One Sizzling Touch
Page 60
“A bit? That’s an understatement.”
He kissed her gently and pointed toward the cockpit. “Frank is an experienced pilot. He’s landed here many times before. And his co-pilot has just as much experience. I would never put your life in danger. I love you too much.”
She snuggled up to him. “You always find the right words to calm me down.” She looked out of the window. “Will you tell me now why we flew all the way to California when we could just as easily have gone to your beach house in the Hamptons to spend a week there?”
Zach winked at her. “Not yet. Just this: this trip is going to be special. Besides, I know somebody here. His mother runs the Bed and Breakfast we’re going to stay at. You’ll like it.”
She grinned. “I love any bed, as long as you’re in it.”
He laughed and opened her seatbelt in order to pull her onto his lap now that the plane had come to a stop. “You’re really insatiable, my little pussycat. I have the feeling I’ll need to take care of you before dinner, otherwise you’ll be touchy all evening.”
“As if I’m ever touchy,” she joked and ran her hand through his hair.
“On the contrary, you’re very touchy.” He stroked his hand over her breast and felt her nipple harden at the contact. “See?” He brushed his lips over her cheek and brought his mouth to her ear. “As soon as we’re at the Bed and Breakfast, you’ll get exactly what you want, I promise.”
She cooed contentedly.
“Mr. Ivers, you may disembark now.” The voice of the pilot came from the open cockpit door.
Zach looked past Rochelle. “Thank you for the smooth landing, Frank.”
“My pleasure, sir.” He looked out the window on the opposite side. “Looks like somebody’s expecting you.”
The pilot marched past them and opened the door, lowering the stairwell.
Rochelle rose and Zach now opened his seatbelt and got up. He walked ahead of her to the door and looked outside. In the afternoon sun, a dusty jeep stood waiting on the tarmac. Leaning against it was a casually dressed man in his mid thirties. His dark hair was ruffled by the wind, his skin bronzed, and he wore a stubble beard as if he hadn’t had time to shave for a few days. He still looked like the rogue Zach remembered. A man who had as much intelligence as he did courage, though he never talked about his heroic deeds.
Zach waved at him and turned to Rochelle to help her down the stairs.
“Mitch! Nice to see you.” Zach offered his hand when his old friend reached them and greeted him.
“Zach, about time that you paid us a visit here. Don’t you want to introduce your pretty companion?” He nodded at Rochelle and offered his most charming smile.
Instinctively, Zach pulled Rochelle closer to his side. Mitch was a charmer and women flocked to him in droves wherever he showed up.
“Rochelle, this is my old friend Mitchell Knight. His mother owns the Bed and Breakfast we’ll be staying at. Mitch is a helicopter pilot and offers sightseeing flights for tourists. Mitch, this is Rochelle Wright, my girlfriend.” With a wink he added, “Hands off.”
Mitch laughed and shook Rochelle’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Then Mitch tossed him a look. “And I already figured that she was off-limits. I’m not blind.” Then he winked at Rochelle and jerked his thumb at Zach. “But if you’re ever sick of him, just let me know and I’ll take over.”
Rochelle smiled, but put her arm tighter around Zach. “I don’t think that’ll happen.”
When she looked at him with love in her eyes, he pulled her to him for a kiss, until Mitch cleared his throat.
“If you two don’t want to walk to Avalon, I’d suggest you postpone the kissing until later.”
Reluctantly, Zach released her. “Thanks for picking us up.”
The pilot had already brought their luggage down and Mitch now put it in the back of the jeep. Moments later they were sitting in the car and driving on one of the few paved mountain roads toward Avalon.
“So, tell me, what’s new?” Zach started.
Mitch grinned, tossing him a sideways glance. “I think you’ve got more news to tell than I.” He looked into the rearview mirror, and Zach involuntarily looked over his shoulder to Rochelle.
“Yes, there’s lots to tell. Lots of good stuff.”
He exchanged a tender look with Rochelle.
