Free Flight by Siena Colmer Page B

was hard to just let it go.
    Jeff was all she should be thinking about. But ignoring Ryle wasn’t so easy. And her mind kept replaying every interaction she had had with him. How his fingers brushed against hers when he handed her the tools, how he stood just a little too close so that she could barely breathe. He seemed to be every where she was.  Every time she turned around, she almost ran into him. How could she get any work done when his knowing eyes were always on her?
    “ Here, let me.”
    Charlie stiffened slightly, instantly recognizing Ryle’s deep voice from directly behind her.  She wanted to tell him she didn’t need his help, but the truth was that what she was holding was surprisingly heavy. He took hold of it just when she thought her arms were about to give.  And with a deft efficiency that surprised her, he connected the loose piece to the main frame.
    Her pride notwithstanding, she knew what was important was that nothing was damaged.
    “Thank you.” She said without turning around. She was afraid to see his face; afraid to look into his eyes. After a long day, she was more vulnerable to his magnetism.
     
     
    It was Friday afternoon, after a long week, made that much longer because it was difficult to think of ways to avoid talking directly with Ryle when she was working in the same bay. She was changing a part on the AIR230 when her overalls were splashed with some grease. It was late when she and her team finished.
    “Let’s call it a day.” Charlie decided. It was six o’clock on a Friday night and everyone was eager to get home. “Have a good weekend everyone.”
    “ Thanks Charlie; you too.”
    Charlie stayed a little longer to try a couple of things before giving up on it. She went to the locker rooms to change. Dressed in a white shirt and black jeans, she was just coming out of the women’s lockers when she saw Ryle walking down the hall towards the men’s changing room.
    She hadn’t seen him in the hangar for the last couple of hours. She thought he had left already, and so was unprepared to see him walking straight towards her. For a crazy moment, she was almost tempted to run back into the women’s lockers to wait until he had gone into the men’s room first. Clenching her teeth at her own silly cowardliness, she straightened her back and walked as normally as she could to go pass him.
    It was a wide hallway, but he chose to walk on her side. She looked straight ahead, with her head held high. To avoid passing too close to him, she turned a little toward the wall, only to miss a step and stumbled.  It was Ryle’s quick reflexes that saved her from falling against the wall and possibly getting a bruised face.
    “ Hey, are you all right?” His strong hands were surprisingly gentle on her arms.
    “ Yes, I’m fine,” She muttered, trying to escape his devastating presence before her legs gave out on her.
    When Ryle saw her desperation in trying to get away from him, the look of concern on his face was quickly replaced by mocking amusement. He let her struggle free of his hold, but didn’t move back to let her pass. Instead, he trapped her against the wall, his arms extended on either side of her shoulders to keep her from escaping.
    Charlie could barely breathe; he stood so close that she could feel his breath on her hair. His clean musky male scent filled her nostrils. His azure eyes were so mesmerizing that she couldn’t look away.
    “ What are you afraid of?” Ryle asked softly.
    “ Nothing,” She gasped, very conscious of his sensuous mouth only inches from her own.
    “ Nothing? Then why are you trying so hard to run away from me?” His voice had turned husky.
    Reaching out slowly, he trailed a finger lightly down the side of her face. He moved unhurriedly and deliberately, and she watched with wide eyes as it happened. But even in slow motion, she was unable to find the will to stop it, and she still flinched a little when the warm finger first touched her