Cocky Flyboy by Susan Horsnell
MELISSA HANSEN
After handing a passenger the vodka and tonic he had requested, I made my way along the aisle to the servery at the rear of the cabin.
Kendall and Mark stood sipping coffee, and he was laughing at something she’d said. This was to be Kendall’s final flight with National, thanks to hooking up with her dreamboat captain, who she was soon to marry.
I’d heard the pair were hopelessly in love, and I was happy for them. I hoped their relationship proved to be happy for the rest of their days.
I had recently transferred from Chicago after completing my ten weeks of training a couple of weeks earlier. It was the home port I’d been allocated, but I hadn’t wanted to stay in the windy city. It was within reach of my past that I was fighting hard to escape. When a notice requesting volunteers to take Kendall’s roster had caught my eye, I had immediately applied. I’d been happy to relocate to New York as my home port, and it was a move I desperately needed.
This was my first and last flight with Kendall. It was a shame. I would have liked to get to know her better. She had been both warm and welcoming to me, and I suspected we could have been friends.
After helping myself to a freshly brewed coffee, I leaned back against the bulkhead facing the pair.
“Have you flown with this co-pilot before, Sis?” Kendall asked.
I’d asked Kendall and Mark to use my nickname, Sis.
“Axel Winter?”
“Yes.”
“No, this is the first flight I’ve been on with him. I haven’t flown with Tim either, although I have heard plenty about him and his ways. Since they boarded early, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet them yet. Why do you ask?”
“Axel made a pass at me and asked if I was sure I wanted to be tied down to one man. He’s an arrogant sonofabitch and will give Tim a run for his money in the cocky department.” She clucked her tongue before continuing. “As if I would be interested in someone who is obviously immature and taking a guess, barely out of his teens.”
Mark addressed me. “I’ve flown with Axel before when he was in training, and like Kendall, have crewed with Tim numerous times since he joined the airline as captain. Tim was Carter’s co-pilot on international flights before he was offered the promotion to captain and a position here at National. They’re also good friends.
Tim does have a reputation throughout the industry and is often referred to as ‘cocky flyboy’. He changes his women so fast he needs to have a revolving door installed. He thinks he’s God’s gift to the female sex.”
“Sounds a bit like Carter before he met me,” Kendall mused.
I took note of what Mark was saying and resolved to give both Tim and Axel a wide berth, although the latter sounded far too young for my twenty-five years of age. Having just escaped a dangerous relationship, I wasn’t about to become trapped in another. My interest in the opposite sex at this point in my life was zero, and I intended to keep it that way.
The sound of a call bell had me setting the coffee mug down on a nearby counter. “I’ll go.”
I reached seat 18B, where an overweight, and already inebriated man, slurred out that he wanted another whiskey on the rocks. I had already served him two on our short flight and suspected he’d had many more in the airport lounge while waiting to board. I knew the refusal I was about to give would not be well received.
I clicked off the call bell and looked down to see the man wore an expression on his face I was all too familiar with. When he licked his sloppy lips, my skin crawled with revolt. My stomach churned, racing to the edge of ejecting everything I’d eaten in the past few hours, and I attempted to take a step back.
His arm shot out and a sweaty hand latched onto my forearm. Short, chubby fingers gripped me tightly, digging into my skin. Surprised by the action, I let out a squeal and attempted to pull free. Instead of releasing me, his grip tightened.
Sweat beaded on my forehead. Fingers of ice-cold fear tiptoed down my spine, and I felt the blood drain from my face as the man before me transformed into Lincoln. I froze, and when his other hand lifted toward me, my head spun. Stars danced before my eyes. I was snapped from my zombie state when a deep growl sounded from beside me.
“Sir, you have less than a nanosecond to drop your hand from the arm of a member of my crew. Rest assured, you do not want me to remove it for you.”
I turned to find Captain Reisher; he was large, annoyed, and intimidating. A deadly glare marred his handsome face as he loomed over the passenger. The passenger didn’t push his luck and released his grip on me immediately. The moment I was freed, I almost sprinted to the rear of the aircraft and plastered myself against a wall out of sight. My heart raced and body shook. Tears welled in my eyes.
Kendall, taking in my shocked state, immediately stepped to my side and placed a hand on my shoulder. Mark hovered nearby; concern etched on his handsome face.
“Sis, what happened?” Kendall asked.
“Some grub had hold of her and was refusing to release his grip on her arm.”
