Free No Future Christmas by Barbara Goodwin Page A

distracted.”
He leaned forward and tasted her wet, tempting lips. In another time, another
place, he’d make tender, passionate love to Shauna. Digging up all the resolve
he could find he broke the kiss and murmured, “Soon, sweetheart. Soon.” He
slowly wiped the dew from her lips with the tip of his tongue and watched her
eyes widen with desire. “Teach me.”
    Confusion marred her features for a moment then cleared. She
leaned away from him with narrowed eyes. “You are a sneaky, devious, tricky
man. I’m sorry to admit I can be confounded by you so easily.” Shauna sighed.
Mike watched her struggle not to smile. He knew he’d won before she gave her
answer. “Only with strict conditions.”
    A huge smile creased his face. He felt a rush of excitement
race through him as he grabbed Shauna’s hands to kiss them. “I agree.”
    Shauna’s eyes lit with mirth. “You don’t know the terms
yet.”
    “I accept.”
    She laughed. “Fine. Consider yourself a student flyer.” She
got up to leave the room.
    “Wait, what are the conditions?” Mike laughed.
    “Why do you want to know?” Shauna teased. “You already
accepted the contract.”
    “Come on, sweetheart. Spill.” Mike sat back and crossed his
arms over his chest. He placed one leg across his knee and settled in for a
chat.
    With a large, exaggerated sigh Shauna said, “One. You must
follow my directions at all times. Two. You don’t complain. Three. You study
the basics before you ever sit in the flyer’s seat. Four. I take over in any
emergency and five, you don’t fly without me in the skycar. Ever.”
    “Agreed.”
    “Then, Mr. Student, it’s time for some studying.”
    * * * * *
    Mike studied day and night for two weeks. It was a
complicated process but he found it fascinating. Aerodynamics played a large
part of flying a skycar but the rules of the road were harder for him to understand.
Even though the rules were the same worldwide, he found it difficult to
understand how skylanes were designed and where they actually were. He grew a
deeper appreciation for the poignant ballet that ruled the sky when millions of
people flew their vehicles.
    “Test time.” Shauna strolled in bringing with her a
feminine, flowery fragrance. She wore tight, peach-colored shorts made of some
slinky material. Her white top left her shoulders bare but hugged her beautiful
body leaving two inches of her sun-tanned waist exposed to his sight. She
glowed with health and vitality and for an intense moment Mike wanted with her
with every fiber of his being.
    “What?” He didn’t realize he’d stepped up to her but somehow
she was in his arms. Their attraction sizzled and he devoured her mouth. Mike
tasted mint and cinnamon along with coffee. Flavors he would always associate
with Shauna.
    She pulled back and licked her lips. “Quit that,” she
grinned. Shauna scraped a hand through her short hair, spiking it.
    “No.” Mike playfully pulled her to him. He ran his hands
over her shoulders, circled his finger in the hollow of her collarbone and
trailed his finger up her neck. He felt Shauna shiver and watched her eyes
darken. “You want me as much as I want you.”
    “Now’s not the right time, Mike.”
    “It’s never the right time to fall in love.”
    “What?” Shauna stepped back to stare at Mike. “You’re not in
love with me.”
    Mike didn’t hear her. He stood stunned at the revelation.
How could he be in love with a woman he’s never made love with? What was it
about Shauna that screamed permanence? He mentally shook his head and took a
tactical retreat. “I’m talking generally, Shauna.” But his heart pounded and
his palms were sweaty.
    “Oh, well then…” He saw her chest rise and fall and heard her
suck in a breath. She turned and slapped a ten-page test on the table next to
him. “Here’s the first phase of the three-phase skycar test. Normally you’d
take one a year for the required three years of studying. But you’re on