Page 80 of My All American Girl

35

SARAH

The bar was bursting at the seams with pilots celebrating after passing their training. They showed no signs of slowing down. After weeks of preparing for survival school and then getting through it, they had a ton of steam to blow off.

I had been going easy on the beers after the first few went down fast. My head was buzzing. I was suddenly a lightweight after not drinking for a few weeks. Despite that, when I saw an opening, I went for it.

Laughter and loud conversations filled the air and the lights had dimmed even more, making it the perfect cover for Dean and me to slip out unnoticed. I met his eyes across the bar and gave a subtle jerk of my head. He nodded and leaned over to Jude to whisper something. The man rolled his eyes and shooed Dean away.

“I’ll be back in a few,” I said to Kylee. She was in the middle of a conversation with a guy I knew she liked.

“Okay.” She nodded without looking at me.

I casually walked away from the table and went out the front door. I had noticed him slipping out the back. I walked around the bar and found him waiting for me.

“My truck is right over there,” he said.

We made our way to the back lot, which was empty aside from his pickup. The moment I climbed in, a wave of nerves hit me, which was unsettling. I hated not feeling in control. The man shook me up.

“We need to talk,” he said, his voice steady but serious as he sat beside me.

“Just talk?” I asked, my voice breathy. With no bar between us, I could just scoot over and ride him like a rodeo bull.

He groaned and clenched his jaw. “Yes, just talk. About us.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to ignore the feeling between my legs. It didn’t care about talking. No words could soothe that ache.

“What about us?” I asked with some irritation.

He looked away, staring out the window for several seconds. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears. After what felt like forever, he finally turned to look at me.

“Ever since we first met, I’ve been fighting a battle I can’t win.”

I frowned, my heart quickening. “That doesn’t sound like the Ryker everyone knows and loves.”

“I shouldn’t want you, Sarah. But I do. And resisting only makes the need stronger.”

His words sent a jolt through me. I felt the same way. I knew this was breaking the rules, and not just any rules—these were serious. Dean could lose the career he worked so hard to build. I could lose mine before it even started. The Air Force was only half of the problem. We both risked losing my family’s respect, and worst of all, Dean could lose his oldest and closest friend, my father.

“I feel the same way,” I whispered. “I shouldn’t want you. You’re my father’s friend.” I grinned. “And you’re cocky, bossy, and way too old for me.”

He chuckled. “Stop. The flattery is going to go to my head.”

I grinned, glad he picked up on my joke. “You know you’re hot as hell and there is not a woman in or out of the military that doesn’t want you.”

“And yet, there’s only one woman whose attention I want. I know everything is against us, but you’re worth the risk.”

I took a deep breath. “Life isn’t any fun if you’re not following your heart. It’s how I’ve made every decision, and it’s led me here. I trust my heart, and it’s telling me to take this chance with you.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’ve followed my gut all my life,” I said. “It led me to the Air Force. I’ve dealt with a lot of pushback from everyone I knew, especially my father. My heart has never led me astray. I intend to stay true to myself.”

Dean reached out, taking my hand in his. “This thing between us stands to be something amazing if we give it room to grow.”

I squeezed his hand, feeling a rush of warmth. “So, how do we do this? How do we keep it a secret and still function as mentor and student?”

Dean took a deep breath. “We’ll have to be careful. We can’t let anyone suspect anything. But we can make it work.”