Crashed into Love: Boxed Set (14 page)

“I don’t know if you are. I think you should have
your head examined by a professional.” Regret and unwillingness filled me.
“Maybe you should go back to New Zealand?” First, I make it seem like he needed
a mental exam, the next I asked if he wanted to leave early.
Way to make him
kiss you, Nina.

He scowled. “Just because I have a lingering ache
from bashing my head, it doesn’t mean I’m going to keel over. Like I said, I’m
fine.”

 My temper flared, laced with worry for him. I
didn’t like being helpless or being told a lie. He wasn’t fine. Cluster
headaches weren’t something to be ignored—if that was what he suffered.

He swiped hands over his face, wiping away all hint
of what happened. He grinned. “We came here to have fun. Not to argue.”
Grabbing the edge of his t-shirt, he whipped it over his head. “So, let’s have
some fun.”

Oh my. Yes, fun. Liam-naked fun.

I gaped at his naked chest, trying to imprint his
defined pecs, ripples of muscle, and flat stomach into my memory. When I was
eighty and no longer had a libido, I’d rifle through my ‘Liam drawer’ and
fantasise. He didn’t have an inch of hair on him, and his skin glossed with
heat.

Shooting me a sultry look, he bounced on his heels
and in a blur of flesh, hurtled away, disappearing beneath the waterfall.

His splash rained droplets everywhere.

I ducked the small shower, smiling as he broke the
surface. My tummy clenched as he shook his soaking blue-black hair. Obviously,
the headache wasn’t affecting him now. I swear rainbows weaved themselves in
the strands, making him look like some fairy prince.

He floated onto his back, arms paddling the water.
“You don’t know what you’re missing, Nina. Get your ass in here.”

The very thought of entering the water made me take
an eager step toward the edge, but I stopped.  I wasn’t the most graceful of
swimmers. “My ass and I are quite okay right here. Thank you very much.”

He treaded water, raising an eyebrow. “I can see you
salivating from here. I won’t bite. Come swim with me. The water is heaven.”

He thought I was salivating? How gross. I wasn’t
going to turn him down again, though. My skin ached to be covered in cool
liquid. Taking my time, I untied my sarong and threw it over a bush.

Sucking in my stomach, I dived in. I hoped I looked
like a swan, breaking the water without a ripple and blowing his mind with my
delicateness. Unfortunately, I doubted it. Nina on a dance floor—pretty hot.
Nina in a pool—disastrous.

I floundered for air, sputtering. My eyes streamed
with mascara as I forgot I was wearing the blasted stuff, and it wasn’t
waterproof. It hurt like a hundred bees stung my retinas. “Ow!”

Liam was by my side in an instant. His bare skin
brushed mine as he turned me to face him. “What’s wrong?” Then he burst into loud
laughter. “What on earth is on your face? You look like you’re bleeding oil.”

I splashed him with one hand while I tried to wipe
away the blackness raining from my lashes. “Ha ha, very funny.” I ducked
underwater, scrubbing my eyes till no residue remained. I just hoped it was
gone from my cheeks, too.

When I resurfaced in the warm water, I could see
again.

Liam’s face split into a smile, and the damn
rainbows danced in his hair again. “Are you okay now?”

“Not in pain if that’s what you’re asking.” I
smirked, unable to be mad with a crashing wall of water thundering behind us
and warm sun above.

“Uh oh.” Liam bumped into my chest with a too
powerful stroke, reaching with one arm.

“Uh oh, what?” I looked around me, expecting to see
an anaconda or piranhas. Could piranhas live in fresh water? Or was it
salt-water?

His hand cupped my cheek.

I froze. Was this the moment? Would he be
sufficiently satisfied that I wanted—
needed
—him to kiss me?

“You missed a spot.” His thumb caressed under my
eye; he bit his lip in concentration.

I stopped breathing, extremely aware of the heat
pulsating off his body. All thoughts flew from my head like sparrows from a
roost. All I could focus on was his skin on mine. This man saved my life. The
feeling of being protected blanketed me again as I gazed at his lips.

“Nina… I—” 

I was utterly unable to move.

He leaned in, his hand still cupping my cheek. His
eyes half-closed, and his scent filled my nose. He was crisp as the water and
smelled of coconuts from his sun-screen.

