Willows, Jennifer - Lust for Life [The Moreland Brothers 2] (Siren Publishing Allure) (7 page)

“You ready to go? We need to be in the air by five to get the maximum view for our hang time today.”

“Yeah, just let me get a shower. What time is it now?” Charli asked.

“Almost four, you can get about half an hour if that will work.” Deven didn’t want make too many demands. History showed him that she didn’t take well to being controlled.

“Okay, I will be back in a jiffy. Just let me get something to wear.” Charli jumped out of bed, her face scrunched up as if she were headed to the gallows.

Deven didn’t respond to her statement only watched her hips twitch away, loving the look of satin plastered to her skin. He decided to see what the newlyweds thought of his and Charli’s efforts at brunch. The happy couple were both eating, sharing two huge plates. Makenzie was on her husband’s lap, and they fed the other, each using a fork. The first plate was filled with a stack and a half of flapjacks and compote, while the other contained an omelet, salsa and bacon. By the looks on their faces they were enjoying the meal, and each other. Makenzie saw him first, as she was looking over Charyn’s shoulder.

“Hey, Dev, when did you get here?” Mak asked.

“Give or take a few minutes, about five hours.” Deven worked hard to keep his expression deadpan, and he watched Mak’s cheeks heat up. She knew he heard her this morning, and was discomfited. She was loud as hell, but shy about it at the same time, a cute combination that fit her. Charyn just continued eating, stealing bits of bacon here and there. By the time his wife noticed, only half of a single strip was left on their shared plates.

“Damn it, Charyn, could you have left me a whole slice at least?”

“Snooze, you lose.” Charyn laughed, but leaned over the table and handed his wife a stray piece from the platter.

She saluted him with the salted crisp and devoured it in three bites. Dev poured himself the last of the tea, and neck tilted back, cleaned the glass with one long swallow. He rinsed the glass off and sat it in the sink, deciding he would change before boarding the plane. He’d rather wear the more comfortable clothes he had on to drive to the strip than what he normally wore under his jumpsuit.

Charli was ready in fifteen minutes wearing a plain T-shirt in bright-pink hue and jeans with slide-on sneakers. When she strolled into the kitchen, Mak and Charyn were already cleaning the empty plates at the sink and Deven was relaxed, leaning against the counter. All the food from earlier had been devoured by the hungry newlyweds.

“I’m ready, Deven. Can we drop my car off at my place, so I don’t have to come back for it?”

“Good. That will be just fine.” Dev was checking his watch.

He walked to his car, surprised how quickly she got ready. In his experience, women always made him wait at least ten minutes more than they needed. All their hard work was usually for nothing, especially since he was only going to mess their efforts up. He wasn’t much of a dater and he didn’t really see the point. Why bother if it’s sex only? He always made it crystal clear to any woman that she wasn’t going to hook him. Yes, he was voted as one of North Carolina’s most eligible bachelors, emphasis on “bachelor.” He didn’t want anyone to waste his time with pathetic overtures or heaps of drama. Of course, the occasional woman would test him. Deven always walked away, no contact after the moment he left. He wouldn’t accept their phone calls or talk to them. He wasn’t hurtful, but didn’t want anything to do with them and was man enough to make it clear when the situation arose. The only regret was the woman in the club a few months ago. She deserved better sex than he gave her that night, even if he didn’t enjoy it.

Deven was a strong believer in giving more than he got, especially in the bedroom. Women may or may not come, while for a man it was usually automatic. That meant he had to make the act enjoyable for her, and she would make it better for him. He just didn’t get men who fucked badly. What was the point? Anyone could get their rocks off alone, and all men like their egos stroked. A sweaty, limp, pleased woman was the best way of all. What man could resist that?

* * * *

Charli wasn’t far behind Dev out the door. She hugged her best friend and Charyn, before grabbing another bottle of water. When she got outside, Dev held a trash bag with her lukewarm swig of water and half eaten muffin from earlier. She had completely dismissed the fact that she left them there, the reason that they were still on the hood of her car now. Her cheeks heated as she remembered the repercussions of her anger. She knew Dev saw the color in her face, and his eyes were smiling, just a tad.

They got on the road, Charli loving the new car Dev was driving, a Tesla S. She had looked into an electric car but really couldn’t see giving up her Honda yet. It was almost twenty years old, but those were the good ones. It was paid for and drove great. She treated it like a baby, didn’t drive long distances, and did her own, frequent oil changes. But she had to admit that his car was sexy and had the benefit of being fuel free. She watched him navigate the road efficiently as they sped through the back roads to her house.

Deven beat Charli by five minutes and had to open his big mouth, finding a way to anger her in the least words possible.

“What took you so long?”

“Not everyone drives at warp speed, you know that right? I cannot afford to lose my license.”

“I would get it back for you.” Dev smiled big and toothy.

“No thanks, in my old business, you don’t attract attention by speeding. The best driving is no more than one to two miles above or below the limit. You want to look normal.”

“Ahh... makes sense.”

Deven helped her carry her bags inside. There seemed to be almost a bag for every store in the outlet mall. They dropped her packages in the living room, and numerous bags littered the floor and couch. When the last of them were done, Deven escorted Charli to the car she drooled over on the drive home. The interior was sumptuous, similar to any well-known luxury car.

Dev put the sports car in gear, and the pair was once again on the road. The takeoff site was outside of Oak Island, and he pushed the small car’s engine to get there. Deven took 23rd Street, from there hopping on Highway 74. Once he reached the Myrtle Beach exit, he was gone. The car could push one twenty easily, and he used most of the small engine’s speed zipping past other cars. The speed did give her a major adrenaline rush but that wasn’t a problem, at least not right now.