I glanced up on hearing the captain’s voice, he spoke quietly as he studied me.
I offered him a smile and thanked him for intervening. The tall, sexy man’s perusal of me as we faced each other sent shivers careening down my spine. Pleasurable shivers. I wondered what the hell was happening. I had never responded to a man in that way, not even Lincoln when we’d first met.
Tim thrust his hand forward and I hesitated for a moment before shaking. As our skin met, lightning shot through my body, straight to my core. I was shocked to feel wetness pooling in my panties, and when I gazed into his luscious brown eyes, I saw they were filled with confusion. “Tim Reisher.”
“Melissa Hansen.” I snatched my arm back, rubbing my now moist palm along the side of my skirt. “I’m sorry for the way I reacted to that man.”
“No need to apologize, your reaction was perfectly natural. He was a big man, drunk, and had no right to restrain you the way he was.” Tim directed his next words to Mark. “I want you dealing with him for the rest of the flight. If he gives you any trouble, come and get me. I won’t have my crew harassed or the aircraft endangered.”
“Consider it done, Captain.” Mark gave me a reassuring smile when I let out an audible sigh of relief.
“Nice to meet you, Melissa. Sorry it wasn’t under better circumstances. We’re getting together for a drink after the flight, and it would be nice if you could join us.”
“Sorry, I don’t drink.”
“Not even coffee?” Tim’s cheeky grin, and the tilt of his head, had an effect on every nerve in my body. I could understand why he had a constant parade of women in his life.
“Well, yes, of course. I don’t drink alcohol, is what I meant.”
“Then join us for coffee to farewell Kendall?”
I didn’t do social get-togethers. After eight years with Lincoln, I didn’t know how. It had been only a little more than twelve weeks since we’d parted. Was it time I started exploring my hard-fought-for freedom? There didn’t seem to be any chance Lincoln would find me here in New York, and I didn’t want to appear rude to the people I was now working alongside. It was time to let go of my fear, anxiety, and sadness.
“I would like to join you. Thank you.”
“Kendall, you’ll show Melissa…”
“Sis.” I interrupted.
“Very well. Kendall, can I ask you to show Sis upstairs to Petros Café when we land?”
“Sure, we’ll wait there while you finish up your post-flight brief. It would be good if Axel got lost along the way.” It was obvious Kendall disliked the co-pilot and would prefer not to deal with him.
Tim shook his head. “I have to continue working with him in close quarters. No doubt we’ll be rostered together on a regular basis, and I don’t want tension in my cockpit.”
“I guess, but Carter is meeting us there, so give Axel a heads-up?”
Tim cocked his head and gave a cheeky grin. “Do I have to; it could be fun to watch him get laid out on the floor?”
I giggled; it was obvious Tim had a mischievous streak.
“Tim,” Kendall growled.
He held both hands up in front of him, palms out, and laughed. “Okay, okay, I’ll warn him.”
Kendall pointed toward the cockpit. “Go. Let us get back to work, or we won’t be ready for landing, and you’ll have to circle over New York. I know how much you love doing that.”
“I’m gone. I’ll catch you later, Sis, when we get to farewell this bully.”
I laughed when Kendall slapped his shoulder; he pouted and spun around. As he strode down the aisle, I took the opportunity to check out the tall man’s ass. Encased in his fitted pilot’s pants, he was positively droolworthy. Lucky pants.
I shook my head. What the hell was I thinking? I’d barely gotten out of my last relationship alive, and there was no way on earth I would get involved with another man this soon. No matter how drop-dead sexy he was.
“Let’s get everything cleared away.” Mark’s voice brought me back to reality. “Sis, you take the front of the cabin. Kendall, you take the back, and I’ll take the center section with the asshole.”
I was grateful when Mark escorted me past the troublesome man in 18B before leaving me to ready the passengers in the front for landing.
Not long after I began securing the cabin, the seatbelt light was switched on and illuminated. Mark strode to the front of the aircraft and spoke over the intercom.
“The captain has now switched on the seatbelt sign, ready for landing. All passengers are requested to return to their seats and place large items in the overhead lockers. Tray tables are to be returned to the locked position, and seats to upright with your seatbelt firmly fastened. Thank you for flying with National today. We look forward to you joining us again in the future.”
After ensuring everyone had done as they’d been asked and my allocated section secured, I took my seat for landing. It had indeed been a smooth flight, and I looked forward to the next three days off.