I swayed toward him, just as his lips touched mine.
A jolt ruptured my heart, sending shockwaves rippling through the water. It was
a brush of a kiss, barely there, asking permission. But liquid heat moved like lava
in every inch of me. I melted under him, tilting my head. My silent answer to
his unvoiced question.

Yes, you can kiss me. I
need
you to kiss me.

He didn’t hesitate. His hand slinked around to the
back of my neck, while his other hand rested on my hip. Fingertips dug into
flesh and I moaned.

He sucked in a breath as his lips sealed over mine,
harder this time, demanding something from me, now he’d been given permission.

I opened my lips, allowing him entry, trembling as
his tongue dipped into my mouth, darting fast, licking, tasting, before
withdrawing and moulding his lips firmer against mine.

The waterfall crashing ceased to exist, the fear I
was about to be chomped by tiny fish disappeared, and my arms floated to wrap
around his body, dragging him harder against me. I revelled in the sounds of
the chains breaking off my self-imposed goodness. My regulations were
obliterated as his tongue tangoed with mine.

When Liam finally broke contact, I whimpered.
Mortification replaced all the happy, hot feelings inside. Did I really just
whimper? Oh God.

“Nina, I need to tell you something.” He dropped his
eyes, but didn’t relinquish his hold on me.

Icy dread filled me. This was the part where he told
me he wasn’t really interested, or any other manner of heart-shattering things.
I gulped. “What exactly?”

“I needed you to want me to kiss you, as I’ve been
wanting to do that for a very long time.”

I frowned. “As in the three days we’ve worked
together?” The timeframe seemed a little extreme to say he’d been waiting a
long time.

He shook his head, grimacing. “Not exactly.”

Fear choked me. Why did guilt etch his face? “Tell
me. What is it?” I tensed, bracing for the worst.

“I’ve had a crush on you for almost a year. More
than a crush, actually.”

Air exploded from my lungs. “What do you mean?” The
water lapped our bodies and it seemed odd to have such a serious conversation
in the middle of a waterfall.

Liam sighed, rivulets of water cascaded down his
shoulders. “Ever since I knew you flew with Theo, I wanted to know the woman
who had such drive. When I managed to get your name out of him, I searched for
more about you. A few months later, I found out you were on the same training
course as my stepsister. Imagine my luck when I learned you were friends.”

I cocked my head. “So you kept asking about me
because you fancied me?” A small pulsate of hope blossomed in my chest.

“Not quite.” He smiled awkwardly. “At first I wanted
to know the girl who fought so hard for her career. But when Joslyn started
sharing funny stories about you and what a caring friend you were, I fell a
little more each time you were mentioned.”

Fell? My heart kicked my ribs. Was it true that
Liam, the unattainable pilot, was
falling
for me? My lips ached to kiss
him again. To respond to his admission with a declaration I was falling for
him, too. At least he had an excuse—he knew me. From friends and underhanded
tactics, he grew to know me by passing comments. I had no excuse. I was
teetering closer and closer to the edge of no return the more time I spent with
him.

“Liam I—” I wanted to tell him how happy he made me.
How much I wanted to learn about him. Find out the secrets he guarded in his
blizzard-blown eyes. 

But he pressed a finger against my lips to silence
me. “I didn’t tell you to rush you into bed, or try and manipulate you. I
wanted you to know the truth. Nina Poppins, I’ve liked you for almost a year,
and it means a lot to me for you to grow to like me, too.” He swallowed. “I’m
willing to wait for you. After watching you with Nikolai last night, I don’t
know if you like him or not. I don’t want to come in the middle of something.
But you have to know, I won’t back down without a fight.”

Laughter bubbled in my chest, but I swallowed it
back. He thought I liked Nikolai? Sure, he was a nice guy and could dance, but
that was all he was. A dancer.

Trying to make him understand, I said, “What you saw
on the dance floor wasn’t real. When I dance the projection of lust and sex is
shown through the steps and music. It’s what happens when people who are
passionate dance together.” I pressed closer, creeping nervous fingertips along
his exposed hip-bones. “Believe me when I say you’re not interrupting
anything.”

He muttered something under his breath.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

His skin puckered with goose bumps under my touch
and I was desperate to taste him again. To transform his worry into gooey-eyed
happiness.