They reached the airstrip in thirty minutes, almost half the regular drive time. His car was beautiful in motion. She may just have to buy one, Charli thought. She dismissed it since she wasn’t the type to use that much speed. Hopping from the car, she watched Dev unfold his long legs and climb out. Frankly, she was amazed he didn’t go the route of his brother and buy a Hummer. He had too much leg for this car. Looking at the calves exiting from the vehicle, she saw a healthy dusting of hair. It was golden, like a series of spun thread. Charli was curious about the texture.

She was still curious when they walked in the hangar. There was only one other person, an older man with weathered skin and a prickle of gray beard. His head was bald, and he wore a charcoal-gray, mechanics, one-piece suit. The man, who Deven introduced as Stu, was really an aerospace engineer but flew jets for fun as well. He would be piloting them to the jump site, and they would navigate back to their landing zone with the chute. Charli didn’t say anything, but her mind was definitely racing. She thought that there would be other people as well. When Stu walked away, she asked.

“I thought usually there were other people who needed to do something like this.”

“Nope, I’m a certified skydive instructor, so I can jump as I please. Since I’m assuming this is your first dive, we’re going tandem. That way you can go with minimal training.”

“Wow.” She had no idea that she would be strapped to him for the whole ride. How in the heck would this work?

“You should be excited. People pay good money to do this every day.” Deven smiled at her, just a quirked mouth on the left side.

He showed her the harness and demonstrated how to put it on, using himself as a guide as she watched him fasten himself up. Deven then explained the emergency procedures if anything happened while on the plane or after they jumped, and he showed her how to activate the chute on her own if he were injured or unconscious. Next he told her how to make a landing on her own. Charli learned the operation of the drogue chute, which they would use when they left the plane to keep their combined weight from decreasing their velocity as they were in free fall. Then, he briefed her on the AAD, an automatic Activation Device. It kept track of their velocity, and if they went below seven hundred fifty feet and didn’t release the chute, it would deploy it automatically for them.

Deven left to change clothes and pull on the black jumpsuit he had reserved for himself. Charli now felt more comfortable with the idea of falling from the sky tangled with the man in front of her when confronted with clear, educated information and took the offered jumpsuit in yellow. She pulled it on over her jeans and T-shirt, zipping closed then fastening the Velcro closure and slid her tennis shoes back on before fiddling with the harness Deven gave her. When she got it on, it seemed a bit loose, and she messed with the fixtures, trying to get a closer fit.

Deven came out and saw her struggling. He walked over, grabbing a fistful of the jumpsuit and pulling it taut. Immediately, the whole harness cinched her between her thighs, around her waist, and over the shoulder. She was ready and fitted a pair of goggles around her neck before strapping on the offered helmet. He tapped the side near the ear and spoke.

“Ready, pixie?”

She tapped her helmet.

“Fuck you, surfer boy. I’m no pixie.”

“Be careful what you wish for. You just may get it.” Deven laughed, and she tapped twice, cutting him off.

She followed him, curious about his mood. He never seemed this nice to her, like they were just a girl and a guy. Usually it seemed like there was... something yawning in the chasm that separated them, but neither wanted to admit it. Instead, they filled the gap between them with fights borne from sexual frustration and stereotypes. The arguments between them were a pathetic diversion to keep from having to acknowledge the simple truth that she was on fire for him.

Charli didn’t want a white boy, had never gone looking for one. He was her only experience with that type and much of what she thought about him was misconception. She knew that a long time ago, but didn’t want to admit it. It was much easier being angry with personal delusions than to let a domineering man like him take over her. He was probably worse than Charyn if a woman ever broke past that shell around him.

Deven put on his chute after carefully unfolding and checking each connection, cord, and all of the chutes. He showed her where they would be secured together as they headed for the small Cessna used for the jump today. Before boarding, he checked the gauges on his watch and AAD to make sure they were working properly. He took her hand and helped her board the plane. There was no door, just open-air cabin. They both sat in the back, waiting for takeoff. Once the plane got off the ground and stabilized, he stood motioning her to stand in front of him. He gave her a strap attached to the bulkhead that would lead to the yawning opening out. Next, he snapped and belted various hooks, chains, and carabineers until she was strapped to him from the shoulders down to hips. After testing the fasteners, the pair waddled to the edge of the plane, holding their straps and leaning back. She felt the wind snap past her, snatching at her. Deven held her close, one hand on her belly. He leaned down, head lowered by her ear.

“On the count of three, okay?” His hand left the strap above them, now in her face.

Dev held up the three fingers first, two, then one. When his fist clenched, he wrapped his arms around her waist and jumped. Charli screamed bloody murder, shocked at how fast the world came at them. Within seconds the small chute popped behind them, and the dizzying speed slowed, lengthening their journey earthbound. She saw fields, just large blocks of multicolored earth, some tilled, others fallow. There were canopies of trees in every direction, and the view amazed her. She loved the feeling of air cushioning her belly, a needling blanket. Her arms embraced the atmosphere, the panoramic view, the feeling as if she were one with the earth, as if it welcomed her. She had always been a city kind of girl but, after seeing this, could embrace a more rustic lifestyle. Well, she amended her thoughts, at least for a short while. She could see man’s fingerprints everywhere, dime-sized specks on the ground were homes, and small strips of roads moseyed the length of her view. This was definitely an experience she would do again.