Vivian Arend - Wolf Flight

They grinned at each other. Damn, he loved a girl with a sense of humour. Tad raised his eyebrows, flashing her the best puppy-dog eyes he could. “You want me to move it?” Backing the attached twenty-five-foot trailer into the open space in the hangar would be a hellish task.

“No, I’ll drive. Should I park next to the plane?”

Tad opened his mouth to protest but managed to stop himself in time. He prided himself on being a quick learner. He wouldn’t assume anything about the golden goddess in front of him from this point on because apparently Missy was a woman of many talents.

“By the plane is fine. I’ll get the steps out of your way.”

He strolled back to the plane, watching Missy over his shoulder as she crawled up into the cab. She did a funny little hop to get in the seat and he wondered how she reached the gas pedal and still saw out the window.

She pulled the truck and trailer out of his line of vision into the main parking lot and then in one smooth move reversed in. Tad shook his head. He would have needed at least three attempts to get that monster of a rig to back into the tight space.

He’d spent years adoring Missy-the-girl in high school. Missy-the-woman got more and more interesting by the minute.

Missy jumped down and rubbed her hands together briskly, her delighted smile showing she’d noticed his admiration. “How do you want to do this? The boxes are all lined up and just need to be kept in order.”

Tad opened the side doors of the trailer. “You crawl in the plane and place them where you want them. I’ll be your Sherpa.” A faint scent tickled his nose and his heartbeat sped up. She must be wearing a killer perfume for him to be able to smell it. He tried to ignore his body’s response because he needed to keep this professional. Businesslike. Her long hair brushed his skin as he helped her into the storage section of the plane, and his cock leapt to attention.

So much for keeping things calm.

He hurried to fetch the first load of boxes, trying to pretend there wasn’t a baseball bat stuck in his pants.

They chatted easily as they worked, picking up their online conversation from the previous week. It was incredible to be with Missy after all these years and hear her laugh, watch her face light up as she spoke. She’d changed so little. She still looked like the sweet girl of sixteen that he’d fallen for, but there was a shadow that passed over her eyes now and then. Was it the loss of her husband that put the darkness into her sparkling personality?

Physically she knocked his knees out from under him. Mentally and emotionally, she tied him in knots. Memories had poured through his brain since the first second he’d recognized her. Memories and longings he’d put aside in his quest to become a wolf. He had to be careful not to let his physical attraction make him do anything he’d regret. This was one woman he refused to hurt above all others.

“Do you like Whistler?” he asked, trying to head the conversation back into neutral territory. His erection eased as they worked, the returning blood flow to his brain making it easier to concentrate. “I have some friends who go skiing there every year, but I haven’t heard much about the community.”

She hesitated for a surprisingly long time before answering. “The mountains are glorious and I enjoy being in a small town again after living in Vancouver. It’s not the Yukon though. There’s something special about the north I’ve missed.”

Tad reached to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. The touch of skin on skin was like grabbing a live wire. Energy flowed between them sending small shocks up his arm. He jerked his fingers away. “Shoot. The static electricity is crazy in here.”

Missy had the strangest expression on her face. She held a hand to Tad. “Try again.”

Tad hesitated and then clasped fingers. This time the energy didn’t snap but it was there, a low buzz of tingles spreading over him.

It felt good.

Too good. Tad pulled away before parts of his anatomy he didn’t want to reawaken heard the alarm ringing through him. “What’s that all about?” he asked in confusion.

Missy shook her head. “I’m not sure. Maybe like you said—static electricity. Some people are better conductors than others.”

“Weird.” Tad turned away to get the next set of boxes. His whole body was hot, and he had the strange desire to pick Missy up and carry her back to his apartment and ravish her until they were both so sated neither of them could move. Well, okay, it wasn’t a completely unexpected emotion since she was pretty easy on the eyes, and he’d always had a huge crush on her. Yet he’d never had an attack of the hormone kind this hard before. It was unsettling, especially when he wanted to impress Missy, not come across like some northern Neanderthal.

Gotta stay calm. Cool.

“How’s your sister?” Missy asked.

Tad leapt at the change in topic. “She’s gone bush this week for a getaway. I was supposed to go with her but had to cancel. Shaun, my business partner, insists she’ll be just fine but I’m still concerned. I know she’s strong but since I found out…” Tad coughed suddenly, frantic to cover up that he had nearly told Missy about being a wolf. He must be tired because he had never slipped like that before.

It was Shaun’s fault for getting him thinking about having sex with a human woman right before the biggest wet dream of his life walked through the door. He glanced at where she sat in the open storage compartment of the plane, her feet dangling in midair. Curls draped over her shoulders, the ugly coverall unable to hide the curves of her petite frame. A shot of lust raced through him. Damn, he couldn’t blame this on Shaun. It was his own body jerking him around. He was horny and a total bastard all on his own.

Missy seemed deep in thought and Tad fought a case of wandering hands. The need to touch her was so bad it made his whole body hurt. Missy gave him one of her shy smiles. “I’m sure Robyn will be fine. She always was extremely independent.”

He hurried to reassure her. “I know, I just like to worry. It comes with the territory.”

They stared at each other.

Missy looked away first, biting her lower lip. Tad shut his mouth tight so the groan that wanted to escape was locked away. Everything about Missy called for him to step forward and—

She grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged until he stood between her legs, their torsos nestled together. Lips, soft and warm, brushed his, that strange electric sensation enveloping his body at the same time. Tad pulled Missy closer and kissed back, nibbling her lips, caressing the curve of her cheek with small touches. He snuck a hand into her curls and cupped her head to direct her mouth to the right angle to enjoy her fully.

She opened her lips and he tasted her for the first time. Sweet and spicy, intoxicating.

Addictive.

His tongue made a tentative dip into her mouth, a brief stroke against hers, then retreated as they explored the newness of the kiss. What he’d imagined as a teenager was nothing like the experience as an adult.

Heat rose between them as his body reacted to Missy’s softness. Tad fought to keep his hands loose around her instead of trapping her against the plane like he wanted to. He forced himself to kiss her instead of feasting on her lips, forced himself to let the sweetness of the experience flow over them like a fine wine.

They separated at the same moment, fingers linked together even as their lips parted. Tad stared into Missy’s eyes and saw his need reflected back.

Sweet mercy, she wanted him too.

Tad leaned forward, ready to recapture her lips when she pressed a hand against his chest.