousand feet below, the ocean stretched like a blue eternity.
“Adjust your line!” Eric’s voice cut through the rush of wind, his laughter carrying across the gap between us.
I tugged the mechanism on my harness, releasing more cable. The line extended smoothly, dropping me another twenty feet lower than the ship’s hull. Beside me, Eric did the same, descending to match my height.
We soared in tandem, two birds on invisible tethers. Captain Eric Cunningham ofThe Valiant, the pride of House Eldritch’s fleet, was magnificent in flight. The wind tousled his blond hair,and his eyes—those deep brown eyes I’d fallen into the first day I’d reported for duty—sparkled with unbridled joy.
He reached for me, swinging closer until our fingers brushed. We synchronized our movements, swinging together in a graceful aerial dance. Eric caught my hand, interlacing our fingers as we spun slowly beneath the massive airship.
“Beautiful day for flying,” he called over the wind, his smile radiant.
I squeezed his hand. “Every day is beautiful when you’re in the sky.”
Eric’s safety line allowed him to swing toward me, bringing our faces inches apart. “Every day is beautiful when I’m with you,” he murmured.
His lips found mine with familiar hunger. The kiss was dizzying—partly from the sensation of floating, partly from the man himself. I melted against him, one hand tangling in his windswept hair while the other clung to his harness. For those perfect moments, nothing else existed but us and the endless sky.
“I’ve been waiting to do that all day,” he whispered. “Do you have any idea how distracting you are on the bridge, standing there looking so proper in your uniform?”
I laughed softly. “I believe that’s calledmilitary discipline, Captain.”
