Page 9 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

“And yet somehow,” I said sweetly, “I’m managing to have an opinion anyway.”

God, he was insufferable. Hot, sure, and if I saw him in a bar or anywhere else, I would be interested. A lot more than interested. But he was an absolute misery to be around. I didn’t know if he hated the world or just himself or maybe both. I didn’t care. Whatever it was, it wasn’t my problem.

I couldn’t believe I had to be stuck with the ogre for training. Because why would Chief give me a warm welcome when he could assign me the human equivalent of a thunderstorm? The asshole that everyone was terrified of.

Before I could demand to know where the hell we were even going, a voice called from behind us.

“Dalton! Wait up!”

I turned to see a woman jogging behind us. She was wearing a flight suit half-zipped, sunglasses perched on her head, ponytail swinging. The woman was beautiful. Like stunning. Gorgeous red hair. Boobs for days. Long legs. She was the perfect hourglass shape.

A slice of jealousy raced through me. It shocked me. What in the hell was I jealous of? Him and her? Or just her. She was my exact opposite and I had no doubt they were fucking. Why wouldn’t they? They were beautiful people.

“Is it true?” the woman asked, wide-eyed and grinning. “Did you actually punch Tyson in the face?”

Dalton scoffed. “I wish. The fucker deserved it. I didn’t punch anyone but apparently I’m being punished because now I’m stuck with this pain in the ass.”

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. “Feeling’s mutual.”

The woman let out a bark of laughter and stuck her hand out toward me. “Well then. Nice to meet you, Pain in the Ass. I’m Laser.”

I grinned back and shook her hand. “My parents called me Janna. Friends and normal humans also call me Janna.”

“Where are you going?” Laser asked.

“I have to put her through the fucking simulator,” Dalton practically growled. “My punishment.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know, you’re not⁠—”

“I’ll take her to the simulator after she has five minutes to see her room,” Laser said. “You go punch something. You’re going to scare the new girl.”

“Trust me, I don’t think I am,” Dalton said.

I couldn’t tell if that was a compliment. I chose to take it as such.

Laser winked at me. “C’mon, I’ll get you settled in. And after that, I’ll walk you to the simulator.”

“You’ll run her through the training?” Dalton asked. It was only a little insulting that he looked really happy about that. “I’m off the hook?”

Laser didn’t miss a beat. She tilted her head and laughed right in his face. “Chief told me you’d try to slither out of simulator duty. Cute. But no dice. Go get yourself some coffee or water or something. We’ll meet you there in ten minutes.” She leaned toward me conspiratorially. “Some of us still get to fly again today. Sucks to be him.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Dalton snapped.

Laser laughed as she looped her arm through mine. “Me and you are roomies. Chief told me he hired another woman. I’ve been waiting for more female companionship. As you’ve probably noticed, there’s too much damn testosterone around here.”

“I did notice,” I said.

Laser led me back toward the main building, her arm still looped through mine like we were old friends. The tension in my shoulders eased a little as we walked, though I could still feel Dalton’s glare burning into my back. I didn’t dare look over my shoulder to confirm it.

“Don’t mind him,” Laser said. “Dalton’s… well, he’s Dalton. He’s got a stick up his ass the size of a redwood, but he’s a damn good pilot. Just don’t take it personally. He’s like that with everyone.”

“Good to know,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely convinced. “He seems like a real charmer.”

She laughed. “Oh, he’s charming all right. If you’re into brooding, grumpy men who think they’re God’s gift to flying. Unfortunately, his ego is only slightly bigger than some of the other guys around here.”

“Flyboys,” I said with a sigh. “It doesn’t matter if they’re Air Force, Navy, or dudes like him. They’re all the same.”

The cool air inside the main hall was a welcome relief after the heat of the tarmac. The common area was quiet now, most of the crew either out on duty or taking advantage of the downtime to nap or catch up on other duties.