“I said it sure didn’t look like it was just a dance
from where I was standing. Nikolai wants you.”

I snorted. “That’s the illusion of dancing. Watchers
believe we’re madly in love with our partner. Sometimes, for a split moment,
you believe it yourself.” My voice drifted as I recalled being in Nikolai’s
arms. How strong he was. How confident. He’d jerked me against his hardness
before flicking me out for a spin. Hang on—was there a bit too much hardness in
his pants than strictly necessary for dancing? I brushed the thought away.

Liam stared deep into my eyes. “You
do
know
he has the hots for you.”

I shook my head. “No, but if it’s true, then I won’t
dance with him again.” A surge of confidence took over my motor control, and I
swam against his chest.

His arms wrapped around my slippery skin to stop me
from floating away.

“I’m only interested in one man on this island.” And
I meant it. Completely.

Liam’s lips twitched as I pressed mine against his.

W
e arrived back at the
hotel not long after our swim. The horizon turned dusky with a tropical storm
on the horizon. My headache faded, but it left me weirded out. Perhaps Nina was
right, and I should get it looked at.

We drove into the car park. I left the engine idling
as Nina clambered off. Her hands rested on my shoulders for balance, and my
skin clenched. The kisses we’d shared were imprinted on my very existence.
Every moment with her was better than I could’ve imagined. And who would’ve
thought it—I’d found a flaw to the faultless Nina: she was a hopeless swimmer.
For some reason, knowing she wasn’t accomplished at everything made me relax a
little. It still didn’t help knowing she danced as well as Nikolai and fit into
his embrace perfectly, but I was the one to kiss her. So take that.

Nina was my Kryptonite. I never thought I’d become
so besotted by someone so fast, nor stoop to the levels I’d gone to find out
things about her. But every kilo of guilt was worth it. She liked me, too.

“Aren’t you coming into the hotel?” she asked as she
rearranged her bikini top, jiggling her boobs in the process.

My mouth went dry. As much as I didn’t want to say
goodbye, I had work to do. The thought of leaving her was hard. What if she
started thinking about what I’d said? She accepted me at the waterfall; it
didn’t mean she couldn’t change her mind. If she had time to think, she might
re-evaluate and categorize me as a stalker after all.

Damn plane investigation.

I reached out, caressing her cheek. “I have to speak
to operations. They want regular updates on the engineer’s progress, and the
Civil Aviation Authority arrives today to oversee the investigation.” That
meant going to the airport and seeing Nikolai again. Awesome. Not.

Disappointment shone in her eyes which made my heart
do some silly stutter. She’d miss me.

“Oh, okay. No problem.” She turned to leave; my
fingers dropped from her cheek. I had every intention of letting her go, but my
hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. With a sharp tug, I jerked her back. She
landed in my lap. Her ass fit snugly against the one place she shouldn’t touch.
Not yet, anyway. I wanted her to know me, and she had a lot of catching up to
do.  Holding the motorbike up with my legs, I wrapped my arms around her. “One
goodbye kiss.”

Her lips tugged into a shy smile and my breath
caught. Eyes-locked, I kissed her. She tasted of fresh water and temptation.
Her lips parted, and my arms squeezed tighter as her tongue darted into my
mouth. My eyes snapped closed as I threw myself into her. She moaned as I
massaged her tongue with mine.

It was true what people said: that there was one
perfect person—a soul mate. I never believed in such flowery stuff, but kissing
Nina was unlike kissing any other girl. She fit; even without learning each
other’s preferences and quirks. She kissed me as if she’d kissed me all her
life.

My thoughts disintegrated, and she became the focal
point of my everything. Why was I leaving again? Work? Screw work. I’d much
rather hold her hand and stroll on the beach, or sip a cocktail while watching
the pending storm chase the last tendrils of sun into hiding.

But I had to go.

Not only would the CAA expect me there, but I was an
obsessed idiot who needed to reign himself in and get a grip.

She sighed as I broke the kiss and pushed her
upright.

“Can I see you tonight? Dinner perhaps?” My way of
subtly making sure she wouldn’t see Nikolai.

Her face brightened. “Sure. Dinner sounds great.”
Giving me an endearing wave, she disappeared up the lobby stairs.