And what he’d planned for their week on Catalina would only make them happier.
He kissed her gently and pointed toward the cockpit. “Frank is an experienced pilot. He’s landed here many times before. And his co-pilot has just as much experience. I would never put your life in danger. I love you too much.”
She snuggled up to him. “You always find the right words to calm me down.” She looked out of the window. “Will you tell me now why we flew all the way to California when we could just as easily have gone to your beach house in the Hamptons to spend a week there?”
Zach winked at her. “Not yet. Just this: this trip is going to be special. Besides, I know somebody here. His mother runs the Bed and Breakfast we’re going to stay at. You’ll like it.”
She grinned. “I love any bed, as long as you’re in it.”
He laughed and opened her seatbelt in order to pull her onto his lap now that the plane had come to a stop. “You’re really insatiable, my little pussycat. I have the feeling I’ll need to take care of you before dinner, otherwise you’ll be touchy all evening.”
“As if I’m ever touchy,” she joked and ran her hand through his hair.
“On the contrary, you’re very touchy.” He stroked his hand over her breast and felt her nipple harden at the contact. “See?” He brushed his lips over her cheek and brought his mouth to her ear. “As soon as we’re at the Bed and Breakfast, you’ll get exactly what you want, I promise.”
She cooed contentedly.
“Mr. Ivers, you may disembark now.” The voice of the pilot came from the open cockpit door.
Zach looked past Rochelle. “Thank you for the smooth landing, Frank.”
“My pleasure, sir.” He looked out the window on the opposite side. “Looks like somebody’s expecting you.”
The pilot marched past them and opened the door, lowering the stairwell.
Rochelle rose and Zach now opened his seatbelt and got up. He walked ahead of her to the door and looked outside. In the afternoon sun, a dusty jeep stood waiting on the tarmac. Leaning against it was a casually dressed man in his mid thirties. His dark hair was ruffled by the wind, his skin bronzed, and he wore a stubble beard as if he hadn’t had time to shave for a few days. He still looked like the rogue Zach remembered. A man who had as much intelligence as he did courage, though he never talked about his heroic deeds.
Zach waved at him and turned to Rochelle to help her down the stairs.
“Mitch! Nice to see you.” Zach offered his hand when his old friend reached them and greeted him.
“Zach, about time that you paid us a visit here. Don’t you want to introduce your pretty companion?” He nodded at Rochelle and offered his most charming smile.
Instinctively, Zach pulled Rochelle closer to his side. Mitch was a charmer and women flocked to him in droves wherever he showed up.
“Rochelle, this is my old friend Mitchell Knight. His mother owns the Bed and Breakfast we’ll be staying at. Mitch is a helicopter pilot and offers sightseeing flights for tourists. Mitch, this is Rochelle Wright, my girlfriend.” With a wink he added, “Hands off.”
Mitch laughed and shook Rochelle’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Then Mitch tossed him a look. “And I already figured that she was off-limits. I’m not blind.” Then he winked at Rochelle and jerked his thumb at Zach. “But if you’re ever sick of him, just let me know and I’ll take over.”
Rochelle smiled, but put her arm tighter around Zach. “I don’t think that’ll happen.”
When she looked at him with love in her eyes, he pulled her to him for a kiss, until Mitch cleared his throat.
“If you two don’t want to walk to Avalon, I’d suggest you postpone the kissing until later.”
Reluctantly, Zach released her. “Thanks for picking us up.”
The pilot had already brought their luggage down and Mitch now put it in the back of the jeep. Moments later they were sitting in the car and driving on one of the few paved mountain roads toward Avalon.
“So, tell me, what’s new?” Zach started.
Mitch grinned, tossing him a sideways glance. “I think you’ve got more news to tell than I.” He looked into the rearview mirror, and Zach involuntarily looked over his shoulder to Rochelle.
“Yes, there’s lots to tell. Lots of good stuff.”
He exchanged a tender look with Rochelle.
And what he’d planned for their week on Catalina would only make them happier.