Sighing like a lovesick fool, I revved the bike and
darted out of the hotel grounds.

I didn’t fancy being cooped up in a car when I could
zoom wherever I wanted. Not that it was a fast bike. I doubted the Honda would
excel above sixty kilometres per hour.

The airport was a lonely building as I pulled up and
parked. As I made my way toward the hanger, I was struck by the eerie quiet. I
wasn’t used to being in an airport without the bustle of coming and going.
Samoa really was a small island. Idyllic, but quiet enough to appreciate the
slow ebb of island living. It was a place I could live. I enjoyed flying, there
was nothing I would rather do, but I didn’t like traffic or stress of city
living.

In fact, that was my dream—to move away from chaotic
cities and live as life intended: with a good woman, great food, and a job I
loved. There was also another fantastical element to my dream that I hadn’t
shared with anyone. Even Joslyn.

Maybe I’d met the one person I
could
tell. My
goals all hinged on whether the woman I ended up with loved me enough to be
part of it.  

“Liam. Fancy seeing you here. Again.” Nikolai looked
up from probing a dismantled piece of landing gear. Everything was tagged,
catalogued, and looked like the man went ballistic with fluorescent post-its.

My eyes darted to the Boeing. It was a morbid
science experiment, complete with oily puddles of airplane blood and chunks
missing as if someone didn’t know when to stop wielding a scalpel. The
dissection was in full swing.

Ah, the CAA had arrived.
I
counted three official-looking men in high-vis jackets huddled around the
stripped engine. I didn’t know why they were looking at the engines, they
weren’t what failed. How come I hadn’t been interviewed? Why had no one asked
me what happened? How else would they know to look in the right area?

Turning to Nik, I asked, “When did the bigwigs
arrive?”

He scribbled something on his clipboard; his writing
looked like an octopus squirted ink all over the page. How anyone could read
his scribble, I didn’t know.

“About two hours ago.”

“Why wasn’t I called? Isn’t it protocol to interview
the crew before viewing the wreck? Aren’t we supposed to be sworn to secrecy
and warned not to speak to the media?” Not that I had any intention of
blabbing.

Nik shrugged. “Guess they haven’t got to you yet.”
He made eye contact, his shoulders tensed. “What did you do today?”

I crossed my arms. “What’s it to you?”

“Did you see Nina?” Jealously flashed in his brown
eyes.

Good. I was glad he was jealous. It meant he viewed
me as serious competition. Not that there would
be
a competition.  Nina
wasn’t a carnival stuffed toy ready to be claimed by whoever could thump their
chests the hardest. Plus, she said she chose me. I just didn’t quite believe
her.

“Yes. I kissed her, too.”

His nostrils flared, and he clenched his jaw. “I’m
seeing her tonight, you know. You heard her agree to dance with me.”

Animalistic possessiveness took hold at the image of
Nina in Nikolai’s arms, dry humping on the dance floor. “Not if I can help it.
She agreed to have dinner with me.” Maybe I’d have to do something drastic like
piss in a circle around her and mark my territory.

He snorted. “Dinner over dancing? There isn’t any
choice to make there, Mikin. You think you know her, but you don’t. Dancers are
different. We flock to rhythmic-like people. I bet you Nina is far deeper and
saucier than you think.”

Hearing him call Nina saucy did odd things to my
insides; twisting, coiling things that hissed with the need to punch him.

Changing the subject before I broke my knuckles
against his teeth, I said, “I’m going to talk to Ops. Do you have a report for
me?”

His eyes narrowed. “Nope. And I’ve already talked to
Ops. They know the deal, so no need.”

He didn’t have authority on whom I could and
couldn’t call. “I’ll speak to them anyway.”
Nice way to come across as an
argumentative brat
. Not saying goodbye, I disappeared into the small office
and shut the door in his smirking face.

I couldn’t fall into the trap of competing for
Nina’s affection, that wouldn’t end well, but I’d be damned if I let him walk
all over me. If his skillset was dancing; mine was flying.

Rather than call Ops, I made a new plan: find Mack,
the air traffic controller, and see if I could commandeer a plane.

Nikolai could give Nina a dance floor. I could give
her the sky.

Let’s see who enticed her more.